Slice O' Heaven

I keep saying that I feel like an eight year old.  I come in most evenings with at least a little dirt on me, and when I came in the house to get cleaned up for a grad party yesterday I looked just like I did when I was a kid.  Pony tail in my hair, mud from head to toe, bug bites, a little red from the sun, scrapes and bruises on my arms and legs.  I have three skeeter bites on my neck today that are HUGE. 

I guess you could say that I am a "throw yourself into it" kind of gal when it comes to the garden.  I mostly forget to put on my gloves, but I do always remember the  sunscreen!  I'm just so happy to have dirt to play in again!

My brother Jerry has an old bat neighbor lady who always has complaints about one thing or another.  Lately it's the fence that borders their property.  I saw it on Friday, and yes, it has a little bit of a lean to it, but SWEET PETE lady.  You should thank God every day for the neighbors you have in that area!  Some people ain't happy unless they have something to gripe about.  So, long story short, that portion of the fence is being replaced (on the actual property line.......boy is she about to get a nasty surprise, and I don't blame my brother one bit).  Several hosta border that fence line, and my brother didn't want to just chuck them, so his irritation has become my gain!  Yesterday (which was slated as a non gardening day) I spent two hours digging in a new hosta garden under the blue jay tree!

Friday after work I went by their place and he and I dug up 15 hosta and a handful of lily of the valley.  I tried to drive home as fast as I could to beat the rain, but I missed out by about five minutes.  The Brown Eyed Man and I got soaked getting the plants out of the car, then he went inside, and I grabbed my rain coat and planted a peony that came from my brother David's mother in law.  He dropped it at Jerry's earlier that day.  It was looking rough, so I didn't want to wait.  Then, since I was soaked to the skin anyway I set the hosta where I wanted them under the blue jay tree.

The veggies (minus the tomato, the cold wet weather is B.A.D.) are looking great, and we will have green onion from the garden in the potato salad I make for this coming holiday weekend!  I have a few herbs planted too, and a couple container flowers.

The big work has been the rock garden that we are digging out on the hillside.  Slow but steady we are gaining ground.  Picking out perennials has been a lot of fun.  Planting bulbs and roots that don't grow, has not.  I have daylillies, bleeding heart, and some tiger lily that are doing absolutely nothing.  Something I planted, called "Blue" (doncha know I can't find the little planter card) are the only thing coming up, and they are just about two inches.

Ugh.  All this talk about gardening has me itching (literally)  to go and put in another set of green onion, and pop out some more of the big weeds in the flower garden.  Well, maybe later.  I have a date with my new reclining lawn chair, an iced tea, and a book!

I have dreams of a strawberry patch, and an herb garden too.  Last night we sat out back in our adirondak chairs, overlooking the valley, talking about the gardens, and life in general.  To me, it's a little slice of heaven, and there's no where else I would rather be. ♥

Oh, and we also solved the "what the heck is digging that hole under my peony" mystery.

Gotta love the trail cam....... damn chipmunk! 

I Wish You Enough (Ashlyn's Graduation)

Ashlyn is graduating today, and we are all so proud!  The years have gone by too fast, and since we obviously can't keep her little forever, I choose to embrace the wonderful woman she is growing into. Looking forward to all of your adventures!

I have been trying for about six months to write this blog, and I think this about covers everything I want to say, so I will use it instead.  Not sure who the author is.

 I wish you enough:

"I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.

I wish you enough pain so that the joys in life appear much bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye."


I love you first~ Auntie Jo

Pitter Patter

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE FREAKING KIDDING ME!  I don't usually comment on religion, but since this is aimed in my general direction, I believe it's as good a time as any.

http://nypost.com/2014/06/03/pope-warns-married-couples-against-having-pets-over-children/

OK, let me breathe before I rant.................

1.  I was raised Catholic, but because of nonsense like this I am not, and haven't been, a practicing Catholic for (lets see, how long since the divorce......) eight years.

2.  I really liked this guy.  (note the past tense)

3.  I can not tell you how many families I have dealt with over the years, easily over 500.  Some people should not be let within 50 feet of a child, let alone be allowed to have one to mess up.

4.  If a woman realizes that motherhood it isn't the path for them, why should they have a child?  Just to end up resenting the kid and send said child into years of therapy?  How good will she feel in her old age when her child hates her?  Not the best basis for a healthy relationship.

5.  So since I have made the decision NOT to have children of my own, I should just crawl under a rock somewhere?  I guess I might as well end it all before I'm 50, since my later years are going to be filled with woe and loneliness. (What a bunch of crap.)

6.  I was married.  I don't talk about it a lot.  I still deal with baggage from the experience, and I can't imagine how screwed up our kids would be.

Yes, I have pets.  Milkie the cat, and Jacob the dog.  They are not my pseudo children. (That's what Goovers are for.)  I love my Milk, and Jake Barker, just like I loved Misty, and Pepper, and Sam.  I haven't totally given up the notion of Foster Parenting, but honestly, I love my life the way it is.

The words HOW DARE YOU, just keep blasting through while I'm writing, because really.  REALLY?  Let me just run right out and get pregnant, because you said so.  Wait........ how many children do you have?  Oh, yeah......... I forgot.

End rant:

However, I do have one more thing to say.  My real concern (besides the Catholic church dragging everyone  women back into the 1950's) is the poor devout Catholic woman who CAN NOT have kids.  What the heck kind of message is this sending her???  Shame is something the Catholic hierarchy understands quite well.  So this should make sense.  Shame on you!  Shame on you for trying to make women feel less.

Real end of rant.  :)   I love hearing the pitter patter of paws in the morning, and I look forward to a lifetime of it.  ♥

P.S.  I'm not past the kid window, but if it happens, it will be because WE decided, not because a man who doesn't have children thinks it's a good idea.