Achillea millefolium on 3-10-19, #552-1.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you all well. I took a few photos of the first perennials and bulbs coming up on March 7 and 10. Some have started coming up while others are a little slower. This winter has not been near as cold and we did have snow off and on which was different than last year. It makes a big difference as to what comes up and when. The constant cold spells and followed by warmer temps and thawing in between can cause some problems for some perennials. Even older well-established perennials can rot during winters like this one if not in a well-draining location.

The above photo shows new growth on the clump of Achillea millefolium closest to the house (o the north side) The one farther away from the house has not started coming up. I haven’t checked the one in front of the chicken house or by the barn. I haven’t noticed if the “wild” Achillea millefolium has started to come up or not. 2019 is our 8th anniversary.

Some of the Hosta has started coming up in the shade beds, but Hosta ‘Empress Wu’ on the north side of the house is showing no sign. Hopefully, this is because the soil is still too cold in this spot.

I am going alphabetical order with the photos…

Ajuga reptans ‘Chocolate Chip’ on 3-7-19, #551-1.

The Ajuga reptans ‘Chocolate Chip’ (Bugleweed) under some remaining snow on March 7 is green and sending out new growth. 2019 is our 9th anniversary.

Ajuga reptans ‘Chocolate Chip’ on 3-10-19, #552-2.

The colony that is by a Chinese Elm is still looking brown…

Baptisia ‘Lunar Eclipse’ on 3-10-19, #552-3.

The Baptisia ‘Lunar Eclipse’ is starting to emerge from its winters sleep in the southwest corner bed. I need to keep a watchful eye on this one when its bugs start to open to see if it is really a ‘Lunar Eclipse’. I think someone goofed and put the wrong labels in the pots. The flowers on ‘Lunar Eclipse’ change color and I could have missed the “yellow” phase. I still think something is whacky though.

Heuchera ‘Lime Ricky’ on 3-7-19, #551-2.

All of the Heuchera (Coral Bells) are growing new leaves now. They don’t usually completely disappear over the winter even though they are dormant. Above, Heuchera ‘Lime Ricky’ is getting ready to strut its stuff again in 2019. It was definitely a top performer last summer even though the Japanese Beetles stripped its shade.

Heuchera ‘Obsidian’ on 3-7-19, #551-3.

Heuchera ‘Obsidian’ struggled a little last summer but hopefully 2019 will be better. Maybe a little of ‘The Good Stuff’ is in order. This plant was nibbled on last spring but I am hoping it will escape that fate this year.

Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’ on 3-7-19, #551-4.

I AM THANKFUL for the Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’ continuing to do well after I almost lost it a couple of years ago. I moved it only a few feet from where it was to a new bed and it perked up. I really like this cultivar. We are celebrating our fifth annversary.

Heuchera ‘Venus’ on 3-7-19, #551-5.

Heuchera ‘Venus’ made it through the winter very well and appears to have started growing before the others. Maybe it is getting off to a good start for an AWESOME 2019. 🙂

If Heuchera ‘Southern Comfort’ returns it will be a miracle. It struggled last spring so I moved it to a new location. It continued to struggle and remained small although it was growing new leaves. It basically fizzled out by the end of the summer. BUT, you never know…

Geranium sanguineum on 3-10-19, #552-4.

The Geranium sanguineum (Bloody Cranesbill) has had a few green leaves all winter. I wanted to move a few of these here and there last spring but didn’t. I think it would do better in a better-draining location. Sometimes it does very well here but sometimes not. To damp and crowded seems to cause a bit of a crown rot issue. They have survived here since dad relocated them from the “other house” in 1996. I planted them first in 1981 when I lived I “the other house” after grandpa died. Maybe this spring I can spread them around a little more. I guess this is the 38th anniversary of when I first bought the Geranium sanguineum from Bluestone Perennials in 1981.

Hosta ‘Blue Angel’ on 3-7-19, #551-6.

To be or not to be, that is the question… I bought this Hosta ‘Blue Angel’ from Mast’s Greenhouse last June 7th but it remained very small. That was very strange since this cultivar is supposed to get big. I am not sure if it was mislabeled or if the company they bought it from used a growth retardant to keep them small. Maybe they didn’t want to put them in a bigger pot. That would be weird since it is a Hosta and it seems they would have put them in larger pots in the first place (since ‘Blue Angel’ is a large Hosta). You just never know… I will see what happens this year… If it remains small I will have to figure out what cultivar it is.

Hosta ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ on 3-10-19, #552-5.

Hosta ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ is getting off to a good start although it is looked like this most of the winter. It is kind of weird and seems to like a good part of its, umm, clump above ground. I put it deeper last spring after it got going, and then again later I think and here it is like this again… GEEZ! This is my first miniature Hosta so maybe this is normal for them. I don’t know… The roots have not heaved up because it is firmly in the ground. Weird… I am just thankful it survived two winters doing the same thing.

Hosta ‘Dancing Queen’ on 3-7-19, #551-7.

Hosta ‘Dancing Queen’ is getting ready to start its second year. This is a very delightful gold-leaved Hosta that always brightens up the area. NICE!

Hosta ‘Forbidden Fruit’ on 3-7-19, #551-8.

Hmmm… There appears to be a hole where Hosta ‘Forbidden Fruit’ is supposed to be… What kind of a deal is this? Did it rot? Maybe it fell into a mole run… I will have to check in a few days.

Hosta ‘Guacamole’ on 3-10-19, #552-6.

One of the Hosta ‘Guacamole’ is just barely beginning to emerge while the other hasn’t even started. Hopefully, they will both come up so I can put them back together again. This is our 5th anniversary.

Hosta ‘Potomac Pride’ on 3-7-19, #551-9.

The always AWESOME Hosta ‘Potomac Pride’ is up and ready to rumble. When this Hosta starts coming up and temperatures cooperate, there is nothing that can stop it. It takes off and starts growing like crazy. This is quite a beautiful large dark green leaved Hosta that I really like. This may be our 10th annversary.

Hosta sieboldiana ‘Elegans’ on 3-7-19, #551-10.

The Hosta sieboldiana ‘Elegans’ is just beginning to come up. Its clump is pretty large but only 1-2 sprouts have come up so far. This multiple award winner is always beautiful and one of the reasons I like Hosta so much. This is our 10th anniversary.

