Mosaic Mom

About 2:00AM, I rolled over and heard it…

Scritch-a-scratch, scritch-a-scratch.

Damn.

I pounded on the wall.
Things got quiet.

I nodded off, then…

Scritch-a-scratch, scritch-a-scratch

Double damn.

I got up, turned on the light, padded to the kitchen, fetched the Raid and a flashlight.

I opened the front door, drug a ladder across the deck to the soffit vent nearest the offending sound.

I unloaded the Raid.
Things got quiet.
I went back to bed.
I nodded off, then…

Scritch-a-scratch, scritch-a-scratch.

I gave up, got up and went to sleep on the sofa. Plant Daddy slept through all this.

Now about 5:00AM, Plant Daddy woke up and discovered me on the sofa.
“Why?” he asked.

“A relative of Rough Ralph is back and wants to scratch in the same spot right in the bedroom.”

“You know,” said PD, “I heard him earlier when I was taking a nap, but I didn’t want to tell you.”

“So it worked out better that I heard it at 2:00AM?” I asked.

Plant Daddy went and fetched serious rat poison and re-baited the attic, especially the area around the soffit. Then he went to work.

During the morning, while the house was quiet, I heard crunch-a munch-ing in the attic.
Rough Ralph Redux was eating a nice tasty poison brunch.

Good Riddance!

Also today, we dug the next section of sweet potatoes. What a great crop this year. Photos tomorrow.

Eric, the appliance repairman, has pronounced the Maytag...terminal.

The transmission seal broke and all the lube flung out all over the innards of the machine. The bearings have been running without lube for quite some time. This accounts for the massive noise.

It will last a few more loads, but eventually it will sieze up. The price of the repair exceedes new washer.

Time to go washer shopping.
However...Eric advised against the fancy new washers. He says the delicate electronics won't last in my shed/laundry room, exposed to the elements as it is. Sigh!

Other update...there is no rain at my house. The tropical Storm Nicole went east AND the front stalled south of us. Not a drop...zip...nada.

About a year ago, I thought I’d have to replace my washer.
When the cycle clicked to “Spin”, the machine would make a noise…
Tha-Whump-A,
Tha-Whump-A,
Tha-Whump-A

“When it breaks, I will get a new front loading machine,” I said to PD.
But it didn’t break.
It started to scooch.

It walked away from the wall.
It walked over to the dryer.
It walked over to the detergent shelf.

“When it breaks, I will get a new front loading machine,” I said to PD>
But it didn’t break.
It started to scream.

When the spin cycle clicked on, the shrieking noise was so loud that

You’d swear a 747 Delta Jumboliner was about to land in our field.
You had to cover your ears from the pain.
You could not carry on a conversation around the corner in the greenhouse.

I thought it would break soon after that…BUT…Noooo!

It started a new noise.
Now it goes.

Ka-Whap-A
Ka-Whap-A
Ka-Whap-A.

I broke down and called the repairman.
He’ll be here this afternoon.

For the last few days, we've not had a lot of rain. Me and my green beans would not be unhappy if the tropical storm Nicole comes along witha few inches of quenching rain.

Went to the first bank.
The waiting time in the drive through was minimal. I was hopeful that the rest of my errands would go well.

Went to the Post Office.
Whoever wrote “abandon hope all ye who enter here” obviously knew about post office lines.

Went to the second bank.
I stood in three separate lines before they were sufficiently satisfied with my torture and they finally gave me what I needed.

Went to the Tag Office.
God Bless these people. In and out, efficient, zippy and polite! Why can’t all of America function like the wonderful, wonderful tag office?

Went to Publix.
Bought soap, sweetner, and buttermilk. Got into the express line…the line that says 10 items or less…got behind an idiot with 18 items!

Went to the gas station.
Need to go back to the bank and get a loan to pay for the fill up! Sheesh!

Came home and drank the buttermilk.
Sorted out the mail.
Oh No!
Something in the mail needs to be processed immediately. I have to go back to the …nargh…post office.

Hey, Hey,
Ho, Ho.
Z car junk has got to go.

More cleaning ahead for the Z shop.

Well, today I was paying bills and I opened Plant Daddy's car tag bill.
There was the fee for truck tag...check.
There was the fee for boat tag...check.

