Daily Jots

Well, we don’t quite have a garden yet, but we have plenty of dirt. That arrived about a week ago and the property has been graded… I did tell you about how much I love the sound of bull dozers right??
Anyway, I thought that today’s how-to would be on what you need to take care of in the garden for July… if you should have one. I never thought that I would miss not having a garden as much as I am. It was just a lot of work last year… now, I’m missing it! I’m thinking …read more

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“Summer’s back with a vengeance, and you want to keep your cool without breaking the bank — or causing another blackout. Don’t despair — air-conditioning isn’t the only answer! Whether you don’t have A/C or are trying to save energy (and money!), these 10 tips will stop you from overheating. ”
Personally, I love the heat, but I know a lot of people who can’t tolerate it, so this list will come in extremely handy. My little tidbit of advice… dress with the heat in mind. If you are wearing a long sleeve shirt and pants, is it any wonder that …read more

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“Most people only think about sunscreen when they’re on vacation, but applying sun protection should be a daily habit, even in the winter. On average, women get 19 hours of unintentional sun exposure a week – whether it’s from sitting by a window in the office, driving and other day-to-day activities. If you’re vigilant about applying sunscreen throughout the year, your skin will look younger longer.”
It was the 19 unintentional sun exposure per week that got my attention. Yes, I knew that all those little minutes added up… just not that much. So, I think that I will do as …read more

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I picked up a Zen Garden for my son (for Christmas) and then decided that I really wanted it for me anyway, so after leaving it in the closet for a few months, I opened the box.

This is similar to mine but with one difference. I can’t stand for it to have lines. The sand has to be perfectly smooth. If I don’t get absolutely every mark out of the sand it drives me crazy!! And it’s not as if I’m “Suzy Homemaker” or anything. It’s a good thing you can’t see my office at the moment… it’s just this …read more

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When I first saw this project, I have to admit, I kind of rolled my eyes. Why would I want to make something like this?

And then it occurred to me, that “private beach” would feel awfully nice under my desk. The stones would stay relatively cold wouldn’t they? And man, is it hot in here today! And that’s with the air conditioning on!
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I just finished buying a table top version of this garden and then decided… what if I did the same thing to the back yard?? I can live without grass!

But then my daughter, the landscaper said that all the neighborhood cats would like it too. That sort of ruined that idea. Well, it was nice while it lasted. I guess I’m back to square one! And I was so excited for a couple of hours!!
But it does look soothing doesn’t it!
Photo

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It’s amazing the neat stuff you find when you go looking. This morning I needed some help with my potted plants… that are still waiting to be planted. No, we still don’t have a proper backyard yet, and my lupins are going nuts! They are growing like crazy, but need a lot of water which has me going down to the patio door a couple of times of day just to check on them. Our backyard is going to be perfect for that pool I keep telling you about, but plants are struggling in the extreme heat.
Anyway I found this …read more

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It doesn’t seem that a day goes by where I am not looking up something, so I thought that I would start sharing. I’m going to try and post a new How-To do something each day. With any luck a year from now, we are going to be soooo smart!
Today it’s going to be on geraniums. But let me back up for a moment and give you a little background I dug up about a zillion of them last fall from our old garden, wintered them in the basement and then brought them …read more

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“Boredom is useful to me when I notice it and think: Oh I’m bored; there must be something else I want to be doing… boredom acts as an initiator of originality by pushing me into new activities or new thoughts.
Hugh Prather”
I know where Prather is going with this. My to-do list prevents me from getting bored. There are simply too many things that I haven’t gotten around to doing. I would probably pull out a notebook and start a list of blogging topics that I could use when I get home. Or maybe start notes on that …read more

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Morning is the best of all times in the garden. The sun is not yet hot. Sweet vapors rise from the earth. Night dew clings to the soil and makes plants glisten. Birds call to one another. Bees are already at work. – William Longgood
I didn’t use to like mornings very much. Staying in bed until 11 on the weekends sounded like a much better plan. And then I was talking to a few people who loved the peaceful silence of the morning. I thought that they were nuts! Who gets up …read more

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