Hosta’s ‘Abiqua Drinking Gourd’, ‘Empress Wu’, ‘Kossa Regal’, ‘Red October’, ‘Sum and Substance’, and ‘Whirlwind’ have not appeared yet… ‘Empress Wu’ was coming up last March 3 when I took photos. ‘Abique Drinking Gourd’, ‘Krossa Regal’, and ‘Red October’ take a little longer. ‘Sum and Substance’ and Whirlwind’ were new in 2018 so I am not sure when they normally wake up.

Lycoris squamigera on 3-10-19, #552-8.

The Lycoris squamigera (Ressurection Lily, Surprise Lily) are up and beginning to give their spring display of green leaves. After the leaves die the bulbs will lie dormant then flower around the first part of August from their dormant bulbs. I thought they were Amaryllis belladonna for many years because they look and behave very similar. Both are members of the Amaryllis family Amaryllidaceae. These have not been flowering very well for several years and no doubt have been here since at least the 1960’s. Oh yeah, it also shares the name Naked Ladies with several other members in the family.

Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ on 3-7-19, #551-11.

The Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’ (Creeping Jenny) is off to a good start for 2019 because it remained all winter. When winters are very cold like last year, it completely disappears. No telling where it is heading this summer since it didn’t die back over the winter. GEEZ! That’s OK because there are several bare spots I can stick it as well as move it around here and there. It makes a great groundcover and living mulch. 🙂 This is our 5th anniversry.

Nandina domestica on 3-10-19, #552-9.

The Nandina domestica (Heavenly Bamboo) has had a few green leaves all winter. I really love this shrub and I am very glad I bought it with me from Mississippi. Although it is a Japanese native that has become invasive in some areas. The Missouri Department of Conversation website says, “Many cultivars are available having more or less reddish leaves, smaller overall size, and so on. These are currently very popular in garden centers. We urge you to try a native-species alternative.” Hmmm… Heavenly Bamboo are evergreen in warmer climates. If you haven’t tried this shrub, I suggest you do. You will see why they are one of my favorites. It has been 11 years since I met the Nandina domestica.

Narcissus pseudonarcissus on 3-0-19, #552-10.

These Narcissus pseudonarcissus (Daffodile, etc.) have also been here on the farm since the 1960’s when my grandma, no doubt, planted them. There is a HUGE group of them beside the Lycoris squamigera. If these plants could talk I am sure they could tell you a lot about their history.

Nepeta x faassenii ‘Walker’s Low’ on 3-10-19, #552-11.

The Nepeta x faassenii ‘Walker’s Low’ (Catmint) is growing again and ready to have the old trimmed away. I really like this plant because it is about as care-free you can get. Thriving in the fill in the corner by the back of the house and back porch, it doesn’t get a lot of attention but still performs amazingly well. I have concluded ‘Walker’s Low’ is a cultivar of the hybrid Nepeta x faassenii instead of Nepeta racemosa because it doesn’t seem to spread by seed. The seeds are sterile so this cultivar stays in a tidy clump. If it were a cultivar of Nepeta racemosa, it would be spreading by seed as well. Well, I am making that point because some websites call it Nepeta racemosa ‘Walker’s Low’ (i.e. The Missouri Botanical Garden). One of the parents is N. racemosa… Ummm… One reliable website also says Nepeta faassenii ‘Walker’s Low’ which is also incorrect. It should be written with an “x” to say it is a hybrid… Strange how the Missouri Botanical Garden says it is a cultivar of N. racemosa then say it has to be propagated by division because the seeds are sterile… Just saying… This will be our 3rd summer.

Phlomis ‘Edward Bowles’ on 3-7-19, #551-12.

I uncovered the Phlomis ‘Edward Bowles’ last week to see how it was doing. I usually keep a big flower pot over it over the winter just in case. The leaves didn’t even turn all brown and crispy this winter. This is our 6th anniversary.

Phlomis ‘Edward Bowles’ on 3-7-19, #551-13.

I was glad to see new growth early again this year and I am always HOPEFUL it will flower. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t. I thought surely it would flower last year since it got an early start but it didn’t. You just never know… I thought about switching places with it and the Baptisia, which I still might do. The Baptisia gets taller and somewhat pushy…

Physostegia virginiana on 3-7-19, #551-14.

The Physostegia virginiana (Obedient Plant) has been covered with leaves in the southeast corner of the old foundation. Leaves always blow in this corner so the Obedient Plant is well protected over the winter. It has spread quite a bit which is why I wanted it in this spot. It is one of “those areas” I wanted something to fill in the corner which makes mowing and trimming easier. Putting “invasive” plants in corners where they can fill in seems like a good idea to me and it works nicely. Only our 2nd anniversary.

Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’ on 3-10-19, #552-12.

I really need to do some work on the Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’. I have them growing in various places and they all do OK. BUT, a couple of years ago I put a few in the northeast corner bed of the old foundation. It this spot they have gone completely bananananananas so they need to be spread out a little. There are also several Rudbeckia hirta (the wild species) in this location which has also done well. This is our 7th anniversary (from Walley Morse in Mississippi).

Salvia x sylvestris ‘Mainacht’ on 3-10-19, #552-13.

The Salvia x sylvestris ‘Mainacht’ (May Night’) is always jumping and raring to go and the first of the perennials to emerge. This plants clump has barely gotten larger since the spring of 2013… This is our 6th anniversary.

Sedum kamtschaticum ‘Variegata’ on 3-7-19, #551-15.

The Sedum kamtschaticum ‘Variegata’, like the other Sedum, are all aglow in their winter colors. Well, I suppose it isn’t really glowing, more like blushing. The lower leaves of the sedum fall off during the winter while the top leaves remain and turn a reddish color. I thankful Sedum kamtschaticum ‘Variegata’ survived the winter. Hopefully, the plant with the mostly white leaves will return so I can attempt to take a few cuttings. Such a joy when one of your plants “mutates” into something different. This is our 7th anniversary (I brought it from Mississippi).

Sedum kamtschaticum on 3-7-19, #551-16.

The Sedum kamtschaticum (Orange or Russian Stonecrop) that isn’t variegated sprawled out a bit last summer which led more plants. I really like the bigger chartreuse-green leaves on this Sedum. If it does well, maybe I can determine if it is the subspecies Sedum kamtschaticum subsp. ellacombeanum which is larger with bigger leaves. This is our 3rd anniversary although it seems much longer…

Sedum spurium on 3-7-19, #551-17.

