Secular Confessions

[demigraf]

OMG, me too! I had a beautiful garden *before* I had the kidlet. Now, it's all literally gone to seed. Getting it all back will be years' worth of work.

Oh, I totally get that sense of loss, and also maybe a bit of excitement over having a blank slate to work with. What's your zone? I'm swimming in agapanthus.

Right now, I'm face with a moral decision... To plant of not to plant a beautiful invasive. I think Boston ivy would look beautiful growing up my chimney. I personally don't mind trimming my house, and it'd be in an isolated bed, separated by a good 2.5 of concrete, from the next soil. Plus, it's far from any neighbor's yard where it might volunteer. But it's not my house (owners say to landscape away) and if the next residents mind the upkeep it'll be a pain. The vines leave sucker marks on walls when they come down. It's a tough call. I was just looking at the hordes of pampas grass that's invaded the coastline when it "jumped" someone's yard. It's beautiful, but I think about all the other species that got choked out by it's aggression. I know the responsible thing to do here. Just need to be talked into it.

[raspberry]

Mylah, you dh needs this new camera I just heard about, it lets you focus the picture after you have taken the picture. I heard about it on HLN. Here it is

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/digitalcam...your-shot/5328

Like Chrissy said I take many pictures to account for my lack of skill, and the subject running around like a monkey. For every 100 pics I take, I get maybe 20 that are any good.

Chrissy, I am so sorry about your dh. My brother is an alcoholic. He doesn't admit he has a problem because 1. he has a job 2. he doesn't hit or get violent while drinking. Since he doesn't think he has a problem he will never seek help. It's sad.

Ashley, I will post pictures soon and take you up on your offer!

[Suja]

Oh, I totally get that sense of loss, and also maybe a bit of excitement over having a blank slate to work with. What's your zone? I'm swimming in agapanthus.

Right now, I'm face with a moral decision... To plant of not to plant a beautiful invasive. I think Boston ivy would look beautiful growing up my chimney. I personally don't mind trimming my house, and it'd be in an isolated bed, separated by a good 2.5 of concrete, from the next soil. Plus, it's far from any neighbor's yard where it might volunteer. But it's not my house (owners say to landscape away) and if the next residents mind the upkeep it'll be a pain. The vines leave sucker marks on walls when they come down. It's a tough call. I was just looking at the hordes of pampas grass that's invaded the coastline when it "jumped" someone's yard. It's beautiful, but I think about all the other species that got choked out by it's aggression. I know the responsible thing to do here. Just need to be talked into it.

I'm in a Zone 7b, but I don't usually plant anything that isn't reliably hardy in 7a. I had put so much effort and research into this, and I'm pretty sure all my OGRs are dead from neglect

Don't do it. Don't plant the Boston Ivy. The nearest 'stand' from me is three doors down, growing on a dead tree, and I'm (or was anyway) constantly pulling out babies. Plus it damages masonry if someone tries to rip it out. You could be leaving a chore for some gardening loving neighbor half a mile away, the way these things behave. I've battled so many exotic invasives I've lost count. So many of the trees in our yard were on the verge of death when we moved in from being strangled.

Can you put in a trellis and grow something like Clematis? Once established, it's impossible to kill, and puts on a lovely show year after year with no care whatsoever (if you choose something that doesn't require pruning). Even one of the larger (once blooming) old garden roses should put on a spectacular show for you, and can be quite low maintenance.

[Bridget]

Sweet, hot shower. Finally!!!! I'm not going to say how long it had been since I'd taken one before we lost our hot water and then 3 days of none...
I am pretty sure I suck at gardening and have left it all to dbf the past two years. There are so many things I want to be good at and I feel like just when I get started there's a butt to wipe or a sock to find...
I've just decided to revisit everything in about 5 years. Knitting, sewing, gardening, guitar playing, just to name a few of my grand plans.

