Tuesday

Do you use Aloe for it's medicinal purposes?


This doses not happen too often.. It's only the second time I've seen the Aloe Plant bloom. Might have something to do with all the rain we have had over the past month?


 I bought a tiny potted Aloe 5 years ago because I actually use it for burns and cuts. I also rubbed the soothing gel that comes from the leaves on a surgical scar that was rather large and sore.  Today this scar, that is on my lower back is smooth and not too bad to look at and I really think the Aloe helped it heal.  The original plant  outgrew the pot so I put it way out back near the creek and it grew to the size of a garbage can lid. It may be funny but once in a while you will see me go down there with the scissors to cut a piece for some cut or abrasion.   The babies that grew beside it were always pulled and I'd give them to friends and neighbors.


 The flowers are rather like hanging bells and have a waxy feel about them.





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Friday

Did you ever get so upset that you wanted to kick something?


 
Not too often do I get so upset that I have to take a step back and regroup or possibly kick something!
This past week my favorite statue, one that has been sitting on my back deck for years,  was blown off the deck rail and smashed the poor Angels  head right off into 5 pieces!
"I wanted to cry" 
She has been wired to the tree but the rain storm blew so hard the other night and smash!


She fell one floor down onto the ground between two large oak trees and all I could do was put her in the kitchen sink for a bath.
I had to try and save her.


Out came the liquid nails. I then went to work seeing if I could piece her head together.





A bit of glue and some masking tape and by golly I think I did it.
There may still be a few holes where I could not patch so I got out the water proof plaster and sealed her even further.  She will be out in the weather you know!


I tied her to the tree with strong fishing wire that I doubled up and intertwined around her wings and body, then used a really nice sticky tape made to hold corners of carpets,  to anchor her to the deck rail.



Saved!
And I did not have to kick anyone or anything!



My Angel  has always been the first thing I saw from my kitchen window as I filled the kettle, and it would have been sad to loose her.

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Wednesday

What do you do with your spare time? I knit because it calms me....



For the past three months I have been on a knitting frenzy.  
This is what I do in my spare time. I love to knit and can knit without a pattern. I'm not saying the items turn out perfect. I just look at a photo and do the best I can.
 Winter in Oklahoma is cold and my daughter and her three small boys have no winter clothing.  I told her as she starts to get their wardrobe of cold weather clothes together to wait on the hats and scarves till grandma's box arrives. 
I did not count all the items made but I can say the three small boys have two sets of hats and scarves.









My daughter has two sets of leg warmers and 4 scarves with one matching hat along with an eternity scarf. 


 I really love all the new yarns we now have to choose from, so many different textures and colors.


This one should keep Gina's head and neck warm.


 Lets not forget Dad,  my son in law. I made the scarf extra wide so he could wrap it around his nose and face during those cold winter Oklahoma ice and snow storms.


  For the boys I made each  a sweater.  I only had two complete and they went in the box.  I'm still working on the third sweater and that will go with me when I fly there in three weeks.  Yes, grandma is going to visit.  It will be so nice to see the kids once again.. I only had the pleasure once in the past three years. Guam is so far and that tiny island did not have the kind of  trauma center that could take care of me if needed.  I  could not trust my heart on such a long trip. Imagine if I had trouble and was in a plane over some South Pacific island.. what would they do with me?  So we  kept in touch through Face Time.  The kids did come visit once as the plane fair ran them, for a family of 5, close to $10,000.  really!  Thankfully here in Florida,both grandmas live within 5 hours by car, from each other.

 





The package is in the mail.   I've gotten in the habit of sending a box ahead of me when I fly.  This box would cost who knows what to put on a plane, so this has become what we who travel do, instead of paying to stow it on commercial.


I've got to think of something new to do while sitting.  Maybe I'll make myself a new sweater?  Or I can start on a layette for child number 4.  My daughter and her husband are thinking of their next production, a little girl.  Gina said, "there is much too much Testosterone floating around her home".  Then she laughed and said, "You watch mom, I'll have twin boys"!

We will see?

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Tuesday

Thank You, Thank You, and how proud I am of you all!



I'd like to take a moment to say a BIG  
"Thank You"  
to all the men and women who continue to serve our great Country.

 This MARINE is a quadruple amputee named Todd Nicely of Arnold, Missouri. Check out his t-shirt and you'll see that he manages to have a sense of humor about his sacrifice!
And he is cute to boot!


