Puppy Gal Welcomes You To
Judy's Journal....
I started this feature for friends and family to answer their
"What's going on?" emails, therefore, I probably tell too much, but you are
welcome to laugh, cry and sigh with us. "Life is too short to deal with ugly acting people!"
OK so I ran away ... just teasing
I've been on R & R (Rest & Relaxation)this month. I needed a break so I ran away from the
computer, content if there was an emergency, I would be left a voice mail on my answering
machine. At first I tried to check emails and post every couple of days, but when I realized
that was just additional frustration, I stopped checking emails and only answered the telephone
if I knew the person calling.I'm only popping back in to give an update, since I've had a few people to call wanting to know if I was alive. lol lol I will not be back on the computer until the first of December, but if you have an urgent matter, please call and leave a message at (731) 376-0635.
Let me leave you with this ...
A woman I know has for years talked bad about her husband, the unbeliever, all the while spouting God's Love, praying for others and telling them how much God cared for them. She even asked for prayers that she be delivered from her horrible life. The husband became sick and I'm sure her praying friends didn't know if they were suppose to pray for a speedy passing or that he get well. He died, she is beside herself, he has now become the "love of her life" and she can't go on without him.
Often we focus on the things that go wrong or what we don't have, versus cherishing the positive aspects of our lives. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and family, truly it is a time to count our Blessings for we have many. - Judy
Saturday - 11/04/06 10:30 AM
You can say these again..................
If you ever see a turtle on a telephone pole, remember he had help getting there.
If you're not the lead dog, the scenery never changes.
God whispers in your soul and speaks to your heart. Sometimes when you don't listen he has to throw a brick. Its your choice: Listen to the whisper, or wait for the brick.
A friend's eye is a good mirror.
What's in your heart comes out of your mouth.
Friday - 11/03/06 9:00 AM
Mercy, after posting the below last night, I remembered all the plants around the goldfish pool, 8 large pots, so back out we went. Finally, we fell into bed around 1 AM too exhausted to even think.
It definitely did freeze, there was a think layer of ice on the back porch critter water bowl when I looked out earlier this morning. Bob has to go to Bolivar, TN on business today and I believe I'll have to go with him so I can walk Wal-Mart, in an attempt to walk off this backache I have from doing all the heavy lifting, etc. Actually any flat walking surface will do, but Wal-Mart has interesting things to look at while I'm walking and it's warm.
Have a good day and keep warm!! - Judy
Thursday - 11/02/06 11:30 PM
Scooting right in before the big FREEZE, we've put the plants to bed, at least for tonight. I have several groups which I covered with blankets, sheets and/or comforters. We absolutely can't walk in the house for the plants but I'll get them sorted out tomorrow, maybe I can take some to a friend in Tupelo,MS.
Fluffy the Spitz who wants to be Queen, refuses to sleep with the boys, strays that came to stay Boomer & Dumpy, in the kiddy pool I've fixed up for them on the back porch. If they get out she gets in and will not allow them to enter. She who must be obeyed, insists that she be allowed the comfort of being alone. I bet her skinny behind will get cold tonight and she will welcome the comfort.
We're off to bed!!!
Judy & Big Daddy (Bob)
Thursday - 11/02/06 9:30 AM
I couldn't help but post what I've done now, it was fun and interesting.....
Years ago my father showed me a small yellow fruit that looked like a wild lemon, but
growing in our area?? Sunday we were headed to Corinth, MS to get mulch and I happened to see
a bush with orange balls under it. You know already that I made poor Bob stop and I snatched up a few
of them off the ground. The bush had mega thorns, another Citrus trait.I forgot all about them until last night. I got them out of the van, Bob cut one that was about the size of a silver dollar open and I started my computer search to see what it was. It was a long search but finally I backed into a USDA site which mentioned native citrus being cold hardy, bingo!!! So there was such a plant, but still my searches didn't get me any closer. Finally I found it Trifoliate Orange (Poncirus trifoliata). Then I was able to do a proper search and found several articles
Trifoliate Orange (Poncirus trifoliata). or Chinese Bitter Orange http://www.answers.com/topic/trifoliate-orange-1
There was also a website telling how it was used in Chinese Herbal Medicine http://tcm.health-info.org/Herbology.Materia.Medica/zhishi-properties.htm
Most all the articles said something similar to; not edible. But the first link listed above said "they are very bitter, not edible fresh they were made into marmalade". I concluded they must not be edible because they are so bitter or sour.
Yes I did I tasted it, it was like an extremely diluted lemon. I guarantee lemons and limes are much more bitter and/or sour. The only problem is they are almost totally filled with seeds so it would be too much work to make marmalade. They are suppose to contain a bitter oil, but my little taste test didn't sense this.