I still haven’t decided if I should call this Sedum spurium the cultivar ‘Dragon’s Blood’ or not. It has always done well but it doesn’t appreciate being called ‘?’. There are other options besides ‘Dragon’s Blood’ which determining the cultivar somewhat difficult. ‘Dragon’s Blood’ has been popular for many years and since I bought it unlabeled from an Amish Greenhouse, it is pretty likely that is what it is. This could be our 4th anniversary.

Sedum spurium ‘John Creech’ on 3-7-19, #551-18.

The Sedum spurium ‘John Creech’ has really spread a lot since 2017 and it kind of getting out of its boundary. It tells me since it is a Sedum spurium it doesn’t have boundaries. I think we need a new contract specifically describing its limitations…

Sempervivum ‘Killer’ on 3-7-19, #551-19.

Last summer the Sempervivum ‘Killer’ amazed me with so many flowers! I had not had any Semps flower before, so I was pretty impressed. The problem is, Sempervivum are monocarpic which means the plant that flowers die… That has left a lot of dead plants in this cluster although there is a number of smaller pants that are taking their place. I just have to clean up the clump and make sure all the rosettes are in the soil. There are quite a few that are just laying on the surface of the soil. This is our 2nd anniversary.

Stachys byzantina on 3-10-19, #552-14.

I think there is only one remaining clump of the Stachys byzantina (Lamb’s Ear). I am thankful it survived and has spread somewhat so I can relocate a few. This is our 6th anniversary.

Syringa sp. on 3-10-19, #552-7.

There are several Lilac (Syringa sp.) in “the other yard” that are very old. Heck, they were old and overgrown when I was a kid. There are different species of Lilac and they don’t all bud and flower at the same time. Only one is budding at the moment but the other two will soon follow. There was another one but it had Poison Ivy growing in it. I sprayed the Poison Ivy after a few years of trying other means to eradicate it. Next thing I knew, the whole Lilac bush was also dead…

Tulipa sp. on 3-10-19, #552-15.

The AWESOME cluster of red Tulips are up and soon will dazzle us with flowers. There was a big bed of tulip in the “other front yard” grandma had planted many years ago. when I moved to the farm in the 1980’s I dug what I could up and moved them along the fence by the garden (I also added more I bought). None of them are there now but there are always a few that come up in the old bed. They are still there because the bulbs are so deep I couldn’t find them.

I haven’t noticed the yellow Crocus in “the other yard” that magically came up last spring. Neither dad or I planted them and neither one of us had ever seen them before. That covers a 37 year period…

Well, that’s it for now. I hope your spring is filled with joy and happiness and you have a great summer ahead. I am so glad to see the grass beginning to turn green and the trees budding out. Time for some color! Time to GET DIRTY!

Until next time, be safe and stay positive.

Hello folks! I hope this post finds you all doing well. I am seemingly at a loss for ideas to write about this time of the year. So a few times I have followed the suggestion of fellow bloggers. This time it appears Mr. Jim Ruebush of “HOW I SEE IT” has made another suggestion…

I mentioned getting stuck was on my top ten list of things I don’t like in the last post. Then, in his comment, he asked if I could fill out the list of top ten things I didn’t like. We both agreed it would be interesting to see the list of other people as well… Then Debbie agreed a top ten list would make a great post.

However….  What would a top ten list of things we don’t like without a list of what we do like?  You need to follow negative thoughts with 1-3 positive thoughts that relate to the same thing. 

For example… “I hate it when I am in a hurry and my boot string breaks.” Followed by “I love my Redwings Boots. I like having spare shoestrings on hand.” Or maybe, “It’s a good thing the strings are long enough so I can just tie a knot in the string.”

Now, what can I say positive about poison ivy? That would be tough except it wouldn’t have to be about poison ivy. It could be about a vine or a vine that turns red in the fall. Well, I’ll just stick with the fall color because I am not particularly fond of any vines…

TOP TEN THINGS I DON’T LIKE:

POISON IVY-leaves turn red in the fall

THORNS-Jim also mentioned in his comment his dislike for thorns. The one reason I don’t plant Roses is because of their thorns and having to prune them. Blackberry bushes are the same. But I do enjoy the flowers and I am thankful for the berries. 

JAPANESE HONEYSUCKLE-But I do like the flowers and the hummingbirds like them, too.

GETTING STUCK-Thankful for having experience and being careful NOT to get stuck.

FLAT TIRES-Hmmm… This recently happened on a gravel road out of the blue. I put on the mini spare and it was also flat. It has not ever been used and the car is a 1996 Buick. But, I was thankful that my best friend lived close so I walked to his house We brought his air tank, aired up the flat and I drove to town and had it repaired (then bought new tires). 

DEAD BATTERIES-But I am thankful for the battery charger. 

LOCKING MY KEYS IN THE CAR-GEEZ! Thankful for coat hangers and the fact the driver window doesn’t close all the way. I am thankful I have only done this a few times.

LOCKING MYSELF OUT OF THE HOUSE-Thankful there is at least one “secret way” to get inside. Thankful I have only done this three times and weird why it happened at all.

RUNNING OUT OF SOMETHING I FORGOT TO REPLACE-Thankful I can do without until I go shopping again. Doing without shows us we can live without certain things. It also helps us to remember next time or to make a list.

MOLES, VOLES, RATS, AND MICE-The only thing I can think of is the opposite. Not having moles, voles, rats, and mice. Using poisons isn’t always a good thing, but if there are mice or rats in the chicken house… Guess what? I use a bait called Tomcat. It works very well. I have been tempted to use it in the garden for the voles, but I have been told that wouldn’t be a good idea. I have no idea why… When I moved back here in 2013, I went to the chicken house one night and it was ALIVE! I told dad there were a lot of mice in the chicken house and he said the cats would get them. Well, there were a couple of holes in the foundation of the chicken house and the cats did sit outside waiting. But, to say there were a lot of mice was a complete understatement. Dad was 82 at the time so how long had it been since he was in the chicken house at night… After a couple of years, I couldn’t take it anymore. I bought a package of Tomcat from the feed store. In three days there were no more mice… Chicken feed consumption went down by around half. 