God Bless You Son!



Saturday

How do you attract Humming Birds to your yard?.



Of all the plants in the back of my yard, I think the Firespike is the one I look forward to each year.  This plant brings so many Humming Birds and Butterflies.  My first cutting came to me from a friend two years ago and it's turned into plantings all over my yard. I had no idea how much the critters love it.
As I might have said in a previous post we are in the rainy season and the Firespike is the only flowering plant that is blooming. It's just not the season in Florida for beautiful gardens. Well, at least in my yard.  You can see the tropical greenery is beautiful and lush from all the humidity and rain.


 

 Each of the plants are starting to bloom and you might have laughed at me when I saw the first Humming Bird. I ran outside with my iPhone camera and tried to have the Humming bird think I was just part of the landscape.  Sorry but that did not work.  Every time it would come back it knew I was there and I had to finally give up and leave the poor thing to get his sweet nectar. 


This went on for about an hour, my going out there and sitting on the soggy ground only to see about 4 Humming Birds at different plants and they are scattered around the yard.  It was turning into a comedy. 



 As you can see, I have no photos of the Humming Birds.


 Known botanically as Odontonema strictum, firespike grows 4 to 6 feet tall and produces clusters of 3-inch-long, tubular red flowers. It is a small shrub in South Florida and a clumping, herbaceous perennial in North and Central Florida.  I keep my plants pruned each fall because really they will over take the entire yard if I let them.



I have a new batch of cuttings taking root in a bucket of water.  These will be packed in a box and sent to my daughter for her new back yard.  When I was there a few weeks ago I did bring some cuttings and we put them along an area of her fence to start some privacy.  She told me this week, "They all have new leaf buds growing" and she wanted a few more.  I don't plan on driving the 4 hrs for cuttings so they will be sent in the mail this week.



I've always wondered how many of you living north of Florida might have Firespike growing in your yard?
 I saw a few while living in Texas but none in Illinois and read that they will go dormant in cold temperatures?


Today my great plans of doing a bit of gardening did not happen.  This is the first day we have had sun in the past three weeks of rain.  But to my dismay It's in the high 90's and it will surly make me pass out. So here I am in the a/c doing the last of the three sweaters for my grandsons.  

"Enjoy your weekend everyone" 

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Thursday

"Jalousie glass helps me hear in the night"



I'm sure many of you, like me, have in home alarm system.  I wonder how many alarms actually work or deter intruders?  My kitchen window is very vulnerable sitting right on my deck and anyone can come in or through it, if they really wanted to because from the outside it's so low to the deck floor. Also my potting table is right in front of the window and it just has to be moved or climbed on for someone to break the glass window.

 

 I'm a bit nervous with alarm companies because several weeks ago there was a killing on my street.  An intruder got in through the same window as all the townhomes are built the same,  and shot and killed a 32 year old woman.  Her mom ran from the front door at 3am, hitting the alarm as she went screaming into the street.  Well the alarm did her no good at all.  In fact the alarm company called the next day saying, and I quote, "We got an e from you last night about your car alarm"...
Well that really shocked me to say the least and yes, these women had a well known brand alarm company!


I feel so much better about my kitchen window as it is full of glass that will come tumbling down if anyone thought to try getting in.  I have all glass objects along with shelves made from old  jalousie glass I found in a trash pile.  All I had to do was cut the glass to fit and used some strong twine as rope hangers.
Knowing the window frame was made of wood, I simply screwed in kitchen cup hooks to hold the twine that was made to hold the shelves.  It's sorta like the macrame holders we made back in the 80's. Yes, it may swing if knocked but it works perfectly.




 I know this idea is crude but I feel so much more comfortable at night knowing if anyone
wants to get into the window I will be sure to hear all the glass come crashing down into the sink. Along with it being my alarm it also acts as an attractive window decoration, don't you think?

 



 I sure hope no one ever has an intruder in their home but it's always a good thing to be ready for anything or anyone.  All the other windows and entry ways in my home are secure but this window is my only fear 
 If I hear the crashing of glass in the night I have my baseball bat sitting beside my bed and I'm ready to bash a few heads. Just to let you know, I've had lessons  in self defense and have a mean swing.
How many of you have not only an alarm system but a system of your own?

Stay safe all! 

I pray rain comes to the Midwestern States and soon! 

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