It’s been an up and down week over at The Havens.
My third Blog Anniversary went by on the 24th without me noticing it particularly. I am amazed at the number of people I have met over the ensuing time I have blogged, and feel blessed by the associations. Thank you all for stopping by and getting to know me. It has been a lot of fun so far.
Anyone who tells you that hormonal disturbances are over after menopause is blowing smoke, I can tell you. I don’t have the huge mood swings I did in my younger years, but there is still stuff going on, no doubt about it. At least since I dropped below 180 I have not had any more hot flashes. I read somewhere that your adipose tissue produces estrogen, and that is why when we are in peri-menopause our female bodies have a tendency to put on some weight in preparation for or in response to the drop in estrogen production from the ovaries as they slow down. That is also why extremely obese men tend to develop some “female” characteristics. Anyway, if it is true that estrogen/progesterone imbalance promotes hot flashes and fat makes estrogen, having too much fat would certainly contribute to an imbalance and getting rid of same would help correct it, right?
Anyway, whatever the reason, I am happy not to be having the damned hot flashes. Knock on wood.
Another source of joy here is our vegetable garden, which has started producing some appreciable quantities of rather lovely vegetables. Yesterday I went out and scouted around and came up with this:
The sort of long green things in the upper left corner of the basket are long green Thai eggplants, and we had them for dinner last night in a Mediterranean vegetable sauté that was positively outstanding. As you can see, the broccoli is still producing enough to eat, we have a couple of gallons frozen for future reference. Those are the first “real” crop of green beans off the vines. They are scheduled to be eaten tonight, I think, along with the jägerschnitzel Jim is planning to cook.
We had a volunteer cucurbit of undefined parentage show up in the spring garden, and since it wasn’t bothering anyone I let it grow out to see what I had. What I have is a seedling of a wild gourd I brought home from the river several years ago to provide harvest decor for my front door.
The gourds that are coming out of the garden are considerably larger than the ones that were growing on the gravel bar; I guess they respond to good nutrition the same as any plant. The original gourds I discarded out on the “back forty”. Well, they didn’t get ground up and the pile they were in didn’t get very hot, and the following spring I noticed that the pile of dirt where they volunteered that year got completely covered with gourd vines, rampantly covered even. Eventually, I decided that the gourd that ate Missouri did not need to be growing in my back yard and I pulled them all up. Apparently, there are still seeds hiding in some plant version of a terrorist cell in my compost area, and this vine showed up in the garden. At first it was pretty cute, and I saw no female flowers on it so I let it go. Now it is of terrifying proportions, and the next time I go out to the garden I’m pulling it out of there. I need the pea fence for my fall pea crop.
Notice that the thing has climbed up into the grape arbor and is comingling with the grape vines. Apparently it does not suffer from acrophobia. I fully intend to put the actual gourds in the trash. I don’t really want any more of this thing on the place. So this is a source of both joy, because it truly is beautiful and the pollinators love the flowers; and despair, for I fear that I will never completely get rid of it now that I have brought it on the place — a sort of “Old Man of the Sea” situation.
Oh joy, oh rapture, the front garden is looking its typical lush July self.
See the pale pink on the left? Those are the naked ladies, up and flaunting their juicy blossoms.
I just love the pale blue/lavender tips on the petals.
The despair in this garden is sort of hidden. I have planted numerous bulbs in there, which of course aren’t really in evidence today. When I was beating back the black eyed susans, who think they should have the whole garden; and the spiderwort, which thinks the same thing; I discovered a trove of bulbs in the area I was digging up. In that area I know there are grape hyacinths and star of Bethlehem, and I’m pretty sure there are some pink chionodoxa there too. I sort of had my eye out for the chionodoxa because I wish to use it in another spot. Needless to say, when I dug up the area there was a plethora of bulbs in there, none of which I could identify and all of which look very similar to each other. I am in despair as to how to identify the chionodoxa from the other two small bulbs I know are there. At least the daffodil bulbs that came out of there I can recognize as such, and they are scheduled to be put into the labyrinth project.
Here is a combination “joy and despair” picture of the root cellar terrraces.
Joy: look at all those lily plants. They bloomed beautifully and smelled fabulous; over the years they have propagated themselves like gangbusters. The irises I have out there are beautiful, the sedum (Autumn joy) is working itself up to it’s August fireworks display, the day lilies are wonderful, the phlox is ecstatic. So why the despair?
Look closely at the front of the bed. There you can see an infestation of bermuda grass that is trying to take over this garden. I have tried to dig it out twice now. It has its rhizomes deep under the rocks of the terraces, wound around between them, and invading the beds behind. I have no choice but to either use some sort of chemical (which would be absolutely the last resort for me as I am truly committed to organic agriculture), or to tear out the whole garden including the rocks and the steps so laboriously established there and meticulously sift out all the bermuda grass.
