On 6/29/2017 11:15 PM, Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> On Thu 29 Jun 2017 07:03:47p, George Shirley told us...
>
>> On 6/29/2017 7:01 PM, Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>> On Thu 29 Jun 2017 03:32:26p, George Shirley told us...
>>>
>>>> On 6/29/2017 4:49 PM, Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>>>> On Thu 29 Jun 2017 06:17:43a, George Shirley told us...
>>>>>
>>>>>> On 6/29/2017 12:04 AM, Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>>>>>> On Wed 28 Jun 2017 12:14:34p, George Shirley told us...
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> We're making spaghetti sauce from out bucket of mixed
>>>>>>>> tomatoes. Already have it getting ready for the pressure
>>>>>>>> canner. Only made four pints but that will be four different
>>>>>>>> meals for us this winter or sooner.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Didn't get enough green beans to can this year, some sort of
>>>>>>>> blight got the beans. Pretty much the same with the cukes.
>>>>>>>> But with the cukes it may have been a blessing. We had a
>>>>>>>> deluge of cukes last year so put up lots of relish and
>>>>>>>> pickles.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I suspect the problem with the garden this year is the
>>>>>>>> extreme heat we've been having followed by the January back
>>>>>>>> to back freezes. Hitting 90+ most days and not a lot of
>>>>>>>> rain. Plus we need to amend the whole raised beds again.
>>>>>>>> Most likely will do that this fall and then let it lay
>>>>>>>> fallow until spring.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> We have a new composter, bought on line, and is working well
>>>>>>>> at this time. With just the two of us there's not much
>>>>>>>> garden waste or otherwise to fill a composter. Mowing every
>>>>>>>> two weeks helps though. I see neighbors putting their mowed
>>>>>>>> grass in a bag and send it off to the dump. If I knew what
>>>>>>>> they put on their lawns I would high jack the bags. <G>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> George
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> As you know, we can't have a garden, but we do buy farm grown
>>>>>>> tomatoes at a local stand. I make spaghetti sauce with
>>>>>>> ground beef, sausage, and mushrooms. I freeze our sauce in
>>>>>>> 2-portion containers, as it's usually just the two of us when
>>>>>>> we have spaghetti.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> We have a good source for kirby cucumbers and periodically I
>>>>>>> make a few pints of bread and butter pickles, and also a few
>>>>>>> ints of garlic dills.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> We don't really like either frozen or canned green beans, so
>>>>>>> I buy fresh whenever we want them.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> That really too bad aboaut the blight you've had this year.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> If you're a gardener you will attempt to grow something even
>>>>>> if it's on a window ledge. You and I have probably been
>>>>>> gardening since we could walk. Keep it up Wayne.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> We live in Harris Cty, TX and the weather for the last year
>>>>>> has been horrible. I think all the bug and blight problems are
>>>>>> due to the way the HOA takes care of the drainage pond and, I
>>>>>> suspect, they are using some sort of bug killer that is not
>>>>>> good for gardeners. There's only about four of us, mostly
>>>>>> older people, that garden. The rest are folks that are gone
>>>>>> all day to work and then come home and sit in front of the TV.
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> For the first two years we lived here we tried gardening in
>>>>> large pots on the patio. We have no soil or grass areas.
>>>>> Things would get a good start in late April or early May, but
>>>>> by the end of July everything had died. We did our best to
>>>>> keep everything properly irrigated and misted as each type of
>>>>> plant required, as well as using the best soil and fertilizer,
>>>>> and we just got tired of failure.
>>>>>
>>>>> The only plants that have grown successfully on our patio are
>>>>> cactii and palms.
>>>>>
>>>>> When we lived in Queen Creek, about 28 miles SW of Phoenix, we
>>>>> had a very large bck yard where we had mature orange, lemon,
>>>>> and lime trees, as well as various palms and cactii. The
>>>>> perimeter wall was planted with ever-blooming bougainvillea.
>>>>> We had the landscapers installed a 21 x 20 raised bed, and
>>>>> everything had automated drip irrigation and misters. We were
>>>>> able to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkin, summer squash, green
>>>>> onions, and radishes. I know there were a few other things,
>>>>> but can't remember. We never tried corn. The overall
>>>>> atmosphere seemed to be perfect for growing almost anything. We
>>>>> even had sever red and black currant bushes scattered around
>>>>> the yard. When we left that house, nothing ever grew for us
>>>>> again. :-(
>>>>>
>>>> I can understand that, we lived on ten acres for the first
>>>> sixteen years of a now fifty-seven year marriage. Then we moved
>>>> and had about a quarter acre in a subdivision that was covered
>>>> with large trees. When we moved to Corpus Christi we had a large
>>>> backyard but we were to busy to put in a garden. Now we live on
>>>> 6500 square feet with a 1960 square foot home. The backyard is
>>>> crammed with "stuff." 32 feet of four foot wide raised beds, a
>>>> two foot wide garden around the fence for flowers, fruit, etc.
