My viewpoints friends I hope you are all  happy and well.  I have not been here for a while. I have been up and down since the winter sat in.  The winter season is not a good season for me mentally or physically.

It has been very Nasty here in Michigan! 16 degree temps and frigid winter winds have kept me inside for most of the month..except to work and shop for daily needs.

I haven't been feeling very well so I haven't had the time or energy to do much of anything here at viewpoints or any where else for that matter.

But I always bounce back, bugs come and go! and spring is on it's way!

Hurry! spring! Hurry!......  Merry Christmas my viewpoints friends and have a happy New year.

 

Happy Thanks giving to all here at viewpoints. I hope everyone will enjoy their moments, memories and good food with your family and friends.

 

                                               Vetsy

 

          Booo!  I hope everyone had a Safe and Happy Halloween!

           The last three weeks of October was absolutely beautiful!.this is what fall time should be/feel like.  Sunny and warm in the 50's and 60's.

This is the October's I loved and remembered as a Kid, the  only outerwear we needed to wear was our costumes and maybe a light jacket once in a blue moon.

These  temperatures may seem laughable to people who live in the south. But for a Bone Chiller like Michigan, it feels like a warm oven on the lowest temperature...In other words still a little cool, but warm enough to be tolerable.

One would have to live here in Michigan or Ohio, Chicago or Minnesota to actually relate...even though I'm certainly sure I can't relate to anyone  who  would have to survive a Minnesota winter, i heard that it's a frightful! place during the winter season, Ooo".. I'll count my blessings!....

  No..I'll just say I'm lucky..because cold, Icy, Bone Chillin weather, is Never a blessing in my book, no matter where one lives!..unless one happen to be a Polar bear or a Penquin.

Michigan weather haven't felt this good or has been this pleasant in a very, very, looong  time! So  I had to hurry and write about it before I blink! . Northener's you know what I mean.....

It's now November 1rst, as I finish this letter at 12:01am...Oops! Nope!  I"m supposed to Fall back.. so it's really 11:01am

Hmmm" I wonder if I should have Ham or Turkey for Thanksgiving or both, I'll go to bed and think about it later,  Oops!.. did I blink..hope I won't be searching for my boots when I wake!

 

I can't believe it's the 15th of October already, wer'e only a couple of months away from a New year!

I decided that I would not make New year resolutions for 2010, instead I've decided that I would state positive affirmations to attract the things and changes I desire for my life.

Resolutions on the other hand are usually made and then easily broken by  a lack of will power or unforeseen life events.

Life sometimes just get in the way, thus placing those well intended New years resolutions on the back burner for another year...

don't get me wrong.. resolutions are always fun to make before the coming new year, it gets your mind pondering with excitement about what's ahead of you..and puts you in a blissfully, positive, celebrating mood!

Notice that I have skipped my plans or thoughts about Thanksgiving and Xmas, heck those are easy plans to make, you're either going to spend a little more or a little less for these holiday events based on your mood or financial circumstances.. and in the end for the most part it turns out just fine.

When I was a child growing up in the 60's I didn't recall cold and flu epidemics. We did catch colds and flu but they rarely lasted more than a week.

Why was that? What has changed since then?  What did we do or know back then, that we don't know now?

I pondered these thoughts as I fended off a nasty cold.  Let's see...hmmmm? 

 I thought about my mother and all the home-made chicken soup she made when we were sick during the winter months. Then...

it dawn on me.... oh yes I remember now, how could I ever forget that Old fashioned remedy my mother used and mother's before her used, a remedy they believed in and relied on to fend off  those nasty booger's that came to attack  our bodies during the winter season. 

 Cod liver oil was one of these remedies and Oh my God! Castor oil was the other!  I don't know which was Nastier!

My symblings and I hated this stuff, we stood in line with frowns on our faces reluctently waiting our turn as mom stood before us  with tonic/s spoons and sliced oranges. 

The oranges were supposed to mask the taste of these oils  and...Nothing on this earth could ever in my opinion, mask  the taste of either one,  NOTHING!!  Thank god we were not given them both at the same time.

Thick as honey these oils would slowly and delibertly coat every taste bud it could find as it made it's way down your throat. If you didn't swallow it the first time, guess what?  you get another dose and the second dose taste a thousand times worsts than the first.

