Jun13

Spider saga

Posted on Wednesday, June 13, 2007 by Dianne

Yesterday I noticed a very large (about the circumference of a quarter), bumpy looking spider swimming around in the pond. At first I thought it was a water spider, but after glancing on a web, it sure looks like a wolf spider. The ‘bumps’ were her offspring clinging to or running around her back. You should see this photo full size-eeks! (I have to do a major crop for most of my photos for the blog). Bri asked if I had rescued her and I said no. Not a big spider fan. Today, well there she was sorta clinging to part of a leaf I had tossed in to give her some help yesterday. I got my old metal strainer and swooped her and the kiddos up. She was a bit dazed and confused. I did rescue a few kids still in the pond with a blade of grass. Here is my brave rescue attempt and some garden captures.

Basil

Sweet Pea

Lilies
Still feeling a little malaise. My tummy, my lower back, my temp tooth and now the top of my right foot. The tummy-Equalactin and Activia yogurt. The back-Icy hot rub. The tooth-getting the permanent crown tomorrow. The foot-not sure. I read it could be a fracture-but it doesn’t hurt that bad. Also read you can get it from stepping in a hole which I remember doing! We use to have a small lilac on the side of the house. It died and was pulled out and a crater was left behind. First Sean tripped in it and then I did. I did put some dirt in most of it over the weekend.
Please send good vibes for my trip next week-geez.
Off in a few to get my hair fixed-that should boost my spirits.

Jun12

Passings

Posted on Tuesday, June 12, 2007 by Dianne

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I was just checking out my side bar links and clicked on ‘Drawn!’. Their top story was the passing of artist Charley Harper. Many of his whimsical drawings were made into cross stitch charts like this (which I own):

Last week a fellow high school alumni, but in the class above me (1976) passed on. Milton was neighbor of mine and was a talented student with tons of personality. His mom is a gem who always stopped to talk to you and show an interest in your well being. So my mom read that he was in shows with Merv Griffin and movies like ‘Prince of Tides’ (with Barbra Streisand). I didn’t know this. He was also in Paul DiMeo’s class (Extreme Makeover: Home Edition). Milton hadn’t been in movies since ’92.
I was sad to read about these talented people passing on.

Jun12

Happy 84th Uncle Don

Posted on Tuesday, June 12, 2007 by Dianne

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Unfortunately my Uncle Don is in a state of turmoil right now. He was all set to go home and asked my brother Ken to get him. His stepdaughter said if Ken did that, it was going against the recommendations of the doctors and that he would be held responsible, so Ken didn’t go get him. He felt terrible and when he told my Uncle that he wouldn’t be getting him. Ken told UD that he wants him to be happy and that they would find a place that would work for him. There are retirement places around here that are fairly new. My mom sent for a booklet to check out the prices. You have to give them a $160K refundable deposit and it’s like 1k a month, but everything is done for you-no food shopping, cooking, mortages, bills, etc. My mom can’t really afford it, but my uncle could. He isn’t calling mom as he’s so disappointed about not going home. He would be so dependent on friends, family and neighbors for everything-food shopping, taking the trash out, getting the mail, that they would get sick of it. I wish him the best too.

Last night I planted a bunch of different sunflowers in the inner circle I have around the Zinnias, Mexican sunflowers and Cosmos. I don’t have high hopes for them as the deer or ground hogs will probably come along and eat them. I also tossed a row of basil in near the lilies. The basil I bought at the nursery is gorgeous right now.

So it’s the 12th of June and I haven’t planted any green beans or zucchinis. The only green beans seeds I have are from last year. This is the last thing I plan to get in. The weather is really iffy today with storms expected, so mom and I canceled Longwood Gardens. I have a sore foot anyway. I do have to go to the food store shortly and cash the check we got for Sean’s car being towed on Memorial Day. Bri had to have his car towed last year and forgot completely about getting insurance money back.

Have a great day!

Jun11

Not much new…

Posted on Monday, June 11, 2007 by Dianne

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…but the next few weeks will be hectic. Bri and Sean need to pick out their clothes for Karin and Michael’s wedding in NYC on the 23rd. I still can’t believe we’re going! The Tony Awards were on last night and made me hope to see the Broadway district even saying ‘I’m going to wet my pants’ when I see it-I hope not though!

I did some weeding yesterday, even in the veggie patch. Bri doesn’t know how lucky he is. We are using mulch and the hoe just got the ones sprouting up in a pinch. I think the particular weeds we get like harder soil and the dirt now is soft. The plants seem to like it. I’m big on mounding dirt around plants to give them root support too. I also need to plant a few more seeds. I hope I can get around to this sometime during this week between my hair appt, clothes shopping, the dentist, etc.

I’m waiting on the air conditioner repairman-again. Bri said there was a big pool of water under the unit there in the basement last night, big enough for the wet vac. I hope he shows up soon as because of this second visit, I have to postpone seeing mom.

Sean rented an interesting movie called ‘Fast Food Nation’. Don’t think I’ll be eating a hamburger anytime soon. There were some graphic scenes in the slaughterhouse. I know, the hamburger doesn’t appear magically on the sesame seed bun! But, it makes you think. I seem to need protein like red meat. Just warning you, some scenes I couldn’t look at.

So if you don’t see me here, I’m busy. I may even stitch a little graduation design for my nephew Patrick-getting the colors out for that. I wanted to do it for all the kids and he’s #3 out of 5.

