Thursday Thirteen - Just for the JOY of it!

Make Time for Small Reflections

Herein are my Morning Musings
Random Tuesday Thoughts
and Wordful Outdoor Wednesday

Tuesday morning, March 23rd
1. It's 6:22am ... the fur-kids are fed and thoughts are swirling in my head. Where to begin? Perhaps with National Puppy Day (lest I forget). I'm listening to Eyewitness News (ABC7 in Los Angeles) and they're encouraging folks to send puppy photos to share. Methinks I'll just share here and get on with my randomness, but if YOU'D like to share YOUR PUPPY pictures or see the puppies other have shared,you'll find more information here: ABC7 Celebrates National Puppy Day. Here are links to a few of my of my favorite 'puppy posts' ... just for the JOY of it!

Molly learns to use the stairs
Molly Montoge - Change
Molly as Teacher
Molly at the Beach & Doggie Spa
Celebrating Molly's 5th Birthday with Nostalgia

Ohmygosh ... I've got to STOP being nostalgic and get on with my randomness! I do love my little Molly girl and share about her often don't I ...

2. My right forearm hurts. I've been wearing a 'tennis elbow brace' for a while now and it helps ... sort of but not really. Fortunately I'm fairly ambidextrous ... born left-handed but pretty much forced to do things right-handed from an early age does have some benefits. Transplanting shrubs over the weekend to make room for my 'birthday rose' probably didn't help much. Today is the first time I've noticed that typing hurts, though I have friends who think it's caused my 'mouse activity' in my computer classes, blogging, and Photoshop play. I guess they could be right.

3. I'll write more specifically about the actual 'fix' in a separate post (for the benefit of other owners of Dell laptops with 'dim monitors' making use without a power cord impossible), but for now ... I'm dancing for joy because mine's fixed at last!!! Let's hear it for persistence paying off folks ;-)

4. I love Microsoft Security Essentials!!! A while back I dumped McAfee (even though I'm paid up until next November) because I got tired of it's increasingly intrusive & inept presence on my computers. Just now, when I logged on to my Photobucket account to retrieve this animated 'Snoopy' gif ... MSE popped up with a 'severe threat' (that it had already quarantined and suspended) warning & gave me the option to 'clean' which I did ... all without having to shut anything down. FYI the threat was from from Exploit:Win32Pdfjsc.EI and when I checked just now (after the fact) on the Internet for additional info I learned ...

Exploit:Win32/Pdfjsc.EI is a detection for files that use an obfuscation technique in an attempt to evade detection. This technique is generally employed by malicious PDF files that target software vulnerabilities in Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader. Once the malformed PDF files are opened by vulnerable versions of Adobe Acrobat and Reader, the embedded JavaScript gets executed and loads the exploit. The exploit may execute code to download and execute arbitrary files on the affected computer. These files may include additional malware. There are no obvious symptoms that indicate the presence of this malware on the affected computer. Files detected as Exploir:Win32/Pdfjsc.EI usually arrive on the system where the user visits a Web page that contains a malicious PDF file or opens an e-mail containing the ODF file as as attachment.

What I know for sure is that I'm happy to know that Microsoft Security Essentials runs quietly & simply in the background on my computers .... keeping me safe without charging me an arm and a leg or eating up precious memory doing things I don't understand or care about.

5. Hmmm ... it's now 7:54am. I need to take Molly for a walk so perhaps I'll stop my randomness here to publish and be on my way. I need to pick up a bag of mulch for the planting of my rose bush tomorrow. Interestingly my Wednesday class has been canceled due to a special event on the high school campus so I can be here after all when the gardeners visit tomorrow. Gotta luv serendipity, right? Now I have two more vouchers for one-day Friday or Saturday classes to redeem before the close of the school district's fiscal year in June.

6. Finally, for my Outdoor Wednesday visitors ... here's the space I've cleared for my new Veterans Honor rose bush ...

some of the shrubs I dug up and put in pots for the time being along the new rose bush to be planted ...

and one of my Amaryllis plants beginning to bloom ...

You'll note another bud coming up at the base of this plant. I've got several more Amaryllis plants in various stages so I'll have blooms to enjoy for a while.

7. Watching & listening to President Obama's comments at the Health Reform Bill signing on ABC7 News this morning fills me with pride. If you missed it, I'm sure there will be a link on the Internet soon and I recommend that you check it out when time permits. This is a historic moment for Americans. The bill may not be perfect ... but personally I believe these changes are long overdue. If you have doubts, I offer this link to a recent NY Times opinion piece by Paul Krugman on Health Reform Myths for your consideration. Of immediate interest to me is the financial relief for seniors in ill health on Medicare who are currently trapped in the so called 'donut hole' paying excessive amounts for their prescriptions. I understand that they'll get a $250 rebate this year, next year a 50% reduction in prescription costs, and by the year 2020 the crazy 'donut hole' will be completely closed.