Hey?
Where's the tag fee for the Green Bean Z Car?

It wasn't there.

Once upon a time the tag office did not send a fee bill for the Buick. I happened to be driving when the cops ran the tag and it was expired. Yikes! That was a big fat ticket!

But that's what saved us today.
I will go to the tag office tomorrow and ask for a bill!

That Plant Daddy was phenomenal today.

Not only did he start working on the soffit by the bedroom where there is significant water damage…..


He also finished up the soffit across the porch….


But wait! The best of all was this….


The boys have been working in the Z shop for almost 15 years and they never, ever threw anything away. This area that you are looking at was so packed with car parts that you had to turn sideways and step carefully along a path.

The shelves of parts here were three racks high and I was always in fear that they would fall on somebody. I constantly worried about critters and snakes.

Well, Plant Daddy Phenom cleared out a MAJOR chunk today and for the first time in a decade you can walk from the north door to the south door of this shop! Wow!

Just Wow!

So what did I do today?

Reviewed a paper about poinsettias and geraniums, and made 3 pints of strawberry jam as a reward for Mr. Phenom.

I was just about to post this when a storm hit and lightning took out the power. What an evening, but we got an inch and a half of rain! Yay! Anyway, enjoy the post...

Plant Daddy has an excellent link to a video about the sad state of education in America.
Link Here to watch.

Here are my random thoughts about education…

Plant Daddy and I were both educated in fear and shamed base systems. Nuns actually slapped Plant Daddy. I don’t recall being hit, but more than once was I forced to stand in the hall, stay late, do extra drill work, clean the blackboards, etc. Even in the second grade I wet my pants and had nose bleeds in class from the stress of elementary school. However…it motivated us.

Behave + make good grades = no punishment.

Plant Daddy and I had both parents who dished out shame, slapping, extra work and humiliation for poor school performances. In other words, our parents backed up the teachers.

Miss Sherrill - 9th grade science teacher- had a boy, 6’3”, a real distraction in her classroom- she hauled him to the back of the classroom and whacked him repeatedly with a ruler. He cowered while she shouted something to the effect that if he was too stupid to learn science, the least he would do is be quiet in her class so that the rest of us could learn something. Yay! (Try that now…sheesh!) He behaved the rest of the term.

This same teacher sent me home for a too short mini skirt! Made me kneel in front of the class while she measured it. My Mother was abashed…she had bought it for me in London over the Christmas holidays…but Mom made me change the outfit nevertheless.

Plant Daddy and I loved to watch College Bowl on TV.
Plant Daddy and I gag that there is actually a show called “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader”.

Plant Daddy and I are appalled that sports rate higher than academics these days. Like the guy says in the video clip, the US is ranked 48th in the world in education. Would this be accepted if we were 48th in the world in basketball? PD and I would love the day academics is valued over brute entertainment, but we won’t live that long.

And finally, PD and I would be hard pressed to find anything to watch on TV if it weren’t for the Discovery Channel and the History Channel.

Speaking of writing...

Get a copy of Florida Gardening Magazine...the October/November 2010 issue...the one with the cottage garden on the front and a tag thet says Vegetables That Laugh at Cold Weather...

Look on page 22...
I wonder who wrote that great article on Pothos?
Who could it be?

Mired in Madrid

Poor Little Mind Escape will be unable to get to Paris due to a strike by the air controllers in France. Read the link here.
It's not just that you can't get there, the air space around the entire country is off limits...you have to go around.

Would Charles De Gaulle like this?
I think not!

Also the Spanish transportation workers are threatening to shut down Spain on the very day that LME's flight is to come home.

I think she wanted to stay in Spain, but certainly not under these conditions.
Prayers requested.

Here is another bonzi whose trunk eventually got too heavy.

I always liked how the burgundy colored bisazza glass tiles in the mosaic matched the red in the ficus foliage. But between the weight of the pot and the weight of the plant, out to the yard it had to go. Too heavy to tote around.

I have finished writing a flash fiction piece going up to New York for a contest, but I don't like what I made. I guess I think it's not sophisticated enough to go to the big city. So I have time to make another.

I finished a piece for the Pisces Rising contest.
I finished one for Flights of Fantasy.
I am still waiting to hear about three pieces that are out in competetion currently.

