Category: Trella Diaries

Monday, May 18, 2009
Mowed upper lawn including first time for new grass. And lower lawn around pond. Up at 7:30 did final review of notes for tonight’s talk to Central Ohio Native Plant Society. Unloaded plants from car and planned to drive car to upper driveway but garage door would not open. Moved table and desk away from front of car and drove tractor and golf cart outside and pulled red cart out thinking I could manouver between post and back out but not enough room.This took an hour! Called Kensel and he offered to pick me up. Changed in 15 minutes before he and Opal arrived. To Heritage Hall and picked up Gale. To the biology building on Kennear Road west OSU campus. Sharon—– in parking lot to get to greet us. Was Gale’s instructor at OSU and a classmate of Mary Hemmerly. I was greeted ‘Hello Trella’ by a stranger. Said he recognized me from picture in Perry Peskin’s book! Good potluck food. Virginia and Jim Wagner came late. Meeting included a business meeting and audience participation before I finally took podium at 8:30. Didn’t need my notes just used chronology in my head. Appreciation of my jokes. Lots of laughter and great applause. Had a question and answer session and more applause.
Gale drove Kensel’s car home because of his cataracts. Home by 10:30.
Received check for $50 for Terradise Nature Preserve.

Sunday, May 17, 2009
Thad’s 5th birthday party
To Urbana by 2:00. David greeted me. had just arrived among the about 22 guests. the Sapps, Haldeman’s, Josh and Caroline and Thad’s two nurses Barbara and Shirley and friend.
Dave Sapp grilled brats, fruit plate, corn on cob, chase green salad. I took a hanging basket for Dave and Sarah. left about five for Harters. drove through Marysville and Delaware. Shunning bypass. The Emmanuel and Lucy Sheneman house east of former Children’s Home has enclosed front entrance- white- well kept. Did Grandpa plant the lilac hedge along road?
At Harter’s from 6:00 to 7:30. Son in Tennessee has moved so Bob and Sue probably won’t move there. 17 cats and kittens. Some headed for animal shelter. All so healthy.
Out to their greenhouse. Sue specialty is herbs and scented geraniums. She loaded me down with morning glories- Heavenly Blue and red, moon vine, double rose geranium, large Lavender in bloom, lemongrass, Golden sage, Laura Bush petunias.
Home by 9:00.

Saturday, May 16, 2009
Rain 8:30-9:30 Temp 75
After an email from Jim Carpenter saying he would be here at 1:00 instead of 9:30 he appeared at 10:00 after the rain stopped. he planted the rest of the fibrous begonias in bed opposite Greenhouse door. planted three rows of nasturtiums east of lilies in patio bed, and a window box for the side porch railing. divided two hostas and replanted. planted three sickly azaleas from Aldi’s $5.95 near Bell pool. then to bed along lower driveway and sewed Cosmos seed. Doug some weeds. by then his cold was reactivated. took a quick jaunt to Terradise Nature Preserve. logs from Hackberry still in parking lot. signers of logs remarked area is messy. and it is!
early supper. red phone book to see how to contact Embark for lack of connection. Jim had got the connector back and phone is charging. as he was putting away the fancy desk in the wash stand by my bed he offered to trade three Tuesday’s work for 5 of the pieces. I kept one so for two Tuesdays about $80. Carnival Glass Deep Blue opalescent.
Gave Jim a hanging basket of white petunias.

Friday, May 15, 2009
Dow Jones 8268 down 40
Chrysler and GE [sic GM?] closing half their dealerships to avoid bankruptcy.
Black topping applied.
Melissa Tanner arrived at 9:30 instead of Glenn McNutt. Good worker. Fertilized new grass with starter formula- pruned sweet Autumn Clematis on pergola- planted tomatoes and peppers and white petunias and pergola beds and mulched them with the dehydrating grass.
Josh Rose (Henry?) stopped and offered to do both upper and lower driveways for $350. He ended up charging me $750. I’m outraged. Left soft tar along edges.
Emails from Nancy Harris. Cancer of breast has not metastasized so hopeful. Her family of boys- brothers and Sons supportive.
When I offered to pay Melissa she refused- said she and Glenn owed so much to me for keeping them in the home they love even when their rent payment is late.

