Houseplants and fungus gnats

I'm pretty new to houseplants. Actually, with the exception of two rather large "lucky bamboo" plants I have in my kitchen and a couple of cactus plants, I only plant things outdoors. I recently have been reading and getting more interested in growing indoors.

After some random trips to garden centers, I ended up falling in love with the golden pothos. It is pretty fool proof according to all the books I've read, and it also looks nice hanging in my house. OK, so I ended up buying four. Three for us, and one for a gift for my Mom.

I noticed that we seemed to have some "fruit flies" hanging around. No big deal, considering I live in Florida. Right?

Well, then I realized they were living in my beautiful newly potted golden pothos plants. Not on the plants, but in the soil. So, after much research, I have concluded they are a common pest called fungus gnats. And, I had to inform my Mom that I gave her an infested houseplant.

If anyone knows of another solution to the problem, feel free to tell me. But, for now I'm trying the solution I found on gardenweb. Soak a mosquito dunk in water, and when it is fully dissolved water the plants with it. It should kill all the larvae without causing any environmental issues in my home. I guess sometimes you have to do it a couple cycles, but they do not harm your plant. Oh, and apparently they don't harm humans either!

Happy Fall Y'all

It's been awhile.

Almost a month ago we were very close to moving back to Maine. I mean, we were so close that I could taste the crisp fall air. Things didn't work out, and I'm taking that to mean it was not the right time.

I'm not unhappy to still be here in Florida, as there are some good things here too. I think I am unhappy in this particular part of Florida. But, we are still homeschooling the Boy, which is leading us to new groups to join up with. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I'll have some more to share soon. Of course, as always, it is going to focus heavily on the garden. I'm not sure what I am going to do with this space at the moment, but for now I'm content.

Whistle while you work

The Boy has perfected a skill we didn't realize he was even working on. He's been quite moody lately, and I thought he might be going through a growth spurt. Typically, moodiness on the boys part is rare. So, when he is moody we know something is up.

Last night after his tub, he was sitting on the couch looking through a new library book. I heard a noise come out, but I wasn't thinking too much about it. Then he looked at me and said "Mama....listen real close." I again heard that previous noise, only now realized he was whistling. He kept it up and eventually erupted into a fit of laughter.

We have a big outing today, and he has been whistling all morning. He's making sure it is "perfect" for him to do in public.

Garden Mulching

We've been working on cleaning up the garden a bit now that it's too hot to do a lot of gardening. Plus, with all the rains it seems the weeds are winning some type of battle against us. We ripped up a ton of grass and weeds and put a layer of heavy cardboard down. We then mulched fairly heavily. There is a lot more work to be done including putting some type of boarder to separate the grass from the mulch line.






One of my favorite parts of our garden is the multiple honey bees and butterflies who visit. They especially love our porterweeds.

TMJ and chiropractic

Even though I mentioned calling my chiropractor well over a week ago, I actually went to see her this morning. I cannot stress the level of comfort I have with this woman. I immediately feel at peace when I walk in there.

Thankfully, I decided to give her my full trust. Because that allowed me to have an experience similar to this video.



This man has amazing information for anyone interested.

I can say my treatment felt a bit rougher and intense than this demonstration. I also had my pterygoid muscle stretched and massaged. It's done from the inside of the mouth, behind your back molar teeth. That was painful, but it did help me. Other than that, the best description from my visit was the Boy's description. "She was moving Mama's head all around just like a ball!!" I couldn't have said it better myself.

Letting Go

After a long conversation last night, I realize there are a lot of things I really need to finally let go of. Holding on to the negative aspects of my past is just making it difficult to move forward. Allowing those actions of other people to interfere with my life is allowing them to still have a grip on my life today.

I tend to draw in people who are negative. I've always befriended or been nice to those who stir up drama. I still get approached by strangers almost daily who want to share their problems or life with me. I always listen and offer a kind word, but then their pain seems to dwell within me for awhile. I think about it, and wonder how they are.

