Well, besides the fact that Cori is posting about her wilting plants, and I guess I have something to boast about (??) LOL, I also got a call this morning from someone else who is stuck inside from days of rain and not able to garden and is bitter about my greeness and plants and joy LMAO! What can I say, move here! :)
So here are my toasted clematis. I will be shopping for something new this weekend, just not sure what..... aren't they lovely!
A picture of Mike from last night, it finally dried out enough to cut the damn grass , it was starting to get embarrassing in the front!
Have I posted this before? Amanda gave me this for my birthday, and I hung it appropriately above my blueberries, which I know are my challenge this year.
Aaand its amazing what $2.49 on a can pf white spray paint can do for a makeover, this was steel colored last year. I did it and the baskets to match my whole "cottage" look I am aiming for.
Luna loving the sun, crazy cat.
And the last thing I have room for, cantaloupe! Ha I must be crazy, but I saw it and Mr K just gets so excited about these plants that are food he loves, sooo we are attempting it! They spread like watermelon/pumpkins so no more room for anything else this year! However, I have been reading about people who garden "up" on trellises, instead of letting the vines sprawl across the ground and then hold up the melons with pantyhose attached to the trellis LMAO! Innovative gardening at its best.
So all the rocks and landscape fabric are laid where the second deck is going, we now are going to lay some sod on the south side of the parking pad, and I guess we will order the deck sometime in June!
Wow, I can truly say my azalea was worth every penny, what a gorgeous tropical looking bloom it has! I can only imagine how fabulous a whole bush of these blooms will look in a few years....
On the depressing side, NONE of my clematis (4 of them) made it through the winter, I think I can also add my scarlet honeysuckle to this list as well. I think that wonderful extreme cold that killed the pine beetles was too much for them, and since I didn't mulch over them (sigh, expensive lesson for me) they froze too deeply to return. My wonder hydrangea also didn't come back this year as well, dammit.
I am considering replacing the dead clematis's with a climbing rose, mine is just gorgeously green already. I still want a honeysuckle tho..
But my globeflowers made it, I moved them out of the shade and into the sun and they are exploding in growth...my lupines are all coming back wonderfully, I think there are a couple foxgloves coming up....but just no clematis. Chaps my ass because this year should have been FANTASTIC blooms finally.
This guy, the red-winged blackbird, has been at our feeder today, and received with much excitement from the kids. I must admit, myself as well, he's very pretty to watch. The female is with him I am sure, she is a bland brown bird, and we have had about 3-4 that could be her today as well.
Have I mentioned that I need a better camera. I swear...one of these days..... then I can zoom in and take a picture of him instead of posting a drawing.....
We finally got to the back beside the parking pad where I wanted to get a garden in. If I can't live in the country I'll just fill every available space I can with plants :)
So we took all the rocks (and weeds and grass, I HATE decorative rocks, what a pain) then rototilled it, put in peat,manure and soil and then planted. (That took ALL day, sounds so easy to type it out)
I have netting along the fence for my red runner beans again, snap peas (the ones you eat whole, they get about 6 feet tall too) and my yellow beans. I need one more section of netting, I'll get that next weekend.
So we planted squash....a spaghetti type I think lol...I wish I had found pumpkins....anyone know where to buy a plant? I have SOOO much room for them back there!
Broccoli and brussell sprouts... (Mr K is SO excited about those brussell sprouts, hope they grow)
Corn in the back, cauliflower and celery on the right.
Me, proving to my dad that I DID and WILL make use of the Telus hat he gave me :)
Here's hoping everything grows!
JIANGYOU, China (CNN) -- A Chinese police officer is being hailed as a hero after taking it upon herself to breast-feed several infants who were separated from their mothers or orphaned by China's devastating earthquake.
Police officer Jiang Xiaojuan, 29, was feeding nine babies at one point.
Officer Jiang Xiaojuan, 29, the mother of a 6-month-old boy, responded to the call of duty and the instincts of motherhood when the magnitude-7.9 quake struck on May 12.
"I am breast-feeding, so I can feed babies. I didn't think of it much," she said. "It is a mother's reaction and a basic duty as a police officer to help."
The death toll in the earthquake jumped Thursday to more than 51,000, and more than 29,000 are missing, according to government figures. Thousands of children have been orphaned; many others have mothers who simply can't feed them.
At one point, Jiang was feeding nine babies.
