Lazy Bullet Update

• My tallest pea plants are almost as tall as me and have blossoms!
• We start Phase One of Making My House NOT Look Like I'm Twenty And Just Moved Out on Saturday!!!
• This school quarter is almost over! Then I only have three more...until I enter the two year ultrasound tech program...
• My other plants are doing well, if a bit sporadic in their sprouting.
• I met my brother's baby's mom this past weekend. From the little time I had with her, I like her okay. We didn't click well enough that I'm disappointed they aren't together, but enough to be okay with her being the mother of my niece (like I have a choice, of course!)
• there isn't a whole lot more in my life that is exciting, so I think I'll end this post!
  

I wish for World Peas

Tonight I set up my pea planters!! I have two kinds, both pole type, meaning they will climb to about 6 feet. One of them is the edible pod sort, the other not. I planted some tonight, and then will plant more in 3 weeks, then again 3 weeks after that, to extend the time we have tasty peas to eat!

I went to the local nursery to get more bamboo and planters, and got some wonderful advice! I will definitely be going back.

My first peas should be able to be harvested in about 2 months! Wish me luck.

Monday Afternoon

I stand in my backyard, look around. In one corner, by the garden shed, there is a patch of tatty ivy around a still-dormant tree. Under the ivy leaves, not hidden well yet, as the ivy hasn’t had its spring growth spurt, are several broken cement pavers. In other places, I spot what looks like pieces of black electrical cord, and that’s what decides me. I pull on my gloves, and pick up the clippers, already grinning with the idea of cutting the ivy, clearing the space, cleaning up the wire, incongruous in the organic hodgepodge of sticks and leaves and pinecones.

I start to chop and pull at the vines, throwing them behind me to put in the yard waste bin later (next week, really, after it’s emptied. Probably should’ve waited…) I move slowly into the middle of the sprawl of leaves, getting closer to the fence with each step. Then I am at the tree, its many spindly trunks growing thinner as they grow taller, sending out multiple branches. I have no knowledge of the rules or art of pruning. I have no idea what sort of tree this even is. I pause for only a moment, then start clipping away, guided only by feeling: this branch is growing in a strange direction, this one hangs over into the neighbor’s yard (and it’s only good manners not the let that happen, right?), this one….looks wrong. I enjoy the…simplification of pruning the tree. I glare at the higher branches, irritated for a moment that I can’t reach them, then settle for simply cutting them off lower down, and then, grasping the cut end, turning around and yanking it out of the tree top an inch at a time, staggering forward as the branch pulls its way through the topmost parts of the tree.

I switch back to the ground, and pick up a piece of black electrical cord, only then realizing it isn’t cord at all, but a black stem from a leaf, long decomposed, leaving the dried stems scattered about. I look more closely at the other “cords” and discover that my quest to clean out the area of non-organic material, carried out by ruthlessly ripping out all the ivy, was based on false assumptions. I stand and think for only a minute, then continue my scourge. It was only an excuse anyway. I wish for a rake, to sweep smooth the several square feet I have de-ivied. Then I see it.

A small green shoot, visible only now that the darker more prominent green of the ivy is gone, reaches up toward the sky. Others jump out at me, and suddenly I realize the whole area I have just uncovered, recklessly stepping here and there while pulling at vines, is filled with some unidentified spring flower shoots.

Well, of course it is. That was my goal all along, you know….clear out the ivy so that the …daffodils…umm..tulips?...I mean crocuses??....can grow. Yep, that was the mission the entire time.

garden update

The picture above was taken a few days ago. The strawberry just beginning to turn red is the one below...I let Kaia pick it today before she left with her grandparents for a 3 night visit. It's our first ripe strawberry of the season! It tasted divine.

My blueberries are still growing...no blue ones yet, but there are several promising bunches...here's the one that has the biggest berries so far....

Strawberries

gardening (I feel I need quotes around that) update

Here is how my herbs and strawberries are doing. The basil on the left is obviously on its last legs, though I have no idea why...below you will see my NEW basil, bought today at Trader Joe's!

