Welcome to Debbie-Dabble Blog!!
I am so happy you decided to stop by!!
Today, I am going to share 2 projects that I recently did......
Yesterday's party was the final party for Snickerdoodle Make, Bake and Create Linky Party and I am sad to see yet another Blog Party fall by the wayside but I do understand the amount of time it takes to host a party and then visit all the Link Ups.....
I want to Thank all the hosts listed above for hosting this charming party for the length of time that they did!!!
Thanks so much, Bev!!
Thanks again, Angie, Marci and Annie!!
Please stop by and link up to all these great parties!!!
Well, I received my second shot of the Moderna vaccine on Saturday afternoon at Target.....
Since I experienced a headache, fatigue and chills after the first one, I KNEW that I was going to have a reaction to the second one so I made sure I had Tylenol, Motrin, Zofran, Gatorade and extra blankets on hand......
I was fine until about 11pm on Saturday after having received the vaccine at 12 noon....
It started with a terrible headache....
By 3 am on Sunday morning, I was cold and had the chills...
By 6 am, I had a fever was 101.5 and that was after taking Tylenol...
My sinuses were blocked and I had a terrible headache where even my ears hurt
My ankles, lower lumbar region, right operative knee and my hands were screaming with pain
It seemed to have settled everywhere I have arthritis
I had cramps in my calves so I was drinking lots of Gatorade and even took another one of my prescribed Potassium pills to be sure to maintain my electrolytes and hydration..
At this point, Joe still wanted to know if I was going to be able to go with him to take our Grand Pup Faye out while Jim and Danielle were at work!!!!
You do not want to know what my answer was!!!!!
I finally crawled out of bed around 2pm on Sunday with a fever of 99.8 and a slight headache....
By 6 pm, I had a fever of 100.9 and the headache was back with a vengeance ...
Motrin must have taken away the joint and muscle pain
I decided to sleep downstairs on the sofa Sunday night and had a fever of 101.5 again when I went to bed.....
Didn't really sleep well and woke at 3 am in a cold sweat
I figured the fever had broke ....again.....
I stayed afebrile but around 10 am this morning, the headache came back and I had an overwhelming feeling of fatigue so I went to bed for 3 hours!!
I NEVER do anything like this as my Mother always said that taking a nap was a sign of Laziness.......
I am over 50 hours out from the second shot at the time of writing this post and so far, I feel pretty good......
So I hope it is done with all..
Now, I have been much sicker with Bronchitis, Pneumonia, Norovirus, etc. so this was NOT as bad as I expected and I consider it to be well worth it to go through so that I do not contract the virus which is so much worse.....
Will I still wear a mask in 2 weeks when I am considered fully vaccinated???
YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT!!!!
Indoors in places with a lot of people like church ( which I will return to in 2 weeks) and stores and anywhere there is a lot of people who I do not know because after 43 years as a Healthcare Professional, the one thing I have learned is that people lie when questioned about their health..
So since I have immediate family members who have chosen not to get vaccinated, I will continue to wear a mask and probably for quite some time as my family Dr. told me they predict another surge come the Fall....
So even though you run the risk of getting sick from the vaccine, please do not let that stand in your way in deciding to receive it.....
Yes, my arm was sore but after walking on a knee joint for 6 years that was considered "bone on bone", the pain in my arm was NOTHING by comparison!!!!
Now onto my 2 projects.....
Joe bought me this 3 foot tall porcelain Victorian doll many years ago as a gift.....
It was always falling over because the stand did not support the height and the weight of this beauty and the stand finally broke......
When I looked on Amazon for doll stands that would be for a doll this size, I almost died when I saw that they were anywhere from $27- $45!!!!
Joe paid around $65 for the doll itself.....
So I started to think how I could construct a stand and not pay a dime for it using what I had at home.....
Now much to Joe's dismay, I collected scrap lumber pieces because my Dad taught me to never throw them away......
I had Joe cut 2 pieces of those scrap lumber pieces to form a stand....
I figured we could attach them to each other with use of a hinge......
Once that was done, I used zip ties to anchor the doll on the wood stand......
And there you have it........
A new stand that finally holds this doll in a standing position at the cost of NOTHING because I had everything in my stash!!!!!
And that is one of the reasons why I am not an Amazon shopper......
As I have said in the past, I find them to be very expensive!!!
Now the second project is a continuation of something I started a few years back......
Originally, there was only grass at the entrance to our Court
Several years ago, I had decided to make a small flower bed around the sign with the name of our Court on it.....
Last year, I decided to extend that flower bed over to the retaining wall at the end of our row of townhouses and to include a large Arbortivae that had been planted many years ago.....
I should have cleaned out underneath that Arborvitae last year but never got around to it.....
This is what the flower bed at the entrance to our Court where our mail boxes are looked like.....