"Some of the moms were injured; their fathers were dead ... five of them were orphans. They've gone away to an orphanage now," she said.
She still feeds two babies, including Zhao Lyuyang, son of a woman who survived the quake but whose breast milk stopped flowing because of the traumatic conditions.
"We walked out of the mountains for a long time. I hadn't eaten in days when I got here, and my milk was not enough," said that mother, Zhao Zong Jun. "She saved my baby. I thank her so much. I can't express how I feel."
Liu Rong, another mother whose breast milk stopped in the trauma, was awed by Jiang's kindness.
"I am so touched because she has her own baby, but she fed the disaster babies first," Liu said. "If she hadn't fed my son, he wouldn't have had enough to eat."
Jiang has became a celebrity, followed by local media and proclaimed on a newspaper front page as "China's Mother No. 1."
She's embarrassed by the fuss.
"I think what I did was normal," she said. "In a quake zone, many people do things for others. This was a small thing, not worth mentioning." 
There has been a huge outpouring of support from families who want to adopt babies orphaned by the quake. But that process takes time, and there are mouths to feed.
Jiang misses her own son, who's being cared for through the emergency by in-laws in another town, but she is aware of the new connections she's made. "I feel about these kids I fed just like my own. I have a special feeling for them. They are babies in a disaster."Hahah we had these last night too, and Karami and I had too much fun joking about them. Unfortunately we didn't get to meet Ms Ross, but we did get to see some of the workings backstage and meet everyone who's behind the scene.
I had a lovely surprise this week, my mom's cousin plays lead guitar for Diana Ross, and he happened to give my mom a call the other night and said hey, we're in town, come visit and here's some tickets to the Calgary show. So off we went last night, girls night out, my mom, my sister and I.
She is an amazing singer, with extraordinary Diva clothes (I asked her dresser who made her clothes, and its Bob Mackie, of course, look at those sequins!) . I was surprised how many songs I knew, and I loved that the performance was short and sweet, about 80 minutes.
Then we took mom's cousin back to the Palliser, had drinks and an $18 clubhouse and fries (hahaha I kid you not!) , took some pics, and then home we went.
This....
..COULD turn into this...it could, you know!
I picked up a northern Hi-Lights Azalea at Superstore as well, along with my Saskatoon bush. I couldn't resist for $5.99... never can resist a plant bargain! I am awaiting that ONE measly flower impatiently, to see if it resembles the ones above LOL! However, its does get to 5' x 5' and that is a perfect size to fill the area I had in mind in the front...might take a few years to get there tho!
Perhaps my sister would like to take a trip to Okotoks with me if I come down this coming week???
I have wanted to go HERE
(the Saskatoon farm in the video) for quite a while now.....but its south of Calgary and I never have time to go...I am VERY interested in the 3 year old Saskatoon bushes, (the year they start producing) and have yet to find anywhere up here where I can buy them....Blackbird Pie if you are interested in a couple bushes I can let you know the prices and perhaps pick some up.
I picked up a Saskatoon bush at Superstore today...due to a great summer cold I felt like shit and was uninspired to buy much else... a northern something azalea that will go in the front and that was it.
Blech, just want our (kids and I) colds to go away!
...we hope! I planted my blueberries this afternoon, one of either side of my roshbush, and now we shall just wait and see. I bought some fir/larch mulch, lots of peat moss and black soil, dug out huge holes, filled them with the mix, and in went the bushes. Besides burying mulch deep down below the bushes, I also covered the top area with the mulch to make it as acidic as possible, perhaps not this year, but it should start affecting the soil within a year or two...I hope :)
Mr K enjoying the rain, and you can see where I ripped out the sod and used those grey stones to make a border, it goes the entire length, and top of the yard now, more that enough room for plants!
I have blisters forming tho, my delicate lily white hands are unused to all this manual labor..so much left to do...
My ultra fabulous, waited for 2 months super yummy smelling gorgeous purple leather purse is here! I don't usually blather on about my weight loss, I kinda don't like talking about it actually, I feel like its taboo, like like talking about someone's salary LMAO, but I think that Kandice and Jen knew I was treating myself to a fantastic , exactly-what-I-wanted-for-the-first-time-ever purse that I would love forever to reward and celebrate all the hard work I have done since, what, last summer I think? Definitely fall I started hard core working on getting healthier.
And she is here!
