Okay, I need to be honest with you, I was a no show, again!

Got real busy last weekend. Working in the gardens, getting ready for the big tour weekend. Found out from Jeanine about a great new idea for labeling plants. You use venetian blind slats, mark the slat, and put the part you have written the plant name on in the ground, and it will be there next year, all safe and sound.

Now I cannot tell you how many times I have labeled plants over the years. I tried all sorts of markers that were available, plastic, metal with etched names, you name it, I have tried it. I have used every variety of permanent marker there is, I tried pencil, all gone by the next season, when you need to know exactly which color Daylily you have so that you can get it into just the right location colorwise in your garden. Nothing has ever worked.

Last year I planted dozens of Daylilies, of about 8-10 different colors. Wanting to know where they were, I carefully labeled each and every one that I planted. If you have been to my garden this week you have an idea of the numbers of plants we are talking about. So I have all these great white plastic markers, with, of course you have guessed it by now, NOTHING ON THEM. The laundry marker(Rub a Dub), which used to last through hundreds of washings, to keep all the foster kids' clothes sortable, didn't make it through one New England winter!

So I put up a WANTED post and got several immediate responses. One in Hopkinton, one in Medway, a few more local. Knew I had to drive my daughter to Millis the next day, so worked out the arrangement with the Freecyclers who made the offers. Meanwhile we had just finished a large cookout here, and I had to deal with the emotion of the first hit and run on my Daylilies.

The next day came (Sunday). First thing I had to tend to the wounded plants. That done, I proceeded with my day. Now Mia had gone to a friend's for the night after the cookout. (What teen wants to stay home when there is the opportunity for a sleepover. This particular teen had one the night before, also, and another planned for this very day!)

So Mia's friend slept in late, and Mia didn't get home in time for me to do the driving to get the blinds and drop her off as I had two gardeners coming to help in the garden.

So have you figured it out yet?? My husband was doing the driving. He went to Hopkinton, as planned, but got __________ , now what word should I use to describe someone who seemed to have forgotten how this freecycle thing works.

(What you need to know here is we had another pickup incident where he offered to go to Franklin on a Saturday when I had gardeners in and out all day, and pick up items at 2 different houses. He had been to one of them before. He works in Franklin, and usually does my pickups after work. Shrimpluva was getting ready to move and had craft things I wanted, me having missed out on a bunch of fabric, stuffing and other things I could have used in my classes. The other pickup was for some Tonka vehicles for the sandbox for my grandkids - now that was the more important pickup!!! Anyway, I told him the boxes would be out on the stoop and the trucks in the yard, as I had thought I had been told.

He came home empty handed. He said the box was not on the stoop and the trucks had been stolen. Quick email determined that the box was waiting for me at the other house(no clue what happened), and the other person was a no show so now I had all the supplies for myself if I could get right over and pick them up. As I figured the trucks were long gone, I ended up running out to get it, in between scheduled appointments here. There were so many boxes, several heavy, I had forgotten my wrist brace, having trouble loading in the car. (Mind you, my husband would have had no trouble at all, had he been there) Shrimpluva came out and helped, Bless her.

And didn't find out til later, after I had gotten home with a car full of boxes, of wonderful fabric, yarn, stuffing, patterns, so many wonderful supplies, that the trucks were waiting at the front door, not in the yard, and this was a house with a driveway longer than mine.
Figuring I had just enough time to do this before my next gardener arrived, I went to get the trucks. As it was one of my gardeners, I took a few minutes to see his newly transplanted plants, thinking my husband would call when my beloved Alicia arrived, so I wouldn't miss her and her family, who were coming all the way from Braintree to see me and get a caterpillar. She had emailed me that she was running late, so I thought I had plenty of time. And anyway I had my cell phone in my pocket, right??

I called home just before I left this pickup and found out my cell phone was turned off!! Oh no! Alicia had arrived right after I left and had been waiting for almost an hour for me!!. I spoke with her, gave her directions on the caterpillar and told her where to find the hostas she had been wanting so much (Another gardener had brought some by for her). And missed out on seeing them.

So all in one day I was responsible for 2 no shows and was not home for a pickup!! And all through no intended action on my part.

So that day was a great lesson for me in how someone can be a nonintentional no show. And that perspective has given me the ability to have a bit more flexibility when someone has a legitimate reason for being a no show to my offers!)

So about my recent no show -My husband never went to Medway. I found this out Tues morning at 7:45, while trying to finish and edit my daily post. Got an email from the person with the blinds in Medway, they were never picked up. Monday was the day I had all the company. My husband never told me he hadn't gone there, I was so busy I never noticed. Found out from my hubby it was a miscommunication (on my part, he says) Oh well, whatever! I had not received email confirmation of where the blinds would actually be located in this man's yard, so hubby thought he didn't have to go. We are in Wrentham, not right near Medway and he was driving through Medway to take our daughter to Millis. So what do you think folks, you stop in Medway and check about the blinds, while you are right in that town?? No, that would have been too easy. After all, I am always trying to save on gas, and keep my traveling as compacted as possible.

So hubby ended up going to Medway from Franklin and back during his busy work day, to get me the blinds. And they turned out to be the thin metal ones, which are even better than the plastic ones we had already gotten!! I was psyched!!

But this was Tuesday, I had a gardener coming at 8 am, I was trying to proofread and get my post done for the morning, and Jeannie had already called to say she was on the way. I had a horrible start to the day, as I was so distracted and unfocused by all this early morning activity.

What a way to start the day.

And what's more - are you ready for it, Babs was here later in the day, and when I was telling her about the morning she said,

"So why didn't you call me to get them all for you? Remember, I live in Medway!!""

LOL all around!! I gave Babs some slats to try out. She had a great suggestion to put clear nail polish over the writing to see if that helps to retain the names. I will be trying that.

So this, another typical day of confusion. And ..........

This Tuesday was the day of the second hit and run on my darling Daylilies.....................