Does this sound like a lot of work? For an idea of just how much, take a gander at this picture which gives you some idea of the scale of the rocks I am considering moving.
Those timbers on the left are old rail road ties. This whole area is a source of mingled joy and despair for me. It is so beautiful, and now it is turning into such a bear of work. I can’t even imagine what I am supposed to do with all the lilies and stuff that is in there already while I do the tear out, if I do tear it out. Will they survive? Who will help me move those rocks? Jim has a torn rotator cuff ligament in his shoulder and does not need to be heaving on any over 100 pound rocks at present. I just don’t know what to do and the longer I put it off the farther that damned grass goes and the worse the situation gets. Needless to say, yielding to the grass is not an option, because mowing or weed eating the thing is impossible with all those rocks. Don’t even suggest I cover them all up with dirt. They are WAY too cool a selection of rocks to treat that way.
Last joy and despair. Houseplants. The happier they are, the more they propagate. I was moving my aloe vera outside and a piece fell off it. I looked all the roots on the piece and said to myself, “I should pot this up.” So I did. It has absolutely loved what I did, the one single piece of aloe has filled the pot.
Joy, because I love seeing things grow and thrive. Despair because I have a hard time throwing out the “trimmings” of houseplants and I am running out of room to house them. I am also running out of friends to foist them off on give them to. Maybe it is time to harden my heart.
Well, I shall cling to the joy and try to set aside despair for now. It has been raining regularly around here, almost unheard of in July (joy), so everything is growing like mad, including the lawn (despair, sort of). So I need to go out and do some lawn mowing.
Guess I’d better get busy.
My naked ladies are out too, but somehow I can’t get good pictures. I’ve always found something disturbingly anatomical about that lavender shading though. Maybe it looks too much like real ladies’ pink parts? Sometimes I really fear my imagination.
I have literally dozens of photos of naked ladies I took over the years. For some reason that blue color just does not translate in the medium. I almost think that we see more ultraviolet than the camera does, or something. As far as your imagination goes, there is nothing fearful about it. All flowers have a disturbingly sexual aspect to them. After all, it is ALL about getting fertilzed and reproducing.
Hi Hands, the surprise lilies are blooming here as well, tying us all together in the universe. I loved reading backwards to Ruby’s adventure, what a good writer she is. And the search and finding of the fallen eye protectors. The grass dilemma of the rocks is a thorny problem. Maybe if you just keep pulling it away from the rocks it will die a slow death by annoyance. You keep weakening it until it just gives up. This is the long term plan I have for the violets here. As for that gourd plant, simply amazing. I would be fearful of the seeds of that too. And thanks for the award. I am just now seeing it after the silly email mess had me tied up in knots. I do appreciate your wonderful prose and am honored to be chosen. There is an awards page link on my sidebar for these wonderful thoughts, and yours will be displayed proudly with a link.
Frances
Frances, the pulling it out method seems to work much better for violets than this darned grass. I have tried this method elsewhere, and unless you get the fleshy rhizome it simply moves along and pops up elsewhere. Very horrid plant, one I intend to discuss at length with God when I finally come face to face.
Since I’ve had this damned steel boot up to my left knee on for over a month now, my weight has started creeping up. I’m getting near the 170 mark and starting to panic. I would feel a whole lot better if I could get back down to around 160. My husband would be the first to tell you I need to lose 30 more pounds. But those days are gone. I’m not asking for miracles. Just a little less weight to carry around with this damned steel boot! I hear ya, sister! And congratulations on blogging so darned long! Should print and bind and have a huge book!
Brenda
Brenda, if I was in your situation I would have gone stark raving mad by now, and probably taken Jim right down that road with me. All I can say is, “Calories in, calories out”. If you can’t move around, you have to eat less, but of course you know that. And my reaction to major frustration is to eat cookies and ice cream — not calculated to achieve the lower calories one needs in a superinactive situation.
I’m not sure how mobile you are, but have you heard of chair aerobics? Check out this link: http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/sandstedt/Prescription.shtml
and also try googling “chair aerobics”. I’m pretty sure you could adapt this idea to whatever mobility issues you have and get some good exercise without hurting your booted foot.
Anyway, try to stay positive and KNOW that soon the boot will be gone and then you can be even more proactive.
This post reminds me of a story about an elderly English lady who loved to garden, but had a relatively small plot. She apparently used to take buses around the countryside in the 1930s and gaily disburse seeds and young plants in the various hedgerows beside the roads of Norfolk. Which possibly explains why one can be driving along a country lane or a highway there now, and spot all sorts of interesting (but, one hopes, non invasive) interlopers mingling with the native weeds.
Maybe I could do that with my houseplants.
Happy third anniversary. So glad we found each other!
Thanks. I’m glad too. That is one of the wonderful things about blogging.
Happy third blogaversary and I’m glad to see that there is much more joy than despair.
Your front garden looks fab so well done!
