Those of you who post every day, I don’t see how you can do it. It takes me days to write a post and some days going through my email inbox and reading blogs is all I can manage. Just don’t have the time, not if I want to get anything else accomplished.
And speaking of other things, I got everything planted I intend to plant except for more green beans in a couple of weeks. My six tomatoes are in, the first round of green beans, carrots, the basil I bought at the grocery store, and four of what ever is sprouting in my compost bin but I’m not sure they are going to survive (three of them look like they are going to make it today). Moving them from the compost bin to the ground in the middle of a sunny day was probably not the best time. I was going to try potatoes again but the feed store didn’t have any more loose seed potatoes and the tractor supply only had big bags. Maybe next year.
The azaleas are blooming, I’m starting to see some evening primrose and red bud trees around, my peach tree is putting on flowers, and the bluebonnets in the front have started blooming. We had more return this year than I thought since it’s been so dry.
When we bought this place the entire easement in front of the house was solid bluebonnets that returned every year until the year that the county mowed the easement before seed had been set and dropped. I had stopped them the previous year but they came when I wasn’t here. Since, we get maybe a tenth of what we had. These drought years aren’t helping either.
I’ve been dividing my time between outdoor work and packaging the mobiles. Besides planting the spring garden, I still have a lot of winter’s dead to cut back like the banana trees which once again froze to the ground and now are laying on the ground from the strong wind we had. That and the rest of the wild Mexican petunias are all that’s left to deal with at the house but have bananas, the white orchid tree/shrub, the thick branches of the morning glory bush and the yellow bells I need the little chain saw for over at the shop yard.
So boxing the mobiles: I worked out a packing system. First I converted this
to this.
Then I laid out the mobile on 2” thick foam and drew around the shapes,
used a hobby knife to cut out the shapes in the foam which the crystals will nestle in,
glued the foam in the box (oops, mis-measured the width but it’ll do) and taped several layers of bubble wrap to the top.
All I need do is place the mobile back into the foam
and close the box.
And that's your 'how to' for the week. Still have to price them and number them and their corresponding boxes or maybe print out and tape a photo on the top.
Today is the benefit for my friend who is fighting cancer so I’m off to buy our two dinner plates.
Clever way to pack those fragile mobiles. No flowers in my yard yet but the daffodils spears are poking up through the dirt!
ReplyDeleteI have disappointingly only two daffodil buds coming up right now.
DeleteI've yet to see a bluebonnet, but I finally came across some ten-petal anemones, a mountain laurel, some exotic Indian paintbrush, a one lone wild iris in a ditch. I'm so glad we're getting some rain tonight -- complete with thunder and lightning for a while. They're saying we may get a bit more tomorrow, and I hope we do. I just now remembered that the silly time change is tonight. I've already set my grandmother clock ahead, and the microwave. The only other manual reset necessary's in my car; otherwise the computer and such will do it automatically. I wish they'd finally make something permanent. I don't care what the decision is, but I hate going back and forth.
ReplyDeleteWe did not not get any of that rain as usual. It did lightly rain off and on yesterday but probably not even a measurable amount. The only clock I have to change in the house is on the stove. It's the only clock in the house. And the car, have to change it too. I prefer the extra daylight in the evening since I'm not an early riser but I do wish they would just pick on and stick with it.
DeleteThe packaging itself is another work of art.
ReplyDeleteThe result of decades of packing glass art for shipping.
DeleteI think that for many who post daily it’s the equivalent of keeping a journal. If ever I have to ship something delicate I am going to enlist your help in designing the packaging!
ReplyDeleteFor me also, just don't write every day, or rather post every day. Had to learn to make packages bomb proof to ship glass art.
DeleteWhat a clever way to package mobiles! They should definitely be safe. Sounds like you've gotten in a good spring garden too. Now...if we could just get rain.
ReplyDeleteThe potatoes I planted that were more of an experiment than an expectation are looking far better than I expected. They were what was left of last year's lousy crop, put in a bowl and shoved under the folding table all winter. I cut up them up so each piece had an eye and stuck them in the ground. They really must have wanted to live.
I've packed many a glass art piece in a similar manner. Have only had one break in transit but I think the gallery broke it to tell you the truth.
DeleteThe last time I planted potatoes I did it in a two big black plastic tubs and they produced barely a handful of little bitty things.
Pretty pretty!! That packaging reminds me of the time that Mike worked for a company that made cases for FBI criminal investigation teams (I think). The had very exacting specifications for the foam inserts. He brought at least one case home that didn't pass muster & we used it for camping supplies. Ha!
ReplyDeleteNow I want to know what camping gear you nestled in the foam.
DeleteCodex: What did you scoop the foam. Out with. The factory knife? Factory. I'm going to need therapy for autocorrect. This makes no sense.
ReplyDeleteHobby knife with a #11 blade, First I cut the outline then pinched up a point and sliced underneath.
DeleteThat's some very careful packaging! As Mitchell said above, it's also art in a way.
ReplyDeleteOh, and about writing every day -- oddly, for me, it's not blogging each day that I struggle with. I can write a post in about fifteen minutes. It's answering comments and keeping up with other blogs that's hard for me!
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