Weed Wacker

The gardener used to cut my tiny plot of lawn in under three minutes. They used one of those string trimmers and it didn't seem difficult, so I figured doing it myself was an easy way to save 10 bucks a week. Three minutes once a week and how hard could it be?

Today I spent twenty labor intensive minutes "cutting" the grass and the best thing that can be said about my lawn is that it is shorter than it was. The overall look is remeniscent of that mounding ornamental grass you see in flower beds and, in addition, my hands are so weak that I can barely type.

Now this is either a good oportunity to gain more upper body strengh, assuming that with practice I will surely become more skillful; or time to try another option - like a rotery mower. I can do that. The dear sister-in-law who loaned me the trimmer also has a push mower that I could try. My problem is (pause): THE GARAGE. I don't have room to store a lawn mower! The garage is full of my car and...and stuff! Stuff that is obviously so essential to my happiness that I won't get rid of it - it will be with me forever and ever and ever.

This story has no end...

I took this class

The three hour class was titled "Water Saving Irrigation - Techniques & Technology" and was put on by Pasadena Water and Power.

THE MOST "LIFE IS UNFAIR" THING I LEARNED
. That my daughter, who has never met a potted plant that she likes or owned one that she has not murdered; who waters her front yard, oh, once a month IF she remembers, is actually practicing a form of "tough love" on her poor unappreciated and neglected plants. Evidently plants actually LIKE to be stressed a bit so they can rest and recouperate and so they will grow stronger and deeper roots. That is why her roses are beautiful and her grass doesn't die and why, when the much loved and pampered plants and trees of the more virtuous amoung us will suffer and die in the anticipated drought, her yard will continue to thrive. Doesn't this sound UNJUST and just plain WRONG?!

THE USEFUL THINGS I LEARNED:
. That it is the length of the day NOT the temperature which determines a plant's water needs. Thus, more water is needed on a cool June 21st (the longest day of the year) than on a sizzeling 100 degree+ day in August or September. The plant only works when the sun shines. The longer the day the longer it needs water to work.

. That the slower the water is delivered to plants the more is absorbed.

. That most plants have an ideal root (the roots that can absorb water) length of only 18 inches - even trees. For trees the long "tap" root that everyone talks about is just to keep the tree upright.

. That you should never plant anything below the soil line - a few inches above is better - because the plant will choke to death.

. That the hole that you dig to plant something can be as wide as you like, but should not be any deeper than the longest root.

. That a rule of thumb watering schedule is: 3xWk in summer; 2xWk in fall and 2xMo in winter (only if needed) for approximately twelve minutes if you are ovehead watering.

. That the symptoms of OVER-watering and of UNDER-watering are exactly the same - wilt.

. That overhead watering needs to be done in the early morning , but underground or drip watering can be done at almost any time during the day.

In the car with Abby

I have terrible night vision. I can't see street signs at night. I can't see freeway signs at night. I can't see car license plates at night. So mostly I stay home after dark unless I already know where I am going. Unfortunately, Megan and Aaron have a thing about the beach and also for restraunts in the city. In other words they insist on living and socializing out of my comfort zone. Google and I do fine in daylight, but sometimes..it gets dark.

So I purchased a GPS and on Saturday morning, before taking Abby home I program the address into the unit and it is talking to me...

Abby: Gramma why is it talking to you?
Me: It is telling me where to go.
Abby: But Gramma, you KNOW how to get to my house.
Me: Yes I do. I am just seeing how this works so that when I don't know where I am going I will know how to use it.
Abby: Oh. My Zoozie has one that shows where she is going backwards.
Me: I know, thats a very special one, but mine doesn't know how to do that.
Abby: Then how do you back up?
Me: Well, I have to be very carful when I back up to look behind me.
Abby: I can help you gramma! I can see behind.
Me: That will be great! I will appreciate your help.

Silence

Abby: ...but gramma, I won't be here ALL the times!
Me: It's ok. I will be especially careful when you are not here.

Silence

Abby: ...but my Zoozie's is the best - I'll ask her to buy you one.

jpeg laundering

Umm I forgot to explain why this is here: I have begun the overwhelming task of organizing my external hard drive. I fervently hope that it doesn't end up to be an unending project like, for instance, my garage. I found that this one jpeg refused to upload to Snapfish, crashing the computer at every attempt. Because every other program I owned could read it I just couldn't believe that the file was bad. I tried rebooting, re-logging in, re-scanning, etc. and spent over an hour frustrated and wondering WHY? So I still don't know "why?", but by uploading to the Blog and then saving to my desktop with a right click from here....I was able to upload. I am either exceptionally brilliant or just persistant..but no matter how you look at it. I beat the system!!!