I’m sitting here, once again surrounded by plants, as there was a freeze warning for last night and there’s one for tonight. I contemplated attempting to use a tarp to protect the big potted plants, but ended up bringing everything in for two days. And then we’ll be done. Poor Don, lugging those heavy pots yet again. First thing tomorrow after moving plants back outside? A trip to the nursery, which I planned on making 2 1/2 weeks ago, but then all the cold weather started and I realized I couldn’t finish planting my pots/buying more potting soil until this bizarre weather pattern had ended.
I long to sit on the glider on the porch and it looks like that will happen soon. Of course, we’ll get warmer weather but we’re also getting rain, so there’s that.
We worked outside yesterday. It was windy – when isn’t it, these days? Don did a lot of trimming of brambles and cleared another space. I returned to pruning the boxwood. It really took a beating this winter and I’m not sure why. I know they’ve had ‘box blight’ in England and I sure hope it isn’t headed this way. The four boxwoods that we have in front of the house were the very first things we planted when we moved here in 2005. It was the beginning of September so I didn’t want to do anything to the garden bed, but we did create a bed in front of the house where we installed four tiny boxwoods. They’re a lot bigger now!
Very slow going. It’s a real challenge, this one. Sometimes I sit here for a few hours and work at it. Sometimes, I just stroll by and add a piece.
We watched The Third Man last night, one of our favorite movies. There was only one problem – we were so tuckered out that we kept falling asleep. I couldn’t wait to go to bed!
It’s cold out there, but beautifully sunny. Hang in there, plants – less than 24 hours to go!
Stay safe.
Love the puzzle…warm weather come…My two eldest grand girls did a sweet thing for their sister last night. She will be fifteen tomorrow-had planned big party…she will get her drivers this year and hoped a job…she is home schooled-they are both college students…anyway…I digress…they surprised her with balloons and a drive by birthday salute. Friends from church drove by and said Happy Birthday and greetings. So sweet. She was totally surprised. This girl is sweet, kind, and good…we all say too good. Beautiful inside and out…She and her mom will do their yearly thing…lunch (in the car this time) and drive by here…I will take her gift out to the car…wearing a mask of course…these are the days of our lives…she is always optimistic…and realizes that we save lives as we live this way.
That is so nice, Brenda! You have a lovely family. Stay safe!
hope the forecast is right and you can soon leave the plants outside, get to the nursery and enjoy time in the garden and on the glider.
also that you get enough sleep. i wish the same for everyone, including myself. i was awake until 2:00 am this morning, plus i’ve woken myself up several nights in the past month or so for hearing a voice … and it was me talking loudly in my sleep (ha but not really ha).
the puzzle’s looking good. such pretty colors!
working three days in a row this week (my boss wanted to switch a day). not happy about that as it is super-stressful and i end up exhausted, but i am grateful to have a job.
hope you all have an easier day and all the supplies you need so you can avoid the stores and people who don’t keep a safer social distance. stay safe, everyone!
kathy in iowa
I’m sorry you have to work three days in a row. Is there an upside? Do you get three or four days off in a row? Crossing my fingers!
Stay safe, my friend.
thanks, claudia. and i appreciate your gentle reminder to look for the positives. :)
the upside is what you guessed … having a few days in a row away from a very stressful job. i drive over to see (from a very safe distance … i stay in my car) and talk with some family members at least five days a week and get groceries for family members and myself on saturdays. the other upside is, of course, just having a job.
here’s another good thing … i finally found more hand sanitizer! and it’s in big 17-ounce bottles, is gel-based (not the watery kind) and they had enough at the store that i could buy more than one bottle (i will give most of it to family members)! that is a huge relief. now if i could just find bleach wipes (i am down to one canister so i’ve been wringing them out and using paper towels with the leftover liquid … sob)!!!
hope you are having an easy night and stay safe!
kathy in iowa
I’m a bit panicked about our wipes, too. Hopefully, I’ll find some more. We still have hand sanitizer, but I’d like to replenish that as well. Too much stress!xo
wish i could send you some hand sanitizer, but i don’t think the postal service allows it to go through the mail. will check on that.
