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<-- Happens to LIKE standing on toilets, and takes pics of herself to prove it!
4 kids; The two youngest live with me (boy 15, girl 9). Baby factory is closed. I'm done with giving birth.
5 cats; 2 16y, 1 2y, 1 1.5y, and 1 10w old. I work at an emergency animal clinic part time, which is overnights and weekends. Used to breed Betta splendens and own Betta Dreams website, hence Bettadreams.
I work crazy hours at an emergency animal clinic. My work week is basically the weekend, and my weekend is Tuesday and Thursday.
In search of Cheryl Champion! If you know her, or know where she is, or was, contact me!!!
6/21/09: I managed to spend my entire check in 2 days, and not pay one bill. ROFL!
Spent 8 hours on the back yard on Thursday (where at least 1/2 of my days off are spent since spring). I am finally winning the battle with the yard! It has been never ending with the weeds, vines, and grass where I would rather not have it. I am very near the end of the worst. I can actually look out of my kitchen window, and be very happy with what I see. The yard was winning for 2 1/2 months, but I'm finally getting my point across.
Got one scarecrow up and running, but now I have had to leave it off for 2 nights because I offered cuttings from a couple plants on Freecycle and people will be coming for them. Wouldn't be nice to soak them when they show up. LOL
I am having an absolutely horrible time with little tiny brown ants. They must be 2-3mm in length. My entire yard is infested with these darned things and they are coming in the house too. The place where I attempted composting you can't even stand near; the ants begin scrambling up your legs immediately. It is very near horrifying.
I bought ant bait traps that they supposedly grab pieces of, and carry back home to kill the queen and colony. I sprayed my downstairs bathroom and kitchen window
where they were coming in, and plan to bait there when they return.
My cousin swears that I must have an entire yard of mulch because I've used so many bags, but she doesn't realize I'm buying 2 sq ft bags and that doesn't cover as much as you'd think. I'm nearing 30 bags as of Thursday. If weeds are coming up more than they should in any area, I need more mulch. Her yard is at least an acre or two, mine is 0.84 including house and a slab where the garage was.
I have tried twice to get Chamomile from seed unsuccessfully. First with what I saved from last year, then from seeds I bought. At this point, I'm putting a
want ad on freecycle and asking for a plant.
Last year at this time I decided to try to grow some plants. I have always killed everything except spider plants. With the help of a yahoo gardening group (Organic Homestead Gardening), my confidence has grown along with my plants.
I have now planted so many things I am losing track of what is where. I'm not sure what is coming up, I just know I planted something there that I wanted. LOL
I now have: Yarrow, stevia, sage (and now there is purple sage that I want sooo bad), thyme, lavender, rosemary, oregano, basil (2 types, one
Thai which is purple), sweet annie, onion and garlic chives, red onions, carrots that were here when I moved in and are everywhere in the back yard, strawberries, 2 new blueberry bushes (already blueberries growing!!!), 2-3 types of lettuces (one purple/red), spinach, wild grapes that were here already, cabbage, brussel sprouts, collards, 3 types of tomatoes (beefsteak, yellow and big boy), gold bell pepper, red bell pepper, green beans, peas, wax beans, cucumber, cantelope, and watermelon. And the elderberry tree that is in the neighbor's yard that overhangs my driveway.
Plants you can't eat: There are hostas in the back yard that were here when I moved in (battling them to keep them contained), and some flower on the driveway side of my house that bloomed in the spring and died off. I brought purple mambas that I thought had died, but they are blooming now. I also thought the lamb's ear I brought died, but I just moved it to a corner of the front yard (it's very "leggy" this year). I decided to line my front walk with these cute little purple ground cover flowers. Had to cut out and dig up the grass to make room for them, then mulch. They are just adorable!
I will be getting a mint since most grape leaf recipes call for it, and would like to grow Ma Huang if I can grow it here. There is also a tomatillo plant that tastes like pineapple that I saw in one of my gardening catalogs that I would LOVE to have. I love my pina coladas, and if I can grow tomatillos that taste like pineapple that would be fabulous!
I still need an edger to make nice crisp edges to the lawn at the walks, and possibly a chainsaw. I must say I am very happy looking out my windows at my yard. My goodness, I'm old. I have never cared so much about my yard. I always
just wanted a nice straight lawn with no plants. Just mow it and be done. I never knew how satisfying gardening actually is.
Yesterday I installed the a/c's in the bedrooms first thing, then got a drain cover for the basement floor drain because there are waterbugs coming up into my basement from the sewers to die. Now I need to sweep up all the disgusting dead bodies.
Today I put a little corner pond in my back yard next to the rose bush. I envisioned it the first time I looked at the house. I only wanted a small one, and this one was just about exactly what I wanted, and fits perfect. Holds 40 gallons. Perfect for a pair of bettas! They will be my exterminators. I did come across a waterbug in the dirt over there... and I saw a mouse run across my yard and into that corner also. I'm getting some quickcrete for that corner and another hole I found on the opposite corner of the house.
Now I need to decide what color rocks I want around the pond and get them. And mulch for around it and the rose bush that I just weeded around. And a pump and tubes to make a waterfall. It is so nice to almost have the yard the way I want it! I went outside hourly to look at the pond until it got dark. LOL! I already have java moss and duckweed in there. It should be ready to support fish by the time I can afford a pair of bettas. I'm getting a pair of doubletail white. The pond is black, and I want to be able to see them. Hopefully birds don't get them...
There is this "patio" area that used to be bricked. Well, it still is, but there's so much growing up through it it just looks horrid. I was going to pull the bricks up, but the darned things are about 6-8" thick! I used the dirt I dug up from the pond to cover as much of them as I can. I'm going to see how much the dirt covers once it rains a couple times. After they're covered I'm grassing that area. I need a plastic or picnic table, and a chair that lays flat to tan on, and I'm set.
I'm going to SO love tanning out there, and just sitting out there enjoying the weather and my pond. I need a laptop now so I can be online too. hehehe
I started reading the first book of the Twilight series, and I'm absolutely mesmerized. I'll be through all of them in no time!
I now have to really focus on the battle with the english ivy that has taken over one side of the yard. There is this other plant over there that I got some pics of and posted them to the OHG group, and found out it is Bougainvillea. When I moved here last fall that plant literally buzzed with life all day (it was scary walking under it!). It was the first time I ever saw a real honey bee (and actually knew it WAS a honey bee). What I have thought all my life was a bee is actually a wasp.
I want to get the ivy out of that area and hopefully that plant will flower. I saw some pics and they are gorgeous when in bloom!
Dustin, 14.
Abigail, 8.
My cats:
Baby, 16
Sassy, 16
Daisy, 1.
Mouse, 1.5.
Friends r starting to pile up. It's starting to take an hour or two to send everyone comments!!! LOL! Not complaining, I've met some really nice ppl here.
I'm not comfortable with my weight right now. I have 10 more pounds to lose, which is all in my belly and my thighs.
I blame my cooking dammit! If I wasn't such a good cook, I could resist the temptation...
