Charlotte's Garden

9/13/2011

Wish blogger worked on my stupid blogger app

What is wrong with the stupid google app for blogger.Its lame or im not technologically advanced enough to make it work. Why can the facebook app work so well when gacebook is a trillion times more complicared.I cant see what the crap I am ayyempting to type on my phone.ahhhhhhhhhh forget it. This is why noome does this anymore,and I liked it.a Ed Pt ?

4/18/2010

Humble Pie

Humble pie is maybe a good thing sometimes. Balance where its needed in you r life. Every now and then something happens and you just have to eat a slice. But lately Ivee noticed that if you eat enough of it it starts to smell like skunk and leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Lifes lessons learned.

7/30/2009

A TREAT FOR ME

Ive been working long hours this week. Last night I got home at 1 in the morning(left at 5 30 am) so today when I had off, well after I met with a landscape customer at 9, I decided to treat myself to a fun day with the kids. I went to lunch with Wendee and her kids and then we took the kids to see Ice Age Dawn of The Dinosours. I fell asleep during the movie but the boys liked it and I got a nap so what more can you ask out of life really.

7/28/2009

The sky outside of walmart the other day.



thought it was worth lookin at again

The End of the Rainbow...


We were Driving home from work today when Paula and I sarted taking pictures of the rainbow. Well we fot to the light at the end of hood and St AUgustine and there it was the end of the freaking rainbow. Pretty neat actually, ive never seen the end of the rainbow but when we sarted to drive off at the light the rainbows end went right into the car. Who knew the end of the rainbow was a light blue Kia not a pot of gold. The rainbow stayed at the car till we turned off into her subdivision it was pretty neat. The picture just doesnt do it justice.

7/23/2009

Kitties in the cupboard


Ok so I dont love the idea of the kittens sitting onmy dishes, but I had to admit it was cute whenthe cabinets were left open and all of the kittens were curled up in a bowl.

7/02/2009

UF Butterfly gardens






John and I took the kids to the butterfly garden at UF a few months ago , we really loved it. It was so pretty, just a mad house of plants and a gorgeous water pond and waterfalls....

Lizzys crazy hair....


Seeing kids growing and changing into adults is sometimes a scary thing for me. Letting them have the freedom to express themselves and who they are becoming without doing any permanent psychological damage with the words that are coming out of my mouth seems to be a challenge I never envisioned I would fail at so often. Im so glad that the teenage years only last a little while, they are only a season, and Im sure that one day I will look back and miss them, just not today.
So maybe its hard for me to watch someone I love struggle with lifes choices, hurt with thier defeats and heartaches, shut my mouth and say not that I told you so buy that... I LOVE YOU, EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU, WHO YOU HAVE BEEN, WHO YOU ARE, AND WHO I SEE YOU BECOMING, AND I ALWAYS WILL. Im human, I make mistakes, I sometimes hurt when I want to help, I sometimes judge when I want to accept, I dont always agree with your decisions and instead of offer my own opinions instead of support, I sometimes let my fear of the future rule my actions today, sometimes Im intolerant of failures and ridicule instead of offering encouragement that you are so much more .... Sometimes I wonder when its all said and done if I told you enough...I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU, I AM ALWAYS PROUD OF YOU, YOU ARE AN EXCEPTIONAL BEING, DONT LET LIFES PROBLEMS LET YOU FEEL OTHERWISE.
Im so glad that you are feeling better lately, that your smile is ear to ear with your teeth showing does my heart good. I saw a rock thing at my customers house the other day that had a saying carved on it that I really liked. It said " Life is not about waiting out the storms, but learning to dance in the rain"

5/25/2009

Trip to the beach

My Friend Paula and I took all our kids to the beach today for Memorial Day. We decided to take off of work and do something fun for a change. I cannot believe I got a sun burn! Yghh I put on sunscreen but maybe not the best of waterproof! Anyway, the kids all had a good time, and it was a nice relaxing day. For the most part anyway, Tyler did decide to try to tackle me, ha he has no idea, he may as well be trying to knock over a brick wall, I have to wigh almost twice as muchas him. Ok so he got me twice, but that was out of like 100!

