Helpin Dad

Last week little Isaiah, almost a year old, was up the crack of dawn. Mommy gave Daddy permission to take the little tike along to work.  Daddy works at a butcher shop so on certain days of the week there are cattle waiting in holding pens.  He was quite content to be along for the ride.  He spent some time in Daddy’s office and then was fast asleep so Daddy took him home, put him in his crib where he finished his necessary shut eye.

It just rains and rains

I came home from work today and it was finally NOT raining.  I don’t have a rain gauge set up yet but I’m thinkin’ we’ve had more then enough after seeing my 12-14 inch deep washtub planter full of water.

It leans toward the front just a tad so all the stones were completely submersed along with the entire left side. 

 

I tipped it to the side as much as I could to drain off as much water as possible but there’s still a puddle of water on the one side.  Don’t think I’ll need to water this pot right away.

If the only thing that is flooded is my plant tub I certainly have MUCH to be thankful for.  A warm, dry home tops the list lately.

It’s been a ‘grand’ day

I had the joy and privilege to keep 3 of my grandchildren today.  What fun we had.  Having children when you’re young is oh, so wise.  This grammy could use a nap.

The children had been to Twin Kiss the night before so Isaac came in the front door wearing his treasured hat and wore it through breakfast on the porch.

 

Little Miss Elie

And little love cakes himself – Baby Isaiah (eye-day-ah)

  Grammy is happy today.

A man and his horse

Q:  Where’s Jay?

A:  He said he went to see a man about a horse.

That, my friends, is code for off somewhere quiet to take a quick 5-10 minute power nap.  All the employees soon catch on.  =)  But this past weekend he really did go see a man about a horse.  Well, at least a pony auction anyway. My dear husband has been talking about wanting a pony for some time.  He thinks a pony would be great fun for the grandchildren. 

So let me introduce you to Ted, Jay’s black pony.

He arrived Monday afternoon when most of the work was done so each of the boys had to call their wives and children and all came to see Pappy’s new pony.

  Ted was more interested in eating the fresh green grass – his normal diet of just hay was getting bland.

Rachel decided after she had made her first introductions to pull out a chair and sit in the shade.

 

And then she introduced her sister and cousin to the water hose and they played in the water until they were soaked to the skin. 

The girls are little fashionista’s of their own making.  They know what they want to wear and sometimes decide jammy’s are just fine as well.  I’m sure they’ll figure out a clearer sense of fashion before school starts.  =)

So now Jay has his side kick Toby, the Boston Terrier, and Ted, the little black pony.

 

And a few dozen chickens to round out his growing animal pack.

Besides being on the look-out for a pony cart, I wonder what other critters this man of mine is hoping to add…..

Happy Mother’s Day

My mother has been an amazing example.  As a child I wanted to grow up, get married and be a mom.  I never heard her complain in frustration about keeping house, cooking or mothering.  And I know my two brothers and I gave her plenty to complain about.

I love cooking from scratch – it’s the only way Mom cooks.

I strive to keep a home clean – although mine is never as clean as hers.

And my greatest joy is being a Mom myself – three times.

She also has a very green thumb and anything she plants grows up and calls her blessed.  She didn’t pass ALL that along to me but I sure am having fun trying. 

Thanks Mom – your unfailing love and support has shaped who I am.

 

But today is also marked with deep sadness – there are those who would give anything to have a Mother’s Day. I don’t understand.  I pray constantly.  I cry.  I get angry at times.  The empty dreams hurt and as a Mom I can’t do anything to fix it or change it.  Sometimes life just doesn’t seem fair or make sense.

Love you babe.

It’s been rather ducky…

Ah….. the sun is finally shining again. 

I had to chuckle yesterday morning when I read a Facebook post from a gardener I follow (Doug Green):  “There's something wrong with the sky here today. It's a bright blue colour and there's something really, big and bright up there. Anybody have an idea what's going on?'”

And I’m sure this momma duck is glad to see the sun as well.  Betz found her hiding place while hiding the Easter eggs for the grands last weekend.  I was told by neighbors that a duck usually builds a nest close by but no one had found her nest yet this year.

At last count she was sitting on 12 eggs.

