A Story - "Pop Quiz" and New Seed Starting Set-up

A Story

Pop Quiz

Dr. Masters greeted Debra with a smile, but her eyes were wary.  The appointment would be straightforward.  A clear diagnosis and simple treatment were being reviewed.  Why did this older woman make her squirm?

Debra waited for the doctor to start the conversation.  She nodded her head and agreed that she had looked up her condition on the Internet.

Dr. Masters felt like she was back in high school facing a pop quiz.  But she was the doctor, she was the one who had studied medicine and had years of experience.  Was that a look of skepticism when she mentioned the dosage of medication?  A quick pivot, and she thought she saw a softening in Debra's face.

The appointment was over.  Debra smiled and thanked the doctor.

Dr. Masters took a deep breath as she left the examination room.  She felt that she had barely squeaked through the test.

 

My son gave me a new seed starting set-up. It's pretty cool and well designed.

I really like the flexible cells. The upper rim and bottom are firm but the middle is rubbery. It will make popping out the seedlings super easy.

There is a water reservoir in the bottom. A plastic stand supports a black felt wicking mat that soaks up water and keeps the cells moist. I found it kept a very steady level of moisture in the soil. I also like the fact that the dome is quite high so air circulation is good. I use rainwater or melted snow for my new plants as our untreated well water is very hard and the treated water has salt from the water softener.

I only planted 4 pepper plants in this tray and they have sprouted now.  I kept the tray about 4' away from our propane heater so that it would stay warm. Yesterday, I planted some tomatoes in the empty cells. I remembered to label them.

The set-up comes with LED lighting built into the green cover plate.  The light  has a USB cable that I have plugged into a small external battery pack I have. The green cover plate swivels so you can close the holes or open them for more air circulation. I have kept the holes open and the soil has still stayed evenly moist.

I think this set-up would work  very well for starting flowers that often take a little longer to get going.

I will have to transplant the peppers and tomatoes after a few weeks into larger pots.

This is the box it came in.  It was bought from Amazon. It doesn't have a company name on it.

A Poem - "Goodbye" and Red Hypoestes and Improved Ant Bait

 A Poem

Goodbye

 Goodbye my dear mustang,

My rugged bay pony built to withstand wind and snow

Always mindful of the need to survive.

Your mellow greetings still linger in the air,

Your rich throaty murmurings sing to my heart.

Memories of your beauty will always wave to me:

Your movement, your strength, your agility.

The little flycatchers will wonder where you've gone.

The robins will miss your shed fur for their nests.

My life is forever changed because of you.

Your life resounds in rippled waves across my world.

This red hypoestes (pink polka dot plant) has stayed nice and small over the winter.  Last summer it was on the back deck where it grew to about 10" tall.  I gave it a good prune and it kept its small form while it was on the cool windowsill for the winter. I'll put it in a bigger pot for the summer and it can be outside in a semi-shade location.

Every spring we have ants of various sizes.  I read somewhere that ants like trillium plants and we have lots of those so there are just a lot of ants in our environment.  Over the years, I have used borax/sugar mixes to keep them in check but last year I came across a brilliant improvement to my ant bait. The secret is a piece of Eggo waffle. In the picture, you can see that I took a plastic container and poked some holes near the brim.

Next I put a piece of Eggo waffle on the lid and pour over my equal parts borax/sugar mix that I have dissolved in some hot water.  Put the container bottom back on the lid. The waffle is like a sponge and the ants are happy to break off a little piece of the sweet treat to take home to the nest. Every so often add more borax/sugar solution to the waffle.

I might add that some ants prefer protein so peanut butter is a better bait for them, but my ants like sugar. 

You have to experiment to see what they like.

A Story - "Body Breakdown" and Growing Onions

A Story

Body Breakdown

Sitting on the couch at 2 am, Penny tried to remember how to activate her leg muscles to stand up.  Her sore wrists, hands, shoulders, hips and back had kept her awake and she wanted to get up and pace the floor to ease the stiffness and pain.  Marshalling her brain, she gritted her teeth, pushed on the arm of the couch and staggered to her feet.  She shuffled forward, walking slowly up and down the length of the living room.

The suddenness of her new incapacity had been startling.  Almost overnight she had gone from being strong and active to being stiff, sore and weak.  Polymyalgia rheumatica, the doctor diagnosed.

Thankfully, medication brought the storm under control.  Hope and relief came flooding back.

For my zone 4 garden, I need to start my onions in February.  In my region in Ontario, it's important to buy long day onion seeds.  I have an inexpensive grow light that I can put the seedlings under to help them get through the dull winter days.  Even still, they are floppy.  It won't matter though and once in the garden they will straighten up.  They will be planted outside in early May.  By the end of July, they will be ready to harvest. Last year I planted some yellow onions and some red onions.  Both varieties kept well and I still have one red onion left that's in good shape. I just stored them in paper bags in the dark at cool room temperature. I have about forty seedlings in these pots and that will do me until this time next year.

A Story -"All in a Day's Work" and a small watercolour to brighten a winter's day.

A Story

All In a Day's Work

The small apartment at the seniors' residence was comfortable but it certainly wasn't his old home.  Gerald, a recently bereaved widower, had suffered a stroke that left him needing extra care.

Melody, the nurse, made him feel welcome.  He looked forward to her smiles and her gentle jokes.  Slowly he began to realize that he was falling in love with her.  Even though she was married, he fantasized that they were in a loving relationship.

