• Around home - Blog - Outdoors

    T Tuesday: ladybug edition

    June 30, 2025 - By 

    Last week we figured out that the large tree that shades the deck was infested with aphids…ugh… I called around locally to see if anyone sold ladybugs which are a natural predator of the aphids. What better than to use nature to control nature instead of pesticides. Unfortunately I couldn’t find any place locally so I turned to the internet to order some.

    I ordered 1500 Ladybugs. I’ve linked them in case someone is interested.

    The instructions said to release them in stages…not all at once.

    I walked around the yard releasing some in various places to give enough space and feeding grounds to establish a colony.

    I’m pleased to be finding them around…I’ve even found larvae or pupa stage ladybugs which is very encouraging.

    My garden is full and I really don’t want pests chewing it up.

    I did have a mishap while out taking photos for this post. Such a bummer!!! This mug was given to me by a student that I spent hours online with as a part of distance learning while schools were in lockdown during the pandemic.

    It was a very fitting mug for that time. Oh well…life goes on…not going to cry over spilled coffee. 😉

    I’ll leave you with Marvin going on his supervised outings to sniff for bunnies and other friends that may have happened by.

    Today has me chipping away at a to-do list as usual. I got my 4 mile walk in this morning so that feels great!

    Stop back tomorrow…I’ve got a little surprise in the works.

    T stands for Tuesday
    What are you doing today?

  • Art - Blog - Creativity - Outdoors

    T Tuesday: back to journaling edition

    June 28, 2021 - By 

    I can’t even remember the last time I sat down to art journal. But I finally did! It felt so good, so natural, like I have been doing it all along. So why haven’t I been??

    I used my wonky junky journal to step back into the game. I love that it is so random…no expectations…no limits. If I want to exclusively write…fine. If I want to only paint…fine. If I feel in love with glue and paper…that’s fine too. With the variety of papers as pages I have endless possibilities.

    I didn’t think at all. Just let it happen.

    I made this little journal flip the my words would be hidden. Not that they are so very private but I didn’t want to clutter up the simplicity.

    Since I didn’t share any garden photos last week I thought I should snap a couple to show some progress.

    I ‘ve been battling a pest problem in the shed garden. We have a vole living under the shed or in the compost pile. It is getting in the garden and nipping off my plants. The little bugger doesn’t even eat them!! Just cuts them down like its a lumberjack felling trees. I have reinforced the fence…still I found more nibbled plants today. UGH!!! So frustrating. Short of poison, I’m at a loss as to the solution to my pest issue.

    Notice the condensation on my pint? That means it actually rained and we have some humidity in the air. We are still super dry but at least there was some precipitation. I never thought I’d be thankful for humid air.

    Lastly I have to share the haul I got from a garage sale last Thursday. As I walked up the driveway I saw this box filled with papers and such. I had to ask…is the box really free…as in all of it? Yes. Yes it was. I snapped that up like it was gold. I actually got a bunch of things from the sale…this was the only crafty related item.

    T stands for Tuesday
    Monday was an errand day for me…Tuesday is an at home day. I really need to knock some items off my ever present list since it just keeps getting longer!
  • Blog - Outdoors

    T Tuesday: garden planted edition

    May 25, 2021 - By 

    I finally got my garden planted. Seeds are in the ground, plants in pots. I still want a few herbs but that is just an after thought at this point.

    I’m growing all of my tomatoes and peppers in containers on the deck this year. I’m hoping this will help with the blight  my plants have struggled with over the past few years.

    Of course this doesn’t look like much at this point but very soon little sprouts will emerge bring me great joy!

    The interplanted radishes and carrots seem to be doing ok. This was a trick my dad used to do…carrot, radish, carrot, radish and so forth. The radishes are harvested much earlier than the carrots therefore giving them the room they need to continue to grow with having a bare row in the garden. Time will tell if this works out for me.

    Mini-me had another of her lasts…her last choir concert.

    It looked very different but it happened so I am happy for them.

    We snapped a quick picture up on stage before clearing out. I’m also sharing this photo because Mini-me donated her hair to Locks of Love again. She had 12 inches(30cm) cut off! This was her third donation.

    Yesterday was a hot one…after I got done with work, dinner and watering the garden I treated myself to a cold one.

    I’m not sure if I like this beer or not but it was wet and I was overheated so it worked!

     

    T stands for Tuesday
    Eleven days of school left…I think I can, I think I can…