Tomorrow morning at 3:00 AM it is supposed to drop to 32F and then down to 30F for about 4 hours, my Angel's Trumpets (bugs) will die, so I'm off to do some serious plant moving. It dropped to 32 around 6AM so Bob rushed out and turned on the sprinklers, the well water is 60F. - Judy
Wednesday - 11/01/06 6:30 AM
I'm down to 85 emails left to read. I did the easy stuff first, deleted all the spam that got through to my current computer, hopefully I won't have to deal with spam once my new computer is up and running. Deleted all the "Forwarded" emails, because they could contain another virus. Then I started reading those from "unknown people" most I put in a 'Did not respond' file because they did not warrant a response. How I determine that is I ask myself would I send this email and if the answer is "no" away it goes. If a person is asking a question which is answered on the first page of my website, away it went.
Tuesday - 10/31/06 7:30 AM
First it was spider mites, then broad mites and now its Lady Beetles or Lady Bugs.
We have an infestation, they are everywhere, in the yard and in the house. They land on us
outside and a few have found their way to the upstairs bedroom. These are orange colored
Lady Bugs and I read on a Brugmansia forum posting that they are a plant eating pest,
well maybe or maybe not, it depends on the number of dots.These are the orange colored plant eating Lady Beetles:
Mexican bean beetle - 8 black dots on each wing cover
Squash beetle - 7 dots on each wing cover
Beneficial Lady Bugs can be white, yellow, pink, orange, red or black, and usually have spots. They are the natural enemies of many insect pests. A single lady beetle can consume as many as 5,000 aphids in its lifetime, so we sure don't want to whack them. The above information was from this webpage http://www.uky.edu/Ag/Entomology/entfacts/fldcrops/ef105.htm
It's difficult (at least for me) to count the dots, so in the future I'm determined to leave them to their eating of insects unless I see leaf damage as shown on the web page referenced above.
Whack or not to whack it's an important decision.
Tuesday - 10/31/06 6:00 AM
Oh My, I have 143 emails waiting to be read and I'll get the right attitude in a few days to review them. I'm still in my "healing mode" and am trying to stay away from frustration, stress and problems. I'm determined to let people go on down the line of English Bulldog websites asking questions which are answered on the front page of the website, being disagreeable (food choices, neutering, my placement criteria, etc.) or asking me to make their decisions for them.
We have wonderful Fall weather and the trees are turning colors, such a lovely time of the year. We're working hard to winterize for the dogs, plants and ourselves. We don't expect any "Trick or Treaters" since we are well off the beaten path and all the little fellas in the surrounding area are usually taken into town by their parents where walking is easier and homes are closer together.
Enjoy each and every day - Judy
Monday - 10/30/06 6:00 AM
I expect things will be back to normal within 60 days. We made the decision to breed Petunia to Jazzman. If the breeding was successful, last time it was not, then the puppies should arrive Christmas Eve. I've had a 4 month vacation but healthwise I've only improved a little. It takes a long time for our bodies and minds to become totally depleted therefore a long time to recover. In my situation it is estimated to be 6 months and I surely hope that is correct timing.
Our life became totally "English Bulldogs" which is unhealthy, so we reached out to our
other interest in life, gardening for some balance. We've been trying to "get out in the
world" more and interact with people from all levels of society. I was to the point of not
even wanting to think about or talk about English Bulldogs, because my good nature had
allowed me to be abused by strangers calling at all hours of the day or night, also in my
attempt to be totally ethical I faithfully answered all emails. It was so overwhelming.
When I went on "vacation" I removed my message from the answering machine, now there is
the preprogrammed male voice answering, and I stopped even answering the phone if I didn't
know the caller, because when I did answer, it was obvious the caller hadn't taken the
time to read my website, just accessed it looking for a telephone number and called ... I'm
looking for a puppy, or when you will have another litter, or how much do you charge for
stud service. It clearly states on the front page of the website that we don't have any
puppies, don't know when we will have another litter and don't provide stud service.
A long time ago, a breeder said to me, you have to be hard to be a breeder Judy, I don't think that is what you want to be. I couldn't imagine what on earth she meant by that, I now know. There are hard decisions that have to be made in regard to puppies that are not "strong", do we do everything we can to insure they have a chance to develop and live as long as they can which take so much emotional energy ... Jelly Roll the cleft palate puppy who is physically pitiful but now roams the yard being weird, Jeb laying flat on the floor pulling himself around by his front paws due to an injury at his new home, whom Bob taught to walk again and in the process turned out to be the "love of our life", there was Little Noel who had a cyst that caused her eye to erupt plus the right side of her body to be deformed and then there was Peanut who was so tiny I thought for sure he would die. These are not examples of a defective bloodline but examples of "things that happen" for which we have no control ... well yes we do, we could drown them in a bucket of water.
So now I know what she meant, it's the weak puppies who take so much plus the desire to treat everyone the way we want to be treated that depletes our heart and soul. It's been a hard lesson to learn ... we can't drown weak puppies in a bucket of water, or take them to the vet to be "put down", but I've learned to tell stupid or weird people to "get off my phone", actually I try to be polite, but if necessary I can be that blunt. - Judy
Sunday - 10/29/06 7:00 AM
Gardner's Grocery in Corinth, MS has the following specials this week.