[Cosmosmom]

I started out with a blank slate in my yard. Been a major pain just getting the lawn established. Added a smoke bush and some mini-yews in front of the porch. A colorado blue spruce out back and a northern pin oak out front. I think that we need still two more trees, probably a maple of some kind in the back and I don't know what in the front.
I had a pretty nice little veggie garden going until the freaking deer found it. My broccoli did great though and so did the cukes. But my tomatoes and peppers were pretty taken out by the deer. I would love to fence in the yard but don't have the money for that right now. Next year I will try brussel sprouts I think.
And maybe get my grass in better....had a lot of quake grass coming in....I have a field on two sides of me where they grow soybeans (OMG do those attrack the asian beetles!) and behind that corn.

I can't even imagine a zone 7! I'm up in 4a.

[Cosmosmom]

Yea for hot showers!!!!

[Suja]

I can't even imagine a zone 7! I'm up in 4a.

That would present special challenges, for sure.

For your garden, you don't really need anything fancy-schmanzy. You can just put up some stakes and run chicken wire and run hotwire across the top. Just make sure Cosmo isn't out when the thing is on.

[demigraf]

You're right, Suja. And I feel good about agreeing with you because Clematis Niobe was my 2nd choice. Just need to check into how it does in indirect light. I grow climbing roses at our house down in LA - "4th of July" and "Golden Showers" (heh heh). I so want a climber with interesting foliage, though. M'be something variegated like variegated fig. I'm still learning this zone. I have yet to open a gardening guide with a chapter called "Fog Loving Perennials"

Jennifer, do you like to eat brussel sprouts? I need good instructions on roasting them. As usual, mine end up soggy.

Bridget, yay for warm water!

I am hosting a Halloween-themed babysitting co-op happy hour for a subgroup in my mother's club on Friday. I'd have hoped for the motivation to keep fixing up/decorating the house, since it still has a half-moved-in feel, but alas, I'm finding I don't care enough to hustle the way I thought I would. I'll be happy if the toilets are clean and the pumpkin ice cream gets made.

[demigraf]

Dp

[girlwonder]

I vote for Clematis! Once it gets going it is so beautiful - graphic and architectural while still being really full and thick. My mom had some that that I loved - I can't even explain it, but it was so "organized" looking even while being random? Anyway, great stuff.

[missychrissy]

Sorry, I'm not help! I couldn't grow weeds!

Has APA been doggone slow for anyone else lately? Not constantly, but in the past 2-3 days it seems like this site (and none other) are taking forever to load.

[missychrissy]

Sorry, I'm not help! I couldn't grow weeds!

Has APA been doggone slow for anyone else lately? Not constantly, but in the past 2-3 days it seems like this site (and none other) are taking forever to load.

[Ky'sMom]

I am growing clematis in our front yard behind a rose bush I was given. I am trying my hand at gardening and did pretty well this year. My rose is about to bloom again so I'm excited that it is still alive. I also have some lillies in another area in the front and some sort of miniature daisy that was cute when I bought it but is browning now and on Wednesday (my garden/plant chore day) I think I will cut off all the brown parts since all my spring/summer blooms are now out of season. I am looking for some good fall perrenials and even some bulbs for next spring right now.

Hooray for hot water Bridget!!! We lived without hot water for a month or so when we first moved here. I didn't mind so much in the summer since I like nearly cold showers anyway but once it got to the middle of Sept, we moved in in Aug, then I made it a mission to fix the water heater/tank myself, which I did since DH was willing to live without hot water forever and didn't want to call a plumber or electrician.

Erin

[missychrissy]

You're unreal Erin! Fixing your own water heater?! I know women are capable of it...it's just nothing I'd think to even attempt.

I couldn't live without hot water even 1 day. Part of it is because there's too many of us. The idea of boiling all that water just to do dishes every day...oiy! Not for me. I had to have a hot water heater installed before I'd even move in here, and we moved on the hottest day of the summer.

[Cosmosmom]

That would present special challenges, for sure.

For your garden, you don't really need anything fancy-schmanzy. You can just put up some stakes and run chicken wire and run hotwire across the top. Just make sure Cosmo isn't out when the thing is on.

Hot wire? You mean make it electric? I couldn't do anything that would hurt the deer or birds (not the stupid pocket gophers OTH ) And Cosmo likes to run around by the garden.