A couple of months ago I saw a piece of bait outside by the feed room door. I thought that was pretty weird… I opened the door and “HOLY CRAP!” A rat had been very busy and had dirt piled up about 2 feet high (I am not exaggerating). Just think of the hole under the chicken house floor… I had ran out of Tomcat so I went right to the feed store for more. Problem is, it doesn’t work as well on rats. It took a couple of days. Then a week or so ago, another rat was trying to move in. I have not seen a rat, or any evidence of any, for many years until this year. 

GETTING STUNG-For the most part, bees and wasps are beneficial and harmless. BUT, there are members that have bipolar disorder that are so territorial and protective of their nests they will chase you down the street. For those, I am thankful for wasp killer. Not just any old rinky-dink spray, I am talking about the cans that can shoot 20 feet away.

BEING SHOCKED BY ACCIDENT BY THE ELECTRIC FENCE-Sometimes I touch an electric fence to see if t is working so I get just a tingle. There have been times when I have accidentally touched it and the results have been mind-blowing. It was like a shotgun going off in my head. It made me wonder if all my memory had been erased. I am thankful we do have electric fences good fences in general, though. Well, I think this is one of those times when you say positive affirmations in the hope of having better fences in the future and won’t need to use electric. Electric fences are OK, but they need to be maintained. You have to make sure the deer haven’t screwed them up every day or so. Even though the “local” deer know where the electric fences are, dad always said that deer that are new here don’t know. I think they can see the current that we can’t although I am not sure. Sometimes they get spooked and pay no attention to where they are going. Just think about it… How many times have you ran into a closed door during the night, or stumped your toe on a table leg that has always been there? 

PLANTS DYING-I hate it when a new plant dies, or even one I have had for a long time. But, I am thankful for the plants that always do well. I am thankful for having had the experience with the ones that have died. I am thankful that there are so many plants to choose from and for the ones I haven’t met yet.

WINTER (cold, snow, frost, freezes, ETC…)-OK, so I am just going to say winter in general. Even though I close to hate winter, I have rather enjoyed the “S” this year for some whacky reason. I must have slipped a cog… Hmmm… Maybe it is the stillness on a winter’s night. I realize if you live in the city or a neighborhood where there is never a quiet moment you may not experience this. If you live in the country there is nothing quite like the stillness of the night during the winter. Especially when there are a few inches of snow on the ground. So, I am thankful that winter only lasts part of the year. I am thankful that maybe some of the Japanese Beetle grubs won’t make it through the winter. Plus all the other insects pests that feed on plant leaves. I AM thankful for the opportunity to live in a tropical climate. 

CLEANING HOUSE AND DUSTING-I don’t like cleaning house or dusting but I don’t like a messy house or dust even more. Therefore, once in a while I do have to clean. Especially when company will be coming. So, I am thankful for company once a month or so…

WEEDS-The age-old “what is a weed” statement has been overused. How about, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” I have a lot of “weeds” because to me they aren’t weeds. Well, I suppose that completely depends on where they are growing and what they are. There are many “weeds” growing in the pasture along with wildflowers. Ragweed, Ironweed, and Jimsonweed are weeds because their names say so. In my opinion, any plant that is invasive and not useful as a pollinator or food for wildlife and/or growing where it doesn’t belong is a weed. Jimsonweed is a beautiful plant, but not in the garden (or the pasture for that matter). BUT… I am thankful for trimmers, mowers, and being able to pull them up.

DECEPTION AND BEING LIED TO-Believing something that we have been taught is true all our lives only to find out it isn’t true (or at least the way we have been taught). But, when you find out the way it really is, it a very liberating experience. Then you find out the endless opportunities and how AMAZING life really is… “The truth will set you free, and when you are free, you are free indeed.”

NOT BEING ABLE TO PAY OFF DEBTS-Have you ever made debts thinking you could pay them off as long as “this or that” happens”. A series of unfortunate events happened a couple of times in my life which left me unable to pay off a few debts. Not big debts necessarily… Not to mention “other” debts that keep growing you can’t seem to do anything about… GEEZ! The positive thing is that we learn by our mistakes and hopefully won’t repeat them.

CAMERA BATTERY DYING-I am thankful to have electricity and a charger.

Ummm… I think that is more than 10. If you stop to think about it, there are a lot of little annoyances we have to deal with. So many things are avoidable and we learn to “maintain” our lives so we don’t have to deal with them. Like running out of clean clothes so you won’t have to wear dirty socks for a week. You just have to buy more socks or maybe do laundry more often. I try to have as many shirts as socks so I will run out at the same time. I have two pair of jeans, one stays clean while the others get dirtier all week. Keep at least one extra of everything you use and run out of frequently. 

TOP TEN THINGS I LIKE:

Well, this one is a little tricky and not necessarily in order…

MAKING CONTACT… I could write a long paragraph about that, but those “who know” know what I am talking about. 

Ummm… I can’t mention the second thing.

A plant flowering for the first time.

Finding new plants.

Spring.

Good movies.

Watching the birds.

Comments on my blog and blogging.

Experiencing new things. 

Sunset.

Sunrise.

Hearing the birds in the morning. Being able to buy birdseed so they will also be thankful.

A well-groomed lawn… Not necessary my ard for the past few years.

Gardening. There are many reasons I enjoy gardening.

Discovery.

Trying something for the first time and it works.

Good friends.

Talking walks in the woods or on the farm.

GREAT FOOD! 

Feeling good.

My new mattress. AHHHH YYYYEEEESSSS! I recently bought a hybrid mattress on eBay. It came rolled up in a box, 10″ springs plus foam and all. That was quite an experience in itself. I placed it on the old box springs, careful to make sure it would jump in the right direction. You can imagine what happened as I started cutting the plastic wrap… Yeah, that’s what happened in a split second… 🙂 I was thinking about making a post about this and I should have set up the camera and taken a video. Anyway, the mattress is great!

Of course my iMac and camera.

Smiles and laughter.

I better stop there or you will think I can’t count… There are so many things I like and enjoy I just can’t even begin to write them all down. I (we) have so much to be thankful for. 

I was reading a few days ago that we should name three things we are thankful for each morning before we get out of bed. So, I do this every morning. 

Every night when I go to bed I give thanks. This is a good idea whether you thank God, the Universe, The Creator of All, Mother and Father God, the Archangels, or whoever you choose to give thanks to. I am not so sure it really makes any difference at first who you thank. Just saying thank you can make a big difference. You should say “thank you” for any little thing that comes along as well as the big things.

