Are You Thriving Today?

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My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.       
                                                         Maya Angelou

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Is Your Corn Knee-High by the Fourth of July?



Dad's rule of thumb for gauging the progress of his corn..."Corn should be knee-high by the Fourth of July." Here in Washington state, that's hard to do. The last few Springs have been so wet, that you can't plant until June. So I decided to cheat the spring monsoons by planting starts in June, rather than seeds. Result? I can safely report that I have one hill of corn that's knee high. The others knee high to a 10 year old, but I expect they'll make it to harvest.

 The lettuce and romaine is doin' good.. We're eating all we can and sharing with the neighbors. Note to self... stagger your lettuce crop so it doesn't all mature at once. The marigolds and the coffee grounds seem to be doing the trick-we've had very few slugs or pests on the lettuce this year. It's one of the best feelings in the world to eat something you've grown in your very own, organic garden! Isn't romaine just one of the prettiest garden vegetables? One expects to see Peter Rabbit hiding below the leaves.

The Blue Lake beans are climbing the poles. Hoping those stalks reach to the sky. Then I'll climb to the top, scare the old giant, and steal the goose that lays golden eggs. Or maybe we'll just have some nice sauteed green beans and garlic for dinner. Time will tell.

Happy Gardening Friends!

PS: I will be doing the random drawing for the Holstein salt-shakers tomorrow. To those who responded; thanks and good luck!

 

Please, Push the Button!

OK friends, I have to admit it. I've been feeling a little sad, a little insecure about my lack of followers. But then a sweet blogger friend pointed out the obvious...I didn't have a 'follower' button. Oh hallelujia, maybe I am a decent writer, maybe they do like me...all they lacked was the button! I've fixed that now. So please... if you visit occasionally, do me the honor of pressing that 'follow' button on the upper left side of my blog. And I'll be sure to follow you too! I know...shameless self promotion. That's why I'm reading "Insecure No More"--it's in my previous post...yikes, more self promotion. Hmm, maybe I should just leave it at that and sign off now...

Thanks a bunch,

Where's Deb



Where's Debbie? She should be out watching her garden growing on this lovely July day!

Hmmm, that's wierd...she's not helping Kelly prep the flowerbeds

for that load of bark. It was delivered last Thursday. That's not like her to let a gardening project sit for 3 days...especially on a sunny day.

There's a pile of books that would rival Mt. Fugi on her bedroom dresser. She must be planning to do some heavy reading. Shhh, if you peek at the titles you might get some insight into what that girl is all about! 'So Long Insecurities'...wow she must have issues...or maybe she's just trying to solve her 'girlfriends' problems...yeah, that's the ticket!

Here's a clue. A TV tray with an empty soup bowl, ice water with a straw, tissues, a cell phone and some scissors. Maybe she caught a cold.

Oh my goodness...I see some flip flops poking out from that snarl of tangled yarn on the recliner! We're getting closer....

Yup, that's her behind the tissue. She looks, well, how do you say it nicely...kinda puffy. And what's with the bandage on her hand?


Yes friends, this is Debbie, unplugged. Figuratively and literally. After 2 years of cowardly denial  careful deliberation, I finally took my nose doc's advice and had sinus surgery. He promised me that this is the end of nose drops, mucinex, cough drops, chewing gum to keep post nasal areas moving, carrying tissue in my purse, my car, my classroom, my bed, my bathroom, my suitcase, my pockets, cuffs, bra, and anywhere else I can stash it.
Had the surgery yesterday and according to my doc, it went perfectly. So for now I have  get to rest. No lifting, no bending. I'm just sittin' here with my yarn and some granny squares I started last summer, got bored of, and put away. (Note to self...write better directions when you postpone a project for another time. These instructions look like chicken scratch! Am I supposed to be chaining 3 here...or there?) I've made 4 attempts, but I think I've got it the next time.
Soup d'jour is Lipton Chicken Noodle, thanks to my master chef and nurse...Kelly. I didn't get to eat anything for 18 hours, and I've gotta say, Lipton soup never tasted so good; Four stars.
The doors are open and a soft summer breeze is moving throught the room. I'm listening to birds singing, Kelly's shovel scraping against the cement, and his transistor radio is playing 'Don't Go Breakin My Heart' - remember Elton John and Kiki D? It's happy and upbeat, which is just what I wanna hear today.
Koda's been running by the window chasing flies, barking at anyone who'll listen, and sipping ice water from her bowl. She's fussy about her water; prefers ice on sunny days...I can respect that. I do too!
I'll spare you the details of the surgery; but if you ever happen to have to have it, drop me a note and I'll fill you in on what to expect. There were a few surprises that nobody told me about. I'll leave it at that. But all in all, I'm doing just fine. Kelly is best caretaker in the world, I've got lots to keep me quietly occupied, and my doggy's sympathetic licks on my hands. I've got your fabulous blogs to entertain me. Most importantly, I have the Lord, who leadeth me beside the still waters. So it's good.
I'm told I'll be in pretty good shape by Tuesday, and fabulous shape in a few weeks.
I' gotta go. Gotta get back to those Granny Squares. Now does it say chain 3 then dc 2, or dc 2 then chain 3...?