i heard on the news a while back that bleach wipes are delayed because more fabric is needed and, unfortunately, it comes from another country that has its own virus and manufacturing troubles to deal with. i know all the countries on the planet have inter-dependencies and i think that’s good, to a certain extent. we all need to work together and help each other … but among many other things, i hope this pandemic teaches us to manufacture the true necessities (like medications, cars, etc.) in our own country!
anyway … have a nice night and stay safe!
kathy in iowa
Agree! xo
checking in! since I don’t comment every day anywhere anymore…
just wanted you to know how amazing I find your ability to post here every day.
I love that it comes to my email box and I can just click on it to peek inside your
wonderful world! and it’s always Quality. of the written word. and the pictures.
I read it every day. it’s always a lovely place. and don’t think your efforts are ever
taken for granted. they’re NOT! sending you love and stay well wishes! xoxo
Thank you, dear Tammy! Such a nice thing to say. I hope you’re well, my friend. Stay safe!
We moved the plants out of the garage today!! It was wonderful. It is sooooo windy here, so after being out there for just less than 4 hours, they look totally beaten down. I don’t remember the winds being relentless like this. The sun is shining and the temp is 64*, but, oh, that wind.
I think all of us will be happier once we can seriously get into the garden and gather some dirt under our nails. Yes, yes, we will wash our hands, but it will feel so good to be able to dig in the warm earth.
It has been windy here for the past 3 days. I told Don I can’t remember when we had a windless day. It’s so annoying!
Can’t wait to get outside and plant some things! Stay safe, Chris.
That looks like a difficult puzzle you are working on. It’s like everything, if you keep on working at it you willget to the end. Hope the weather is better so that you can do more gardening. Your flowers in pots are lovely.
Thank you, Robyn!
Hi Claudia!
I wonder if there is a correlation of the Hudsonvalley-weather and the Rhinevalley-weather in West-Germany almost 3.000 miles away. We have the same abnormal windy and frosty weather here. I have to worry about my plants same as you do. Someone in your area posted on Instagram: “The last normal day this year was Friday, 13th of March.
I love the puzzles.
Stay safe, stay focused!
I’ve heard that – and it’s been frosty in England, as well. What strange weather we’re having! Stay safe, Helga.
Hi Claudia. It’s so sunny and pretty here today in Michigan. Seems we follow your weather pattern. I bought a few plants for my shade garden. Even though I kept them on my shed porch which is covered, I think I lost the coleus and the impatiece is toast but the caladium is good to go! Its a pretty combination I put in an old copper wash tub under a tree (one of many trees). Sugar snap peas did okay as well. Grocery shopping at 7:00 a.m. ( only 10 people total!)
When you shop only once a month, there is a ton of stuff to clean/sanitize before bringing in. Luckily we have a good sized screened porch and I work on it a little at a time. It is a hassle though, all the cleaning but I noticed the bagger boys were not wearing masks or gloves. Think I may contact the store manager (a large chain Kroger store). Thought they were supposed to at least wear masks! Crazy world. Take care.
They absolutely should be wearing masks. Call the manager! Glad you’re getting sun today, Penny. Stay safe!
We had box blight here last year. I haven’t heard about this year — I don’t see boxwood often enough and since I’ve not been able to go to Southern Exposure this year, I’ve miised seeing my boxwood hedges.They looked pretty grim last spring and fall though, from the winter before. I wasn’t optimistic.
I only have seeds apart from the perennials which are doing fine. But I’ve been bringing the seeds in, even if not below freezing. They seem so fragile.
Splendid puzzle but it does look like a tough one. It’ll be worth it, though!
It doesn’t look like the pictures I see of Box Blight, but it does look like Volutella Blight – not as serious, and the thing to do is what I’m doing, cut it all out. There’s more to do, but I’ve pruned the majority of it out.
Stay safe, Jeanie.
It’s really hard to believe it’s been 61 days. I am very restless today…it’s been hard to stay on task. Flitting from one thing to another…almost nervous. I did manage to make up a plant list for the nursery tomorrow. I can not wait.
