Tag: Butterflies

Suz Vlogs; noisy neighbor, dirty hair, butterflies

Happy Saturday.
I never post on the weekends, but I feel like we all need some distractions at this time.
I’ve also never done a vlog.
This is unprecedented and pretty boring.
Also, I sound very nasally because lately, I am.

Yes, I talk to the butterflies and the bees; they don’t mind if I’m especially nasally this weekend.

I mentioned this week that Lindsay’s juice bar closed down. They had just received an order of produce so yesterday she and the other peeps had to clear everything out.

She brought over a ton of fresh produce last night, way more than we can ever use. I’m giving a handful to my friend down the street (a family of 6) and keeping just a bit for the two of us.
The rest is going to our friends in Fort Myers who cook and feed the homeless every weekend in a public park.

Don’t you love it when a negative can be turned into a positive? That’s some good science right there.

Dust off the video button on your smartphone and share part of your day to distract the rest of us. Pleeaaase!!!

XOXO

Unintentionally hoarding

I’m proud to say that I’ve not lost my marbles. I actually found four the other day.
Yeah, I’m bragging.
I vacillate between everything is hunky dory, then remembering that the sky is falling.

I’m staying at home as much as possible; I’m fortunate to be able to do that.

The Coach has been going to work and our business is going on as normal. Most of our employees are hourly and they need to work to live; if the building industry stops wanting cabinets and countertops, then we will slow down, but right now, that hasn’t happened.
The office staff have their own offices or are in cubicles. The peeps doing manual labor in the factory are spread out and not working too closely.

Florida has 195 confirmed cases.
Our county has 7 confirmed cases.
Non-essential stores are closing.
Bars/nightclubs are closed.
You know how much I love a good night club, so this is inconvenient.
(I’m really more of a goodnight, club girl)

***

I was low on my tube of toothpaste the other night and went into my toothpaste storage drawer (separate from my toothbrush/current toothpaste drawer) and realized I was unintentionally hoarding toothpaste.

I felt bad.

If anyone is low on toothpaste, please let me know and I’ll share.

***

I’m about to have my own epidemic here at home though. I’m experiencing butterfly-palooza and I have more caterpillars than milkweed. It might get ugly.

A huge potted milkweed plant can go from this:

To this in 24 hours. 

{For perspective, the cage is 3ft x 2 ft}

You remember that book The Hungry Caterpillar? It was not a piece of fiction.

Monarch caterpillars don’t give two sh*ts about social distancing. 

But, they do leave me a lot of sh*t to clean up.

I feel like a caterpillar hoarder at this point; there must be 70 of these sweet little shi*t making boogers in my biggest cage right now.

I do have milkweed randomly planted and sprouted throughout the property, but they are also covered with caterpillars.

*sigh* Having lots of butterflies flittering around our yard is a fantastical problem to have.

FYI: We never hoarded any TP, but I’m ok with that as we do have several water hoses around the house.
I’m not above and outdoor bidet.

Bee kind
Bee a nature lover.
Don’t bee an intentional hoarder

So, do my friends who live in the computer have anything good to share? 

XOXO

Hasta La Bye Bye

The Coach and I are heading out on a little adventure for the first time this year. I only add the ‘adventure’ part because you never know what could happen. Life is unpredictable and we’re going to a place that we’ve never been to, but other people have been there, so I’m sure it will be just fine.

It’s a challenge for me to actually leave the house for a minute trip because I’m a bit of a slave to this place and its inhabitants. Aside from the dogs, I have many, many cats.

Caterpillars.
My Monarch cats have just about eaten me out of house milkweed and home milkweed. It’s actually a good thing I’m leaving because it’ll take some time for my weed to grow back; I said NO to more caterpillars. Sorry, Mother Nature. 

My milkweed production needs to amp it up; my eleventythousand plants are mostly nubs.
Ok, maybe just ONE more little caterpillar?

I took this video a few days ago; I’ll never get over how cute these guys are and it takes ALL of my willpower to refrain from hugging them because, well, then they’d be dead.