5/19/2009

Mothers day

We spent the weekend at Hammock Beach in palm coast with Mom.
--
Sent from my T-Mobile Sidekick®

5/18/2009

Parror flower

Just got this photo sent to me by a friend. Its the coolest flower, some
type of impatien that looks like a little parrot
--
Sent from my T-Mobile Sidekick®

11/02/2008

Hunter and Tylers birthday party pictures






The Boys birthdays were alot of fun but Im not gonna lie I am thinking thery are getting old to fast! I wince every time I see teenage boys with thier parents and they are just as big as them. I know its in the near future and i am looking forward to watching them grow buty what in the world hapenned to my babies? I thnk Johns back is going to give out everytime Hunter runs up and jumps on him when hes glad to see him home from work. And dont even get me started on Ty the kid is turning into a miniature linebacker.
Tyler had his party with some friends, his sisters and Colson and Maddison at the skating rink in Mandarin. And Hunter had his party with friends at my Moms house. They had a lot of fun, Ive really got to start bringing my for real camera, this stupid "sidekick" phone takes the worst pictures if your just even slightly moving. I prefer my Nikon on the Idiot setting. But I put the ones that were slightly okay from the camera phone up anyway. (Just dont laugh)
Happy 12th birthday Hunter!!!
Happy 11th birthday Tyler!!!
I love you guys so much and I am so proud of the little men you are quickly becomming!

Cindy with the boys at the pool

Happy Birthday John!


Just thought I would tell the world I love you! Happy 35th birthday OLD MAN. Your a great husband and a great father and I love you more every day. You are truly a gift wrapped and packaged exactly for me and I couldnt have asked for more if I had custom made you myself! On the more serious side....when Im not busy contemplating homicide Im thinking how great you are! I look forward to many more years of watching your wrinkles deepen and your belly enlarge. Just think of it this way hun youve got all of your hair, even if it seems to be spreading! You know you love me!

10/08/2008

The Royal Floridian in Ormand Beach

Ibwent with my Mom down to Ormond beach to visit with My Aunt Martha and Uncle Bob. We took the boys and my Nanny (Moms Mother) came with us. Cindy met up with us last night. I tried poasting this from my cellphone so I could put up some of the pictures I took on my phone but its not giving me that option so Ill probably never get around to putting the pictures up. But we had a good time the boys played a put put golf tournament and swam in the pools. Wich is all stuff we could have done at home but I suppose its just more fun oceanside!

9/03/2008

These are for you Wendeeda!

7/10/2008

Grace and Bella when she was just born


Finally a picture! This is a photo that Melissa sent me over the internet after the baby was born. The two sisters! So cute!

Tyler and Bella

Hunter and Bella

Isabella

7/08/2008

A visit from the new baby sister

Hunter and Tyler have a new baby sister! Her name is Isabella Mercy Dugger. Jason and Malissa are the proud parents and I thank God for that! Now if we add sisters to the family that is the way to do it! No pain and lots of gain(for me)Sorry Melissa, you had to do all the hard work we just get to enjoy the baby and give her back to you when she starts to scream! Anyway she reminds me of Hunter when he was a baby and I didnt put that together until I was taking a pciture of them together. But who know kids change so much!

ROBBED AGAIN (the tale of the book thief)

I usually dont mind Huners reading habits, usually. He is probably the only child on the planet that gets put on restriction from reading. That in and of itself should tell you something. Anyway, we are spending a week in South Ponte Vedra Beach with Mom. I of course have brought a few books to read. So the first day I settle on th last dan Brown book I havent read. (Deception Point) I read enought to get intersted in the story, wich actually doesnt take much, he is good at hooking you with intersting facts from the getgo. When Huner finished his Warriors book and caually picked up Deception Point that was laying around while I got some dinner going. Needless to say when I got back to my book it was MIA. Hunter was happily reading it in my place. So I smiled at my adorable dork of a child and went to pick ut another one. I settled on a Frank Peretti book I havent read called The Oath. The next day the same scenario repeated itself except this time Johnny was sitting in my chair reading my book when I sat down after dinner! Since Johnny rarely reads anything but the comics or the news paper, I had no choice but to concede. But this is getting a bit ridiculous. The next time someone in my family asks me about a book im reading before Im done Im not syaing anything at all about the plot! No interesting tidbits about whats happening coming from these lips! Well at least Im hiding my book when I cook dinner! Maybe Ill leave a decoy out that they think im reading and tell them a little bit about the plot to that one and leave off at a really interesting part. hmm trickery for the book thieves. ( by the way just for future reference, Hunter you finished the 700 + page Deception Pointe in less than two days, and read a Star Wars book Johnny bought for you Darth vader something and another Warriors book inbetween the two. (witch is usually not your style you read so quickly its not a problem for you to finish a book when you start it without starting something else but you were totally thrilled with the star wars book and the warriors book you have been waiting for Ty to finish so you can read it for a few days.)And stop correcting my typing and spellin errers and laughing at me. Thats not funny! just kidding. Love you Hunter!

