Just Another Manic Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday...

Well, I guess the weekends have been fairly good. Not today really.

There's something about Mercury retrograde that brings all kinds of problems with it. February has been absolutely the worst month I've had in a few years. First an abscessed tooth and following extraction. Then who knows, maybe all the changes to my body from chemicals, made me not as cautious. But I had a bad fall on the driveway.

I assumed it was ice, but I really wasn't paying attention. I had mail in my hands and I was looking around, and all of a sudden my foot flipped up, there was a loud "pop" and I was on the ground. It didn't feel good so I crawled on my hands and knees to the house and called 911. Fortunately my 16 year old grandson was visiting, so he helped me in and get ready.

My first ambulance at the new house. Apparently they had been there a lot for the previous tenant. Actually, in the past 5 years, I have only had the sniffles for a few days at the most. No other heath problems.

It was a very long day in the ER, but to make a long story short, my fibula (ankle) was fractured. On
top of that, I was so hypertensive (high blood pressure) that they were freaking out and made me have all kinds of tests would not let me leave till My BP was down.

I guess my ankle could have been a lot worse, I've heard horror stories. Looks like if it doesn't get displaced, I'll have a cast. I'll know for certain next week. I was happy, but now I hear it's actually a shorter recovery with surgery. Who knows.

I was in a great mood considering, but apparently vicodin can make you feel depressed. I don't like that. I'm going to tough it out if I can and just take some at night to sleep pain free. Apparently pain makes the healing go faster anyhow. I'm all for fast healing.

As you may know I have no car either, although I wouldn't be able to drive it right now anyhow. My daughter's family and my cousins have been helping and I have another friend who will be there too. I really didn't feel too bad about this till I did some reading.  Maybe next reading I do, I'll wait till I'm off the vicodin.

What's Cooking - Sweet Hot Pepper Jelly

I really can't believe I never posted this recipe. It's one of my favorites. For some reason, I love it in the winter, maybe it's the bright green color. It's wonderful on simple saltine or water crackers that are spread with cream cheese and then a drop of the jelly. The flavor will change a bit depending what hot peppers you use.

The original recipe calls for jalapeno, but there are so many yummy hot peppers that I leave it up to you and your personal temperature likes. If you have no hot pepper experience, jalapeno is a good choice.

If you have no hot pepper experience, DON'T touch the peppers with your bare hands when cutting. The hot stuff will get in your skin and stay there a long time. Rubbing your eyes or nose with those hands can be quite painful for a long time.

I prefer also to mix in metal, glass, or ceramic, as absorbent plastic and acrylic hold the heat for a while too.  A jar of this jelly is also a very welcome and inexpensive gift.


Sweet Hot Pepper Jelly

1 ¾ cup Ground Green Peppers
¼ cup Ground Hot Peppers
1 cup Cider Vinegar
5 cups Sugar
1 - 6 oz bottle liquid fruit pectin
green food coloring

Combine ground peppers, sugar and vinegar in a 5 – 6 quart kettle. Stir over high heat to dissolve sugar and boil 4 minutes at a rapid boil. Remove from heat. Cool one minute. Add liquid pectin and food color. Pour into jelly glasses and seal in 1/8 inch paraffin or hot water process as directed.

Life on Mars - Labor Day

Who doesn't like a little time off work. Well, if you're like me, there is no such thing as time off. I've been working on a new design. A purse. And if all goes well, I'll be selling them in my Poppy's Garden Gate shop. And it looks like they're going well. So exciting! Making me think I might be able to make that messenger bag I've been talking about. Here's a sketch of the new purse.


It's even cuter in person. It's a REAL purse with inner pocket, zipper top, and adjustable strap.

Hard to believe I'm actually doing this. I thought it would be so hard, but, turns out it's not so hard after all.

That's the kind of thing I do on holiday's and weekends. (thus the name LABOR day)

Things have been very quiet in our neighborhood lately. I'm beginning to think there is something seriously wrong. But if it's good luck and peace and quiet, I'll take the seriously wrong.

This weekend was Doctor Who premier and marathon. The 9 year old and I watched and ate fish fingers and custard. I LOVE the new Doctor Who. After watching the old ones for so many years, I even went to conventions with my kids and met Jon Pertwee and Sylvester McCoy (3 and 7), this new version is such a blast. I love all 3 of the newest Doctors dearly.

And there is the annual dinner next door with the neighbor's high school friends on Sunday. Spaghetti this year. Great way to celebrate Labor Day, spaghetti with meatballs, meatballs the size of baseballs no less. And did I tell you how much the bees like spaghetti? Well, at least we have Monday for a real picnic.

Worth Repeating - Zucchini Pickles

I posted this recipe originally in July of 2011. This week, I've been hitting the jars of pickles I made last month and I thought I'd like to temp you again. They are remarkably crisp and just the perfect combination of sweet, sour and a touch of hot. I make mine with the hot peppers. If you have an abundance of zucchini, and have run out of freezer room for bread, or can't get the extra's to me, you might want to try this great recipe.

