The Cullen Café

[Cally]

Moved from Lens thread:

  Lots of luck, Sara, on digging up those bulbs ! Am sure you know, you need to let the foliage die down, and that's in June/July, and then keep them dry until re-planting in the Fall. Also, I noticed King Alfreds and Mount Hoods, along with the other, better varieties. The point being, you are going to have bags of bulbs, after all those years, and they are too valuable to discard.  They haven't all been blooming because they were crowded. BTW, it's a great help to note what's where, now, before the tops die off.
 On the plus side, the extras (and there will be tons) can go back in the original sites, and you'll still have plenty to give to friends. But it's well worth it and am sure your mother would want this.
 [I know this isn't the gardening thread, but the photos were here  . And brought back the memories of having to do all of the above at my parent's home. It was like....triffids  ]

LOL at the triffids!  Thanks, Tony. As I said, I'm not much of a gardener - I love flowers, and am reasonably knowledgeable about them, garden and wild, but don't like doing it at all.  Luckily my husband does.  We won't actually be moving many plants or bulbs - we're going to a smaller garden, so most of them will be staying here - but I hope what we do take will like the new site.  It's under a mile away.

[tonydude]

  Well, Sara, your husband will know what to do, then, about the bulbs.  But like Jess said about the rhubarbs, they divide up easily and there's plenty to give away, leave behind, and take to the new home.
  Your hubby probably already knows, but, if there's too much clay or compaction of soil at the new home.....a little sand will make the soil better. Good luck!

[tonydude]

 Well, I've been gone 3 days, having a prolonged on-line computer repair, and am not sure it IS repaired, as it cut itself off once, which was what it was doing before.  I thought I'd pass along the experience, for those, like myself, not tech-savvy.
  The on-line repair sites (i.e. GeeksonSite) are mostly into making the sale, and they run their tech people ragged, so, it was a nightmare.  My computer was heavily compromised by Malware and viruses, and it took a while to clean them out, and even the deep disc clean-up.
 But, you can get nearly as good....for free. Sites like Quick Care, Deep Care, SpyBot, AntiMalware...they ALL have free downloads, and though you may have to wait hours for the scans, at least they are free. And it won't take 3 days  .  Also  McAfee sucks 

 Anyway, it turns out, you should ALWAYS have one of the free scan & repair sites downloaded. Also, never open unknown e-mails, cyber-gifts are heavily infected, opening ANYTHING as a gift on Facebook is trouble (it is virus zone central !!!).  Above all, the very worst attack comes from a warning supposedly from Microsoft or Windows, looking very official, that suddenly pops up saying you have dangerous viruses, and it is, itself, the worst virus. Close the window immediately.

 I've been on-line 4-5 hours, so far, so maybe am fixed.  The crash, or turn-off, may have been the repair people disconnecting.  But, fat chance  . The viruses probably did damage and it'll be months before I will go ahead and buy a new computer.  Am just going to post less, and limp along, until I de-grump and get back to the real internet, which stays....on  .

  I am puzzled though, about my Pictures folder.  All I have there is the photo icons, like you get when the power goes off. They usually then go back to photos, but not this time.  I'll work on that tomorrow, but, if anybody knows the answer, please feel free to suggest how to restore them.

 Meanwhile, this post is for the non-tech savvy, like myself.  Please don't even open e-mails from people you know if they have a paper clip document. Unless you have the very best safety scans.  Most viruses are fairly harmless, but, the internet is, frankly, worse than a doctor's office in the flu season.

[tonydude]

  I have my photos back  !!!!  And there were no crashes last night.  But, I don't think it will hold up.  There was a resistant something or other embedded in my Notebook folder, and I think that's the Big Bad one and am not sure if they got it out. Deep Disc clean found it, and I watched them delete it.....but, it's always dicey on these things.

  Anyway, I do recommend to those who want free, good stuff:  Spybot, and AVG (for social networking sites).  The repair services use them, so they must be good.  Also, the ones in my previous post.  You can google them, download, and just take the free version.

  I do think those of us who are not tech-savvy should never assume Windows firewall or McAfee, or others are enough.  It sure wasn't for me !!!!

[CellarDweller115]

Hiya Tony,

I can hear you regarding the viruses.  I had to take the computer to be cleaned twice.  Both times they had it for a day, and I got it back fine.  I haven't had any other issues since.

I have my email set up that any emails (even from friends) get scanned for viruses using AVG, and I have a spybot program I run as well.

Any emails in my bulk folder automatically get deleted without being opened, and ones from friends are opened with care.

[tonydude]

 Glad you got everything fixed, Chuck.  But I'd bet you got the new  security programs after laying out some bucks for the viruses  . It would be scary if it was before  .  Am glad you also use AVG...and, of course, they have a free program, as well as the ones that cost.
 Either way, you are NEEDED on the photo threads......so.....there would be general consternation if you went off-line too long......

p.s.  Your new FB avatar is....ok.  I just don't know why anyone would drop a perfectly good photo of themselves.  I assume we can see a return of the earlier....in time  .

[CellarDweller115]

Yeah, I didn't have AVG until after the cleaning took place, and the cleaners were the ones who installed it there.

Thanks on the compliment on my new, and old, FB avatars.  Yes, my old one will be back.  The new one is a protest, not sure that it's actually happening.  LOL

Supposedly FB removed some pics of same-sex kisses, so some gay members have put same-sex pics in their avatars.

Here is the full size pic I'm currently using.

[tonydude]

 ^^^^^ hmmmm..... let's see if they mess with it.  If they do, I would join the protest at this new policy.  Nobody is forced to see anyone's avatar, so that's just dumb. But I doubt I could get one of myself smooching anyone.  Lately, the closest I've been to that was the neighbor's chihuahua, and that came too close to a bite, so I backed off from the offer  .
  Stay firm, on the avatar, Chuck.  Very gutsy and rightful !

[CellarDweller115]

Well, maybe one day I'll get a pic of myself in a kiss like that, and just like you, the closest I've come recently is from my cat.

[killersmom]

I have been using the free AVG for about 4 years after several members here who are IT people and most IT people I know say this is the best one out there. Glad you are getting there Tony and that your pics are back.

[tonydude]

 Thanks, Linda !  Am keeping my fingers crossed, and hoping for the best.

  Meanwhile, in trying to catch up, I only lately saw about Chuck's Dad, and about the stress of your own move.  I wish you both well, and also, will try to find out what else I have missed. I loved your garden photos.  At least you can always have them, as memories.  Oh, good grief, if I get too sentimental, thinking about stuff like that, I'll be going off to play "Memories" from Cats.  When I am supposed to go watch "The Mentalist" 

 Anyway, thanks for also recommending AVG, Linda......so many just need to do this.

[killersmom]

You are welcome, Tony!
Moving is not fun, mainly when one hasn't found a place yet.

[Cally]

  at the cat and chihuahua kisses....

[tonydude]

 Sara, I guess it's better than nothing  .  Maybe I should get a dog.  A real one, rather than something of the the neighbor's folly.  Chihuahuas sort of vaguely resemble, well, rodents.  Not that there's anything wrong with rodents  ...just saying...

[CellarDweller115]

  Meanwhile, in trying to catch up, I only lately saw about Chuck's Dad, and about the stress of your own move.

Thanks so much!

Dad has been home since Wednesday afternoon, and is back to his usual self.  Doctor said that the colonoscopy found three polyps in his colon that the doctor removed.  We'll have results back from tests on them one point next week.  However, the doctors said that because of the radiation he went through for his prostate in February should have taken care of anything there.