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Tuesday, June 15, 2010

I'm a murderer!

I confess. You all are the first to know my dirty secret. I am a murderer. This morning Abby came in to the bedroom complaining about the ants on the front porch. She said they were everywhere and it was gross and disgusting. I of course, knowing my daughter's skill at blowing things out of proportion, just rolled my eyes and told her I'd check it out when I got up. Did I mention that this was at 6:00a.m.?? Of course, having been rudely awakened I was unable to go back to sleep so I was up, showered and downstairs by 7:00. Knowing that I had forgotten to water my flower pots last evening I made my first priority to go outside and take care of that little bit of business. But when I opened the front door I stopped cold. The front porch was literally moving. Little red ants were everywhere!! It was so gross and disgusting!! For once Abby hadn't been exaggerating! I didn't see any reason for them to be there either. Sometimes someone will dribble his pop on the cement and that will bring the little buggers out but there were no telltale brown dribble spots to be seen. As far as I could tell there was no reason for the invasion. I needed to get out there to water the hanging baskets as they were on their deathbed and screaming out for relief but there was no freaking way I was stepping out there amongst the critters! Let me repeat myself......NO FREAKING WAY!! So I did the only thing any self respecting creepy crawlie hater could do and I went and got out my handy dandy can of Raid ant killer. I sprayed those babies and watched them scatter trying to avoid the death spray but in the end I was the victor. Did you know they get smaller when you spray them? After about 5 minutes, this was all that was left....

Doesn't look too bad in the picture but trust me, this was just a teeny tiny little 2 inch spot of the porch. As I stood there watching them die I was struck with remorse. I was single handedly responsible for wiping out an entire colony (or so it looked) of ants. I was a murderer. I felt bad for the ants left behind. I wish I had taken a different route to get rid of them. I could have hosed the porch off if we didn't already have water in the basement that is coming in from somewhere in the vicinity of front porch. I could have used the broom and swept them away but then I'd be afraid they would get all up in my broom and come into the house and we certainly don't want that. So in the end I will have to live with the guilt. Please don't hate me. I'm really not a bad person.

While I was outside trying to save my hanging pots, I thought I would take a few quick pictures of my flowers. While they are still around to take pictures of. Seems as though I am not the only one that is a murderer. Signs of death were everywhere!! This used to be a large daylily.

And this is what is happening to my oriental lillies:

Stripped of their leaves and snapped off halfway up. Pesky wabbits! It's my own fault. I said just the other day....gosh, the rabbits haven't been feasting in my garden this year. Yep. Shoulda kept my big mouth shut! I cursed myself.

I took a few pictures of some of my favorites while they are still alive, here's my Clematis. I'm thinking of cutting it back to the ground when it's done blooming. Pretty much it has quit blooming on the lower half of the plant. It'll either make it healthier or it'll kill it. Might as well add another murder charge to the list!

My favorite lily, love the color of this one:

And my Red Lillies, if you look hard, you can see all the dead stuff towards the top right in the picture, that's the bottom of my clematis. It looks like that from the ground up to about 3 feet:

I'm making progress on my family room re-do. I've shopped my house and have pulled about all I can. It's time to start spending money now. One thing I knew I had but couldn't find was my shaker boxes. Looked everywhere for the darn things. Knew I had seen them somewhere recently but just couldn't locate them. Yesterday, I had an epiphany! I had taken them to the shop and was using them to display reading glasses! Duh! I'll have to bring in a basket and swap it for the boxes. Found curtains that I can live with. I also bought a table lamp but it was kinda pricey and I wasn't in love with it so it's going to go back. I found a lamp base at Scummart Walmart that I like so maybe I can find a shade I love somewhere and save a bit of money. So far I like what I've done. Abby hates it. She hates country style period. Amy doesn't give a flying fig, Dan keeps saying he's not seeing the vision yet and Adam on skype the other night asked what had I done to the family room? I don't think they can "see" the whole picture. I keep telling them to be patient. Decorating takes time.

I have done some stitching on the Wise Men. I am very close to being done. I tell ya, my picture of this just doesn't do it justice. You have to stitch this one to see it in it's full beauty. Trust me.

Not sure what I want to stitch when I am done with this. Need to work on Golden Ice for a bit though. If I can stop myself from starting something new.