Before.....
You can see all the dead leaves and God knows what else collected underneath that tree....
After the harsh winter that we had, it definitely needed a sprucing up!!
I started to pull out all the stuff from underneath the tree using different rakes.....
To give Joe something to do, I enlisted his help with trimming away the lower branches of the tree....
You can see just how big this tree is!!!
I kept raking more dead leaves and garbage out from underneath the tree.....
After 5 filled garbage bags and multiple cut branches were thrown into our garbage dumpsters.....
It was finally starting to look better!!
Joe even got a saw out to cut off some of the branches......
I then got busy laying down 6 bags of fresh mulch.....
You can now see underneath the tree and it is now looks as if it is part of the flower bed
I also took out and realigned the rocks in the rock border, breaking every single finger nail I have.....
I had just gotten to this point when it started to rain....
I finished up, was soaking wet and hauled the remainder of my tools and a step stool that I sit on up to our front porch because Joe had already gone and taken the rakes back when it started to rain, leaving me with everything else....
I liked the way it looked but I needed to "finish it off"....
The next day, again giving Joe something to do, I sent him up into the woods behind our developement to get me more rocks.....
I then extended the rock border to encompass the entire flower bed.....
So much better....
Now it looks like one large flower bed with the tree as part of it!!!
The front part is the area that I first dug out and planted perennials in.....
Now you know I had to add more to it , didn't you?
I had dug out a few plants from my neighbor's yard ( one of the ones who moved) and I was growing them in pots until I could transplant them.....
I planted a Hosta in front and in back of the tree.....
I also had done the same with 2 Lamb's Ear plants and a clump of Missouri Primrose so I also transplanted them around the front of the tree....
These will spread out and fill in this area....
Like this Hosta did!!
Another Hosta and a bunch of Asters that will bloom in the Fall with light lavender flowers....
More Missouri Primrose which will soon be blooming with bright yellow flowers....
I may have to dig out and transplant this Lythrum,
commonly known as Loosestrife, to the back of the flower bed but I will
wait until it blooms with it's purple flowers and then decide what I
will do.....
You can now see underneath the Tree and it will be easier to clean out after the Winter.....
I have been asked if I get paid for doing this by our HOA......
Since I am the one who decided to put in this flower bed, I figure that I am the one who should take care of it and that includes the cost of the mulch we use.....
Our HOA president has offered to reimburse us for the mulch but I have declined......
It is something that keeps me busy and makes our Court looking nice.....
I hope you enjoyed seeing these 2 projects.....
And I hope you will stop by to visit again soon!!
Stay safe, healthy and most of all, HAPPY!!
Thanks to those who took the time out of their busy day to spend a little bit of time with me!!
If you do not have a blog, PLEASE
give me some way to reply to your comment, maybe by including your email in your comment. If I can not find a way to
reach you, I will reply on the post where you commented so please check
back......
I am linking up to these parties:
Metamorphosis Monday
Please take some time to visit these terrific hosts and all those joining in on the fun!
“To give Joe something to do...” I LOVE IT!!!! Does he mumble and grumble to himself when you find things for him to do?
ReplyDeleteNina,
ReplyDeleteAs I mentioned in FB, he is constantly asking me what he can do because he can not think of anything to do on his own. I have taken care of everything having to do with the house since we are married and he is totally CLUELESS!!!!! LOL!!
Hugs,
Deb
Gosh, what an improvement! It looks like a professional landscaper stepped up to the job! It looks wonderful. It looked good cleaned out, but that black mulch really upped your game. And the additional hosta will be a great add. And thanks Joe for the rocks!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on being fully vaccinated. That was good use of lumber and zip ties for that doll stand. it came out really nice and now she won't topple over. The entrance to your court looks beautiful. That was a nice thing for you to do, considering you didn't have to. Most people wouldn't even bother. I bet your neighbors are thrilled. Plus it gives them something nice to look at when they go pick up their mail.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by!! There was no way that I was going to spend that amount of money for a doll stand...I enjoy doing landscaping work and there is only so much I could do in my tiny back yard so I have to expand my horizons, so to speak!! LOL!
DeleteHope you have a great weekend!!
Hugs.
Debbie
It looks like you have two super successful projects behind you! I love the doll stand, zip ties to the rescue...you know me, I'm all about those cheap and easy DIYs!! Glad you're feeling better!!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on getting your second vaccination. It feels good to start getting back to normal. Just returning to blogging and linky parties. You've got a great list going. I love to see and be inspired by other people's projects. Your yard looks like someone professional came in and finished it for you. It looks great! -Andrea
ReplyDeleteI'm going to try this again -- if you get two comments from me, use this one! I said that if you hadn't hurt from the vaccination I suspect every bone in your body would/did ache like crazy -- maybe even worse than the shot, without the fever. That's a massive job --I hurt just looking at the photos!
