Skyping, Garage Sales and Working in the Yard on todays list of goodies!

I started my day off with a Skype visit with my friend Ellen! We discussed some wire work for earring findings! We both brushed our teeth to make sure we didn't offend each other. That and a cup of coffee and I can't think of a better way to start your day!

Hit a few garage sales with hubby after my morning coffee. Managed to pick up some ornamental wire fence I wanted for my front landscpaing project, a big bag of Hot Wheels cars for $3 to add to PLD's toy chest, and a small Lap Harp for me to play with.

We got our shipment of 2,000 red worms and they are all wiggly-squiggly in thier new flow through composter munching down all kinds of goodies! So bring on the broccoli ends, lettuce leaves, vegetable and fruit discards, skins etc. the boys are ready to go to work!

I have 8 bags of cedar mulch waiting for me to finish some of the front yard so I can spread them. I'll still need to pick up some more River Rock and a few plants, but I can see the first of 3 levels of landscaping coming to an end for the front yard. Next more removing of the Sod for the planting area directly in front of the house and then pour the cement patio in beween the two plant areas. Our private little garden out front! Maybe now that the temps are a little cooler I won't melt like the evil witch in the heat!!


Yesterday little Dude visited and brought us a couple of Icees to keep Papa and I cool. He decided that Kylee needed his attention and he went over to the cabinet we keep her cookies in. With Kylee's big head over his shoulder together they pulled out her cookies and began loading her up on goodies! It was great, but I only had my phone camera. So this is kind of fuzzy but so cute!

So...time to either tune up my lap harp or go dig up more sod. I am undecided on that one! LOL Have a great day and huggies all around for everyone!

Dilly

A little cooler today!

The temps are not cooking us today. Oh...it's warm but the humidity isn't slapping us up against the wall!

Had a great time with Heather and PLD yesterday. We joined her for a Kalamazoo run and found a few things! PLD was in rare little boy style with his new found LOUD voice! All the shussshing and Quiet Voice request weren't going to make he turn the volume down. He is just so amazed that he can hoot and holler! LOL

Got home so late I just didn't want to cook and neither did Heather so we all hit Good Old Big Boy and surfed the salad bar for Randy and I! It was good, but of course watching the little guy drag his finger through his icecream cookie and suck it down one lick at a time was the entertainment!

The LSB is finally showing promise it was kind of touch and go there for a while! We were just fighting the PH level. Finally ripped out the plants and started again with larger plants whose roots are larger and will help keep the PH down. Plus adding vinegar in regularly!

The 50 Tilapia Frye we picked up on Saturday are growing and eating and getting use to their temporary home. A couple of weeks and they will be big enough to go into their next tank. Hard to believe something so small will be feeding me next fall...but those suckers grow quick!

The front yard relandscaping project is coming along....but slowly it's to warm to work out there for very long. So only an hour at a time. It will happen just not as quick as I would like!

Time to melt some glass....must get behind down to the studio! Must....must...yah I know I must!!

Big huggies all around to everyone!
Dilly

Welcome to Sweaty Monday!

Yah it's gonna be a sticky Michigan Monday with the high near 90 today!

Hubby and I got a few things done yesterday. Tomato cages up and going, Worm composter waiting for the 2,000 wigglers to arrive in the mail, replanted some of the LSB after we found a way to lower the PH, still working on the Front Landscaping.

To top that all off we got rear ended waiting to turn into our own driveway! Idiots! Now we get to deal with insurance companies! That one is at the top of my list of things I can't wait to do!

So probably putzing in the yard this morning and running off to Kalamazoo this afternoon with Heather & PLD doing a thrift store run. In and out of the air ought to make my head explode, but a day with Xaviar is worth it!

With the weather we have been having my side garden area is just exploding and weeks ahead of itself. Even the peas and beans seeds I planted just a week ago are up and reaching for the sun. The strawberries are filling up and I can't wait to taste a big old ripe one! Now I have to get a solar powere pump for Pee-Boy so he can keep watering and wait for hubby to paint that side of the house so I can expland the garden area this fall!! Yah....the work is never done! Neither is the landscaping...it's like a canvas just waiting for paint!

Have a great start to your week and huggies all around for everyone!
Dilly

Hot Hot Sunday!

I have been working in the yard....OOOOh Doooogie it is a steamy hot day! I guess we will go from Spring to Summer in a blink of an eye!