One time I accidentally spit mine out when it rolled back up and out of my mouth... oops!..here comes the second dose oooh..it tasted sooo hideous, I was temporary blinded and chopped down on my orange slice so hard I almost bit a whole in my hand!

So what was it my mom and those before her knew?

Did they know that Cod-liver oil is high in A and D?  that it's a good source omega 3? It helps with your  memory,eyesight, arthritis, blood sugar, sydrome x, colitis and other inflammatory conditons?

NO... what they did know is that they had a remedy an old fashioned  winter tonic used for generations that worked for them as a preventative, and when and if cold and flu attacked you, it was gone before you could say..... H1N1"

It's time for me to revisit these remedies, and Thank God we now have capsules... yahoo!!

 

 

Hello my viewpoint friends. I'm wishing you all a happy 4th of July today because I'm leaving  this friday for South Carolina to visit  family during the 4th of July holiday.

Today I had a wonderful unexpected surprise from my favorite little pollinator the Hummingbird!  I try every year to attract them to my yard.

And last winter I lost the very plant that flagged a couple of Hummers down from  the blue skies a  ( male and female but I'm not sure what specie they were.)  in late July or early august to my yard.

It was the  beautiful sun parsol red Madevilla vine, it did not bounce back even though I brought it inside to over winter.

This summer the tall Husker red Penstemons did the trick for me, early this morning it attracted a Ruby throat.... that zommed and Zipped around this 4 foot potted plant and took off over the gate and was gone before I could blink an eye....

Now penstemons along with more Madevilla's will certainly be stables of my gardens in the future.  please view my photo's for a few of these nature attracting plant pictures.

The weather here is still clowning  around, sunny and warm one day and cool and over-casted the next!  I can't stand it!  oh well" I can't control the weather"

 Tired of waiting on the weather I decided to go ahead and plant a few veggies a couple of days ago in my containers:

One, lilac pepper, because I thought it unique, One, Heirloom Rutger tomato, I know nothing about it.... just bought it because  it's an Heirloom ..

Heirloom tomatoes  or veggies are vegetables whose seeds are over Fifty years old! and are past down from family members or sold by folks who keep up this tradition.

Four.. Better boys these are hybrids by ( the company Bonnie plants) but they are cross bred  using differen't plants only, not genetically bred.

 A few Cucumbers the picking kind and a few squash ...I paired  ever thing I planted  with a few herbs and flowers that are supposed to deter a few pesty veggie eating bugs! .....

However I had to do some research on this pairing or

(Companion planting)  first, because the veggie and herbs must get along!  or the wrong ones  paired together may attract bugs you don't want to the plant or one plant my stunt the growth of another!

I have Basil, Chives, and marigolds planted with my Tomatoes  to reduce aphids and whitefly.

Natursium, radish and marigolds. to reduce the attacks of squash bugs on my squash and Cukes.

All this is new to me  ( The companion planting part ) but it is always a fun hobby for me whether I succeed or not!  and  I have never used pesticides on my garden plants, for I consider it to be risky and unhealthy for me and the environment!

When bugs and disease come along I deal with it by killing the ones I can catch by hand,  or by using  some  other non-pesticidal formula,  taking notes in my journal,  uprooting the affected plant.. and trying again the next year hoping to be armed with better knowledge  and Ideas the next time around.

 

       Happy Gardening to my view point friends who are gardening this year.

 

 Today I did a some yard work contemplating on what I want to plant this spring /summer. I  raked up magnolia blossoms in the front yard did some pruning and removed  plants that didn't survive the winter.

 Container gardening is the goal this year, another plan is to  erect some sort of free standing feeding station for my visiting feathered friends....

Gold finches, House Finch's, Chickadee's, Downy woodpecker, Cardinals, Robins just to name a few.

Last summer the apple tree that played host and held up some of my bird feeders, succumbed to a gust of wind!.. brought on by a unexpected fast moving storm, that came out of no where,.

I happened to be standing a few feet away from it when it was blown over and  was fortunate to be knocked over by the top branches instead of the trunk!

The tree  was half dead half alive!  but I let it be, because it still  put out beautiful blossoms and the Downy wood pecker found plenty of bug morsels in the decaying bark. ..