The pic above makes it look blue, the pic below shows the true color. And it matches the necklace Kandice bought me for my birthday, can you tell I love that shade of purple?
And once for the record, my total weight loss is 57 lbs since last fall, I fell 3 short of my goal that I set to be when the purse arrived, but I think I will cut myself some slack for not getting to 60. Now no one has to ask and I don't have to tell anymore ;) Oh yah, and I will never tell anyone what I paid so don't ask that either LMAO!! My parents might find out and lecture.... ;) (what am I, 12 or 32 here....)
I am going to go sit and smell new leather smell alllllll night looooong.... so very happy my reward is here! I was like a kid on Christmas opening the box!
I'm tired..so tired! Once again, I was inspired (or crazy) and went at the front today like a woman possessed. The kids helped me haul all those gray bricks to the backyard, and then I spent forever digging and moving and adjusting and blah blah, and the end result is that I am finally happy with the border in the front flowerbed. I hated the gray bricks, we threw them in just to have a border, so now I am incredibly happy. This is more the "cottage garden" look that suits the style and color of house we have.
And lo and behold, the peonies that died last year? I moved my fairies away from the base of the tree and what did I find....two peonies growing. (the red little spears poking up). I am happy because they lived, but um, if this tree is still infested with ash mites, then we have to chop it down and are putting an apple tree in there instead....I wonder if I should just move them to the front flowerbed now, instead of later and replant more when the apple tree in is.....
And now that my front yard is so lovely, the backyard is a shithole :)
Now I have to put in the gray bricks as my border on the flowerbeds, and that is going to SUCK, because they are all going to be halfway into the ground because I want a very short border, only enough to discern where the bed starts, and to keep the grass out. Lots of digging and swearing under my breath will ensue the next two days (barring there is no rain)
Meep I am spending too much money LOL! I need to get back working to occupy my time instead. Or just make more that I can spend ;)
I popped to Walmart to pick up some plants, found my Northcountry blueberries that looked especially healthy and I am gonna give them a shot.I don't know many people who have been successful, they are finicky with their PH levels, but its only two shrubs that I may possible kill.
And my raspberries, which are going back, because they are only good to Zone 5/6. WTF. Can you just NOT stock plants that won't survive in Alberta? ( we are zone 3a) Please? OR at least just put it on the container or the card in the description. Blech, all the way back to return them. I am so not into babying plants that may not make it.
These MIGHT be ok in our Zone.....I am going to try them along the fence where they might winter ok.....
And my lupines with their waterdroplets after the rain...they are all coming back SO beautifully!
Well Jane, I haven't yet taken a picture of my totes and my reusable bags for you, I will tomorrow post my collection lol, BUT I will also post this book that I am picking up for the kids tomorrow, and will include in the picture the bag that they get with it. Unfortunately, I was through the checkout when I saw it, and it was SO busy at Save On tonight, there was no way I was going through again! So I will pop out in the morning, because Mr K was incredibly excited about it, and so am I actually LOL! I was very disappointed that I didn't find this before all the birthdays that just occurred this spring :( I have been trying to think of some that are coming up that would like this..... WHAT a great gift!
Product Description
Help save the planet one bag at a time! Teach your child to be eco-friendly and conserve the earths precious resources! Its never too early to learn the importance of reusing, reducing and recycling. My Bag Me follows a child and his reusable shopping bag on a trip to the grocery store. By the end of the story, your child will say Paper and plastic no more!Includes a FREE reusable Tyvek shopping bag! Children can tote on their next shopping trip to show-off their eco-awareness!
I potted this up for Mike's desk at work...he has been wanting something and I adore these plants.
And here start the gardening posts.....and my counter space is limited for the next week and half. Its almost time to plant! After a nice morning having friends over, I was inspired to dig out my new flowerbeds while the kids played outside. Then we popped to Canadian Tire to search for a de-thatcher blade for the mower, and ending up drooling over the peonies there. And I grabbed 3. my green thirst is quenched for the moment.
Mr K has completely claimed the middle one as his own, he was lugging it around the store and calling it his own from the moment we bought it, and The Princess picked the red one as hers. But Mr K loves the fact that his is named Karl :) so it will be one that goes in the backyard, I need two for the front flowerbed as well....I love how many lessons we get out of this every year, its amazing what can spark their interest. We are going to have a great summer watching the ants and discussing the symbiotic relationship between them and the peonies, he literally CAN'T wait for the ants to start eating the wax away, he is fascinated by this concept. Even tho they don't really need the ants so they can open, I think its so cool how the ants love them.