Maybe I wrote a little bit in August and September, Huh?

Wow! They have a poster about it now!

Back in 2001 Plant Daddy and I went to Orlando to a Bonzi show. I was inspired.
I wonder if you can bonzi a Pony Tail Palm, I asked, so I came home in 2001 and tried it.

It went very well. But every year, Plant Daddy and I had to lift the thing out of its pot and root prune it.
Here it is in 2006 getting worked on.

The base got nice and fat and the top stayed short. Normally this would be a 15 foot tree.
Anyway, it grew into a 15 gallon pot and this year, PD and I could no longer pick it up for root pruning. So into the ground it went.

We think it's a happier plant now...room to grow.
Our backs are happier for not having to lift the thing every summer that's for sure.

Yesterday was a great garden chore day. Here's how the garden looked this morning:

The label for the "onions" got shrunk too small, but the plants are doing really well. Lots of beans...that's good with Thanksgiving just around the corner.
And speaking of around the corner, the back garden behind this greenhouse has beets, carrots and tomatoes. A little cool weather would help those crops...but the heat is good for the pool. We're back to 94 degree water temperature. And we enjoy the swim to wash off the dirt after a good garden session.

Today my goal is to stuff the last of the greenhouse plastic into the dumpster and to write a story about cockroaches for a contest. My dumpster is a constant source of inspiration!

If you want a writers meeting, catch Palm Group tonight at 6:00PM at the East Lake Library.

Last night we cleaned the Z shop stuff until it was too dark to see. The fellow came bright and early this morning to haul it away. Yay!

Then off to Mt Dora where Grrr- you can't buy a parking place on a Saturday and the road closures don't help any! Grrr. But I popped in over at Pisces Rising and took a peek at the painting that is the taking off point for contest essays.

Then to Publix.

After dinner a nice tour of duty in the garden. Beans doing OK, second planting of beans germinating well. Onion transplants doing great. Beet transplants not so great, but survival in this heat is the best we can expect. Tomatoes got tied up to the trellis. Cleared out more cosmos to make room for veggies later and ...wait for it...the TURNIPS are up! Yay!

Then more cleaning of the Z shop and some dumpster stuffing. Then a nice swim. Ahhhh...
And maybe a little internet shopping...details later...

The Art of Writing Creatively

South Lake Campus,
1250 North Hancock Rd.,
Clermont, FL 34711

Students will learn about creative writing in an interactive and supportive environment.

Several genres of creative writing will be covered: Creative Non-Fiction, poetry and Fiction as well as a very brief overview of cross-genre writing.

Students will participate in class with exercises that prompt creative thinking, self-exploration and exploration of the specific genres.

Students will be asked to work individually and as groups during the specified class time. There will be minimal homework, as this is a non-credit course.

There is no required reading; handouts/exercises provided by the instructor.

About your instructor....
Angi Baker is a graduate student who is a fiction writer, has published some creative non-fiction (personal essay) and has strengths in writing poetry. She is teaching this 16 hour class to complete her degree. For this reason we are able to offer this course at a reduced fee.

Topics covered include:
• Creative Writing
• Creative Non-Fiction: Memoir
• Introduction to Poetry
• Poetry as a Group
• Fiction
• Brevity Exercise
• Cross-Genre

Course No: CRN 15032
Date: September 23 - November 11, 2010
Time: 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Hours: 16 (8 Thursdays)
Location: South Lake, Clermont Campus,Building 1, Room 204
(Community Room)
Instructor: Angi Baker

http://www.lscc.edu/continuinged/2010/TheArtofWritingCreatively.pdf

Got this email yesterday:

Subject: Bookbuilders South Third Thursday, September 16th
Bookbuilders South (BBS) is a publishing-industry networking group for authors, editors, proofreaders, indexers, graphic designers, publishers, production editors, illustrators, printers, booksellers and more. BBS is an affiliate of Bookbuilders West, a San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit founded in 1969.

BBS Third Thursday
Bookbuilders South (BBS) will meet in Tremain's Lounge of the Lakeside Inn in Mount Dora, on Thursday, September 16th, from 5-7 p.m. Open networking will take place from 5-6 p.m.

At 6 p.m. we will assemble to officially introduce ourselves and our work, and say a few words on:

Book buying: what factors you consider when buying a nonfiction book, and how you select fiction.

