Oh , Hi There

Thanks for coming to visit today .

I have some pretties to plant and I could use some help . 

So, while I was out running errands the other day for gasoline , hardware store (parts for toilet repair) , feed store (kitty food) , grocery store and Post Office ,  I thought why not a stop at the nursery even though it was near closing time .  Look what I found . And, Yellow was the color I was looking for and in a small size so I could use this plant stand that I have had for years .  And , they were Chrysanthemums and that was really what I was hoping to find ! 

And , then a day later when I needed to get something I forgot at the grocery store I stopped next door where they have some nursery items . These beautiful bright Yellows Pansies waved to me from across the pathways .

And , very nearby sat these sweet little Blue Pansies .    

Perfect . Such good luck . Especially , when their racks needed restocking for the weekend .  And , that store too was locking their doors behind me .  Talk about getting in "under the wire" !

I am so pleased with how my patio at the front door is looking and it feels really nice to sit out there and enjoy the results of my efforts . My Hummingbird mobile at the front door is solar powered and changes color at night !  I call that sort of thing - - - jewelry for my garden !!!

Do stop by if you are in the neighborhood .  The wine is chillin' .

Mary

Just Another Day

Or is it ?

Do you see anything different in the above Blog Header below the photo that says - Life Is Good ?

Well , first off , life is really good even when it is difficult . You already know that perspective is my new found gift ! The reoccurring thought that I think of almost the moment that I awaken each day is my gratitude to have lived to this age and finally found who I am .  And I like it and I like her !!! WOW , now that is a huge statement coming from me .

As with most people , life is filled with many bumps and bruises in the travels . I have had my fair share and then some .  Life has been very far from what I could ever have anticipated .  Much , much more difficult than beyond my thoughts .  Especially , after I became a single parent . It was so frightening!  I was so alone in such a big world that was far more complex than my "little mind" could sort out .

Even though I have fallen severely hard to the ground and really really struggled to regain my balance , my inner self apparently trusted that there was more for me in the future that was worth pushing onward to explore .  And , here I am , very grateful to be alive and have been given the beautiful opportunity to be ME and more  expectedly , have more days on my Life Calendar .

In my exploration of my life , issues have been tossed upside down and every which way in an effort to understand and make sense of it .  The benefit of that dissection has been the comfort of truly understanding that so much has been out of my control and what matters is how I respond to circumstances .  It did not matter how hard I tried "to fix things" .   It did not make a difference .  I now know that I did my best and  no longer have to take responsivity for what wasn't mine !  

For being a person who has been very private and protective of self ,  who never kept a diary or a journal for fear it wasn't safe it amazes me that "I Am A Blogger".  And , for more than 10 years !  It has gently pushed me to be more transparent and trusting that what I have to say, really does have some merit !  I guess I didn't think my thoughts and ideas were valid enough and I may be ridiculed if anyone were to see my thoughts "out loud" .  But , here I am telling you lots of stuff about me , my thoughts , my ideas and my aspirations for my future .

The feeling of being cool within myself - is priceless .

So, what is different about today ?  It is My Birthday

Yes , yes , yes - I Am A Year Older - Really Old .  

81 - - - Can you count them ?  Oh, don't bother . I think they are all there !

(google image)

Thank you for being a part of my incredible journey .  The remainder will be just "icing on the cake" !

Mary

Deliciously Beautiful Looking

Gardening Time is becoming Cooking Time

           Something so simple and So Good .

 

Lately , the recipes that I have been selecting to make seem to be recipes that have a lot more seasoning , like using "rubs" that present the opportunity to experiment with a lot of different flavors .  It's giving me a chance to ensure that my spices are fresh and not expired .  If they are , sometimes I use the " smell test" and if there is still good aroma I will use it and make sure I purchase a new one next time I shop .  Of course , the quite standard flavors of minced garlic , lemon juice and butter are pretty fail-safe and rich .  I paired it with some of the Royal Blend Rice that I had prepared a couple days earlier .  Some red pepper flakes gave the dish a nice extra little kick !

I recently talked about my sweet Ivy spending time with me in the kitchen and simply observing .  Well , once I brought out the shrimp to peel and devein , I heard a little pounce sound .  Ivy was off the stool standing next to me with her paws reaching high on the front of the kitchen cabinets below the sink !  And , Meowing - "I want some" .  It was so cute and really surprised me .  

Do cats really prefer fish ?  Allegedly , "although their sense of taste is not as distinct as ours , cats do have a superior sense of smell , and the strong smell of fish might be what attracts cats to it" .  I wasn't quite sure how I was going to appease her as she was quite insistent , so I just gave her whatever flavor kitty treats that I had . And , that seemed to be ok with her .  Back to her stool - she went .  She really is "good entertainment" !

