Back to Work...But Not Back to Normal

I went back to work today and let me tell you, things were not normal at all! I had never felt claustrophobic before but the office, Washburn Room, Children's Room etc are all stacked with boxes of books, magazines, DVD's etc with narrow hallways...almost tunnels...winding through them. I kept making jokes about needing baseball caps with bike flags on top so we could be tracked on our way through them! The floor between my desk and the staff mailboxes is full of boxes and if anyone was using the desk it was 'cozy' trying to get by. The library director was set-up in a corner of the storeroom behind the office with a pc but no phone. The only printer connected to the internet is in the Children's Room and the pc in the office is not connected to it. I was trying to catch up with the new book orders that have come in and I had a couple of ways I could do it. I could carry...in my arms coz all the carts are full of books...the books I wanted to label to the children's room or I could do the prep work right there and then email the labels to myself, go back to the children's room and open the email and print the labels. That sounded easier until I tried to print the labels I had created in Publisher and remembered that Publisher has to be the same version on both ends or it won't open and it's not. Then I went back to the office and tried to create them in Word...but I never like Word...never used it much, and that took twice as long but finally got them printed and all the books labeled and ready for inventory. Tomorrow I'm going to try to prep the dvd's and do my part of cleaning the library...defrosting the refrigerator. Next week we'll be actually putting books on the shelves. There are definitely going to be parts of my job I will not miss when I leave at the end of June.

Jeff & I have been searching on line for another dog (not a replacement for Dawg but new one). We've all decided we'd like another lab... not black this time, maybe a yellow lab, and we're surprised at how rare they are at shelters...and how much it costs to get a puppy. I saw online offers for lab puppies from $250-1500! One shelter offered a young lab-mix female, spayed, for $250 PLUS $50 postage or delivery cost. And everything from breeders to shelters required an application with written agreements on the treatment of the dog. One breeder even stated that only occasionally do they sell a pup as a family pet!! I guess we'll just take our time. Dawg was a prize dropped into our laps and while I don't think we'll be that lucky again, we're not in a hurry to find out.

I've been finally making headway on baby sweaters for the shop. I'm doing a size 9mos cardigan, raglan from the neckdown, in a Bernat's baby jacquard with a solid color for the ribbing (neck, cuffs, button strip down the front, and around the bottom) that I thought matched. Well, I've got the sleeves done and half-way to the bottom and I'm not so sure anymore. It's close but not as close as I'd like. Had some trouble with the self-patterning on the sleeves but finally got it done. I'll take some photos tomorrow and add them here X and let the reader decide.

Tonight should be a test of sorts for the greenhouse. It's suppose to be below freezing and the beans and peppers may not make it. Jeff has just about decided to make the greenhouse larger and put in a rocket stove if he does so this won't be a problem anymore. We're getting very serious about this garden.

LIFE GOES ON

Jeff decided today was the perfect day to keep busy so after we picked up my paycheck (and noticed that the DO NOT ENTER--ASBESTOS signs and the plywood and paper barricades had been removed from the library), a quick trip across the river to Aldi's and cheaper gas (even tho it still cost $50.04 to fill it up!), a longer stop at Lowe's to get supplies (the guy who really knows it all in the plumbing department nods at us and asks how's it going), and a late late lunch, he put together the 2nd gutter garden in the greenhouse and put more seedling/transplants in pails in place. A minor mishap...the overflow hole in the water tank worked...too well...and the leg of the base sank in the mud it created causing the tank to topple over and crack... resulting in the tank being replaced while I try to melt a patch over the cracks. (I think it will take several layers of melted plastic to completely mend the crack..at least that's the story I stuck to so I didn't have to stay outside in the garage trying to fix it...it was just too cold and damp for me today.) I found an outside thermometer that we were able to hang-up in the greenhouse that showed it was warmer by a few degrees inside. We now have a 20 gal tub of potatoes on a gutter as well as some pole beans. Jeff ran out of the soil mix he's been using so the tomatoes will have to wait until the weekend to be transplanted. We got the pvc pipes and joints for the blackberry cages today, too, and hopefully they will be done this weekend...the blackberries have started to blossom...in the living room! I've been watering them...and all the seedlings waiting to be put in one form of the garden or another... with a diluted form of the hydroponic solution after Jeff changes the solutions in the system under the grow lights every week. With the price of the nutrients he feels they should be recycled and not just flushed away! And it seems to work! Besides the blackberries blossoming, a 3-yr germanium has already flowered and looks as big/full as it was last fall, and an old mother-in-law's tongue has new growth from the bottom. The only thing I couldn't get to respond to the nutrient solution was an old amaryllis that produces leaves every year but no bloom.

