A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Banter Hall Coffeehouse 2302..one lump or two?

Morning, sun is shining and the heat is still upon us...as well as the rain. I so need to cut my grass very soon.

Good morning. My unseasonable cool mornings are back but no complaints from me.

Good morning, everybody!

We had lots of thunder last night but no rain that I know about.

A very busy day for me today, so I'll check back in later.

Hope you all have a good one!



Merme *on the run*

good morning !! we had a T-Storm last night. we had 1 and 6/10 rain I think Rodney said.

and I am off to ceramices here in a few--I wish everyone a good day.

I hope you have a great time at ceramics, Carol. I know that is your special time.
I have done a round around my space and figured out how to spend my cool morning. I moved sprinklers and pulled weeds on my round. Now I am fortifying myself with more coffee before going out to move that stack of wood.

We got your rain Merme..as always
It's noon and my grass is still wet, grabbing a sandwich and going out to cut it anyway...no choice.

Have fun Carol, share some pics of what you have been working on lately

Glad your temps are a bit cooler at times Tina. I have wood to move also, but just can't get it dried out enough..

Hello, anyone home?

I was outside doing yard work all day..now I'm sunburned and tired but glad that it's done. My lawn grew like crazy this past week.

Hi Tamara. I worked outside this morning when it was cool. Now it is warm so I am indoors and hiding from the heat. Heat is relative. It is only 88* out there but that is still too hot for me to actually do much.

My gosh Tina..I don't know how you survive. We've had extremely high heat these past few weeks..and everyone is just 'done in' from it. I could never deal with it constantly....

...Mind you in a few months you'll still hear me complain about the cold and snow

well, we have to deal with it and so we do-----and if you had it all the time you would too.
we will be saying the same thing to you about your weather come this winter. In the winter, we do not have the cold that you have- so tit for tat. The difference is we are all used to something different, right??

I can say I am used to the heat but I do not like it. I will say it has been the most wonderful year, July '09 through today. The mildest temps both cold and hot with a lot of soaking rains in their season. So I am trying not to complain. Our nearly 90* temps today are very, very mild and a good 10 degrees below our norm for the time of year. I am just grateful.

Hi everyone! Had a busy day at work today, state decided to show up early and throw everyone off guard. I'm glad my boss is on vacation while they're here or she'd having me running around doing all kinds of odd little jobs. I'm glad we'll get it done and over with though. We got our grocery shopping done last night and of course I missed a few things. Oh well, I'll stop by tomorrow on my way home from work. My grass (that shouldn't even be there) has grown so much and so high I don't see a way to get a handle on it so I've given up for this year and towards the end of summer I'm putting out cardboard and mulch. Hopefully by next year I'll have a garden again that's overgrown with such terrible weeds. I'm also planning on moving my bulbs and creating an area to have a raised bed for vegetable gardening next year. Tamara, everyone mows their yards wet around here. Most of the time you have to. It's so normal here that whenever I hear someone say they can't mow the lawn because it's wet I kind of laugh to myself.

Hi, Cheryl. I am glad you can handle the state at your work without your boss there. That is awesome.
I always forget something at the store. But usually I am near one on a nearly daily basis when taking Ted to and from school so it is not a bothersome thing so much.

Sheesh, you try to establish some rules about laundry (very reasonable rules I might add) and you might as well be the wicked witch from the west. At least I know they'll get over it quickly enough. They're getting really lazy about getting their laundry and putting it away. It'll be good for them in the long run.

Hi everybody!

It's late but I'm still up.

Reading to try to catch up w/ you all and all your doings! Wow, we are a busy group!!

I miss Maxi. Talking w/ him on the phone isn't the same.

yep I think they'll get over it. At least that has been my experience with my girls.....

Hearing about other households puts my household upsets in perspective.

Maxi and I have always had to function as a team in order to stay together in our own home & not be split up elsewhere. So he has always been invested in helping... with varying degrees of success, of course!

But I've come to expect that of him.

Last week he did something that just plain hurt my feelings. It wasn't any big deal, really, but it indicated to me he wasn't thinking in terms of OUR best good.