6/24/2008

No phone again

Setting: three quarter moon over lake Santa Fe. 10 or 11 at night
Problem: Dad was lost trying to get the boat back to the dock and didnt know where he was going. (Santa Fe is HUGE)
Solution: John (Knox not my John) and I decide it would be brilliant to get the jet ski out on the lake with a flash light and just go out and find him, after all we know how to get back to the dock right.
Drama: I go out alone unsucsessfully to many baots on the lake even that late at night and Im totally freaked out about being on that thing by myself at night. So I go back and make Steve come with me Ill hold the flashlight whl he drives.
Steve shine the light over there taht boats coming right at us.
Me: You still on the phone with him? Ill flash the light at that boat ask him if he sees us
Steve: ya thats him he sees us
Me: Ok lets go. ( I take the flashlight and switch it to my other hand as Steve turns the jet ski around. Elbows colide)
Steve: Oh I dropped my phone (as he prepares to jump in after it)
Me: Oh its ok that was my phone its waterproof.
Steve: (slight hesitation at the comment as we both watch it sinking , a perfect picture of my screen saver the cute little faces of Hunter Ty and Noah staring back at us as the phone sinks deeper turning into just a blue light then nothing.)
Me: Hmm guess it wasnt sink proof huh?
Steve: you know I probably would have went in after it till you sadi that then I stopped to think for a second and it was too late.


WHAT WAS I THINKING? If there ever were a time that my IQ score was seriously questionable it was then. Anyway Im glad my husband loves me he wasnt even the slightest bit mad at my phone fiasco. Whwn qw got back in the house I called him to tell him we found Dad and told him about the phone he just said "its Ok babe I got insurance this time. You know youve cost me over 1200 dollars this year in phones." Now that is love, eight years and he gladly spends a small fortune to hear my voice. That is why I still love your grump self John, couse under it all your a big softy and you love me like noone else ever has. Happy anniversary by the way.

Hey Wendee

Glad you finaly got ahold of me sorry it was a pain in the rear! Ive beeen MIA on the phone for two weeks now. First off I cut the home line( i really just use it for work to fax stuff etc, but still) then Johnny had my 759 number switched to Verison so Id get better service out here in Keystone Heights and it took them a week to port the number over. So really unless I went into town or walked out front in the middle of the yard I had no phone. Then like 3 days after my phone started working i went to the lake on vacatin with the family and I dropped, well technically Steve dropped my brand new cell phone in Lake Santa Fe. Wich is really kinda funny couse Johnny is sick of me ruining cell phones by getting them wet when im at work. So he gets me a waterproof one and Steve and I wath it sink to the bottom of the lake glowing all the way down! It was pitch black at the time and we were on the Jet ski or id have been in the lake after it! But not at night! Anyway, you can get me easy now I PROMISE! Hope you have a good move! :) I know how much your looking forward to it.

2/05/2008

Not alot of pictures

I really took alot more video than pictures. ( I had just got a new video camera) maybe ill learn how to post some of those on here maybe not. Mostly they are of the kids at the beach, snorkeling a rose island, teh underwater life at Atlantis witch you would have to see to believe, they take their aquairiums seriously! Jelly fish, huge manta rays, underwater recreated ruins of atlantis, tons of fish and 6 species of sharks. Its mind bogling. Then there is the beautiful oceans surrounding everything and teh pools at atlantis with water falls everywhere and water slides hidden at every turn. The kids really loved it.

