Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in freegardener's LiveJournal:

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Tuesday, July 17th, 2007
11:23 am	from binx cat groups.yahoo.com/group/Empaths/) </td></tr> Judge 70% Artist 65% Precog 60% Healer 60% Traveler 55% Shaman 55% Universal 50% Fallen Angel 40% What Kind of Empath Are You? created with QuizFarm.com</table> Current Mood: thoughtful (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, July 14th, 2006
12:44 pm	Garden starting to move into second gear. There's a sprinkling of raspberries, daylilies blooming and beans and zucchini have flowers. saintfuzzball and I have done a lot of cleaning out. Pulled out vines on the north side of the property and the road is now visible through the trees. It looked jungle-like; private, but encroaching, like a bad horror movie. We moved the giant hosta yesterday and are hoping for the best. It's now back behind the fence by the sit-upon-me log and that area is starting to look inviting. Peaceful. I weeded around the honeysuckle by the front porch yesterday, because it was lost in the long grass and it was a much worse job than I imagined it would be. Good soil there I guess because both the grass and the weeds had deep, persistent roots. Reminded me of the prairie soil in the Midwest. Damned hard work de-sodding, but it's done for another year anyway. The plum tree is filling out and has some shadow which is fun. Amazing how quickly even small trees become shade trees. The hanging basket vines are filling out again after much unintentional pruning when we were putting them up. It was only after finishing three-fourths of the job that we discovered that the joint in the vines were so brittle because that is how they propagate. You just stick them back in the soil and they root. Duh. Oh, well. They should pretty much go on forever now. So far, I've succeeded in my goal of spending $0 on the garden this summer. Only planting things I already have on hand. Will buy two different kinds of white tulips this fall when I get a little cash, and will use them to outline the bright colored tulip bed in front of the house. When we dug the trench for them earlier this month, we hoped that we wouldn't find as many bricks and as much clay as we did last year. Hah! The good news? No matter how old you get foolish optimism never dies. Wishful thinking protects us all from harsh reality. That's what I say. Current Mood: good (Comment on this)
Saturday, June 10th, 2006
1:22 am	Quiz Which Princess Bride Character are You? this quiz was made by mysti Current Mood: content (Comment on this)
Friday, June 2nd, 2006
3:16 pm	Rainy Friday It's been a productive week, I'd say. We are nearly done planting veggies and herbs. Today the ground was too muddy from all the rain so we are waiting a bit to get the hot pepper seeds in. Probably be Sunday before it is dry enough to finish what we started yesterday. Instead of planting we brought down the last of the gardening things from the 3rd floor and arranged the basement garden room so everything is in one place for us. Also set up the hammock stand outside and put out the hanging plants to give them a bit of sun and rain before they are hung up on the front porch. Finally found the lost-sheep sedum that I couldn't locate. It was indeed in the front side bed, but under many weedy leaves. Tore them out and gave him some sun. Bought a new peony for the front since last year's was stepped on by someone. That's why I put up the little metal green fences. Really can't expect people to see in the dark and the plants are fragile in their early stages. The honeysuckle flowers have now been followed by tons of little tiny green berries which should grow and turn bright red. Will look very nice. We have flowers on the raspberries although none yet on the strawberries, and just planted rhubarb, sunflower seeds, zucchini, basil, arugula, all the lettuces and tomatoes, nasturtiums (for salads), and some lilies and a tulip that came home from church with us. Still have to do hot peppers, cucumbers, tri-color beans, lavender and catnip in the edible/useful line. After that, flower seed packets from last year and random bulbs that never got in the ground. We'll see what Mother Nature provides. It's hard to keep her down. I hope. After the initial push in vegetables, we'll switch to washing/cleaning the pollen off of the front porch! and other easy tidying. Then it's back to the garden. It's starting to look good and that keeps me going. Current Mood: busy (Comment on this)
Friday, May 26th, 2006
9:11 pm	Garden gossip The peach tree is pregnant. She's sprouting at least 6 bulbous fruits which she is coyly hiding in her branches. Wonder when she'll be showing. The climbing rose has lots of flower buds also and an anemone, I think, made it through the winter. One. I found out in February or so that the bulbs (corms?) should be planted in the spring because they are somewhat tender. Now they tell me! Bah. After all the rain I am letting the vegetable garden rest a bit. We will tackle it again soon. The bleeding heart is blooming and has another clump beside it and a number of the new hostas are evident in the shade garden under the back trees. Also the columbines are big and fluffy and flowering exuberantly. Good for them. We have some mystery leaves that are nice so we are leaving (npi) them to see what they turn out to be. All is well. It's that time of year just when spring blooms are winding down and summer is just peeking around the corner that you most need to step in and keep the overgrown grasses and vigorous weeds in check. Not so fun, but it will make June a lot prettier. So there, I just made a commitment to get my butt in gear. See how that happens. You're just mulling things over and suddenly new jobs jump right out and snag you. I am glad it's done being cold and rainy for a while. I lost my enthusiasm for the outdoors and instead rearranged the apartment. Looks more grounded and more stimulating. It was too relaxing and I felt smothered with nurturing lethargy. Got nothing done, that is. Current Mood: chipper (Comment on this)