See ya soon .

Mary

The Changing Season

The mornings are brisk with the thermometer reading around sixty and the freshness of a new day is invigorating especially following the preceding months of unimaginable dreadful weather conditions.  In the last few days we have been given air quality that begs for taking a nice deep breath of fresh air.

The colors in the garden are dramatically changing to clothe the bright greens with gradual shades of amber .

This sight from my dining room window of this Euonymus Alatus - "Burning Bush" slowly transforming into a bright crimson red is always the first harbinger of Fall .  And, it is the first sight that greets me in the morning when I open the curtains .  There is something about it that always brings excitement to my day and puts a pep in my step .

I have noticed a small seedling at the base of the plant and I think it is suitable for transplanting !  Now , I just have to decide where to plant it so that it will get lots of sun like "the mother plant" .

Not long ago I tossed some Zinnia seeds haphazardly in a sunny spot with not much thought if they would bloom this late in the season .  And , what a lovely surprise .  I know their reputation is note worthy and many bloggers have spoken of their bright cheerfulness !  And - - - now I have some of that cheerfulness .

WOW ! About the time I think I have the new Blogger format figured out , I get slapped in the face with total frustration !  I am finding that there are quite a few websites available that I find are helpful.  Https://too-clever-by-half.blogspot.com/ helps me in moving images around !! Thought I would share .

Wishing you smooth Blogging .

Mary 

Who Is This

This is my kitchen Helper or maybe I should say Supervisor . Doesn't she look like she is in charge like a Supervisor in this photo ?

I have always had this one bar stool near or at the end of the kitchen counter . Several weeks ago , my roommate (aka - Ivy) started showing up on the stool whenever I was working in the kitchen . It didn't matter what I was doing .  Maybe fixing my morning coffee or washing dishes . She is so quiet and sometimes I didn't even notice her and it surprised me .   She just sits there and watches , not even meowing . She is such a sweetheart !

I have now started giving her some afternoon treats when she is sitting on the stool .  But , she doesn't beg for her treats throughout the day.  So sweet and and easy to care for . I found a winner !!!  Just needed some TLC and I have a lot of that to give her !

Ivy has become a cat who wants to be where ever I am .  No longer hiding or sleeping in the other room , hissing and biting . In the evening when I am more stationary in the living room she is always nearby .  And , when I approach her she starts to purr .  I think it was about a year after she came to live with me before I ever heard her Purr !  And , you all probably know how comforting the sound of a cat purring can be .

Remember , in April 2018 when Ivy found her "forever home" with me.  Probably not.  Well , because of her behavior I was quite sure she was hearing impaired . The Vet thought so to , maybe .  When he would make a noise that a cat would normally respond to she would not have any response .  And , of course he tried it more than once during her appointment . Well , two and a half years later , my opinion has changed . THIS CAT IS NOT DEAF .  She comes when I call her from the other room (even in a very soft voice) and now has all the normal responses to environment noises that would be expected . I truly believe that she was so traumatized from her first six years of life and her hearing impairment/behavior was part of her defense system for survival .  It seems that it took at least two years for her to feel completely comfortable and safe in her "forever home" .

If you can't tell , she means the world to me .  Just , another special creature in the form of a kitty cat bringing me comfort and joy like so many of my pets before .

Yes , I baked a cake - for Saturday .
 

Hug Your Pets .

Mary

Couldn't Believe My Eyes

 Surprise - Surprise . 

Looks like we got a mama squash !

No baby bump on this guy .  He will probably fall off in no time .  

We will follow along day by day .  Gardening sure has it's level of excitement .

I don't believe I ever showed you this Peace Pole .  Love the sentiment .

And , the colors are great along with the color of my house .  When I saw it  - it was a done deal . Had to buy it !

My house sits on the corner and this is the side of the house that is viewed most from the street .  The house is kind of nestled under a lot of trees . Thus , the bright color is somewhat muted by all the towering green trees . I don't think this house color would work very well if the house sat out in the open .  Maybe , a little to bright !!! 

The front of the house at the front door does not have any windows to show you the blue shutters . The front door is around to the right at the patio entrance . 

The color says it all . I call it "My Happy House" !

Peace Be With You .  

Mary

Where Are The Females

 Look at all of these handsome Male Blossoms on my Acorn Squash!

They are falling off the the vine by the way side left and right just waiting for some ladies to pollinate with . I'm learning that it is not unusual for the first blossoms which are male to drop off .  Squash plants have both male and female blossoms growing on the same plant . The squash plant will produce more blossoms and supposedly will be a mix of female and male blossoms . The male guys will still drop off and the gals will grow into squash !

