110 Magic mulch

The Magic of Mulch

Hello from the back patio. Finally we have a space where we can relax and enjoy the fall weather when it arrives. The weather has been relatively nice this week (meaning I am not constantly whining about the heat and humidity.) 

Thanks to the weather and to the great innovative guys at Greatscapes just down the road from us, our backyard is now free of leaves, sticks, weeds and natural debris. AND we have mulch! Lots and lots of mulch re-established the area and now the back entrance looks like some care has been taken.

The catalysis for this cleanup was our dead boxwood. All eight (8!) of our boxwood turned brown this spring. Dropped their leaves. Gave up the fight. Just died! 

 Big boxwoods they were, too. My husband’s grandmother had them planted so they were at least 50 years old. It was sad. They’d been a wonderful screen around the small brick patio area. Yes, this is a large photo, but they deserve a fond farewell. Picture four on each side of three brick steps to the patio and back entrance. That was a lot of boxwood!

The culprit is called “winterburn.” From what I can understand about winterburn, it is comparable to a human having a rash. The doctor looks at it and says it is dermatitis. Anyway, the boxwood are GONE.

They’ve been replaced

with a series of 

arborvitae and holly. 

And I treated myself to a contorted Lauder’s walking stick so I can have my very own twisted branches in a couple of years. No, it’s not very pretty now, but it will be amazingly useful. We also added another dogwood and a weeping cherry for a bit of spring color.

But to get back to the subject. NONE of this project could have been done without mulch!

I am now a big fan of mulch. The more the better. The deeper the better. Buy clean mulch so few to no weeds come up. (Hint: do not let grass clipping get into the mulch. Supervise the mowing or do it yourself!!) 

Kevin, at Greatscapes, tells me we have about four cubic yards of mulch now. So, how much is that, I ask? Kevin and his team are grand to work with. They actually listen, answer questions, and are just nice guys! Thanks, Kevin, for my mulch lessons.

I find this fascinating. We used almost four! To make it even easier to understand: There is no way that dear husband and I could have handled all this on our own. (27x4=108 bags!) 

Even Martha Stewart landscapes with mulch. 

We’re learning a lot about maintaining a landscaped space. I liked what Kevin told us: Think of mulch as the icing on the cake. He’s right! Now, I guess we just need to pay for all that mulch and enjoy.                                                        No-Green Thumb 

Glenne

109 The week that was

The week that was

It is always quick, busy, exciting, full of surprises and never ordinary--the week that the grandkids come to visit without their parents.

We started the tradition several years ago when our granddaughter was old enough to come and stay--she was 6 and ready to make the five-hour drive from her home to ours. Her brother was too young so she got to solo the first year. She was packed and ready to go shortly after we arrived. Never did she mention being homesick or ask to call home. We were amazed at her resolve and determination to visit on her own.

Two of our grandchildren live in the same town as we do so they join in the festivities as the week unfolds. We have learned over the years what works and what doesn’t. There are regular stops that cannot be left out--one is going to the drive-in movies and sitting in the back of the pickup truck.

They all spend the nights here at the house, and we end up with musical beds as each one has strong ideas about where they want to sleep. Usually a little negotiation will resolve most issues after a great deal of give and take that would put NATO and other such organizations to shame. Want an international crisis solved--send in the grandchildren and grandparents and it was be taken care of pronto!

For the last couple of years, the youngest grandchild has joined the others for the annual camp. The only male in the bunch, he has learned to stake his claim and survive the melodrama of three young females such as braiding hair, clothes malfunctions, lost items, and a whole lot more. His main concern is what we have to eat and when he can eat it.

Visits to local parks, museums, zoos, Washington, D.C., battlefields, and other local points of interest are regular stops on the tour. This year, putt putt was added. I am not sure why but it seemed to be the most popular new activity.