And today I started, worked to the sleeves and ripped out a size 9mo baby sweater in a self-patterning yarn (not a baby jacquard...called mini tulips. I couldn't see a pattern...it just looked like colorful blobs to me and I didn't like it so I ripped it out. I'll try something again tomorrow. Nothing of mine has sold in the shop so I'm not pressed to produce. I've got 2 pairs of baby socks finished and a light lavender size 4 shrug almost done. There's a cute sun hat pattern I'd like to try, too. And I may be forced to take a side-trip to JoAnn's for yarn (baby jacquard or cottontots or both!) when we go to Utica to the hydroponics store for supplies next week. I've been good not buying yarn lately and I think after this week I deserve a treat.

Dawg

Just back from the Vet's...Dawg definitely got into something toxic. She has a fever, is very dehydrated and her kidneys and liver have started to shut down. We left her there on an IV, comfortable but won't know anything for 24 hrs at the earliest. If there isn't any improvement in 48 hrs she'll have to be put down. If you believe in praying for animals, please pray for Dawg. 4/24/12

Dawg did not make it. Just talked to the vet a few minutes ago. Lady Dawg died this morning. she was the best dog we ever had and we'll all miss her. It will be very difficult to replace Dawg. 4/25/12

THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER THING...!

Jeff has been busy turning our 1st gutter garden into a greenhouse with kale, romaine and peppers in 5gal pails. Just in time, too, with the return of rain and snow in the forecast. The gutter system is self-watering so right now there's not much to do except put the 2nd gutter together and transplant more of the seedling from Jeff's grow-lite system. Hopefully, flowers, tomatoes and potatoes will join the pails this week. And maybe strawberries. We bought a heat gun (Jeff didn't think my hairdryer would be hot enough) and made a strawberry planter out of a 5 gal pail with roomettes for 24 strawberry plants. If this all works we'll be picking our 1st harvest in June...about the time our in-ground garden starts to blossom!

Dawg has made herself sick from drinking standing water...in the gutter, on top of cans, in the lawn chairs...and has been burping up (vomiting) water...but no food. This morning she burped up blood so this afternoon we'll be taking her to the vets.($$$) There is so much for her to get into out there! Jeff thinks the compost bin is secure enough to keep her out but we let her roam whenever one of us is outside so we don't know where/what she gets into. We don't use chemical insecticides, either, just natural formulas that Jeff finds on line but she does go next door, into the woods, etc. She got a dose of flea and tick stuff Saturday and she may have tried to lick it off...if she could reach.

The library is closed (April 14-May 6) for renovations, asbestos abatement, new rug, paint job, etc. With the help of some great volunteers ALL the books, tapes, dvd's etc were boxed up and stored away. We'll be busy putting everything back where it belongs starting May 1st. In the meantime, we're 'on vacation'! Would like it a lot better if the weather had stayed the way it started with sunny, blue skies and temps in the 70's.

In the meantime I've been keeping busy finishing OTN projects to put in the shop. My little girl's shrug looks great when I displayed it with one of the cotton sundresses. They seem made for each other! Also got some baby socks finished...self-striping wool blends look so sharp!...and baby jacquard...another self-patterning yarn...knit up into some very nice baby sets.