I also give certain people the benefit of the doubt. Even though, in most situations I should have let them go. I'm tired of spending the majority of my time with pent up anxiety and sadness that I should be moving on from.

I'm lucky that I have a wonderful husband. I am happy that my son can make me laugh at the drop of a hat. He changed my life, as I mention frequently on this blog. I am lucky that I went out on my own at 18, and made a life with my husband who was then my boyfriend.

So, putting this out there gives me something to be accountable for. I will go back to doing yoga daily. And, my first phone call this morning will be to my chiropractor. I should have called her long before. But, for now, the Boy and I are going to drink our smoothies in the lanai.

Unexpected

I'd say about one half of my neighborhood is vacant and for sale. It's pretty much like that in the majority or my area. The economy has not been kind. I really don't know too many of my neighbors even though we've been in this house 3 years.

We've been doing some major gardening and transplanting the last few days. I can't even remember when we did what. We had just finished planting a new tree in our front yard and were getting ready to water. At some point, someone had left us a beautiful pot with a very sad looking plant in it. The plant is definitely alive, but needs some care. No one was around, and there was no note. I'm not sure if we even were home when they came, or perhaps they didn't want to speak and just left it by the front door.

Either way I do not know what it is. But, I'm going to try to find out and get it to bloom again. It really made me smile that someone left it for us. I just wish I could thank them.

Fresh Coconuts

We've been enjoying fresh coconuts here recently. I mean right from the tree fresh, not the dried brown ones you sometimes see at the grocery store. I was skeptical the first time our friend sent some home with my husband. I mean, in Maine we just didn't grow coconuts.

This is our second year of fresh coconuts. We kind of have a method down, because coconuts are not easy to break into. First we drill a hole, for the straw to go through. We drink out the sweet coconut milk, which is very watery. Then my husband cracks it open usually with a hammer and we eat the coconut "jelly".














In trade for these, we pick some mangoes off of our mango tree to give our friend. I cannot remember where he grew up, but he enjoys mangoes when they are green and almost hard. We have more than enough mangoes to go around, so we love sharing them. He eats them as is and makes chutneys. I'll have to try making fresh chutney myself one of these days.

Spring is here

I'm still not used to Florida seasons. But, there are changes. Lately, we've been enjoying the not so subtle spring changes here. Our tomato plant has a lot of tomatoes on it, and the largest one is just beautiful. The bell pepper plant that was attacked by the peacock is now filled with teeny tiny bell peppers. And, the birds are nesting. Something I have always enjoyed, and am especially enjoying sharing with the Boy. Along with spring here, comes the mosquitoes. This fact is not something I enjoy. It is a long battle with mosquitoes here, because we are a deet-free family. I won't end on an unhappy note though. The plants are just thriving right now, and that is something I can enjoy even through the windows.

Hokey Pokey

For some reason, I just couldn't sleep last night. So, while I was trying to force sleep upon myself, songs started coming into my head. And, of course, the first one was "Hokey Pokey". For some reason, the only songs I could hear were kids songs. First thing this morning I found a fantastic website that gives tons of children's song lyrics as well as music for the songs. So, the Boy and I have been doing the Hokey Pokey for over an hour. We're both fairly dizzy.

Calenders and Time

The Boy has been really interested in what day it is, what month it is, and of course what time it is. This has opened a lot of dialogue about clocks, calenders, the sun, the moon, the ocean, the earth, stars, planets, letters, numbers, and space. Somehow, they have all intertwined and made for some fun learning.

We've talked about the different months and days of the week many times before, but he hasn't show a whole lot of interest in them. He always understood Saturday meant Bubba was home, Sunday meant Daddy was home, and Monday meant Grammie was home. Other than that, our days are so changing he just went with the flow.

So, we took a trip to our local library to get some new books. It really is fun to see his eyes light up at the fact he can choose any books he'd like out of all those shelves. I added some of the ones we picked out on the sidebar.

Sometimes I question if I am made out for homeschooling. I wonder if I can keep up with the constant influx of questions, ideas, and debates that come up on a daily basis. The thing is, when all is said and done, I realize this is exactly what I need to be doing. This is exactly what is working for our family right now, and the Boy is thriving. Sometimes, I just need to take a step back and watch what is happening right before my eyes.

