Surprises in the yard

Here are some unexpected finds in our yard from the past week. It's been getting warmer here, so outdoor time is a bit more limited. We make the most of the mornings and evenings this time of year.

A shell the Boy found while digging a whole to plant some seeds.



He split it in half of course, to see what was inside.



This picture does not do this rainbow justice. But, we could see almost both sides of the rainbow from our front yard. It was beautiful, but aren't they all?



Our first passionflower. We bought this plant with fruit already on it, but finally a flower.

Dental World

I hate to discuss things such as dental drama on this blog. But, I'm hoping I will feel a bit better just writing it out.

As I have mentioned before, I have a bad history with dentists. I picked up my new occlusal guard last Friday. His assistant was quite rude to me, but I figure she is the least of my worries. When the dentist came in he adjusted it, and sent me on my way. He assured me that if it ever felt like it wasn't fitting right all I needed to do was call so he could make an adjustment again. There would be no charge and it would be easy.

I slept fantastic Friday night. After that I was getting awful teeth pain, beyond my normal TMJD pain. My teeth felt like they were either moving or loose. I called to ask if it was normal on Monday, and for some reason the "scheduling specialist" who for safety reasons I'll call "Bob" never returned with an answer from the dentist. I called Wednesday and "Bob" was quite rude to me, but assured me he'd get back to me.

Thursday we took my son in for his first cleaning at this dentist. All went fantastic because their hygienist is wonderful. When the dentist was done checking my son's teeth and joking about soccer, I asked him if he had a second. He took me into the hall and I asked him my questions. He said "Make an appointment with "Bob". It needs an adjustment."

Easy enough, right? So, my son was given some goodies and I was ready to find out when "Bob" could fit me in. "Bob" wasn't very happy that I needed something. So, when the assistant(have I mentioned she dislikes me now?) came over and started texting on her cell phone, "Bob" interrupted her and said "Cathy has a question." The assistant was clueless. And, her decision was I indeed did not have a valid reason for seeing my dentist. So, they wouldn't schedule a time for me. Apparently having pain is not important enough for a dental visit.

Today I called their office and spoke with "Bob". Here is our conversation, verbatim:

"BOB" : "Mean Dental Office", this is "BOB"."

"Hi "Bob", this is Cathy. How are you today?"

"BOB": Big drawn out sigh. Then, one more drawn out sigh.

"BOB": "I'm OK, Cathy. How are YOU?"

"Not good, "BOB". Thanks for asking. Listen, I need an appointment
with Dr. "Occlusal Guard" for my occlusal guard."

"BOB": "Are you still having pain, Cathy?"

"Yes, and Dr. "Occlusal Guard" wanted to check me."

"BOB": "Can you hold-----SIGH------Cathy?"

"Sure "BOB", THANKS!"

I'm on hold now for a total of 7 minutes. But, I don't hang up, even
though I'm on my cell.

"BOB": "Hello??"

"Hi "BOB"!"

"BOB": "You are still here?"

"Um, yes? You put me on hold."

"BOB": "Oh, OK." SIGH SIGH, HUFF.

"BOB": "Um, Cathy. Let's see. SIGH. How about "this time" Tuesday afternoon?"

"Fantastic "BOB", thanks."

"BOB": "Cathy, I spoke with "dental assistant who hates you"........."

"Uh, huh."

"BOB": "She said by Tuesday you will not need an adjustment. It
won't hurt, LIKE SHE TOLD YOU YESTERDAY!"

"Well, "BOB" thanks for telling me. But, if I remember correctly,
"BOB", Dr. "Occlusal Guard" is the one who went to dental school. Right?"

"BOB": ---------

"So, I'll speak with Dr. "Occlusal Guard", not "dental assistant who hates me". Including on Tuesday. I should have been seen yesterday or today like I asked."

"BOB": "Well, "dental assistant who hates you"...."

"I'll be speaking to Dr. "Occlusal Guard" Tuesday. Goodbye "BOB", have a great weekend."

Click.

I almost passed out when I was done. It was hard to speak to someone so condescending.

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.

Happy Mother's Day

I am so thankful for all the changes being a Mama has made within me. My son has made me a better person. I am thankful for him each and every day.

Hope all the Mom's out there have a wonderful day!

Visiting Snake

It seems funny to write about this since one of the books I have out from the library is Climbing the Mango Tree.

My son has been climbing the mango tree in our side yard. It is huge and strong, and we love the mangoes that we eat right from the tree. Now that my son is older, he is able to climb quite high. High enough that I usually get extremely nervous and make my husband climb up too.

A couple days ago while my son was up in the mango tree, my husband reached up and pulled my son down from the tree. I was watering the garden, so I was at a distance. My husband showed me a snake in the tree. He was coiled very tightly, and looking at us. My gut feeling was he wasn't venomous because he would have had plenty of opportunities to attack my son. So after consulting with some lovely gardening people, it turns out it is a yellow rat snake. Very good to have in your yard, and not venomous. They are fairly laid back, and not likely to bite.

