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Mon, 27 May 2008 20:41:00 GMT

posted by connieclays
It's been a busy past few days...

Nancy took this week off so we can work on fixing this place up.

The master plan is to move our bedroom into the room Patty used as her bedroom (she moved back to Portland last fall to be closer to family again) we'll keep the middle room as our "dressing room" - there's no closets to speak of in this house so we have had to use one of the rooms upstairs as a closet, it houses our dressers and my vanity.

My studio will be moved back upstairs, into the small front room (that I had it in when we first moved into this house) and the big electrical things - my kiln and buffer and tumbler - will go down in the cellar. We had the electrical updated on the first floor and cellar, so those "big things" will be down where the electricity can handle them.

Our old bedroom will become a new living room with a small area to the side that'll have a table and such set up for when we have poker and cribbage night.

Then, the living room downstairs and my "old" studio will be open for Mom's stuff. Yep, you read that right. My mother's stuff. It's time. I'm very concerned about her living alone. She is legally blind and she has fallen a couple of times. Also she just can't see well enough to do little things that, to a fully sighted person, is nothing, like plugging a lamp in that has become unplugged for whatever reason, changing the batteries in her remote, and any other of the 100's of reasons I have to drive up to her place (a 2o minute ride!) to rescue her from one thing or another!

We'll set up her living room in the front room and her bedroom in my old studio. We'll still eat in the dining room and I'll do the cooking, as always. She goes to bed pretty early so we'll have the upstairs living room for ourselves.

So, the painting involves our new bedroom, the dressing room, the new upstairs living room and we'll also paint the downstairs living room. I'm still working on the downstairs bathroom and at some point we'll do something with the kitchen too. This "master plan" is in preparation for the market to turn... fixing the house up while waiting for the pendulum to swing back. *g* Because, after the economy gets "righted" we will sell this place and move to the Southwest! YAY!

So, Friday Nancy took as a vacation day too. We did some errands and grocery shopped, that evening "D" came over and played cribbage.

Saturday Nancy worked on the new bedroom, taping, cutting in, rolling the walls etc...

In the afternoon I went back to work for the first time since my surgery! YAY! I worked from 10AM to 2PM. It was fine, I just straightened aisles and did customer service. I go again next Saturday from 12 to 4PM.

Sunday morning I organized, weeded out and emptied the dressing room.

Nancy mowed the back yard.

Then in the afternoon we went for a motorcycle ride - 73 miles round trip! It was GORGEOUS!! The lilacs are in bloom everywhere and we sniffed deeply every time we went past a bunch!! YUM!!

Monday morning was spent doing some more yard work. These two bushes were transplanted (by Nancy) from the front to the driveway side of the house.

And these, the Bleeding Heart and -- I can't remember what it's called! AK!! -- Nancy moved into the bed across the front.

In the meantime, I finished planting my tomatoes in the bed right off the deck. Not an easy task with one arm! LOL!!

In the afternoon we got back to painting.

And today, Tuesday we finished up in the bedroom. Well, almost. I still have to go back and do the details of the crown molding and the windows, but I have a couple appointments as well as Mom's year and a half out check up at the cancer center and believe me, I NEED a rest! My shoulder hurts and needs a rest.

Here's Nancy's beautiful floor!

And a shot of the 3 colors... mocha walls, latte for the the trim, and dark chocolate pudding on the floor! See? The crown molding and details on the windows still needs finishing.. I'll get to that.

The dressing room will have these same colors except there's creamy gray carpeting on that floor as well as in the new living room.

To top today off, the roofers came! They worked all day and almost got everything done! It started raining right at the end of the day and they had to knock off early. This new roof will stop those nasty leaks we had last winter! Shewt!

Connie

~ Life's too short to use cheap beads! ~

June Lawn and Garden Tips for the Arizona Low Desert

Mon, 20 May 2008 07:28:21 GMT

posted by neilpede

http://cals.arizona.edu/maricopa/garden/html/t-tips/june.htm

Neil Pedersen – May 20, 2008, 12:20 AM MST

Here are some tips for your lawn and garden for June in the low desert of Arizona.

