Another Box of Books!

March 11, 2025

Yesterday, after breakfast, I went outside to see if I could identify some of the plants in the yard.

Afterwards, I headed over to the garden to plant seeds. I planted Georgia Green collards, arugula, Roquette arugula, Misome (Asian greens), Palla Rossa radicchio, Florida Broadleaf Mustard greens, and Mizuna Mustard Greens (Asian greens).

I noticed the sheep next door.

I went inside to get some water and decided to check the mailbox. When I opened the front door, what to my wondering eyes did appear, but a hundred tiny ladybugs on the inside of the storm door. The hundred may be a tad overstated. They were on the door from top to bottom.

I used the catch to hold the storm door open for the ladybugs. By the time I went and got Bruce, several had flown away. By the time we got back from the mailbox, most were gone.

Our neighbor’s flowering pear tree has started blooming. It is beautiful a sight against the blue sky.

I had started rehydration of some coco coir blocks to make potting soil for my 5 gallon buckets turned plant pots three days ago. I will be mixing vermiculite and composted cow manure in with the broken apart and rehydrated coco coir blocks.

I put too many coir blocks in my 5 gallon bucket. The expansion looked like it was going to break the bucket. I really should’ve taken a picture.

I went and got a half plastic barrel to use instead. Bruce found me breaking apart the blocks with my trowel tossing the bits into the half barrel. He asked if I wanted help. I said, “sure.”

He went and got some tools, a long flat screw driver and a pruning saw. He was able to stab and break apart the coir blocks with the screw driver. He sawed pieces off one block. This allowed more pieces to be sawed off until the block could be removed. Once the block was removed, all the other blocks came free.

I thank him and split the blocks up so they would rehydrate faster.

Bruce had been filling up his rolling toolbox. I came and helped by finding tools for him.

When Bruce had enough of that, we (and Nox) sat outside on the front porch watching the birds at the feeders.

Bruce left to go join a family Zoom call. Nox and I stayed outside a good bit longer enjoying the beautiful weather.

Nox and I went inside. I looked at the boxes and found another box of cookbooks. It was a big box and heavy. I want all my cookbooks together, so I removed fiction books from the rotating bookcase. I placed the books on the floor and replaced them with cookbooks. The rotating bookcase has cookbook, animal and flora reference books.

I made supper. Baked lemon and garlic chicken thighs, sautéd mushrooms with zucchini, onions, and garlic with Indian spices plus a chopped salad.

After dinner, we sat in our furnished living (I love having my furniture!) and talked. I mentioned I’d like another of the bookcases and Bruce agreed it was a good idea. I purchased it then and there.

After our food had digested a bit, we cleaned the teak dining room set and oiled it. Bruce’s knee started to bother him, so he said he needed to get off the floor. I said I’d finish oiling the chairs if he would clean the kitchen. That worked out well, as we finished up at the same time.

Here’s the teak dinning room furniture this morning.

The pieces leaning against the wall are part of the china hutch.

Yesterday was a busy day.