greene's blog: One year

Let's jump into the WayBack machine for a quick minute.
This was me in February 2017.



Everything was going along pretty well until about a year ago I got sick. Really sick. Thought I was gonna die. The doctors thought so, too and did every test at least twice. I lost a ton of weight. It was kind of funny to be outside trying to weed the garden and all of a sudden my pants fell down to my ankles. Gotta laugh about it, right?
This was me in August 2019


My hair fell out. Ugh!


Well, anyway, the good news is that I didn't die. The bad news is that no work got done around here for an entire year. One whole year of junk, weeds, shrubs, debris, just piling up and waiting for someone to get to work. And inside the house there was junk, dirty dishes, laundry...I did what I could but it still piled up, and up.
Gradually, my health improved. The weight came back. And my hair started to grow back. Yep, it sure did. When the pandemic arrived I found myself, like everyone else, confined to the house hoping to slow the spread of the virus. I happened to have a room filled with fabric and an almost new sewing machine.

My Singer heavy-duty machine.


I started sewing face masks to donate. Lots and lots of masks.

Basketball masks with matching beads to make the elastic adjustable.


More masks.


The masks are given away free to whoever needs them. But I'm happy to accept donations of any kind in order to replenish supplies and keep making masks; some local people donate dog food and treats, potting soil, cotton fabric and some just donate cash. My masks have been given away locally and have traveled in the mail Atlanta, Georgia and to Birmingham, Alabama and even farther - to New Mexico, Kentucky, Nevada, Indian, Iowa, New Hampshire. A box of 50 masks went to Navajo Nation and I'm working now to send masks to the workers who are harvesting fruit in the state of Washington.
One lovely local person gave me a bag of thread and some Four O'Clock seeds from her garden.


Oh, since I just mentioned potting soil, let me interrupt myself. I had rooted a ton of Duranta erecta cuttings that needed to be put into pots (just in case the pandemic allows us to have our plant swap in September) so went over to Lowe's and bought a big bag of potting soil. I normally try to save money and look for the broken bags that are discounted but for this bag I paid full price. It was in the back of my car... (Did I mention that I'm old and forgetful?)

A couple of days later, I decided to take the dogs for a car ride to the park. All four dogs in the car together. They were having a lot of fun playing in the back of the car. They love a car ride. And for some reason they were especially enjoying this ride.

Can you see what's happening behind me while I am totally oblivious in the driver's seat?

Remember that bag of soil? The one that I paid full price for because the bag was not ripped.
Well, this is what a bag of potting soil looks like when four dogs decide it's a fun toy.


Gotta love those dogs! Even though I live alone I do have lots of company. There are two roosters and two hens living in my yard. The smaller hen decided she wanted to hatch some eggs and she did. She has four beautiful chicks and they are growing like weeds. Here is Dottie, Jr. with her four chicks on May 16, 2020. You'll see the chicks again in the video.


A black rabbit showed up in the yard. He (or she) seems happy here so I provide carrots and fancy rabbit food. He mostly hangs out in the front yard with the chickens.


I already had two dogs but back in September , when I didn't yet know how sick I was, I adopted a third dog so that brought the count to 3 matching rescue dogs keeping me company.


In the first week of January 2020 someone asked me to hang onto this big brown dog...just for a couple of days. Ha! She was in heat when she arrived so had to be kept apart from my 3 dogs. At the appropriate time I took her to the veterinarian to get spayed. At that point the plan was to re-home her but the darn pandemic made it nearly impossible to safely do any interviews or have a 'meet and greet' with prospective owners and their dogs. So she stayed. Her name is Coqueta and while I'm busy sewing she keeps herself occupied destroying things in the house. Here she is right after she ripped the binding off a blue quilt. She did a very good job and if you look closely you'll see some blue threads stuck in her teeth. Silly girl. The veterinarian and I think she is a Chocolate Labrador mixed with Vizsla which equals Vizslador.


At this point I'll have to jump over to YouTube to upload a video. So many gardeners love to share their beautiful yards, gardens, blooms. I decided y'all needed a video tour of my place.
https://youtu.be/rJKYngQSYH8

In the video I mention that I have 'big plans' I had for the second gate? I happen to have a gate similar to the one in this photo. The image is from an article right here in The National Gardening Association but I can't find the name of the photographer.


The plan is to build an arbor around the gate and plant my Evergreen Wisteria which has been patiently waiting for a permanent location.
Evergreen Wisteria (Callerya reticulata)

Well, thanks everyone for spending time touring the garden. I will smile and wave good-bye. You won't be able to see my smile because, like everyone else these days, I'm wearing a face mask. Stay safe.

(See, I told you that my hair grew back!)

( No account? Join now! )