He changed his will.

After Gerald died, Melody got a call from his lawyer.  A big cheque was coming.

"Easy, peasy," she chuckled to herself.

A public garden with some nice bright summer flowers. Some colour to enliven a winter's day.

 

The view out the window.  It's been a pretty snowy winter and we are expecting about a foot of snow tomorrow.  Not that unusual but it does mean extra work to deal with it.

A Poem "In Recognition of my Aging Body" and Mini African Violet

A Poem

In Recognition of my Aging Body

Like an old stretched sweater,

My sagging arms hang by my bulgy sides.

Age spots masquerade as chocolate stains

On my wrinkled rough hands.

Scarred, lumpy-veined legs

End in worn scuffed feet.

Poor old body that's been with me

All the way.  Thank you.

This cute little African violet is only about 3" across.  It has been bred to stay as a mini.  I bought it last year at Walmart not realizing that it would stay small. I really like its petiteness.  It sits nicely on the windowsill and it's just really cute.  It came in a little plastic pot that comes apart at the middle so you can water it from below.  It grows just like any other African violet except it grows very slowly. 

African violets don't like to be overwatered, they can handle being a bit dry from time to time.  I only fertilize them when they are blooming with a liquid all-purpose fertilizer once every few weeks. This one sits happily on a south windowsill during the winter but as the sun gets stronger I will move it back a couple of feet from the window so it doesn't get scorched. 

I really enjoy my winter blooming indoor plants.

A Story - "The Gourmet's Wine" and Kalanchoe in January

A Story

The Gourmet's Wine

Every weekend Vivienne invited friends over for a gourmet meal.  Her menus followed the Mediteranean diet.  Desserts were fresh fruit.  She was pleased that she was feeding her guests healthy food.  She always served organic wine from a small vineyard.  No beer, no hard liquor, and, definitely, no soft drinks.

During the week, she bought and tasted various specialty wines so she could determine the perfect pairing for the food.

When she began to feel ill, she saw her doctor.  The shocking diagnosis was cirrhosis of the liver.

"Alcohol is alcohol no matter how pretty the packaging," the doctor said sadly. 

 

Kalanchoe can bring a bright pop of colour to the dull days of January.  The blooms will last for weeks, and sometimes months.  They like a bright window and not too much water as they are succulents.

To get them to rebloom after their rest period during the summer months, they need to have at least 12 hours of darkness each day.  I put mine on the windowsill and draw a heavy curtain across so that the light from the inside of the house is blocked from the plant.  They don't mind a chilly windowsill. As our days in zone 4 naturally get shorter in the fall, the kalanchoe get the required amount of darkness. They usually set buds in December and are blooming in January.  I give them a bit of fertilizer every 2 or 3 weeks when they are blooming.

Kalanchoe are super easy to propogate.  Simply take a piece of stem - 3-4" long, strip off lower leaves and plant in some soil.  This works best in the spring and summer. If plants are getting too leggy, just prune them back to the size you want and they will send out new branching shoots.

Happy New Year - Some Ideas for Staying Positive.

 Another year. In Canada, the new year comes when the days are still short and often dull.  Good time to think of some ways to stay positive going forward.

The most important one is to read the Bible as it will give you the macro picture that will help you understand your life and the world in general. If you haven't read the Bible before, I suggest you start with the New Testament.  The first book of the NT is the book of Matthew.  If you don't have a Bible, Bible Gateway is an online resource that has multiple translations of the Bible and a search function.

In no particular order, here are some other ideas.

Get out in nature.  Going for walks is great because it combines exercise and being in nature.  Even if you live in a city, you can find birds, trees, perhaps water elements. Cornell University has a great site called All About Birds. Knowing more about the birds makes it all the more interesting.

Get light early in the day. I have to feed my horse so I am out as soon as it is light at this time of year. A shot of daylight will always brighten your mood and being outside in the morning helps to set your circadian rhythm and promotes better sleep.

Find some nice music.  Youtube now has many channels that stream lovely music.  I have been enjoying Tim Janis.

Find some ways to work your brain. I have started doing jigsaw puzzles more regularly.  They work your brain in  surprisingly varied ways . I do mostly 500 pieces so they don't take too long to do. I enjoy the Cobble Hill puzzles. I chose ones that have bright colours and a cheerful subject.

Try writing on a regular basis. It helps to organize your thoughts.

Make soup. Relaxing to prepare and soothing to eat.  Lots of recipes online.

Give yourself mini activities : I challenged myself to draw for 5 minutes a day, I do stretches when I am waiting for food to heat on the stove, I knit while I talk on the phone or watch TV. If you are trying to declutter, toss 1 or 2 items a day.

Find a regular activity that includes people. A book club? An exercise program? Volunteering at the dog shelter? Some churches sponsor regular luncheons.

Learn the art of distraction. Teach yourself to redirect when you are upset about something. Find an activity that takes all your attention and do it when your thoughts are getting out of control. Something as simple as doing a crossword puzzle can help to break the negative spin.

Garden inside and out.  Don't worry if your plants die. Just enjoy them while they last. I always find starting seeds a fascinating experience.  Lots of videos on Youtube.  Epic Gardening is a helpful one.

Life is good.  Don't let the doomsayers drag you down. Life is good.