 Now... I found myself on my back penned under the tree  looking up at the sky! and thinking about how foolish!  this decision was,  this was a small apple tree but  it is still heavy enough to do some serious damage...

The trunk of the tree landed on the barbeque pit and a metal chair snapping it in half! ( I uploaded this photo it's in my album under falling tree).

Shortly after, I was rescued by my sister who pulled me free, I was very blessed to get away with minor scrapes and bruises...So to all that plan to garden this year..remember this Quote ..."Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens''

 

It's a little warmer here in Michigan but still snowing!  So to cheer myself up today I went to some of my favorite garden centers to see what was in for Spring.

Lowe's ... Tulips, Bromeliads and some hanging indoor plants that I couldn't remember.

Home Depot... Bachelor buttons, Creeping Phlox, Corn plants, Spring cactus my Mom bought a purple one, she is a fan of Christmas cactus and just added this one to her collection.. and some indoor house plants that didn't look very healthy.

Semrau garden center... I love this Garden center located in eastpointe Michigan.  If they don't have anything in for planting out doors yet..they'll  have something wonderful for me to purchase and hope not to kill for the indoors.

A Garden Center that never lets me down when I need a plant to cheer me up or to replace one that I've killed.

 Most of their plants are healthy and the one's that aren't are set aside in a corner away from the other plants and the consumer. Today I bought a Rabbits foot fern from them a nice bushy one for 3.95 that put a smile on my face and sent me home a little more cheerful! 

 I think I can give Spring a few more
days to show up.

IF I could afford it, I would cook my cat home made nutritious foods so that she could be much healthier and prettier, Heck..if I could afford it I would do more of  this for myself  I could certainly stand to be prettier and much healthier ..ha.ha.ha

Until then,  there's commercial cat food dry and wet I alternate and try to pick them as carefully as I can making sure they aren't full of  fillers, however panini has the last word/meow..about which one's I chose.

She won't eat anything she dosen't like..I don't care how hungry she gets..the only brands that she likes and will eat are Friskies and 9 lives..( can food).

About three weeks ago I decided to try something  different, I bought a brand of dry cat food and used it exclusively for one.. because I thought it would be economical and two..the product assured that it had all the nutrition my indoor cat would need.

Panini to my surprise didn't sniff at it, eat a 4th of it and walk away which is  an indication that I may as well throw it in the garbage!  she ate it all..and continued  until I notice some major changes in her!

She was not looking as pretty, her fur was dull and didn't have that full furry kitty cat appearance,  she stopped playing and being frisky and had a hissy impolite attitude.
I went back and bought plenty of wet cat food her favorites!.and the Panini that I once knew, returned! hurray!

 panini suggest if it's Not broke don't fix it!

The cold and Flu season is over and I'm just getting over a two long week battle from a hideous cold! ....A cold so bad, the Flu decided Not to double team me and passed me by.

The two are usually partners in crime, one following after the other, both hiding some where in my body waiting for security to take a break..and that they did,
  some even had the audacity to quit with out giving me a two week notice.

Well..this year I'm going to  be better per-paired with a defense team that will began this summer!
This team will consist of oranges, orange juice, pomegranates, elderberry, raspberries, everything that I can find that consist of potent  vitamin C. I'll cook and eat more garlic I'll just have to  stay away from every cute guy that I see.
 
 Heck!.. I'm even going to try my friend Annabanana's Grandfather's Whiskey and Horse radish!....take that! you Darn viruses!   Bam! Booyah!



 C

 Spring is here..yippee! and every year I  repeat the same words like a broken record even though I know what to expect from the harsh Northern climate here in Michigan..
 
" I wish I lived in the South or some place like California, I could be  preparing or planting my Garden buy Now! .. their trees are budding and their birds are singing! "Boo Hoo"   

Eventually I get it together... revived by my journals and all the garden catalogs and magazines I kept from the last growing season..Henryfields, Burpee seeds, Springhill, Parkseed, Good Housekeeping and others. 

So here are some of My favorites from last summer that gave me the biggest thrills! rewarding me with their awesome colors, showing performances and visiting wild life.