Here are some photos of him. Please excuse the quality, I had to switch between two cameras.

Teeth, or another dental trip

I returned to my dentist today to pick up my brand new occlusal night guard. I was the last patient of the day, and everyone was happy. My dentist begins his weekend every Thursday night.

I was a bit concerned about the guard fitting right. I have a ton of paranoia with my mouth, plus TMJ issues. It didn't help that when they made the impressions for the night guard, the assistant was having a ton of trouble. I had to have it done not once, not twice, but three times. I felt like they were extracting each and every tooth from my mouth while removing the darn hardened impression.

Either way, today should have been quick. But, because I have fantastic luck at the dentist....the guard didn't fit. It clicked on my back teeth, but not the front teeth. Even more exciting was the fact it could also click on my front teeth, yet somehow not my back teeth.

Instead of sharing even more boring yet gory details, I'll finish up. When a dentist does the brand new impressions HIMSELF, somehow it doesn't hurt. There was no gagging, no sore jaw, and best of all my teeth didn't hurt. So much different than the last visit. My advice if anyone is getting impressions done for some reason, request the dentist.

My new guard will be ready this Wednesday. Let's hope it clicks in perfect, the first time.

More for the garden

Ever since my Son and Husband made me my arbor, I've been on the hunt for a fast growing vine. After much research I decided the Passion Flower Vine was my favorite. Not just for it's beauty, but for it's butterfly attracting qualities.

While I enjoy taking a trip to big box stores garden center areas, there is nothing like going to a locally owned nursery. The vast array of plants, not to mention the knowledge of the staff cannot be beat. So, yesterday we took a drive out to a local one to pick out some plants.

They only had one of the vines left, so we grabbed it. It had a couple surprises on it too.




We also picked up a Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow plant. I'm still not sure where to put it. I need to keep it away from my neighbors with the new puppy though. The berries are highly toxic and I don't want a puppy to accidentally take a bite out of it. Of course, that leads me to the plant I grabbed at previously noted big box store.





When I grabbed the beautiful Jatropha, I was unaware that it is poisonous as well. I'm not sure why it says nothing on the tag about this fact, but the Boy is very aware of not eating plants in the garden. With the exception of his blueberry and mulberry trees, He really just loves to water and plant everything else.





Jatropha is also being used for some very positive environmental causes.

Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit

Do you say "Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit" first thing in the morning on the first day of the month? Because my husband has been doing it since I met him in 1996. I'm pretty sure he did it previous to knowing me too.

It got to be such a routine, that I picked it up too. I really didn't know what it was all about, but I like to join into things. It was pretty simple too. So, almost 12 years later I figured I should find out the meaning.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_rabbit

I guess we should have been saying "Rabbit, Rabbit, White Rabbit". That must explain why there wasn't a constant flow of good luck all these years.

I think I'm superstitious by nature.

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.

Winter Storm

Seems like a misplaced title towards the end of April, doesn't it? This is the title of a book that I just received from UPS yesterday. Winter Storm was written by my cousin. He's been talking about being a writer since we were little kids. To see him achieve one of his dreams is wonderful. I'm looking forward to reading this, and I'm already on chapter 3!

On a side note, when we were growing up I was one of three cousins that were similar in ages. Of course, my other two cousins were boys. I got left in the dust sometimes, and would watch them sneak away on family gatherings. They used to work on multiple things together, including the ever so important comic book readings. But, we also used to visit and probably drive our Grandfather up the wall with our antics. We lost our Grandmother at a young age which I believe brought us even closer. All three of us are still close to this day, and since we were only children growing up, it means even more to me.

Arbor Day

Happy Arbor Day!

Thanks to a fellow gardener, my Husband, son and I headed out to a local Arbor Day festival. Not the type of festival most people would think of, but a festival full of the most helpful master gardeners and native trees. I learned a lot about Florida gardening and trees from a wonderful master gardener. He gave us great advice of finally ridding our yard from the invasive Brazilian Pepper Tree. We of course couldn't leave without a couple new native plants. He helped us pick out a lovely Dahoon Holly Tree, and a hummingbird attracting Firebush.

We haven't planted either yet. We spent the day sawing/trimming/cleaning up our Cabbage Palm. They aren't very spectacular, but do look much better cleaned up.

I'll leave you with a link that is fitting for Arbor Day, I think.

Loving Florida

I wouldn't have been able to convince myself that my new dentist and staff were going to be as wonderful as they were. Never in a million years. But, I'm relieved to say they are wonderful, gentle and funny.

As for loving Florida, this article, just reminds me how close to nature we are getting. Especially during Alligator mating season, and with the over building that is going on. The pictures are worth clicking on. I don't live near the woman in the article, and I'm thankful I don't live in that neighborhood. I'd never sleep again.