You can give thanks for the air you breath, fresh water, good food, your vehicle, the birds, the sky, the sun, your healthy body, your taste buds, your hands, your feet, the plants, the flowers, the moon and stars, your eyes, your ears, your job, the money to pay bills, your friends and family. All the good things you enjoy you should be thankful for. Even if you don’t say “thank you God”, just say thank you… After all, who is God anyway? OK, don’t get me started on that one. That would NOT be a good item for a post for someone with a research disorder… I would take you all the way back to the Sumerian Tablets. Hmmm… 

I just deleted the next paragraph…

I do have questions about a few things that I am STILL working on. Things I just don’t understand. It isn’t right not to know the answers to all our questions. In fact, we have the right to know. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t know. It is your life, it is my life. We need to embrace life and all it’s awesomeness and with all our awesomeness. We are spiritual beings with energy that connects to everything. This is a scientific fact. Not mere words… There are many things that we are told we aren’t supposed to do that we are supposed to do. Things we are told there are no answers to that there are answers to. If you have been brought up as a Christian you have fallen through a funnel and into a bottle. Well, I have crawled out of the bottle. Now I call myself a “Progressive Christian.”

I don’t know why people are sick and suffer through life. I just don’t understand… To be perfectly fine one day and the next miserable. I have known many perfectly healthy people that have died or now has cancer. WHAT THE HECK!?!?!? I have read a lot about cancer and watched The Truth About Cancer series. I understand but I don’t understand either.

One thing that really bugs me, and I hate to bring it up… We make people live when they want to die, or need to be able to make the choice. I am not heartless, but if I were born a quadriplegic and couldn’t feed myself… What quality of life would I have? Quality of life… We are body, soul (mind), and spirit. When your body dies your spirit moves on (one way or another-LOL!!!)!!! I say one way or another because it depends on what you believe and I am not going to argue with you. You can believe what you want, but like I always say, “THE TRUTH IS THE TRUTH WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IT OR NOT.” So, in reality, we are a spirit living in a borrowed body. So, does your spirit want to live in a broken body? I better stop there, but this could be a really good topic for discussion. How do we make a decision for someone else? After all, one of the greatest scientists of all time was quadriplegic…

One thing I have been doing lately is taking several courses on DailyOM. My thanks to Masha (A Sweeter Life) for sharing the website with me. 

I have watched a lot of documentaries on Gaia.com and some of the recent discoveries would really amaze you. From the scientific community, through archeology and spiritually. It is all coming together. We are finding out many answers about our hidden past, things we weren’t supposed to find out and how it sometimes relates to our future. Science has come a long way just by asking “who are we?” It is like the Universe is answering. It’s pretty amazing! There are also a lot of very good documentaries on YouTube. Just be aware that some people have different opinions and some are a little whacky. 

OK, I better end this post or I will never finish. I do hope you comment and even maybe post about your opinions on your blog. Everyone has thoughts on many subjects… The spoken (and written) word is very powerful.

So, what else are we going to talk about? You name it, I’ll post it. 🙂 Within reason, of course.

Until next time, be safe, stay positive, take a good deep breath, and always be thankful.

Hello Folks! I hope this post finds you all doing well. It seems when one snow melts another comes to take its place. This one will be followed by VERY cold temps… The forecast originally said it was going to start snowing at 2 AM and snow for 10 hours. It also said we could expect a total accumulation of 6-7 inches. Well, at 2 AM the forecast had changed and said it would start around 3 AM and would last only 6 hours. I think I checked about 4 AM and it still hadn’t snowed. I don’t exactly remember the time I last checked because I was half asleep. I remember checking the radar around 3 AM and it was weird. I should have taken a screenshot. The cloud was like a horseshoe shape and we were in the middle then it surrounded us.

The wind was blowing when I got up and there wasn’t a bird in sight. They have been enjoying their new feeder in the tree in front of the house. One day a Purple Finch and a Gold Finch were on the feeder at the same time. By the time I got the camera, they had flown off. It is sometimes hard to take photos of the birds in front of the house because every time a car goes by the birds fly into the tree.

I am not sure how much snow we actually received because of the wind but I am sure we didn’t get 7 inches. Some of the drifts are well over 12″ deep, though.

My son and his friend are here now and they piled up some of the brush from the ice storm. Then yesterday we helped the preacher from church (not the church next door) remove the brush in front of a lady’s house (who goes to our church). Ummm… For some reason we brought it here instead of taking it to the city barn. The yard was a bit soft but we had no problems until the last load. I told the preacher to just put it in drive and not to put his foot on the gas pedal. That worked the first two times but not the last time. The tires started spinning and I told him to stop and I would get the tractor. Well, I had to air up a flat tire and I needed to charge the battery a little. By the time I was able to get the tractor ready he was stuck much worse. Over the years I have learned a few things about getting stuck in mud and snow. Once the tires start to spin you need to stop. If you can’t get anywhere in reverse, just stop and make a new plan. I rate getting stuck in the top 10 of things I like the least. I suppose in the winter it would be number 1 while in the summer it would move down the list and be replaced by poison ivy. Maybe thorns…

Snow and frost (the “S” and “F” words) are pretty high on the list. The “F” word is number 1 in the fall. I do like the patterns the snow makes from the wind blowing.

There was a drift on the north side of the old foundation in “the other yard” which I DID NOT jump into. I may have when was younger but it has been a while I have played in the snow…

Another drift along the southeast side…

Ummm… The Cylindropuntia imbricata (Tree Cholla) doesn’t mind the snow. Last January was so cold it turned maroon!

No plants on the front porch yet…

Nothing to say about this…

Everywhere you look is a bright white on a sunny day.

The Phlomis ‘Edward Bowles’ has been tucked under this flower pot for a while.

The Nandina domestica (Heavenly Bamboo) seems to be holding on to a nest of snow.

There was an old bird feeder in the barn so I decided I would stick it in the ground yesterday. This was dad’s feeder when I was growing up where we lived before.

A Flicker was wondering where it came from…

Back in the front yard, a few birds were enjoying their seed. Usually, there are a lot of Juncos but this time there were a few species of sparrows and a pair of Cardinals.

