I'm sitting here at work, waiting for my next appointment.  Figured I could start on a post to be finished up later at home...

I've been meticulously starting Hoyas.  I got these little seed starter trays - one has 16, the other 12.  One has a dome the other didn't.  The one with the dome is smaller - I started cuttings from small species in that one - species like curtisii, sigillatis, davidcummingii...  I started some larger ones in the other one, then I put one of the big domes over it.  I'm hoping everything will root quickly so they're ready to sell this spring...

I apparently neglected my Hoya callistrophylla and it's been looking very dehydrated.  So yesterday, I whacked it back and soaked the cuttings with some superthrive in the water.  Later, I planted the cuttings and put some in the aquarium, some in the dome in the GH and the last 4 in a tray that I covered with plastic.  I'm going to go ahead and order a new one from Gardinos, and I'll put what's left o my old plant outside in spring to see if it will recover.  Who knows...it could come back to be one of the nicest Hoyas ever!

Last summer, I whacked away at my bhutanica - nothing radical, but I got it whacked back to nicer, fresher looking growth.  And it took off.  There's nothing quite like a good whacking to make a plant get going! LOL!

A few quick notes...

Took down my Hoya meliflua today to water and found all kinds of growth nubbins on it!!  And even a couple new leaves close to the soil line.  Here's a new growth nubbin well on its way to two new leaves:

It's all very exciting!!  Meliflua is one of those species that has very sensitive leaves when they're young.  The slightest little disturbance and they drop off, so you have to be SO careful.  I think I'll try not to move it now for the next few months.  Watering it while it's hanging can be a real challenge, but I'll do that to keep it from losing leaves...  It would be so great to get it to bloom this year.  I think it's only bloomed one year for me, and the flowers are SO outstanding...

I moved my ripple leaf finlaysonii to the sunroom south window and it seems to like it there...

I'm thinking it might need a bigger pot, but I'm not sure how to get it out of the pot it's in.  It's in a pumpkin pot, so very round.  I don't want to break it because Thelma (my long-gone MIL) gave it to me years ago and I treasure it...  I may have to cut it out and I'm not sure how that will affect the roots.  Well, until it shows me signs that it's not happy, I think it will stay put...

And I think I have a new leaf on deykeae (YAY!!)  At least it looks shiny & new...

I'm just surprised that I didn't notice it when it was coming on.  Could it be from last year?  I don't ever remember it growing this early, but the leaf is just so new looking, I think it has to be a new one...  I hope this is a sign it will grow more this year.  It is by and far my slowest grower, I think...

And lastly, I have to post a pic of my giraffe planter...

 

 Is that adorable or what?!  I got two of these last year - an elephant and a giraffe.  I'll post the elephant later.  This one has a cutting off my old obovata in it - one that's doing very well.  I whacked by my old obovata last summer and started some to sell, kept that whacked pot to see if it will grow and am keeping this one as a restart.  I'm sure it will get too large for this pot soon, but I'm enjoying the look for now.  (The plant below it is H. surigaoensis and the finlaysonii mentioned above...)  

That's it for today! 

 
 

Why... am I crazy??

Ok, I know Mom and my sis, Merry, wonder WHY I put up with Mark.  It's not easy, believe me... And I probably shouldn't.  

**SIGH**  

Mark has never been what I'd call "ideal husband material".  But I'm what I'd call a "low-maintenance woman", so it was no big deal.  He wasn't good at the special days - no flowers or special things on anniversaries, Valentine's Day, my birthday.  Oh, he'd do SOMEthing if I made a point to remind him repeatedly.  "My birthday is next week...2 days from now...tomorrow..."  "Gee, it's almost Valentine's Day..."  "Our anniversary is coming up..." etc...  But it just got to the point where I didn't really care that much.  I thought, well, he doesn't cheat on me, he let's me do what I want, spend what I want, no complaints, and he's kinda fun...  There's always a trade off, and "special occasions" aren't that big a deal.  I kind of mocked wives who said things like, "I'd divorce my husband if he didn't make a big deal about special occasions." Oh, who cares?  And really, I do feel this way!

And he's one of those old-school guys who would never, EVER, under ANY circumstance lift a finger around the house!  There was a time when I could get him to clean a toilet now and again.  Now, if he does some dishes I feel lucky.  I rarely even ask anymore.  I refuse to do his laundry anymore.  I figure if he can't do anything around the house, I'm not going to do anything for him...  Once in a blue-moon, I'll throw some of his stuff in with mine, but other than that, he's on his own with laundry...

