Work Weekend

This work weekend is a pretty good one. Hubby and I have been revamping a table to use in our kitchen for meals. We have a really nice and huge dinner table, which is posted on a previous blog around last Thanksgiving. However, it is too huge for just two people to eat at. This one will be taller and I'll put it near my kitchen window so we can look outside and enjoy the view of our backyard. The only thing is, we've Frankensteined a coffee table and it is probably going to be heck trying to get chairs to match. If worst comes to worst, I'll cut down a pair of bar stools and rehab them, too.

The weather is getting a bit cooler, which is a really welcome relief from the hot weather we have in the summer. The leaves are falling and the yard looks fluffy in spots. The pine needles are dropping by the basketfuls. I'll need to pick them up for the flower gardens. Down here, they use these for mulch. People actually buy them in bales to use. I have a free supply for the raking.

I put in a small flower garden and used some of the pine needles for mulch. Let me tell you about the plants I scored at Lowe's this weekend. I've been looking to get some crotons and pansies for color. The crotons grow outside all year long. They are expensive! The pansies, not so expensive. So I decided I'd get a couple of large pots of croton and a flat or two of pansies. Then I saw my favorite clearance cart in an aisle. So, I drug hubby and his buggy to the clearance rack for a browse. SCORE! Small crotons, like I wanted...cheap! Pansies, like I wanted...really cheap! Mind you, the crotons are weepy, but I think they'll pull through. The pansies are really in good shape, but most of the flowers are gone.

Now, the fun part comes. I have a small flower garden near our fire pit. Hubby pulled weeds from it last week. This week I'm planting these flowers in it before they decide to croak. I spread some compost over the soil and started turning over the soil. WRONG! There were roots galore from spreading vines that we've been killing and pulling out. The roots are still spreading. They are poison ivy roots. Oh, yeah! They are thick and kept me from turning the soil. So I had to cut each shovelful of dirt before I turned it over. Then I pulled out the roots and filled two 5-gallon buckets with the roots. So far, I haven't got a rash. It would show by now. I planted the garden and it's going well after only two days.

Busy weekend!

Take care.

Yahoo!

It's finally over! The poison ivy, that is.

Two and a half weeks with itching and medicating...I've really had it!

Now, we have another problem - mosquitos. We've been spraying...the county came by twice last week to spray...we have a flying insect fogger and we've been fogging. These things are horrible right now. It hasn't rained much, lately. So, I don't know where they're coming from. We don't have standing water anywhere. Even in the ditches.

Wish us luck with this problem. We need it!

Take care

Leaves of Three...Let Them Be!

For the past two weeks, I've been suffering with poison ivy. It's one of those 'I never got it, so I'll never get it' things. I won't ever assume this again!

I didn't realize I was rubbing up against it while cutting branches off of trees. Of course, I had a short sleeved shirt on. Of course, I knew it was there. Of course, I consider myself careless and stupid. The rash covered from my wrist to my pits on both arms. I used several creams and anti-itch lotions. I used straight alcohol and some straight bleach. I found Germ-X hand sanitizer gave me the most relief. All of this stuff brought temporary relief, but not any long-term relief.

I was good through the night until I had a hot flash. Then the sweat irritated the rash and I woke up itching. I had to wash my arms and reapply cream. Fun! Fun!

Then I found Benadryl. I don't take ANY medications so I had a good time with this stuff. I always take half doses of an OTC because I don't know what it will do to me. So I took one Benadryl. This is the REAL Benadryl, not a knock-off. It took the edge off of the itching for hours. It took the edge off of me, as well. I call it my 'I don't give a crap' medicine. At least it works.

On top of that, I couldn't shower normally. I had to wash all clear parts first, then do the rash parts...twice a day. For a fun time, try this. I promise, you will never EVER knowingly go anywhere near poison ivy.

OK. This is week three. I'm drying up and I'm still itching. I'm still miserable.

What's a gal to do?!