While taking the photo of the birds through the window I noticed the Stapelia gigantea is growing a new side branch. It is going to be really exciting when it flowers…

The forecast has changed somewhat over the past few days. For several days it said the low for tonight was going to be 1° F. Now it says 2… Well, at least it sounds better. Of course, the wind chill is a different story. Currently, at about 3:30 PM, the temperature is a windy 15° F and it feels like -6. 😐

That’s all I have to talk about for now. Until next time, be safe and stay positive. Stay warm or keep cool depending on where you live.

Hello Folks! I hope this post finds you all well. After a few days of warmer temperatures, another cold front has moved in. The forecast over the past few days changed somewhat and seemed to vary from website to website. Last night the forecast said 2-4 inches of snow beginning after 7 AM.

The above photo and several below were taken at 10 AM. Not too much to be concerned about at that time.

I checked the forecast again and this time it said we could expect up to 7 inches…

At about noon I needed to leave. I went to turn the furnace down and as I looked out the back door… WOW! It had snowed A LOT in two hours!

Pulling out of the driveway onto the street, it appeared not too many people had been out. The wind was blowing a little and what tracks would have been made earlier were already covered up. I had two places I needed to go whether it was snowing or not. Driving down the streets in town was one thing, but when I came to a highway that had not been graded… That was a whole different story. The snow was coming down pretty good and everything was white. I could barely see tracks on the highway but I eventually made it to my first destination. I was supposed to drive a tractor around 12 miles away on the other side of town. Any of you who have ever tried driving a tractor on a slick surface knows that is a bad idea. Needless to say, I didn’t make it very far before I chickened out. I got back in the car and ran a few errands in town and went home.

At about 5:30…

It appeared it had stopped snowing but when I went outside it was drizzling a little. I normally measure the snow on the back porch railing but since the wind had been blowing there wasn’t enough to measure

I had put out more feed after I returned home and the birds were happy I did. The Junco’s and Cardinals are the main birds that eat under a maple tree in the front yard. I saw a pair of Nuthatch one day and they are always fun to watch.

No sitting on the front porch today…

A male Cardinal was resting in the Dogwood behind the house so I had to get a shot.

OH, the darn sparrows! Neglecting to clean out and cover the holes months go when “I should have” has made a cozy place for the sparrows over the winter. I didn’t cover the holes because it got cold and snowed and I felt sorry for them. I seem to have a feeling when the Martins arrive they may experience some resistance. Well, the plan is to clean out the house at least a month before the Martins arrive and cover the holes. Maybe that will encourage the sparrows to nest elsewhere.

Most of the Oxalis have went dormant, but the Oxalis triangularis subsp. papilionaceae in the big pot came back to life already. I hadn’t been giving them water so they would go dormant but when I was taking photos I saw these had sprung back into action. I don’t especially want to water them because the two bigger dormant Amorphophallus bulbs are in the same pot. I gave them a little water since they came back up hoping it won’t affect the sleeping Voodoo Lilies. You never know.  Maybe they will come up, too.

Sorry, I haven’t written to much on the blog lately but I am at a loss at what to write about. I have been working on the plant pages to the right a little but I am not sure if I will be able to get all the plant pages finished by the end of winter or not. I still have maybe 100 or so to add plus updating as I go down the list. I haven’t even started on the wildflowers!

I think that is all I needed to say so I will close this post. I hope you are all well and staying warm (depending on where you live). Be safe and stay positive.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you all doing very well. I used to follow a few cooking blogs that were very good, but recently I started following In Diane’s Kitchen. She has MANY very interesting moth watering recipes she shares on her blog. Her post from December 12, 2017, was about her Pizza Stuffed Meatloaf. I left a comment telling her I had a stuffed meatloaf recipe that was delicious. She asked what I stuffed it with so I emailed her the recipe. Unfortunately, she is having difficulty with her email. I had hoped she would have received it so she would cook it and put the recipe on her blog. BUT, since that didn’t work out, I decided I would do it myself. So, I cooked it for dinner tonight. Well, Sunday evening, depending on when you read this.

I enjoy cooking because I enjoy eating. Of all the recipes I have tried, this one is my favorite to eat. It first started out when I was in Mississippi. Suzanne (Dr. Skinner) found out I liked to cook, so before I even arrived in California, she had started buying cookbooks. When I was packing the last of her truckloads to move to Mississippi I found box after box of cookbooks she had bought for me. I never counted how many, but just guessing, I would have to say over 300… She started buying them on Ebay where she could by A LOT at a time so I had many of the same cookbooks and a lot I wasn’t interested in. After she passed, I chose the ones I wanted and let the rest be auctioned off. Of course, mom and grandma had several cookbooks, which are in the bookcase in the dining room.

I cooked several recipes while she was still alive, including the Savory Stuffed Meatloaf I found in a Betty Crocker Hamburger Cookbook on page 33. I can’t find the cookbook right now, so it is a good thing I put the recipe in the computer. I will look more later and add the photo if I find it. Suzanne said the recipe was fit for a king. She said when we invite people for dinner, you can cook anything you want except for this recipe. I guess she wanted it for herself… 🙂

You will find other versions of Savory Stuffed Meatloaf online and this recipe is also on a few other websites.

I have cooked this recipe several times and have tweaked it somewhat. I will put the list of ingredients as is in the cookbook but I will tell you where I changed or omitted some of the ingredients. There are three parts, the meatloaf, the stuffing, and the topping.

I had to get up early this morning and was pretty tired in the afternoon. I tried to take a nap but couldn’t sleep. I had making this post on my mind so I got up and went to the grocery store. When I arrived back home, I began…

First, we will need to preheat the oven at 350° F and make sure the rack is in the center.

The Meatloaf…

The recipe calls for:

1 ½ pounds ground beef
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 slices bacon, cut up (opt.)
1 teaspoon salt

½ cup milk
½ teaspoon dry mustard
1 egg
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup dry bread crumbs
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

I modified this recipe a little and didn’t add the dry mustard. I also usually substitute minced garlic in place of the garlic powder, more than 1/8 teaspoon of course. The bacon, which is optional, adds a little interest to the first bite. I had normally cooked this recipe without the bacon until the last time. It was very noticeable with the first bite, but after that not so much. Kind of wakes up your taste buds for sure, so I cooked it with the bacon again this time.

I usually buy ground beef that is 90% lean but they didn’t have any at the store today. So, I bought ground chuck which was 80% lean. That means this meatloaf may shrink a little more than usual.