I realized I have still not even looked into recipes that have purple sage (second one on the left) and thyme (second on the right) At least they look pretty!

Here are two of the strawberry plants, showing off their blossoms and berries! I won't get more than a handful this year, but it's a start! Not bad for my first year, and with the only care I give them is sending Kaia out with water a few times a week....

Doesn't this basil look scrumptious?! It made the car smell awesome on the way home. This I have no doubts how to use, and no doubts about how often!! I love basil, mozzarella and tomato sandwiches...mmmmmmmmm...I just have to remember to plant it. Tomorrow, if I have time.

Do you know what this means?!?

This means BLUEBERRIES!!!!

These are blossoms on my blueberry bush!!!

So, if all goes well, blueberries will be next!

Finally got to plant with Kaia!

Yesterday Ben joined Kaia and I outside while we planted strawberries and herbs!

Here Kaia is, first mixing the soil and compost, then watering our finished task!

In the top planter there are two types of strawberries,
and in the bottom one, from left to right, is basil, purple sage, marjoram, and oregano.

Anyone know any good recipes with marjoram?

Today they decided to test the fire alarms here at our apartment complex. Now, as a veteran of accidentally setting off fire alarms, let me tell you I've heard some loud ones. The ones here? Are the LOUDEST DAMN ALARMS I've ever heard! And they didn't just set them off then be done. No, instead, testing apparently means setting them off randomly for 20 minutes.

So Ben and I decided to head down to the produce market near here and buy some veggies.

Instead! I bought herbs: oregano, thyme, marjoram, and....something else...and also strawberries! I also bought some potting soil and compost, but I already have pots. I am going to take Ben's high chair outside on the porch while Kaia and I have an impromptu gardening session this afternoon. I will take pictures and post them later!

drat...it was sunny all the way up to now...it's starting to cloud over...darn this weather! Doesn't the universe know I wish to have some mother/daughter time later?! I know I made the appointment....I think.....

Hope you all are having a wonderful Wednesday!

Ta-may-to, ta-mah-to, who cares, they are DELICIOUS!

Here is a tomato salad I made with the tomatoes and 3 different kinds of basil I grew! It was extremely tasty!! Kaia has been picking ripe tomatoes off the vine and eating them like apples. Tomatoes are definitely a staple crop around here now!

Garden Girl

Kaia's been awesome at helping me keep the tomatoes watered. Check out how big they're getting! And one even has some orange starting to show!!!!

TomaAYto! TamAHto!

Tomatoes!! They are here! In the close up, they look pretty big, but the biggest one is still only slightly larger than a large marble. But aren't they gorgeous?!!

Finally! I worked in my garden!

Here are my two tomato plants, after transplanting! The ladders aren't staying up very well, but they aren't completely falling over, so I have hope. Both plants were outside, but the wind is a bit strong for plants that have spent their whole lives indoors. I'll put them back out tomorrow for a bit. I also planted basil seeds around the base of each plants....one has Lemon Basil all around, and the other has Large Leaf Italian and Red Rubin Basil. Looking forward to taste testing!

Here are the first of the two kinds of strawberries....these are the Whopper, and I am very much hoping they are just ugly hibernators....one bag is Andrea's, one mine....

Here is the second set of strawberries...these are Delmarvel, and look much better, don't they? Again, one is Andrea's one mine. After a week or so I can hang them up and have trailing bunches of berries! That is the plan at least...

And finally, here are the lettuce mixes I planted a few weeks ago...not looking great, but there's still time. I didn't refrigerate the seeds first, like I did with the last batch, and so far that seems to have mattered....

Keep watch! I'll post pictures of each of these as they grow!

A good time was had

wow. I need to take a deep breath! Catching up on my vacation will be long.....ok...let's begin, shall we?

The trip was wonderful. We had a wonderful time, and it was really relaxing for all of us, though Mike's time was much shorter than mine and Kaia's.