>>>> Since I can't bend over anymore I can't do a lot but do the
>>>> canning, cooking, etc. as needed. Doctors say there's nothing
>>>> they can do about the severe arthritis that loads me down. I
>>>> guess I inherited from my mother, she had severe arthritis for
>>>> years but lived with it until she passed at 89. I also inherited
>>>> Dad's heart disease, he left us at age 71 and I'm running up on
>>>> 78 already. You just have to do whatever is needed. At our age I
>>>> don't think we could handle 10 acres plus critters, big
>>>> tractors, etc. We had young kids back then who loved the farm
>>>> too. Now they're successful fifty plus working folk. Daughter is
>>>> an assistant principal in a large grade school, son is assistant
>>>> director of Texas Children's Hospital and his wife is a realtor.
>>>> Everyone is busy at something but we try to make a holiday
>>>> occasionally.
>>>>
>>>> I'm just happy to be alive and close to our kids, grands, and
>>>> great grands.
>>>>
>>>> George
>>>>
>>>
>>> I totally get it, George. I'm now 72 and David is 68. He has
>>> had a quadruple coronary bypass, a total knee replacemet, and
>>> just recently had a complete shoulder reconstruction. I have had
>>> 4 coronary artery stent implants, and now have spinal stenosis in
>>> both the lower and upper spine. I'm not supposed to bend over
>>> from the waist or lift more than ten pounds of anything. All
>>> that being said, we really not in such bad shape. I have no
>>> children and close relatives. David has 5 siblings who all live
>>> in Cleveland. He also has 3 children from whom he is estranged,
>>> but it's all for the good. We're lucky to have a small but close
>>> circle of friends here in Phoenix.
>>>
>> I can see what you're saying. 42 micro strokes, four major
>> strokes, have a stroke, have another one thirty minutes later.
>> Five stents in my heart, several heart attacks, cracked my chest
>> some years ago and put a tube around a clog in my heart arteries
>> and five years later the old clog bypassed itself. It's weird how
>> your own body can try and correct the problem. I've been on
>> insulin for many years now, shoot 45 units every day, have a large
>> pill box and most of the pills have names I can't read plus
>> doctors have me on all kinds of fish oil, vitamins, etc. I could
>> afford a new car if I didn't have to buy pills and pay doctors.
>> Getting old is a bitch but it sure beats the alternative, been
>> there, done that. I'm still grinning but walking a lot slower.
>> Getting old is much better than the alternative. We have two
>> children, five grandchildren, and, so far, six great grand
>> children and we enjoy them all.
>>
>> George
>>
>
> Wow, George! I knew you had suffered through several heart issues,
> but had no idea how many and how serious. God must really be
> watching over you. David and I are diabetic and have cholesterol
> issues, but with medication everything has been well controlled.
> Neither of us are on insulin (yet). We both have large pill boxes.
> :-) I think we both take about the same number of pills a day, but
> not all the same. I know I take 16 assorted pills and supplements
> every day, plus using a Fentanyl patch to help control my back pain.
> I get quarterly spinal injections and hope that I won't every need
> spinal surgery. Before I began the spinal injections I hadn't walked
> in over two years, but my pain management physician is a magician!
> As long as I maintain my back, I literally have no pain, but I have
> to behave. :-) As you said, getting old is a bitch, but is sure beats
> the alternative, and we're making the best of it. How is Miss Ann's
> health? Good, I hope!
>
I did good on marrying Miz Anne, her Mom's family came over from England
in the sixteen hundreds, her Dad's family came over from Germany in
1854. Both lived long lives, her Mom passed at 100+, her Dad at 80
something. She turned 77 last month, mows the lawn, cleans the house,
works in the church poor garden, teaches painting to two sets of old
ladies and one set of four children, plus cleans the house and does
everything an old geezer can't do anymore plus loves all of our extended
family. She baby sits the great grands, rubs my back when it hurts, and
is a good housewife and cook. I'm hoping I can stay around until we have
been married 60 years, getting closer every year. I met her when we were
both 18 in Maryland. She just out of high school, me just landed at
Patuxent River Naval Air Base to work in a transport squadron. Told her
the day I met her I was going to marry her and she said, "Sure you are
Sailor." We married on 12/26/1960 and we're still going strong. We argue
a lot, typical old people, but it's still fun to make up. <BSEG> She
carries a stainless steel top of her left leg due to a trip and fall
many years ago. I wouldn't trade her for anything.