Gardening

Gardening has become such a good thing in my life.  I have always loved digging in the dirt, from the early days of mud pies.  I have always, in the spring, loved to smell the wonderful aroma of freshly plowed or dug dirt.   This flower above is "Live Forever".  When I pulled this picture up, I wondered, who's house is that?  lol  That's my new (old) house with the nice new blue trim!  I like the blue trim and I like the Live Forever! 

 

This little beauty is an annual plant.  An annual is with us just for this year.  For the summer.  This little brown eyed susan vine took off and went rampant!  It has covered the clematis and the little Olla and the shed deck!  I hope the clematis comes back next spring!  Isn't this pretty, tho, with the sun shining through the leaves and the brown-eyed blossoms looking on?

This is the "cottage garden" and that tall plant with the red flower is a hollyhock.  I knew hollyhocks as a small child.  Maybe the memories of our parents and grandparents associated with flowers and trees is what brings many people to gardens and gardening.  As a little girl, I plucked the hollyhock blossoms and buds in my grandmother's yard.  Using a bud (a flower not yet opened) for the head and a bloom for the skirt, my sisters and cousins and I made dolls of the hollyhocks, using a nail or a stick.  Come on by next summer and I'll teach you how!  Hollyhocks are bienniels.  They grow the plant one year then come back the next year to bloom.  So to get started, you need to plant hollyhock seeds two years in a row. 

Then there are trees.  I have enjoyed many trees in my time but this honeysuckle tree is my all time favorite.  I love the shape of it.  I love the blooms, in late spring, early summer with the bees thick and noisy.  I love the fact that my grandchildren can get up in that tree all by themselves (or okay, maybe with a little help from Nana).  And now I love it more with the picket fence beyond and the Nana / Papa flowerbox.  This is such a pretty setting with the God of the Garden on the left and the birdbath fountain on the right. 

Our vegetable gardens have done better this year, way better than the last several.  In the past, we have had tomato blight and hardly a tomato.  Last year we got about two peppers from several pepper plants.  This year we have 6 pepper plants and have had a bushel of peppers.  And look at the size of this one!  They are still growing and producing this 25th day of October -- a record for us.  Also, I have finally managed, in my fall garden, to grow radishes.  Himself loves, loves, loves radishes and I have not been able to grow them since we were kids in Sioux City and Hubbard.  This fall, I started planting a few every 2 or 3 weeks and we are finally harvesting some.  I and Audri are still eating cherry tomatoes and there are big, regular tomatoes starting to ripen.  There are two volunteer cucumber vines I am babying and potatoes in the compost pile.

There!  that is far more than you needed and wanted to hear about my summer and fall gardens.  If you have read to this point, you have won a prize!  Comment and I'll send you your winnings!  love, Ma



Birthday

Himself had a good 63rd birthday because I (the otherside) did not stop at a Garage Sale or Consignment Shop in honor of his birthday.  That was my present to Him and he liked it!  No card, no present, no stopping and/or buying at garage sales.  Happy Birthday!  Happy Birthday, Himself! 

and Many More!  Audri and Bella are taking cover!  They are taking cover while you huff and puff!

Heat Pump Saga

For the last several years, our heat pump has had an intermittent problem.  Ask any Quality Control inspector or  plumber or electrician and they will tell you an intermittent problem is the worst kind.  The hardest to solve!  So these last few years, Himself stewed and worried.  He checked and trouble shooted (trouble shot?).  He called this plumber.  He called that one.  He got up in the night to switch to back-up heat if the heat pump shut off.  We didn't want to give up on our heat pump because when it is running, it saves us a bunch of money. Also, it was one of the very first geo thermal units in Creston.  

Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, who built this house, had the heat pump installed by Franklin Kinkade, a pioneer in this area in geo thermal.  There are pipes that go 700 feet in the ground -- down and around -- three separate pipe systems filled with an anti-freeze solution.  As the solution of chemicals and air circulates through the ground it cools off or heats up, depending on the season.  The solution in the pipes is brought in and the heat or the coolness from the ground is "exchanged" into the house -- it either warms up in the winter or cools off in the  summer.  

In the summer it takes hot air out of the house and puts it into the ground.  In the winter, it takes the warm temperature out of the ground and brings it into the house. 

Our electric bill in the early years rarely (very very) rarely went over $100/mo.  Of course rates went up and the heat pump began to fail and the bills increased.  Sometimes the heat pump worked and sometimes it didn't.  Some nights it didn't!  There were days when Himself was sleep deprived.  It was time to do something. 

It was time for action and we called up Franklin Kinkade.  Yes, he is still around but as he is retired, we called up the guy that took over for Franklin, we called in Matt Wood and his 2 cronies, Michael Haag from Orient and Rich Egan from Creston.  (As chance would have it, Kristy and Erica went to school with Matt and Johanna went to early elementary with Michael and high school with Rich.) 