Pork loin whole or half $1.49 lb
We had a half sliced for breakfast chops, that way we can pan sear/fry them or deep fry them in a batter for lunch or dinner
Potatoes Red or Russet 10 lbs $2.98
That's lots of potatoes for 2 people but..... great for veggie soup, home fries, potato soup
Sweet Potatoes 10 lbs $3.99
They'll keep for awhile
Eggs - Jumbo $.79 dozen
Crustless quiche, deviled eggs and potato salad, yummy
Yellow Onions 3 lb bag $.99 A must for the quiche and potato salad
You now know what we'll be eating this week. - Judy
Saturday - 10/28/06 8:30 AM
Yesterday we went to another "Gathering of Garden Friends". (I'm the one in the white t-shirt.)
We met at the Wolf River Cafe in
Rossville, TN at 1 PM, ate lunch, traded plants and then went on the Wolf River Nature Walk
which is a boardwalk built through the swamp. We had a very good time; laughing and talking
plants. I told one friend that she was a much better gardener than me, to which she replied
"I've just killed more". lol lol Normally when I go to these Gatherings, I give plants away and refuse to bring home many if any, but this time our van was loaded down, I still don't know how that happened. The swamp was very pretty but by the time we were there the card on our digital camera was full so we only got this one picture.
Borrowed a couple from one of the ladies
Thursday - 10/26/06 7:30 AM
Bob has been loading software onto my new computer, I finally had to admit I needed a new one if I were going to maintain all the information that I do. If a person has sent me an email on any subject since 1999, I have a copy of it on my computer, with the exception of some that were just too "simple" to keep such as "tell me what Bulldogs are like". Since I get an average of 30 per day, that's a heavy load. I also have tons of pictures, website files, etc. I've gotten two computer virus recently, therefore the decision to upgrade my operating system to be compatible with the newer anti-virus software. BUT I agreed only if Bob would put my old computer on an in-house network so that I could access info from it. I know, I'm so very weird about my computer.
Yesterday I sent off two boxes of Angel's Trumpet cuttings to ladies who had recently had operations, one to remove a skin cancer tumor from the top of her head and the other had knee surgery with a bone biopsy. Bless their hearts, I hope my box of goodies makes them feel better.
I'm off to work on bringing in the plants for the winter, maybe we'll all get a few months of rest. - Judy (time is now 9:45)
October 22,2006 - Sunday- Tupelo MS Gathering Of Friends, Lunch & Plant Swap
When we left our house the temperature was nice, but 23 miles down the road in Corinth, MS the wind was kicking up and there was a definite chill in the air. It warmed up as we pulled into Tupelo, an hour late. One of our friends said form now on everyone was going to tell me a starting time of a hour prior to the actual so I would be on time, that's twice I've been late meeting them, but at least this time they had been warned.
Lunch was a the Bonanza Steakhouse and was very good. Bob wore a short sleeve shirt and
was comfortable until we were finished with lunch and drove to the Trace Headquarters
park. The wind was blowing and it was really chilly. It didn't take long before he was in the
van. Our thanks to Joe for providing the gourds, lemon grass and vanilla orchid to share.
I've only posted pictures of myself since friends might not like having their picture on
the internet. We took 60 pup tents which we donated to the Boy Scouts, Angel's Trumpet cuttings,
samples of products from a hydroponics store for rooting cuttings, old cauldron dippers to trade
and 2 very old chairs which went to a friend who's husband is a woodworker, extremely talented.
October 21,2006 - Saturday - SunCity Hydroponics www.suncityhydroponics.com
The Nashville area has 4-5, but from Nashville to Little Rock there is only one, which we visited Saturday. It's located in Bartlett, TN area, just outside Memphis City Limits.
Ordering hydroponic supplies online or eBay is really expensive due to shipping charges.
For instance I wanted Dip n Grow, found it online for around $8 but the shipping was
another $8. Pens to write on labels were $3-5 and the shipping was $8, because all the
supply places are using UPS or USPS priority so they have confirmation. When I called the store, they had 3-50 lb bags of the clay balls and 1-10 liter size bag. When I got there they were completely sold out and the lady was upset because we had driven 1 1/2 hours to get them, BUT it was my fault because I didn't think to call her and ask that she save a 50 lb bag for me. My plan was to buy the bag and share them at the Tupelo MS & Rosseville, TN Gathering Of Friends.
The shop had bubbler and misting systems on display complete with growing plants, etc. It
is owned by a young couple who were very nice. They have been there since May. Now you
know I had to tell them all about my Angel's Trumpets (Brugmansias)and our English Bulldogs.
