A Birthday Surprise!

This has been a wonderful birthday! Dave took me out to lunch, then dropped me off at the yarn shop downtown while he did some errands. I made my selections, and as I was paying out, Carol (one of the owners) went into the back, and brought out a brand new Cricket loom.  My wonderful but sneaky husband had purchased the loom earlier, and asked her to present it to me at the check out counter.  I could not have been more surprised!  Now I can add weaving to the list of reasons to hoard...um...buy and stash yarn.  The only regret I have is that Dave was not there for the presentation.  I normally shop and visit for a long time before paying, but today I saw what I wanted almost immediately.  I did notice that Carol was spending an usual amount of time with me, pointing out the new yarns and items they'd gotten in since my last visit.  In hindsight, I realize she must have been trying to delay until Dave's return, but there was only so much she could do without giving the surprise away.  Hopefully, all the praise and gushing he received from the women in the shop upon his return made up for this.  The ladies gave him a description of my reaction that was so detailed it had to be the next best thing to seeing it for himself. 

Carol warped my new loom for me, explaining the whole time how it is done, then she got me started on the weaving.  Dave had some business at the station to take care of so he left me in good hands while I reacquainted myself with the weaving process.  This is different from any fiber craft I've attempted so far. For the first time in a yarn shop, I don't even know the language, but I'm a pretty quick learner.  Especially when I'm excited about something.

My very own Cricket Loom!

This what I have accomplished so far.  I already love it!

My woven scarf in progress shot from a different angle, just because I can.  :)

Just when I thought today couldn't be more perfect, I got home and logged onto Facebook to find a page full of love and well wishes from my friends and family. It made me feel so special! Turning 45 was not traumatic at all :)

Rooting Pothos Cuttings

Welcome to my second ivy tutorial.  I guess you could call this a part two, or a continuation of yesterday's post.  You have cut your ivy back, now you are ready to root your cuttings.

Here is the cutting from yesterday. I removed the bottom most leaves, and placed it in a glass of water until I had more time to work with it.  As I stated yesterday, you could leave it as a long strand and it will still root nicely.  Since I like a full plant, I'll have to make some more cuts.

I've divided the cutting into three pieces.  How long to make each cut is a matter of personal preference.  Keep in mind that you will be removing the bottom leaves, and you want to leave enough stem for the cuttings to stay down in the water.

This is plenty of stem to hold the cuttings in place, but you could remove more if desired.  Remember, as long as you have at least one leaf, you will be fine.

place each cutting into a glass of water.  The amount of water is completely up to you.  I find that filling the glass to a little over half to two thirds is a good level, as it enables me to stuff the cuttings down into the glass.  I've found that ivies floating above the top of the rim easily fall out (or get pulled out by nosy cats).  Again this is just a personal preference of mine.  as long as your stems are submerged under the water, your cuttings will sprout roots.  If you are a beginner, I recommend you use a clear glass.  This makes it so much easier to keep an eye on the water level, and it also allows you to watch the roots sprout.  It is so much fun to watch the roots sprout.  

Here is a cutting I started earlier (I wish I could remember exactly when, but I can't)  As you can see it has rooted nicely.  I could pot it now, or I could put it back into the water until I'm ready and have more time.  It will not die as long as the stem stays under water.

When you are ready to pot your rooted cuttings, any small container will do.  Here, I used small, coffee-sized styrofoam cups, with drain holes cut in the bottom.  I've also been known to save pudding and yogurt cups for this purpose.  You could also save your pots from your spring annuals and use them.  No drill required :)  These small plants are the perfect size for sharing.

You could also choose to plant several cuttings together in a larger pot to make a full plant.  I used this method, during the Spring of this year, to create this Golden Pothos plant.  

The possibilities are endless with pothos ivy.  As long as you don't deny it water, it will survive and flourish for years to come.  I probably shouldn't tell this, but I've been known to throw ivy cuttings away, simply because I don't need any more ivy plants.  Please, don't hurt me...

