February 18, 2013 - She Did it Again

My daughter did it again.  She sent me another message; "Don't you blog any more?"  Well, yes and no....................

I've blogged this month.  

Nothing exciting is happening in my life at the moment.  

I have Blogger's block.

It's too cold.


Nobody really cares that our septic tank backed up last week, so we bit the bullet and hooked up to the city sewer, and now we have two big dirt squares in our driveway that must be filled with concrete.  Or that the city codes insisted we put a clean out within two feet of the house, so it sits smack dab in front of the garage entry door.  Or that they cut my irrigation line that went to the planter that used to sit just to the right of that box on the porch, so now I'll have to dig it up and repair it.


Nobody really cares that Annie got into a fight with a great big tiger, and it took a bite out of her ear.  Oh, OK, so it wasn't a tiger.  It was a veterinarian with a sharp knife, and he cut out a cancerous growth.  We still love her, holey ear and all.


Nobody really cares that I've lost a few pounds, and I fit into my skinny jeans now.  Bad thing about it is the more I lose, the more everything sags!  Oh, I did get myself a cool stationary bike so I can get in shape for gardening season  if spring ever comes.


Somebody might care that I did get the plant shelves set up and almost ready for starting my seedlings!  Not until March 10 though.  I always start too many, too early.  This year I'm going to try some restraint.


53 comments:

  1. I am sorry that all is going wrong. We seem to have the same thing at our house. I am sick, Coco is losing hair and has to be tested for her thyroid and hoping it is only that and it seems as though gardening season will never get here. But cheer up! Better days ahead! Great job on losing weight by the way! Nancy

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    1. Oh, Nancy, I do hope Cocoa will be alright. It's so hard to deal with our little furbabies having problems. Yes, I have also been sick for weeks! Not sick sick, just runny nosed and coughing sick. Just sick enough to keep me indoors. It has been a loooooong winter!

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  2. oh no bad news and good news. Summer will be here before we know it so there is nothing wrong with taking it easy in the winter

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    1. Mrs. P., I've actually been enjoying my hibernation, but I'm ready for spring!

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  3. If I only blogged about what someone would care about, I'd never have anything to blog about.

    HUGE grats on the bike and weight loss! And poor Annie but glad you caught it.

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    1. Teresa, you haven't had the happiest things happening to you recently, but you know we all care about YOU!

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  4. Congratulations on the weight loss! And.... At least you are blogging! I need to get my tush in gear and do that.

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    1. Nartaya, thank you. Yes, I think a lot of us have been lax about blogging this winter. Maybe I should just copy down my posts from last winter. LOL! Now that we're spending winters here instead of Arizona, every day is about the same. Well, except for sewer hook ups and doggy ears.

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  5. Of course we care! What seems boring to you might be the highlight of my day! I'm with ya on the late seed start and congrats on the weight loss but "boo" to the sag.

    Ying and yang, isn't it?

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    1. It sure is, Tami. And the older one gets, the greater the sag. Mr. Granny is losing too, much faster than I am, and he has also developed a "turkey neck". At least he could grow a beard to cover his, my one chin whisker doesn't hide a thing ;-)

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  6. Granny...we care, It must be the winter of house repairs and getting sick. We had to repair some plumbing, fix our dishwasher, put in a new water heater and then I was sick (first time in 15 years) for a couple of weeks. The kit-kats are OK though. Once gardening season starts, we will get fresh air and be happy gardeners once again! You look marvelous, sags and all :)

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    1. Robin, I'm keeping my fingers crossed on the water heater and the refrigerator, but thinking the wall ovens should be next. The ovens and water heater are both probably 30 years old, so probably near the end of their life expectancy. I'm finally mostly over my cough (to the point I can safely go grocery shopping now!), so champing at the bit for a warm day to do some yard cleanup and garden layouts.

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  7. "If Granny gets her seed starting stuff out then it's time...."! LOL, I don't envy that sewer hook up, we had to do it about 10 years ago, they also made us install the street meters for water 2 years ago but I refuse to get off my well unless they force me, so every month I see the meter guy check the meter and write down "0" and shake his head... I think I'm the only house on the street still on well water!

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    1. Erin, it was a day's job to get it set up, as I had decided to put those shelves in a large unused closet and use it to hold all my home canned stuff. I was going to bring in the big box that I call my mini green house, and set it up in my bedroom. Changed my mind, so had to put all the canned goods in plastic boxes to slide under the bed, then set up the shelves for the grow lights. Changed my mind again and rounded up two smaller book shelves for the closet, and moved all the canned goods back in there. Carried 3 jars at a time to the bedroom, then back to the closet, so got in my exercise for the day!

      We had to pay the LID of several thousand dollars when they put sewer lines in our neighborhood, 11 years ago. The price to hook up to it did increase by about $500 over that time, but we saved about $35 a month in city sewer charges by retaining our septic tank for all those years, more than enough to cover the final charge to hook up. We knew it was failing, but when we were gone for up to 6 months a year, it held up fine. Two winters of being here did it in.