Timely Tips for June in the Low Desert

Tip of The Month
June is probably the most difficult period for many plants because of the long days, high temperatures, and low humidity. Ineffective water management is the number one cause of death of landscape plants in the Valley, and, believe it or not, it is more frequently from over watering than under watering. You can reduce your water bill and take better care of your plants it you water slowly (prevents run off), deeply (use a soil probe or a long handled screwdriver to check that the water is penetrating 2-3 ft. deep for trees and shrubs, and 1- 1 1/2 ft. deep for turf & flowers), and infrequently (Let the soil dry between watering).

Climate Information for June
in Phoenix, Arizona
Rainfall:

Average: 0.1 inches
Record: 1.7 inches (1972)

Temperature (degrees F):

Average High: 103.5 degrees
Lowest High: 68 degrees (1899)
Record High: 122 degrees (1990)

Average Low: 72.9 degrees
Highest Low: 93 degrees (1990)
Record Low: 49 degrees (1908)

Note: Rainfall and temperatures vary widely within the valley depending upon elevation and microclimate.

To Do List . . .
Turf

Plant Bermuda lawns during the active growing season, May through August

Fertilize Bermuda grass lawns with Nitrogen each month beginning late April or early May according to the directions on the fertilizer package.

Apply Iron one a month according to the directions on the fertilizer package.

Apply one inch of water per week to Bermuda lawns

Once every two or three years dethatch Bermuda lawns if necessary. Only dethatch during the active growing season, May through August. This enables the turf to quickly recover.

Vegetables

Plant Seeds
Armenian Cucumbers, Melons (Cantaloupe, Muskmelon), Sunflowers

Plant Transplants
Sweet Potatoes

Roses
Cut back on fertilizing established roses to encourage plants to slow down for the hot summer

Water deeply as temperatures climb

Hose off plants in the early morning to increase humidity and control spider mites

Fruit and Nut Trees
Pick early-maturing deciduous fruit varieties, which are particularly prone to bird damage, before full maturity. Ripened at room temperature to lessen the bird peck loss.

Cover fruit trees with netting to protect from birds

Apply nitrogen and zinc to pecan trees to produce normal size leaf growth and to enhance kernel development. Pecans also need more water than most other shade trees.

Landscape Plants
Increase water application as the weather warms. June is the driest month. Pay attention to irrigation needs of plants.

Apply mulch to the ground around heat sensitive plants keep the roots cooler and prevent evaporation.

Apply chelated iron to bottle brush, pyracantha, silk oak, and other plants with iron deficiency symptoms.

Prune palms when flower spathes show or delay pruning until after the palm has finished flowering to prevent infestation of Palm Flower caterpillars. If palms are pruned in the spring, leave the top five rows of peels so the caterpillars have a place to hide.

Cut off spent blooms to stimulate rebloom

Native and imported heat tolerant plants can be planted right through the summer months. They will need to be watered on a regular basis until fall.

Transplant palms in the heat of the summer for best results.

If you have previously had a problem, apply around the base of Agaves a pesticide labeled for use on grubs in order to kill the grubs of the Agave Weevil.

Don’t List . . .
Do not expose citrus and other sun sensitive plants to sunburn by pruning during the summer

Technorati: Arizona • Desert • Garden • Lawn • Phoenix • Tips

Very exciting morning, boring afternoon.

Mon, 20 May 2008 20:32:00 GMT

posted by connieclays

My morning today turned very exciting last evening when Nancy got a phone call telling her the new windows had come in and they'd be here to install them at 9AM - this morning - today - the day after I drove to and back home from Canada - 8 and a half hours - with only having been 3 and a half weeks out from surgery. You know? The day I was going to spend it on ice most of the day - recovering.... ow!

EEEEEhhhhhh!!!

Not so!

I have workmen coming to the house! That means not only is furniture moving, cleaning, room dismantling and reassembling the downstairs double living rooms, but Dilly's crate, her "room" has to go upstairs and she shut into it so she doesn't take a guys leg off has to happen too!!!

OW!
Nancy did most of the moving (kisses to you, sweetmeat!) and such this morning before she left for work, but I ran the vacuum and dusted and put things away as best as I could after they were done.

They did a great job, by the way... I was so much more impressed with these two guys than I was the idiots who installed the new furnace when we first moved in!!

Those guys where baaaad! Ew!

This afternoon has been VERY low key spent with many acetaminophens and an ice pack.