Hunter and his shell


Ocean view from the city


my obsession with the native landscape






The Queens Staircase


The garden I forgot the name of but so Loved







Dinner at the marina in Johnny Rockets


Lunch uner the dome at Predator lagoon







Atlatis view from the marina


Htel Atlantis from atlantis beach view


1/28/2008

hotel "Miamis"





This is the boys at the hotel in Miami. I loved it it was near the airport and had an unbelievable atrium with a huge coy pond and a stream with a waterfall and two bridges not to mention gorgeous pools and palm trees. The boys didnt want to leave it to get to the Bahamas! Noah kept calling Miami "Miamies" and he loved the hotel!

10/29/2007

Paradise Island

Well, we all made it back in one piece. The boys and I tooka trip to Atlantis, paradise Island in the bahamas. We really had a good time. We went with my Mom and Cindy. We played on the water slides and by the pools, took a trip via taxi cab around seeing some houses and historical sites and een went on a boat to Rose Island for some snorkeling. We did that the last day we were there and Ill have to say I loved it! I tookHunter and Tyler out in this shallow reaf area and we saw alot of cool fish and pretty coral. I think if we had gone snorkeling earlier on the trip the kids would have wanted to spend more time in the ocean at different places, but it took us all week to get upthe courage! The nets tehy put up at all the beach sits get you scared of what they are trying to protect you from. Anyway.. I will put up some pictures when I can find my download cord, lost it, wouldnt ya know!

10/13/2007

I love farfugium dont you?


Elizabeth id getting on to me about never posting on my blog anymore so I thought I would talk about plants. Since I know thats her FAVORITE subject! HA Got ya Lizzy. Anyway, this is my "crested leapord" farfugium basically looks like an overgrown clumping spotted dollarweed and I love them. I never even bother to fertilize them and they just sit there in the yard taking up space like they are supposed to.Behind them is a "monstera" philadendron that I thought would die this winter but decided to put it out of its misery from house plant hell. (my living room) but it overwintered fine and is growing big beautiful leaves outside, maybe I should have found out how big they get before I planted it seeing that its name is MONSTERA....hmmm sounds to much like monster.... Then in front of it is my variegated Mondo grass. Love it, pretty little stuff. Gosh I love my gardens, even the overgrown weed areas. HE HE HE ! Ya, I have them I just never post any pictures of that! maybe that will be next! the crabgrass thats taking over the african Iris bythe pool! Fun fun fun. Ok Lizzy, Im done now, hope you enjoyed the new PLANT BLOG. Somebody has to. Love ya BYE

9/25/2007

Here you go Lizzy a new post. I finally got this thing to work. The end.

1/18/2007



This is the newest addition to our family. If I had known it was a terrorist Id have left her right where she was. She is a shitsue mixed with an...oh I forgot but they are ugly little dogs with long noses and long skinny bodies. Shes about full grown now and really isn,t much bigger than Ahleys water bowls but the headaches she gives me are another story. She barks ALL THE TIME! Its one of htose little annoying yipe kind of barks that makes you want to throw thing at her. She has to stay on a chian every time we take her outside becouse her brain is missing. Well OK its not missing but I sware it doesnt function properly. The huge holes in the yard next to her are not from her digging. digging I can understand, its a dog thing I get it. But these holes arent from digging, I can tolerate a dog digging holes to sit in, the earth is cooler and its pretty hot in Florida so they dig a hole and sit in it, its quite a logical thing to do,Ashley does it all the time,I dont like it but ive learned to live with it, I just leave her favorite hole digging spots plant free. But this dog is not actually digging holes, see she is on a little red chain and the chain stops where the holes are, whe tries to get farther than the chain will let her go, she pulls against the cahin till only her back feet are on the ground and shes jumping against the chain as it pulls around her neck pulling her front feet of the ground. Im gonna put a ballerina skiert on her and video tape it. Its her get me off this chain dance.



