CHANGE OF SEASON

Watching signs, waiting,

Icy winds through leafless trees,

Hawks circling above.

 

Bluebirds returning,

Daffodils, laden with snow.

Hang like golden tears.

 

Leaded skies belie, 

Yesterday, air sweet and clean,

Promise, Earth renewed.

 

 

For more blogs by me visit at:

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com
A blog mostly about quilting, but cooking, poetry, prose and a little gardening,
A tutorial on how to make 5 panel Boxer Shorts.
Blog about dolls.

http://organicinstlouis.blogspot.com/

New blogs about the vegetables we have been starting.

blogs about the wildflowers on our farm
Organic methods we use, some cooking and some poetry
Blogs about seed sprouting.

Tutorial on planting Strawberries.

 

As always, any pictures or writings are my own.

Credit has been given to contributions not my own.
Please do not use without permission.

 

 

 

 



MY WORLD: MARCH 24, 2013



Like a Kodak moment years ago,

   Not enough light for colors to show,

Strange for this time of year,

We should have Daffodil blooms appear.

The Red Bud tree clothed in snow,

Wishing its blossoms it could show,

Knowing this happens each year,

It's ready to tell us spring is here.

 

Not today or even tomorrow,

It will sleep, much to our sorrow,

Keeping it's buds closed tight,

Resting quietly through the night.

From my window, in the tops of the trees,

The snow covering everything I see,

I contemplate, what will the deer eat,

Wondering if bark is a treat.

 

Looking East, down the hill,

Grand kids would love the sledding thrill,

Visibility is very poor,

Hardly see the barn next door.

With our view from the top,

Wondering when this snow will stop,

Trudging to the barn, snow to our knees,

Hats, double gloves, so we don't freeze.

 

The snow is still coming down.  In west St. Louis area we have 8 inches now.  It has inconvenienced  satellite TV watching.  The dish keeps getting covered.  I keep the broom handy.  Luckily ours isn't on the roof it is on the deck railing.  As you can see by the second picture we are eye level with the top of the electric pole. 

 

The trip up and down the hill to feed the cats, chickens and water our young plants is very arduous.  It is about a 45 degree and steeper slope.  It is a twice a day chore.  Needless to say I don't think my husband will be going to work in the morning.  This snow is to continue through midnight. 

 

Our bridge won't even have animal tracks on it.  The Russian Blue cat named baby has decided he likes being a house kitty.  He hasn't asked or even tried to go to the door.  I am glad he is nice and warm.            http://glosgarden.blogspot.com/2013/03/top-cat.html

 

The barn kitties have it good too.  Hunny said there were no tracks outside.  They have the nicest place to sleep. We left the grass bags on the mower after we vacuumed the last of the dried grass in the pasture.  We left the bags full.  We took off the pipe which goes from the mower to the bags.  They jump up into the hole and sleep in the grass.  For added insulation we covered the bagging attachment with an old carpet.

 

The only worry I have is our mama barn cat looked full in the abdomen the last week and has been real shy.  I think she is ready to gift us with some more kittens.

 

We have had light brief snows in the spring that melt off 3 hours later, nothing of any consequence.

This is very unusual for this area.  The last time I remember an unusual snow storm was May 6 1971 or 72...can't place the year but remember the day.

 

For more blogs by me visit at:

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com
A blog mostly about quilting, but cooking, poetry, prose and a little gardening,
A tutorial on how to make 5 panel Boxer Shorts.
Blog about dolls.

http://organicinstlouis.blogspot.com/

New blogs about the vegetables we have been starting.

blogs about the wildflowers on our farm
Organic methods we use, some cooking and some poetry
Blogs about seed sprouting.

Tutorial on planting Strawberries.

As always, any pictures or writings are my own.

Credit has been given to contributions not my own.
Please do not use without permission.


TOP CAT

 "BABY"
The following link is the beginning of his story: 

http://glosgarden.blogspot.com/2012/07/poetry-and-story-todays-happenings.html

He is laying on two of my "Shaggy quilts".
 If you want to make one yourself you find information at these blogs:

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2011/01/trash-to-treasure.html
http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2010/12/raggy-or-shaggy.html
http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2011/01/rag-quilting-for-little-ones.html
http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2014/06/rags-to-riches.html


 I am no longer a skinny dude,
Into their lives I now intrude,
Each night I check out the bed,
A comfy place, round and round I tread.

I'm not neutered yet,
A reason, my owners' fret,
The litter box is my friend,
But using it I still offend.

I'm too scared to be kenneled up,
My litter they are vigilant to pick up,
I have heard them, they are going to try,
My family jewels, me to deprive.

He is an amazing cat.  One evening during the last snow storm I opened the door to take his food out to him and he waltzed right into the house.  In front of him were 5 "monsters", growling, hissing, raising their hair.  All he did was try to rub up against them, instant kayos.  I hurriedly picked him up.  Which inherited me 3 scratches on my chest because he thought he was going to fall.  I squeezed him tight to my chest and told hunny to open our bedroom door so I could put him in there to see how he'd do as a house cat.

Carrying him was a chore.  He is very strong and he is at least 15 lbs.  He has been in the house over a week now and doing very well.  We have tried the house cats one at a time in the room and there is only one so far that enjoys his company.  Her name is "Precious".

He has used his litter box from the very first. 
I am so pleased because his "Big Boy Potty" is really hard on the senses.


Saturday was a delightful 60+ degrees.  I sat on the deck with some of my quilting and opened the door to our bedroom.  I figured he might like to come out and if he didn't come back in the house it was going to be a mild night.  He would be fine, he had his house we had built him to stay in.  After about 20 minutes he finally peeked his head out.  A huge gust of wind happened and he turned around, shot under the bed.  It was evident he preferred this house arrangement to the great outdoors.

