Growing

Purple cabbage nestled among Lambs Ear and Purple Cone flower, beside a Lilac bush. 

Golly Miss Molly! We have had a lot of rain this summer at my West Virginia location!
Between the rain and my work schedule I am so so sooooo behind on my weeding, dehydrating and all around garden maintenance chores.  I grow many of my vegetables in the same beds as my herbs and flowers. I started planting late this year because of the rain and decided to plant my purple cabbage near the Lilac bushes to protect them from heat. I had hoped to get a very late cabbage crop. Well we have not had the usual heat with all this rain. The bugs have been ferocious and a willowy friend turned me on to Captain Jack Dead Bug . My pretty purple cabbage may be past the point of no return but I sprayed them anyway and will hope for the best.

The cucumbers are doing great! See the big one I picked and then ate for dinner in the left corner?

I switched my cucumbers to a new spot this year, since they did really crappy last year. The herb borage  was already growing in that spot. I just weeded them back a bit so the cucumbers would have plenty of room to spread. Borage is a great companion plant for vegetables such as tomatoes, strawberries and squash. Maybe cucumbers too? Nothing kills the borage and they reseed them selves year after year.

Carrots, speckled roman tomato and sunflowers.

I was not a very good seed saver last year so I was very happy to see that the Speckled Roman tomato that had grown in that spot last year sprouted a few plants. I am not completely sure it is that tomato variety since I have not seen the fruit yet but my fingers are crossed. I really loved that tomato variety! The tomato variety was sweet, meaty and didn't have a lot of seeds. It was an excellent canning tomato that had curb appeal in my front yard garden.

Basil, Roma and Ox heart tomatoes.

The soil in this garden is not as weed free as my other beds. This is only the second planting of in this garden area. I pulled weeds that where as tall as me. I found bannana peppers, tomatoes, sunflowers, garlic,  potatoes and unfortunately evidence that other seeds I had planted did not survive. My pole beans and pumpkins where eaten or else smothered by the weeds. I still have more weeding to do!

Another volunteer plant.

The volunteer squash plant has just started to set fruit. Since the pumpkins and butternut that I planted did not make it (for the first time ever!), I am hoping it will be some type of pumpkin. Trinnity and Chloe planted the sunflowers and they have enjoyed watching 'their' plants grow bigger then they are.

 

Peppermint, oregano, wormwood and etc in the front yard garden.

I have several different gardens. The main vegetable gardens are on each side of my house and also a front yard garden. I do not live on a busy street so my gardens are not very evident unless someone pulls into my driveway to come visit. I do live within the city limits of a small town. I plant flowers, herbs and vegetables together. I applaud people that plant front yard gardens in areas where they are considered a violation or might be banned. I feel it is important to grow my own food and at least try to make a smaller carbon footprint. I think front yard gardens are beautiful. Really aren't the 'weeds' in our yards just agreed upon flowers?

Sunflowers (seeds for my parrot), bee balm, day lilly and nicotiana.

Yum, dinner of fresh cucumbers! Still 

garden dusty banana peppers and zucchini.

Tile Pile

Planning the tile pattern.

Planning the tile for the counter took a while. I picked out tile, stacked, sorted and then did it again for several weeks. I have a large pile of tile in my garage that is stacked in piles against one wall. A little part of me thought that maybe the stacks would help insulate the garage. Hmmm probably not. The stacks have become more of a stair step way around the wall of the garage for my outdoor cats. 

Getting busy and ready to add the corners.

I did have to purchase the edge pieces. They where expensive! I applied plastic to the wood counter top and then the cement board. I like applying thin set. There is just something about creating the goop with my drill and beater blade. I like to watch it swirl and combine with the water in the bucket to make goop. Applying the goop to tile is pretty fun too! It feels like spreading frosting! Yum, but no tasting necessary. 

Wet saw to cut the corners and a few other tile.

After I started applying the tile to the edge of the counter, I realized I had no clue how to cut the corners. On top of that I did not have any equipment to cut the corners! I went to the net and to youtube to research my options. I watched youtube video after video trying to learn how to cut corners with a wet saw for several days before I rented the wet saw. My daughter and I fooled with the saw for an hour (unplugged) before I tried to cut tile. I cut a few plain tile before I cut my first corner. I was so nervous! It came out perfect! I was so happy!!

The finished counter top!

Emergency Care

                                     

I was on break with a fellow nurse and she shared a few funny videos with me for a laugh and some stress relief. Laughter, after all is the best medicine!  I have worked in the ER now for six months. Here you would expect me to say how much I love my job. Well...to be honest I love parts of my job.

I would like to share all the wonderful and heart felt stories about people I have helped to get better and leave the ER but instead it is the yucky stuff that sticks out like a bad zit. Do you know what kind of zit I'm talking about? The kind of zit that suddenly appears hot red itchy and swelled at least an inch high that can be seen by looking sideways at the tip of your own nose. I just know that everyone else can see that aggravating huge zit and it is very distracting! Those are unfortunately the people that I am thinking about today. The above you tube video is a great zit story.   

Let me say this again. I have only worked in the ER for six months but I have already heard this several times a week. Part of my head is trying to get the real reason for their ER visit and part of my head is laughing hysterically at the total craziness of the conversation I am having.

I was flabbergasted the first time I witnessed a fake seizure! I have seen real seizures and have sympathy for people that have this serious condition and was totally appalled that people really do fake seizures. My preceptor turned to me and said 'welcome to the ER' while my mouth dropped and eyes popped in  shock. Well, my shock lasted a second or two because after all I am a nurse.  

I'm not a new nurse. I decided to change careers in my late 40's. I don't think I'm having a midlife crises but I could be. I have a new car too. Plenty of people and fellow nurses have suggested I must be crazy to switch to the ER. Since 1990 I have worked in different areas of nursing such as cardiac step down, post open heart, a float nurse, nursing home and even hospice. The ER has been a challenge and a blessing all in one inhale. I wouldn't trade my ER position for anything. Not even a Hershey Kiss, peanut butter cup, cup cake, double chocolate brownie or even a blueberry red bull. And boy that is saying a lot because I really love chocolate and caffeine!!!