Butcher

Butcher - to massacre; to do sloppy work.

February 26, 2009

Lo these many years, my rose bushes have been neglected - growing as tall as me or taller. I usually gently prune them in the spring, after they have started to bud and it's too late to do a very thorough pruning. Then when the fall comes around, I just can't get up the energy to get it done. At my friend Danna's prodding, I got out in the warm-ish sunshine today and "pruned" them, of course, using "prune" in the most generous sense. My pruners wouldn't even cut through these poor, neglected bushes. I had to get out Lane's big tree loppers to cut through. Naturally, I was careful about myself and only suffered a one "thorn rip" on the back of my right hand. Everyone cross your fingers and hope my carlessness won't end up killing the roses. If the roses should die, let's all blame Danna.



I found little buds on my apple trees today, the red bush that I don't know what it is is turning more red (not brown) and I think I found some beginnings of crocusses or something shooting up in the front yard. I thought I got all the bulbs dug up, but every year I get a few that had been missed. My thyme is looking wonderful! but my rosemary not so much. I might have to replace that one if it doesn't start to green up soon! I also found several little parsley plants coming back that I thought I had killed. That plant just won't die! I like parsley, but wanted to move it from the spot where I had first planted it, and it just keeps coming back!!


I had parent teacher confereces for Taylor today. Actually, they call them student-led conferences in this case and all of her reports were excellent. Somehow she was marked absent today in her first period class, so we had to go get that taken care of. Her teacher knows she was there, and she said she must have marked Taylor instead of the next person down the roll by accident. I get an email AND a phone call when she is absent. I love that for my kids, but I am really glad email wasn't around when I was skipping school. And the school computer called to report absences around 4:00, before my parents were home from work, so that was easy enough to intercept. Now the computer doesn't call until about 8:00. Sure makes it harder for these kids to skip class these days!


PS - add dijon mustard to the list of things to remind me to buy if you see me at the store.