Thursday, May 6, 2021

Wednesday's Productivity

Root Stock Roses 

Most hybrid roses are grafted onto hardier root stock and one of the most common root stock for roses (in southern California, at least) are Rosa "Dr. Huey", which is a climbing rose with clusters of dark red roses.  I am not one hundred percent positive that this is a Dr. Huey rose, but, I do know that it is a root stock rose.  Because the hybrid roses that were growing on these rose root stocks have died, but the root stocks have continued to thrive!  I am happy to have them and they seem to tolerate much neglect without any complaints!  

Today has been another sunny and warm day.  I slept in this morning and found it hard to get going!   I am so not a wake up and start on the day's to do list type of person!  Eventually, however, after replying to blog comments, etc., I practiced the piano.

The kitchen tap has been dripping a very slow drip for the past several months (the rubber sealer ring probably needs to be replaced, but, I am unable to do it myself and I didn't want to call someone to do it for me before both my daughter and I were fully vaccinated).  I've been placing a small stockpot type of pan under the tap to collect the water; it fills up overnight so every morning, I use that water to water some of the garden plants.  Then, it fills up during the day and I use the water to water a few more plants in the evening.

This morning, when I took the pot of water to water some of the plants in the front garden, I noticed a sign on my front door - apparently, the power company had sent out someone to trim the pine tree at the back of my garden that is close to the power lines.  If they had knocked on the door, I didn't hear them (I was probably asleep!), but, my daughter said she didn't hear anyone knocking, either.  They wouldn't have been able to access my backyard because the gate was locked.  Anyway, there was a phone number to call, which I did.  I spoke with someone at the tree trimming services that had been contracted by the power company; they will try to send someone out, tomorrow morning, around 8:00 a.m.!  Eek!  I'd better set the alarm and wake up to unlock the gate before then!

Finally, in the evening, after procrastinating as long as I could, I started on the bedroom.  I dusted the bedside table and tossed one empty jar of balm.  The two drawers had been decluttered, earlier, and they seemed to be OK for now. 

Then, I moved on to the desk.  Oh, that desk seems to be a magnet for piles of paper!  I have the hardest time keeping the surface cleared!  But, I took everything off and dusted.  Sorted through some papers and set them aside to be torn up and recycled.  Earlier this year, when neighbor S was cleaning out her garage, one of the items she got rid of was a wooden desk organizer.  I saw it out on the curb and called her to ask if I could have it and daughter helped me to bring it and a shoe rack home.  I had cleaned the desk organizer and had been waiting to clear my desk to set it up:

Wooden Desk Organizer

There is a crack on the front of the little pull out drawer but, it is otherwise fine.  It has room for files and papers and I think I can make it work for me.  

I probably spent about an hour sorting through the papers on my desk and I still had everything spread out on my bed when my daughter called me to take a break to have the cup of coffee she had made for me.

After coffee, I watched the evening news and tore up the papers I had set aside to recycle.

Then, I went out to the garden.  I took the grocery bag of papers I had torn up and cut back when I was cutting up all those old documents.  All those bits of paper was used as mulch on one of the flower beds!  I put them over the cardboard and newspapers I had spread out, earlier.  Whether it will stay in place is anyone's guess!  I do plan to get some bark mulch to place over everything.  

I also spent some time weeding - not around the peach tree as first thought, but around the area where I planted sweet potatoes, last year!  When I harvested the sweet potatoes from that vine, back in January, I had left the vine in place.  Later, all the leaves died, but, yesterday, when I was watering the garden, I noticed that there was some new growth near the beginning of the vine (near the original sweet potato top I had planted)!  Maybe, if I am lucky, I might get more new sweet potato vines growing again!  Wouldn't that be nice?

I was out in the garden for one hour and came in at 8:00 p.m. as it was time to make dinner.  I cooked frozen pot stickers (gyoza) because daughter is a bit tired of soup, mashed potatoes, etc., and I figured the pot stickers would be soft enough for her to eat.  It was a meal we both enjoyed!

After dinner, I did the dishes, scrubbed the sink, and then, headed to the bedroom to tidy the file folders and stacks of paper I had left spread out on the bed.  My plan was to stack them back on the desk and work on them, again, tomorrow.

Except... when I went to the bedroom, there was not a single file folder or piece of paper on my bed!  The Organizing Fairy had been and put all the papers and file folders in the desk organizer slots and moved a few other things around, too!  Well now!  What a pleasant surprise!  Such a blessing!  She also helped me to change frames on one picture that I had of my mother and I.

With the file folders off the bed, I was inspired to dust the top of my chest of drawers, launder the knitted blanket that was on the bed, and, change the quilt!  I will wash the quilt that was on the bed, tomorrow, and put it away for awhile.  

I still have to sort through the papers that are in the file folders and find room for the folders in the file cabinet, but, I can do that one folder at a time.  

Still to do in the bedroom - clean the window and window sill, dust and tidy the dressing table top/clean the mirror (dressing table drawers are tidy), go through the closet, and vacuum.