How To Cut Back Pothos Ivy

I love pothos ivy.  Normally I allow my ivy to grow long tendrils during the summer, but I was recently asked how to cut an ivy plant back.  It is something I can't explain in words, so with the help of my oh so patient husband, I've decided to create a photo tutorial on how I cut back a pothos ivy. 

For the purpose of this tutorial, I will be cutting this tendril from my pothos Marble Queen ivy.  

Before I proceed, I have a confession to make.  It wasn't until last year that I learned the proper way to do this, but fortunately, God created a very forgiving, resilient plant when he created pothos ivies. My walking buddy, and former co-worker, Kim, taught me the correct way cut back my plants.

I used to cut the ivy tendrils off at the bottom of the pot.  Since ivy branches at the cut site, this caused excess weight, which drags the tendrils down, and stresses the root.  Kim showed me that if I made my cuts at the first knuckle (as shown in the photo) the branching will result in a fuller plant with a stronger root system.    

This photo is simply a close-up of the previous shot.  With my scissors, I am pointing out where I'll make the cut.  This cut is just above the first knuckle closest to the soil.

I'm happy to see that there's a leaf below the cut.  Kim assures me that all an ivy needs is one leaf to allow enough photosynthesis for the next growth spurt, but I prefer to leave as many ground-level leaves as I can, if only for my peace of mind.

This is the cutting. Simply remove the bottom leaves, and put this whole cutting in water.  This will keep it alive until you are ready to work with it.  You may choose to leave it long, or as I normally like to do, cut it into shorter cuttings.

I hope this tutorial has been helpful.  Tomorrow, I'll show how to root this cutting, and include pictures of plants I recently created from cuttings.

My Not So Simple Life

Things have been far too hectic around here. Especially for one who suffers from anxiety.  Routine is our friend.  That may seem boring to a fun-loving, spontaneous person, but we (the anxious) need it.  Routine provides us with a sense of stability and control, and without it we feel unsafe.

It all started with a trip to my dentist for a routine cleaning and check up.  Since I do this twice a year, I have learned not fear it.  I know what to expect.  What I didn't expect, was to be told I needed dental surgery to remove the wisdom teeth on my left side.  The ones on the right side have grown in straight, but the ones on the left were tilted, and partially buried under a layer of gum tissue.  I never paid much attention to them since they didn't hurt, but apparently, my dentist had been watching them.  This visit, he found decay (ew!).

He told me I could fill the tooth if I wanted to, but the location and position of the tooth makes it difficult for me to properly brush and floss to maintain it. I also learned that when you remove a bottom wisdom tooth, it is standard procedure to also remove the one above it, and vice-versa.  He assured me that the decision was completely mine, but I could tell he thought surgery was my best option.  He was of the opinion that the tooth would have to come out eventually anyway, and filling would just prolong the inevitable. (BTW, Dave was of the same opinion). My whole head was x-rayed, and a consultation with the oral surgeon was scheduled, giving me something to worry about for a week.

I arrived at the oral surgeon's office with my nerves already on edge, only to be treated to a nice, thick stack of papers to fill out.  I became so disoriented that Dave had to help me (I'm so glad he loves me), but that was nothing compared to the consultation itself.  By the time I was told about everything that can go wrong, I was ready to go back to dentist and tell him to fill the tooth, and I'd deal with it later.  Please, don't misunderstand me.  The oral surgeon was very nice, and he could tell I was an anxiety sufferer before I even told him of my diagnosis.  He suggested that I be sedated for my procedure, and we wholeheartedly agreed. 

(I know I'm going into more detail than is necessary, but I want to give you an idea of how the anxious mind works. Let me also point out that I've never had surgery of any kind in my life!)

Dr Peters, because of my anxiety, prescribed two valiums for me, one to take the night before my procedure, and the second to take an hour before.  I was afraid of it.  I've taken antidepressants before, but never valium, and I was afraid of it...and I had two weeks to be afraid of it.  My surgery was scheduled for July 12th (which was last Friday), and I had two weeks to worry about everything.  Potential side effects from the valium, potential complications from the surgery, the extra cost of the knock-out drops, and, Heaven forbid, What if the Knock-out drops don't work?!  Yes, for two long weeks, I worried about it all!