The Honey Tree

After failing to keep a sickly yellow hibiscus alive, even after transplanting and extra special care, the Boy and I found a Jasmine tree we loved. The Boy calls it our "Honey Tree" because while picking one out it was covered in honey bees. It attracts honey bees and butterflies, which we love to have in the garden. I cannot describe the scent with words, but I'm sure it is a focal scent in a quite a few perfumes out there. It is planted between our Loquat tree and the lone surviving yellow hibiscus. It's gardening time here, and I have a lot of pictures to show. I'm also trying to keep my gardening bug in check!

To market, to market

I still don't have this whole food shopping technique figured out. It became more complicated when my son decided to eat like a growing teenage boy, and less like what I had imagined four year olds eat.

I make meal plans and I budget. Somehow this process still doesn't work out for me. I am still making extra shopping trips throughout the week, which in turn leads to spending extra money. I'm always thinking: "since I'm here anyways I might as well pick up....".

I also tend to pick great items out, only to have them sitting in my house. I am great at buying things that will not go together in a meal. I have lots of pieces of meals, just not one complete meal.

This is what I'm working on. I really need to find a system that will work for me.

Color

I am always amazed at all the wildlife here in Florida. I always have plenty of creatures to take pictures of, which I love. So, about a month back when we saw a man running with his camera phone pointed at something that resembled a peacock, right in our neighborhood, I was upset that my camera batteries were being charged. I figured it was a once in a lifetime sighting.

Until this morning when my husband was leaving for work and called to tell the Boy and I too look out our front window. Before looking, I grabbed my camera because there was no way I was missing a chance for a picture. By the time I looked out, the peacock was in my neighbors back yard. He was picking at their orange tree. I couldn't get a picture, but he must reside around us.

After researching a bit, I learned wild peacocks do live in Florida. They are a protected animal, but can be a nuisance to home owners. I am keeping my camera ready now because I want to post a picture. I am still in awe at the beauty of nature.

Please check out the video! That is not me nor my home in the video.

Kristen's Fairy House

My Mom brought the Boy a new DVD to try out. It's called Kristen's Fairy House. Since we have been reading a lot about fairies, elves and butterflies, this movie was wonderful. It's very simple and not long. I highly recommend it because besides being interesting, the nature in it is beautiful. It is not a cartoon. The author of the books, Tracy L. Kane is in the movie with her young niece. The niece is who narrates the movie.

It makes me a bit homesick for Maine.

He knits

The Boy has always taken a liking to yarns, and who really wouldn't? They do come in great colors and can make beautiful and creative things. He's been asking me since I started knitting when he would be allowed to knit. I've always told him he is more than welcome to knit anytime he wants. He has varying lengths of time in which he will sit still and attempt to knit. I never push him because I know if someone tried to force me to sit there with two sticks and a ball of yarn, I never would have learned to knit.

Today I decided to attempt to make a log cabin type afghan. I didn't want something complicated, because I get frustrated easily. It was beautiful outside, so I took my knitting with us. He immediately asked if he could knit. I grabbed him size 10 needles, and let him pick a color yarn. I showed him again how to knit, after I cast on for him. Today, he made it work. He actually seemed to just figure it out. Now, this is a four year old. This is not knitting of adult caliber! His knitting wasn't perfect, but he got the basic idea down. He was so proud of himself. Of course, making a thin scarf for one of his stuffed animals didn't seem worthy of all this work. But, he is slowly working on it. I think we have one whole inch!



Before long, the bliss wore off. He was running around and climbing on everything. But, I felt great sitting side by side with our yarn. I'm not really sure how kids learn to knit other than what I tried to show him. I remember the days of my Gram teaching me to crochet, and I wish I would have payed more attention. I just love sharing things with my Son. Even if it is only for a short time.