Wednesday, May 3rd, 2006
4:26 pm	Progress saintfuzzball and I continue to work on the kitchen garden this week. We turned over the soil and marked the bed on Monday, decided it was too unpleasant to go out yesterday, and forked out the grass and other unwanted greenery today, and then lined the edges with bricks from around the yard. One thing about treasure hunting, it neatens up the yard little by little. The front lawn looks lusher also this year thanks to all the mowing by kingramsay last summer. We all thank him sincerely. :) Tomorrow? Well, it's supposed to be hot. We'll be attending the morning trial at tenner's school and then we'll see what we feel like doing. Lettuce and arugula seeds will wait until cooler weather on Friday. Then on to turning over the soil for the next little terrace down the hill. There will be three in all at the middle location just off the back patio. There are stone paths running down on either side and then there will be beds just beyond the grill and over by the side yard where the raspberries are planted. When seed planting is done in June, we will look into more bed creation which is a whole other matter. Usually slogging hard work, what with cutting through fern roots and clay soil, etc. So much fun that saintfuzzball is left speechless in anticipation. Change is energizing! Really. All the tulips have finally opened and I like the color combo. Two reds, a blue-purple, and a purple. Exciting. All under a tree that will someday be filled with white blossoms in the spring. Should set off the house nicely. Ah, I just love color! Current Mood: anticipating (Comment on this)
Friday, April 28th, 2006
9:34 am	Survey The daily survey of the yard has shown many happy discoveries. Many of the lilies' leaves are poking up through the soil and the sedum looks fine. I also have a miniature sedum somewhere if I can remember where I put him. He was in the porch pot last summer and I transplanted him into the front side bed. I think. The hanging plants are still alive and well in the basement. It would be a shame to lose them now after successfully getting them through the winter. So saintfuzzball kindly watered them this week when I had forgotten to check on them and I added more water because more daylight equals more leaf growth. Should be fine. Some hostas are up and the bright pink flower buds are just barely starting to open on the pretty (honest) honeysuckle bush by the porch. It should eventually be about 10 feet in diameter and block the view of Ingalls Street to the north. A little bit of noise abatement as well. I'm starting to think about the lattice screening for the six openings between the porch poles and have an idea for checking my design in place. Then I can eyeball it from across the street and see if I have guessed the right dimensions or not. We can all chew on it for a bit, argue (I mean discuss) about it and make one of our successful group decisions. The people who have to use a space are a great source of inspiration and sometimes head off problems that will arise down the road. I find that to be true anyway. Well, all three fruit trees (miniature nectarine, columnar peach, and full size plum) had a few blossoms so we are on our way. Don't think there will be enough fruit from any of them this year so I will let them rest another year, but the raspberries are going to be thoroughly plucked. And there will be veggies from the kitchen garden bed so not to worry. Going out and picking up the accumulated trash again. One of these days it's just possible that people will stop littering. Hah! Current Mood: calm (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, April 24th, 2006
11:32 am	Random From all indications the plantings survived the winter. Horseradish will grow and ripen further, raspberry bushes have multiple leaves, the vining rose also leafed out some more. Tulips are up, as are grape hyacinths and the pink honeysuckle bush has many flower buds. Even the the plum tree out front has a few white flowers in its first year. Some year down the road all will be lush and lovely. Something to look forward to. I say thank god it's raining, although I believe I'm a minority of one on the subject around here. :) We're starting to become enthused about various summer projects including a big push to do the indoor Peel-Away and get some indoor painting done as well. That enthusiasm will last about as long as the project stays in the planning stage. After that it will be our collective will keeping us on track. And the thought of how good it will look and feel to have beautiful colors around us. And how nice it will be to have a useful exercise program. Right now we've all pretty much signed up for the Winter Slugs Program and are doing well in it. It's amazing how busy and tired a person can be and still not keep in shape. Wrong kind of exercise I guess. Current Mood: pensive (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, April 4th, 2006