Had a wonderful time yesterday with both our daughters and their families! Lot's of pictures to post! Xavier was thrilled to see Papa as usual and enjoyed lots of activities with him. But I got the last special memory of the day with him. Rocking him to sleep when he was all cleaned up and ready for Nite-Nite. I sang softly to him as he fell asleep. Brings tears to my eyes as I type this...I don't know how many more or if any times I will get to do that with him!! That memory is a keeper!!

Randy is down working on his vermicomposter unit. His 2,000 red wigglers (worms that eat their weight in garbage every day) are ordered and will be shipped out from PA tomorrow. So all that extra greens and citrus will be the worms dinner!

We picked up 50 Tilapia Frye....they are only about 1/2 inch right now....but they grow so fast they will be about 10" in 7 months. So for now feeding them about every hour with a special powder feed. Once they are big enough they will move into the aquaponic systems we are building.

OK I am off to fix lunch. I have been working on the front yard getting more of the landscaping area de-sodded. Is that even a word??? Have a great day and huggies all around for everyone.

Dilly

Busy Saturday Ahead!

It's Saturday and we will be on the road and busy all day!

First we are headed up to Charlotte to pick up some Talapia. After thinking we were going to have to spend big $$$ to have them overnighted from California I found a guy on Aquabid.com who was selling them right back in the old home town! We will be picking up 50 small frye and 10 fingerlings to add to our tank. These are the guys I don't want to make friends with because come this fall/winter they will be on my dinner plate!

This evening we are going down near Coldwater to spend time with the Girls and their families were they are camping. I am taking the makings of Hobo Pies....way off the healthy life style this evening but OOOHHHH so worth it! Plus we get to get PLD hugs in the bargain!

In between we will be gluing and painting the new 2-Liter Aquaponic set-up. Eventualy it will be the home to my herb garden but for now we will play with all kinds of goodies. Some tomatoes and lettuce who knows what else. As soon as the supplier has barrels back in Randy is building a barrelponics set-up outside so we can grow broccoli and cauliflower until fall. Then it will probably move inside so we can have tomatos all winter. This stuff is addicting and fun.

Somewhere in there I will continue working on the yard. We got so much rain yesterday that both my 55 gal rainbarrels are full so no problem water now! The front yard is really shaping up and I like what I see. Now to figure what kind of ornamental fence I want. We really miss our big old front porch and would like to feel like we aren't setting out in the middle of the street when in our chairs out front. That was the whole goal for the Landscaping project.

Randy is standing over my shoulder ready to rock and roll, so I had better wrap this up! Have a wonderful day and huggies all around for everyone!

Dilly

A beautiful day in the neighborhood!

Got the garden in....the landscaping is coming right along...the LSB is now working great after a complete drain of water. Other than that we are preparing for a few hot days ahead! Looking forward to a wet day tomorrow to make sure the rain barrels work and of course now that the garden is in I won't have to water!!!

An evening of relaxatio is ahead we don't get that very often! Huggies all around for everyone!

Dilly

Monday morning where did the weekend go?

Wow I haven't been on here since Thursday???? You can tell we finally got some decent weather because I was so busy working outside and doing the errand/shopping/gardneing thing I did not stop in here to update my Blog! I need to pay better attention in the future.

First of all Yes Heather it is the middle of the frigging night! OK....so it's now 6:10 a.m but I have been awake since 3:30 and tried to go back to sleep but finally got up around 4:30. Laying there tossing and turning is such a waste of time and I finally just gave up! Now at least the kitchen and my computer work space are clean and the coffee is made!

I did manage to work on the front yard yesterday for the third day and finally I am seeing some changes. Lot's more work there but the difference in the end will be worth it!

We did manage to spend some time with Heather and PLD....he is such a cutie and he helped (throwing stones and rearranging pea stone) Grandma with her landscaping! Papa managed to give him a wheelborrow ride with a smile of glee on his face and MOH...MOH chanted!

Today I hope to work some more on the yard before the possible rain they are calling for. I also need to move the tomatoes out of the LSB....what I thought were minature sweet tomatoes are huge butt kicking tomatos. They sure won't fit in there! I'll have to replace them with something but...I'll need to think on that one!

OK....fo to restart my day huggies all around for everyone!
Dilly

Rainy Day Thursday...We sure got Spring this year!!!

I know rain, rain, rain.....that's all it is doing. But someday and I mean someday when the sun comes out and the wet dries up we will have emerald city out there!! Of course my gardening will involve mud...big sloppy mud pies!!

So whats new around here! The LSB is going to town we need to raise the grow lights up because the tomato plants are sticking their little heads up there! All the seedlings are taking off and I can't wait for what this will all look like in 30 days!