Another reason for no squash (which I think is the culprit) is lack of pollinating insects such as honeybees . I haven't seen any bees in my garden for months ! Nor have I seen any bumble bees since spring time .This has been becoming a problem in the US for quite some time now . I guess it's a tossup as to what the results will be with my squash .

The Zucchini Squash continues to slowly produce one squash after another giving me just enough time to cook or bake with , when it gives me another squash .  So well behaved !

A little Friday night cooking for ME.

Cheesy Asparagus Stuffed Chicken Breast

That's Ooey Gooey Mozzarella cheese and a delightful seasoned rub on the Chicken . Along with Royal Blend Rice that is Texmati, White, Brown, Wild and Red Rice . Texmati is a hybrid between basmati and regular long grain rice .  

Oh , and the Parsley is from my garden . 😀

Wish you could join me for dinner .  We will have Wine too !

Hope your weekend goes well .

Mary

The Story Goes On

This is my 20 year plus old trellis made from PVC and field fencing . Wisteria is planted on each end of the arch that I created . Sadly the lack of bright sunlight inhibits a heavy profusion of flowers and fragrance  in the summertime . The arch is over the steps that lead from the patio .  And, the new fountain is at one end of the trellis-arch .  Looks pretty good - ya think ? 

Now , Let's continue exploring Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon .  Science is a funny thing ?  Not in a comical way but strange way . With the recent pandemic it has become very clear how mysterious the phrase "science tells us" can become . 

With Baader-Meinhof effect , also known as frequency illusion , recency illusion and selective bias we think something is mysteriously happening often, but there is a difference between something happening a lot and something you're starting to detect a lot .  

In 2005 , a Stanford scholar described frequency illusion as having two components . The first is selective attention , which is when you notice things that interest you most while disregarding the rest .  The second is confirmation bias , which is when you look for things that support your way of thinking while disregarding things that don't .

This phenomenon can cause problems in the Medical Community . Human beings are not immune to frequency bias . To guard against this "double-blind" studies are completed whereby neither participants nor researchers know who's getting what treatment .

The Legal Community has acknowledged that "human memory is not foolproof" when considering eyewitness testimony in a trial .

So , now then , what does the Baader-Meinhof Gang also known as Red Army Faction - a militant West German terrorist group that was active in the 1970s have to do with all of this ?

Are you ready for some crazy and more crazy ?

"Well , just as you might suspect , it appears that it was born of the phenomenon itself . It may go back to an on-line discussion board in the mid 1990s , when a commenter named - the frequency illusion "The Baader-Meinhof phenomenon"  for lack of a better phase after hearing two references to the gang within 24 hours .  And it stuck . The phenomena has nothing to do with the gang !

Well Folks , Have you wrapped your mind around all of this info .    Strange stuff . 😏 I think we will return to Garden Talk tomorrow .

Bye,

Mary

Well - - - Will You Look At That

Less than a week and I have blooming White New Dawn Roses on my new trellis !

I think it is grand and I think the trellis is going to look great as a background for the roses .

It seems as though I am always trying to clean out things that I no longer need that have accumulated during  the past 26 years living in the same place . During which time , my life has had many twists and turns which has influenced the upkeep or lack of upkeep of my 1200 square foot home . 

Very soon after installing the new trellis I was diving into some "clean-out" and it seemed as though a book fell into my hands that is titled The Garden Trellis . What an interesting coincidence !

In the 1990's I gathered a quite large collection of gardening books and I remember purchasing this book .  But , no specific plans for a trellis at the time .  However, when I bought my house and was creating landscaping on a very tight budget , I created a trellis with PVC pipe and field fencing !!!   My Trellis was accomplished with much less expenditure than any of the trellises portrayed in this book . 

The Garden Trellis is a very informative and charming little book with many photos of different trellises and how to incorporate a trellis into the garden along with photos and profiles of plants that are suitable for trellises.  It is nicely illustrated and I really enjoyed reading about the authors personal experience in working with trellises .

I got to thinking about how often lately I have thought about something and within a few days or so something closely related is in my perspective .  I think that happens to all of us at one time or another .  But , it has been happening frequently for me .

I few weeks ago while waiting in line at the pharmacy I saw a lady who looked like a lady I had known a few years ago and I had not thought of in years . A week or so later while reading the editorials in our local (very small town type) newspaper - there was her name as author of one of the editorials . 

Because I am a very curious person I got to thinking that I had never heard a name for that type phenomena .  Yes , it has a name.  And , a strange one at that ! It is called Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon .  How in the world does the German Red Army have anything to do with the experience of a thing you've just noticed or experienced suddenly cropping up ?

