Bengay is a dog repellant my house! Put a heating pad on your back and do some stitching while you recover!

I think it's a DH repellant as well....

LOL

I got an aching back too as I spent the afternoon getting dead oak leaves out of my bushes. I used a heating pad for my back, but today I'm suffering from a sinus headache as some kind of mold or mildew in the leaves always triggers sinus problems with me. But atleast the front bushes look better now.

I feel for you with the sinuses. Trying to get oak leaves out of bushes is a worse job than I had. I'm feeling better today and don't smell as bad....DH is thankful

I wanted to fertilize today but had to do much overdo office work. Then I got on the chat and the rest is history. I noticed this morning that I have oak trees coming up everywhere in my flower bed thanks to a very busy squirrel.
Bermuda, maybe you should have employed the method my neighbor used! LOL
Gotta run and fix DH a snack and then it's bus stop time.
Hope that you'll feel better soon. Think of the work you have accomplished and consider it a "good" pain.
I got an email from our local nursery today with an ad for petunias! Such beautiful colors. I wanted to rush over there immediately but am thinking it's still a little early. We've had freezes up into May. Freaky weather. Maybe I'll do the pot that's in the flower bed. Not much lost if they go. I can hardly wait for spring.

Adele, leave the oak leaves in there. They'll break down eventually or the wind will blow them away. Our lawn guy removed most in the flower bed and along with the leaves the better part of the mulch. Could you use the blower? I still have some in shrubs and am not planning on getting them out.

I have two books on order from Box and one from Krueger. Hope that they are good reads.

Feel better soon.

Sandra

Sandra,

Headache finally left, but I did get some reading done 😃. My brain hurt too much to attempt any counted. Can't wait for the new books to be published.

As for those oak leaves, I watched them all winter, hoping the wind would blow them out, but no go, and the bushes looked terrible. DH did compliment me as to how much better it looked after all my hard work. He'd help but he has knee problems. It's nice to see him happy.

Adele

Adele, I know all about sinus problems and allergies. Mold is not my friend. DD's husband sent lilies on Valentine's Day and did they wreak havoc with my sensitivity. After two days I had to throw them out. I am allergic to Mother Nature according to my allergist but have never had problems with flowers until recently. I can no longer tolerate lilies or pansies in the house. :( I would buy the large Tiger Lily blooms and the entire house had a pleasant scent, not to mention that they last for over a week.

Feel better soon and get rest. I like Icy Hot for backaches.

Sandra, It sounds like the only nature and flowers you are able to tolerate are cross stitch designs. I mainly cross stitch flowers and birds, especially birds. I've done, or will eventually do, every bird that comes to my back yard. I'm currently doing a house wren, who should be returning to my bird house this spring. But I've done ruby throated humming birds, cardinals, chickadees, blue jays, blue birds, sparrows, gold finches, and eventually will do a downy woodpecker, morning doves, an owl, and an eagle (patterns all in my stash) (an we've had a bald eagle out at our pond this winter--have had many this winter in Monroe County, Michigan, especially out at Lake Erie and along the River Raisin). The only pattern I have not been able to find is of the tufted titmouse, one of my favorite family of birds who come to my feeder. I think by now you know I don't always have my nose in a book or cross stitch but also I am a birder. When not stitching birds, I'm working on a hardanger table runner that also will have cross stitched Johnny-Jump-Ups, my favorite flower. Adele