Ketchup

*Boring Boring Boring...you have been warned!*

I have spent the last week or so trying to play ketchup around here. Trying to get back on schedule.

A months worth of mail gone through, 90% of it junk. 10% of it bills. ICK.

Bills paid, and mailed.

Unpacking...HA! Not done yet. Some of it done. But not enough to brag. (My Mother is in heaven shaking her head in shame, seriously folks)

I have spent the last 2-3 days mostly at Home Depot, Walmart, Krogers, and out of doors, trying to make the house look lived in. also to resupply the house. I needed lots of things that are not so much fun to buy...lawn and leaf bags, garbage bags, twine....ick. Flowers, dirt..etc.

I managed to forget butter, I love butter, so must get some.

I also had to but annuals for summer. I managed to find flats of OVER watered and sickly looking fuchsia wave petunias at Walmart for get this $1.00 a flat!! They look sickly, but it is only because they were drowning...I am sure to cure them. Petunias, although not my favorite are easy to maintain here, they do not REQUIRE a lot of care, and bloom enough too be sort of showy, they like heat and sun, and can stand a bit of neglect. But a flat for $1, I could not go wrong there. I also bought a lot of Vincas. Vincas look similar to impatience, but unlike impatience, can also stand a bit of neglect, and LOVE the heat. So I bought a lot of fuchsia. some of my potted annuals came back. I also continue to fight the weeds. In about 4,000 square feet of flower beds, you get weeds. And when we moved here, that was part of the reason, I loved it here. The flowers beds. But after 2 deployments, and small babies, and now this 5-6 month school. I am finding, 4,000 square feet of weeds, can make me insane. The physically part does not bother me, it just becomes daunting. I am also at war with my Bermuda grass. Which is something i was unfamiliar with until moving down south. (grew up with Kentucky blue grass). Bermuda grass, can take heat. But it grows out in vines. Yes vines. It also seems to want to climb in the flower bed, and not in the bald spots in the yard...damn. This grass will be the death of me.

Does anyone know how to spot kill Bermuda grass, but not perennials? If so let me know.

I still cannot find my large hedge clippers and need to. Damn if I want to buy new ones.

I have at least 15-20 holly bushes that need a haircut.


I did trim my River birch, it was a mess. Branches all over the yard. River birch are messy, and although pretty...never plant one in the front yard, unless you like picking up twiggery.

The suburban community we live in also has started requiring us to bundle all twiggery. I could not locate the twine, so in typical Army Wife fashion I managed to disassemble some 550 chord. It worked great, but I cannot locate the rest of the millions of miles I know my DH is hoarding. Bundling twigs sucks.

I was also surprised to find my climbing white rose, I had planted on a 4 1/2 foot trellis, right under my kitchen window to be climbing to the roof. Holy Crap, no water and direct sun, see to agree with this climbing white rose. I had to wrap it around the trellis, prickly vines and all, and had to trim it. I missed a lot of blooms, and probably need to fertilize her.

I also bought a new flag, ours was fading and looking bleached by the early morning sun it receives. The fresh one looks beautiful.

I had to take what was left of the plastic finch feeders out of the yard. Damn pukey the squirrel and his friends were eating plastic. I bought these little fabric socks to refill. The thought of a squirrel eating plastic. Well ouch. Pink Ninja so enjoys bird watching, and can identify several different types of birds. She enjoys feeding them too.

The front of the house....is shaping up, not quite. They have a new hydrangea that blooms year round. I really want one, a big Nekko blue one, but the thought of spending 30$ on a shrub kills me.

I am behind on all fronts, in the end. Ketchup is no fun. I am still feeling like I am on a treadmill, and getting no where.

I am also sure to feel scattered and unorganized until all fronts, at least look livable.

Spring is always hectic for me here. And this year I missed it. Looks like I may be playing ketchup until September.

Things I need to do in the yard.

Clean outside of windows.

Weed the back flower beds

Locate a sand pit, I need a lot of sand for The Collective, I am not buying bags of it, ridiculous.

Set up the kids pool, and quickly.

Find my damn hammock, where is that thing at? (DH, is it in the attic?)

Finish planting my fuchsias (today)

Figure out what I am going to plant in the back

Buy an umbrella for the patio set, is is dreadfully hot!

Scoop up all of the crappy lava rock previous owners had put down.

Replace lava rock with river rock.

Did I mention weeding?