CMMC: October Color Orange or Light Green


light green leaves
Unripe Tomatoes
Orange pumpkin

Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge

#SundayStills – Burnt Orange


#SundayStills

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #169: The Ordinary


This week, on Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #169, I.J Khanewala is guest-hosting and he’s challenging everyone to take a second look at the ordinary. Sometimes, those things can surprise you or even put a smile on your face.

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#WeekendCoffeeShare: Garden Update and Front Yard Transformation So far


Good morning or afternoon and welcome. Coffee? Tea?

If we were having coffee, I would tell you the one word I would use to describe this week – unmotivated. Why? For so many reasons which I detailed in my Friday Thoughts post. Oh, and unfortunately, I’m working today. I can usually get things done with some overtime during the week but this is urgent matter, apparently, the boss wants all September invoices done ASAP and I’ll just work the weekend to get it all done.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you it looks like winter might be arriving early this year. There’s been heavy rain this week, rain we desperate need. Unfortunately, it’s accompanied by wind. It always is. Thankfully, there weren’t too much damage this time.

According to the weather forecast, first frost of 2021 might be arriving next week. I’m nervous about that and it’s got me ordering frost blankets for my plants and I even got one for my 7-tier planter, which, if I might say, is not doing too bad. I have some seedling that should be ready to transfer today or tomorrow, granted if it stops raining.

My 5-tier planter might be done for the year next week when the temperature dips below 32 degree-F (0 degree-C). The only thing left in there are marigolds, cosmos, tomatoes, and sunflower. I pulled out the cucumbers and overwintered my peppers this week. This 7-tier planter has my cool weather plants – lettuces and other leafy greens – which should survive a little longer with the assistance of a frost blanket.

If we were having coffee, I would show you the before and after of my front yard.

It’s been a ride with this front yard – full of hard work, anger, and frustration. This is definitely not what I had planned in the beginning. This is more of mom’s vision than mine. I had never envision so many red bricks nor did I imagine red bricks planters. Once again, mom took over but then it was the only way to get help as her family will only help her, not me. It’s never me.

Mom is feeling like a hero right now. She keeps saying, “If it weren’t for me, you’d never get it done. It’d never look so pretty.” The way she says that makes me not want to help anyone. It’s all one-sided anyway. I help them, they’d never help me in return, not unless mom’s present.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you I know what you’re thinking. The yard is missing something – rocks. I’m waiting on it. The 17 tons (no joke) of rocks will be delivered on 20th of this month. So I’ll have an update on this soon.

I do hope it stops raining though so I can go out and plant some spring flower bulbs in the planters.

I would thank you for joining me in this edition of #weekendcoffeeshare and hope we’ll both return next week.

Friday Thoughts


What do you know? I made it to another weekend.

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CMMC: September Alphabet Must Have O in the Middle


Close-Up of Coreopsis (Tick Seed)

Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge

#WeekendCoffeeShare: Positivity Required


Good morning or afternoon and welcome. Coffee? Tea? I am craving something cold right now, maybe something to pair with the bountiful harvest of raspberries this week. Any suggestions?

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Monday Thoughts


Today is going to feel so weird. First, I had a meeting at 7 AM, that’s early for anyone. I mean, if it’s still dark outside, then it’s either too early or too late. Unfortunately, the host of the meeting is super busy and that’s the time he has for the meeting.

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Is Becoming Self-Sufficient a Fool’s Errand?


Is it?

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Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #164: Looking Up/Down


This week, on Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #164, Sofia from Photographias challenges everyone to Look up or Down.

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CMMC: September Close Up or Macro


Brand new Strawberry plant in containers
Marigolds and smoky sunset
Echinacea (coneflower)

Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge

Monday Thoughts


Mondays are always hard (well, no duh!) especially when one forgets that she set a vibrating alarm on her watch and it goes off right on the dot. This alarm got me jumping out of bed this morning despite being sore all over. It put me in panic mode and I hate it.

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#WeekendCoffeeShare: Lush Planter No More


Good morning or afternoon and welcome.

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Monday Thoughts


I was glad to see the sun be back to its yellow shining self this morning despite still seeing a little bit of haze linger in the air.

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#WeekendCoffeeShare: To the Rescue…


Good morning or afternoon and welcome.

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More Monday Thoughts


Can somebody say Deja Vu?

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#WeekendCoffeeShare: Fruits of my Labor


Good morning or afternoon, if you’re here in my house, I would offer you something cold and icy because guess what, my neck of the woods is under another heat dome. The high is going to be 97-degrees-Fahrenheit again today (36-degree-Celsius). It’s the middle of August, aren’t we past the hottest part of summer?

I finally got enough cucumbers to make myself two jars of pickles yesterday. These aren’t ready yet. They have to ferment in the fridge for 2 days. I can’t wait to try them. It’s my first time making pickles and my brine consists of apple-cider vinegar, white vinegar, water, sea salt, sugar, black and white peppercorns, and dried thyme. I hope it comes out okay.

I finally had my first and second harvest of cucumbers this week. As of yesterday, I’ve harvested 5 (large) Marketmore 76 cucumbers and 7 (small) Sumter pickling cucumbers. I find I’m not liking the Marketmore 76 cucumbers – its skin is too prickly – while the skin of the Sumter pickling cucumbers has little bumps like the ones you find on the mini-pickles.

And let’s not forget this big guy – 3 pounds 12 ounces. That’s a big zucchini.

I actually procrastinated at picking this guy. I watched this guy grow for 3 days straight and kept telling myself, “Let’s wait one more day.” I need to stop doing that.

Meanwhile, my sweet peppers are doing fantastic in the 5-tier vertical tower. It looks like it likes it there. It’s been such a thrill watching it grow bigger everyday.

I wonder, is this what a mother feels like? Watching her baby grow bigger and bigger each day?

You might think I’m trying to make you jealous, showing off my garden but the truth is I’ve never had a thriving, successful garden like this, ever. So I’m just trying to document it for myself so I can look back in the future and see the fruits of my labor.

I better get going, got a Toastmaster club meeting to get to this morning. I would thank you for joining me in this edition of #weekendcoffeeshare and hope we’ll both return next week.

Monday Thoughts


I was heading to my work’s break-room this morning to rinse my water jug and cup when I saw this.

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#WeekendCoffeeShare: Oral Update


Photo by Jo Sonn on Unsplash

Good morning or afternoon, I don’t know about you but I’m thinking of having something cool and refreshing. Ooh I know, some almond milk?

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#WeekendCoffeeShare: 5-Tier Vertical Planter Update


Good morning or afternoon, let’s have a virtual drink. I’m in the mood for some icy cold beverage, how about you?

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CMMC: Getting Close at Home


This week, Brian from Bushboys World is guest-hosting this challenge and the topic is Getting close at home.

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#WeekendCoffeeShare: Container Garden Update


Hello, come on in, let’s head on out back and have our coffees. I can use a strong cup this week and I bet you would immediately feel the difference in temperature. Remember last week? It was hovering around 100-degrees? Well, today is hovering around 85-degree. Continue reading “#WeekendCoffeeShare: Container Garden Update”

#WeekendCoffeeShare: Mission Accomplished


Hello, come on in, it’s going to be a hot one today. The temperature has been hovering around 100-degree-Fahrenheit the last two weeks but according to the weatherman, relief is supposed to come this coming Monday.

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