GardenGrrl's WunderBlog

Ban Organic Farming?

Posted by: GardenGrrl, 08:24 GMT le 20 Mars 2009

The Federal Government is voting on a new bill HR 875 that would create a NEW government agency to watch over food, farms and edibles. The bill has been mostly written and sponsored by food giant Monsanto.

Many people feel the passing of this bill and creation of yet another government agency would impose too many restrictions on mom & pop/ small business food and agriculture. They fear all these regulations could force the little guys out of business.

The wording of the bill sounds reasonable if you google HR875. Of course when it comes to more government agencies I believe the road to purgatory is paved with good intentions. Please take time to research this bit of legislation and inform your congress person how you would like them to vote on this $$$ new agency.

This link will get you to the senate, follow instructions how to find and contact your senator; Okay, that link went to the very bottom of page, please scroll down for missing links.

SEEN ANY HUMMINGBIRDS YET? (blog discussion below)

So has anyone recieved their little hummingbirds from way down south yet? My honeysuckle vine and stachys have been blooming like nobodys business this year. Seems a titch early.

Usually when my "hummingbird" flowers are in full bloom I get the little guys buzzing around my head in the garden demanding that the feeders be put up.

Haven't seen any hummingbirds yet. I usually get the black-chinned hummers. They look like miniture over-caffinated penguins. Put the feeders up today just in case.

There may be some drama at the back feeder. A couple of mockingbirds are building a nest in the honeysuckle vine next to where I hang the feeder.

As for the latest tale of "As the dental bill grows", finally had the bad tooth removed and a post for an implant put in. Great sedation, really don't remember a bit of it. Now I have this funny little retainer with a tooth attached to it to wear until the post sets.

Boy do I look like Daisy May with the retainer out and a big toothless smile. Know what? Because I live in a trailer and am missing a front tooth I now have a license to be over 40 and wear a crop top tee-shirt, with micro shorts and flip flops. Yee-haw Ya'all!

US Senate Link

US House of Representatives Link

regards HR875

Updated: 06:43 GMT le 21 Mars 2009

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Better Than Chocolate!

Posted by: GardenGrrl, 09:28 GMT le 15 Mars 2009

Whats a gardener to do when it is 40 degrees out and raining for days? Certainly not complain about it with the drought Texas has had.

After catching up on sleep and chores I researched the rumor that the city of Grapevine was having a Chocolate Festival this weekend. Excited and slightly salivating I went to their schedule of events for this weekend. There was indeed an indoor event of chocolate and wine tasting. But wait. Hold the phone. Did I just read Pinball Convention?

Pinball was my first love in arcade games. Now tossed aside by a fickle younger generation that relates only to glowing screens and mayhem, the wonderful pinball machine is all but extinct in bowling alleys and arcades.

Happy happy joy joy, all weekend every night until 2am for a small entry fee, we had access to several hundred pinball machines from the early Gottlieb analog "mini-flipper" to the state-of-the-art new machines. All available for sale and to play on. My wrists are killing me, I haven't slept (was at a continuing ed class all day, got home, got ready and went to play until 2am) and dang but I'm happy. I missed pinball. They even had machines I had never seen or played before. Hallelujah!

Was there Friday night too. Tempted, but didn't buy a pinball machine. Would have to get rid of the couch or kitchen table first.

Have a great week. Find something you have always enjoyed doing and do it for all it's worth!
Peace from the blog porch :)

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Speed Gardening.

Posted by: GardenGrrl, 09:31 GMT le 06 Mars 2009

While pruning shrub roses with bare arms and no gloves, I have come to think of gardening as an extreme sport for people with slow reflexes. -Gardengrrl

As you all know I have been really busy with overtime and such. A blog with cute puppies can only stay up for so long. Even my Mom has mentioned something about writing a new blog. So when SP left a comment in the Roxie blog, I knew it was time. (there is a little private joke in that statement.)

This spring the new extreme gardening sport at my house is called "Speed Gardening" To play, you have to work nights, have little time on your hand, love gardening almost as much as life itself and find time to fit it in.

Start with being so so sleep deprived you are the clinical equivalent of someone doing Redbull and Vodka shots. Pick a gorgeous spring day morning after a long shift. Careen into the Walmart Garden Center at 7:00am with a credit card and a need to plant something.

Buy all the pretty flowers that are on-sale. (They had little 6-packs of petunias, dianthus, marigolds and allyseum for $1.50) Grab a few frost scorched geraniums that have been marked down along with some strawberry, mint and pepper plants.

Drive home fast, but carefully without causing too many accidents or tipping the plants over in the backseat. (points deducted for spilt dirt or legal problems).

Now, lumber, lurch and maybe do a couple happy skips through the yard randomly planting things as fast as possible before you collapse on the lawn.

Skip shower, just wash hands and go to bed until awakened to take dog to obediance class. It's dark outside right now. Can't wait to get some real sleep and see what it actually looks like when I get up this afternoon.

So, what's your extreme gardening story?

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