11:30 am	Not only squills, but crocuses, oh flower watchers. Sounds like there will be nice amounts of rain this week so the garden marches onward. I've decided to rake the yard when the sun shines again and start this year's compost pile by moving the old one, saving the actual compost, and using half-compost as starter for the new one. Exciting, if you care for that sort of thing. I'm pretty well through the garden catalogs and with this year's small budget will buy soil for germinating some of the hundreds (thousands?) of seeds I already have and a soapstone pot maker which allows me to use up newspapers. And digging. Yes, there will be lots of digging, I'm afraid. By the end of the season I hope to see a real difference in the feel of the yard. More green, less abandoned urban lot. You know, the beginning of wonderland. Late afternoon, saintfuzzball and I will again attempt to go to the co-op for the First Tuesday of the Month Knife Sharpening. Last month we never got there. We did see Scotia and a lot of Schenectady. In a two hour journey we did a nice tour of the western area adjacent to Albany, and paid a quarter for tolls for the privilege. We know our mistake (taking 87, not 787) and will hopefully complete our mission without incident. It was, however, an interesting trip, and we now can say to pallagia we know where you spend your days. That is, we went past Proctors where she works. Maybe more than once. So, happy spring to us all! Current Mood: excited (Comment on this)
Wednesday, March 29th, 2006
10:26 pm	The First Bloom OK, so it is just a squill, but it is blooming and it is in the yard, and it is not April 1st yet. Those are my conditions and I stand by them. An unbroken record which I hope to repeat on and on, and, on and on. Every year a new adventure. Got out the garden catalogs today to look through them for ideas and general drooling. It's the beauty, you know, and the pure sensuality of it all. Makes me want to actually do work. Going to go outside tomorrow and start picking up the winter yard debris, which here in Troy is litter more than anything. It will look instantly better when I am done and of course I will enjoy the lovely 60s temperature. Makes me smile to anticipate it. I am even anticipating the weekend rain. I am definitely hooked. Current Mood: happy (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, March 26th, 2006
2:16 pm	Out of hibernation Officially went for my first spring walk. I think that the weather has turned the corner from winter and it's time to come out of my cocoon. Been a thoughtful 2 months. Lots to decide. Let's just say that my mind is on education and the next stage of my life. More green leaves in the garden. Don't know if I will have that first bloom by April 1st, but there are contenders. Really would just prefer to have a nice healthy garden than anything else. We have trenches to dig again this year, but it's necessary. Too much history under some of the grass, and the ground desperately needs fluffing and TLC. Maybe the fam will get me top soil (my request) for Mothers' Day. It, along with compost, helps alot. Makes most plantings doable. Need to run a gravel stream next to the house so roof runoff has somewhere to go. It's practically made itself already so I'll just tidy it. This is the year for starting terraces and more shaping of beds. Also putting in a path in front of the porch, instead of the lilacs which are going to be a pain to move. We'll see about that later! Well, time to go pick up photographs which I left lying around my living room. Organizing, you know. Spring gleaning, as it were. Current Mood: awake (Comment on this)
Sunday, March 19th, 2006
2:03 pm	Spring time in the rockies...t garden It's cold outside, the wind is blowing, it's cloudy, but...green leaves from several bulbs popped out recently. They paused with the recent cold snap, but, I know them. They will be up and growing shortly and will provide that first bloom by the end of March. I never believe it. Every year I'm a doubter. Then things happen. The ground warms up, the sun is higher and brighter, the air is, on average, warmer. Rains return. You know, encouragement. I'm so glad. I need something to grow. Now. There will be pictures. As soon as tenner brings the camera home from school. And I figure out how to do all that. I plan on scanning a photo from WI of my more finished garden to use on LJ. About time, I think, but I need the scanner and mine can't connect to the Mac. Another challenge. Soon, soon, I tell myself, it will be spring. Current Mood: hopeful (Comment on this)
Tuesday, September 20th, 2005
8:36 am	Soapbox results You are a Social Liberal (80% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (31% permissive) You are best described as a: Strong Democrat Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid (Comment on this)
Saturday, August 13th, 2005
