Sunday, April 30, 2017

Saturday


Desiccated Patty Pan Squash Seedling


The transplanted patty pan squash seedlings are not doing well.  It think it is too hot for them.  The biggest seedling got desiccated!


Close Up


This one is doing a little bit better, I think, though not much (it's towards the bottom of the picture; look for the white arrow):

Struggling Squash Seedling


There is only one seedling that seems to be doing OK, so far. Well, I suppose, one plant is all I need as they are supposed to produce a lot of squash!

The One Plant That's Doing OK

I think I should have planted the seeds directly instead of transplanting them.  Anyway, I have now decided that I will transplant the two zucchini seedlings in this same planting area, and see if they survive.  If not, I'll buy another packet of seeds and start over.  I don't think I will need to buy tomato cages, after all.

I am still debating what to do about the grape vines.  If I should figure out another type of trellis and plant them or return them to the garden center and get a refund!  I've looked at grape vine trellises  on-line and there are a lot of ideas.  Maybe I can ask neighbor E across the street if he can build me one.

I spent a quiet, relaxed morning, today, reading blogs, listening to some music, and reading one of my library books.

In the afternoon, I put away the dried laundry, did another load and hung it up to dry.  Packed up some of the clothes that are too big for me and put them away in the 3rd bedroom (spare room) for now.  I need to decide if I will alter them to fit me, or donate them.  I am leaning towards just donating them and having one less thing to do!

Called the pharmacy to request a refill of one of my medications, but they texted back to say the medication was out of stock and they will let me know when it comes in.  I will give them a couple of days and then, call to check. 

I vacuumed the bedrooms, too, and then, got a bit carried away and vacuumed the rest of the house, as well, except for the family room, since I vacuumed it just yesterday.  Dusted the furniture in the living room, dining area, and family room.  Still need to dust my bedroom; will do that tomorrow.  The door to the spare room will be kept shut until I can sort it out, but the rest of the house is more or less "company ready", which is a good thing because my aunt called later in the afternoon to ask if she and my cousin could visit this evening.  I said yes, of course, and invited them to dinner (although they are not coming until around 9:00 p.m.).

I cooked a fish curry,  sauted spinach, and rice, and served some of my homemade tomato chutney as well, with canned peaches for dessert.  Afterwards, cousin did the dishes for me.  I sent the leftover fish curry and a jar of tomato chutney home with them.  It was nice to see aunt and cousin, as we haven't seen each other since before Christmas!  So, we exchanged our holiday gifts today.  Cousin and I said they were our Christmas/New Year/Valentine's Day/her birthday/Easter/Sri Lankan New Year/Cinco de Mayo gifts!  LOL. 

One of my other aunts also called this evening and asked me when I was coming to see her.  I promised to visit her, one of these days.  She was married to my mother's younger brother; uncle died one year before my mother.

Today, I am grateful for:
- A lovely, sunny, warm day
- The strong winds have stopped and they didn't do any damage to my property
- A productive afternoon
- The house is tidy for the most part
- Aunt and cousin visiting 

Saturday's To Do List:
- Garden center for tomato cages - NOT NEEDED! 
- Put away dried laundry - DONE
- Do another load of laundry - DONE
- Vacuum bedrooms - DONE (and did the rest of the house, as well, except the family room which was done yesterday)
- Weed the rest of the planting bed- SUNDAY
- Transplant the zucchini seedlings - SUNDAY
- Plant the succulents - SUNDAY
- Paperwork/filing - DID SOME
- Call in refills - DONE
- Pharmacy to pick up refills - Won't be ready today
- Tidy kitchen counters - DONE
- Cook dinner - DONE
- Do dishes - DONE
- Bring in a new bucket of kitty litter from the garage - DONE
- Clean the litter box/add fresh kitty litter - Will do after I post this

Sunday's To Do List:
- Put away dried laundry
- Do another load of laundry
- Weed the rest of the planting bed
- Transplant the zucchini seedlings and tomato plant
- Plant the succulents
- More paperwork
- Dust the bedroom furniture
- Bake banana bread
- Mop kitchen

How was your Saturday?  What have you planned for Sunday? 

14 comments:

  1. You had a very productive day...
    Hope your squash will do well for you..

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Judy. I hope all is well with you and you are having a lovely day.

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  2. I don't have good luck with transplanting seedlings. I do direct sow with most plants. The only plants I buy as a plant are tomatoes and pepper plants. For our grapevine, we put up 2 posts into the ground (sturdy fence-type wooden posts) and put heavy-duty wire between the two. I planted 2 grapevines on either end and they grab onto the wire nicely. Andrea

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for the grape vine support idea, Andrea. That sounds like something I can do, with a little help from my neighbor or gardener.

      Yes, I think I should have sown the seeds directly. My bean seedlings are coming up nicely, and so are the okra.

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  3. I always like it when my house is clean and tidy. You'd think that would motivate me to keep it like that, wouldn't you? I hope you continue to have another couple of good days off.

