This is the first bed I took over at the City Building in DuBois for the Down To Earth Garden Club. There was a 15" Blue Spruce growing where the Japanese Maple is now. This a bed at the side of the City building. There are three Knockout Roses, not blooming yet but the tulips are beautiful. I am thinking about taking the shrub out at the left. I don't know what it is but it does not add to the bed.
I love doing these gardens but do not understand why I do them. It seems like a craziness.
I am working at making them sustainable, so they look nice with a minimum of care.
I know that the people working in the office that overlook the garden enjoy the view and people who work in this building take an interest in the gardens. I feel that I am making a possitive contribution to their lives as wll as my own. The work does give me enjoyment and a sence of accomplishment.

Squares at the Library

Another thing I did today besides Mary's hat was planted the squares at the Library. Cannas and Dalias in the soil and petunias in the pots. Not very showy yet but later in the summer it will look very nice. I want to put a few more plants in but this was a start. We have to put the pots in the squares otherwise people walk right on the soil and plants.

Too funny the parking meter looks like it is planted in the pot.

So I learned to post pictures here another accomplishment for today. I have some pics of the gardens I do in town but I don't think I can put them where I want them so I will put them in a new post.

I did not feel like I got a lot done today but I did a lot of differnt things. One job finished was a hat for Mary. The singles club is having a hat contest for Mother's Day so she had me make her a hat. She's happy and I got paid for that fun.

As you can see in the background the shop is full of gowns. They are all colors (three green) and styles. I have a couple wedding gowns to finish up and one coming in next week. Then I have all the regular stuff too.

It's been a while since I posted anything. I didn't expect for there to be changes in the way my brain works off the medication I was on for 15 years.
So I find myself dealing with automatic negative thoughts that I didn't have before, difficulty finding words and moments of feeling sorry for myself. How long will this last? Will I level out at "normal".
Work is going ok except for a few times of stress. So I am trying to walk more and do what is good for my brain.
The fibro pain is not better and may be worse.
I don't know if I like the limbo that I am in but I know that I can wait it out for a while.

Meanwhile the prom dresses are still poring in and I have a couple wedding dresses to finish up. Paul is leaving Texas for North, USA, Saturday and he will keep things hopping here while he is up.

Wish I had more time.

Day Neutral Onions

Did you ever hear of such a thing as day neutral onions? Well I hadn't either but it makes sence. Most onion's growth is controled by the length of the day and when day length reaches a certain point the onions begin to quit growing and go dormant. I got my onions in the mail yesterday and will plant as soon as I can get back out in the garden. I am curious to see what these onions do. I presume they will keep growing untill I knock them over which will force them to prepare to go dormant.

I planted day neutral strawberries this year also . June bearing is what I have always grown except for a disappointing everbearing that were not big enough to mess with. The day neutral are everberring and big enough to put together a desert several times during the summer after the main crop in June.

My peas are up amd I hope there are seedlings of lettuce and other greens since we got all the rain.

Now that I am considered a Master Gardener, I am busy working to get my volunteer hours (50 this year) that are require to maintain the status. It is basically a program that teaches gardeners to help and teach other gardeners. We will be doing two composting programs in the next couple weeks. A hotline has been set up to answer questions from people about plants and related subjects.

I have been working to get sewing jobs done but have lots to do outside. It becomes a juggeling act!

sayCheese Whey

I made my first cheese last week from some goat's milk that I was worried
would go bad. During my "research" I saw a video on cheese making that
suggested one use the leftover whey as the liquid ingredient in their bread.
Seemed like worth a try as the other alternative he offered was to water the
plants. So I used my trusty honey whole wheat bread recipe and used whey
instead of water and I must say the bread turned out better than the cheese!

I was a little concerned that the lemon juice I used to make the cheese, now
in the whey would adversely affect my bread but it did not and I actually
think the bread turned out better. It definately had a different crumb and
the flavor was good. One loaf down, one loaf popped out of the freezer to
eat.

Thank God for Neurontin

I woke up feeling like an old woman. Too much party.
I know the Fibromyalgia is aggrevated by sugar and I sure did induldge last night (fudge,cookies, pie), so I pay today. I think I may also have a sensativity to MSG as I was eating someone elses cooking and that may have been in the spices.
We met Daisy for breakfast and I was surprise (but should not have been) to have fibro pain at 9am. So I popped the Neurontin and a pain medication that didn't kick in till about 10:30. Then later again around 3pm. I don't think I would like my life if I did not have those two drugs.
The pain was bad a church so I went into the nursery and rolled on the floor with a baby and chatted with the lovely couple asigned to the nursery today.
I was able to return to the auditorium in time to hear David Scmidt tell us about his last three months in Haiti. He is a missionary that was raised there and has worked many years at a Seminary Campus totaling more than 50 years. His wife, from our church family met him in Bible college.
I did have a great time at the DCS scholarship auction last night. I bought quite a few items, one of them a geneology done by Paster Mark.
The items I made for the auction were a hit. Marion won the bid for the gold bag and gave it to Phyllis, God bless her! and I had a woman tell me today how delighted she was with the denim pillows her bid won.

We have gotten some much needed rain but with cool weather. The gardens were desperate for the moisture. I need to figure out how to post pictures here. so much to learn, so little time.

There were several cuts of meat thawed to cook in the fridge so I have them in the pots on the stove. I also mixed up some bread using the whey I had left over from making cheese this week. It is raising nicely and I am curious to see how it tastes.
Howard had to have some candy so I melted some chocolate and mixed it with peanuts for his lunch this week.
Laundry going too. Busy day for a Sunday!

Gardens

Juggeling here! Prom is in a month so I am getting a lot of calls and have several weddings I am working on.
Spring arrived early and so I am drawn to work outside to make it look nice and get the exercise. It has been so warm the daffadils have not lasted long but are beautiful. Peach trees, blueberries, lilacs, dogwood and ground phlox are just beginning to bloom.
My mother gave me the first lilac bought for the property for mothers day 30 years ago.
We really need some rain. I had to water some seeds I planted last week. Planted 24 day neutral strawberries yesterday.
So much to do so little time, so I am off to work.

Beef N Barley Soup

About 11 am I thought Edna's family would probably like some lunch to help feed the family that is in for her dad's funeral. What could I put together in a hurry? Well I have quite a few quarts of Beef and barley soup I had canned last summer. I called Edna and asked if I could bring over some soup for lunch and she said she would really appreciate it. There were several family members home and more to come tomarrow, totaling 27 in all.
I heated it up along with some ww rolls and took all over in a crockpot by 11:40. That's when Edna told me Beef and barley soup is her favorite and seldom makes it. A great thing is her little guy can eat it with his allergies. I told him I hope he likes it.
I was giving her daughter a hug when I shared with her that the only food people brought to the house for us was donuts when my grandfather died. We had traveled all that distance and there was no meal after the funeral service, but the counter was covered with donuts.
What an opportunity to love my neighbor and all I had to do was listen to a little voice that suggest I take some lunch over.

Two weeks off the Effexor

So far so good.
Very few brain buzzes these days. I am sleeping much better and bowels are working like a gem. I tear easily but have no depression nor am I easily stressed. (Dad was here three days and I am fine)
Waiting to see what happens with body weight, something that can change also. I am going to get more exercise starting with a walk right now!