Up, Down, And All Around

     Today has been a rough day for my mom. I don't know if the new diet is working better, or I'm more knowledgeable in how to deal with these days, but as far as it went, for being a bad day, it went rather well. This is one of those days, where I was several different people, and she would keep talking about going home. Then there are the moments when she talks about how she lived here when she was a little girl and would play behind the shed. It basically gets really weird for a day or so. I'm of course hoping that tomorrow goes better.

      I did get the other beam up for the pull-up bar, and it looks great. I should be able to use it tomorrow, but I have new idea to finish it off.

     I was originally going to make it a pit and then lay down some mulch, but I have new ideas for it that I think would make it look really good. The first idea is to make a raised deck. It would only be two inches up or so, but I would have to build a frame and then cut boards to fit around the beams. I also have an idea of taking all the dirt that's laying around and piling it up a little and packing it as hard as I can. Then I would get some brick type of pavers, to go around the outside borders of it as a step, and put 12 inch pavers on top to level it out. I'm really liking the paver idea, because I can get creative with it a little more. I didn't lower the bar, as you can see. I did a jump test, and I can reach it and grab it. I didn't do a full grab yet, because I need the cement on the other side to set first.

     After that was all up, we headed out to the local plant nursery to just look around. My mom wants to fill some old pots with bushes, and the plan was to go there and just look around. It's mostly a reason to get out and walk around a bit. It challenges her a bit from time to time, which she likes, and it gives her a new environment to see. I got her to go up some pretty steep steps today, and she handled it like a champ. They have this little inside area that has all the wind chimes, garden globes, and this doormat made out of recycled boat ropes, that I want to get for the back door. It's a great looking doormat, and dirt would fall through it, and not collect on it, like the mats we have out that door now. It's a little pricey so I can't get it now, and it isn't a necessity, so it's on the wish list. We did end up buying two plants. They were just too good to pass up. One is a shrub bush that flowers with these amazing royal purple flowers, and the other is this unique plant called a shrimp plant. When it blooms the flowers look like shrimp, so it's really cool. This is what the garden looks like now. The two new plants are on the right hand side. Dwarf Tibouchina (purple flowering shrub) is at the top in a new little area of it's own.

     The bottom picture is the Shrimp Plant. All those pods are buds that will bloom multiple flowers. It does look like one of the older plants is dying. I'm a little bummed about it, but I will just remove and replace it with one that will take better. I think it could have been the soap water mix I sprayed all the plants down with, to get ride of bugs on them. It may have killed that plant. That is the only one that looks that way, although the African marigold isn't looking to great either. That's the yellow flower that Morty crushed. It could be the combo of crushing and spraying. I did remove the broken stem today, so that it can concentrate on keeping the healthy part alive, so we will see if I saved it or killed it. This is all a learning experience for me, and a real fun one.

     As far as the garden goes. I'm done expanding it, for now anyway. I'm going to concentrate on what's already in there, and also on the appearance around it. I'm planning on expanding our little paver patio to go around to the front of the garden towards where the pull-up bar is. It will be a nice little chilly area. I need a minimum of 18 more pavers. Once I get those, I'm going to dig up the area and level the ground before placing them. Once those are in place, that is when I will make a final decision on the pull-up area. It all depends on how far the pavers reach to that area, on what I do .

     I only have one more full day of cardio every morning, reading, and drinking only water and tea. As I said before I will cut my cardio down to 5 days a week, I will still read daily, and I will probably only have a soda every couple of days. I'm going to start the new 100 day challenge on Monday. The guy who created it is starting tomorrow with his new 3, and they are going to be some tough ones. I think mine may be a little tough, but I think I can do it. The toughest is going to be the 10000 steps. I plan on writing the final update tomorrow morning and posting it in the afternoon on the website. I felt it was only fitting that I actually write it on the final day, an not a few days in advanced.

     I'm out for the weekend. I'll see you Sunday night. Peace in and goodnight.