You can also find the original recipe in my recipe pull down, along with other great recipes.

Zucchini Pickles                                

9 qt thinly sliced zucchini
10 small onions sliced
6 ½ c sugar
6 c cider vinegar
¼ c pickling spice in cheesecloth
6 T salt

Optional 4 or 5 hot peppers halved seeded and sliced

In a large bowl or non aluminum kettle, sprinkle salt over all vegetables. Let stand for 4 hours. This will draw out excess moisture. Put into colander and drain.

Combine vinegar and sugar in a large kettle, add spices. Stir over high heat, cover and boil for 5 minutes. Add vegetables and bring to boil. Boil one minute. Remove spices.

Place in hot clean jars, apply lids according to manufacturers instructions. Process for 10 minutes with water one inch above tops of jars. Cool completely. Check seals the next day. Makes 5 quarts.

These sweet Zucchini pickles are absolutely wonderful on top of a slice of cheddar on a Ritz.

Life on Mars - Getting Acclimated to The Surface of Mars

WOW! I never thought I would be getting so used to it here on Mars. But I am. Maybe that's because as surrealistically as things got bad, things are getting better.

Not that there isn't still some crazy sh-t going on here. Like this week when Someone came to our door screaming at the top of her lungs that "THE DAMN WATER SOFTENER IS UNPLUGGED! MY DAMN HAIR IS FLAME RED! IT'S FLAME RED!!!" Poppy hates when I keep repeating that, but she wasn't here to hear it, and now it's permanently scarred in my psyche. BTW her hair is not even tinged red and the softener (for the well for both houses which is in our teeny house and not their BIG house) was plugged in and full of salt. She just saw the extra bags her DH bought sitting outside our door and freaks. She even made her 66 year old DH with artificial knees crawl under our TV to make sure it was plugged in, even though I assured them both that it cycles in the middle of the night EVERY night while I'm TRYING to sleep.

I've even gotten used to the kittens dancing on me at night. I found that if I cover myself with a thick blanket, their little claws don't dig into me so deeply. Thank goodness it's getting cooler out, or I would continue to be full of little tiny claw marks.

Now onto the Good. Last week we finally got our new (used) Dryer in the house, and yesterday I got it all hooked up. Mind you, I love to save by line drying, but a last minute towel fluff in the dryer, or a quick dry for blankets is so nice. And line drying baby diapers is not so wonderful. This was a donated dryer that is Huge and Powerful and economical and not that old. The former owner just wanted an upgrade to a fancier one. OMG this thing dries so fast and has the best lint catcher. Not to bore you, but it's almost like we have money again. Actually this dryer is the nicest one I ever had. <3 <3 <3

Although I never found the parts to the crib Poppy bought, I did find parts on line. Yay! We are going to try the hardware store first, then if not, I'll buy online. We should have a month and a half left, I hope.

Poppy is selling like mad, costumes! We are both picking up sales very nicely on Artfire and may eventually be able to get off of eBay. That would be so nice, because our fees there are ridiculous.

MORE GOOD NEWS and this is the best one. My DS FINALLY got a letter from the Government that his Disability has been approved. He has to call to get more details as he got the letter late Friday. But this is just wonderful news. He should be able to get his surgery soon.

So you see, the surface of Mars can be a little hot to walk on, and the gravity, makes it a little hard to stay in one place, but all things considered, it's a tolerable place to live.

The Garden Visitor

Yesterday I did a lot more work in the Veggie Garden. I finished turning over the soil, left it fluffy to dry, and turned in some more humus. I also put in some planters around the yard. I found an old Sap bucket without a bottom and an old Fire Station bucket without a bottom. Those will be great for planting. I love to contain oregano, but it likes to be deep rooted, so I'll put it in the Red Fire Station Bucket and the old ammo box which is really weather resistant, will hold my potted cilantro and basil. I can't wait. I'm going to look for some more cute planters to line the garden with, because that is the sunniest part of the yard, and it will look much cuter.

I also took the sap bucket and planted it in the ground and found a piece of terracotta drain pipe that I placed next to it. I put some sedum in the pipe, but not sure what I will put in the bucket. Doesn't get much sun so maybe impatiens will be nice there. I love to use that little sedum in pots too. It comes back every year and looks cute draping over the sides. If you buy vinca for you planters, you can take it out at the end of the year, roll it up and bury it underground, at least 6 inches.Then pull it up again in the spring. You don't have to buy it every year.

I know some Italians who love fresh figs so much that they do this with their fig trees. They don't weather will in Cleveland, but they have to be uprooted and buried a little deeper. It works though.

