The shorter work days just mean shoving 9 hours of work into 7. At 2:30 my boss reminds me of all the watering I need to get done, the order to make, the plants to be put away and of course, I have customers bringing me strange plants to identify. Plant or disease. Thirty minutes remain in my work day. I usually choose to get the watering done. No tomato or pepper seedlings will die of thirst. Today I also faxed an order asking for things the actual growing greenhouse isn't starting anymore. They are now into fall production of mums. Not pickling cucumbers, squash or bell peppers. Things the customers WANT.In an amazing "slight of hand" I have gone, in two months of actual employment, from a total zero (no idea where or what anything was) to the "expert". I still have no idea what most things are called but I know there are actually only a few causes for problems with plants. Water, light, temperature, bacteria and insects. Pretty simple. Most of life is pretty simple.
People. Very tricky. Plants are simple because there is no thought process involved. Just the transfer of water between cells. People are all over the place with their thinking. And, of course, a lot of that thinking is really pointless as they "transfer" random thoughts to our employees. Today was a "full moon". Can we all say "CRAZY".
"What flower would you buy my aunt?"
Geez, I don't even know your aunt and you want me to buy her a flower?
"Do you know the name of this flower? It's dried up now but it used to be this tall and it had leaves and the flower is pink now, but it was blue".
It could be ______. "No". It could be ______. "No".
" I just got back from several weeks away and this leaf on my hosta looks bad. What do you think happened to it?"
It could be ________________________________. "Oh" "Will the other leaves get it?"
My new task, for the weekend, is a terrarium for a tarantula and a gecko. An odd couple if there ever was one. Also crickets. Their "food". Each year they get a new tank to live in and we "fit" it with new plants, dirt and interesting bits. This year, I was chosen to do the interior design. I think it will be fun.
Tomorrow I have eggplant, red Italian onions, beans and kohlrabi to plant, checks (four) to deposit (before I get another on Saturday), two dog walks with Riley, some art to make, a few books waiting to be read and laundry to wash and fold. Clean sheets would be nice. Dinner to cook.
I have decided that spending $200 a week for groceries is ridiculous so now I am reading the grocery ads. Pork chops are on sale so we will be buying $1.79 a pound pork chops and they will join last week's $1.99 chicken breasts in the freezer. Chicken thighs are only 79 cents a pound. G likes them in chicken soup. Into the freezer they go. Sugar is $1.99 for 5 pounds. Bananas are cheap and so are canned tomatoes. I may even wash, dry and plug in the freezer in the garage. Of course, when stuff goes into THAT freezer--- it never actually comes out. I forget it's out there. I forgot about five 12 pound turkeys. For several years. And about five pounds of frozen peaches. At the end, the freezer was half filled with gallon jugs of frozen water (to keep the freezer cold) and food way past edible. Does this happen to everyone with a freezer?
I have slipped into "non-productive" thinking so I will now go quietly to bed. Good night.
No, I hardly store anything in my freezer, well only things that can be used up with a month or so if needs be.
ReplyDeleteI should really do some canning or bottling but everything turns to work and no one here really cares one way or the other.
Tell us about how to rear Hollyhocks and keep them healthy. I have never been able to grow them, even when I try to imitate other people. I plant them on the south side of the building but they never grow, yet there is a house that has wonderful plants year after year.
Food prices are just ridiculous now. Be glad you don't have a house full of teenagers to feed!