This cat was still wild and scratching on purpose the night he came in the door. 
He has not attempted to scratch or bite since then.

BABY STRETCHING, BEGGING FOR A TUMMY RUB

For more blogs by me visit at:

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com
A blog mostly about quilting, but cooking, poetry, prose and a little gardening,
A tutorial on how to make 5 panel Boxer Shorts.
Blog about dolls.

http://organicinstlouis.blogspot.com/

blogs about the wildflowers on our farm
Organic methods we use, some cooking and some poetry

Blogs about seed sprouting.

Tutorial on planting Strawberries.

As always, any pictures or writings are my own.

Credit has been given to contributions not my own.
Please do not use without permission.



RECYCLING RE-USING

We are ardent gardeners.  We recycle or should  I say re-purpose/re-use.  We have recycled entire buildings' lumber into sheds and retaining walls for ourselves.  Peoples' pitched and rotting retaining logs have the rotted part removed and they are reused in our garden.  Dinner plates have become low retaining walls.  Speaker boxes that are plastic or metal have been re purposed into planters and retaining walls.

We don't live in an area where plastic recycling is available.  We are very conscientious about trying not to send things to the land fill. 

 The list of large items is endless.

 

Our small item list grows even longer each day.  You do not need to purchase pots for raising your plants.  The discards from friends, neighbors, co workers will give you more items than you need.

 

I hope this list gives you ideas you will be able to use in your daily routine. 

 

1.  Our new favorite potting container. "Activia" .  Other yogurt containers with inward slopping sides do not make good planters.  You can't get the plant out without disturbing the roots.

 

ALERT: WHEN YOU REMOVE THE RING ON THE ACTIVIA CUP PLEASE CLIP ONE SIDE SO IT IS BROKEN. PLASTIC RINGS, IN LAND FILLS, STRANGLE WILDLIFE.  THANK YOU FOR PROTECTING THOSE WHO CAN'T PROTECT THEMSELVES. (DON'T FORGET THE RINGS ON TOP OF MILK CARTONS.)

THE PLASTIC HOLDERS FOR SIX PACKS (MULTIPLE PACKS) also endanger wildlife .  Each cell is a tourniquet waiting to happen.

2.  Cardboard type milk cartons:  Quarts are great, half gallons are nice,  We use them for plants like tomatoes where we want them to grow lots of roots up the stalk.  When we transplant we only fill the container about 1/3 full before putting in the tomato and then we fill it up.  The plant will grow roots up the buried stem.  Besides the depth it is a narrow container, using less dirt that I have to prepare..so it is a labor saver.

3.  Styrofoam packing trays:  The ones which are from the meat department serve as trays for holding small pots for watering.  The mushroom boxes which are Styrofoam make good under house plant saucers.  All colored Styrofoam trays and packaging are a very good Crafting medium for kids. 

4.  Plastic, take me home, domed containers:  Including those that rotisserie Chickens arrive in.  These are great mini green houses.

Did you perhaps buy a cake at the bakery in either a square or round one.  Turned upside down the lid is a tray and the dome a green house. 

5.  Cardboard boxes food comes in (I.E. cereal, crackers etc.):  Any box that has food in it is safe for food.  You can open them out flat.   The larger ones you can cut in half along a seam.  What to do with them?  You can use them as cutting boards for things like onions.  Then you don't have to wash the board you just throw it away. (If it is a juicy item you don't want to cut it on the "disposable board".  the card board will dissolve).  Another caution, The side with the printing should never be used to cut on.  The inks may be dangerous and the out side may have a plastic coating that would not be good in our digestive systems.

The larger pieces can be used for emergency dust pans.

6.  Have you up scaled a piece of furniture.  Try it and save it from the land fill and put the money you saved  into the bank.

7.  Old clothes can go to good will or you can use them yourself.  I have up cycled clothes which are already in the "use for Paint cloth" bin.  The following blogs are about re-using/recycling tossed aside or worn out items:

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2011/01/trash-to-treasure.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2012/01/one-mans-trash.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2008/09/recycle-those-bridesmaid-dresses.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2010/10/halloween-re-cycledre-used.html

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com/2010/10/halloween-homemade.html

Edit March 6, 2013:

8.  I have forgotten one of our favorite re-uses.  We cut the bottoms off plastic gallon milk containers and use them for cloches on tiny tender plants in the garden.  You do have to monitor them though.   Sometimes you need to vent the heat out the top (removing the cap), and other times you need to remove the cloche entirely.  If the sun is bright you can cook your little plants.   If your plant is large and touches the plastic and you have a freeze then the plant will freeze where it touches the side of the cloche. 

9. Another garden recycle is newspapers for mulch.  A word of caution, if  you have sow bugs, they feed on them and prolificate under the layers.  You must also weight them down or you will be papering the neighbor hood  until  they get dampened enough.

10.  Carpet:  Old carpet, as long as it doesn't have the rubber backing, is great for paths in the garden.  It can hit the dump after it has served a year in your garden.  (It should be pulled up at the end of the season because of all the unwanted stuff  that might be hiding to emerge next year) 

Break the circle of death,

Break all plastic circles.

 

Have fun finding ways to save our environment.



For more blogs by me visit at:

http://gloriouscreations.blogspot.com

A blog mostly about quilting, but cooking, poetry, prose and a little gardening,
A tutorial on how to make 5 panel Boxer Shorts.
Blog about dolls.

http://organicinstlouis.blogspot.com/

                                                  blogs about the wildflowers on our farm

Organic methods we use, some cooking and some poetry

Blogs about seed sprouting.

Tutorial on planting Strawberries.

As always, any pictures or writings are my own.

                                            Credit has been given to contributions not my own.
                                                   Please do not use without permission.