Drinks are available for purchase. Newcomers are always welcome. We hope to see you there!


I’m not attending but I’ve been pondering their topic: What factors do you consider when selecting a book?

Fiction used to be easy. I’d go into Waldenbooks, navigate to the back wall where Penguin Books were shelved and browse. I’d always find new authors and exotic settings. Since Walden left, I have read very little fiction.

I never ever buy or read self-published novels.

I have bought and read a few titles of self-published short fiction.

I have bought and read exactly 2 titles of self published non-fiction specific to the plant industry.

Non Fiction is my reading of choice.
How do I pick those?

Here’s one of my ways:

I go to university web sites at places where Creative Writing is taught.
I look through course syllabuses.
I find out what text is required.
I copy the syllabus and I order the book.
Instant self-study class.

I order all my books on line from Powells unless they don’t have the title.

Currently Reading: Rebel Yell by Lance Olsen.
It is a text on writing short fiction by a professor at University of Idaho

This is the time to plant green beans to ensure a feast on the table at Thanksgiving.

Nobody says that's easy!

It's still 95 degrees and not a drop of rain. So we drag hoses to keep the crop alive. But then I noticed gaps in the rows.

I stuck my finger in to see what was what.

Mole crickets had burrowed underneath and eaten the seeds. Grrr. Time to get some bait.
Then I noticed that the tops had been nibbled. Rabbits! Grrr. Time to get a recipe book!

Writers One Flight Up

presents

Flights of Fantasy

at

Mount Dora Brewing


Flights of Fantasy... An evening of original prose and poetry presented by local writers and poets. October 28thh ... Thursday ... 7PM-9PM. Held at Mount Dora Brewing and the Rocking Rabbit Brewery – 405 South Highland Street, Mount Dora, FL 32757.

Sponsorship

Presented and hosted by Writers One Flight Up, an eclectic and creative writing group that meets weekly at One Flight Up Cafe' and Wine Bar, Mount Dora, Florida.

Back by demand, this is Third Flights of Fantasy evening. The first two FoF events were sell outs marked with hooting, hollering, audience voting for winners and cash prizes, creating a huge success.

Co-sponsored by Pulse, the Magazine; Partners in Crime Publishers; and Mount Dora Brewing and the Rocking Rabbit Brewery.

Participation

The evening is a Flight of Fantasy.

You’re encouraged to capture the spirit(s) of All Hallows’ Eve. We want light hearted, up-beat, comical, whimsical and fantastical pieces. Prose and poetry that will make us laugh … scare us a little … entertain us a lot.

To ensure a fast pace, we will select only 10 Readers. Readers are limited to approximately 8 minutes for their original poetry or prose. To be eligible for participation, send an electronic copy of what you are reading to the email address below. The Deadline for entries: midnight, October 24th, (Sunday). Selections will be made by Writers One Flight Up and Presenters will be notified by Tuesday October 26th.

Tickets

Selected Presenters (10 folks) will be given free tickets. Fifty (50) seats are all that's left for those who want to enjoy and play for the evening. Seats are $5, cash at the door. Free bar snacks and light bites. Wine, fabulous micro-brewed Rocking Rabbit organic beers, non-alcoholic drinks available on a cash basis.

Prizes

Cash prize awards for the top Readers. The Pulse Magazine Award, Partners in Crime Publishers Award, and Mount Dora Brewing Awards will all be handed out at the end of the evening.

Audience vote determines award winners. Laugh, clap, be happy and enjoy an evening of fun, frolic and fantasy!

Email Submissions to: infow1fu@writersoneflightup.com

I got home from the post office and trotted over to stuff some things into the dumpster. This little guy/gal was in the dumpster driveway eating rocks.

I went back to the house and sliced a nice bite of tomatoe for it instead, but gopher would have none of it. Just wanted to munch on the rocks. It must have something to do with building up the shell. I'm not sure.

At the post office I had mailed in a tax deposit. After I pay taxes in November, I will be impoverished and all I will be eating is stone soup no doubt.

Do as I say, not as I do!

Wear Sunscreen at the Beach!


On the bright side, I did catch my first fish ever out of the ocean. A ladyfish. Very small. Not edible. But loads of fun.

