Here is a place to go back in time and remember some of our youth.

42 Cent Kiss

The Sheets

By Frank Ryan

We were seated in the café like usual and having a cup of coffee as we often do. In theprocess of solving the world’s problems we lit off the conversation with the usual primer.

A recent topic that Frank and Duane could chew over and we felt we could possibly solve.   Duane said,” Boy these guys are sure going nuts over green stuff lately, don’t cha think?”

“Yes, but do you remember green when our grandparents used to call it frugality,” I said.

“Oh yes! I love the way they talk green as if they invented it.  In reality it was a matter of necessity when we and our parents and grandparents were kids to use everything to the last and then use it again.  We used to clean the peanut butter jar with a spoon and then use a cue- tip to get the last little bit out, or run a piece of hard crust in it and use the soft side to get all the stuff out of the jar.” Duane said cheerfully.

 “I remember a story I heard years ago that really hit green on the head, only then we called it thrifty!’ I said.

My grandmother Agnes Dubraski was extremely thrifty.  She was an immaculate woman who kept house as if the President were coming in a day or so.  The floors were sparkling and she always wore a house coat to do her morning chores. Dusting, carpet sweeper, and a regular routine of windows, dishes, and keeping up the home were on the docket.

I remember of a time when she spoke of a depression when things were really tough in the 30’s. 

 She said, “If you think I am thrifty you should have met my mother. Why she was so thrifty it made you laugh sometimes when you think about it.”  My silver haired and dapper grandmother noted.  “She would buy a brand new bed sheet at Peoples Store in downtown Tacoma. She would take it home to the farm in Edgewood and use it until it got a hole or tear in it.  Then she would cut it up in squares and make pillow cases out of them.  After the pillow cases were worn she would cut them up and make hankies of them, and after they were worn or stained she would cut up littler pieces and make a new sheet out of them.” She chuckled as she finished. “Now that’s frugal.   Grandma did have a sense of humor.

Duane laughed and I laughed and having scorched the green topic we moved on to the economy or some other conversation that we can visit later. 

Gunny Sacks & Grit

By Frank Ryan

It was 1952 and we just started to get our greenhouse and florist business going.  I will never forget the first job dad ever gave me.  We lived at 1805 Perry Avenue in Bremerton Washington and our home, greenhouses, florist shop and landscape business were surrounded with five large city lots of mature shrubs, trees and yard plants with a drive that came down a short grade to just in front of the converted garage that was now our recently remodeled Florist showroom and refrigeration unit for the flowers. It was affectionately referred to as “the case.”

 Dad was a big Irish-Norwegian cross and stood 6 foot 4 and weighed in at 305 pounds and it always amazed me how lean he looked even as big as he was.  He had a booming voice and a great Irish sense of humor.  He loved to tell a good story.  But now onward with the tale.

 I was escorted out back behind the house and just next to the greenhouse and next to the coal chute window.   There sat a giant pile of fresh compost which had a very distinct odor of cow manure mixed in.  Dad noted, “This is good dirt. It is 97% weed free and is from Asbury’s Bog. It’s some manure and sand in a special blend I mixed in.”  He explained.

 Dad had a special mix for every soil, seed application, and wet or dry fertilizer combo.  “Old country formulas.” He called them.

  “OK dad how do I do this. I have never done this before?”  I said with apprehension.  At the time I was 101 pounds soaking wet. I was slim but strong enough to arm wrestle even bigger classmates down. My young adversaries always under estimated me.

 “You will need to take this square point shovel and fill these 100 pound potato sacks to the top.  Then take this sisal twine and tie it off and go on to the next one. I have sold five already so go ahead and fill 5 and let me know when you are done.” He ordered as he strode away with big giant steps.

Without question I grabbed the sack and began to try to fill the sacks.  I didn’t how best to do this. Later I discovered it was with a frame and a jig with four nails in it to hold up the sack while it was filled. 

So I fought. “ Dog-gone-it.” I chewed as I proceeded. “I wish this wasn’t so cotton picking hard.”   

I wondered if I was a failure having great difficulty doing this, and wondering if I would ever get it.   Finally I filled each of the five and tied them off. Later when Dad had to fill the sacks he had our hired hand John Bland build a new frame for it.  I’m not sure to this day if he earlier forgot how hard it was to fill the sacks without a box frame? He had been out of the nursery and florist for 20 years by then.  I did better and better on filling the sacks from then on.

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Spring Garden Reminders

By Frank Ryan

The Tulips, Daffodils and spring flowers are watching the warm sun and grabbing every ray as they jump from the ground.  This year with warmer than usual bursts of energy from Old Sol the Teensy  Daffodils in our back yard are right there with the Crocus though mini in size are mighty in effort as they stretch the little blooms to the light.  The growers gong has sounded!

It is time for backyard gardeners to get the jump on the season and make a move to get the dicot weeds under control right away.  If you have lots of time and patience the old fashioned way of using a weed probe or thin garden trowel and getting the little weeds when they first pop up.  That is good exercise, and starts the gardeners tan, but is very tedious and requires a person to be in pretty good shape to get the job done and get all the little grasses and broadleaf weeds out of the beds and rock paths etc.  Another way is to use a total weed killer and your local garden store can help with that and give exact info on doses, coverage and local requirements.  I recommend you only spray with a controlled method, and only exactly where the chemical is needed.

On small areas, or places where drift could harm adjacent plants I usually use a sponge and put the weed killing solution on a wand sponge and dab it on weeds.  That eliminates over spray, drift and though tedious it kills only the weeds you want to eliminate and minimizes the chemicals in the yard and in the system.  It also saves a great deal of money over years of application by being careful, and frugal in the use of chemicals.  Make sure the weed killing chemicals you use are approved for the particular use.  Use broadleaf weed killers on the lawn and where you don’t want everything killed off.  Again you can use the sponge dip method to do only plants and areas that have weeds in them. It is “green” and also common sense application.

One spring tip. If you have not checked mowing, edging equipment and garden hoes, clippers,

Rakes, etc. now is the time.  If you are able to sharpen, oil and clean your own tools great. Take them to a pro and get them sharp and ready to use.  There is nothing worse to work with in the garden than a dull shovel or hoe.   All your Chain saws and saws should also be cleaned, oiled and ready to go for the season.  Fertilizers should have been sealed in moisture proof plastic containers over the winter.  Spring is a good time to apply organic fertilizer to give root systems a good start.  A mild mix of 10-10- 10 or similar blend with low numbers is good.

Once the season kicks off you can apply your regular lawn fertilizers.  Check with your local garden store for best local blend.  I recommend that you NOT over use weed and feed. I almost always never use it more that once every 2 or 3 years, and just use localized weed control the rest of the time once lawn weeds are under control.  Spring is time to add extra peat moss, sand, compost to flower beds and saggy blank lawn areas and get cleanup done.  The ground should be ready for late spring and early summer planting.  Also don’t forget to line out your containers for those great container flowers and vegetables & Tomatoes for your yard!  Make sure they are brimming with new potting soil.  Happy gardening!                                                                 #                                                                            March 1.10 revise