Anyway, as in a screen play, stage right.  "Enter the Plumbers". 

They came in on Monday and began demolition.  Somtimes there were two plumbers, sometimes three. 

The took out duct work and removed the old unit. 

Demolition continues!  What!  There's a hole in my ceiling?

Out with the old!  In with the New!

That trailer was full by the time they had pulled all the old duct work and the heat exchanger.  And here's the new unit, still wrapped in plastic, with the two wheel cart, above.  It took 4 strong men to push that baby up three flights of stair, each flight a little bit steeper.  But they gotter done! 

These little babies gave us all a bit of a fit.  The installation was done.  The shiny new ducts were in place.  The heat exchanger had been bullied up the stairs.  The wiring done.  The guys were gone home.  Oops!  Himself went to put the closet doors back on and these babies were HOT!  Too hot for their own good!  So here came Matt and Rich back for another 2 or 3 hours.  It got on nigh to 8:30.  After deep thought and speculation amongst the men and Himself, after an evaluation of the big bang theory and a debate about evolution vs the Bible, after trial and error, they rewired the pumps.  

They rewired the pumps and the heat pump came on, the motors purred and stayed cool and the house started warming.  Problem solved!  New Heat Pump installed!  Success!  And it has purred like a kitten for a full week!  Praise the Lord!  Himself can sleep in peace. 

And they put the Heat Pump and equipment back in an orderly fashion and vacuumed and swept and cleaned the bath tub!  And ran.  They ran like the wind and vowed not to stop down at the corner but to put as much space between Himself and themselves and possible!

What gentlemenly plumbers!  I wanted to adopt all three!  or marry them off to a daughter!  lol

PS:  the bill came today.  Whew, it wasn't as bad as we had thought.  And the rebates and tax breaks are going to make it cost effective.  And Himself can sleep in peace.  Amen. 

HOLY COW

Found this observation and "math" in the internet on my of my favorite blogs . . .

On average I cook dinner 6 days a week. Sometimes I even cook on vacation - now that's crazy!52 weeks x






40 years


equals ------ HOLY COW, that's 12,480 meals. 

I guess I've cooked a good HALF of these meals . . . but between Himself and I, we have cooked that many.  My Mama, before the days of restaurants and fast food places, cooked 3 squares a day, 7 days a week.  Okay, maybe every week or two they went somewhere for Sunday dinner but even then, my mother probably took a cake or a "covered dish". 

I've been married 40 years. 

Himself has been married 40 years. 

That's a whole bunch of meals!

October

I love this weather!  Cool nights and warm days in the 70s and even the 80s.  We had a cool spell where it was only getting up to about 60 degrees and I didn't enjoy that nearly as much as they warmer days.  Himself loves, loves, LOVES October and November and all fall weather!  It gets down to 65 degrees and I'm putting a sweatshirt on my arms.  I can wear shorts and sandels and no socks . . . but I have to keep my arms warm.  Himself doesn't need a jacket or sweatshirt until it is more like in the 55 degree range. 

This is last year, 2009.  October 23, 2009.

Wasn't it pretty? 

This year, we nowhere have this much color yet.

Last  year, Des Moines had snow on October 6 or 8 or somewhere in there, I heard on the radio.  This year, I still have cucumber vines, green peppers, tomatoes and even a few radishes, growing in the garden.  I am planning and thinking -- studying on how to build little A-frame greenhouses around these last vegetables so as to get the fruit to maturity.  I have an abundance of old windows to use now that Himself and Dana and Nick replaced each and every window in our house.  Maybe this weather will hold another month and I won't have to resort to little greenhouses?

I love the internet!  Have an idea and "google" it or use your favorite search engine, and whatever you are imagining, is already in the internet!  Well, maybe not exactly, because I was thinking about little A-Frame greenhouses and I didn't find a picture of one of those but maybe I just didn't search by the right word.  Anyway, look at these little greenhouses all made out of used, wooden windows. 

These three photographs respectfully "borrowed" from the internet but not for profit or gain. 



A Mother's Day poem

Thank you! 

 I think it has the cadence of a

Robert Lewis Stevenson poem! 

Ode to Snow

A love letter

                                                                               Love, from Maddie

My girls

This little one kept Nana hopping, the weekend.

She kept Nana busy and honest!

She is a character

and agile and quick. 

Did I mention Busy? 

What a little sweetie pie!

Audri is 3 years old.

Three and artictulate.

Three and inquisitative.

Full of questions . . .

 who?  what?  when?  oh . . .and "how come?"

Cutie pie!

New age hair curlers? 

New age Walkman?

Madeline is imaginative and creative.

Madeline, I think you look like a new age Princess!

Creative little cutie pie!

Today, this girl is down 1.75 % front teeth. 

Good thing the home-grown sweet corn is done! 

Get to wiggling, Sissie!

You need all your teeth to sing!

You need those teeth to smile and dance

and race horses,

 you imaginative little cutie!