Also had fun feeding my french fries from lunch to the sea gulls. But I got hot and took my shirt off and....

Writers One Flight Up (WOFU) is having a flash fiction contest.

Here’s how it works…you go to the bar…Pisces Rising…you look at the painting…and you write a story inspired by the painting. Win and your story gets published in Pulse Magazine.

The Writers Group WOFU has not yet posted details of story format, word limit, address to send, but no doubt that will appear at their web site soon . Usually they are looking for 650 to 750 words.

Here’s the announcement they sent yesterday:

A WOFU-Pisces-Pulse Event

At Pisces Restaurant on Wednesday 9/15 @ 6 PM ... inside bar ... the unveiling of artist Norm Rinne's original painting used as a writers' prompt for the inaugural WOFU-Pisces-Pulse Flash Fiction Contest. This is an unveiling party ... cash bar.

The winners will be featured in Pulse (April) and on the web site ... this is the biggest writing event in recent times in Mount Dora with substantial prizes offered for the winners.

Come by and support Norm, a local artist and colorful figure ... have a drink with local writers and artists ... If you're a writer, get a jump start on this latest WOFU-Pisces-Pulse Contest.

Unveiling is 7:10 'ish (sunset @ Pisces) ...


Norm Rinne, local artist

This is Turks Cap, a member of the Hibiscus family. It blooms around Christmas time if the cold weather comes late and doesn't nip the buds.

However...we had it planted as a screen to block the view of the dumpster. Not too great a view while one is BBQing.
The Turks Cap struggled after its first year, so Plant Daddy hooked it up with its very own irrigation line. That's really special treatment...and yet, it struggled. It was a decline of several seasons, but this year, we yanked it and replaced it with a honeysuckle trellis.
Not only will that block the view, it may help with freshening the air!
One can hope!

This duck is a swimming pool chlorinator. It has a container that screws into the underside to hold chlorine tablets, then it floats and bobs in the water distributing purifying chemicals.

We've had the duck for years. I am kinda attached to it. So when it cracked recently due to the UV rays from constant sun exposure, well, I just couldn't part with duckie. So I repaired him with dry wall tape and caulk. Then I painted him up good as new.

It's not like I'm cheap or nothin'. Not like I'm a hoarder.

There is nothing worse than waiting for the dumpster truck after a holiday. Will he come today? Will he come tomorrow? Who knows, but I must wait and guard the entrance gate till he does.

From my computer I can see out the window to that driveway, so I at least can write while I wait. I heard about a contest on Friday with a 100 word limit. Entrance fee is $5.00. Count me in for that. Also got an email this morning that another Drabble contest is posted.

This morning I wrote the first drafts of both. Will spend the afternoon editing and washing clothes and watering green beans and waiting for the dumpster truck.

The good news is that the neighbor's house did not burn down. It didn't burn at all.

The bad news is that there was apparently a car fire up the road.

Plant Daddy and I toodled up the road about sundown to check things out. The grass was scorched and nearby bushes browned. All the burned out stuff had been hauled away so we couldn't tell what sort of car it might have been. Sad for the car owner but really glad the neighbor is still there.

I headed off to Beall’s and got a pair of tennis shoes and 3 shirts. I am done! I will not have to shop again till 2012 minimum!

Came home and PD and I set to clearing our walking path on the west side of the farm. Every year or so, we have to cut the limbs back and mow the grass a little wider.

While we were chopping and mowing and whacking, we saw a fire. Either a barn or a house went up about a half mile west. Lots of black smoke and a big KABOOM when a propane tank lit up.

We finished cleaning and drove the golf cart down the trail.

A FIVE FOOT Corn snake darted across our path. Plant Daddy jammed the brake. Now, unfortunately, it stuck. We had to exit the cart into the same grassy area as the snake. We lifted the seat and attacked the brake links and the switch links and the cables. It took PD 3 tries to unhook the brakes and get us out of there!

Hope the rest of the evening goes quietly.

One advantage of having kept a blog for almost 7 years is that if I can’t remember something about my own life, I can look it up. If it worked for Samuel Pepys, it’ll work for me.

Therefore I can tell you that the last time I was at Sanford Mall was May 9, 2009. And before that, I visited on September 27, 2008. Let’s say I’m not in any frequent shopper program over there.