Since we had driven so far they offered me the only clay balls they had in the store. They were used by them in their display, but for free I didn't care. The told me how to sterilize them, etc. I told them I was going to share them at the Gatherings. So they give me a bag of small rockwool cubes to share with those growing brug cuttings to see how they worked for us.
We purchased several things that I had wanted but didn't feel justified in buying because
of the shipping cost involved, but there are many more things I want to try. So we will
definitely be making another trip. We got drip watering system, rockwool slabs, coir bricks
and a growing mixture of coir & peat. They opened a bag and let me feel it, and I think it
will be wonderful for growing cuttings once they develop roots. Now the really stupid
thing I did was not buy Pro-Mix, it never registered on me that it was THE Pro-Mix until I
was editing the pictures Bob took.
I'm tired now and if I get to the Tupelo Gathering with everything I have promised it will
be a miracle.
Wednesday - 10/25/06 1:00 PM
Gracious, I need to catch you all up on everything we've been doing, but I must get my plants ready for winter, also. Not enough time to do it all. It's gotten cold here and a low of 29F was predicted for Tuesday night. Fortunately, it didn't get below freezing until 8 AM. I was prepared for the possibility and flipped on the sprinklers, since the well water is 60F it warmed them up very well and there was no damage. Whew!!! Last night was another one to watch and we were ready to take the same action, but it wasn't necessary. It was 40F at 7 AM which was forecasted to be the low for the day. Now according to the forecasters we are in for 7 days of cool weather but no freezing temperatures. Many of my Angel's Trumpets have buds and small seed pods, so I want to stretch out having to cut them down to winter-over. They are tropical therefore will die outside, however I am going to leave the root balls of 15 of them in the ground and see if they survive. We're mulching well and turning a big pot down on them in hopes of keeping the ground around the roots from freezing. It all depends upon how mild our winter is.
I'll be back later to insert some pictures that I'm about to go outside to take. - Judy
Tuesday - 10/24/06 11:30 AM
Killing Flying Insects. This is strange but ....
During the summer I was soaking soiled "dog” bedding in a plastic container of soapy water (Tide liquid clothes detergent and bleach) out in the yard. I moved the bedding into the washing machine, but couldn't dump the water so I left the task for Bob. I forgot to ask him until the next morning. When we went out there the water was full of dead flying insects: moths, green flies, house flies, green Japanese beetles and other flying insects which had settled to the bottom of the tub. I thought they were after the poop, so kept the info to myself. Telling the world to mix up poop water just isn't polite, but smelly fish bait might be just affective.
Recently I mixed up another batch of soapy (ivory dish washing) water to kill aphids on some cuttings I had taken. I tossed the cuttings into the soapy water for the day. Planning on taking more cuttings, I left the water when I removed the cuttings. The next morning all sorts of dead flying insects were in the water.
I don't know how many were beneficial insects this might have killed but I'm planning on trying this non-pesticide method of killing flying insects next summer if I start to have a problem with them eating my plants. Buckets of soapy water and other buckets which have a "smell" placed amongst the plants to see which bucket catches the most insects.
Just thought I would mention it here so you could try it if you wanted.- Judy
PS If you want to go after them one at a time and don't have any flying insect spray, grab a spray bottle of 409, kills them every time. Which should warn us not to inhale while we are spraying it on a surface to be cleaned.
Saturday - 10/21/06 7:30 AM
Bob and I had to go to Corinth, MS yesterday to get supplies which included a salt block for the deer. I want to put it where they normally eat in the front yard, hopeful that they will spend more time close to the house since hunting season is about to open. I sure hope they escape the hunters, but we must be prepared to accept whatever happens to them.
A friend was on vacation this week so he met us at the New China Buffet for lunch. Bob took
the picture of Joe and I looking at the plants he brought me in the trunk of his car. I asked Bob
to describe our luncheon for you: Two plates of Sushi plus honey chicken, pepper chicken, dumplings, crab Rangoon, mushrooms, mmmmm AND desert plate of peach cobbler and French vanilla ice cream. The California rolls were delicious (the horse radish was powerful!!!). The eel was crunchy and the caviar scant. Conversation was lively and fun. We talked about Green House plans, work shops, building houses, remodeling houses, moving and never unpacking. And penchants and proclivities galore... Thank you very much, Joe. The greenhouse plans and information are much appreciated! Judy said thanks for the Vanilla orchid and the lemon grass!! and the gourds. We had fun.
If you know me or have been reading my journal for any time, you KNOW I didn't eat what Bob and Joe did. lol lol I had boiled shrimp, stir fried noodles and other such fare. After lunch, Bob and I complete the remainder of our shopping and arrived home around 5:30, exhausted. He started walking "our gang" while I made contact with our friend who had the knee surgery. She's in severe pain but is hopeful that this surgery, the 3rd one, will resolve the situation. Meanwhile 4 of the children are staying with her. I don't know how in the world she is able to cope with such a heavy load. I'm sending her a box of Angel's Trumpet cuttings today, because I know they will make her smile.