By Will Dunham
WASHINGTON, May 5 (Reuters) - A new study provides some of the best evidence to date that breast-feeding can make children smarter, an international team of researchers said on Monday.
Children whose mothers breast-fed them longer and did not mix in baby formula scored higher on intelligence tests, the researchers in Canada and Belarus reported.
About half the 14,000 babies were randomly assigned to a group in which prolonged and exclusive breast-feeding by the mother was encouraged at Belarussian hospitals and clinics. The mothers of the other babies received no special encouragement.
Those in the breast-feeding encouragement group were, on average, breast-fed longer than the others and were less likely to have been given formula in a bottle.
At 3 months, 73 percent of the babies in the breast-feeding encouragement group were breast-fed, compared to 60 percent of the other group. At 6 months, it was 50 percent versus 36 percent.
In addition, the group given encouragement was far more likely to give their children only breast milk. The rate was seven times higher, for example, at 3 months.
The children were monitored for about 6 1/2 years.
The children in the group where breast-feeding was encouraged scored about 5 percent higher in IQ tests and did better academically, the researchers found.
Previous studies had indicated brain development and intelligence benefits for breast-fed children.
But researchers have sought to determine whether it was the breast-feeding that did it, or that mothers who prefer to breast-feed their babies may differ from those who do not.
The design of the study -- randomly assigning babies to two groups regardless of the mothers' characteristics -- was intended to eliminate the confusion.
'MOTHERS WHO BREAST-FEED ... ARE DIFFERENT'
"Mothers who breast-feed or those who breast-feed longer or most exclusively are different from the mothers who don't," Dr. Michael Kramer of McGill University in Montreal and the Montreal Children's Hospital said in a telephone interview.
"They tend to be smarter. They tend to be more invested in their babies. They tend to interact with them more closely. They may be the kind of mothers who read to their kids more, who spend more time with their kids, who play with them more," added Kramer, who led the study published in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry.
The researchers measured the differences between the two groups using IQ tests administered by the children's pediatricians and by ratings by their teachers of their school performance in reading, writing, math and other subjects.
Both sets of scores were significantly higher in the children from the breast-feeding promotion group.
The study was launched in the mid-1990s. Kramer said the initial idea was to do it in the United States and Canada, but many hospitals in those countries by that time had begun strongly encouraging breast-feeding as a matter of routine.
The situation was different in Belarus at the time, he said, with less routine encouragement for the practice.
Kramer said how breast-feeding may make children more intelligent is unclear.
"It could even be that because breast-feeding takes longer, the mother is interacting more with the baby, talking with the baby, soothing the baby," he said. "It could be an emotional thing. It could be a physical thing. Or it could be a hormone or something else in the milk that's absorbed by the baby."
Previous studies have shown babies whose mothers breast-fed them enjoy many health advantages over formula-fed babies.
These include fewer ear, stomach or intestinal infections, digestive problems, skin diseases and allergies, and less risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that women who do not have health problems exclusively breast-feed their infants for at least the first six months, with it continuing at least through the first year as other foods are introduced. (Editing by Maggie Fox and Stacey Joyce)
Whooeee, a lot of people are going to be up in arms about some of the comments in this article, and can't say that I blame them!
"They tend to be smarter. They tend to be more invested in their babies. They tend to interact with them more closely. They may be the kind of mothers who read to their kids more, who spend more time with their kids, who play with them more," added Kramer, who led the study published in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry.
Um, OUCH? I think that generalizes a bit too much, and they almost redeem it with saying how having to breastfeed brings you physically closer, possibly more talking, but um, that was some trash talking! I think they should have worded that a mite bit better!
FFS. This was one of my favorite Stephen King short stories, and they changed the ending in the movie to one that reaches supreme suckiness level. Yah yah, its all shocking and you never saw it coming (um CAUSE YOU MADE IT UP AND ITS NOT IN THE BOOK) and just a bloody horrible ending. Mike was mad at me (as he rightfully should be) for me choosing the movie and told me it was the suckiest movie ever. We are now both surfing the net filling our heads with useless crap to get "unscarred" before bed.
I wonder how many times can I blog today using the word sucks and variations of it?