I become giddy when I see them sharing AND especially when they’re being so resourceful by eating the actual stems and not just the leaves.

I gave them each high fives.
Just kidding. They have way too many hands feet for that and I don’t have all day; I’ve got to annoy my husband by overpacking my suitcase because I never know what I might want to wear and because I really loathe all of my clothes.
Ok. I really just loathe the way my clothes are fitting lately.…but still, I’d overpack either way.

I can’t believe I said Giddy up there. Is it 1952? 

We have a great housesitter {so, don’t even think about trying to steal my dogs or Christmas storage!} who not only gets to tend to our sweet pups, but she gets to release butterflies almost daily while we’re gone. Plus, I give her actual money too.

I am a giver.
And a complainer.
Shocking information.  
Enjoy the rest of your week; I’m thinking we’re going to have a lot of downtime on this trip and I plan on getting in some good reading; books, blogs, minds, as long as we have good wifi.

Will I blog about our trip? Most likely.
That is after we’re able to get back into the US of A and crossing my fingers that I’ve not been kidnapped, held for ransom, then given back again when they realize I have to eat every 2 hours or else I’m hell on wheels.

*Feverishly packing snacks*

XOXO

The Christmas chaos~I see the light!

Happy Friday!

{{It’s come to my attention that I’m not able to comment on any blogs today that have comments in the ‘imbedded’ way. Only if they have a pop-up window. Go figure! WTH!}}

I know I might be bragging, but I finally have our trees finished.
I actually thought about leaving the ornaments off the big tree this year and leaving it semi-naked with only lights and ribbon. But then I worried it might be self-conscious.
I hope you’re catching my drift; I’m a caring person.

{The big tree that was purchased UN-lit and is now LIT!}
{The little tree that hasn’t had a lighting issue, but has an elf climbing in…}

You know what are my favorite ornaments? 
My girls.

If only I could set them IN my tree for the entire Christmas season…..surely, they’d have something to say about that, but whatevs. I cooked them in my Lady kitchen and you’d think I ask a lot from them.

FYI, my old tree found a new home with one of Lolo’s previous Law enforcement co-workers. Yay-it’s being protected once again. 🙂

Speaking of my favorite ornaments. Linds is flying up to VA to spend a few days with her Sister, then they are driving down together with Lolo’s Mattis (the XL husky) for her Christmas break. I’m so excited. I’ve not put my hands on my Lolo since August. Well, you know what I mean….no hugs, no kisses, etc….

In other news, I’ve given birth to released 25 monarchs this week. Merry Christmas mother nature!

We have our big party tomorrow night for our employees; 100 people have RSVP’d!
I’d better locate my party pants. It’s always a fun night for everyone involved.
Well, maybe not for the bartender or chefs, but you know what I mean.

That will be our weekend. How about you? Any parties in your future? 

Wishing you all a good weekend doing whatever you’re doing. I’ve still only watched 3 Hallmark movies this season., please don’t tell the powers that be at Hallmark or they might send the Sappy Hallmark PoPo to my house.

XOXO

A few big things

I’ve been so busy with home/party/holiday/medical stuff and I feel like December is trying to crush me.
And not the kind of crush that makes you wear lip gloss 24/7.
But in the words of the great Gloria Gaynor: I will survive.

I just wanted to drop a few big things here on the blog.

My kale. (planted 8 weeks ago)
DaYuMMMM, it’s big.

And it’s also delicious sauteed with some garlic.

We’re still working on our landscaping and I have a butterfly whisperer helping me out. He’s eons ahead of me with butterfly knowledge. I mean he uses real names for them and not ‘that big yellow one with spots on it’ and has chosen some great plants; there is going to be a butterfly orgy when it’s all said and done. Rated R for Ridiculous!

Look at the (BIG) size of this pipevine flower. Have you ever seen anything like this?

Well, now that I think of it, it resembles something I might have seen in health class.
This pipevine will attract the elusive (to me) polydamas swallowtail. If you hear some loud screeching soon, it’s me finally seeing one in person!
Did you just roll your eyes and call me dramatic? 