The beginning of it wasn't full of any special news. Mom let me sleep in every (!) morning, which was awesome. I had my hair consultation on Tuesday, and Reiki on Thursday. Mom had actually practiced on me earlier in the week, and got rid of one of my really nasty headaches! Yay mom!!! Kaia and I spent some time with Tania on Wednesday, and Kathy and Bree on Thursday.

Friday was the wedding! Katie looked GORGEOUS!!!! I felt pretty cute in my own dress and newly straightened hair, and Kaia looked adorable in her floor length white dress and pink glitter shoes. The ceremony went off without a hitch, and the reception was a lot of fun. I wish I had gotten more time to talk to some people, such as Carol, but ah well. I did get some time with most people I wanted to. Couldn't drink any of the wine :-( but mom has saved me one of the left over bottles. Katie and James left Sunday for their honeymoon in Hawaii, and I so hope that went splendidly.

Mom said something funny at the reception, and I have to pass it on...(sorry mom!).
Billy Idol singing "White Wedding" started playing, and I was singing along and bobbing about, when mom asked who was singing. I told her, and she said ......ready??

"oh. I've never heard this song.....but then, I never listen to modern music."

hee hee.....still makes me giggle.

Saturday night we spent with Mike and Kathy, and Sunday (Bree is so freaking adorable!!!), after a yummy German pancake at Elmer's, we headed back up to mom's house.

Tuesday we drove up to Bellevue for the interview at the school we want Kaia to go to. It set Mike's mind at ease, and now he's really excited about it too. It's a Waldorf school...if you are interested, do a search and read about it. Very cool stuff. Keep your fingers crossed that we get in! (and that Mike gets a job over there!)

Tuesday we came home, and Kaia had a really hard time getting to sleep. She missed her Granny! She claimed she never ("never ever!") wanted to go to school again, she just wanted to be with her Granny, but this morning she was excited to show her new rocks to her friends.

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Casey keeps calling. There is no electricity over in the mall store. This sucks. AND the Internet guy is there to hook it up....

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So now I am back at work. Have already had a customer whose phone was turned off despite promises it would not be, and one who has a deposit. He said he could pay by check, which we can't do, so he said he'd run to the bank. He has not been back, big surprise.

My tomatoes are doing wonderfully! I need to transplant them into their forever home. They are making my bedroom smell like tomatoes, which I love, but Mike is skeptical about. All my new plants died, ran out of water....apparently I wasn't clear about the method of watering they required. ah well, no big deal to start them again. I have plenty of seeds. This weekend will be full of catching up on gardening stuff! Hopefully we can visit Andrea too....

Suggestion--should you ever find yourself in Vancouver, Washington, go to Sunrise Bagels on east Mill Plain. Try the Italian Eggel. (It's tasty on a cheese bagel, warmed...) You can thank me later. Preferably with Sunrise Bagel Gift Cards!

okay, enough wasting work hours. (love you John! and CALL CASEY!!)

A Perfect Saturday

Hello All!

Yesterday was wonderful! I felt great all day. Well, in the later evening I was tired, but the rest of the day was awesome.

In the morning Kaia and I met with Dana at Denny's for breakfast. Kaia wasn't the most well behaved, but it was a good time anyway. I really miss bacon! Since being pregnant it just doesn't taste good at all.

Then we came home and cleaned. I told Kaia that if she got her room clean, then after all the kids came over and trashed it, I'd help her clean it up. (not to say she wouldn't have her role in the trashing!!) Dana planned on coming back around 3:30 with Kayla and Adam, and Andrea said she was thinking of coming by with Liam and Katia.

Surprisingly, Kaia cleaned her entire room without being bugged about it once. I got a lot done too, even got the sheets on both beds changed and cleaned. Still full of energy, I got my tomato plants transplanted into their 2nd (of 3) homes, and then got all the stuff ready for starting some more seeds. While doing all that, Andrea and her kids showed up, then not long after Dana and her two.