Jun9

IRL

Posted on Saturday, June 9, 2007 by Dianne

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My friend did make it down today with her husband for a visit. They got here about 2:45 (I was a little nervous as I thought they were lost) and stayed until 7:45 until they headed for the other end of our county. We visited for a few hours and then went up to one of our favorite restaurants in Kennett. We even surprised Sean at Big Lots and did a little shopping. Angela brought me a cute little hand size scrapbook about friendship. I’ll have to take a photo. She added photos of herself and left room for my own photos. She also said what we had in common-November birthdays, we love cats and crafts. Speaking of cats, our boy Cosmo really liked them! They have 3 cats and he knows his cat people.

It was nice to finally meet after being ’email pals’ for at least 8+ years. I recommend it.☺

Update-Angela just told me that the people who they stayed with on Saturday night took them to sightsee in Philly the next day-they saw the Betsy Ross house, the Liberty Bell and Constitution house. They also ate a Philly cheesesteak. I told her next time not to miss the Art museum, the Franklin Institute or Reading Terminal market. Of course they need about 3-4 more days to see all of that!

Jun9

Photo Hunt-Shoes

Posted on Saturday, June 9, 2007 by Dianne

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Grab the Scavenger Hunt code.Photo Theme. Join the blogroll. Visit participants.

I found and bought these in Target or a similar store years ago because they reminded me of Dorothy’s ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz. Here my little niece loves Oz too and I promised these to her when she can fit into them. In December, she tried them on again and they were still too large, so she kept them here.
The next photo is of an apple coffeecake I made for my company from New York who should be here shortly. We tasted it and it’s good! It has Activa vanilla yogurt in it as I didn’t have plain yogurt.

Jun7

Sean’s unwired but wired

Posted on Thursday, June 7, 2007 by Dianne

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Yeah! He’s got his laptop connected now so this baby is all mine during the day.☺A guy not much older than Sean hooked up the router and now we can have up to 5 connections to the web if we wanted to.

Sean was also offered a $1,500 scholarship from Barnes & Noble-to divide over the next two semesters. Every little bit helps. He needs to write a thank you note to someone at PSU for that.

My thrill today is a new garden cart that Sean picked up for me at Big Lots last night. My old one has a big crack in it. He gets a 20% off discount so that is nice. It’s lightweight and holds more too. I think we’ll get one for my mom too. If anything, she could put groceries in it and wheel them up to the front door.

It’s getting warm and sticky here. I’m still trying to clean-so hard. My lower back is bothering me today from the weedwhacking I did yesterday. Today I spray painted my wrought iron boot scraper/welcome ‘mat’ that is for the front door as the paint was all chipping off of it.

My Uncle Don wants to come home from the nursing home and my brother was going to go get him on Sunday. My uncle’s oldest stepdaughter said that he is going against the doctor’s wishes and that he can’t handle making him bed every day (his bladder is useless now) and taking his meds. If Ken brings him home, he’ll be held responsible if my uncle hurts himself. Of course my stubborn uncle said he would call a cab to bring him home. He’s so much like his mother! He’ll be turning 84 on the 12th. I hope he thinks about all the people that would like to help him but can’t really get to his house too often. My mom really can’t be going out there all the time and his stepdaughter’s husband is not well either. So hard.

Jun6

Grilled shrimp

Posted on Wednesday, June 6, 2007 by Dianne

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You all know I watch the Food Network. Recently they had a ‘grill feast’ and Alton Brown made shrimp in a stainless steel bowl with charcoal on the bottom (I’m guessing) and wood chips on top of that. He covered it with a second bowl and presto-yummy shrimp. I bought some at the store yesterday and the man said I couldn’t refreeze them and to use them in the next few days. They were the jumbo ones-I got about 15 for $8.00. I soaked the wooden skewers like Alton said to do and popped the shrimp (shell intact) on them. Well let me tell you, we should have had drawn butter because that shrimp was tender like lobster! You have to try it! It was like having 5-6 baby lobster tails.

I wanted to take a photo of the last few peonies I have. The terrible rainstorm knocked them to heck and back. Of course I had to take a bunch:

Honeysuckle is a viney weed, but it smells so good I have to have some in the yard!

I believe this is called Florida Sun Coleus

Spirea bush

Sweet Bay Magnolia smells really nice too!

My impatien flowers under my hedges on the left of the house-share the bed with ferns and hostas

Pond garden focusing on the red hot poker plants

Jun6

The wacky weedwhacking woman

Posted on Wednesday, June 6, 2007 by Dianne

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That’s what I did today and I am wacky for doing it considering what I’ve been going through this week. I did it for two hours because it’s pleasant outside and the temps are going up later in the week.

You have to do weedwhacking to get what the trim mower misses. My pond was getting covered with Creeping Charlie, which seems to be taking over this year. I only whacked a few things-some ferns, a spindly lily (which I was going to move-rats) and part of an impatien.

My friend is coming down from NY, so I want to make a good first impression. I’ll try to tidy up inside as much as I can. ; )

Jun5

Happy 25th Anniversary

Posted on Tuesday, June 5, 2007 by Dianne

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To my brother Dave and sister-in-law MaryAnne!!

Their house with younger son Patrick before his junior prom last year. Patrick is about to graduate from high school and his older brother David is about to graduate from the Art Institute of Phila. with his degree in interior design. He did the family room at his parent’s house.

I also met Brian exactly 25 years ago today at their wedding. He’s MaryAnne’s first cousin.

For those of you married 4-5 years, it doesn’t take long to reach milestones like this.

I’m feeling somewhat better. My back is still a bit achy. I remember after I moved books and painted in the family room back in 2004, I suffered with arm and foot pain for at least a month. I tend to overdo things. I told Sean not to let me pull one weed in the week leading up to our trip to NYC as I want to feel great for Karin and Michael’s wedding. Poor Michael is having back pain himself and is on painkillers.

Off to the grocery store soon to fill up some bare cabinets.