It’s been very windy today, too. Which makes it feel colder than it really is. You want to glide on your front porch….I want to sit on my deck and watch the birds at the feeders. Sigh. Soon Claudia…soon!
Stay safe! ;)
I just want to get out and plant and though it was beautiful today, I’m holding out on planting anything in the garden or in pots until tomorrow. So I’m restless, too!
Stay safe, Donna!
Hi Claudia, yay, we got to 70° here today with sunshine and only a breeze. It was glorious and so I probably over-did my knee even though I was trying to be mindful of my activities.
Our governor is lifting the “stay at home” order at 5pm on Friday. It’s ok with me but I do not want visitors and I am not planning on going anywhere I don’t need to and will continue to be cautious. I would love to get a haircut, but it is not a need, yet.
Hope you have a beautiful day tomorrow!
Kelly
We’re starting, as of tomorrow, to resume construction and manufacturing, but only it the specific region has met all the criteria. We’ll see how this goes. I’m playing to continue doing what I’m doing! Stay safe, Kelly.
Poor Don moving the heavy pots back and forth. But what are you gonna do? I’ve held off getting flowers because of the continual cold, windy forty-something days and frosty nights. Some retail has opened in WI and I’m thinking of heading to the garden center tomorrow. I need bird seed and would also love to at least LOOK at the spring plants.
The WI governor announced these openings Monday. While I’m excited about the garden place which would be my first non-grocery destination in almost 3 months, no one I know is in a big hurry to go strolling through a Target or a Kohl’s.
This afternoon the Republican State Supreme Court sided with the Republican legislature (big surprise) who had sued Gov Evers for extending the safer-at-home order to the end of May. So I guess starting tomorrow even the hair salons and tattoo parlors will be open. One of the litigants (speaker of the house, Vos) is right now presiding over a district with one of the state’s Covid hot spots. He was the one on tv back in April covered head to toe in protective layers and telling us how safe it was to go out and vote in person.
Gee, sorry about the venting. We’re in the hands of idiots here.
Take care.
Kay
Oh, Kay. It is unreal. The # of votes shows one Repub judge moved over to the side of the people. I have been so upset that I haven’t read anything or watched the news since I heard it. Just saying a “Repub judge” is ludicrous. Aren’t judges only supposed to rule on the case based on the law? Not here, I guess. And Vos is such an ass, another embarrassment. Tony HAD begun opening the State!! Everyone I know is not interested in going shopping right now. They are all nuts. They seem to think (everywhere, not just in WI) that the minute everything is “open”, people are going to flock. And the biggest idiot of all today saying Fauci will have nothing to say about the opening of schools, it is all up to him……….. I feel like my head is going to explode.
Chris, I feel sick. It has just become less safe than ever to be out of the house. Forget visiting a garden center. And I hope any bar owner realizes they’re going to be killing off their own customers if they open. The smartest thing we can all do is continue staying at home.
The saddest thing of all is how come November Fitzgerald is going to just waltz into Sensenbrenner’s congressional seat. The last thing this country needs is Vos’ buddy Scott out in DC.
The insanity of all of this boggles the mind. Unbelievable. No need to apologize for venting. I would be too! Stay safe, Kay.
I admire the patience you and Don have in hauling those heavy plants inside and out every couple of days. It must be the lure of how beautiful it will be this summer that keeps you going. I watched the Third Man the other day and realized I’d never seen the whole movie before. It’s so outstanding!! The B&W photography is spectacular and the performers top-notch. I loved how so many of the scenes were shot on an angle high-lighting the out of whack nature of the post-war world. I couldn’t help but think that technique would be fitting for our current times. It’s beautiful here today and I’m being brave and taking myself out to the flower bridge which has just reopened in the next door city to meet my therapist. I’m sure it will be good for both of us to be in the sun and air. No porch swing, but maybe someday. Stay safe!
I nurture my plants in the same way I nutured my dogs. I couldn’t conceive of anything other than doing all I can to save them.
So glad you’re going to go to the flower bridge – enjoy! Stay safe, Nora.