But that's just minor stuff.  Annoying, but I could deal with it through the years.  But he's become a real liability in the last few years...

2007... leg amputated due to circulation issues exacerbated by smoking.  He continued to smoke...

2012... he was in a car accident caused by a seizure (see an earlier post for details...)

The last year... his memory is shot.  He can't remember conversations we have and asks me the same questions over and over.  He has had brushes with the law.  He's smoking pot like it's going out of style.  Can I get him to stop?  No.  Can I get him to not drive?  No.  His mind is going fast.  He's exhibiting signs of someone a lot closer to the end of life than a guy who is only 60...

Do I still love him?  Kinda... not what it once was, no way.  I don't hate him.  I loathe what he's become, and I long for what he once was, even as flawed as he was... I feel pity for him.  What would happen to him if I kicked him out?  Most likely... I would predict he'd become a street person in short order.  I predict he'd be dead fairly quickly.  I may not be IN LOVE with him anymore, but I don't want him dead.  I don't want him to suffer the indignity of being a homeless street person. I guess I'm trying to show respect for what we once had... And that's why I put up with this shit that's going on.  There may come a point when I have to throw in the towel to save my sanity, but until then, I will appear to the outside world to be a desperate woman.  I'm not - believe me, I would much rather be alone, not have these problems that come with a man who is... let's face it, probably battling dementia.  But for now, it's what I feel obligated to deal with.  I just hope my friends and family can understand.  Although my Mom doesn't get it, she's supportive.  And I think my sis, though perhaps a little more judgmental, is on my side.  (FYI, if I was on the outside looking in, I'd be judgmental, too!!)  Thank goodness for family...


 

We have success!  I'm guessing sometime in December, I started 3 pots full of australis ssp. tenuipes cuttings.  I wish I could remember why...  I remember the cuttings were somewhat dehydrated, but I don't think I took them off my main plant.  I didn't record it in my blog, so now I don't remember the details.  But anyway, I put the 3 pots in bags and did the "blow it up and seal it" routine.  About once a week, I would open them and blow fresh air in and reseal.  Today I opened them up to give them fresh air and they're all snugly rooted!  You never really know how long it will take to root cuttings in winter, so I'm very pleased.  I also, at some point, put a cutting of 'Dee's Big One' in a bag - a stem that was dehydrating.  That one has also rooted nicely.  

With the days getting longer, it's time for me to start taking more cuttings and getting them started.  The problem, of course, is where the hell to put them!  I have such a space issue right now.  I'm thinking maybe I should clear off the shelves at the back of my GH and use them for cuttings, but I have to figure out where to put all THAT stuff!

And now it's about 7:00 p.m.  I had a long day... to the gym (I'll explain that later!), then to work, then to see our accountant about taxes, then back to work, then to the lawyer's office (more explanation later), back to work.  So I'm leaving work at 5:02... it was still light.  Not just light, but LIGHT!  Bright, beautiful, sunshiny, need-my-sunglasses bright!  The days ARE getting longer!  Yippie!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok... gym explanation.  Merry bought me a gym membership for my birthday back in November.  Sweetly enough, she also bought Mom a membership.  I know she worries about me being so dang fat.  And I love her for it.  I know - she's a little bit obsessive about eating right, taking care of yourself, low-fat la-de-dah, etc.  But in reality, I suppose it's better her way than my "don't worry about it, live, eat, drink, be merry and die young" attitude.  We all get to be the master of our destiny and all that.  But I have been wanting to get my health and life under control, and after my last doc's visit, when he gave me so much shit about my weight (which IS truly out of control!!) and my cholesterol and that I'm getting close to being a full-blown diabetic... I've been ready to get off my fat ass and do something.  And though I didn't do anything right away, I finally got going on it about 3-1/2 weeks ago.  Mom and I went to the gym and we consulted with their trainer and he gave us a very realistic routine to do.  And we've been very consistent about going Mon., Wed., Fri. until this week, when we had a snow storm and Mom came down with some awful bronchial junk.  This week I actually went alone Tues., and today, and I hope I can take her with me on Sat.  And get back into the Mon., Wed., Fri. routine next week.  I think it will help both of us.  I already feel stronger in my hip and lower back.  I plan to commit to this, and I've been eating healthier.  I won't say I've been perfect in the eating department, but I've been very, very good about ADDING good stuff to my diet.  More veggies, more fruit, more super-foods.  And I'm going for more organic food, and a LOT less processed foods! 

