Bees Are A Gardener's Best Friend, A Giveaway!

Where would your garden be without the Bumble Bees, huh? You gotta love these guys who just come along and pollinate your little garden and ensure that you will have seeds after your blooms, for free! 

If you're anything like me, you collect seeds and scatter them in the hopes that you will score some free plants. Hooray! It doesn't always happen, but when it does it's literally a gift from above.

I can't give you blooms or ensure that the bees will visit your garden but I am happy to share my love of gardening and appreciation of Bumble Bees with all who love these little guys by giving away 

TWO Busy Bees Wool Felt Runner Kits. (10"x26")

Kits include the pattern, all the wool felt you will need to complete the top, the backing and I'm even adding the the embroidery threads and needle to ensure that all you have to do is remove the sizing and start crafting. 

It's a sweet pot  and all you have to do to be in the drawing is leave a gardening tip in the comments. Thanks for sharing your tips, and joining in the fun. Good luck!!

Winners will be drawn next Friday 7/6/2011

All anonymous posts will be removed. 

You know who I am, 
what makes you think I don't want to know who you are? 
Check the backlink on your post to make sure it goes to your email address or your blog.  You should be "linked" to your comment, in some way.  I appreciate all your comments but I will not hunt you down to give you a prize or post a "looking for" . I will contact the winner via email. Sorry. 

Summer Blooms

One of my favorite Summer pastimes is gardening. It had been years since I ventured out into my garden at our old house. Mostly maintenance work since I quit smoking and being in the garden was my "trigger". My flower beds were mature and some of my plants grew to almost six feet tall. I had a small garden and my motto was, "If it doesn't bloom, I'll dig it out!" Pretty straight forward. 

When I purchased this house, one of the most overwhelming tasks I knew I would have to undertake would be landscaping. If you have ever been to Lowe's, Home Depot or God forbid, your local nursery, you know that gardening is not inexpensive, and that shopping for plants takes on a whole new meaning when you are going through pot after pot looking for plants that have "babies" that can be divided in the fall and net you the largest bed. Getting a bang for your gardening buck takes work!

Before I could start planning my garden renovations I had to wait and see what was actually planted in my space. I knew that with two Koi ponds in the backyard and a  stone wall this was no ordinary garden. This must have been a gardener's garden, at some point. With that in mind, I waited patiently for the garden to come alive. 

The Winter Landscape looked bleak. Only the hardscape told me this garden would be magnificent.

It seemed to take forever but eventually Spring arrived and it brought Bearded Irises, flowering trees. Tons of Lily of the Valley but no tulips. Sigh.....

The Irises were beautiful but what I really wanted to know was what color the Daylilies would be.

 Summer brought beds of Original Orange Day Lilies. Yes, that is their real name  (Hemerocallis Fulva). I am thankful they are not pink. I am thankful they are plentiful and I am thankful that unlike the Hostas, they bloom big and bright, and I will not feel the need to dig them up. LOL. Yes, I have been digging up plants... lots and lots of them. I have started replacing plants I don't care for with plants that remind me of home, my old home, my first home. A backbreaking job for sure, but one that has already started to show promise.  

I found Catmint, Salvia and Jacob's Ladder at Lowes. My first thought was "Oh, they're so small!" but alas, I know they will soon grow to rival the ones I left behind... and they have taken off running. I feel hopeful that my garden will soon reflect not what someone else left behind, but the love and care that I put into it. One plant at a time.
Hope your garden is blooming and calling to you. Have fun!!!

Crate & Barrel at The Burlington Mall Could Use Some "Awareness"

The problem with autistic children is they grow up to be autistic teenagers and then, autistic adults who no longer seem so cute when they are stimming, avoiding eye contact or simply displaying any autistic traits that they have not outgrown. They might not screech, walk on their tippy toes or line things up (although some children never outgrow these, others do), they are still socially awkward and very much autistic. All you have to do is approach them and you will soon discover that "something's just not right". You don't need to be a rocket scientist to figure this out. It's as clear as day.

Before I tell you about my experience at the Crate and Barrel at the Burlington Mall in Burlington, MA; let me tell you that I have been shopping at this store for years. GP knows this store, and he is free to browse independently, as long as he does not leave the store. He carries an iPhone so I can call him if I can't see him, or he can't see me. Before we enter the store we have a set amount of time to "browse". Say twenty minutes, and when time is up, I make my final selections and check out, or just leave without making a purchase. This is not a routine specific to C&B, this is a routine we follow to ensure that GP is comfortable with the schedule. It is an adaptive behavior that I have taught him to reduce his stress while being out, doing necessary things; grocery shopping, shoe shopping, whatever. A time of departure is necessary at the time of arrival to ensure good behavior. It reduces anxiety and gives me the time I need to get things done. This brings me to yesterday's trip to the Burlington Mall.

