Ben strikes again

dumb dog. I am so mad at him. I used a grocery bag and hung it on a drawer while I did dishes today, Stupid Ben manages to tear the bottom of the bag open and enjoyed the trash. I hope the chicken bones go down without a fuss. He seems o.k.

I do not know who thought giving Ben gum was a good idea in hindsight. He really works on the gum as gum. I have not seen a dog actually chewing gum. It is hilarious! Anyways....My oldest has braces so she is not suppose to chew gum but she can not manage to give up this habit. Ben in all his smarts knows this and it is another one of those leave the door open and go for gum instead of that tasty pork chop. He has an excellent memory when food is concerned. Her door does not shut and stay shut. She uses a paint can when she is in her room to keep BEN out. The Smart thing about Ben is he knows like the bathroom door is he can just push it open with a bit of umph, blow right through the door and leave us on the toilet stuck, and shouting for someone to help. Getting back to my point... One day while my oldest was at school Ben mysteriously showed up in front of me with a wet matted bit of fur on his chest. I found it was gum and cut it out. I did not give a second thought to him finding more... Well, again, Ben showed up with more gum stuck on his chest. So fool me once....Now Ben has several spots of uneven chest hair that once looked brilliant. It was my favorite part about him. Oh well.
My youngest came home last week with a homework sheet. We discussed the assignment handed it back. Ben is in a tear up paper phase like babies and magazines. I gave little thought to what he was tearing and eating other than it was paper. My youngest got up and howled Ben ate my homework! It was all I could do to enjoy the moment which she was clearly was not. Her teacher she said would not be happy with her. I said she might get a laugh and she said no, I am supposed to be responsible for my homework. Her father and I giggled.
My youngest again...Had a lollipop on her dresser. Ben managed to somehow get a hold of it and carefully got the wrapper off and sucked on it for a few moments before my youngest came in and watched Ben enjoy her lollipop.

Love part 3

Eternity, the concept seems very overwhelming, Our actions impact our eternity, It is not giving us the green light to go willy nilly living in today without regard to consequence. I know there are souls out there that are lost to eternal damnation . Those souls lack hope, and lack wanting more, Some lack the ability to use self control and think of others rather than themselves. It is a sad loss to think of those souls. When considering eternity it changes values, character, time, and money use. The priorities are refocused. It makes the perceived image of death a new idea of joy rather than focus on the loss. Death is nothing to fear. Death is something to look forward to if the time on earth is well spent working toward eternity.We need to think about the consequences of all impending actions.
There is more to life than just here and now. Since I was made to last forever, what is the one thing I should stop doing today and the one thing I should start doing today?

The one thing I should stop doing is feel sorry for myself. To accept that my life is what it is and I choose to make the best of it.
The one thing I should start doing is go to church. My youngest has been hounding me to go and I think I am in a place where I am ready.

LOVE PART 2.A

What would my family and friends say is the driving force of my life? What do I want it to be?

The driving force of my life is family bond. I love with a force that is stronger than a momma bear. If I feel threatened I come out with a protective growl like no other. I would move mountains for my family, to keep them safe out of harms way. My ability to open my heart and wear it on my sleeve is another force. It hurts me at times. I wish I could hide it a bit better. If I keep my guard up though I am on the offense to keep hurt at bay. I want my driving force to be exactly what it is. I want to be pure of heart. I am not doing enough to simplify life I want to focus on what is most important, Eternity.

Gardening stuff to do

January

• Design your garden or landscape and determine the number of species needed.

February

• Pull out weeds before they get big.
• Clean out bird house, and make repairs.
• Sharpen and clean gardening tools.
• Prune summer flowering shrubs, vines, and crape myrtle.