*smile

Connie

~ Life's too short to use cheap beads! ~

It Has Been a Rough Week

Thu, 21 Mar 2008 19:40:00 GMT

posted by bugg87

At 12:15 this morning, the phone rang, waking me up out of a deep sleep. As I answered the phone, I knew in my heart that it was not a good thing to be hearing a siren in the distance before the person on the other end spoke. It was Dear Husband. "Babe", he said, "I've wrecked the car." Oh Dear Lord, at least he was talking. I asked if he was ok, and he said that yes, he was, but he needed me to come get him. I told him I was on my way, then called grandma to come upstairs and keep an eye on the Monkey, who was sleeping and blissfully unaware of what was happening. I stumbled around trying to get ready to leave, my stomach churning.

The accident had occurred about 6 miles from home. As I drove up and over the hill, I could see the night sky lit up by dozens of emergency vehicle flashers and lights. I saw Dear Husband standing beside the road, shivering in the cold. Thank you, Jesus! The driver of the other vehicle had been taken to the hospital to be checked out. It looked as if he would be alright, though.

As you can see from the picture, this is what is left of our beloved 1997 Toyota Camry. It had over 200,000 miles on it, and had always performed like a champ. It looked so sad sitting there. If there is such a thing as "Car Heaven", our Camry will go there.

We also lost another dear friend this week. John has been in my life from the time I was ten years old. As a mechanic, he helped me with all the old clunkers I had as a teenager and young adult. He was my grandpa's best friend. John's wife, Karen was a good friend of my moms and she has known me since I was born. John's health has steadily declined over the past few years, and on Monday, he suffered a stroke, and passed away. Mom died in 1988, grandpa in 1999, my Uncle Bob in 2004, and now John. I hope they are all up in Heaven, sharing a pot of coffee, and laughing about old times.

As you might have heard, due to almost 48 hours of non-stop rain this week, Missouri has had some flooding. In St. Francois county, we had minor flooding, but points north and southwest of us got hit pretty hard. Most of the residents of Piedmont and Ellington had to evacuate, and Valley Park, Cedar Hill and Eureka are still either sandbagging for the crest, or cleaning up already. The Meramec River and Big River has a bad habit of causing major flooding damage.

Hope all my readers have a Happy and Blessed Easter. I will try to write more this weekend!

Where Is Your Marriage On Your Priority List?

Mon, 18 Dec 2007 13:51:00 GMT

posted by kellybax

I realize that for the second day in a row I am getting off of the subject of freelance work. Life is not always about work and freelancers have personal lives too. Sometimes the two can get in the way of each other.
I wrote this post today at Shakadoo.com in the LoveShak, Baby
Yesterday in the WorkShak, I wrote Does Working From Home Cause Your Marriage Distress?. After writing it, I really started thinking about some important issues. Apparently my husband was thinking about it too and wanted to have a talk last evening.
Our talk went very well and we both were able to express different issues that were bothering us. We cleared the air and both promised to try and make some changes that were needed on both sides. I believe that the issues we discussed are probably some of the most common problems in marriages.
To sum it all up, he feels like I never have time for him and I feel like I never have time for myself. I think a lot of this comes down to "mom syndrome". Moms are pulled at constantly by all family members throughout the day. The kids need something every other minute. The house needs tending to. If you have a job, there is time to devote to it. Even the dog requires something at the most inconvenient moment!
When I do have a moment of peace, I tend to get very selfish and greedy with it! Although I love my husband, I generally don't use that moment to spend with him. I feel the need for space instead after being surrounded by needy little people all day. Is this purely selfish or is it a form of self preservation?
On the flip side, my dear hubby certainly has his share of faults. He is not a talker. He does not like drawn out conversation just as the majority of men do not. This leaves me feeling like he is not interested in me as a person but rather as a care taker of his domain. Why use my precious and rare moments of peace with someone that I don't think is horribly interested in anything I have to say?
During our discussion, we realized that we are in a vicious circle. We are not sure if the chicken or the egg came first. He resents this, I resent that. He acts this way because I act that way and vice versa.
I return to my conclusion that this is a common problem between husbands and wives. Life is so busy and this is especially true when you have young children. Something that my husband and I both agreed about is that we love each other very much. We realize the importance of making an effort not to let life get in the way of US.
If this hits home for you in any way, I urge you to jump out of the vicious circle too. Not only will getting out of the circle of resentments make your marriage read the rest....