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    1. Each time I tidy the house, I tell myself I am going to keep it that way. It lasts a couple of days or a week, at the most! Then, something gets put down on a horizontal surface, to be joined by another couple of things, and before I know it, there's a pile which grows and multiplies and suddenly, the piles have taken over all the surfaces! I know that regular maintenance is the key. Weekly dusting and vacuuming. Daily putting away. I just need to do it!

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  4. I like what you said about your house being more or less "company ready". Other than the normal day to day jobs I haven't had to do any really heavy cleaning since Easter. I guess that it is the good thing about company!

    Like you I continue to weed "stuff" out. I need to have a go at some of my clothes. Now that I am retired I wear much more casual things. I do find that I have to get in the mood and be really brutal about what goes. Hard isn't it?

    We have had lots and lots of rain over the past several days. Our daughter gifted us a fruit of the month and this time it was Pineapple. I detest cutting them up but it is finally done and ready to enjoy. I also had a long chat with my oldest son who lives in New York. So proud he is so successful but oh how I miss him.

    Sandy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Regular maintenance is the way to go, Sandy; that's what I keep telling myself, but I find it hard to do! I really need to implement my cleaning routines, but I keep procrastinating.

      Yes, it is hard to declutter. Especially if you happen to go on-line on some of the craft sites and see what other people are making from various items. Books are being turned into planters for succulents and cacti, or made into shelves, storage boxes, or decorations; t-shirts are turned into shopping bags, head bands, and more. I look at them and I think, "Oh, I could do that!" and then it becomes even harder to declutter! LOL.

      I wish you could send some of that rain, my way! We haven't had any rain in several weeks now and are not likely to get any until late fall, when our rainy season begins.

      That fruit of the month sounds like a good gift idea! Yes, hard to cut pineapples and remove all those "eyes". By the time you cut all the eyes out, it seems as if there's hardly anything left to eat! But a nice, ripe pineapple is lovely! We sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the pieces before eating; it cuts down on the acidity and brings out the sweetness.

      Glad you got to chat with your son in NY; it's hard when the children move away, isn't it? I've been hinting to my daughter that once her contract is over, she ought to be thinking of moving back down, here! She says several of her friends have been asking her when she's coming back, too! LOL. It really has to do with where the jobs are, though, especially these days.

      I hope you are having a pleasant Sunday, and all is well with you and your family. Take care.

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  5. Hi Bless
    I am pleased to hear you " sounding" more like your usual bouncy self: sad as they are I think we need the balance of the not so good days to help us pause and reflect. Sounds like that is what you did, and you are back in your groove!

    We are still living with builders as we do a makeover to our house prior to trying to sell and move, so our cottage looks very unloved today. I have spent last night and today monitoring my daughters flight to New Zealand too: she arrived tired but safe

    Sending happy thoughts from a chilly and rainy UK
    Siobhan

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    Replies
    1. Siobhan, lovely to hear from you, again! Sounds like you are busy with your house, getting it ready to sell.

      Yes, I am getting back in my groove! LOL. I have my ups and downs, like anyone else. I would be less than truthful if I didn't share that!

      Is your daughter going to New Zealand on a holiday? I am glad to hear she had a safe, if tiring, journey. I hope she has a lovely stay and a safe journey back home.

      Sending back happy thoughts from a sunny and warm part of the US! It's 86F/30C right now, at a few minutes before 2:00 p.m. (but much cooler inside the house, at just 70F/21C).

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  6. Wow you were busy! You always seem to get lots done. I feel quite lazy reading your blog! Hubby did manage to get my little plot of garden turned over yesterday so now I have to plan what I'm going to grow. I was happy to see my rhubarb survived the winter. Mum always used to get rhubarb from our back neighbour and I remember fondly the crumble and custard we used to have. Yum!

    Rain today - we did manage a small walk. Hopefully the weather will cooperate when we visit daughter and we can get in many walks.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sharon. I seem to have days when I can get a lot done and then, there are other days when I am a complete slug!

      Oh, I love rhubarb! I've tried growing it here, but haven't had much luck. It costs $2.99/lb. at the ethnic grocery store, here, compared to $.39/lb. for apples! My mother used to claim that rhubarb "purified the blood" whatever that means! She used to stew it with cinnamon and sugar and serve it with custard!

      I wish you could send some of your rain down here! We've entered our "dry" season. We had practically no rain in April in So. Cal. (some other parts of the state have had rain) and are unlikely to get any again until late fall!

      When are you planning to visit daughter? I'm sure you are both looking forward to it.

      Hope you have a lovely rest of the day and week ahead. Take care.

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  7. I have always sown squash seed directly in the ground and have success doing it.
    I like the house clean and tidy and if people didn't live here it would be all the time!
    Right now it is company ready because I had a large group in this week. But give me a few days and the clutter will start creeping back in. (Or maybe it will creep out since a donation truck will be here Tuesday)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I think I will buy a packet of seeds and plant directly in the ground. The transplants aren't doing well.

      I think I just need to make it a point to invite people over every two weeks! LOL. Whether I'll have the energy to do so will be a different matter, altogether!

      Good of you to have scheduled a donations pick up! I think I will do another round of decluttering in May and maybe get rid of a few more things. I seem to have acquired a few things since my last major decluttering session, last year!

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