So, I took his lap top. Then I stated, "you can get it back as soon as you demonstrate to me that you are aware you are part of this team and aren't just looking out for yourself!"

So, he thought it over, realizing that I wasn't taking "sorry" as a good response. The next thing I knew, he was back to his usual ways of being considerate and helping.

And to be honest, since I've had better/more/consistent help w/ my staffing this past year, his work load has gone down and he is grateful for that.

At his new high school they have him stripping wax off the floors and applying new wax. Well, he's been helping me do that here at home since he was 9, so he just laughed and said it is "fun" to do at school!

Good morning. Although I've got another couple hours until daylight and ability to work outside. I may just lay me back down.

Morning all, another hot day today.

I agree on the 'chores' thing..honestly I didn't make DD do enough here, and I'm sorry for it now. I have a lazy DD to say the least..to her, housework is a disease you mustn't touch. I get so frustrated because I am such a clean freak. Oh and Cheryl..make up a chore list for Aros also, you are so busy, you are going to play yourself out

I need to do some baking but it is just too hot...the bread will have to wait

yep a man's chore list---here we have always had a division of labor.
I sometimes help Rod & he sometimes helps me---but we both have our lists. (all be them mental not on paper)

I have been up since 5:30am. Rod had to go for his interview this morning. he left the house at 6:30. I have been forming raw burgers to freeze getting the items ready to make a peach cobbler. I do that with burger so I have a quick meal all set to go in the freezer if I am running late. Rod loves burgers anyway so he thinks I am treating him when I do that.
MY oldest brought me peaches from down in southern MO on Monday so I need to use them up.

WE had a storm last night it was loud but it only lasted about 90 minutes. MY "puppie" is suddenly afraid of storms so I ended up sitting on the couch with him for all of that time.
This is going to be a LONG day!!!!

Morning Carol..just in for 5. Another busy day here also..

I pre-form my burgers also, I need to get a press but keep forgetting to get one, quicker and more convenient that way. Make me some bread while you are baking It's too hot here.

Good morning. I never (very rarely) bake in the summer. Ask my summer born daughters when they have had a home made birthday cake last.
I woke too early and went back to bed. I slept too late. And too long. I have an oversleeping hangover.

oh, oversleeping like that makes a person so draggy.

In for 5 while I grab lunch..I am so behind in everything this past week.

Well, all the weeding is done and my pitiful garden is hoed up. All the heavy rain and flooding caked the ground hard like a rock.

Hi everybody!

I'm home from dialysis, feeling pretty chipper today. (thank goodness "pretty chipper" didn't get mad at me and step aside! )

Tam, I have had summer days that were too hot for baking also, and I hate when that happens. Typically, I bake (and run the clothes dryer) year round. For us, it just seems a matter of timing.... doing those "hot" chores at night or early in the morning. But even so, there are days it just ain't happening.

I think there was great merit in the old-fashioned way of having ovens in a separate building from the living house. A person could bake all day & not heat up the living space.

Unfortunately, where we live now we can't hang our clothes outside & that is one thing I am looking forward to changing w/ the move. I love windblown clothes!!

About kids & chores...
Besides the fact that the kids are responsible family members & should assist the family in moving forward with all its efforts...

I always think it is too bad when I meet a young adult who doesn't know how to do at least the basics of self care... laundry, simple cooking, washing dishes & cleaning up a bit.

I don't expect young people to be expert at any of it -- but to have at least a degree of competancy in adult living skills.

Shoot, my mom has been gone since 1983 and there are still times I wish I could phone her and ask her how to do somthing! So nobody ever knows it ALL, but still, it is nice to know a kid won't starve to death, wear filthy rags, or spend a lifetime eating on paper plates!

Tam I bet you that your daughter knows tons more on these topics than she is willing to let on to you that she knows! (She couldn't have grown up in your household & be totally clueless)

I am a hungry girl tonight & since Maxi isn't here I don't feel like cooking. So I better go figure out something hot & yummy but very easy to make for dinner.