I have a gift card to Crate and Barrel and I love their stores. The one at the BM is the closest one to us, and hence, the one we go to a few times a year. GP knows the store and is free to roam independently while I shop (usually for 20 minutes... sometimes I get a whole 30, but a quick stop is only 20. Beggars can't be choosers!). Yesterday, while I was browsing the furniture upstairs I spotted GP on the other side of the room. He was actually holding up a wood ball and using his peripheral vision to look at it. He was stimming and after a couple of seconds he just put it down and walked away. I moved on to the end of the room and he came to check on me, and remind me that it was almost time to go. I agreed and told him I was almost done. He left me there, and a few minutes later I went downstairs and was getting ready to make my final selections when a gentleman in a blue jacket approached me, and asked me if "That young man, is with you?" and I looked at him and smiled and said, "Well, yes he is. He's my son." and I thought nothing of it, but the man approached me again, and then he said, "Oh, so he is OK?" I looked at him and asked, "WHY? Did you ask him something? (GP is autistic, he is not the most social child, if you know what I mean...) Gene Paul..." GP comes over and I ask him, "Did you speak to this gentleman?" and GP says, "Oh, no. He's a stranger! I'm sorry, stranger. I'm Gene Paul." OMG! I had to laugh... and I did. I told the gentleman that GP is autistic and he doesn't talk to strangers. and I am getting ready to move on when the man says to me, "I'm mall security and was called over from the mall to check on him. I'll just go tell the ladies at the desk that he's with you, what's your name? Just so I can tell them." 

WHAT?  Are you kidding me? I said to him, "My son is not a danger to himself or others. I do not see how anyone can feel threatened by a young man who is minding his business and not being disruptive. He is alone because he is learning independent living skills!"which include, being in a store without someone hovering over you. He said he would tell the ladies at the desk, who when I looked over, seemed to be huddled together looking at us and chatting. 

Holy smokes! Now, does that mean that if I return to Crate and Barrel at the Burlington Mall (not that I ever would), I should check in at the desk and let them know that my autistic teenager, who paces the store alone, and does not talk to strangers while waiting for me, is not a shoplifter or terrorist?? Would they like me put a kiddie leash on him, or simply prefer that I leave him at home when I shop at their store so their employees don't feel threatened??? It's not like he appeared to be a hobo wandering around. He is dressed in chinos, shoes and a henley.. he is clean shaved and has a fresh haircut to boot. His shirt is tucked into his pants, he is wearing a belt and he doesn't even have a jacket. Did they suspect he was going to stuff a fork in his pants and make a run for it? Really???? What exactly seemed so threatening that they needed to call over MALL SECURITY ??????? Not the store security, the MALL SECURITY!!!! 

I would have walked over to the ladies and given them a little bit of "awareness" seeing how April is National Autism Awareness Month and GP displays textbook autism characteristics; stimming, social awkwardness, repetitive behaviors (pacing the store)...but I was too shocked to do anything other than leave. 

I believe that Crate and Barrel's employees could use a little sensitivity training. Seeing how one in every 88 children that walk into their stores is likely to have some form of autism, maybe they can be taught to spot the obvious characteristics. Stimming is pretty obvious, maybe that could be a good starting point. If they don't want to invest in training maybe they can put a little basket by the door with neon bracelets so parents can tag their kids when they walk in  and they can shop in peace knowing that mall security won't be called to the store to track their kid, who is minding his business but "acting strange" (He's autistic; he ALWAYS acts this way! DUH!) One in every eighty-eight children will grow up to be an autistic teenager who will then become an autistic adult. Would someone please tell Crate & Barrel that being autistic, or pacing in their store is not a crime and it is VERY offensive to be followed around because you act like someone with autism when you are autistic! 

A little sensitivity training would go a long way in this store... maybe a few autism awareness pamphlets with their paychecks would help too. 

April is National Autism Awareness Month

One in every 88 children in the US has some form of Autism. I can't write anything positive about Autism, not a single thing, so please do take the time to make yourself  "AWARE" of what it really means to live with Autism... 

I'd tell you if I could, but it's just too hard. 

If you know someone with a new diagnosis or someone who needs information, 

this is a great resource: Autism Speaks

Baby Steps

Three weeks. Has it really only been three weeks since we unpacked those trucks? It feels like a lifetime. A lifetime of challenges, struggles and tears. It's been so hard. I would have never imagined that once I found the house I would have to work so hard to settle in.

Things are finally coming together though. In time, all things will find a place. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was my Love Shack. It took sixteen years to make that house a home so to think that this one will become a home in three weeks seems unreasonable. I am coming to this realization a bit late, but it's finally sinking in. My niece, Nyshma, suggested that I modify my unpacking schedule to avoid becoming overwhelmed. She suggested I take one week for every year I lived in my home. That's sixteen weeks to unpack sixteen years. Now why didn't I think of that?! I think that at the end of week sixteen, the boxes that have not been unpacked should be loaded into the car and driven to the dump.. and then we'll be "all in". Call it a day and fire up the grill!