Well, I have a shop newsletter to write yet and a cross stitch to stretch. I want to organize the charts here at the shop too plus place my orders so I best get a move on. But first let me ask you....when you go to a LNS, how do you like the charts to be arranged. By designer alphabetically? By Subject? I gotta admit I struggle with this one. I'll take any help or advice you wish to share.

Have a great week! Thanks for stopping by and a big Hello to my new followers. I think it might be time for a giveaway!!

Take care!

Julie

12 comments:

santadeb said...

Oh Julie always love reading your blog, I wanted to let you know what an enabler you are, I told a friend about your blog and she just had to have the ornament you are workign on..this crazy friend ONLY works on 40ct or 36 if her eyes hurt!
Glad the ant invasion has been stopped. Starting something new...hmmmm familiar sound to those words....

Deb

Rachel S-H said...

What is left of the clematis is beautiful! Gorgeous summery purple!

SharoninStLouis said...

HI -- To answer your shop question, I always want to see what is newsest when I first walk in. Then I like to browse by designer.

Please don't feel badly about your ant-icide. If they had stayed where they belonged, your would not have done them in. You did not invide them up on your porch!

Carole said...

Your clematis is gorgeous. Mine is DEAD! Hmmmm . . . have you been to my house?

When I go to a LNS - I think I like the charts in order by designer, but that said - I also like the new stuff together.

I like your chart arrangement in the shop just fine. You don't need to change anything.

Carole

Meari said...

Yeah, that's definitely a LOT of ants! Wow. I'm not a creepy crawlie hater, but I wouldn't have wanted to go out there with them either. I'd do the same thing you did. Get the Raid. Which reminds me..... I have a wasp nest to take care of!

You'll be done with Wise Men in no time!

Looking forward to seeing your new vision for the family room. Gotta love the family comments, lol.

Jan said...

Ant invasion - good job! The only good ant is a dead ant!

The Wise Men makes me want to go out and but it. It is looking so beautiful.

I like to see the new charts first and then find them by designer. Our local LNS does it by subject and I have a hard time finding what I want sometimes.

Looking forward to piccies of the family room when completed.

Cari said...

Hey I'm with you on murdering the ants!! They can be such a mess! Love your wisemen stitch. It's just beautiful. Your garden is lovely as well. As far a shop organization goes....I do like an area of 'What's New' and then by designer. Keep on keepin' on with your family room. It's a lot of work, but always worth the effort. Have a great week!! Hugs

Sherry :o) said...

Hey Julie - I really love the wise men! Stunning! I like the charts by designer; just like novels, by author. Works best for me...good luck.

Kim B said...

That sounds like an all out invasion! You were armed though and I'm glad you came out on top!

Siobhán said...

Yikes on the ants!! Eek. I'm the same--do not pull any punches when it comes to bugs. My DH will catch things & put them outside. Me--kill them on the spot. LOL Your clematis is FANTASTIC!! We got one last year, never planted it, just stuck it in the pot next to the bench in the front of the house. About five of our perennial shrubs died with the severe cold & frost but the clematis is still alive & growing.

Love the stitching--you'll be happy dancing in no time!

Doreen said...

I like having a new section to look at but even more I like that you and MA always know where something is if I can't find it. I went into a shop located where I was away on business last week, and they were the most unfriendly folks! They barely said hi when I walked in, and didn't try to talk to me the whole time I was walking around the store. Very sad. I left. I wouldn't have bought a thing from them. You guys make everyone who walks in the door feel like an old friend. That's priceless!

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri ~ Boog) said...

Wow, Julie! All those ants... yuck! I'd have raided them too. If you had washed them off the porch, they'd just come back. I hate ants.

Your clematis looks great at the top - the flowers are gorgeous. Mine looked like yours does last year - really pretty on top, starting to die at the bottom. This year it looks pretty dead all the way around. It has to come out this fall.
We seem to live in a parallel universe because many of my lilies look just like yours. The eaten ones, I mean! Darn rabbits. Cute but I hate them in my yard/garden.
Your wise men is stunning. I can tell from the picture how beautiful it is and can imagine it in person.
Now, for your shop question. I like things arranged by designer. I can, at a quick glance tell if I like a style of a designer. If I like their stuff, I'm happy to plow thru it. If I don't, I quickly move on. My NSL LNS arranges by category and I hate it. I rarely buy anything because I can't stand looking thru all the stuff I don't like just to find one chart I do. Hope you resolve your dilemma to your (and your customers) satisfaction!