Here's my new (for several weeks now) morning routine...  A cup of bone broth... this I've been doing for several months.  A cup of (usually) beef broth (sometimes chicken) with a tablespoon of Knox gelatin - very yummy and awesome for joint health.  Also, about 1/3 cup of Greek yogurt (not the fat-free shit - 2% or 4%, the good stuff) with 2 tablespoons of wheat germ, 1 tablespoon of diatomacious earth, 2 teaspoons of fiber and a couple tablespoons of milk and my choice of added sweetness (like apple butter, apricot preserves, some kind of fruit, my favorite is Pampered Chef's cherry almond topping...) or sometimes I just use the fruit on the bottom Greek yogurt.  Anyway, this gives me so much good stuff, and it's pretty dang satisfying!  I've been feeling like a million bucks!!!  So much more energy...

I'm at that age where I can not let my health continue to decline, or I need to "fix it up."  I feel like Wes is cheering me on.  That helps...

Explanation about the lawyer visit...  Mark & I have been talking about getting a divorce for a few years.  It's not about leaving each other.  It's about finances.  It became a concern after his accident in 2012 and the subsequent months when it became apparent that he didn't want to do what it takes to fix his declining brain issues.  I want to protect what little we have managed to save and acquire from his stupidity.  Then life got in the way.  In 2013, Wes was dying.  Mom was away and I was running the business by myself.  Then 2014 was a crazy-busy year and I was trying to let Mom be as retired as possible.  But a few days ago, Mark came home high as a kite, acting drunker than... well, I won't say it 'cuz it's a little offensive! He had literally peed his pants, he was stumbling around, slurring his words.  He finally admitted to me that a friend have given him some "hash oil" whatever the fuck that is!!  He was home around 5:00 or so, he fell asleep and I couldn't wake him up for supper.  Then about 10:00, before I went to bed, he got up to go to the bathroom and was still so fucked up he almost fell down and I had to remind him to put up the lid and seat to the toilet, yet he managed to still pee on some clothes I'd taken off to take a shower and were still close to the toilet. What really scared me was that he drove home like that!!  So this got me off my ass to get the divorce going.  I don't need him going out and having an accident, killing someone or worse and having someone sue ME for all I'm worth!!  So in about 60-90 days, we'll be officially divorced...

And I'm going to bed now.  I'll post more as things progress...

NOTE:  I forgot to "publish" this, so I'm guessing this was from about 1/10...

It's the weekend now.  They got the old floor up and put down the Durock.  And I got rid of that damn door!  I've hated the door to the basement for as long as I can remember.  It's always been in the way.  But Mark wouldn't let met get rid of it.  For years, when the meter readers would come, we would close it so they could come in the back door and we could close it so the dogs wouldn't follow them to the basement (or scare the crap out of them!)  But they do all that from outside now, so they don't need to come in.  Here's where the door was - it swung toward the window...

(I hate those stupid florescent lights that replace incandescent lights...it makes everything look yellowish!)  Anyway, when it was open, which is all the time, the door swung close to the cabinets, so it was right against my back when I would be doing dishes or anything (plant stuff) at the sink.  I hated it.  Well, I told him this is it - it's TIME for the damn door to go!  And I'm so glad - it looks so wonderfully opened up.  And I think it's going to make the kitchen seem so much brighter, because the door will not be blocking the west window.  YAY!

We're doing the tile down the stairs to the landing...

And here's a longshot of the durock on the floor...

Fridge goes on the right there against the cabinet, stove on the left, out of sight.  (And the GH is to the right, through a slider...)  I can't wait for it to be done.  Especially since the stove and fridge (and everything else from the kitchen) are in the dining room!  We're livin' a little cramped right now!  LOL!

So yesterday, after I got home from work, I started working on cleaning out the fridge.  Embarrassingly, they had to remove the doors to get it through the door to the dining room and it was a mess!!  So I thought I'd take this opportunity to get it cleaned up before they have to put it back.  We've had this fridge since before we remodled the kitchen the first time - about 20 years ago or so.  We really, really need to replace it, but I just replaced the stove (because the oven had quit heating properly about 6 months ago) and the range hood, and I need to recover from that before I get a new fridge.  And I figure I'll shoot for having one by the time we get the countertops and backsplash done, which I figure will take at least 6 months with the way things tend to go (and how dang expensive it all is!)  Of course, I'll also have to have Jeff come in and paint the woodwork.  It shouldn't be terribly expensive to do that... I hope!

