TRYING NEW THINGS

2022 will be about trying new things.

New things in clothing. 

Stepping out in my cheetah boots. 

New things in attitude. 

New ways of getting things done: better time management, and learning to pace myself 😉

I started the day off by going to Keenager’s this afternoon – it was a fun hour, as it always is. I was glad to see that everyone survived Winter illnesses, and avoided covid snares. I took Pam with me, and she enjoyed herself too 😊

When I got home, the temperature was a nice, sunny, 56-degrees; so, I changed my fancy blouse for a tee I don’t mind mucking up, and got busy tidying the front flowerbeds. Other homeowners have already begun pruning, pinching, weeding, ect. …

… but with my lungs, I like to wait until the outside weather is like today.

Huge flocks of geese flew overhead as I stepped outside the front door, but by the time the phone camera focused on the frenzied activity – they were winging into the distance.

The raucous uproar of migrating geese always makes me smile 😉

The geese are returning; I like it, but they are LOUD.

I weeded the front flowerbeds first, since those are the ones viewed the most: and liberally sprinkled Preen fertilizer over the exposed soil, fussed over the sprouting floral foliage, and placed supports where needed (upcoming rains will keep me indoors while the flowers grow up and up; supports need placed now); then I worked my way down the side property line … weeding and preening pots of sprouting tulips, jars of strawberry plants – the apple trees and blueberry bushes – the pots of dahlias, lilies, and lavender. I wrapped the yard work up by tidying the patch of foxgloves in the back of the house, and adding preen to the pots of miniature roses currently under shelter of the car port.

Colorful Primroses are blooming.

Crocuses are sprouting, and blooming.

The sheltered geraniums will be tidied, preened, … and set out in a sheltered section of the car port with the pots of roses to toughen up for their unsheltered placements, later on this month; when Jack Frost takes a hike until Fall 😉

My hands really take a beating when I am dinking around in my flowerbeds and garden area. It’s a good thing I am not a vain woman wrapped up in self-image: I like to feel the earth as I work it, so getting muddy dirt on my clothes and under my nails doesn’t bother me.

My nail polished nails are not looking very 'polished' after cleaning up the flowerbeds.

Salvaged nail job after a thorough cleaning with a soapy nailbrush.

I didn’t really do much more than an hour’s worth of garden chores outside, and that’s okay; enough got done in that short period of time to make a difference in the overall appearance of the lot to satisfy Management, and passersby. At 65, I don’t try to do a month’s work in one afternoon anymore – I’m learning to pace myself productively.

My Christmas Cactuses continue to pump out blossoms – the pink one in full bloom again, the white one with buds sprouting.

My 21-year-old Christmas Cactus has bloomed non-stop since the first of November 2021.

And the flowering slips I potted up in the Fall of 2021 need transplanting – that needs to get done before long because I need the space they occupy now, to start my veggie garden seedlings.

These Christmas Cactus and Geranium transplants will be divvied up and handed out as freebies to friends I’ve acquired in various local Senior Clubs I frequent – both plants will last forever if taken care of.

Christmas Cactus clippings are blooming - and have been labeled with flower colors; pink or white.

The Geraniums need repotting - they have bloomed, been color labeled, and pinched back twice.

My day was fun-filled, and productive: I am satisfied.

My thoughts were geared towards establishing {home} in this place Bob, and Elohim, insist I keep: I am trying a new thing by actually complying.

My evening was ushered in with a colorful flamingo-pink sunset: I am blessed.

Tonight's sunset ... it looks like the sky mimicked the tree top. LOL

The phone picture feature does not do the sunset colors justice; they were more vibrant.

CULTIVATING A WINNING MINDSET

It's been quiet in my small corner of the world all of last week, and half of this one. I hope my friends had it as easy 😉

Elsewhere, it's been a bit of a mess, with floodings in various regions, landslides in other regions, and roads literally coming apart & falling into the mighty Columbia River <:-O

Road erosion at Dismal Niche; the ground is so saturated.

So far, the landscape of 2021 doesn't look any better than 2020: and politically we are being gang-raped ... I don't say that flippantly: and YES, I DO KNOW what rape means; that is WHY I used that specific word. It fits >:-P

Let's hope that the next week comes at us a little easier, and a lot less messy.

I'm still being me 😊

Living my days day to day, trying to keep my "attitude" in check (some days, just saying, 'what the hell!' and letting it fly, dealing with the chips as they fall); and ducking my head when I leave the house to avoid all the flying crap (weatherwise, and otherwise).

I had an early morning appointment in town; so, before I came home, I did some shopping at Lowe’s in preparation for my Spring garden area. My ordered seeds still have not arrived, but I can clean up the front flowers beds and get things ready for the seeding of garden boxes when the seeds arrive – so that is what I started doing today 😉

This after noon I cut wire cages down, trimmed overwintered flower pots of old growth and dead foliage – giving the new growth space to come up healthy and strong, for pretty displays; and sprinkled Preen weed-n-feed in everything that is sending out new growth.

I used Bob's Wire Cutters to cut 6 tomato cages down to use in my flower pots.

Lower portion of tomato cage used in the Chrysanthemum pots; the wire support will be hidden as the flowers fill out, and grow upwards.

Tomorrow, I’ll bring the Geranium containers out of storage, and trim/fertilize them, too; so they are looking nice when set out on the front porch in a few weeks.

And Saturday … if the weather is nice like today, I’ll spruce up the front flowerbeds and get these primroses & a pot of daffodils I bought this afternoon, into the front flowerbeds where they will root and naturalize.

I will plant these Primroses Saturday, if the weather is like today. 7 ct.

I'm still not peopling - people are still fear-mongering, with a hateful vengeance; and I don’t want to be sucked into that.

I've been reading, plotting garden plans, working on designs again (while enjoying the occasional old black-n-white movies), and enjoying the peacefulness of solitude.

Currently, I am knitting preemie gowns and hats for the local Crisis Pregnancy Center; these gowns are for true preemies … not 7 to 8 pound full-term babies born a week ahead of schedule (those are not true preemies): the gowns I am working up are for babies 3 to 4 pounds, whose parents cannot afford the overpriced preemie clothing required for their hospitalized babies. Clothing to keep them warm. Clothing that will allow for life-saving tubes to be fed through clothing opening. Clothing that will allow their babies to look like babies that are loved and wanted. Clothing designed with hope, and made with love.

Preemie Drawstring Gown. 

My days, since I pulled back from the communism leaning social mediums … have been relaxing, peacefully played out, and happily productive.

It's been quiet in my small corner of the world.

And my thoughts are focused on a winning mindset 😊