Take care of yourself and those you love this weekend. - Judy
Friday - 10/20/06 6:00 AM
This website belongs to a dedicated non-profit group which travels the world teaching people how to improve their methods of growing food. They use donations to assist in the purchasing of minerals, seedbed, village greenhouses, etc. If you care about our world this is a must see website. There is free information for the home gardener and free greenhouse plans.
As you know, this has been a year of great personal loss: friend due to cancer, Sassy T a
Bully who owned part of my heart, father who left mega unfinished business and then two
more of our beloved Bullies. When life seems to be slapping us around, I believe it is up
to us to search and take what happiness we can find. I'm a junk, antique person, so when sorrow is too heavy of a burden to carry, Bob goes with me to yard sales, thrift stores, flea markets, etc., to bring a smile to my face and heart.
Thursday - 10/19/06 10:30 AM
Good Morning All!! Bob & I are just trying to take time to smell the flowers, which isn't much due to the constant demand our "our gang" but we take great pleasure from all their antics and show of affection. Another source of pleasure are the flowers. I believe Bob is about to become a true gardener, up until now he has been content to enjoy the fruits of my labor. A few days ago he decided to try rooting roses, what a challenge. (All I wanted him to do was to dig me some more holes.) I can just see me knocking on doors asking people if I can have cuttings of old roses.
Jamica Yellow, Angel's Trumpet, started booming, she likes cooler weather
This is Bob's contribution to today's entry.....This has been a wonderful year...
The brugs have had their blooms trumpeting their beauty...
The elephant ears have shown their might.
The hibiscus have displayed their multiple colors and bloomed in spite of drought.
The roses have blossomed with tenacity and color and unsurpassed loveliness...
and nows the oaks standing tall, with age old wisdom say,
"It's time to go to bed."
It's time for a big pot of veggie soup with cornbread or chicken seafood gumbo with crispy French bread. Be well and find happiness in all things. - Judy
Wednesday - 10/18/06 5:00 PM
Happy Fall Y'all!
This crazy woman has been up and going since 4:30 AM, terribly excited about an Angel's Trumpet
(Brugmansia) bloom opening. Only a few Brugs are self-pollinating, all others must be pollinated
by hand or by Mother Nature's pollinators; flying insects such as bees and moths. Each of the seed
from the plants thus pollinated produces a unique plant therefore the results could be something
very exciting, new plant which could be registered or just a white, which many of them are. A friend sent me seeds which I planted in March, 2005. Yesterday, the first bud unfurled, going from a yellow/green bud through to the final picture I'm posting here today. We didn't get any sleep last night because I kept going outside to take pictures of her color changing.
She just takes my breath away and it has been a great experience growing her from seed. - Judy
Tuesday - 10/17/06 6:00 AM
Some of you will remember a couple of years ago, at Christmas Bob & I opted to gave to a lady in OK supplies which she needed to return to her home after a major operation, knee replacement. What we did was to take the amount of money we would spend on gifts to each other and gave it to her in the form of electric blanket, electric space heater, etc. She has severe health issues plus life has not been kind. The knee replacement did not go well and since she has had an additional replacement operation which did not give her relief. She is scheduled for an exploratory knee operation on 10/18. When I sent her an email asking if the operation was "on", she responded with yes and added her daughter's house burned down yesterday so the family of 7 were on their way to stay with her. I believe her home only has 2 bedrooms. Please pray for this family and the situation. I don't ask questions as a general rule, so this is all I know. - Judy
Monday - 10/16/06 8:00 PM
I must be feeling better because I've started once again unpacking all these boxes I have piled up everywhere. I've gotten out one of the pot hangers, decided where I wanted it and got Bob to put it up for me, it's a half-circle domed type. I would take a picture of it but the pots I hung on it have caked on crud and I don't want to scrub them up just yet, that can wait until I can walk through the house. lol lol
I lucked up on some cushions on sale at Wal-Mart for $4 each that fit an old iron patio set I have. I love it so we've got plans to redo the porches, to prevent the outside dogs from being able to get to at least the part of the porch were the furniture will be.
Gracious I started this entry at 5:30 PM got distracted by the dogs and just got back to it. I hope you have a good night and a pleasant day tomorrow. - Judy
Sunday - 10/15/06 Noon We were fortunate that the frost that was predicted for our area on Friday didn't materialize here. Now we're supposed to have a few days of higher temperatures. I must get busy making plans for wintering over my plants.
After I told Bob that on this date last year it dipped to 27F without warning, he went out to get the electric cart ready to move the most expensive Angel's Trumpets into the covered dog runs to insure they would survive if the same happened tonight. He assured me all that I needed to do was point to the plants that needed to be moved.