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  8. I care about your septic. I care about your poor dog. I care about your new bike. I care about your seedling shelves. But I really don't care about your weight loss. You suck, Granny! I've been trying and ended up gaining 5 pounds and then losing them, so I'm right back where I started. Mr Farmer has lost 8 pounds in two weeks! He sucks, too. (I'm kidding, for those of your readers who have misplaced their senses of humor and think I might be serious.)

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    1. Langela, tell me about it! Mr. Granny has lost nearly 20 pounds to my 16, and I've been dieting way longer than he has. And I hate to tell you, but I am just now back to what I weighed in December 2011. I gained that entire 16 pounds through the summer of 2012! And you wondered what happened to all that corn and potatoes I grew last year ;-)

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  9. I haven't stopped in for a while - it's been slow - it's winter and it's cold. Sorry you are having issues and problems, but be sure that we care! And look at you losing weight! Unfortunately, yes we sag more once the weight starts comes off.

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    1. Linda, yes it's cold! You'd think, by my second winter away from AZ, that I'd be used to it. NOT!

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  10. Septic issues are the worst... :-( Hopefully being on city sewer will be better - once all the kinks get worked out. You're looking good in your skinny jeans!! :-)

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    1. Anke, septic backups are not fun. I went through an entire gallon of Purex, disinfecting our bathtubs! Thanks about the jeans, it's nice to not have to wear pants with elastic waistbands now!

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  11. Poor Annie. I hope she is feeling better. I got a stationary bike last fall. It looks a lot like yours. I fold it up and put it in the corner when I'm done with it. I haven't be exercising nearly enough though. Maybe today. Or tomorrow. And there is always the day after that.

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    1. Daphne, Annie did great with her surgery, she didn't even have to wear a cone. I love the stationary bike. I don't have to go out in the cold, wear a helmet, or worry about wrecking it. I just wish it were motorized for easier riding, LOL!!! Even having it set up and handy at all times, I still procrastinate and only get excited about actually riding it once or twice a week.

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  12. Oh my goodness...it's time for spring to come to chase away the winter blues! We also bit the bullet by hooking up to the city sewer. I detest spending money on things like that--think of the flowers we cold buy instead! But, I must say, I'm glad we did. Congratulations to you on the weight loss!

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    1. Thanks Julie. Yes, I could have bought a lot of seeds with that sewer money! The thing I'm going to hate most is having to pay the monthly sewer bill. I'm not sure what our city charges, but I think around $35-40 a month. That's a lot of money literally "down the drain".

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  13. That's winter; nothing to do, nothing to say, and suddenly you're off and running at a hectic pace again!

    Keep up that exercise thing; I've shifted around 30 pounds in the last six months, which has necessitated a whole new wardrobe. I've never had som many gardening clothes!!!

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    1. Idiot, 30 pounds? That's great! How is your knee doing? I'll bet much better with 30 pounds less to have to support. My husband is down nearly 20, and I'm hoping to get another 15-20 off of him. He's not losing where he wants though, from his big belly. He won't exercise or walk, which doesn't help.

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  14. The thing is you look mahvelous!! Great job with the weight loss! I am on my way to regaining everything I took off last year if I don't get a grip and soon. I think this has been a winter full of sickness all across the country. Well, maybe it always is. Can't wait for spring! I'm gladd Annie got rid of that growth!

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    1. Thank you, Nutmeg. This is all weight I put on over the last year, too. I hope I can keep it off this time.

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  15. Hi Granny, your weight loss is a fantastic inspiration to myself and Charlea who start our diet and exercises tomorrow... and Annie has the best 'designer' ear I have ever seen! You got it wrong Granny... we 'don't care' what you blog about, cos we 'do care' about you! We love you Granny! So chin up Princess.. Winter will soon be over, and you can come out of hibernation!
    What are your plans for your 'beds' this year? Can you show myself and Charlea how to grow squash/pumpkin in a confined area? (ours takes up so much space) How long before Spring do you start sowing? We think we left ours a little late. Tomatoes.. bags or beds? You are a hive of information Granny and even though you may have covered these tips before it's nice to hear your plans for the future and a 'reminder' of how it's all done. Get blogging girl! Love you!

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    1. Jacqui, I love you too, you know!

      I'm pulling out my last 2 boxed in beds this year (except strawberries and raspberries....might try to relocate those next fall), and planting everything in wide rows that will run just the opposite direction from last year. I plant my squash where it can run wherever it wants, but you can trellis them. Just make sure you make slings to tie them up so they don't break off the vines. You have wire fences where you could plant yours and let them climb up on the wires. It's not too difficult to nudge the vines along the fence line to keep them going in the right direction. I start most of my seeds 6-8 weeks before our final spring freeze. Tomatoes mostly go in bottomless buckets (check the link in my sidebar about bottomless tomato buckets). This year I've decided to grow mostly determinate varieties, so I might be planting them in beds. I'll make up my mind when the time comes :-)

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  16. Hmmmm..... A sweaty Granny in tight jeans several Months younger than me. Oh well 2500+ miles away, I'll just go to the GH and get to work.