March

• Its time to sow seeds indoors.
• Remove from cold storage potted bulbs for Easter.
• Rototill the vegetable garden at least two weeks before planting potatoes, peas and asparagus by the end of the month.
• Remove excess straw from strawberry bed. Leave only a light dusting of straw to protect the strawberries from direct contact with the soil.
• Prune butterfly bush.
• Rake away leaves and debris and clear dead plants from beds.
• Plant earliest cool weather crops.
• Prune summer-flowering roses (Spring flowering roses should only be pruned after flowering).
• Mulch perennials.

April

• Mow old annuals and perennials with the mower set high. Leave the roots.
• Plant container grown or balled and burlapped trees and shrubs.
• Spread an inch of compost over the flower garden.
• Divide perennials and grasses.
• Last chance to prune summer roses.
• Paint nail polish on all cut rose canes thicker than a pencil.
• Plant onions, peas, potatoes, parsnips beets, and carrots.
• Prune hydrangea.
• Cut out old gray stems of forsythia after blooming.
• Plant perennials, herbs and less hard cool crops.
• Pinch mums, keeping it three inches high.

May

• Last chance to prune crape myrtle.
• Remove seed heads from tulips, narcissus, and hyacinths.
• Set the lawn mower to at least 3.5 inches to crowd out weeds an improve turf.
• Plant corn, beans, squash, and cucumbers.
• Transplant annuals in the flower and vegetable garden.
• Prune spring bloomers including spring flowering roses, azaleas, rhododendrons, and andromeda, mountain laurel, forsythia, weigela, spirea, viburnum, flowing crab apples, lilacs, and cherry laurel after blooming.
• Plant your full garden after May 10th.
• Pinch your mums, keeping them three inches high. It prevents them from blooming in the summer season, and creates a thicker mum, for fall color.

June

• Dig and divide daffodil bulbs.
• Install drip irrigation.
• Start training tomato plants to grow upright on stakes, or trellises.
• Prune weigela as forsythia.
• Fertilize roses and spray for mildew and black spot.
• Stake plants before they grow to big.
• Pinch your mums to three inches high.

July

• Hand prune, yews, hollies, photinia, juniper, and viburnums.
• dead head herbaceous plants such as delphiniums, and peonies.
• Prune petunias, and nasturtium to keep them flowering.
• Prune hedges wider at the bottom.
• Kill Bermuda grass with Roundup keep edges well trimmed. cut back with an edging iron those that have spread.
• Cut back mint thyme, and lemon balm.
• Water lawn and flowers in the morning to avoid wilting in the heat of the day, and to prevent mildew and root rot during the night.
• Pinch your mums to three inches high no later than July 15th, than do not pinch again. Let grow.

August

• Top-seed lawn to fill in bare spots.

September

• Divide peonies, and iris now for more spring blooms.
• Plant tulip, narcissus, crocus, hyacinths, and grape hyacinths. Do the same in pots for Easter.
• Top-dress lawn with compost at the rate of two cubic yard per 1,000d square feet.
• Start a compost pile using garden waste.
• Plant mums for autumn color.
• Service chain saw.
• Plant daffodils, and crocus for spring flowering.

October

• Mulch azaleas with compost or fertilized them with Holly Tone.
• Rake leaves under shrubs for mulch.
• Use excess leaves in compost. Mix old compost with new, and keep sprinkler working for wet compost.
• Kill bamboo and kudzu with Roundup.
• Make two applications two weeks apart at the recommended concentration.
• Plant pansies and ornamental cabbage for cool weather color.
• Fertilize azaleas and bluegrass or fescue lawns.
• Bring in Terra cotta pots, and bleach them to kill mold and store dry.
• Pinch dead heads of mums.

November

• Plant potted shrubs before they freeze.
• Clean garden with lawn mower.
• Cut back roses with in 18inches of the ground to prevent wind whipping of canes.
• Wet down compost pile weekly.

December

• Cut greens for holidays. an plunge them into a pail of 100 degree water.
• Spray evergreens decoration with two percent solution of horticultural oil or Plant Shine for brighter leaves.
• Move bay laurel plants and trees indoors.
• Force narcissus and amaryllis bulbs indoors.