I went out ready to get busy, only to find Jeb and Bob playing with the cart. Jeb loves to ride in it and Bob was more than willing to accommodate. Up and down the drive and all around. I told him to be still for just a minute while I went and got the camera. He said while I was gone Jeb kept turning around and looking at him as if to say, "I'm ready, why aren't we going?".
Friday - 10/13/06 5:30 PM Inserted pictures in the below posting.
Friday - 10/13/06 1:00 PM
My plants made it though the night with our low of 34F and hopefully I can squeak by tonight which is suppose to be a low of 36F. After that we have several days of really nice weather forecasted.
Life stressed me out earlier in the year and has just kept beating up on me, but today I feel better so I was going to tackle unloading some of the stupid boxes I still have stacked up from the move the end of April and first of May.
I got super excited with the cook books and asked Bob to put up a shelf for me. It was already built so the only requirement was driving 2 nails. Soon I had overloaded it and one of the nails bent and pulled out of the wall. Fortunately that end of the shelving landed on the Mr Coffee and stayed there until I could get Bob to help me. BIG nails this time but not 10 penny ones. We were discussing how many it would hold and he said it was
about to it's limit. I got involved with one of the dogs, then I came back to the project
forgot all about what he said, and did it again. Oh My!!! I propped it up with books and
ran to get Bob because I couldn't take the books down without the whole thing tumbling
onto the counter. My enthusiasm for the project is no longer there, but boy do I have a
mess to clean up. Meanwhile Bob fixed it so I could climb on it if I was so inclined. lol
lol He said it was the way he should have done it the first time. I think he wanted to
add, because he knows me so well, but he didn't say a word.
I'm sure this had nothing to do with the fact that today is Friday, the 13th - Judy
Thursday - 10/12/06 Noon
Good Day!!!
I refuse to bring in all my plants for this cold snap, so I'll cover them with sheets and hope for the best. I'm at the point now where I've getting away from the tropicals which have to have so much care and turning toward more hardy plants. There are some beautiful Hardy Hibiscus which have been developed over the last few years which have the colors and flavor of the Tropicals but can survive cold winters.
I just fixed 2 pies, the craziest mixture ever. Bob likes Mincemeat Pie, but they are really strong flavored so I add "stuff" to the jar of Mincemeat. This morning I added, a hand full of dried cherries & white raisins, a can of whole berry Cranberry sauce, a can of fried apples and 1/4 of a cup of sugar. He tasted before it went in the oven and pronounced it wonderful. I used store bought crusts, but I'm to hyper too wait for them to thaw, so I simply punch holes in the top crust with a fork and invert it over the bottom crust with the filling. It will thaw & fall however it wants. A few minutes before they are done I'll take off the "tin" to insure the top crust is golden brown. For one pie I cook it in a 425 oven for 60 minutes, I'm also trying the same for the two pies and will then cook longer if necessary.
By now many of you know when I'm stressed, I cook and today is not different, but we're better. Have a wonderful day and give your "baby", human or animal, an extra hug today from me. - Judy
Tuesday - 10/10/06 Noon
I've run from this all morning. I've been thinking about over-wintering the plants, trying to think positive thoughts, cooking a big pot of soup for lunch, etc, but now it's time to let you know.
Butterscotch died peacefully in her sleep last night. We felt it was coming because she has eaten very little the past few days and that only because Bob hand fed her, she wanted to please. Bob and I are weepy. He feels the same way I do and isn't afraid to show it which is one reason we have such a deep love for one another.
These are hard times for us, watching our "babies" die of old age. It's also a painful reminder of our own future, I'll be 60 on 11/29/2006 and Bob became 69 on his last birthday. Forgive me for not following up on e-mails or being sociable, there will be time for that when the hurtin's not so strong. - Judy
Tuesday - 10/10/06 8:00 AM
My early morning thought .....
The key to living a good life is to be able to recognize our needs, not wants,
but needs, as in "I needs more plants". lol Immediately, a friend and the vision of her van load of plants came to mind!!! Sure made me smile and how good it is to wake up smiling!!! I'll have to send her an email to let her know she was responsible for the start of a good morning.
Hopefully, I'll post more later, the software program I use to create this page is acting up this morning so I'm going to reboot my computer. Oh before I go, we've been watching the deer eat in the front yard morning and evening for several days now, they make us smile. - Judy
Sunday - 10/08/06 6:00 PM
I've been doing some interesting research for a new article (web page)and in the process ordered a new supplement to give to the Bullies. I started out thinking about testing it on my plants then decided to test it on me. lol lol If the results are positive I'll tell you all about it, but if they aren't I'm not going to tell because I don't want you laughing at me. I'll laugh at myself.