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    1. John! My daughter reads these comments, what will she think? LOL! Besides, your wife wouldn't approve. Have fun in the GH, and have a BM while you're out there. I guess, for those readers who aren't familiar with you, I should explain your love for BMs...Bloody Marys.

      I can tell you are finally feeling much better. You sound quite frisky, LOL!

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  17. Other than having to repair the broken irrigation line, that all sounds like progress. Oh, maybe your dog doesn't think so but he should be happy with your unconditional love. Yea on losing the pounds. That is a cool looking bike by the way. And, spring is coming. The seed trays are out. Nice to see you again.

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    1. Gardener, progress is fine, but I hate the mess. We have to let the ground settle for a while before the concrete can be replaced, and I hate all that loose dirt! We need rain, but it's as dry as an old bone.

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  18. Granny, I've been offline for a while and, after beginning to slowly come back online, I just want to say your post is a really good one. No wonder you have so many followers! You're right, nobody cares about anything but gardening! Still, we all care about you, and we here at SGA think you look sexy in your new skinny jeans! If there's an unspoken reason for your sexiness, then please know that we're praying! God bless ya.

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    1. Oh, Jody! Thank you for giving me a much needed laugh! I'm so glad I have you (and 500 or so others) as my best ever friends!

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  19. Of course we care! The number of comments on this post proves it :)Congrats on the weight loss and getting into skinny jeans. I am hoping that Annie is recovered from her surgery. Those seedling shelves are just begging to be filled with lush and green growth. You know you want to plant something…..Maybe fresh herbs?

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    1. Of course I know you care, otherwise I wouldn't even blog :-) Oddly enough, I'm not all that excited about getting the seedlings started this year. I think it's because my "new" hobby, getting Mr. Granny slimmed down, is taking a lot of my time and attention. It's not easy keeping him satisfied on 1500 calories a day, you know LOL! I have to get real inventive on preparing his meals with lots and lots of veggies. He's handling it pretty well though, and has dropped 20 pounds.

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  20. Wow congratulations on the weight loss. That is great. I hope your sweet dog is doing okay.

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    1. Thank you, Alicia. Yes, Annie is healing just fine, and it looks as though the entire cancer was removed. She's only four years old, way too young to be having problems already.

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  21. Hello,
    We have never had good luck freezing bush beans but we have never tried freezing Fortex beans and we really like those. How did you do it? Sue

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    1. Sue, I just broke the beans into about 2" lengths, blanched them in boiling water for three minutes, then cooled them in ice water. I spread them out on kitchen towels and let them air dry a bit, then spread them out on big cookie sheets (I line the cookie sheets with parchment paper or a couple of gallon sized Zip Loc bags so the beans don't stick) and put them in the freezer. Once they are solidly frozen, I double bag them in Ziploc freezer bags so I can remove as many or as few as I want to use. To cook them, I put them in boiling salted water and bring them back to a boil. It usually only takes 3-4 minutes to cook them, but I always do a bite test. I like that they cook up quite soft, but not mushy. I hate beans that are firm and squeak when I bit into them!

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  22. Awesome on the weight loss! Keep it up (or off, ha). And yes, as everyone has said, we care....

    And our thoughts with Annie, hope she continues on the path to full recovery!

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    1. 1st. Man, no awesome biscuits and sausage gravy is the biggest drawback to the dieting, LOL!

      Annie has fully recovered, thanks to lots of special ear kisses :-)

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    2. Congrats as well. Im not above riding the niceties-coat tail of first man. :D

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    3. Hey, Cloud, you know you're important enough to have your very own comment. You don't need to ride on anyone's coat tail :-)

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  23. Great job on the weight loss, and YES we do care!! I, myself have to ge and get my shelving out and start putting it up! You are right on target! TFS. You look great!

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    1. Thank you, Karen! I reached my goal weight this week, so now the job will be to keep it off. Counting down the days for seedling starting...10 days to go, but I might nudge that up a bit and start some leeks. Like tomorrow :-)

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  24. Well you are certainly a better blogger than I am! Great job on the weight loss, love the new bike :) Can't wait to see how your garden will grow this year.

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    1. Well I guess so, young lady! How long have you been gone, about two years? You have been missed! Yes, the weight piled on last year, so I nipped it in the bud and lost all I had gained. Now I'm going for another 5-10 pounds just for good measure. I've upped the exercise, and I'm getting real comfy eating oatmeal, fish and veggies! Not all at the same time, of course ;-)

      I just checked, and by golly you blogged! I had to rejoin (I thought you'd left us for good), so you'd better keep it up, LOL! I'm off now to see what you've been up to. Very happy you are back!

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  25. skinny jeans...that is a good job since most of us can't fit in them until we have been in the garden a month after winter eating! robbie:-)

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    1. Robbie, I hate to tell you I grew out of those "skinny jeans" after just one complete year here at home. I stayed active all winter in AZ, not so much here in the cold weather! I like to say I had to put on a bit of fat before I hibernated, LOL! Let's hope I can get through the next year without digging out the "fat jeans".

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