But I was out of clothing. I had exhausted all resources of the local Lake Square Mall. And so I was forced to go to Sanford. I needed shorts, shoes and shirts. Labor Day Sales ought to be good, right?

I started at Dillard’s for the shoes. Yikes! They were offering a huge Labor Day Sale special and they were mobbed. No way I was going to get a head in to that slop trough.

So I went to Payless; also crowded.

And I walked all the way to Macy’s. Macy’s was not crowded. Macy’s didn’t have anything interesting in shoes, shirts or shorts. I headed to the food court.

An eggroll and a Coke improved my outlook. All that salt and sugar made me feel competitive, ready for battle. I went over to Belk’s.

Yikes! Belk’s is closing. The store is closing in the Sanford Mall. I knew they had closed at the Ocoee West Oaks Mall, but Sanford? Wow. I felt guilty. Was I responsible for not having shopped more often?

Anyway, there was a feeding frenzy at the Belk’s and I joined in. I found 2 pairs of shorts and moved to the dressing rooms. Uh Oh! I was 5th in line behind women with armloads of try-on’s. You know me; I ditched.

I decided to look at purses at Penney’s. Purses was not on the list, but I was spinning out of control from the caffeine in the Coke. No mini-purses.

I went to Sears. I love you, Sears. I got 3 pairs of shorts and paid a total of $17.00. Bliss!

Back to Dillards. Headed for brassieres. Got one. Headed for check-out. THIRTY DOLLARS! Are you kidding me? Those of you who shop more often may not have flinched, but the last time I bought a bra was September 27, 2008 (Thanks, Blog). I had a little sticker shock!

At Dillard’s I tried on 14 shirts. All the armpit holes were ginormous! Do clothing manufacturers think we have 40 inch arms?

I would not have taken those items home if they’d’a been free. And they weren’t from the sale rack. This was new designer stuff. It will be on the discount rack soon no doubt.

I gave up and went home. The boys had been cleaning out the Z shop all afternoon. Plant Daddy had grilled hot dogs. I chowed down.

Then armed with more salt and sugar, I hit the internet and located the shoes I wanted. They were on sale! They’ll be here in 5 to 7 days! Hooray.

On Thursday, the swimming pool filter was spewing an arc of water like a drinking fountain in a school cafeteria.

This was caused by an inept repairman some years ago. After he sabotaged the casing, he figured I'd hire him for the repair, but I kicked him and his company out. I patched the repair myself and it held till Thursday.

I applied a little JB Weld this time. It worked pretty well, but because the temps are 95, the repair adhesive oozed down the side and into the plumbing...oops!

This did manage to slow the leak to a trickle. So today I plan on applying another layer. That oughta hold it!

We are very pleased with the solar pool blanket. Here it is solar-warming the water for our end of the day bob-n-dip!

The water temp was 92 last night. Just perfect! We'll see how long this method can extend the season.
As a reference, early last week the water temp had dipped to 87 and PD and I didn't want to get in. Yes, we are spoiled Floridians when it comes to water temperature.

This weekend we have lots of chores. Stay posted. Updates will follow regarding roof work, shop and studio clean-up, planting and pool pump repair (sigh).

Here's the mosaic art car getting cleaned before the show.

I spent most of today cleaning up around here.

Pulled bloomed out Cosmos out of their planter box to make way for fresh fall plants.

Did laundry, including the sheets.

Cleaned up around the shop and hauled a load to the dumpster. Where does it all come from? Does the junk fairy visit at night and leave this mess behind?

Last evening PD and I planted a 15 gallon sized Jatropha Curcas. I hauled water for it today. But it is extraordinarily drought tolerant. It didn't even wilt all day and it was hot!
PD and I wound up in the pool again , praising the solar heat blanket again!

Yes, it's the first of the month. Time to go places and stand in lines.

I was second in line at the Post Office.

Third in line at the first bank.

Fourth in line at the Deli at Publix. And there were 5 behind me!

On to the next bank where I was again third.

Then to Ace Hardware where I did not have to wait in line at all. I got my trash can and my chlorine float dispenser and zipped on home.

After a nice dinner of deli subs, Plant Daddy and I floated in the pool. PD bought a solar blanket. It worked! Raised the water temp from 89 to 92 in 24 hours! Ahhhh!