I was shocked to see one of my Angel's Trumpets had totally wilted, which could mean all the blooms and leaves will fall off. I grabbed the water hose to spray it down, which turned out to be a big mistake because Jeb was outside with me. He went flying into the plant to catch the water. Fortunately I have quick reflexes and immediately pointed it in another direction. The plant was lucky that he kind of bounced on it and the limbs of this particular one withstood the action. Jeb has a "thing" about water coming from a hose. He doesn't aggressively attack it, rather just has to try to catch it (no growling or anything like that), like a little kid trying to catch a motorized car, speaking of which we got him one but took the batteries out because he would accidently hit the switch and away they would go, knocking over whatever was their path. lol lol
I have 50 or so emails waiting for a response, I've just been kinda avoiding them since Abbey past away and just today downloaded them to my computer. Hopefully tomorrow I'm knock them all out in one sitting.
The best way to punish those who have been bad to you, is to be happy. - Judy
Saturday - 10/07/06 6:00 PM
Late yesterday afternoon we had an early dinner at an Italian restaurant. The drive was a little long but
the atmosphere was great. The glass of grape juice they served instead of wine was refreshing, the bread sticks
cooked in their stone oven and served with marinara sauce was delicious, the salad wasn't
special just a few goodies added to bagged salad cut too big to be easily eaten, Bob's lasagna was divine, the
fresh baked roll served with it was the best but my large supreme pizza was just barely worth taking home.
We had planned to have leftovers but I didn't even finish the first piece. I thought for sure the Bullies were
going to have pizza when we got home. The strays that came to stay come a runnin' when we pull up the driveway.
They expect any and all left overs. But, Bob figured he'd "fix up" the pizza for Saturday night supper.
Poor Dumpy! He trotted away when he didn't get any.
So, tonight Bob doctored up the pizza with my homemade pasta sauce and mozzarella
cheese and put it in a hot oven to melt the cheese and soften the crust and let the gooey good toppings
blend together. It was the best pizza I've eaten in a very long time! The stone oven cooked crust can't be beat.
I told Bob I sure wish the restaurant would start cooking up bread and pizza crusts to sell on the side...All the bullies have put on a couple of extra pounds this summer. Well, it was just too hot to run around... Sweetie Pie is so fat she waddles! The four "puppies" are growing so fast (and are a little chubby, too...) Strawberry Pie and Rhubarb Pie (female and male), from Sweetie Pie's last litter, are developing into beautiful bulldogs! Especially Rhu! He is very muscular and smart, too! Lucille and Georgia, from Delta's last litter, are perfect miniature English bulldogs with fabulous markings... Lucille is fawn like her daddy, the Jazzman, while Georgia has the same bronze color that her mother has. They play hard and then they crash and sleep so hard that they don't hear a sound until dinner time. If you remind me, I'll take some pictures tomorrow...
Thursday - 10/05/06 9:00 PM
This has been an exciting day. We've had company...
First there was a very pregnant lady with her neighbor's children, looking for her lost
dog. I hadn't seen her dog, but at least I could listen to her as she explained she was
emotional because she was expecting therefore the missing dog was too
upsetting for her. We walked around the garden, she sniffed the Angel's Trumpets and we
talked about our beloved pets, favorite restaurants and life in general. I think she was
in a better frame of mind when she left but I had brunch cooking and it was a good thing
Bob went into the house and saw it burning. 
We like our deer, they hang around the house area in the woods almost like dogs and in the winter when it gets real cold I feed them and all the other wild critters
"feed bread" from the bakery outlet store.
The mother brought this baby out for us to see a few days after it was born. Whenever Bob starts calling them, it's his nature to try to tame everything, I have to remind him that he will get them killed if they become too friendly.
These 3 were in the front yard, about 20 feet from the porch, eating acorns when Bob took
these pictures. I think we have so much for them to eat that they don't need my plants as food. Often we spray the covered dog runs with water to cool them down during the
day and the runoff waters the grass beside and behind it. This is normally where they
graze. Then our wooded area is mostly Oak so they feed off of the acorns. Normally we'll
have turkey in the front yard area about this time also, they must eat acorns too. I'll
try to remember to get pictures of them.
Big Sigh, we must take time to smell the roses, watch the deer and play with the Bullies. - Judy
Wednesday - 10/04/06 6:30 AM
An important training lesson for new English Bulldog owners....
Noel comes charging at me like a bull but either stops just short of me or dodges around me at the last minute. What she really wants to do is butt me with her chest like she does some of the other Bullies but she knows I get grumpy in a hurry when she does that. I know the question in your mind is why does she do that to me... I made the mistake once of squealing out when she came at me like that and she loved it. Why did I do it, because I had a hot cast iron skillet of cornbread in my hands. She was so proud that she could make me squeal.
.... so be careful when they are young and don't inadvertently teach them bad manners.
Here are 11 Angel's Trumpets plants in bloom right now, here are pictures of a few of the more interesting ones.
Click Here For More Pictures Judy's Garden 2006!!
I hope you enjoyed the pictures. We love the Angel's Trumpets but are definitely about to downsize the number since in the drought and extreme heat we've had this summer they surely were a lot of hard work. Now I'm off to cook breakfast while Bob takes care of "our gang". - Judy
Tuesday - 10/03/06 7:00 AM
Tell it one more time, Judy .... The Bully Butt Wiggle is back.