So there you have it, my plan. Three down, thirteen to go.

Here's some of my progress:

The LR is still piled high with storage containers, although the boxes are almost all gone. This is what I see everyday as I come downstairs... it's a mess!

The least messy spot in the house is GP's Game Room.

and there is a reason for that:

Yes, that sign REALLY is on the door. LOL! Note how he scheduled his business hours around Homeschool and weekend outings. He's good like that...

And here is GP in his room. Still a few boxes in there, but as you can see, he seems to be working around them.

I think it'll be a while before everything has its place but there is some progress. Dozens upon dozens of boxes have been unpacked, and even if it doesn't look like home just yet, I know that these baby steps I am taking, will eventually lead me to where I want to go, home.

The Movers Are Coming, The Movers Are Coming!

Sometimes you have to bite the bullet and take the plunge into oblivion. You cannot procrastinate forever and although you might want to, you have to

"Just Do It!".

I started preparing GP for this transition almost a year ago. I walked him through house after house with me in the hopes that I would see something in him that told me "this is the house", and it never happened. His house is here, where he grew up and where he stores his "precious memories" (yes, that is a direct quote, straight from GP's mouth), and no house will ever measure up. No matter what it has, how big it is or how much I try, this is his house and I cannot change that. It is what it is. It's taken me a long time to "man up" to this, but I am so there. I am too tired to try to believe otherwise. I cannot change this, and I must accept it.

I've delayed calling the movers for weeks. I closed on the house and started packing and moving over bits and pieces of furniture. A table, chairs, baskets.... every single piece was a struggle. A tug of war with GP who will not ease up on my exhausted body and weary soul. It's as if I am shredding his life to pieces and breaking apart his home. It's not just a relocation to him, it's a loss of security and a plunge into the depths of the unknown. To me, it's "room to spread out", "room to grow" and to him it's almost as if the grim reaper has parked himself at our doorstep and he must stave him off. Except the grim reaper is mom and he must fight and argue his point of view until he beats some sense into me. It is EXHAUSTING! I close my eyes and I can almost hear his anger laden voice telling me, "We're NOT moving!" and see him taking the boxes out of the car. UGH! It's a tug of war. Every single day...

How long can I do it? Not much longer.

Yesterday I had the last estimate for the movers and they are coming to pack up what is left and haul it all into the new house. ALL OF IT! Yep, like a bandaid ripped to stop the pulling, I contracted movers to pack us up and just get it over with; in two days. GP was off with Gino and with Sharon helping me (it takes more than one beat up Mom to have a backbone) I did it, I signed on the dotted line and said, "Stick a fork in me, I'm done!"

In two days my house will be swarming with people, paper and boxes, and in complete chaos; but on Wednesday we will be in our new home (piled high with boxes, I'm sure), finally.

There will be tears for my handsome boy and for me, I'm sure. His of sadness, mine of relief... but it will be done. What a hard road I have travelled, and I am not "there" yet.

Baby steps, and lots of movers will help me across the threshold... I am so ready.

*********************

Here are some pictures of the new house.

This is the back of the house from the yard. The lower level has a game room that leads onto a mahogany deck. It is surrounded by a lovely little garden and a Koi pond. There are loads of plants coming up in the garden but I can only guess as to what they will be. It's like a gift that cannot be opened. I just have to wait and see what is there.

The upper level is screened porch where I dream of hanging a hammock.

Maybe after the dust has settled I will, but for now it's just a cute little room overlooking the backyard, the pool and the cute cabana which GP has dubbed, "The Clubhouse, for members only!"

The coolest feature of the clubhouse is that it has a little window, like a tiki bar, that lifts up so you can sit at a stool and chat with whomever is inside. You could order a drink, if it weren't completely empty (kind of like most of the house...). I think I will need a few drinks by the time this "clubhouse" is open so I am looking forward to becoming a "member". LOL

I'll share more pictures soon.

Today I am taking the day off and heading away from this half packed mess to clear my mind.

My heart skips a beat when I think of the chaos that awaits us on Monday but I am truly excited that it will be over soon... I can't wait!

Ten Days of Mayhem

My search for a new house has finally come to an end.

How long and arduous a task it has been.

When I began my search almost a year ago I thought that by Fall I would have been in my new house and almost a year after starting this full time endeavor, it has finally happened. I've purchased my house and I am now packing up almost sixteen years of my life, and preparing to move it across town to our new house.

Wow, what a challenge lays ahead as the packing begins in earnest. My goal is to have moved in by the end of the month. Ten days from today. Please say a little prayer for me as I put on my big girl undies and begin this journey. This is no small task, but with the help of family and friends, I am hopeful that it will be as uneventful as possible.

We shall ignore GP's pleas to "Stop packing my things!" and his daily mantra of "I'm not moving" and pray for him to come around and love this wonderful new house that I will work diligently at transforming into a home where wonderful new memories will be made. Pictures to follow soon!