Spider + Webs

Ryder the Spider - His Mom and Dad will be webs!

Pudgeduck's Contentment

All is well in Pudgeduck's world!! Hubby caught the flower bug! What a nice surprise he left for me, hanging in a perfect spot.




The sweet peas are already 8"tall! I found a new variety (for me) that is highly scented with pale petals edged with violet. I filled in a few bare spots with them and planted a few near a trellis in another flower bed. Seems like I always find something new after all the beds are full.

I'm thinning out the nasturtium pots, and it's still hard to let go. I found another new plant for my garden, called Vitex Trifolia (Coastila Persian Lilac). The leaves will turn blue with a mauve underside and with lilac flowers during the winter. It doesn't lose the foliage and it will be a great addition to my garden!

Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts and Red Cabbage are loving their spot in the sun. Just a few radishes have come up. I know I said "never again" after the radish fiasco last year, but....The kale hasn't started sprouting yet. I'll sow more seeds in a few days and hope they will sprout! I have to have kale for my weekly soups that I'll soon start craving as the weather cools.

I cherish every moment I spend in my garden! What a wondrous life I lead to be able to spend most of my time contented, surrounded with the beauty of my garden. Something very important happens each day as each seed sprouts and the flowers bloom. As I said, all is well in Pudgeduck's World!

Store Opening Calls For Big Bang!

This celebration wasn't for my homecoming after my recent trip to North Carolina--the fireworks were for the grand opening of the first grocery store in our community! A long time coming, but with mixed feelings about the growth and changes in our area. The impressive display was equal to the July 4th celebrations in the area. They must be anticipating large profits.

Already missing North Carolina and my 'lil guy. Beautiful flowers cover most of the mail boxes in the neighborhood. We were too early for the fall colors but we did see just a hint of the red and gold on the way.

Tea is served sweetened at all the restaurants we went to in North Carolina. It took a few requests before they understood we wanted unsweetened tea! It's always fun to run into these regional differences.

All around the shopping area were beautiful Angel Trumpet plants. The cutting I got from Dee last October didn't last through the summer at my house.

I'm trying out my new camera--and not sure I will keep it. I bought it for my trip after the old one stopped working. Of course, the old one broke the day of my flight! I bought the Kodak Easy Share M580-8X. I have a month to try it out. It even has a program for fireworks! Not that I had time to adjust it for the local fireworks. They were almost over by the time I even found the camera. What's new??

Rain, Parties, and ADHD Woes

I come alive as soon as the clouds roll over the mountains. Ummm...early fall rain in the desert! Doesn't get any better!

The rain came just in time to water my newly planted bedding plants and seeds! Golf ball sized hail fell in areas close to us, and numerous autos and homes were damaged. Hail here is pretty rare. In my immediate neighborhood, we were blessed with just a great rainfall.

The new vegetables for my garden are: Pole beans, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, and China Rose Winter Radish. The radishes are nice and long so that even if a stray pest eats the tops like what happened to my last years' crop, there will be plenty under ground for me to try! At least that was my thinking in choosing the variety. I also planted kale and carrots.

And, of course, the old easy instant color: Snapdragon, Petunias, Lobelia and Alyssum bedding plants. Flower seeds planted were daisies, desert wild flowers, sweet peas and pots of nasturtiums!

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A September birthday party for my grandson's fiance-- who happens to be on the proverbial wedding day diet! She and I had one miniature cupcake.

Looks like a little wine to help forget the diet....

The biggie birthday party! Son-in-law made it to 60! Great celebration--with good food, great friends and a beautiful family!

And our favorite...Kathy's Rum cake. His fav--Strawberry Banana.

Only one more September birthday to celebrate. Ryder is one year old! Walking, saying about four words, eight teeth and the cutest smile in the whole wide world! I am so thankful to have spent the last week--and the next two weeks--with him!

One more celebration to mention--Hubby still in remission! Only blood checks and port flushing once a month until? We're hoping for a one-and-a-half to two years before more chemo. Praying for healing!

I found my glasses! They were in a strange place, put there by a strange entity to be sure. I just found them last week. I placed my order with Zinni but decided to check out a pair of reading glasses I have with a silver frame in order to compare with the new ones I had I picked out. On the floor, in a basket with another basket on top of it, and under some clothes--there they were, all folded up! I'm a "little" nuts, but not crazy! I didn't do it--I know Hubby didn't do it, so.........who????

I also found my wallet this week after losing it and cancelling my whole life, including check card and credit cards! That still doesn't make me crazy, does it? I take the Alzheimer's test often--I'm OK according to the test, and I've also had an ultrasound on my carotid artery and that's clear, but I did test positive on an ADHD test. I've always known I was a bit scatterbrained, but I don't think that progresses with age, so I don't know why I'm getting worse with these memory lapses. Just in case, I just anointed my house and I'm going to burn some sage just in case.