And I've been reading! Got caught up to the newest Deborah Crombie murder mysteries with Duncan & Gemma, the British cops, getting married in the one I just finished. The next one in the series is waiting for me at the Ilion Library (where 'Holds' for Herkimer patrons are being dealt with). That give me 2 reasons to go to knitting group over there tonight...depends on how Dawg does at the vets.

Collecting Rain

It's been debated off and on how much rain water we could collect...house is not large but the leaf canopy is. Anyway, yesterday Jeff converted the 2 existing rain gutters...diverting them thru down spouts...into rain barrels...or in our case, 30 gal plastic storage tubs with covers. Both collecting stations are multi-level so when the top tub is full it will automatically fill the 2nd or lower tub which has a faucet...for a hose. The downspouts are siliconed into the tops and the tops are zip tied to the bottoms. There are a couple of overflow holes and and he's thinking of putting an access in the top with a tub stopper to be able to add peroxide to control algae in the tubs . With just showers over night we were able to collect about 5" of water in the tub at the end of the porch and 2" in the one by the ramp. Definitely qualifying as a success! Next week Jeff plans on putting up gutters along the bedroom side of the house with 1 downspout into a multi tub holding area. This collection site will be the primary water for the garden. There are 2 more locations...across the living room window and on the deck where the den and kitchen meet. Since all the tubs will have faucets they can all be used for watering the gardens. When you depend on a well, even one 210' deep like ours, a dry summer can mean choosing between washing clothes or watering the garden. Hopefully these rain 'barrels' help the garden stay healthy.

I've been working on baby socks for the shop and actually have a few pairs finished. We didn't stop there after Josie's appointment with the podiatrist today but that means I'll have more to take down on Wednesday. Wish I would find something exciting to knit and get busy!!

Two Tasks Completed

Jeff took the opportunity of not having me around asking dumb questions to set up his gutter garden. He finally found a float valve that would work to create the self-watering aspect...and it does work! When there's not enough water in the gutter a valve opens and it fill it from a

a storage tank. Sort of like a toilet work. I think today we're going to try to connect the storage

tank to the rain gutters on the house. He's got 10 5gal pails fitted

with netty pots that will set

in the

gutter

and water... ready for planting. A single tomato plant will go in 1 pail, 2 peppers in another, a bush bean in another, carrots , lettuce, beets in others, etc. The initial set-up... and cost...are the hard part. The gutters are just that... vinyl gutters... framed by 2x4's. The holding tank is a 30gal covered tub. Bits and pieces have been recycled from old garden hose or are garden house replacement parts. This will expand the size of our garden without having to till up more lawn. It's a good way for people with small yard to have a large garden, too.

Yesterday was the first day of the library being closed for renovations...the day we started to box up all the books and put them in storage and of course, it was a beautiful sunny day. With the help of some fantastic volunteers we were able to box up everything! The library looks so big empty...and the carpet looks so bad anyone can now see why we're replacing it! Tomorrow and Tuesday there will be cleaning chores for most staff and I have 3 boxes of new books to process for inventory when we reopen May 7th. Wonder how much we'll be missed...April 14-May 6...21 days without us!! My back, legs, arms and hands ache from handling all those books. I wonder how the male volunteers feel after moving all those boxes?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