I did toss my old plants in the field behind me (before the farmer plants there is a border area). Once the soybeans came in, they didn't come around so much but that didn't give much time for the new tomatoes to turn red.

And DH won't do a fence because it will look ugly in his words....he is very particular about how things look. He might consider netting or something for early in the summer before the beans come in....once they do, the deer seem to not bother my garden so much.

[3andMe]

I'm so glad you got a shower, Bridget! I can go a long time without a shower when I need to (and I will also hold off when there is no hot water), but there is nothing better than a good shower after a build-up of grime and baby goop. We were lying in bed the other night and DS stuck his finger in his nose and then wiped it on my cheek. ON MY CHEEK! I think sometimes they get older and become more barbaric, not less.

I have had a couple of occasions of APA being super-slow, but have had at the same time other sites being slow as well. Then I tap my fingers while APA loads and the other sites that I'm looking at while waiting for APA to load are delayed as well. But it's not my connection, because others are just fine. I've also noticed a lot of double-posts, but frequently that is a problem from posting from a cell phone, and not a problem with the site.

I love our growing area, but I have a hard time picking out plants because I have pretty much nothing but shade and a very clay soil. Anything interesting we have to grow in pots. DH has our entire back deck taken up with his greenhouse and the tomato plants and my herbs. He has gone through some serious orchid growing phases, but then gets busy and can't tend them as much and then we don't have as many.

Mylah, one of my friends, the former professional chef, has a good brussels sprouts recipe which he always contributes to my sister's Thanksgiving potluck. Do you want me to get it for you? I think it has bacon in it, though.

[Bridget]

It actually wasn't horrible. Our dishwasher still had it's heating element so the dishes were getting sanitized. Outside of the showering part it didn't totally suck. And at least I never felt obligated to take a shower. Seriously, who has the time?

[Cosmosmom]

Jennifer, do you like to eat brussel sprouts? I need good instructions on roasting them. As usual, mine end up soggy.

Umm, just normally buy the frozen ones you cook in the bag in the microwave. They are DH's favorite and he could eat a whole bag at one meal.

I only had them roasted once at a fancy restaurant but OMG they were so good. I have never tried that at home but will if I can get some to grow next summer.

[AbbeysMom]

The only thing I can grow well is roses. I could grow them in Colorado and found it was easy in Texas too. I planted a rose bush in the front and took care of it pretty well, and now DH jokes about it all the time, because it's about 5 times the size it was last year. I had an amazing rose garden at our last house too. My favorite was the "Barbara Streisand" rose bush, it was lavender and smelled totally amazing. My DH also used to get me fire and ice roses every birthday and anniversary, but since moving to Texas my allergies are too bad to have flowers inside.

And APA has been intermittently slow for me too.
I wrote two posts responding to Christina and Chrissy's posts awhile back and the wheels just kept spinning on the website, so I'll just say to you both.

[AbbeysMom]

Jennifer, if you mix blood meal (gardening fertilizer), bone meal (same), cayenne pepper and egg whites and pour some near the plants you want left alone it will feed the plants and keep the critters away. It doesn't hurt bunnies or deer but apparently to them it smells like death and tastes like cr*p.

[missychrissy]

I have had a couple of occasions of APA being super-slow, but have had at the same time other sites being slow as well. Then I tap my fingers while APA loads and the other sites that I'm looking at while waiting for APA to load are delayed as well. But it's not my connection, because others are just fine. I've also noticed a lot of double-posts, but frequently that is a problem from posting from a cell phone, and not a problem with the site.

My double post earlier (where I was asking if anyone else was experiencing it) was from a computer. And all the other sites I opened while waiting for APA opened normally so I know it was just this site...at least at that minute. Other times, it very well could be our connection. We have 6 computers and 3 cell phones that connect...sometimes all at the same time. It freaks my router out and I have to unplug it. I should try static ip but honestly, I'm too lazy.

It actually wasn't horrible. Our dishwasher still had it's heating element so the dishes were getting sanitized. Outside of the showering part it didn't totally suck. And at least I never felt obligated to take a shower. Seriously, who has the time?

I've read that will burn the heating element out and shorten the life of the dishwasher. In fact, ideally you should run hot water at the sink closest to the dishwasher till the water is fully hot before starting it.