Fear of the Dentist

I have an appointment bright and early tomorrow with a new dentist. This has been causing me extreme stress ever since I called to make the appointment Thursday morning. Part of me was relieved I could get in so fast, but the rest of me felt like I was going to throw up.

I had a really traumatic experience with a dentist 7 years ago. Previously, I didn't "love" the dentist, but I didn't mind going for my cleanings. I am now a hysterical mess by the time I am in the dental chair. The last few visits were with a dentist who was nice, but not someone I felt 100% sure they could actually help me if I had a dental problem. I also had the Boy with me, and that kept me from thinking to much about my own anxiety. I had to put on a show because I don't want to pass on my phobia to my son.

Tomorrow, I will be sitting in that cold chair all by myself. Trying to remind myself that I am going to be OK. They are aware that I am a paranoid dental phobic, and that I have a horrid case of grinding and clenching in my sleep. Hopefully, they will take things step by step with me. Maybe I will have found a new dentist, that is a wonderful as my dentist in Maine. Who is the reason I got my teeth cleaned and cared for after the evil dentist who caused my fear.

Family Made Arbor

We've been talking for a short time about putting an arbor up in our garden. Not really for anything more than to grow some vines on, and make it even more butterfly friendly. After searching around, we didn't see much that we liked. Or, things seemed to cost a lot for no apparent reason.

My husband and son made an arbor on Monday. They bought the wood, painted it, and put it all together. It was finally in it's resting spot last night. I cannot say how much I love this. All I can see is how beautiful it will be with tons of flowering vines. I also am loving how proud my son is of his building skills. Here are some pictures. Once I pick up the vines I am looking for(I have a specific vine in mind), I'll add more pictures.

A New Decade Has Begun

On Sunday I turned 30. It's a birthday that seemed so far away, for so many years that it kind of snuck up on me. I don't feel particularly different, but I was a bit sad for some reason. I think it's that stigma people put on leaving your twenties. I enjoyed my twenties, but I'm really looking forward to my thirties.

Some random facts about me:

~I graduated high school a year early

~I met my husband when I was 18

~We moved in together 6 months later

~I was married when I was 22

~I had my son when I was 25

~I moved from Maine to Florida at 26

~I have had two miscarriages, that I am positive about

~I have always had a love of photography

~I am going to enjoy every moment to the best of my ability, life is too short

Here are some pictures from my birthday:

Thankful for my Husband

Over the past weekend, my Husband built me a raised bed for planting. It is exactly what I wanted, and looks even better than I imagined. The Boy was a huge help, and loved helping. The first and only plant thus far is a Desert Rose. I'm sure more will be planted soon!

Blueberry Tree

We added another fruit tree to our yard. It is right next to our Mulberry tree. Since I grew up in Maine, blueberries used to be one of my favorite parts of summer. I used to go out to an area behind our house with my Gram to pick blueberries. We'd bring home a bucket or two each trip, and would make blueberry biscuits with some of them. Or course, we'd eat them fresh too.

I've missed blueberries since living in Florida. They are very expensive to buy, and usually shipped from across the globe. So, I've been buying more locally grown fruits. When we found the blueberry tree, I was skeptical. I've always thought it was strictly a northern plant. Thankfully, the University of Florida has come up with some tropical blueberry varieties.

Blueberries need acidic soil. So, after some advice, we planted it with peat moss, pine needles and pine bark. I believe our soil still needs some more acidity so we are picking up a soil test kit today.

Here are some photos of our new "baby".

Tomato Plant

We were pretty excited last night. Alongside some delicious black bean and avocado burritos, we had something fresh from the garden. Clearly, I'm proud.

From plant~



To the table~



First Slice~



Ready to serve~



It was only one, but there are a few more getting ripe at the moment. Most delicious tomato we have eaten, not including the ones from our local farm!

In the Garden...... well almost

I have a lot of ideas on how I'd like my backyard garden to look. It's pretty funny because it always turns into something completely different. I have a lot of open space to work with, but I cannot turn my whole back yard into a sea of flowers. The Boy would be very upset that he couldn't swing or play soccer. So, I perimeter garden. Or, I rip up things and move them so I can add even more new plants.

It's never good when I make a trip to the local garden store. I can always find a reason to pick up just one more plant. So, while there with the Husband and Boy yesterday, I was trying to be good. Until my husband pulled out the most beautiful tree. He thought it would work in the front yard, and I didn't need convincing. So, we brought our new tree home.

It's not planted yet, but I will take shots when we get it in. We also got some new mulch made of rubber. Supposedly it won't attract ants and doesn't need to be replaced each year. We shall see.

~Bougainvillea~

Handmade from Cuba

A woman that my husband works with recently went back to Cuba to visit her family for a couple of weeks. She returned with a small gift that was handmade in Cuba. Her son is the same age as the Boy, which prompted her to pick this out. The best part is the wheels work, so the Boy can play with it.