Of course, none of my worries became reality.  The surgery was a complete success, and I slept through the whole thing...and the rest of the day...and most of the evening.  I was given medications for pain and nausea, and for swelling, plus a strong antibiotic.  I'm sure it is completely unnecessary to tell you this, but I was very out of it that day.  9pm is when I was finally able to get out of bed without becoming nauseous, but I didn't stay up long.  After a pain pill, and a lovely late dinner of chicken bouillon and jello, and maybe 30 minutes of television, I was falling back to sleep.  I didn't fully wake up until after noon the next day.  There was a little pain, but nothing I couldn't handle, so I opted out of my pain medicine.  I have to pause to give credit where it is due.  Dave has been amazing through all of this!  I could not have asked for a better nurse than Dave has been. He has been, and continues to be, my rock through every struggle. 

By Sunday, the pain had lessened even more.  I was able to attend church, sing, and accompany Dave to the grocery store.  It felt nice to be out of the house.  I just knew the worst was over, and I was on the upside of things.  I woke Monday with more discomfort.  This surprised me after having done so well the day before, and like the idiot I am, I googled dry sockets.  It didn't take long for all my anxiety to come rushing back with a vengeance.  For the next two days, I was afraid I was going to dislodge the blood clot, which was the only thing preventing me from suffering excruciating pain.  How much more can my nerves take?

My follow up appointment was yesterday, and I'm happy to report that all is well.  The openings are healing nicely, the danger of dry sockets has passed, and all of my restrictions have been lifted!  I was allowed to enjoy my first Diet Coke in 6 days!  I have to continue taking my antibiotics until they are gone, and continue to flush out the sockets until they close up, but other than that, I'm a free woman! I still have soreness, but that's to be expected. 

Before I close, I just have to vent a little.  Why?!  Why, oh, why do I do this to myself?  Dr Peters did an excellent job with my surgery, and my recovery has been miraculous.  Physically, things could not have gone more smoothly, but my anxiety made it into a traumatic event.  I am so angry with myself!  I have lived in fear for a month, and it was all so unnecessary.  This is how I live!  If I didn't believe in God, and if I didn't have a  supportive husband, friends and family, and a praying church family, I don't know what I'd do.   

New Curtains!

I found these beauties at Big Lots (I seem to be shopping there a lot lately)!  I knew I liked them, but I can't believe what a big difference they made to my rooms!

The fun pattern on these drapes remind me of bubbles, which makes me happy :)
Between our local Big Lots, and the store in Greenville, I found enough panels for the windows in my living and tv rooms.

This more calming pattern is perfect for the master bedroom.

I'm so happy with the transformation!  I can't pick a favorite room!

Glow Bugs

Actually, they're solar lights, but I'm not too old to imagine. :)  Big Lots was selling these cuties for $5 off, and I've always loved dragonflies.  I placed them in my potted herb garden at the end of my walkway.  I wasn't sure if they would work because of my many shade trees, but I'm happy to report that they do!

The kit contains a faux rock, with five flexible tubes.  The dragonflies are placed over bulbs located at the end of each tube.  The rock is your solar panel.  

I love the way these dragonflies look in this pot, even if the lights hadn't worked.

Fortunately the lights do work, and they are beautiful!  This picture doesn't do them justice at all.  In reality, the lights are much brighter, and they blink.  The overall effect is one of dragonflies in flight.

I hope you all had a happy 4th of July!  Never take for granted the freedoms we all enjoy!

Knitting Injury

This is what happens when you use your finger to press down on the point of the needle as you move the stitches up.  It hurts more than you'd think, but fortunately this was not a bad puncture.  The pain was gone by the end of the next day, and completely healed a day or two later.  I've had them much worse than this one.