Slurpees from the 7-11 were also an addition to the week’s schedule as a stop each evening or afternoon was filled with discussions of which flavor was absolutely the best. Our grandson could not help himself exclaim as his first taste of the cold delicacy filled his mouth --- “I don’t like Slurpees; I love them.”

Every day is filled with constant activity and no slacking is allowed. Keeping up with whatever is on the schedule is a given. Walks around the school campus across the street from our house are required, and stops at special trees are a must – the weeping willow, the table or flat tree, etc. 

Some years we have gone to North Carolina as well as gather in Virginia. That adds another dimension and a whole new world of activities. A trampoline full of jumping possibilities was a real mind blower last year.

None of this would be possible without the parents helping out whenever they can. Sometimes they transport and other times they help with the activities, but basically it is the two of us and the four of them.

We always ask what was the favorite part of the week and the answers vary each year. The oldest grandchild is hitting teenage years so she was did not take part in all activities as usual due to obligations. She did volunteer to accompany me on the train, when her younger sister had a conflict. We brought the younger two back to the area so they could have their first, lengthy train ride experience. I have to say the café car was the biggest hit, but the train ride ranked in the top of the list. 

The hard part of the week is when it comes to an end, and we meet their parents half way. The house is never the same as calm and order take over where organized chaos and unbridled frenzy were the norm.

As we discussed the week’s adventures on the return trip, we all agreed it was a big success --- no throwing up, no bed wetting, and no one had a case of the runs. Yeah!

We will continue to do this as long as they still want to come. Hopefully for as long as we can keep up with them. I mentioned that we might be selling the house to downsize and one of them exclaimed--“You can’t sell this house!” So I guess we will stay put for a bit longer.

Savvy Nonna Frances        

108 Macabre? obsession

I Love Find A Grave!

It is such a great tool for researching family history and other history that I thought it is a good topic to share. Maybe most of you readers already know about it, but I'll take the risk.

The site was launched in 1995 by a Salt Lake City man, Jim Tifton, who wanted to support his habit of visiting the graves of famous people. It became a commercial site and then added nonfamous people sometime after 2000. Ancestry.com purchased the company in 2014. I hope they maintain it as a free site.

What I find most nifty about the site is that volunteers go out and document the location of graves and photograph tombstones and grave markers. The site lists the 50 top contributors to Find A Grave. All of them have contributed at least 100,000 records. A few were in the millions! To quote Wikipedia, "As of April 2016, the site contained over 143 million burial records and 75 million photos worldwide."

I have used the site for years and never ventured into the other fun things it offers, until today.

Teddy Roosevelt, Captain James Cook, Paganini, Emily Post, Dylan Thomas, and Sylvia Plath are among the 123 famous people that Find A Grave says were born on the same day and month as I was. The Posthumous Reunions go from the  Signers of the Declaration of Independence to the members of the Rat Pack and include many TV series and movie cast members.

Just a few of the Interesting Epitaphs:

"It Happens"
Under Rodney Dangerfield's name on his stone, "There Goes The Neighborhood"
A dentist's epitaph, "I'm filling my last cavity"
His brother's epitaph, "I'm filling my last cavity...me too."

A couple Interesting Monuments:

When you follow these links to Interesting Epitaphs, Interesting Monuments, etc., it lists only names and dates and provides a link to the full record. You can, however, follow the Find A Grave Facebook page, and these types of interesting ones show up there as well.

I became a member when I realized I had photographs of several of the Civil War officers, whom I had been researching for the Old Court House Civil War Museum graffiti. For instance, I provided a photograph (Isn't he handsome?) and additional information, including his obituary, for James Kellogg. The person who originally supplied the information on Kellogg's grave had to approve the information before it would appear on the site, which she did within a few hours:

Then I was hooked. I added photos and text for other courthouse prisoners, added my parents' wedding picture to their Find A Grave records at Arlington National Cemetery, updated information for my husband Harry's grandmother and great grandfather, updated my Civil War great grandfather's records as well as adding him to the Find A Grave virtual cemetery for the 12th Indiana Infantry, and a few more additions as well. 