8:30 am	I'm not different, I'm just myself (said to my father during an argument. I was 12.) id • i • o • syn • cra • sy noun pl. id • i • o • syn • cra • sies 1. A structural or behavioral characteristic peculiar to an individual or group. 2. A physiological or temperamental peculiarity. 3. An unusual individual reaction to food or a drug. List five of your own idiosyncrasies and then tag five friends to do the same. A. I do the 4 daily puzzles from thinks.com every day and will play catch-up if I miss them. When I first started, I went back and did the entire archive. Obsessed. I spent 13 hours chasing Carmen San Diego. Almost caught her at hour 7, but missed, darn it. B. I read a lot. If I like an author, I will buy all of their books and read and reread them. I own 13 book cases. :) C. I have to have several projects in play at any given time or I won't do any of them. I like long term thinking so I spread them over time. Eventually, the pressure builds to finish one here or there and I do a concentrated push to get it done and off my plate. Right now: writing book, landscaping yard, planning quilts and smaller textile projects, furniture staining and painting. I like concepts alot! D. Playing competitive games brings out an odd component of my psyche: the gutter balls-strikes pattern. All or nothing. My mind wanders. The truth? Just don't care! Hopeless on the tournament circuit! E. Travel inspires me and I remember my experiences in a visceral way. The feel of the air, the look of the light or darkness, the feel of the space, the presence and movement of people or things. These memories are on tap in my mind in a way that, say, dates or names, or actual arrangement of space, are not. Those I have to rummage for patiently. Tactile tags are instant. I notice this because I love them. Current Mood: calm Current Music: Bubbling aquarium (Comment on this)
Monday, May 9th, 2005
8:13 am	Mom Day The garden is started. We (the house crew) planted a prune-plum tree out front and will later this summer move the two lilacs to the hillside. The tree has plenty of space to branch out so it won't be crowded, and it will eventually dominate the front planting and give privacy and shade to the front porch. Besides, it'll be beautiful. My Mom Day present, by request, was 3 cubic yards of topsoil which will be trucked here today. Most delightful. Have lots of plants and seeds so " I" should get trucking! According to the weather channel and the spreadsheet I created, it looks like a productive time. I have all my plants and seeds (100) listed and characterized so that I can see at a glance when things will bloom, what kind of sun exposure they like, what color their blooms are, and how tall they will be. I have a plan in my head and will start with the "bones" first. Two more trees today and any shrubs which arrive in the next few days. Also need to get the kitchen garden laid out for this year. Will terrace it next year probably and add steps. R & J moved a hosta to the shade garden and others will follow. Should end up being a cool and relaxing area of the yard. We already keep a table and two chairs there, and the wooden bench, plus have had the hammock up a couple times when the weather was nice. Discovered last winter, when it blew open, that there is a gate in the middle of the back fence which, because it is the same height and structure as the fence itself, is invisible. Will probably put a little sitting area behind the fence to the right and keep the area to the left as a place for the compost pile. There's lots of room and it shouldn't dry out too quickly. The grass looks better this year in the front of the house so we'll keep working on the back yard. Painting projects for the front porch are also being planned and it should make quite a change. With the Peel-Away job (paint removal) taking place steadily in the living room, we have enough spruce-up projects on our plates to keep anybody busy. We aren't killing ourselves, just keeping at it. I think once some of the results start showing more dramatically, it will become it's own inspiration. The ability to imagine the future becomes it's own reward. Our big house in the little garden is growing onward. Current Mood: artistic (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, January 13th, 2005
10:48 pm	OK, this is funny... You Are 32 Years Old 32 Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax. What Age Do You Act? (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, October 19th, 2004
6:29 pm	Life and such I look around me and see details waiting to be recognized, stacks of papers waiting to be organized, books waiting to be shelved, and miraculously the work seems doable. I just need to keep moving at a steady pace and to do something intelligent every day, something that brings satisfaction and completion. The little refrigerator from tenner's family is working well. It has Coke in it now and ice in the developmental stage in trays. We have a working microwave oven and cable. And heat. And a phone. The joys of modern life without which one feels lost and sometimes desperate. saintfuzzball's new kitty is named Chelone. She lives downstairs most of the time so she can get used to us. She is starting to explore and seems interested in what she can find and I am sure she will own the house in time. After living at the shelter for so long, since the end of May, it must seem strange to her to have so much space and attention. Life is good and, all in all, challenging. I have lots to think about and new ideas to explore. Good friends help! Current Mood: thoughtful (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, June 14th, 2004
5:38 pm	...from Saintfuzzball How to make a freegardener Ingredients: 1 part success 3 parts humour 1 part empathy Method: Blend at a low speed for 30 seconds. Serve with a slice of caring and a pinch of salt. Yum! Username: Personality cocktail From Go-Quiz.com Current Mood: amused (Comment on this)
Wednesday, May 19th, 2004