Unexpected

We have been having some very cold temperatures here in south Florida. I am talking about actual temperatures that will freeze water and unfortunately, plants. I'm not too familiar with how to prevent freezing of my plants, and I regretted this early this morning.




After doing some research, I believe my banana tree will survive. I'm not sure there was a whole lot I could have done to protect it. The roots are somewhat blanketed by mulch, but I won't know the outcome until we are out of this cold weather. The leaves are definitely damaged.

I was going to talk about my fantastic experience at the Farmer's Market yesterday. And, it was wonderful even in the cold. But, instead I will share what I discovered while cleaning my gigantic head of cauliflower.



He wasn't the only one living inside the head. There were three of them. I took them all outside, although I felt a bit bad they were just going to die in the cold anyways. I realize it is a good sign that they were alive and well inside the cauliflower. This means the pesticides didn't kill them, and I am not eating poisons.

But, I have never been very good with bugs. I am very squeamish and will actually scream when something of this nature happens. I'm fine once the realization of the bug sits in, but initially........watch out. So, the cauliflower is all chopped and soaking in my kitchen sink. I do not want roasted cauliflower with a side of caterpillar as a side dish tonight!

The scent of cinnamon

I've been wanting to make cinnamon ornaments for a couple years now. I never seemed to get around to it, but this year I made it happen. The recipe I had previously disappeared, so I had to find a new one. I ended up using this one. Since it was Saturday the Boy and I were accompanied by Bubba. We searched all over our town for a large amount of cinnamon. Finally, on a whim, we found really inexpensive jars of cinnamon and purchased ten of them. I figured it wasn't for eating, only for "scenting".

Though there are only two ingredients, this was actually more work than I expected. But, I'm sure by next season I'll be ready to do this again. My nose still can feel the cinnamon burning inside. The Boy did a lot of kneading and rolling, but his favorite was using the cookie cutters he picked out. He was a pro by the end of it.

Observations

So today is my last day of NaBloPoMo. Somehow I have managed to make myself post each and every day in November. I am so glad that I signed up for this, and I will definitely do it again next year. A lot has come about because of this which makes it mean even more to me.

As for my observations, well they have nothing to do with NaBloPoMo.

I've noticed in my daily life that:

1. People treat me differently if I have my son with me, then when I am alone. This includes grocery shopping, visiting friends and family, travelling, etc.

2. People seem to get quite unkind and sometimes mean during this season. This is mainly on the roads and in the stores.

3. My cat definitely thinks he is a dog. He begs for treats and he will make noises at times that sound like a bark/growl.

4. My son positively changes my life each and every day.

5. I am content with my dietary choices, and feel good about everything I put in my body. With the exception of those days when I eat junk food. But, I refuse to feel bad about the chocolate.

6. I am not the same person I used to be. I think most people can say the same thing. I still am not sure who I am, but that's OK.

And with that, I will say it was a very good November.

Plastic bags

I grew up in a household where we recycled just about everything. I used to be embarrassed when I was young and would have my friends over. I used to wonder why my Mom had to do something that none of my friends Mom's would do. She would always request paper bags when asked by the bagger at the store. She would bring ratty old used paper bags each and every shopping trip. As the years went on, she would add some canvas bags to her paper bag collection in the car trunk.

We also had a compost pile, but that will have to be for another day.

Now I understand her drive to do this. I'm thankful that she spent my youth stressing the importance of saving the earth. She never did it in a way that alienated anyone either. It was just a fact if you knew my Mom.

I recycle, and it is much easier now than when I was growing up. I just set out my bins and the recycle truck picks them up for me. I also take the tin cans to the bird sanctuary as a donation.

I have some bags that I use each time I shop at the grocery store. The main issue is I need some more, and preferably a bag that can smoosh up easily and hold a lot. So I've been searching for a strong reliable new bag. I've found a few ideas at this site: Eco-Bags. I can't verify how well they work, but I have read about them in the past.

Just a note on plastic bag consumption. I do reuse my plastic bags for cat litter changes and bathroom trash can liners. I do not throw them out, ever. But, the amount that are used? Here is a link if you'd like to read more: Reusable Bags.