This girl is growing up too fast! 

Oh My.

And getting way too pretty.

She's kind and sympathetic

and wants everyone to win! 

This girl is going to be a "tweenie"

way too soon!

Love you,

Morghan Grace,

Gabby N,

Maddie Mae,

Audri Lu and

Bella Bu! 

I love my girls!  

                Nana

Balloon Days

Himself and I have somehow been out of town the last 6 or 7 years for Balloon Days but here we were, this year.  We worked Friday, came home and had supper but were oblivious.  In the dark.  Not a clue! We had forgotten about the balloons. 

We were sitting out on the patio Friday after supper and I saw a hot air balloon, up.  Up in the air, to our south.  I said, come on, honey, let's go see the balloons?  And we jumped in the Jeep and went looking . . .
we chased hot air balloons.  sort of.  We drove east.  We drove north.  We drove south and back north again and found this dirt road . . . we parked.  And it was good. 

Himself calculated balloons north.  He counted balloons south.  He averaged and found the Norm and announced there are at least 21 balloons in the air.  And we sat and enjoyed and counted and recounted!  And enjoyed the math!  lol

And the sights and the beautiful evening.

And the balloons. 

PS:  and yesterday, a good thing, I think I finally got that spot off my camera lens!

Years gone by . . .

 Written by:  Your son, Craig Hofmiester

years gone by . . .

GIFTS

Lazy childhood

summer play,

Golden dreams, fun

filled days.

Sisters, brothers,

family ties.

Cheerful greetings, fond

good byes.

Words of comfort,

manners, strength.

I could go on at

any length.

The chance to try -

to fail or soar.

Encouragement to try

once more.

Support when I

felt need of

some. Discipline.

And love.

Cherished, these,

and many others.

Gifts, presented me

by Mother.

                         Nancy

                         2-6-86

years gone by . . .

            Ode to Dad

I couldn't find a boughten card
with picture or with verse
that said just what I thought it should
so here, for what it's worth --

Here I'll try to rhyme a poem
the way a poem should be
when it is for my "Birthday"
Dad, forever dear to me.

James Whitcomb Riley, I am not
nor even poet, really.
And you may say it does not rhyme
but it is meant sincerely.

I'm proud that you are who you are
and that I am your daughter.
Nothing of you would I change, oh
good and thoughtful Father.

To Dad, who's there through thick and thin.
To Gramps, who really cares.
To Husband who through all the years
has truly loved and shared.

Shared and nurtured, taught and led
the way a father ought to.
Respect you have and much love too,
from #8, your daughter.

                                                 Nancy
                                                 8-17-85

Is this illegal?

This all started because Audri wanted to play on the deck and Kiera (sp?) had jumped in because she wanted to play on the deck.  So Aunt Erica tucked Audri up safely in the kennel.  Aunt E said her own children played in there and in went Audri.  Before long, there were three little girls enjoying the day . . . and as it usually happens, along came little boys to tease and trick and acted like they were locking them in! 

And you can see how concerned the little girls are, with it all.  Gabby, aren't you worried?  Madeline, what is your brother doing?  Audri, those boys are teasing you!

vi·gnette

As usual, my vocabulary exceeds my pronunciation.  My Mama always bemoaned the fact that I didn't have my year of phonics.  Afton Elemetary was messing with the curriculum, the year I was in First or Second Grade.  They promoted me anyway, and the next year went back to teaching Phonics.  Meanwhile, I missed my year of Phonics!  And was never able to catch that train again.  My Mama was right.  I needed those Phonics.  I still need those Phonics!   PS:  my Mama was always right. Tho I didn't always like to admit it! 

Anyway, back to Vignette:  : a running ornament (as of vine leaves, tendrils, and grapes) put on or just before a title page or at the beginning or end of a chapter; also : a small decorative design or picture so placed

2a : a picture (as an engraving or photograph) that shades off gradually into the surrounding paper b : the pictorial part of a postage stamp design as distinguished from the frame and lettering

3a : a short descriptive literary sketch
 
Here!  But  rather than a short descriptive literary sketch, insert a short cameo.  A quick pic.  A moment in time!  Photos of my summer!
 
 

I cannot make these photos do what I want!  They won't increase in size . . . or they won't decrease.  Doesn't matter.  Whatever I want, they don't.  But sure did enjoy this summer with my children and grandchildren at the cabin!  Let's do it all again.  And quick!  Thanks for a great year, ya'all!

Birthday purse

I love this purse!

I don't know why I don't show my pleasure in this photo.

It is probably that "oh no" I'm not going to like

that picture of me one little bit -- looks too much like me!

I love this purse

and have it packed for vacation with assorted little organizers inside. 

I'm not carrying it every day because I walk

a  mile or two every morning before work and the purse is heavy!

I think, with all those studs

 and  all those little assorted organizers inside,

it wears 10 pounds. 

Every woman should have one purse

like this in her lifetime. 

Thank you children!