    Mandevilla Vine..... ( Sun Parasol Red ) A breath taking prolific bloomer, this one stops every visitor to my yard in their tracks!  WoW! what is that! ..that is sooo... beautiful!   I bought this vine believe or not from a grocery store!....Krogers, for under 25.00  and it is Worth every penny,

 for two summers straight I  tried to attract Hummingbirds to my yard with hummingbird feeders, and other plants that I thought would attract them, didn't get one visit until I put this beautiful vine in my yard!   Do over winter this vine if you live in a Northern climate like mine.

Coreopsis ( Moonbeam ) a pretty bright yellow shrub like flower that reminds me of a fancy dandelion and Coreopsis ( early sunrise ) has a deep golden yellow flower with a brown eye in the center they are very cute, drought
tolerant!  and make me smile every time I look at them.

Victoria sage .. A Vibrant blue salvia that kept going all summer long, it kept color in my flower garden when the other's were fading away!

Anise Hyssop..  purple haze I like the color of this spiky bushing plant it attracted lots of butterflies and the bees just go into a drunken frenzy with this plant it was very interesting and entertaining to watch!

Lantana...  ( confetti ) is a unique flowering shrub, this one in my opinion in particular, because this variety has multiple colors of pink, yellow, and magenta all on one plant ..... that is so cool.

I could go on and on but these are a few of my picks that excited me the most.

May this Spring and Summer of 09" bring to you both the expected and unexpected joys that life has to offer!

Panini is the most recent and the second female  cat  I've owned over the years the majority of my cats were male.  My younger brother found her in the summer of 08'  in a garage. She was less than 8 weeks old and had tar all over her tiny paws,  the street was being re-tared were she was found.

She was  frail and shaking constantly like a little leaf.. I feared she would die!
I never cared for a kitten this young and tiny! But did all that I could to help her survive

I kept her in a shoe box with a hot water bottle for comfort and warmth
 gave her warm milk and when she was able to accept it I gave her  kitten chow cat food made especially for kittens. 

 Soon the shaking stopped and before I knew it,  she was climbing stairs! a feat I thought to hard for a tiny little thing to physically  accomplish so early.

Panini  is now about 8 months old, is healthy, happy, and is silly as can be!  Boy does she make me laugh! she is so funny and  entertaining!  She carries bottle tops, balls, toys and other items she thinks will bounce when she drops them down a flight of stairs.... 
She crawls into paper bags and tries to walk with it on her head......She is afraid of most things  plastic especially if it has a funny shape, like the plastic ring that holds can soda's together.. it was on the floor and she slapped it with her paw
 
causing  the ring to spring into the air,.. she never saw it land because she took off!  running from the room like a jet plane!


     It's so hard not to find cats enjoyable! They can be such crazy Fun!




 

 Hello my viewpoint friends....
 

  I can't wait for the arrival of spring can you?.... This year.. March 20th is it's arrival.
 
Here in Michigan..  winter's are long and gray! and for me an outdoors/nature lover.. it  feels like torture!..   During the summer months, I  will do almost anything to stay outside as long as possible  after being  shut in and cooped up all winter!

I'm sure you  all  notice a stream of  plants! and a cat!..on my current photo stream.   I must  have something green and alive! to look at during the  gray winter months, and these  plants are the one's  I managed not to Kill! even though they got sick on me and tried to die! a thousand times over! .. so I'm very proud to show them off!
 
 Last week I purchased a plant from lowe's called  ( zamioculcas zamiifolia )
 the ZZ plant for short because,  most people can't pronounce it. It is now one of my  favorite house plants Why?... because it is easy to care for, needs little water, and bugs! don't bug it!...... A house plant that bugs won't destroy! is my
kind of plant!

 So if you are a Black thumb like myself...here is a list or names of my plants that I managed not to kill!
 
ZZ  plant) .. Mother N-law tongues ..Ponytail plant.. Chinese evergreen, Jade, satin pothos.

Note:  These plants ( Mother-N-law) ( Chinese evergreen)  (Satin pothos)  I read are poisonous to Cats! 

 My cat  sniffed and nipped a little at them All.  .. she has not  suffered any ill effects..and in-fact  lost interest in them after satisfying her curiosity! ( Thank God curiosity didn't kill this cat! )

  However...I'm keeping my eye on her to make sure she dosen't decide to make lunch out of these plants,.. thus removing All Nine of her Nine live's at once!



 

 Everyone should try a hand at gardening  once in a while, it's fun, healthy and economical!