On our travels yesterday we visited the 100mile Market in Kalamazoo. We picked up some cool heirloom tomato plants, cranberry jam, fresh greens and some YUMMMMMY granola cookies! I would travel there every Wednesday just for the cookies!

We also went up to the Otsego area to finally pick up some Highland Beef. I ran across the info and website months ago and we just haven't been able to coincide the visit with a trip with the $$ all at one time. Yesterday was the day and Phyllis Rogers of Rogers Land & Cattle set down and gave us all the info and ran us through the beef and pork products that she carries. If you know us you know we are big ground beef eaters and since our change over to organic this hasn't been on our daily list of goodies. Highland Beef is lower in cholesterol than Chicken, higher protien than chicken and leaner than some fish. So now I just have to remember the specialities of cooking it and Yum ground beef is back on the list of GOOD THINGS! I'll let you know how it goes.

So the worm composter is just waiting for it's inhabitants Randy is suppose to order the 1,000 red wigglers this weekend. The compost barrel is cooking, since we have already filled it up so now you know why we are also doing vermicomposting to keep up with our fruit and vegetable scraps. This weekend we are going to play and build a 2 liter pop bottle aquaponic set up just for the fun of it and see how it goes. Yah you can grow goodies in bottles. I think I will put my entire herb garden in it! We will see, we have been working on the layout for our system for the basement for next winter. Trying to maximise what space we have and what we can grow in that space. I am rooting for some vertical grow beds for greens and strawberries!! It ought to be fun!!

Lets just hope the sun comes out and I an get back to the outdoor goodies like putting in the garden and working on the front yard landscaping again! Have a great day and Huggies all around for everyone!

Dilly

Rainy Day Tuesday...where is the sun???

Rainy....Rainy....Wet....Ucky That pretty much sums up todays weather and it's not easy getting to excited about anything else.

I did manage to make some beads and look forward to checking them out! If the kiln fairy is nice I could have a few keepers or they could all be glass POOOOH!

I did manage to pick up some goodies on Craigs List today. I have been reading about the art of Hypertufa for over a year. You mix Portland Cement with Perlite and Peat Moss to make garden sculptures, bird feeders, etc. So today I picked up a load of free plastic that is used for forms in making these things. Over 50 pieces in all shapes and sizes to make who knows what. I will keep you apprised of my latest creative pile of crap to try! LOL

It's late and I am gonna run down to the studio to see what is waiting for me. Keep your fingers crossed!

Dilly

A beautiful Mothers Day

The only way today could have been better was if my boy had been here! But I did get to see him via Skype this morning and that was wonderful. Almost an hour of chatting and sharing and laughing! It was great and we need to do that more regularly!

The rest of the day was spent with our two daughters and our grandson. Our SIL Kirk had to work and our other SIL Shawn was sick home in bed beaten down by a cold. Missed you both!!! The girls took over the kitchen and whipped up a Schafer home made pizza I don't even want to know how much that thing weighed when they put it in the oven. I think they needed a crane to hold it!! Great Conversation and lots of laughing and joy were shared. Little Dude helped cook by giving instruciton while he was slurping on his sucker and wearing his new shirt "I Love Grandma". Which of course made my day!


While the pizza was cooking hubby was working on a leak in our over flow valve of the LSB. His apprentice was hard at work with him. A great meal was followed by a wonderful desert cherry pie and mint chocolate ice cream. No not one thing was organic and we had a little of each. My one request was a bottle of diet Pepsi and I have to tell you it tasted like pig swill!! After 4 months of no pop I won't be lusting after another swig anytime soon!!! I had one glass and sent the rest home with Heather! However the ice cream was as wonderful as ever! I sent that home with Xavier because everytime someone carried a bowl into the room his eyes lit up! So he got the leftovers! Maybe if his Dad is lucky he will share some with him!!!

I got a pile of rocks and some bark for Mothers Day!! Don't laugh that's what I asked for. Randy took me to the local store and bought me 4 bags of river rock and 4 bags of mulch and some stepping stones to build a little path for Xavier in my front yard landscaping. Heather gave me a gift certificate for 4 more bags of rock, and Shannon got me a gift certificate for more mulch. Its exactly what I asked for and now I can really get that front yard underway when the weather permits!!! Xavier got me a little book of why he loves his Grandmom!! What a sweetie! He finally blew me a kiss as he left in the car....made my day!