I transplanted about 6 primrose from the front yard a few months ago when I put in some variegated dianella in where they were. I thought htey would probably bite the dust but they seem to be alot tougher than I had anticipated. The pink one is my favorite.(they were from a mixed color tray)I guess they think its spring as well.



Sighns of spring. My dwarf powder puff in the backyard has been blooming for weeks now. It blooms in the spring and again in the fall here and there wasnt much of a break this year between the two I guess.



FINALLY! I have actually planted these tricolor sage almost every year for at least the last 6 years. I cant help it I love the coloring. And every time they look like crap till they are dead. (usually from the rain at one point or another) So this time I planted them in pots so they couldnt possibly drown, so far they are doing great wich I must say is a bit of a suprise but Im happy with them. I almost ley them stay in theyre own pots (as you can see with the one I left in the smal container it came in on the right) I just felt like planting them would be ensuring that it would soon be needing a funeral procession. SO... I planted two in one pot together and left one to try again later when those died. WHO KNEW? Well, they have onlybeen in for a few months but they are actually growing!



I just cleaned the stupid porch last weekend and its only Friday.4 kids and two dogs and a dirty landscaper husband seem to make it impossible for me to keep anything clean.



My favorite Pentas have been in bloom since the day I put them in over a year ago. You cant beat that. They are about 3 ft tall nowand 4-5 ft wide with the two of them planted about 18 inches from each other. I dont know why more people dont plant them. They take full sun or partial shade and bloom there but off all year. If you have a hard frost they get bit back some but recover quickly in the spring and last for years without needing to replant. Anyway, this is a variegated strain of the classic garden Penta, the old fashion one that grows tall does MUCH better long term in the garden than newer shorter hybrids, and Ive been told by the butterfly garden in Gainsville that they have alot of nectar in them but the newer hybrids do not. Whats not to love?

1/11/2007

Everyday life with guns



We got the movie Mr and Mrs Smith from my brother for Chritmas. It was actually a pretty good movie. John and I had never seen it but always thought we wanted to. We laughed when we saw it, are you trying to tell us something? All I knew is it was about two married people who are trying to kill each other. Steve was suprised we hadn't seen the movie yet and said it was pretty good we would like it. John said it sounded like everyday life, with guns.

The nativity














This is a not so great a picture of the nativity scene John and I built for my Mom and Dad for Christmas Mom has been looking for a nativity for my Dad for two years now and when I asked her how it was going she said she found one she liked at Kirkland but she said she didn't know what it was made of so and thought it would have to be under something for it not to get ruint by our nice Florida rains when its 80 degrees on Christmas day. My Dad told her he didn't have time to build anything for it so she didn't get it. So I went by to look at it with Johnny to see if we could build him something to put it in. He decided to just by the thing and build something so we did. It ended up pretty nice I guess. I looked at nativity scenes on the internet and I saw a barn thing I liked so we just sort of imitated it. We went over to my parents house on a Sunday evening when they were at church and set it up and ran a light to it. The next day my Dad told John he really appreciated it. Johnny told him "You should appreciate it, we worked on that thing together!" My Dad knew immediately what that implied and thought it was funny. Pretty funny huh? Yah I am difficult to say the least. But its ok, you can laugh, I don't mind, because Johnny still owes me 200 bucks because he bet me that what I had showed him I wanted to build on the internet was different than what I showed him. When he started to draw out what he was going to build and I said test wasn't how I wanted it he got irritated and said that that was what I showed him I wanted to build. ( yea as if I don't know what I wanted ) Having saved the page on the laptop and knowing (as usual) that I was right I didn't argue I just very kindly made him a 200 dollar bet then proceeded to show him the picture again! I love being right, especially when it increases the weight of my wallet.