I started to put up Christmas decorations and it was all good until I realized that I loathe my Christmas tree. I used to love it, but after the last 4 years of it losing sections of lights here and there, I declared that we are going to break up.
The new (unlit) tree is ordered, just trying to figure out what to do with old tree to avoid the landfill.
I’ve had two different Dr. appointments this week (it’s only Wednesday) with two Orthopedics. I’m gonna just say that 52 is the age that my body is starting to turn on me. (knees & elbow/arm)
But again, I will survive. Thank you, Gloria.

We have a full weekend of fundraisers/parties and house guests.
Then I have two weekends of hosting parties; personal and our business party for employees. And I think Christmas is a minute after that.
And then someone has her 24th birthday. Spoiler alert, it’s not me, hence the Dr. appointments.

I’m really not complaining because life is beautiful and I’m fortunate enough to have alll these plans. Also, we have health insurance. I’m gonna blame the orthopedic issues on something that one of my ancestors did in the past that I’m now paying for karma-wise. 😉
Thank you great-great-great-grandfather for doing something unkind to another person. You fart blossom you.
That made me chuckle; I love calling someone a fart blossom. Even if they’re no longer with us.

So, how are my people? Anything positive that you can share with me?
Sharing is caring.

XOXO

That time I could have done some time for doing a good deed.

Last Friday I was passing through the Home Depot garden center on my way out of the store when I noticed a table full of milkweed plants being destroyed by spider mites. 
(did you hear my gasp-’cause this is a pitiful sight!) 

I quickly assessed the situation (‘sitch’ if you’re 20) and realized that as soon as the HD garden peeps realized this, they would toss every plant in the garbage. I did a search and rescue and took as many monarch caterpillars as I could find, then RAN to my car. 

Ok, I didn’t run because that would hurt. 
But I did feel a slight tinge of guilt, then I felt joy over being a life saver. 
Not the candy.
Once in my car, I only had my tervis to keep them contained in. 
Guess how many times I tried to drink my caterpillars on the way home? 
(3) 
That was my Friday adventure. 
Saving the butterfly world one misdemeanor at a time.


TGIF; lots of butters cooking & it’s been a while since I’ve shanked anyone

Happy Friday!

A few weeks ago I was in the yard on a caterpillar hunt and I hit the jackpot. I slew of them had just hatched from the eggs and I rescued them before anyone ate them. (lizards, wasps, birds, etc)
They’re so small at this stage that I use Q-tips to remove them. Acutally, I used cotton s(c)wabs, with an emphasis on schwab part. That’s how I like to pronounce it.


Thank goodness for my laser vision surgery-they’re tiny!

Well, those babies were eating me out of house and home milkweed for the last few weeks and now I have over 50 chrysalis cooking. (I have two coolers full)


Isn’t that the most exciting thing you’ve heard today?
No?
Ok, maybe it’s just me.

Something that’s been peeving me lately. Getting my goat. Yanking on my nerve.
When you thank someone for something, anything really, and instead of saying “you’re welcome”, they respond with……wait for it…..
……….it’s really annoying……
……………I can hardly stand to hear it……………..

“No problem”


When did NO PROBLEM replace you’re welcome?
When?
Did I miss the memo?
It makes me want to take my shank out of retirement and put it to good use.

OMG. I went back to link a ‘shank’ post to this and I put shank in my blog search….35 posts came up. I’m a shanking queen. I wanted to find the post where Lindsay made me my own personalized shank for Christmas one year, but I can’t locate it, but trust me, my child made me a shank with glitter and bells.

I’m glad I got that off my chest. The ‘no problem’ part, not the shanking part.

Is it bad that I’d like to shank the weather too? This whole week has been hawwwwt. 

 I have much to be thankful for, so, I’m gonna clear the shanking mojo with the good:
healthy family, happy people, love, dogs, butterflies, green grass, fresh pineapple, clean water to drink and it’s Friday.

What’s going on this weekend? Starting your Thanksgiving turkey? Putting up the tree? 

We’re looking forward to a slight change of scenery, but no holiday stuff just yet.

XOXO