Today, I am grateful for:

- The Organizing Fairy's surprise visit!
- New growth on the old sweet potato vine
- Free "mulch"
- Working appliances
- What I was able to accomplish

Today's joyful activity was being surprised by the Organizing Fairy's visit!  

Thursday's To Do List:
- Continue with the bedroom cleaning and tidying
- Clean the kitchen
- Water the garden (back)
- Load of laundry (quilt)
- Paperwork/filing
- Practice the piano
- Weed

How was your Wednesday?  What are your plans for Thursday?  

20 comments:

  1. I don't think we have organizing fairies on the East Coast. At least, I've never had one visit my house. You are lucky to have one. :)

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    1. Yes, I'm very lucky to have one! :) In fact, I overheard a Zoom meeting during which some people said they'd like to clone her to fill a vacancy they had at their workplace! :D

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  2. It sounds like you've been very productive and how nice to have a visit from the organizing fairy! :)

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  3. Please don't tire your Organising Fairy out as I'd like you to send her over here when she's finished sorting you out 😂

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    1. Oh, I had better not mention the spare room or the garage to her, then! :D I was sort of hoping that she might be like the shoemaker's elves, you know - leave an unfinished project out overnight and wake up to find it all done for you! :D

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  4. Sounds like another day well lived! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you get more sweet potatoes this year! Do you curry them?

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    1. No, I haven't tried curried sweet potatoes. I've baked them, made fries with them, etc. I want to make a sweet potato pie, next!

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  5. Good thinking to save the dripping water for the yard, but I guess when you live in an area prone to drought that is a natural response.
    Isn't it interesting how some of us get far more enjoyment out of found objects than we would out of buying something brand new? I think part of it is knowing that we are doing the planet a good turn as well as having fun repurposing things. That was sweet of your organizing fairy to put the papers away for you!

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    1. I do need to get that dripping tap fixed, but, until then, I will collect the water and use it for my plants. :)

      I love my found objects! I like to rescue, reuse, and recycle. :) I wanted to see if this desk organizer would work for me before I did anything else; I think it will work better than the plastic bins and cardboard boxes I was using, earlier. :)

      It was very sweet of the organizing fairy to do that for me. She did say that she didn't know what my filing method was, but, she put all the medical folders together and all the other stuff in the second slot, etc. I think I have too many file folders/filing categories! I need to simplify my filing!

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  6. I wish I had an organizing fairy! Lucky you! The stock rose is lovely. I tend to prefer older, and simpler, flowers than fancy hybrids, though all roses are pretty! Be sure to watch the tree trimming. I once let utility tree service "trim" a lovely oak, and when I went out to check it, found they had just topped it - cut off the entire top. The tree looked terrible and died within a few years. Now no one trims my trees without me outside watching! Celie

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    1. Everyone should have an organizing fairy! :D I am happy with the root stock roses because they are so hardy and seem to do just fine with the minimum of care!

      Thank you for the warning about the tree trimming! I did stand outside and supervise, but, actually, I would have liked them to have taken more off the top than they did! The notice that was sent did say that the trimmers will cut only the branches that might touch the wire and they weren't going to care about aesthetics. I didn't realize, when I planted this tree, how tall it would grow and that right under the power and phone lines was not a good place for it!

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  7. Sounds like a reallly productive day! I hope that red rose is on your red photography list for the month. It's really beautiful.

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    1. I was very happy with what I was able to accomplish, yesterday. And thank you; I do have a red rose for the red prompt, but, not this particular one!

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  8. Good for you that you catch the water from the dripping faucet to water your plants. We're in a drought where I live so doing things like that really help. I'd like an organizing fairy. Where can I get one of those? Denise

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    1. I, too, live in a very arid area, with droughts being more common than not. I do what I can to conserve water and right now, catching the water from the dripping tap is my best option until I can get someone to fix the leak for me!

      Organizing fairies are a blessing! I hope you are able to find one! :)

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  9. The desk tidy looks great. I could do with an organising fairy here as well. What a lovely surprise for you.
    Also, I used have one of those drips and was relieved when I eventually got it sorted. X

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    1. Thank you, Jules; I hope you, too, get a visit from an organizing fairy, someday. :)

      I need to call neighbor E and see if he can tend to the kitchen tap, after I buy the rubber sealer rings.

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  10. What a nice strong root stock that Dr. Huey is!
    I have a lot of shade and only have one rose, one of the Knock Out roses which are pretty care free. Right up my alley :)

    As I'm reading through your post I felt for sure we were headed in the Dancer was up to mischief in the bedroom among the file folders direction. But no! We were headed in the organizing fairy direction.
    I want one of those too!
    (along with your spiralizer thingy)

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    1. I've heard that Knock Out roses are very care free. I can give you the spiralizer, but, the organizing fairy is pretty special. This weekend, she turned into my nurse/care giver angel!

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