Today is my 62nd birthday and since I had an appointment with the state retirement system at 3:30pm, Jeff and I spent the afternoon in Utica. We went to Harbor Point and got some more small spring-clips to hold plastic sheeting to the garden frames and a heat gun to make a strawberry planter out of a 5 gal plastic pail...he didn't think my hair dryer would produce enough heat to soften the plastic. Then we went to Five Guys...Burgers & Fries for lunch. Good thing I had been warned about the french fries there and we ordered only 1 serving...more than enough for the two of us!! Besides being more than generous servings, the burgers and fries were delicious! Next time we're going to try the Cajun fries. Then a quick trip to a dollar store before we went to the hydroponics store (... where Jeff spied a pH tester that he'd like...in fact several, but they start at $39...and go up and up! He did not buy one.) and we made it to my appointment only a few minutes late. We actually found a parking place in front to the state office building on Genesse St! but it took a few minutes to check in at the front desk, show picture proof and be issued temporary visitor passes. The meeting didn't last long...about 20 minutes...and I learned how much I'll be getting each month (about $40 less than I was first told but since my SS will be about $50 more than I was first told the grand total is basically the same.) Then we went to Chanatry's and stocked up on boneless skinless chicken breast at $1.77/lb, Italian sausage @$2.09/lb, ground beef @$3.59/lb and a sirloin tip that we split. We stopped at a free rummage sale on the way home and I got 2 on-the-rocks glasses and a long stemmed wine glass in a white winter scene that matches several others pieces I have. The wine glass makes a great candle holder and the glasses are perfect for every day use. I started collecting this pattern years ago when Burger King gave them away. A couple of other pieces...including a covered candy jar from The Christmas Tree Store, are all that's left. ( We're hard on glass ware around here.) Jeff got a Ronco rotisserie that works...with most of the accessories still there. He's wanted for a long time (and if it ends up costing him $25 to replace what's missing remember a new rotisserie costs a lot more than that!) and a hand meat grinder. We were both still full from lunch so we had just coffee while Mom had her supper. I had made the dough for pasticottes...my traditional birthday dessert... yesterday but never got around to baking them so I bought Hemstrough's half-moons for my birthday dessert. Not bad but our recipe is better. A pretty good birthday.

Putting In the Peas

Jeff felt that the 'igloos' had done their job so today he raised the frames and put in...transplanted...the peas that have been growing in our tv room. Once he started handling the dirt he wasn't too sure that it was warm enough but since it's early April it was worth a try. He's trying the 'square foot' method in this row so besides peas Jeff put in bush beans, romaine lettuce and red onions. If it works like the book suggests, it will double...at least...our harvest. He decided to use PVC instead of wood coz they are reusable. The clerk at Lowe's has gotten to recognize us and always asks what we're up to now! Dawg kept him under her watchful eye and probably offered him some advice. It will be nice to have fresh peas. I'm amazed at how fast I grew to prefer 'fresh' to store cans!

My mom, who most of you know is 98, has been having 'turns' lately. This morning's was about 180 degrees! She announced she couldn't walk...as she was walking to the bathroom, the kitchen and her chair in the living room. Her arms hurt too much and she couldn't walk...and, by the way, something was wrong with her bed...she almost slid out of it during the night. Since she rarely moves and doesn't roll over, I figured she was dreaming and not in danger of falling out of bed. But no, she insisted, it was the mattress and she needed a new one. Her mattress is about a year old...new when we switched bedrooms last year...besides how can you move on a flannel sheet when you're wearing sweats without some effort? She's just 'turned' again and got up with the help of her power lift chair and walked to the bathroom and back without any problem. I realize it just be confusing to her but it's not enjoyable for me either. Thank God for Jeff without whom either or both of us would have gone off the deep end by now.

What Is That? A Space Crafts and Igloos?

No, it's not the landing craft of a space ship that landed during the night next to our garden ...a 4-legged stand, about 7ft tall constructed of PVC pipes and joints. Jeff put it together yesterday afternoon and will finish it today or tomorrow. It's a bean pole and once the netting is tied to it and the ground tilled under it, the pole beans and squash will hopefully take to it and soon it will be covered with green leaves and vines...and beans and squash! The 'igloos' are 5' lengths of PVC pipe bent over and stuck in the ground to form a hoop, and then covered with 4ml plastic held in place by large clamps. The ground has already been tilled and compost added. We're preparing homes for the beans and peas that are growing like crazy in the TV room.