ReplyDeleteBut I'm glad you are going to continue precautions even with the vaccine. You and I are on the same page on that score. The honor system didn't work when we were ten and it works less now. As my foot doc (who has a mandatory mask thing for unvaccinated people) said a client told her, "If I knew I didn't have to wear a mask if I was vaccinated, I would have told you I was." Honestly. People!
Pleased to read you are now fully vaccinated although not good to read about the reaction ...
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for sharing these two successful projects, I enjoyed reading about them and seeing all of your photographs.
All the best Jan
Everything looks very nice!! I have to disagree with your mom though. I love to take a nap and I don't consider my self lazy. Just cursed with chronic illness. Sometimes i just need to lay down and take a break! I admire that you can get through your day!
ReplyDeleteI am replying here as I see you have not been on your blog lately so i hope that you see this return comment...Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by!! My Mother was a tough cookie and often did not take a person's whole story into consideration...She was a very judgmental person and it was always based on her own views....I did not mean to offend but unfortunately, I will hear her voice in my ears on certain things until i die...Have a great weekend!!
DeleteHugs,
Debbie
Both of your projects turned out well. I love the flower bed!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful doll and nice job on the stand. I like it when I figure out a way to do something and not buy something special to make it happen. Glad you're feeling better. I know a couple that were both vaccinated, got the virus, and ended up in the hospital. I hope it does't give people a false sense of security. I got a flu shot 20 years ago and the reaction ruined my life for seven years. I still have ongoing fatigue. No shot for me this time. Take care.
ReplyDeletePJ,
DeleteI waited until I could confer with my family physician on taking the vaccine because of auto immune disease and other health issues...He saw no indication not to take the shot and I knew that i would become ill from it as I get ill with anything knew that i take. Like my son described it, "It was like having the flu without the cough, runny nose and sore throat". And that I was able to handle as I have been far sicker in the past with other infections....I also took a flu shot, 46 years ago when i went in nursing school and I almost ended up into the hospital because i became so ill afterward. I have not taken it since... I took the co vid vaccine because of my health issues..Whatever reaction I had, I figured it was better than getting co vid and dying from it as I will never consent to be put on a ventilator...Have a good weekend!!
Hugs,
Deb
What a great DIY; I love an easy solution that saves money! Your garden area looks beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWow you did a great job in both projects. The doll looks so good all standing by on her own.
ReplyDeleteI love what you did to the bed. That was a lot of work. It does make the entrance much prettier. Great job!
Deb, I am so happy you are feeling better. You had quite a time with it but it certainly didn't hold you down. Your spot looks so nice with all the trimming and when those other hostas fill in like the one you have, which is beautiful, it will be wonderful..Glad you were able to fix the stand for your doll. She is really beautiful..Happy June..xxoJudy
ReplyDeleteYou should have left the leaves under the arborvitae and just covered them with mulch. Leaves are natural mulch and would add another layer to suppress the weeds, as well as providing nutrients to the soil.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
DeleteI didn't feel that leaving a 20+ year accumulation of leaves that had amounted to at least a pile of a foot high underneath the tree and filled 5 bag loads which also contained various pieces of garbage like plastic bags, wet papers, cigarette buts, etc. was doing that tree any good......And it adds greatly now to the curb appeal of the entrance to our Court because it looks so much better now....
Deb
I'm sorry to hear the vaccine gave you such a severe reaction, but I agree, it's better than getting the virus! I love all the work you did on that flower bed and hope your neighbors appreciate you, Debbie. Thank you for sharing at Party In Your PJ's - you are being featured on my blog Tuesday evening.
ReplyDeleteHi Debbie, Oh my gosh this before and after is amazing. It's encouraging to see what one can accomplish with a little work and few bags of mulch! Looks great Debbie and Joe!
ReplyDeleteI think that was very nice of you to clean up the area for all of the neighborhood to enjoy. I am sure you created lots of smiles from the neighbors when they see it. #HomeMattersParty
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear you were so poorly after your vaccine, I got off very lightly with just a bit of a temperature for a few hours both times and some tiredness. I agree that we should all continue to be a bit careful for ourselves and others and not get any false sense of security just yet though. Your projects are so diverse but both great. The gardening seems a lot more energetic and time consuming!! What an amazing difference it has made though, really lovely.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to hear that you recovered from the second shot. The shot can be truly awful for many people.
ReplyDeleteMy mom made porcelain dolls and yours is really special. Thank you for sharing it at the Friday with Friends link party :)
Much more welcoming an entrance. That tree is a monster. Huge. Joe did such good work and a lot of it.. I do love the edging of rocks. My mom used to get these old smooth large rocks from the property and paint them white and edge the few flower beds she had. I guess I love them so much because of her.
ReplyDelete