I was thinking about that the other day as I looked at this blog and all the posts that have accumulated over the years…and the many more that will be posted in the days to come. I thought about it more while looking out at my struggling gardens because of the unusual heat and dryness we have experienced this year.

Yes, I love gardening, but not the way some do…those who are out there all the time, tending to their plants, making artistic creations out of their gardens. Part of me envies them.

I have to be honest and say that what I love is all that has to do with the outdoors, green…I love green, plants, and all the wildlife, animals, butterflies, insects.

So yes, I like gardening, but enjoy gardens that almost take care of themselves, hence the planting of so many perennials. I like experimenting with container gardening on my deck.

There is a peacefulness that comes while weeding and working in the garden, it’s a time when I, for some reason, find myself remembering things from my childhood, things from my past.

The gardens have struggled this year, but there is much green out there. It’s time to cut back the plants that are just not going to make it, hope that the late blossoms that are coming on some of my vegetables will have time to bear fruit, and begin to think about the things of Fall.

I hope this is a super September for all of you!

We have been experiencing heat like I don’t remember experiencing in many years, and because of water restrictions gardens are suffering a bit. The desire to be outside working in the garden is there, but the heat is just too much.  We are getting a welcome break this weekend, and in the coming days…I hope we are seeing an end to it, but know many of you out there are still waiting for the heat to break.

So, for those of you who aren’t getting the exercise that you expected and need, what are you doing as an alternative?  My husband and I like to walk, but there are days when it’s just too hot…and up here we also have bears that are making their way down to the lake to get a drink or get wet because of the heat.  So we’re doing what we can indoors.  Hubby wanted to get some form of fitness equipment that he can use in the house.  We live in a small house, so there is no room for large gym equipment, so he purchased an old single piece of equipment called a Bull Worker.  He and I have both been taking turns building muscle tone with it.

For me, I like to watch a video…I mean DVD (I’m showing my age) to see what I’m supposed to be doing, and because of this appreciated having the opportunity to look through the fitness DVD’s offered at the site I’m sharing with you…the prices were so low that I have no excuse for not buying them. Some are only $3 and change. After I am done here, I’m going to look through the Tai Chi, Yoga and Stretching videos because I am not as young as some of the girls on the first page I went to appear. I am going to be looking to see what I can find for a baby boomer like me. I already have a Leslie Sansone video that has you take a two mile walk in place to music…it goes so fast! I also recognize Kathy Smith and Denise Austin, I do believe I had a couple of Denise Austin Videos, yes, Videos, some years back. There are so many to choose from, maybe it’s time to get to know some new instructors. The prices are truly great, and should I be trapped inside due to heat….or cold (winter will be here before we know it!) I’ll be all set. How about you?

Most of the symptoms caused by breathing in these pollens and allergens may be helped by using a saline spray right away.  Here are some facts about a saline nasal spray that I have used in the past:

1. Saline spray can replace nasal sprays that contain chemicals that can irritate the sinuses, or cause you to become dependent upon the spray.
2. Using the spray can loosen congestion and remove pollen spores…use as soon as you have been exposed to pollen or feel symptoms.
3. Saline sprays are great for moisturizing dry nasal passages and sinuses in a dry climate or during dry spells.
4. Saline Spray helps by clearing the sinuses of a build-up of pollen and even pet dander, it is very likely that you are preventing the development of sinus infection.
5. Saline Nasal Spray should be 100% drug free and natural.

One of the nasal sprays that I use is called Sea Breathe, click here and page down to find it.

It took watching an episode of “Farmer’s Almanac” on television to remind me that Goldenrod and Ragweed are not the same thing.  In fact the man speaking mentioned that tea can be made from the Goldenrod flower, aerial parts, that may actually help with some allergies.  Often if Ragweed is growing, it won’t be hard to find some Goldenrod nearby.  So often the cure for what ails you in one herb will be found growing very close by.

Another example is poison ivy and Jewelweed…my husband is fearful of poison ivy as he gets it so easily, so pointed it out along the same path as we saw the Goldenrod, and I pointed to the Jewelweed that as growing right next to it.

Here is a picture of Goldenrod that I took last weekend.

Photo Licensed & Copyright Restricted through Flickr

ANSWER added 7/16/10:  You can find the full picture by clicking here at my photo blog.

After many an attempt, the simplest of solutions has worked in getting rid of an unwelcome guest at my hummingbird feeder.  I’m sure you don’t need a picture to guess who these guests were.  I had tried everything to get rid of the ants that were climbing down the wire from which our feeder hangs…off the eave of our house, and onto the feeder.  They then proceed to climb into the holes…and meet their fate in the sweet liquid within.  This of course leads to NO hummingbirds at my feeder.  Very sad.   Then the idea hit me…I slather Skin So Soft on my skin to repel bugs, I wonder if it will repel ants?  So (and I’m not an Avon representative and this is not a sponsored post) I took my large bottle of Skin So Soft outside, and a couple of paper towels, poured the SSS on the paper towels and wiped the eave and any wood around the area that the ants would use to make their way to the feeder….and IT WORKED!  I have not seen an ant since I did this just a few days ago…and they have been a daily annoyance.  I went out and re-applied today.

Just another thought…there was a spill from the feeder once, and zillions of ants gathered around it, so I took Diatomaceous Earth (all natural solution) and sprinkled it all over the area.  This didn’t hinder the ants from coming to eat what they could, which kills the ants.

I hope this helps someone!

(The picture is use under Creative Commons License, downloaded from here on Flickr.)

Now you can find anything you want on the internet, and the Real Estate Market is so challenged that people are trying many things to sell, including rent-to-own options, I don’t know a lot about this, but you can find more about it at this link – Long Beach Owner Financed Homes – and by the way just because it says Long Beach doesn’t mean there aren’t other areas covered, there are thousands upon thousands of users, and an Owner Financing Guide available at the site. I searched my town, and came up with almost 1,500 homes available for under $150,000. and we are in the northeast so that is a LOT of homes for a very good price.

You can also find helpful information at this Government Homes for Sale site.

(This post contains both personal and sponsored information.)

So, I picked up some Red Fountain grass to further inspire him…and jokingly told him that it was my answer to the flowers he gave me for Mother’s Day.  We’ll be picking up some more with coupons that are good starting July 1st, the ones given by our garden shop when we buy in the spring through July 1.  I get the coupons when I shop for my annuals, and use them to add to my Perennials each year…usually, especially this year since our growing season started early, the Perennials are looking pretty sad, but they come up beautifully the next year…as did my Lambs Ear, Sweet Woodruff (herb) and a few others that I added to the collection last year.

Image from flickr.com

In fact, a rainy day can make a dingy house in need of repair or updating look even worse than usual, and rather than be something that brings me down, should be an inspiration to do something to improve it.  The kitchen is the heart of the home, they say, and in our small cabin, it’s an extension of our living room…you can view the whole kitchen from the living room.  We did redo the kitchen some time ago, with one stainless steel sink…I do miss having a double stainless steel undermount kitchen sink. Stainless steel sinks are so easy to maintain, they clean up like new for years.

So, if you’ve got a rainy day on your hands, take a little look at undermount kitchen sinks, if you’re in need of updating your kitchen.

This post contains both personal and sponsored information.

HUD provides helpful information on a variety of topics related to buying a home, including an Overview on Buying a Home and other helpful resources. In times like these, you can use all the help that you can get, and there is a lot out there. I wish you the best whether you are selling or buying a home.