I'll try to tell you next time . It's weird .  Do you ever experience this phenomena ?

Until next time . Stay Well .

Mary

I don't know how to add labels with the new blogger format . Can someone help me ?

Terrible

It is so shameful that we, the public of the United States of America were not given the truth about the onset of the event and urgency of acting on the information promptly with a proactive plan to aggressively fight the COVID-19 super-infectious disease . No more to be said ! Politics is not a subject that I want to bring to my blog but this is more than shameful and I do not have a word for it !!!!!

Today ,  please reach out to someone with the desire to make their day a little better .  Perhaps a smile - - - and a "hello" since we  can't easily see a smile when wearing a mask .  Spread some LOVE .

Mary

Another Outdoor Project

Someone stop me before I become certifiable ("officially recognized as needing treatment for mental disorder") ! But , we already know - I've already been there !😃😃😃

I think these end of season sales got a hold of me by the tail ("difficult to escape") !

But , Oh well , like I said - it keeps me off the streets .

Photo taken ten years ago.

I have a lovely climbing white rose - New Dawn - that has been a profuse grower spreading hither and yon in an area that has been difficult for me to get to and keep pruned when necessary . It is planted near my Blue Bottle Tree .  The rose has been very tenacious and even produced a lot of beautiful new growth when I cut it to the ground thinking that maybe it would "just give up" . Yes , that means die . Oh , the horror of me !  I considered transplanting The Rose but the base is about six inches across. So , The Rose is here to stay .

It was not long ago that I noticed something that might be a good addition to my garden .  And , it was a good price for me .  It is made of vinyl and appeared to be easy to assemble and the reviews were good by previous customers .

Today's delivery services for this area have been very unpredictable and it arrived early evening on Saturday . Consistent with my typical behavior - got to it . The project is completed and I am very happy with the results .

I think it will work out fine and help me to keep its rampart growth in control .  Can you see how the new growth is looking good creeping up the trellis ?

And , the loveliness of the plush white roses behind the bottles should give nice framing .

In the spring/ summer time when the Iris , Dayliles and Guara are in boom at the ground level it will look nice , I think .

Now , look at this photo that I took early Sunday morning .  The actual view that I saw showed the sun , bright red , yes red , not white .  I took several shots and they all looked the same .  What I was looking at was a Bright Red Sun and a Bright Clear White sky . What a surprise when I processed the photo !

Well , we are loosing our electricity at 9 PM tonight because of forecast high wind and Fire Danger here in California.  Hopefully , electricity will resume by Wednesday night .  Life is certainly different !

But , listen , I am on my way to take a Jacuzzi Spa Bath .  I should use the tub more even though it takes a lot of water .

No more garden projects . I promise . No more end-of-season sales .

Take Care .

Mary

A New Pretty For My Patio Wall

I have had this "Lovely" for quite a time . But , just now getting it up on the wall .  The shading of the colors seems somewhat unique and to my liking . 

And , it is a nice 16 inch size .

Not much going on for me today even though it is the start of the Holiday Weekend . But , that's not new for me , now is it ? And , with the pandemic a lot of people are staying home . At least I hope they are . Because that is where they belong as far as I am concerned !!! The weather is starting to get very hot as forecast .  Oh , Am I ever happy that my air conditioner is working in good order .

The veggie garden is still put - putting along .  The acorn squash has some blossoms .  And look at those large leaves . They are huge !

 And , there are a few more tomatoes .  But , not much to get very excited about .

I am far from certain about planting any veggies next year . And if I do , I plan to empty the raised bed of all the soil and place a weed barrier at the bottom prior to replacing good fresh soil with nutrients .  If I follow through with that idea , I will definitely have to find someone to do it for me .  From what I understand , the fact that the area is filled with old and large trees , the raised bed is saying to all the tree roots "come on over - the soil is nice and rich and moist and you will like it over here".  And , that may be the reason for the copious amount of roots which are competing with my young vegetable roots when I plant in the spring time !

The end of the gardening season is drawing near and there are a lot of tasks I would like to be able to do .  One of the major tasks is to separate and replant  lots of the Iris . Especially , in the White Garden .  Speaking of the White Garden - The Fig Tree is huge this year after my severe trimming last year .  BUT , there are very few figs this year which is very unusual .  However , the ones I have eaten are very plump and sweet .

One of the many wonders of gardening .  You never know what the garden is going to be like from year to year . And, you can be sure there will be a few challenges and queries without an answer .

Wishing you an Enjoyable Holiday Weekend .

Mary