Wednesday afternoon, March 24th (post amended for Thursday Thirteen and Just for the JOY of it ... with apologies to those who have already visited and commented on the above ... you know how I like to 'multi-task' in my posts ... especially when I'm pressed for 'visiting' time in the Blogosphere)
8. On Earth Hour hundreds of millions of people around the world will come together to call for action on climate change by doing something quite simple—turning off their lights for one hour. The movement symbolizes that by working together, each of us can make a positive impact in this fight, protecting our future and that of future generations. Learn more about how Earth Hour began, what we’ve accomplished, and what is in store for 2010. Click to learn more ...

To participate, just flip off your light switch at 8:30 pm local time to cast your vote for action on climate change.

9. My gardeners didn't come on Wednesday afternoon as scheduled ... I know not why so I'm feeling a bit frustrated because my Veterans Honor rose bush NEEDS to be planted soon and I have no idea when they'll make up the missed day. I'd really like to be here when they plant it for a variety of reasons. If they come tomorrow, I won't be around because I'm spending the day with my sister ... just for the JOY of it! She'll only be here three more weeks because she & her husband plan to head for Yosemite (and beyond) in their Pleasure Way on April 15th. I've not done so for a while, but I occasionally share her photos from the road with is 'logo' and labeled 'SistersPics' ...

10. Dalton at the Bella Terra Staples store in HB helped me choose this 'all-in-one' machine last Friday then suggested I wait for the weekend to see what went on sale. On Tuesday afternoon, he helped me set up my new Canon 'all-in-one' wireless MX870 printer after the guy on telephone Tech Support in Tulsa, Oklahoma said he couldn't help me do anything until the 'extended service plan' info showed up in 10-14 days.

11. I used it to print my belated Christmas Cards Wednesday afternoon ... just for the JOY of it! I hope to get notes written in them and envelopes addressed so they'll arrive before Easter. Regular reader might recall that my HP Photosmart 6180 'All-on-One' printer developed problems when I tried to print my cards last December. Better late than never, right? Right!

12. Ohmygosh ... the gardeners just arrived (at 6:30pm) so I'm going to get my rose planted after all! Hooray ;-)

Here it is in the ground ...

13. The fur-kids have both had dinner but I haven't ... so methinks I'll stop here and fix something because it's already 7:15pm.

Click to embiggen any image & for others participating in

Random Tuesday Thoughts
Wordful Wednesday at Seven Clown Circus
Outdoor Wednesday, Thursday Thirteen and Just for the JOY of it
Hope you're each having a delightful day!

Small Reflections ... Smile Back

Thought for Today
"Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!" Robin Williams

Yard Reclamation Project -- Part 4 or Coming to my Senses and Gratefully Accepting Help

This continues the saga of the Spring and Summer of 2006 when I decided to make some changes. If you missed earlier installments (and want to catch up) you can look here for Part 3, here for Part 2 and here for Part 1.

After 27 years,
the individual Tam Junipers
on the parkway
had grown together to look like this,
and the Korean grass clippings from years of edging
had taken root underneath
and strugged for
dominance.

I might be trying to dig this up even now
had I not allowed these men
to help.

Watching these guys work made me grateful
for the good sense to allow myself
some rest and assistance.

As I shared in a previous post, it took three workers more than 4 hours (using power tools) to make the lawn area level. Even better, they hauled away the debris so I didn't have make multiple trips dragging heavy trash cans filled to capacity the 120 feet from my front yard to the alley behind my house :)

The "parkway" task took 4 workers almost 5 hours to accomplish!

Next comes some additional ROOT removal
followed by the replanting that
I did myself :)

Reminder: You've got 5 more days to figure out the Christmas Carol Quiz answers and email them to me. As previously announced: Peajay, Joy and John were the first 3 Bloggers to get all 10 correct and have the Small Reflections Christmas Carol Quiz Award to post on their Blogs. Who's going to be next?

Happy 7th night of Hannukah
to all those who celebrate
this holiday.

Yard Reclamation Project - Part 3 (Pulling the Korean grass from between the rocks by hand)

In order to avoid yesterday's "time issues" ... I've opted to make today's post my first priority today and will do the post at Sacred Ruminations later.

As promised (some time ago I'll admit, but better late than never ... right?) here are close up photos of the "clearing the grass from between the rocks by hand" process. If you missed earlier installments (and want to catch up) you can look here for Part 2 and here for Part 1.

Originally, I intended this to be a 3-part series, but as things so often happen ... it's going to have at least 2 more parts ... and possibly more (some projects take on a life of their own). So stay tuned (or not) as you choose.

Reminder: You've got 7 more days to figure out the Christmas Carol Quiz answers and email them to me. Peajay, Joy and John were the first 3 Bloggers to get all 10 correct and have the Small Reflections Christmas Carol Quiz Award to post on their Blogs. Who's going to be next?

Happy 5th night of Hannukah
to all those who celebrate
this holiday.