Thanks for the compliment on my front garden. I have to admit there was no plan involved — my garden plan was “I want to have something blooming at all times” and then sticking things that would bloom at a particular time in an empty hole to achieve that. Now the plan is “Keep it all beaten back so there is still a path” and “Try to keep plant A from taking over the whole place”.
I think they call this style a “Cottage garden”.
More joy than despair is always my goal. I am ready to attack the bermuda grass with renewed fervor.
Happy 3rd anniversary!
I was thinking of saying that I envy your naked ladies, but then I thought that might sound a little too saucy.
Saucy is good, David!
Happy third blogaversary! Doesn’t h2g2 seem like such a long time ago?
As long as there are cats to snibble, I can never despair.
Yes, h2g2 was a very long time ago, and I am so glad that I was moved to access that site.
Cats are great anti-depressants.
Happy 3rd Blogiversary. I love your garden, and wish you still lived around here because I’d love to have some aloe. I think it might even survive my neglect.
One correction: Fat tissue doesn’t produce estrogen, it stores it. Which is why I’m having trouble now that I’m losing weight with issues that I thought were over. All that estrogen is getting released. Glad it’s working out better for you.
Silverstar, aloe is pretty forgiving! As a succulent it loves being watered erratically, but it does need good light levels to be happy.
As far the estrogen/fat thing goes, where I read this was in the book “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause” by John R. Lee, MD. On page 37 he states: “After menopause, estrone continues to be made by conversion of the adrenal steroid, androstenediol, primarily in body fat and muscle cells. The more fat, the more estrone is made.” (Estrone is one of the 3 kinds of estrogen found in humans.)
This book was written in 1996, and in the intervening years there have been many studies done, so it is entirely possible that our understanding of estrogen metabolism has evolved since this book was written. Also, he does not footnote this book although he does have an extensive bibliography. I am aware of the fact that the “truth in advertising” rules do not apply to books, so it is possible that this guy was making this up. However, he is not representing any company or trying to sell you anything in his book, so I am inclined to believe that he is stating the truth as he knows it. And I’m not finding a lot of information about where estrone is made in the body on the web. I did find some articles that stated that fat makes estrogen, but there were no references and these articles were pushing weight-loss supplements. ANd there were lots of articles saying that estrogen is stored in fat cells and also several that said that estrogen promotes the production of belly fat.
I do know that fat cells store estrogen (plus a whole lot of other stuff). I also know that we are surrounded by xenoestrogens (sources: cosmetics, plastics, pesticides, herbicides and Goddess knows what else) that affect us by stimulating our estrogen receptors and mimicking estrogen’s effects in the body. It is entirely possible that fat cells both make and store estrogens, which would make the whole subject even more complicated, which would not surprise me at all.
I’m also pretty sure that whatever is going on in our bodies with regard to hormone synthesis and use is extremely complicated. The ways that different hormones interact and synergize each other in the body are Machiavellian in their complexity.
At this point, I am now willing to say that I have no idea what is actually going on with regard to estrogen and where it is coming from. All I know is when my body went under 180 I stopped having hot flashes and I’m glad.
I surely hope that whatever your issues are they stop PDQ!!!
You had me worried there. Garden despair I can handle, however.
There is plenty of despair in the world. I try not to get too deeply involved in that emotion. I still haven’t gotten the courage to attack the bermuda grass.
Congratulations on the three years of blogging, Healing Magic Hands – guess we started only a few weeks apart but it took awhile before we met- am so glad we did. My blog writing and reading has to share time with Twitter & emailing family & friends and redoing the Divas of the Dirt archives and song-writing and watering in this heat and drought so post less often. It’s mind-boggling that instead of slowing down you’re planning on posting every day!
The front garden is like a dream garden – so soft and lush. But bermuda? That stuff is so horrible. In the driveway cracks Philo sometimes uses a propane weed-torch to burn out the grass (he really bought the torch to roast peppers; maybe you saw that video on our YouTube station!). It’s too dry this year – the fire can travel through the underground stolens and pop up a distance away.
Local organic people recommend the super-strength horticultural vinegar applied on hot day in full sun. It slows that Devil’s Grass down but doesn’t root kill it.
I’ve got the red lycoris – AKA Hurricane Lilies planted here – hope they are still alive down there! Used to see the Surprise Lilies in Illinois. I wonder if the bluer color is a result of the cooler temperatures? Roses and daylilies can be a little different in hotter/cooler years and this site suggests some species of Lycoris respond that way, too:
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Lycoris
Hope you find more Joy than Despair with each year…
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Thanks Annie. I may try the vinegar along with the “yanking it out until it gets tired” (as if) technique.
I have time to post every day because I don’t YouTube, Twitter or Facebook or have any other blogs, although I do some email to family (not a lot, my family is not large). Also, lately we have been enjoying regular rain and so my watering chores are much smaller.
It is funny how many people started blogging around July of 2006. I think that was when the blogging software and sites really got good at serving bloggers.