Tomorrow we are headed out early to Lansing on a thrift store run. But it will be different because Heather is driving and she and Xavier and Randy and I will be doing it together to celebrate her birthday! I know we are crazy but we will have a great time finding treasures!

Huggies all around for everyone!

Dilly

Falling asleep must get to bed but I wanted to remember my MOM

I wanted to post today and almost missed the chance! But here I am it's after 10:00 and I have already closed my eyes in the living room chair. Yah I know my family will hassle me about that!

Really didn't do much today....ran up to Charlotte for a packing peanut run....hit the local thrift stores. We found a few things and made it home where we got a visit from PLD and family. It continued to be freaking cold in the 40's with high winds and rain...so nothing done outside and that was really at the top of my list of things to do.

I wanted to post so I could put this in here. One of my glassy buddies started a thread with dedications to our Mom's. Mine has been gone almost 34 years, which is very hard to believe it's been that long. I know I will be busy tomorrow with the girls and their families coming over for home-made pizza. Todd has set up a skype call tomorrow morning and I look forward to seeing him!! But tonight I just wanted to pay tribute to my Mom.....after all these years I still miss you so much! Here is what I posted on Wet Canvas:

Mildred Lucille Dillingham
January 7th 1928 - May 10th 1976


Mom

I know you have been at my side with your hand on my shoulder as I have lived my life. I know that because there is no way I could have done the things I have done, raised the children I have raised and been the wife I have been if it had not been for your help! You may be gone from this earth for almost 34 years but you have been at my side everyday. The wonderful talents of being a MOM that you passed on to my sister and I shine brightly with our children and grandchildren.

Your love, patience, strength, dignity and pride live strongly among all of us. Yes I still stand up straight, I remember to put a smile on my face, I can do more than Pop Popcorn and I have attempted every craft known to man. Like you I was a scout leader, member of the PTA, never missed a school conference and cheered at every event my children participated in. One of your most beloved gifts is that of reading and accepting that if you can read you can learn anything has been one of my life tools. I am still working on your grandson….but your granddaughters have picked up the torch!

Thank you for setting such a wonderful example that is now being passed on to the next generation. Your Grandchildren may never have been kissed goodnight by you…but your values shine through each and every one of them. I know you will continue to watch over us and guide us through the good and bad.

As I rocked your first great-grandchild in your rocking chair, I know that another generation of love is being passed on!

My friend Duane also a glassy bud emailed me and we shared more about our Mom's here is what I posted back to him.

Hey Guy

I will be looking forward to your post! My huge emotional things I failed to mention was that 1st my Mom died on Mothers Day and the 2nd happened a year after my Mom past away.

My family Dr. at the time of Mom's passing was a young premature grey sweetie. I didn't find out until after Mom was gone that he was only 2 years older than I and Mom was his first very personal patient to die! He visited her everyday for 9 months.

One year to the day I ended up in labor and delivery with the same Dr. He came into my room and set down and cried because he said "Sandy is there anyway we can hold this off until tomorrow?" Since it was 2:00 in the afternoon that wasn't on my agenda after 8 hours of labor. I must have given him that are you freaking kidding me look? I couldn't understand why he was so upset....then it dawned on me...He then said..."but your Mom passed away a year ago today you don't want to have your baby today". I held his hand and said...."nope Mom has been playing with the baby for the last 9 months...its time to make this a happy day. Every year I wake up I will be excited because it will be this baby's birthday and a celebration will be in preperation. I will always remember my Mom but it will be a happy day!"

Our oldest daughter Heather will be celebrating her 33rd birthday on Monday. It will again be a happy day and we will celebrate just like every year since she was born. We will also remember her Grandma and how much love she has passed down to all of us!

If I feel up to it....I will share this...but I figured enough tears for one day!

Have a great day today my friends!

Dilly

It has been a busy kind of week. I can slow down today because it's raining outside. So I guess you know where I have been working. All the flower beds are cleaned out and ready for the growing season. Pee-Boy still needs his fountain pond cleaned out. I am trying to figure out how to do that without actually touching the icky stuff in there! LOL Yesterday I started removing sod from this years landscaping project....the front yard. I having been working on the design in my head for a couple of years...but now it's time to start the amazing transformation! LOL At least I hope so!! Here is what it looked like last fall! I even have a photo somewhere of what it looked like when we moved in! UCK

Miss Kylee had a suprise visitor yesterday. A white male poodle wandered in under the fence and after a little barking they played for over a half an hour! We were dumb struck after the way she goes crazy each time she sees a dog outside the house or car! Here is a dog invading her yard and she wants to play! Go figure....at least it gives me hope that if I ever want to introduce another small dog to our family there is a possibility if the little one isn't scared spitless of big Kylee! Obviously this little guy had a lot of guts and a goal in mind. No she isn't in heat and he would have needed a big step ladder!