Click For Music
Jeb, The English Bulldog And A Bullfrog September 2003
A Bullfrog has taken up residency in or around the Goldfish Pond.
His 24x7 croaking sounds like a string being held, then plucked on a guitar, and it's loud!!
When I let Jeb out to potty this morning he heard this unusual sound and ran to investigate.
I swear he can move fast when he deems "it is necessary". LOL
After several minutes of
scampering around looking, the "strays" took pity on him and showed him the frog by
running to it and barking. It was in the grass about 2 feet out from the pond, not moving
regardless of how much noise they made. I have never touched a big frog or even been that close to
one, but some frogs can
be poisonous to dogs, so I was determined to get it away from Jeb, the strays had more
sense than to actually touch it. I tried to hold Jeb back with one hand and pick up the
frog with the other, but I couldn't. Finally, I gave Jeb a little push and grabbed the
frog with both hand (nasty, nasty, ugly, ugly!!!) That dang frog was so big it was all I
could do to hold him with two hands (I have tiny hands - size 4 wedding ring), but I got
it to the pond and tossed it in .... you've already guess I'm sure, that my next struggle
was to keep Jeb from jumping into the pond after it!!!
From sundown until 9 AM or so the scent outside is heavenly with all the Angel's Trumpets (Brugmansia) in bloom!! We went out last night to take pictures and inhale deeply, but a Hummingbird Hawk Moth and I startled each other, then he got very aggressive. Their shape and manner reminds me of a GIANT angry Bumblebee The first encounter with one I just moved on to other brugs, but then I almost stuck my nose up a flower while another one was inside it. Fortunately, I felt the vibration of the bloom as I tilted it to my face. We looked around and saw many moths charging the blooms.
That sent me straight into the house and Bob followed. lol lol I had to search the Internet to see
just exactly what they were and yes they are also called Bumblebee Hawk Moth.
Photo by Ferdinand Ostrop. Of course it was dark and when I tried to take their
picture, the flash ticked them off and they came after me, but I do think the ones here are less
colorful.
Today I leave you with my wake up thought ... No matter how tough we feel our life is, if we just look around we will find someone who is far worse off than we are. To this person, we owe at least a gentle smile. - Judy
9:00 AM
A couple of pictures from the Plant Swap with our friends in Mississippi.
Good Day To Everyone!!
Bob is in town taking care of some business and I'm researching various subjects via the
Internet, right now Norwegian Cod Liver Oil. He bought it for me because a
friend told me she heated it and put it on her knees when they hurt. What Bob bought was
a product to be taken orally therefore it contained additives; apple pectin, flavoring
etc. lol I don't think I want to smear that on my knees. So I have this bottle sitting in front of me which many claim
is the "superfood" that cures everything from asthma to cancer and on the other side of the fence is a
warning not to take it unless a blood test indicates I'm deficient because too much Vitamin D
is detrimental to the body.. By the way, it tastes nasty!!
lol lol 
Bob is going strong, doing all the work and I'm doing very little. We did go to a Plant Swap
in Tupelo, MS September 23 with a group of our gardening friends. I gave away a van load of plants so I wouldn't have to care for them this
winter. This past Saturday we met friends at the Verona MS Garden Expo. It was really interesting
but the gardens had been severely damaged by the drought we've all experienced in this area, watering from a hose
just can't take the place of a good soaking rain. I really feel for the farmers, their crops just died in the fields.
Thank you, to everyone who has sent kind words in regard to Abby's passing. Bob wouldn't even read the last entry, he said he was still too fragile. We got through the first 24 hours, but then the grief over took us. Abby's death surfaced the buried emotions from all the others.
So Bubba won't have to walk, Bob's been transporting him in an electric cart to and from the covered dog runs. He's crated at night and then is in a shaded dog run during the day. Bob picks up all 60 lbs of Bubba carefully puts him in the cart then, off they go for 50 ft or so, then Bob picks him up and puts him in the run. What a wonderful person Bob is.
Not much and then again everything is happening here. We still haven't made a decision on breeding, we're waiting until after the first of the year to even consider the question.
The pictures are of two Brugmansia/Angel's Trumpets over-lapping. The first picture was taken early morning and the second one at night, interesting contrast isn't it. Hopefully your week has started off good and will continue that way. - Judy
Click Here Judy's Garden 2005!!
Special Notice: 8/12/05 All emails and pictures received by me become my personal property, they may or may not be posted to this website.
Judy's Journal - August, 2006
Judy's Journal - July, 2006
Judy's Journal - June, 2006
Judy's Journal - May, 2006
Judy's Journal - April, 2006
Judy's Journal - March 15-31, 2006
Judy's Journal - March 1-15, 2006
Judy's Journal - February, 2006
Judy's Journal - January, 2006
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