This is a view out my front door.  Her nest is under the pine tree in the top left corner.  It’s nice to know she feels safe here in the neighborhood.

Sea Mist

Last weekend I secretly paid my neighbor to say something to Jay about getting my flower bed dug out and it worked.  =)  I had told him he has until May before my transplanted perennials, that I’ve moved – again – and were wintered in pots, would need to find a home in some dirt with room for their roots.  So Saturday, the last day in April, he got it done.  I love the possibilities of a new flower bed.  I took this picture late in the afternoon.  This is the sunny side of the house and will receive the heat of the summer days.

I was a little worried that my perennials may not have survived the winter.  Because our move came so quickly and unexpectedly, last October I took my perennials out of the ground, stuck them in individual 10 lb. buckets and put them up against the north side of the house to wait for our move.  It got cold.  It snowed.  And I was concerned.  In the middle of January my father shoveled through a high snow drift beside our driveway so he could go back and dig out my buckets, load them in his car and move them to our new address.  This time we placed them up against the house, under the deck and I hoped they would survive the remainder of the winter.

And they all did but 3-4 of them.  My lambs ears didn’t survive, along with a pot or two of daisies,  but my most favorite perennial survived.

I know it only by Sea Mist.  I’ve had it for at least 12 years.  Originally I had it in the Day 5 section of my Creation Garden.  Not exactly sure why it’s my favorite.  But I’ve learned that it simply does not like to be moved and I’ve moved mine to four different addresses.  It wilts almost instantly when it’s moved and it takes forever to bounce back.  On Saturday I was anxious to get it in the ground.  I knew if I waited much longer it wouldn’t bounce  back enough from a wilt to bloom later this summer.  Jay dug a good size hole for me and we gently pulled it from the extra large pot I had put it in last fall and situated it into its new home.  I continued to work around with other things keeping my eye on it and ya know what – for the first time it never wilted.  I told Jay I wonder if it knows it’s finally home.  He thought it was because of the guy who planted it.  =)  I think both may be right, along with the fact that the pot may have been large enough that the roots didn’t get disturbed much. 

I’ve looked online to try and find what it is.  The closet thing I can find is this:  Nemesia caerulea ‘Sea Mist’ AGM

The color is right.  The form of the flower petals is close.  But the description of the foliage and growing style is way off.

Those three or four stems growing above the lower foliage will grow up to about 4 feet and blooms later this summer.

A close-up of the leaves.

I’m think I purchased this plant from a catalog.  I’ve not seen it anywhere else around my area – it’s not a common perennial here – at least not what I’ve seen.  But maybe I’ve just not gotten around.  Anyway – I’ll find the name.  It’s the hunt that I enjoy.  I’ll take pictures as it grows this summer and possibly get to a garden center for some expert help.  In the meantime I’ll keep looking online when I have some free time to hunt.

But mostly I’m going to enjoy watching it grow close up.  It’s always been out in a flower bed but this time I planted it close to my front door.

If any of you know what it is, please share your knowledge.

To be continued.

Ice Cream

This blog is still finding itself on the bottom of the totem pole.  It seems there is very little time to do things that aren't screaming with a deadline.  I take pictures here and there thinking I'll blog about it.  But even then I'm too busy or distracted to take the time to complete a picture thread.  Example:  This past weekend Jay & I were at the annual PA Meat Convention in State College.  We took an afternoon trip to that would have been a great photo op but I was too busy with the events to take pictures except for this single, lone pic ... and then it's of half eaten looking food.  Sad - truly sad.
It looks half eaten because I was waiting for it melt a little before I could eat it.   I’m not a great ice cream fan – too cold and it hurts my teeth.  But I took the picture because, although it is hard to see, there is a hunk of a peach sitting right there on the top.   And I’m not a football fan either.  But you haven’t had ice cream until you’ve had some from the Penn State Creamery.  This flavor is Paterno Peach.  I’d eat ice cream more often if it was always this rich.  Glad Penn State is too far away to just go get some when the urge would strike.  So once a year I have my fill of the best ice cream around.

Betz is still taking pictures whenever she can.  She has a post about our Easter with the grands.  http://www.meandhimandthetumbleweeds.blogspot.com/