Not much plant stuff going on other than maintaining.  I'm trying to do a little "cleaning up" here and there.  For instance, I chopped down the australis ssp. tenuipes in the sunroom.  It was looking a little scraggly on the lattice.  I made several cutting starts to hopefully sell this year - or give away as incentives to buy.  I put my biggest macrophylla on the lattice. That's going to be a big change for it, from the south side of the sunroom to the north side.  I think it will adjust fine, and I hope less light will mean more of those massive leaves.  I like it there better, though, because you can see more of the plant.  When it was on the other side of the room, hanging plants hid a lot of it.  See how it looks now:

 

You can see some of the rooting austrlis in the bags on the windowsill.  It's not the best time of year to root them, but they'll likely root eventually.  Now that the days are getting a little longer, it should help in that endeavor.

 

This morning, from the front porch...

It's been such a boring winter, with just a dusting of snow a couple times.  Never enough to really get excited.  They were predicting we'd get a couple inches, which would be better than a dusting, but still not enough to keep it white for very long.  Well, we got 6 or 7 inches and it's just lovely.  The trees are heavily flocked and it's white for as far as they eye can see.  It's still spitting snow, though probably not enough to accumulate anymore.  I hate the brown of winter, so this is a vast improvement as far as I'm concerned!

We were supposed to have the cactus club meeting today at our place, but they decided (smartly so, I think) to cancel it.  I was really looking forward to it as Chuck was going to bring a bunch of plants to sell, including Hoyas and Dischidias.  But it's certainly not the best weather in which to drag out plants, so just as well, I guess.  There's always next month...

Got the kitchen floor all done, and I've ordered a new sink base - it's in now, and we're waiting on the countertops.  I'll be so glad to be rid of my laminate countertops.  I think my first chip on the edges must have happened in the few couple years, so I've lived with the ugliness of that for a long time.  I mean, the tops have held up well... I think the problem is that the laminate was just a fraction of an inch longer than the wood underneath, and that made the edges weak.  That's what you get when you buy stuff from Menards or one of the box stores.  This time, I'm getting it from a guy Keith (my tile guy) recommends.  Keith is such a perfectionist, I trust he only recommends people who live up to his standards...

Jeff repaired that awful spot on my bedroom ceiling - you can't even tell it was ever there.  It happened after that windstorm came through in 2008, and though I'm sure there has never been a leak since, it just got worse and worse, and because it's such a mess to have something like that fixed (and we had that bad financial spell 2010-2012...), I kept putting off getting it fixed.  I'm so glad not to have to look at that anymore!  It was SO ugly!  I took that opportunity to take down all the curtains and wash them, and have the blinds cleaned.  It feels so much better!!  

In the process of that, I enjoyed how much more light came in the spare bedroom and I ordered some rag garlands to go back up instead of the swaggy-valances that were up there before.  Here's how it looks now...

I love the new look!!  I figured I would need to maximize how many plants I can hang, too, if I'd be getting some from Chuck.  

And speaking of plants, I'm starting to propagate for spring.  I've got a bunch of australis ssp. tenuipes started... some obovatas.  I still have rubras from last fall.  And my verticillata decided to start dehydrating, so I chopped it up and made pots and pots of cuttings.  I'm hoping they bounce back so I can sell them this spring...  It's one of the BEST bloomers of all the Hoyas I grow!
I also plan to whack away at my australis ssp. australis.  I think I'll offer the two australis very very cheap this spring to encourage people to order and to get newbies hooked on Hoyas and maybe create some future customers.  

I spent about an hour and a half on one shelf in the GH today.  Detangling plants, clipping dead stuff, adding soil where necessary, even potted a Dischidia into a larger pot.  This I did while it sat on the shelf, because it had climbed up into the two shelves above it and I didn't want to untangle that one.  Most of the plants on that shelf are doing fairly good.  I did cut a dehydrating vine off of Ban Ngong Ngoy and put it in a pot to hopefully get it to bounce back. There's still a bit of parviflora hanging on - I've been nursing that one for 3 years!