Thursday, May 14, 2009
Rain AM ½ in. Sunny PM 73º
Solved a lot of problems today after I couldn’t find photos to illustrate my conservation projects and I mailed emailed David that he didn’t have to come to Columbus Monday to show them. Emailed Mac Hildreth that I found his sunglasses. Called Dave Matyac with an SOS to move the golf cart. He came over with his jack and lifted it off timber it was stuck on. Took his Lantana plant, put new control on nozzle to adjust water flow.
Took another HH bond to Ohio State Bank. Carolyn Hittenrauch is Bank officer who did the paperwork. $10,000 toward Landscaping by E E Johnson Property Services. Signed contract and mailed it. Shopped at Lowe’s for fertilizer and annuals seeds, potting soil, grass seed, and hose nozzle. To Aldi’s for groceries $36.66. Home and unloaded by 7:00.
called Glenn (Bordeaux) and he will come to work here tomorrow morning.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Rain late
Sowed alyssum seed by patio in front of ageratum and pink geraniums. Also in combo pots. Potted up pepper plant seeds from red sweet peppers. Also basil and parsley from seed. repotted lantana, lemon thyme and sage.
Downloaded contract for work on steps and walls signed ready to mail. $11,750 plus tax. Will need to cash another of Howard’s HH bonds for this and pay for the lot at 219 East Fairground $3,200.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009
65º Sunny
Set out fibrous begonias west of Bradford Pear and six of the Oriental Lilies from McClure and Zimmerman. Got golf cart stuck against pear tree. Two bicyclists stopped and asked permission to walk down in the woods -given.
To Dr Cloran for teeth cleaning $60. Have to have two fillings. Visited John Cottrell remembering so many MCHS projects together. He meets monthly at Trinity to roll bandages- personally done enough to fill a mile.
To Heritage hall. Called Clutters- they will go with Gale and me Monday to Columbus for my talk. Called Tracy at Johnson Properties and she will email the contract for work and steps and terrace walls and along patio.
Meeting with Jan Augenstein to select committee chairman at Executive Committee meeting then excused Gale and discussed her contract renewal. No raise but perks. Diane Mault will investigate Marion Area Chamber of Commerce for health insurance coverage.
Chessie fully recovered. Slept on my lap while I watched tv.
Still no telephone service.

Monday, May 11, 2009
Chessie not on my bed when I awoke. or around when I ate and fed birds. Couldn’t find him until he appeared inside deck door about 4:00 p.m. He was listless and fur not smooth. To vets at 6:00 for his rabies and feline leukemia shots but woman that said no shots if he was sick. They gave him fluids and an antibiotic shot and more to give him at home. By evening he had eaten and jumped up on my lap. I think I was overly anxious. He is 14 years old. An Indigo bunting flew into big picture window and was killed.
Mowed for 3 hours- upper and front lawn- into woods and across road. Still have bare spots in new grass.
Info from Tracy- Johnson Properties that replacing railroad ties along patio would be $1,900. So by deducting that from total bid would leave cost at about $10,000. So I’ll contract them to do it. The Terrace originally cost $5,000 in 1983, paid from inheritance from mother.

Sunday, May 10, 2009
To Columbus by 1:00 to pick up Jed at his apartment in Townley building on town street. he drove my Prius to Cincinnati and we had a lively conversation. read to him from Day Before Yesterday left in car when Scott Spears returned it on maps and weather extremes. Cinnamon’s in Paulding County. at David and Karen’s at 1:00. David and Josh were laying up bricks on his wall by pools and garden railroad. toured his garden many colquitts Iris on front Bank gorgeous. Josh and Jed left to work on a car Josh bought Corvette. I chatted with Karen. call from Sarah. they had a flat tire and wouldn’t arrive until 6:00. Jed had fixed scalloped potatoes sweet potatoes onions Etc Jed brought pasta, Sarah a bundt cake, Karen baked ham, fruit plate of pineapple, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, mango slices. ate from 6:00 until 7:30. another Garden Tour Jed and I left at 8:25. got 51.6 miles per gallon. I was home by 11:15. 158 miles one way.

Saturday, May 9, 2009
62º windy
Shampoo and blow dry at 12:30 left so long $13. at Resource Center Jim Carpenter helped me research restaurant career of George Kasotis. it appeared under 131 South Main Street as Crist Key and Vine and Cafe George, the south unit of the Old Stone block circa 1830. So it could not have been built by Amos Kling who was born in 1833. I was told Florence Kling was born on the east side above store north of Schaffner’s Furniture, now gone.
Drove by the areas with Jim and then to Blaine Avenue (first Marion Hospital) where a fire yesterday killed two babies. He photographed with his camera (that he had said disappeared??). Cards in mail from Marcia thanking for hosta. Postcard from Nancy Earl with her photo of wild blue phlox and note from Jan Kennedy appreciative of last Sunday visit.