The kids actually spent most of that time outside, which kept the house pretty clean. Later, after Andrea left, Dana and I came inside, but the mess still was kept to a minimum. I'm so glad Andrea and Dana met. It was so nice to have women friends hanging about, and all our kids running around...I felt so adult! ;-) and very content......

I started the seeds that are supposed to be started about 4 weeks before last estimated frost, which is sometime in April in this zone. Included were more tomatoes, a couple different basils, eggplant, lemon balm, and a few others. I'm so excited that garden season is starting! My first two tomatoes are in pots by my bedroom window, keep your fingers crossed they thrive! In a couple weeks, I'll be starting another batch of seeds.

Andrea's working hard on her garden too....much harder than I am! She and John have plotted out a large flat area on their property, the perfect spot I think--plenty of light. The grass there had been claiming that spot for a long, long time, so they had to rent a sod cutter, which broke twice. They've been busting ass getting the sod out, and the garden is going to be wonderful. I'm jealous they have so much space, but not jealous of the work they're doing! I can't wait to see it in summer, with all the vegetables and fruit bursting out of the ground.

Today I am not feeling so great. Very tired, and slightly nauseous, though not as much as before. I need to go grocery shopping, but really not enthused about being around all that food.....we really need it though. (cleaned out the fridge yesterday too! wow...that needed to be done!)

Kaia starts soccer tomorrow, and a new swimming session on Tuesday. I hope she likes soccer as much as she thinks she will. A year ago, she tried basketball, and she hated it. She's been begging me about soccer for years and I hope her dreams are fulfilled. In swimming, Katia will be in her class, and she can't wait to start. I hope they listen to the teacher occasionally....

I finally got our taxes done. The money we get back will be saved for when I'm not working. Mike and I discussed it, and we should have enough for the 3 months I'm at home before we move. Now the only worry is if he doesn't get a job.....but I'm not really that worried about that bit....he's an awesome developer.

I have given up on giving up coffee. I feel better when I drink it, and one cup of coffee a day is harmless, in my opinion. I'm working on eating well other than that, and I feel I'm succeeding for the most part. Last night for dinner we had salmon, acorn squash, broccoli and cauliflower. Quite tasty, and very healthy. Kai wasn't pleased about the squash, but I actually liked it. good thing....I have some acorn seeds that I'm excited about starting this fall.

ooo! Andrea just signed in....gonna say hi...


that's enough for now....have a wonderful week!

There's orange things in my loaf!

Feeling blah today. tired, mentally....restless, but without any energy to do anything about it. did get some housework done, but not as much as planned. I really wish laundry folded itself. I think when I can afford it, I will splurge greatly on a weekly maid type person and have them fold my laundry and put it away. and sweep and mop and vacuum. and wash the windows. I don't know. Maybe I'll decide that's too extravagant. maybe.

I wish I had another day off. I wish I could only work part time. It's not that I don't like my job, I do. I just want more time at home.

Gonna go to Goodwill at some point and look for jeans. If I can find some there, it'll save a lot of money. We got this semester's financial aid, so are doing a few fun things. Mike got some stuff he's been wanting, a new keyboard for his computer, some headphones. I am going to order all my seeds and plants for my garden!!! I am so excited about it. Andrea is ordering a bunch of stuff too, and we are sharing the cost of quite a bit of it, saving both of us a lot, since neither of us need a whole seed packet of most of it. Here is a partial list of what I am growing:

Peas
Beans
Tomatoes
Some herbs
Zucchini
Tiny pumpkins
Basil
Stevia (a sugar substitute)

More than that, but will post a longer post about it later.

I did manage to plan dinners for this week, which I didn't do last week. I like it so much better when I do, we actually eat balanced meals on time.

Kaia and Mike have tomorrow off, for Martin Luther King Day. They are going to go grocery shopping, and spend the day together.

We had a good weekend, spent Friday night at Andrea and John's, spent Saturday with them, and then just hung out today here at home.

Making meatloaf for dinner. Trying something new, I shredded carrot into it....we'll see.....

garden goal

1. figure out garden plan.
2. order seeds.
3. fill out google calendar for gardening.
4. follow through!