Reclaiming my Yard (Part 2) or A Slow & Tedious Single-Handed Transition

I suppose this could also be entitled
How I Made a Bunch of New Friends From
Passers-by Who Stopped to Chat :)

Day by day (as time & energy permitted) I worked in the yard ... enjoying my progress (however slow & tedious it seemed to others) ... making new friends as folks on their way to and from the beach stopped to comment (many offering suggestions as to how I might speed things along, not realizing I was using this as a meditative practice). I spent considerable time thinking about how I might similarly reclaim the inside of my home (as in clear out the clutter of books and reading material that collect on any horizontal surface despite my best intentions).

I started by cutting the Korean grass covering the concrete "footer" originally designed & put in place to keep the lawn out of the flowerbeds. I knew it was there, but others were surprised as it reappeared. Next I cut back the bushes encroaching on my walk-way to the house, then started digging out the roots. That's when I discovered the first of many 3" in diameter roots from the city's tree on my neighbor's parkway and invested in a hand-saw to cut them out in foot-long pieces so I could pull them out in sections.

As it turned out, those tree roots were EVERYWHERE in my yard (and probably still run under the grass area) though the offending tree itself has been removed after the fact (illegally, of course, by my new neighbors who afterwards planted something in its place that is lovely and hopefully less intrusive ... all without the city's knowledge ... just as others on the block have done previously). When they asked me about taking this action (ie should they get a permit first), I suggested that it's often easier to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission in such cases. Actually, I suspect it's quite possible the city is relieved to have home-owners pay for such removal and replacement :)

But I digress (please bear with me as my mind wanders often these days) so I'll now continue with my tale of transition.

Removing the grass from the stream bed was most challenging. I'd clear out a section of rocks, pull the grass out by the roots, replace the 27 year old plastic with a new piece (cut to size & overlapping the previous one), sprinkle a little rock salt to slow down future grass growth, and replace the rocks one-by-one before moving on to the next section and repeating the process. Of course this took WEEKS of daily effort, but I enjoyed the pleasant weather and didn't worry about how long it would take. I snapped photos of my progress to email to family and friends (and now to share with you), but as I look at the photo-collage ... I realize it doesn't contain those close-up pix, so maybe I'll see if I can make a "mini-collage" to use in a later post (making note to self as I type that thought here).

I suppose I could have invested in a weed-wacker and/or some other tools, but I am "a senior citizen" and doing this by hand allowed me to sit down on the job. In addition, it didn't require me to learn new skills or risk injury by accident :)

Eventually it did become obvious (even to my independent self) that I could use some help. I managed to use my trusty pruning tools and newly acquired hand-saw to prune the lime and lemon trees (as I've done yearly for decades) as well as to decimate the peach tree that had never produced edible fruit probably because it was planted too close to the house and in the shade of the lime tree. What I couldn't do however was dig out the massive root system created by this tree over its 27 year life span. So, I enlisted the help of a local gardening service for this purpose.

When they offered a deal I couldn't refuse, I hired them also to finish stripping the lawn for me (much to the relief of my aching hands and back) and to clear off the parkway. It took three workers more than 4 hours (using power tools) to make the lawn area level as in the photo on the left, second from the bottom. Even better, they hauled away the debris so I didn't have make multiple trips dragging heavy trash cans filled to capacity the 120 feet from my front yard to the alley behind my house :)

I plan to create a mini-grid of those photos and pictures taken while they dug out the Tam Junipers on the parkway along with the Korean grass doing it's best to overtake them and claim the area for its own. The "parkway" task took 4 workers almost 5 hours to accomplish! Maybe I'll post it with the other mini-collage of my "rock clearing" photos.

So Karen ... I hope you enjoy Part 2 as much as you did Part 1.
More to follow as time permits :)

Reclaiming My Front Yard (Part One) or The Way Things Were Before I Started

As per Karen's suggestion in a recent comment,
I've decided to share the following saga in three parts.

In April of 2006, my front yard looked like this ... overgrown and crowded ... with plants and trees as out of control as the Korean grass that had crept over the concrete footers, infiltrated the rocks of the stream-bed drainage area and sneaked under the Tam Junipers on the parkway in an unsightly manner.

Navigating the walkway toward the house, avoiding the overhanging bushes and the fruit-laden branches of the Dwarf Meyer Lemon tree, required special skill for the Postman and other visitors. Ms. Kitty enjoyed the jungle-like growth because it offered many hiding places, but to me ... it had become an embarrassing eyesore.

Returning from a Caribbean Cruise, I struggled to drag my suitcase up the sidewalk and into the house muttering under my breath. The next day on a whim, I purchased several pairs of gloves and a hand-held electric clipper at Osh and got started doing what I could to take charge of the mess and reclaim the yard.

This was no small task and took the better part of 6 months to accomplish, but little by little I succeeded in pruning, weeding, ripping out, and reclaiming the space. This is Part 1.

Part 2 (the gradual process of reclamation) and Part 3 (new plants and regrowth over time) will follow in separate installments.