1/10/2007

I tend to make anything I am involved with to personal I guess. Its not really all thats left of me. Not even close. But still, that was the thought as I looked out across the empty 10 acres where I had spent so much of the last 10 years. Nothing left to speak of, nothing left of all my hard work. Within a year, you will never be able to tell that I was there, when you drive by all you will see will be houses. I cannot personally wait for that day to come. I think it must be easier to look at someting other than this giant empty space. It was dishartening to me. I looked around for a minute. Then decided to take the arbour Mr. Carl had made for me at the end of the walkway. It was to big to fit in my van and I didnt want to ask Johnny to get it for me. He would just tell me he would build me another one. So I took the cowbell at the end of the wlkway that Mr. James had given me. Well technically I suppose he gave it to the nursery. He asked me if I wanted it and I said yes. We used to ring it when we needed his help, or his lunch was ready. I didnt really care whose it was I knew if it was left there my dad and his morons he has working there would ruin it. I was right the next day the arbour was torn up. Not taken anywhere, just torn up for no good reason. Then I looked around in the spots where I knew they would have left behind or thrown away perfectly good plants becouse they were dormant, theres nobody out there anywmore smart enough to know the difference. So as I thought they had expensive gingers laying tossed around. I picked them up and put them in my van. Then I went to the back area and found some more perfectly good stuff in tha garbage pile and got those for my garden. There was alot more thay had left but I really didnt have anyplace to put them so I left them. Then I decided to take some pictures of it, although the pictures just dont show the vast emtiness that existed. Im no photographer, thats for sure. Then I just left. My father was there, he even passed me a fews times, he never said anything to me. Wich is pretty typical lately so I didnt push it I just went about doing what I wanted. There were lots of thought in my head, mostly first responses of depressing thoughts. I wondered had I wasted the last 8 years of my life? then I wondered what I could have dont to feed my children and give them a home at the age of 21 when I found myself a single mother of two babies. I was living with my parents at the time so I suppose I had teh option of doing whatever I wanted. Then all the should have's started. should have went back to school....should have.....Anyway I didnt. So then I wondered why it was so hard for me to leave that place all those years. What tied me to it? Still dont really know that one. I dont even like to get rid of an old car, I only got the van when I knew I wouldnt have to get rid of my Toyota and I dont even like the stupid thing. I just dont handle change well. So what did I get out of all that time? I think all teh knowledge in my head is pretty useless to me and by the time I get to a place in life where I can use it it will be outdated. Plants come in and out of style believe it or not. I still have the dream of a nursery, except this time it would have to be my own nursery. I think I have had enough 70 hour weeks building someone elses fortunes. See I was pretty stupid and I actually thought it was mine. I mean thats what I was being told and see, Im not so good at interpretting manipulating lies as evedent by my first marriage. Anyway thats a whold different subject. So it was natural to take it so personally, and to put so much of myself in it. My mom has the same dream. A small nursery that is very pretty on the outside and full of nice quality plants inside. Not millions of dollars. Not making a hundred thousand a year. Just a nice small nursery doing what you love and making enough money to put bread on the table, Ok maybe bread and chicken,and an occasional cheesecake. But certanly not stress central station. I had decided that my father and I were chasing different dreams. its notheing I hadnt known for a while I just continued to fight for mine and tried to ignore the rest. But you know eventually as I always do I just got tired of fighting and threw in the towel. I guess I am a my way or the highway person. Like when I threw all my husbands stuff on the front porch for him to come pick up after he called me at three thirty in the morning drunk as he was driving home so I wouldnt worry about him, (Idiot!)See, I was just done fighting. Its like I am so freaking stupid that I sit around and tolerate all sorts of crap thinking things are gonna get better, believing people that are telling me it will be better, and then one day it hits me that it never will and if I continue then I am choosing to go through it again. And all the sudden I am done. I see that pattern alot in my life and I am sure I will see it again. same thing with johns mom and realizing that no matter what I did it was not gonna help her get off Cocaine. And his sister, that no matter how many two hour talks I had with her to make a situation better. There was another one coming up the road. Most often about the same things. Like the fact that she was not dying, or that her brother did not resent her he is just an ass most of the time. Or that there were not really ghosts in the attick. Or that she really did have something wrong with her she was not just a selfish person as somehow she was made to feel. I am sure there are other times in life i have just abandoned ship, and I am sure there will be more ahead of me. Sometimes I think it makes crazy (mostly when people tell me I need help)but then I think its actually what keeps me uncrazy is wen something or someone is driving you crazy to get the hell outa there! See i call it self preservation. An my hair is always my guide, if it starts leaving then it time for me to go! HA thats funny. True but funny.

1/08/2007

Gone


Whats left of me.