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well…

Dad always said when you make a meatloaf you have to mix it with your hands and squeeze everything together. So, that is always what I have done when I make meatloaf.  One more thing I need to add to the list… Paper towels so you can wipe your hands off before washing them. You wouldn’t want to get the camera all goopy, would you?

The Stuffing…

¼ cup butter or margarine
¼ teaspoon salt
1 small onion, chopped (about ¼ cup)
¼ teaspoon sage
1/8 teaspoon thyme
½ cup chopped celery
dash pepper
2 cups soft bread crumbs

This recipe wouldn’t be the same without the stuffing. Besides it being mandatory if you are going to call it a stuffed meatloaf, it is AWESOME!!! I always use butter in my food instead of margarine. There are some spices in the cabinet that are very old, including the Sage.

Melt the butter in a skillet and cook the onions and celery until tender. If you don’t make sure the onions and celery are tender, you will have crunchy stuffing in your meatloaf. That is just weird…

You can add the other ingredients anytime you want, but I usually do it after the celery and onions are somewhat tender.

Once the mixture in the skillet is ready, add the bread crumbs and stir until the butter mostly coats the bread.

Preparing The Pan For The Meatloaf…

Not all meatloaf pans are created equal. You will need a 9″ x 5″ x 3″ pan and I prefer glass for some reason. You will need to use approximately 2/3 of the meatloaf mixture to kind of make a boat, going up the sides of the pan to about 1/4″ from the top. It is best to do this right before you add the stuffing or it will sag. It is kind of hard to get this evenly but that’s OK. Practice makes perfect. 🙂

Then, fill the inside with the stuffing mixture.

Then, add the remaining meatloaf mixture to the top of the stuffing. You will need to squeeze the edges to the top part or it will separate somewhat during cooking. Kind of like pinching the bottom and top crust together when you bake a pie.

I usually cover the pan with aluminum foil and put it in the oven while I am making the topping. Don’t ask me why because I have no clue…

The Topping…

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
6 tablespoons onion, chopped fine
3 tablespoons vinegar
½ cup water
1 cup catsup

Many people make meatloaf without a topping, but to me, that is like making a cake without icing. I always substitute minced garlic in place of the onions. I remember once I put way too much garlic in and realized later that wasn’t a good idea. I thought I could never have too much garlic but I soon found out there is sometimes a limit.

Mix all the ingredients together then…

Take the meatloaf out of the oven… That is if you put it in the oven already in the first place. Spread enough of the topping to evenly cover the top of the meatloaf and then but it (back) in the oven. I usually put the foil back on for a while in case it splatters, not that it will that much. I just don’t like cleaning ovens. Problem is, while the pan is full the topping will stick to the foil a little. As the meatloaf shrinks this won’t be a problem.

Baking Time…

The cookbook says to bake at 350° F for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Well, for me that is not long enough. It takes at least 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Every so often, maybe every 20-30 minutes or so, take the meatloaf out of the oven and put more topping on it. I kind of made that part up, too. You can, of course, put all the topping on at once, but experience has taught me to add a final coating when the meatloaf is almost finished. Sometimes, but not always, the meatloaf will split in the middle leaving a small gap with no topping. We can’t have that. 🙂

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I dump out some of the oil after an hour or so and again when I add the remainder of the topping. Just go slow and be careful or the meatloaf will try to jump out of the pan.

Finished Product…

After an hour and 30 minutes, the meatloaf will be done. The coating was nice and glossy but there was a small crack in the middle. I put on a little more remaining topping, drained the oil out of the pan, then stuck it back in the oven while I took up the rest of the meal. Only 5-10 minutes.

Oh, that looks sooooooo good!

The recipe says to take it out of the oven and let it stand for 5 minutes before cutting. I can never wait that long…

Ahhhh…

The photo looks like it still isn’t quite done, but it seemed to be. I have taken it out before and had to put it back in again. I hour and 30 minutes may work, and actually, I did put it back in for another 5-10 minutes. You could probably easily cook it for 1 hour and 40 minutes. Normally, you can take a toothpick and check like you would a cake but that is a little difficult with the topping. Once the meatloaf shrinks, you may be able to stick the toothpick in from the side. Which is what I did this time because this one shrunk A LOT!

Come to think of it, some of the pink color could be the bacon…

The first bite left me speechless. I closed my eyes and savored the moment… Amazing! Makes me so thankful to have tastebuds! I always put three good sized slices on my plate, but sometimes I have to put one back. That is like half of the meatloaf!

If you have the opportunity to prepare this meatloaf, let me know how it turned out and if you have any suggestions.

That’s all I have to say right now. Until next time, be safe and stay positive. Stay warm or cool wherever you may be. As always, GET DIRTY if you get a chance.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you all well. It started raining yesterday morning and the forecast didn’t look good. The forecast said a total accumulation of 3-8 inches by the time it was going to stop snowing. It is about 2 PM on Saturday when I am writing this post and it is just barely snowing.

The above photo was taken at 12:44 AM Saturday morning and there was 4 1/4″ on the porch railing.

There was not a sound. It is so neat how calm is it while it is snowing. The wind was barely blowing and the temperature was around 30° F. This was is very wet and heavy snow.

I got up a little after 4 AM and looked out the back door. I saw what appeared to be lightning. I went and got the camera and looked out the door on the north side of the house. Then there was a green flash but it wasn’t lightning. I took another photo just as it flashed again followed by a buzz. Apparently, a limb fell on a power line or something.  I called the power company but was put on hold because of high call volume. Then I saw two pickups from the power company turning down the street across the road.

When I got up again about 8:30 AM I saw what hap happened during the night. I went and got the ruler and there was 8″ of snow on the porch railing. GEEZ! The cats weren’t on the back porch and there was still a little cat food in their pans.

Hmmm… The top broke out of the pear tree. It isn’t an edible pear, maybe a Bradford Pear or something.

The tree was damaged several years before and there are usually a few limbs that break off during the winter.

Actually, it will look better now without that limb that was taller than the rest. Natural pruning.

I don’t think I will be doing any potting today…

The maple trees stand up pretty well under a load of snow.

One of the maples in the front yard.

Hmmm…

Even the yews along the house are full of snow…

I guess I have to admit the trees look pretty neat covered with snow.