Merme

You bet she does...she is just lazy to spite me I think. Well that's what DH says

Got a call back today from the clinic..I need to go in this week, apparently 'my numbers are all over the place'..whatever that means...Mind you, the numbers have been rising every time I step on the scale

I hope you can make your numbers behave, Tamara.
I worked outside until it got too hot this morning. Then I went to Home Depot and then a store for some sandwich makings. We are in a sandwich/salad mode around here.

We have bad t-storms w/ quarter-sized hail, dangerous winds & etc., moving across Maine tonight. A Tornado touched down in a nearby town & the tornado warning is in effect for another hour. Our local news has interrrupted broadcasts to keep the storm coverage on the air. It is tough when the broadcast people you watch day in and day out are upset.

If I scoot out of here quickly, it is because the storms have reached the coast. They are traveling pretty quickly in from the west & I can smell the rain but it isn't here yet.

Yes, Tam, it is hoped they have some answers for you!

Cr@p, what hits you usually follows through and over to us as well. Stay safe...they have unconfirmed reports of a weak tornado here last week, hit a 20 minute drive away.

My numbers like to 'play' alot. keeps one busy running to doctors with never a reason or result to be found.

Wowee, watching your storm on the radar Merme, it looks bad.

Are you close to Bangor?..just curious, my old best friend was there all last week, took his family on vacation.

Tam, I sm 3 to 3 1/2 hours south of Bangor.

The storm hit my town 8 minutes before the tornado warning expired. The news kept broadcasting live throughout the danger.

My town has a "sky cam" mounted at the pier which extends over the ocean. The local news likes to show footage from that vantage point... often pretty sunrises, etc. Tonight they kept the sky cam on as the storm approached us & then was overhead, even when the director wanted to cut to a clip of something else. The anchor asked permission to keep broadcasting from the sky cam, and the director allowed it.

I must say, it was tough sitting here watching the whole thing unfolding while experiencing it all around me. It didn't help the creepiness any to hear the anchor repeating "if you are outside or in a car, take shelter NOW!" I put my leg on and ran out and got my neighbor. He was playing outdoors w/ his kids and I didn't think he knew the danger was approaching.

He knew but said "I'm not afraid". I just said "Well, I didn't want you to blow off to Oz with no warning!" He went indoors.

Tam I hope this storm keeps going far, far out to sea & doesn't turn north to you!

About that laundry issue, when I got home from work today Amanda apologized to me for her attitude last night. I told her not to worry about it, we all have our moments. The next thing on my list of things to teach them is cooking. They're not excited about that but it's a necessary skill so they will learn the basics whether they want to or not. Someday they'll thank me. So, all has been resolved, at least for now. We don't have to worry about what time of year we run our clothes dryer because it's in the basement and it stays cool down there no matter what. I wouldn't hang my clothes outside even if I could though, I'm afraid of bird poop getting on everything and having to wash it all over again. Probably not likely, but I'd still worry about it. Haagen-Dazs came out with a new sorbet flavor, cranberry/blueberry. I'm working on lowering my body temperature with it right now. It got to 83 today, which is the warmest day we've had since 2 weeks ago. I decided to try running in it. I think the humidity must have been higher than I'm used to also but it still wasn't very high. My run was awful, I only made it 2.5 miles, had to stop and walk a couple times, and have just been feeling achy, worn out, and headachy ever since. Lesson learned (I hope). At least I was able to get a couple of miles in. And, no chores list for Aros, I wouldn't want him doing anything that kids don't already do because he wouldn't do it right and having to fix it would stress me out more than just doing it myself. I know, I'm OCD. I won't even let the girls put the towels away because I can't stand that it looks like they throw them in the closet. Most thinks I've been able to learn to live with over the years and don't freak out when it's not done "my" way.

Hi Cheryl!

I'm so glad Amanda did the right thing! That is lovely news. You are doing a great job with the children.

Learning to cook can be much fun if you build some excitement or neat feature into each lesson.

When I taught Maxi at a young age how to peel and chop potatoes and cucumbers, his Aunt in Ohio sent him his Very Own Small Knife! He treasures that thing! Over the years he has accumulated his own tools which actually belong to him as well as special gear such as oven mitts and handy things for the grill.