I did manage to make some beads the other day and they turned out quite well. I am still playing and that makes setting down to the torch very enjoyable!

OK....time to get in gear around here. Not sure whats on our dance card today...but I think we will be hitting the road later! Have a great day and huggies all around for everyone!

Dilly

This week is flying by!!

How can it be Wednesday??? It was just Monday did I skip Tuesday?? Slow down and smell the dandelions since the roses are not in bloom yet!!

I made some beads this morning....interesting and different for me we will see how the kiln fairies deal with them.

I have the front two flower beds cleaned and ready to rock and roll! Now onto the vegetable garden and the main garden in my side yard. Then back out front to re-landscape in front of the house. But right now I am just waiting to hear the plop, plop of tiny rain drops. Instead I am hearing the bark, bark, bark of Kylee at Randy mowing the front yard! She stands up on the landing of our back steps (we have a two 1/2 story set of steps that come down from the second floor balcony and sliding glass doors) She can see over the 5' privacy fence there and survey her kingdom and harrass the neighbors! Crazy dog!

I think I will head back down and melt a little more glass since the kiln is still up and running. Then this evening I will write up some stuff for the Bay and wrap some glass bowls for garden candle holders! Never boring around here!

Have a great day everyone!

Dilly

I planted tomatoes!

Hello Cyber Buds!

I did plant a couple of tomato plants in the LSB. It is all done waters is running, fishes are swimming and the seedlings are transplanted. I wanted to have something in there that our Grandson could pull up a chair and munch on. Or if visitors wanted to check it out they could have a taste. I found some compact sweet mini tomatoes. They only grown 2' tall and the size of cherry tomatoes. We will see how they turn out or if I can kill them! You never know!

I melted some glass this morning, not a lot I didn't want to screw with my shoulder to badly. Then I hit the stores with Heather and Xavier. Picked up a few things, but mostly just enjoyed hanging with them. Yes Miss Shannon I would enjoy hanging with you too....just ask and I will be there! Miss Erin if you want equal time you are just to far away and out of luck sweetie. I will make up quality time with you down the road! LOL

Looks like the black clouds are headed our way and I finally have the time to hit the garden....fricking...fracking....schmooogle-doooogle!!

So it's official the Living Salad Bar is done and the seedlings are transplanted. We got the lighting installed last night and now we can just watch the show! Time to move onto our worm composting. Yah...I know we are nuts...but hey its entertaining and we keep learning new things! I'll share photos of the worm composter but you may want to cover your eyes once Randy gets his 1,000 red wigglers to put in there. At least then all the frut rhinds and veggie ends will go to a good cause and I will get black gold for the garden!!

I am going to sneak out and work on the garden for a little while between raindrops. Have a great evening everyone! Huggies all around!

Dilly

A sprinkley morning here

Morning I am setting here listening to the birds as it lightly rains outside and of course sipping my coffee!

All those projects we wanted to work on yesterday went out the window and we hit the road instead. Managed to attend the opening of 3 different local farmers markets. Stopped by the Grand Opening of the Hydroponic store we frequent. Finally we snuck over to the west side of the state and dropped in on my glassy buddy Ellen who was having her Spring Open House! I just love suprises and it was great seeing Ellen and her beautiful beads. A few of her friends bring their artistic work and they all set up for the day and it was a very very nice presentation!

Today we are hanging my microwave over the stove and I am gaining some counter space! YES!! Working on the lighting for the LSB and finishing up hubbies worm composter. Yah we are getting into vermicomposting. I am getting use to the idea and it will alleviate a lot of the problems with all our kitchen waste. Between fruit skins and vegetable stalks we have way to much green stuff for our regular composter. You are suppose to balance the green with the brown to get the best effect in one of those. But, worms will eat their weight in goodies in one day. We actually weighed our kitchen waste and we are at about 3-5 lbs a day. I'll keep you apprised of this new thing we are getting into. The plus here is black gold worm castings for the garden, worms for the fish and of course to go fishing with!!

So time to get moving on today. I hope we get to make connections and see our DD and her family that have returned from Colorado. PLD and I need to transplant his seeds into the aquaponics garden! So he can watch them grow.

Have a great day everyone!

Dilly