9:55 am	Cleaning out takes a long time if you do it right M and her gang of 5 large farm guys came and moved the piano back to M's farmhouse. We babysat it for 9-10 years I think and we were both happy with the arrangement. What with the gang of 5 lookers-on we made quite a crowd and had a mini fun time. When the guys moved the piano from the dining room to the foyer to the front porch and then down the side walk, lifting it up finally 12 inches onto the horse trailer, in less than 15 minutes, we all spontaneously applauded! I've spent countless hours mowing, clipping, snipping, pulling and carrying pieces of the yard. I have many more verbal activities left to do like digging, transplanting, mowing again, laying bricks around, tidying. It's looking good but I want to do the best I can with what I have. happystarfish and C have gone through much of their stuff as well, but there is much left to do. Their categories are paper, cloth and electronics! In between we go to work or just collapse, or just go to Madison and shop for groceries as a change of pace. saintfuzzball came home 2 weeks ago and we went through his room thoroughly, including the closet. Also looked around the attic-storage room and the game cupboard in the dining room. He is officially moved out so one child done! pallagia still has a few school mementos which I will bring with me when I move. So we are continuing to sort and sift. This is a good idea since I could just pack up and bring it all with me; that feels like dragging along an old life. I would just have to do it all in NY. Better now than later even though I can't say I'm enthused. More a feeling of satisfaction and ending well. The long goodbye indeed. Coworkers continue to find out that I'm leaving and want to hear all about it. They say be sure to tell us when you are going so we can have a party! Absolutely is what I say! Couldn't get away from work last night for an hour what with talking and in the end finding another person who is looking for a house. Every time I have to explain the house I get better at selling its good points. If no one buys it before Memorial Day I will officially list it in June with the guy who appraised it for me. M's daughter J (the eldest) and her roommate want the upright freezer and I think I will offer the lawnmower to neighbor D who doesn't have one. I have 2 twin head and footboards w/rails to offload but everything else is optional. All yard items like the umbrella and hammock and the benches are coming with me. Also bringing the compost bins sans compost since they are cedar and galvanized steel and were expensive. Gardening tools are a must as well! I've been saying goodbye to it all as I work through it. Very nice process and I'm starting to sing around the house. Wow, haven't done that in a LONG time. Current Mood: Quietly excited Current Music: Flight of the Valkyries (in head) (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, March 20th, 2004
11:08 am	Live again! After 2 days without the internet, I had 2 people come from Charter and do some things with the wires and rehook my connections. They said the ethernet card which was already installed would be more efficient. Later in the spring when the wind dies down they will give me a better connection to the telephone pole. Glad to get that cleaned up since saintfuzzball will be home this weekend to do taxes and we will need to download forms. In celebration I am drinking coffee from the "Saint Dogbert casts out the Demons of Stupidity" mug. I mentioned to pallagia that I was trying to scrimp severely and, in fact, making a game of it. I was contemplating getting food and gas for the car when I received from work $25 worth of restaurant coupons and a $5 coupon for gas. This was for my averages in a new program which I have since quit. Then I thought that some coffee would be nice since I was down to half a tablespoon. happystarfish said I have 3 sample pouches from Market America I was going to give to D (father-in-law) but you can have them. I was also thinking about beer and she then said she had 3 bottles of Guinness that her husband C and his best friend P didn't like so she gave them to me as well. Since the Thin Mints from the GS arrived and constitute dessert, I have yet to spend any money on anything. (I have my cable wires covered in the agreement with Charter so that is free.) Sort of fun to do this once in awhile! When I lived in Milwaukee I had a friend who was totally out of money for a week and I included him in our nightly meals. It was necessary to stretch meals for 2 into meals for 3, a creative challenge of sorts, but I wanted to make it seem easy and casual so he wouldn't feel embarrassed. He mentioned off and on for years that I had saved his life! I still smile when I think about it. It's amazing how much stuff we Americans have, even extra foodstuffs, and, with some effort, how much we can get out of it. The first leaf from a bulb appeared and it is 52 deg. out. Average temps are definitely up, both day and night, and it's getting uncomfortable wearing extra garments (silk camisoles, thermal tops) so, unless we get a cold snap, they can be retired. Yea Spring! With happystarfish and C slowly moving their things out, the house is regaining its roomy and comfy feel. Nice, very nice. The front porch is once again sunny and warm and I am going out there. Current Mood: amused Current Music: Wind rattling the windows, Asian beetles hitting the walls.. (3 Comments |Comment on this)