Whew, and I have a lot more family history pictures to add!

Check out Find A Grave. One thing to remember is that many different people are entering the data and names on tombstones can be carved in a variety of ways so search for an individual with full name, just initials, just first initial, county and state, just state, etc. I hope you are not looking for John Smith!

Savvy Researcher Trish     

107 My summer vacation

What I Did on My Summer Vacation

Seriously, today I am glad to be retired teacher! Teachers are back at school this week and students start on (YOU SHOULD SIT DOWN FOR THIS)--AUGUST 8! 

Yes, summer vacation is over! School starting the week before Labor Day seemed an abrupt end to summer as I was growing up, but, readers, I googled it: the official end of summer this year is not until SEPTEMBER 22! (I must be adaptable; I must be adaptable!)

The traditional back to school essay--presumably to get children to talk, write, and share --is how their summer vacations were spent. I thought you might be amused at our vacation highlights.

I love, love, love New York City. Besides, my daughter, son-in-law, and new granddaughter live on the Upper West Side. Said baby is almost two months old. This year we combined grandparenting and playing in our favorite city. 

OKAY--first things first. Here is the NYC baby girl (right now nicknamed Mini as she is a tiny little thing and looks exactly like her father’s baby pictures!) Please note the first picture book title! I am proud of the parents. Our daughter is back at work and Daddy is on “baby leave.” Points for equality in the workplace and for the amazingly super son-in-law!

Each of the ten days started with a morning diet Coke and a NY Post from my new friend located a half of long block (east –west) from our timeshare.

The timeshare is conveniently located right across the street from Carnegie Hall (56th and 7th Avenue) which means only four blocks from Central Park. You’re never too old to ride the carousel!

I do a lot of looking but not a lot of shopping at cheap knockoff vendor stands. I have a bit of a moral issue with fakes although I admit to purchasing a few of them!

Lunch a couple of days was pure indulgence on my part. Nothing better than a hot pretzel or a sidewalk Sabrett hot dog (the best brand according to me!). After lunch, it’s time to treat the pigeons or pigeon watch. They are street smart birds! Nope, not my pizza, but this little scavenger was tugging that treat up and down the street, just pecking away at it. 

At least one half day is always dedicated to the Metropolitan Museum. This year’s exhibit is worth a trip to NYC if one is interested in fashion, new technology, or haute couture. Manus x Machina features more than 150 examples of couture, avant garde, and ready-to wear. One gets a sense of the industrial revolution in clothing as cloth and clothing went from hand (manus) to machine (machina) and then the integration of the two. 

Some were just glorious detail; most fun were the 3-D printed – yes, plastic - outfits;








BUT BY FAR the most amazing were the Japanese designs by Issey Miyake (he was my new learning curve that day) wherein his designs lie flat and like a Chinese lantern open into a wearable avant garde design.

The visitors slowed here to look back and forth from flat material to the dress on the model.

Okay, enough about fashion. If you are interested The Met website has a pictorial overview and Vogue magazine did a big spread of pix. The exhibit is there through September 5.

We hit Broadway. No, we did not mortgage the house to see Hamilton (but tickets were available for $1025/). We saw the fun show about the Bottom brothers who are rivals of Shakespeare and want to start a “new” concept called the MUSICAL where people talk, then sing, then talk some more. Funny, funny show called “Something Rotten.” We also saw MOTOWN. Some 50 plus of Berry Gordy’s songs are sung, the Diana Ross actor was amazingly the reincarnation of all I remember, and a good bit of black history was woven into the storyline. 

The last evening we hit 42nd Street with all the tourists, tried to not get run over by the bicycles, and ended up at the famous comedy club, featuring the Last Comic Standing Winner. A bit bawdy, but really funny.

WE DO LOVE NYC. No wet bathing suits and sand for us!

Let us know what YOU did on YOUR SUMMER VACATION. We’d love to hear from you!

City Savvy Glenne