So we started with working with a peeler (he was very young; maybe 5) and now he can make... scrambled or fried eggs, grilled cheese sandwiches, salads, stuff and roast a turkey (whole for Thanksgiving); roast a chicken; he can mash potatoes after I've strained them; bake a simple cake or buckle; bake cookies from a prepared dough; cook long grain rice; prepare couscous, etc. On the grill so far he has made kabobs, cheeseburgers, steaks, kielbasa and pork chops. He also knows a few campfire desserts from going to summer camp.

The only thing he is not allowed to do is carry pots of boiling water!

But he assists me in some way every day in the kitchen... reaching things I can't reach; gathering all the ingredients; mixing things up in the bowl, etc. He prefers if I put things in and take them out of the hot oven but will do it if I truly can not, like with the Thanksgiving Turkey, which I can't lift. He often makes his own lunch.

Not bad for a 14 year old so far. At least I know he won't starve OR exist on take out food!

Oh, I meant to tell you also that I too am a "nut job" when it comes to my towels! I got so fed up years ago with people jumbling them up in the closet into an ugly mess, I started folding the towels in half lengthwise and rolling them up. Now they can only fit on the shelf one way, and the roll is the perfect depth of the shelf. So when you open the closet door, you see all the rolled ends neatly facing you. NOBODY messes up that system!

Oops! And oh yeah, I forgot to say I'm sorry you are aching and fatigued after your run. Did you get accidentally dehydrated running in the heat/humidity you aren't used to? After Maxi gets dehydrated & sorta ill after outdoor activity, I make him drink, take some tylenol & lay down in the cool. He perks back up pretty soon.

I thought about the dehydration thing but I don't think that was it. I drank water all day and during my run. I made sure to keep pushing the water and had some coconut water in case my electrolytes got off balance. My run only lasted a half hour with walk breaks so I wasn't sweating profusely. I think maybe I had a slight bit of heat exhaustion due to trying to exercise in conditions I'm not acclimated to. Some runs are just bad though, makes you appreciate the good ones that much more. I may try to make a rule with myself not to run if it's over 75. When I teach the girls cooking (they know some things already), they will get to choose what they want to make for dinner. I think that will help. Well, I gotta get some sleep, see you later.

Good night, Cheryl.
I cooked from the size I could see over the stove top. I really don't remember not cooking because I was a very tall child. Frying eggs for the family at age 5 and things.
I am heading off to bed myself. Good night all.

Good Morning everyone. Rod went back to his old job today.
that is a relief.--I may well go back to bed here. I really cannot burn the candle at both ends.



As I think I said. my SIL & BIL did htat there were 3 children & the parents. so 5 weekdays & 5 people. The little o ne was like 10-12 when they began the sharing opf supper preparation. and if the days cook made it, no one complained they just ate it.---Chrissy, the littlest one, often made peanut butter & jelly with raw veggies on the side----but as small as she was, that was a good thing.

Everything will work out---and it will be fine. In the mean time we are all hee to give you ideas & to help you thru this adjustment time.

Cheryl: I just remembered: My girls would not do things right on purpose at times so that I would just do it myself. So be watchful.--
I know with small children one is not supposzed to re-do thier "chores" as they are trying their best & it is not good for thier selfesteem. I guess you just keep giving advice as to how to do whatever it is properly.

Congratulations Carol and to Rod also I am so happy for you all..and I missed your visit this a.m. I have been waking up headachey the past few days so I have been waiting a bit before staring at the computer screen.

I never had chores at my house growing up as a child(good gosh my father spoiled me rotten)...but I did chores everywhere else(I visited a lot with grandparent and elderly relatives)I remember when I was 8 or 9 I couldn't wait til Wednesday to go to the elderly ladies house up the road(I called her Nanny also )so I could do all her laundry on her wringer washer..no wonder that lady loved me.

So I blame my OCD on all the elderly ladies..

Pouring rain today..oh well, all the yard work and weeding was finished yesterday so it's great timing. I need to make bread and buns at some point today...