Now for my visitor. After all my hard work, I looked out of the window and saw a cheap tacky scarecrow in the corner of the garden. The property owner found it at a flea market for $1and added it to the garden. He was being nice, but I thought it was kind of tacky. Well I went out today to take his picture and I guess I found him a little charming, because I wasn't so upset when I took his picture. Maybe he will bless the crops at the back of the garden, where he won't block sunlight. Yeah, that's it.

I also found a clump of almost blooming Daffodils. So pretty. I bought a rose bush to plant in the beds this weekend too. I've been having problems with them. Who would believe. You can't get rid of roses when they establish, but trying to get them started is a chore. I planted one last year, too close to the dog run and she decided to dig it up. Nothing else, just the rose bush.

Hope you had a nice weekend too. It's raining today, so no more planting, but I'm looking forward to it again tomorrow.

Obsessed with Gardening

“The kiss of sun for pardon, The song of the birds for mirth, One is nearer God's Heart in a garden Than anywhere else on earth” 
Dorothy Frances Gurney

Last week I was obsessed with Totes, OK I still am. Totes and clutches. But with the warming weather, I'm growing an obsession with gardening too.

I've planted my seedlings and my Tomatoes, Peppers, and Basil are doing great. I needed some cilantro, so instead of buying a bunch, for about the some price I got a plant. I thought I can put it out soon. The cat's aren't too happy about this plant thing, because my seedlings are sitting on the table in front of the window that they usually sit on to watch the birds.

Today, if I get the energy and the sun is out as promised, I'm going to go out and pull up all the ground cloth, and turn over the garden. It's time to plant the cool weather seeds, the peas and lettuces and I can even start onions and potatoes. I used to plant potatoes in a plastic garbage can, that I drilled with holes for drainage and light. It worked well, but didn't make it here from NY.

This year I got a fantastic Idea I bought some coffee sacks last summer, that turned out to be much coarser and not printed with nice patterns, than I expected them to be. Very disappointing, but the auction listing did say bags can vary. I thought that those might be really great to grow the potatoes in. I did a little research and I'm not the only one to get that idea. Here is a link on how to make potato planters at Sustainable Eats. I think the bags will look really cute too. Here is a great link with other planter ideas.

I think I might take another bag and grow carrots in it too. Our soil is not wonderful and I can fill them with soil and humus mix so it's nice and soft for the roots to grow. Our soil is OK for peppers, zucchini and tomatoes, and in time the beans I plant will add vital nitrogen.

I'm a Garden fanatic, actually. I could go on about how and why you have to rotate tomatoes and what you need to plant by the beans and why garlic and marigolds are beneficial. I love the black plastic mulch, because I hate to weed, I prefer to spend my time harvesting. For years we've enjoyed rabbits as pets, because they not only are sweet and cuddly, but their droppings don't have to be composted for fertilizer. Just put their cage cleanings right on the garden.

Hope you all get out to the garden this summer. 

An interview with POPPY

This is the first of many interviews. I chose Poppy, because she has been selling on Etsy for over 4 years and was easy to find. She lives in the same house. At this point she is the more successful of us, as I am living in her house. Find out how she got so successful in this interview.

Tell us a little about your stores.

poppyswickedgarden is my main clothing shop. It was my first shop and is packed with beautiful fun clothing and accessories. I also have a more fun character and tutu shop Xpoppyswickedgardenx.etsy.com and of course we (my mom and I) share Poppysgardengate.etsy.com for home goodies and poppysprouts.etsy.com for the kiddos!

I started on Etsy over 4 years ago when I needed a place for my more unique clothing items that didn't fit into my Auction based shop. I heard about it from another designer friend and I was greeted by another clothing designer of about 10 that were on Etsy when I started

How has Etsy changed since you started?

Etsy has drastically changed in many ways since I started. I actually started before the changeover to Etsy beta. In general I think that aesthetically it has grown greatly, in most part due to the individual artists trying to better themselves.

Over the years I have had to adjust my clothing line from one of a kind to custom orders for most of my creations. It has become more desirable to have a custom made item since the economy has changed. I also have to do a lot more networking on Twitter and facebook where I used to use myspace.

How many hours a week do you put into your business? - manufacturing? - listing? - marketing?

I seem to always be working I would say that I sew about 20-25 hours a week 6-10 hours listing 10-20 hours of marketing 8 hours packaging and shipping of course my workload usually doubles between September through January.

Any great tips for newbies?

You can always improve your shop, take a really good look at your shop and compare them to shops that are doing very well. Ask yourself... Do your gallery photos look as nice as theirs? Are your descriptions clear and precise? Are you tagging your items with the right tags? Are you promoting as much as they do?

Also always remember that you need to keep making to get people interested, You may have an amazing creation but if you have 5 items in your shop they will likely be missed amongst the sea of other creations out there. I usually list or relist 3-5 items a day in each of my shops.

If I knew then what I know now I would.....

Take better pictures, otherwise I wouldn't change a thing. It has been a wonderful journey to get where I am and I feel very lucky to be doing what I love!

Next week I will be interviewing the ever Snarky VintageEye