Apparently, the cats are in the barn. I saw one of the fuzzy tomcats in front of the barn earlier but he did not come to the house. The short-haired tom eventually came to the house and ate a little then ran back to the barn. I went out and made a path for them to come to the house and saw there was no snow along the barn Susie finally went up the path and came to the house.

That’s what happens with Chinese Elms…

Well, this doesn’t look so neat…

The power line going to the chicken house had stretched all the way to the ground because a few limbs fell on it. I removed the limbs which helped a little. Luckily the line didn’t break.

Fortunately, I did not lose power but I am sure many did. I messaged my daughter who lives in Springfield (about 2 hours south) and she said they just have rain. This is a wet snow and temps will be in the low 30’s for a few days. It is melting and a lot of the snow has already fallen from the trees and power lines. There is still a little more snow and freezing drizzle in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow but it is supposed to warm up into the 40’s next week.

On a brighter note… The Alocasia ‘Mayan Mask’ I have in the bedroom has decided to flower. I believe it is this plant’s first flower. I kept a few Alocasia upstairs this winter while the rest are in the basement.

The Schlumbergera truncata I picked up from Wagler’s Greenhouse is also now LOADED with buds. This one will have peach-colored flowers.

I will have to admit, this snow does look nice. I cannot believe I said that!!!

Until next time, be safe and stay positive!

Hello everyone! I hope this email finds you all well and recovering from Christmas. I went to my sisters for Christmas because I couldn’t think of enough good reasons not to go. She didn’t like it that I spent Thanksgiving alone even though she did invite me. I didn’t see her invite on Facebook because I didn’t look until after it was over. I didn’t spend Thanksgiving alone because I had to, it was because I chose to. So, I went Christmas morning, stayed the night and came back home on Wednesday.

I made it to her home in Raytown, which is a suburb of Kansas City, with no problem. You would think to get out all you would have to do is go backward, turning right instead of left or left instead of right, on the same streets as before. Well, the last time we went, I somehow got turned around and getting back where I was supposed to be took a little longer. This time was even worse… 

How in the h— can you follow the directions backward and get lost? Well, when I was on 63rd and turned the right direction on to get on Raytown Road, it led to not being able to continue. The lane I was in ended and became one way. I did not notice that when I came… So, I thought maybe I screwed up and went the wrong way. I went back to 63rd and went straight on Raytown Road, passing 63rd. I stopped at a convenience store and asked how to get back on 50 to go to Warrensburg. The fellow was from India and he had no clue. I thought, “How can someone live here and not know how to leave?” I went to another store only to have the same strange answer, also from a man from India… I stopped at another store and a man not from India gave me the same answer. A delivery man was bringing in supplies, who must drive all over the city, and he didn’t even know… Then after driving around more, I stopped at yet another convenience store and asked a lady at the counter. She had no idea. Luckily, another lady was there and told me to turn right at the intersection and go as far as I can then take a left… So, I did that and somehow got to where I needed to be.

Now, Christmas evening, my sister and her husband went to see the lights at a park. It took a while to get there but the wait came after we arrived. Ummm… We have a very nice “Christmas In The Park” here in town where the churches and other business have their own displays. It’s very nice and you can drive through with no waiting. But, in Kansas City, it is not so easy. I am not sure how many miles it was from the main road, winding around, and waiting in this long line of traffic. I am not even sure how long it took because I didn’t want to know. Once there, though, the wait was worth it. It was a grand display and Lawrence County has been doing this for 31 years. 

On the way there, my brother-in-law started out driving similar to the way I came except he turned on Raytown Trafficway instead of Raytown Road. Then, on the way back, he came on Raytown Road and said, “This is the way you came in.” 

On the way home, I was thinking maybe you are supposed to take Raytown Road to their house and Raytown Trafficway when you leave. So, I check online to see. Sure enough, that is correct. You don’t leave the way you go. GEEZ! I didn’t tell my sister what happened but I will definitely remember for the next time. If she reads this post, she will see anyway. I never bothered to get driving directions for the return trip because I didn’t think it would be different. Lesson learned… Well, I very seldom ever get more than 30 miles away from home and I HATE driving in the city. I will be so glad when we can step in a booth and say where we want to go and get out and be there in a matter of seconds.

I also wanted to tell you I had a breakthrough. I realize why I don’t like Christmas. Deep down in my subconscious mind, it is because of glitter… Last Tuesday when I went to take the trash out at the church I saw where the youth had been working on their Christmas play for the following Sunday. The glitter was everywhere! The table was covered! I knew then that it would be trailed all the way up the stairs and into the sanctuary. Then, when I went on Saturday to clean for Sunday morning, it was terrible. Sure enough, it was all over the stairs and hallway. 

I didn’t go to the Sunday service because I didn’t want to see all the glitter during the program. Reminding me of what I had to clean up. I went on Monday to clean for the Christmas Eve service… While they must have cleaned a little because the sanctuary wasn’t that bad, the pulpit was covered. I had to wash it off with water because the vacuum cleaner wouldn’t touch it. I didn’t go to the Christmas Eve service either.

Then, on Saturday (today or yesterday depending on when you read this), I went to clean the church to get it ready for Sunday. GEEZ!!! I did vacuum, as usual, vacuuming the carpet as always, cleaning the restrooms, taking out the trash as usual. Once glitter is on the carpet you can’t worry about getting it all off. That much is just impossible. So, I will just vacuum as always every week and little by little most of the glitter will eventually get sucked up or go further down into the carpet. Just in time for more glitter next Christmas… 

It is now December 29. One good thing about my birthday being on the 29th is that no one seems to notice. Only three people remembered and the lady at the bank also noticed the 29th was my birthday. Even on Facebook, where you get a notification when it is someone’s birthday on your friend’s list. I “usually”, but not always, send a Happy Birthday. Not one Happy Birthday. 🙂 Very good! I don’t really need a reminder. To the young people, I am an old man, so I sure don’t want them to know. I am only 58 and far from being old… Now, if I was 90 and they didn’t remember, I would throw a fit! We sing Happy Birthday to people at church, but usually, they somehow forget about mine. I don’t bring it up either. 🙂 Even growing up as a kid, we didn’t celebrate birthdays. For me, we just had Christmas anyway. 

Well, I guess that is all I wanted to talk about for now. Another year is almost over and we will be in 20… Umm… 19.

Until next time, take care, be safe, and stay positive! I am not sure how dirty you can get, but I seem to be doing fine in that respect.