What? Back so soon?

I told you I was going to try harder!!!

A couple of months ago, I started two avocado plants, thinking that I would be lucky if they grew.  It took weeks and weeks, and I was about ready to give up.   When I was beginning to lose faith, I decided to google "how to start avocado plants", and found out that I had the pit upside down in the water.

So I turned them over, and waited again.

 I was surprised when they both started to root!!  So I gave one away, and kept one.   

I probably won't live long enough to see an avocado from it, but it's fun anyway.

I really didn't need another plant.  I have to move them around when winter comes.  My huge elephant plant has to be moved from its favorite window, because it is right next to the gas stove in the living room.   When it's very cold, I use the stove in the evenings, and sometimes over morning tea, and the plant just doesn't like the heat.

Other plants, upstairs, have to come downstairs for the winter, as there is no heat upstairs in this 230 year old house.   

So no, I did not need another plant.

That's why I gave this Mandeville to one of my daughters, instead of 

trying to winter it in my house.

The garden is gone by, everything needs to be trimmed up and put to bed for the winter.

But for some reason, these morning glories are not ready to give it up.

I don't think I've ever seen them with leaves this big.

One of you asked about Lois.   It's a difficult subject, and one that 

I really struggle with.

She went to assisted living back in January, lasted there only a 

few days, and moved to memory care where she has been since.

Her sister takes her out a few times a week, and often 

brings her over to see me and the dogs, who love her dearly.

She knows me, but if I asked her what my name was, I think she might struggle with that on some days.   A dear friend of both of us, is a stranger to her now.  She simply does not remember who she is.

It's painful to see her, as awful as that sounds, because she looks like

Lois, and she sounds like Lois, but the Lois that I spent every day for 13 years with is not there.

If anything makes you grateful for whatever life you have, no matter how difficult, it should be dementia/Alzheimers.

She is safe where she is, but in truth, her life is over, while she still breathes.

I hate every bit of it.  

We had a great run, Lois and I, weaving here at Crazy as a Loom.

I am grateful for it all.

Time to plant the garlic this week, finish whatever needs doing outside, and wrap up the yard for winter.

A few weeks ago, I picked up all these black walnuts over by the 

labyrinth.   I have a black walnut tree that is very productive, and 

probably what keeps all the squirrels so fat and healthy.

I have never tried to open one, but I did, and now I know 

why they are used as a natural dye.  My finger nails were a lovely

shade of black.  This photo is AFTER I scrubbed them and even used bleach on them.   

Live and learn.  

The squirrels are welcome to them.

I had an old bench that has been out in the yard for years...it's actually a glider.   I loved it, but it became covered with lichen, and looked

like it was ready to call it a day.

But I called this local guy who restores antiques, and he took it 

home with him, took all the bolts out of it, removed all the mahogany

slats, put new bolts in it, and oiled all the wood, and put it all back

together.   It reall turned out to be a beautiful bench after all.

Sitting on it, under the linden tree, (also called a basswood tree)

here's my view of the house.

Below is a screen shot of the rug in my living room.  It was

pretty, but thin, and every time Willie came in the kitchen door, 

he raced through the kitchen and into the living room,

and the rug reacted in a way that left ripples in it.

So every day, I pulled and pulled on it to flatten it out,

and the rug refused to stay flat.

So the other night, my daughter and I took a trip to Ollie's, 

a store that definitely has everything.  To be honest, it's a bit

scary.

But I found a rug, actually, my daughter picked it out, I was not at all

sure.

But for $149,  I thought it was an improvement.  It's much thicker, 

and it certainly does POP.

The dogs loved it, they rolled around on it, and 

gave their approval.

What do you think???