[Suja]

Hot wire? You mean make it electric? I couldn't do anything that would hurt the deer or birds (not the stupid pocket gophers OTH ) And Cosmo likes to run around by the garden.

Well, yes. It's called livestock wire. It will give them a bit of a shock so it's aversive enough they'll want to stay out of your garden, but not so much as to seriously hurt them. Of course, you should turn the power off when Cosmo's around (hopefully, deer don't show up when he's on patrol).

[Cosmosmom]

Is it really strange that I cleaned the garage this weekend? We have been living here something like 15-16 months and never cleaned it. So there was a lot of dead bugs and sand and cobwebs, I thought it was pretty bad and it's attached to the house. I hated walking from my car to the house. It was really nice in the low 60's maybe upper 50's on Saturday so we moved most of the stuff around and swept and vacuumed it out. We didn't move the one shelf unit but everything else was moved. A few things got hung on the walls.

I have gotten a few comments about how dirty could it be after only a year....I thought cleaning the garage was just something people did like once a year but maybe not?

[Suja]

I am looking for some good fall perrenials and even some bulbs for next spring right now.

Erin, these guys are an excellent source of bulbs: http://www.johnscheepers.com/ I've never seen bulbs this big before.

[Gwenn]

Well, yes. It's called livestock wire. It will give them a bit of a shock so it's aversive enough they'll want to stay out of your garden, but not so much as to seriously hurt them. Of course, you should turn the power off when Cosmo's around (hopefully, deer don't show up when he's on patrol).

My dad put this in the family garden when I was a kid in NY. It shocked the deer enough that they gave up trying to get in, but it didn't hurt them. Otherwise they never would have stayed out of the garden. I don't know about homeowner rules as far as that goes, though.

[missychrissy]

Is it really strange that I cleaned the garage this weekend? We have been living here something like 15-16 months and never cleaned it. So there was a lot of dead bugs and sand and cobwebs, I thought it was pretty bad and it's attached to the house. I hated walking from my car to the house. It was really nice in the low 60's maybe upper 50's on Saturday so we moved most of the stuff around and swept and vacuumed it out. We didn't move the one shelf unit but everything else was moved. A few things got hung on the walls.

I have gotten a few comments about how dirty could it be after only a year....I thought cleaning the garage was just something people did like once a year but maybe not?

We sweep ours out all the time...well dh or my brother. But they do a lot of work down there. My brother just worked on my VW in my garage and he swept up when he was done. Sometimes it's weekly, but it's at least once a month even if no one has worked on a car or whatever.

[missychrissy]

My dad put this in the family garden when I was a kid in NY. It shocked the deer enough that they gave up trying to get in, but it didn't hurt them. Otherwise they never would have stayed out of the garden. I don't know about homeowner rules as far as that goes, though.

I don't know about local ordinances there either, but I'll 2nd that a hot fence won't cause any animals any harm. It just gives them a jolt and they stay away. I've grabbed one myself once.

[Gwenn]

I am going crazy second guessing myself. I usually have a 30-32 day cycle. I had dark brown spotting on CD 29 then nothing (very, very unusual for me to have spotting before my period - it's only happened 2-3 times in my life so far) and I suspected possibly it was implant bleeding. Next day AF came, early and super mucousy (also not usual). When I had my early m/c it was also very mucousy. So I'm wondering if I just had a chemical? Not sure as I never tested. I really shouldn't drive myself crazy with that, it's pointless.

[missychrissy]

Mandy. I'd wanna know too.

[3andMe]

Here's what just happened to me tonight: I was lying in bed with the twins after bedtime stories and just on a whim asked them what they would do if a stranger approached them and asked them to help him look for a lost puppy or told them he had some candy in his car. DD said, "I'd tell him, 'Would you like a bottle of wine to go with your candy? I'll be right back with one!'" WTF? Girl voted most likely to get in trouble!!!!

At this point, they're never alone so I haven't worried too much about this and haven't talked to them too much about 'stranger danger,' but sheesh! I actually didn't like it when they talked about not talking to strangers in preschool, because we talk to strangers every day.