Those little plants you see are tomatoes and peppers that I started from seed indoors. (Pay no attention to all those nasty weeds. They will be gone soonly and covered with weed barrier and gravel.) I'm quite happy I've actually kept them alive all this time. I don't think I've ever grown anything from seed. There are also some beans and carrots planted in there, too. Not sure how they'll do though. (I used the short and fat variety of carrots because the bed is only 6 inches deep.)
I've also started cucumbers (pickling & slicing) and melons a few days ago indoors and some of the cucs are already sprouting! I soaked the seeds first so I'm thinking that's the trick. I'm determined to make the cucumbers work because it was quite the fiasco trying to find pickling cucumbers at the farmers markets around here.
And here's a new addition to our backyard family -- a Sunburst Honeylocust tree. A gift from my parents! I'm hoping it will grow super fast because we are in desperate need of shade.
I leave you with this little delight. It was in my backyard when I came home from Powell. My mom is the best :) Isn't the fat, little bird just so sweet?
What's your current obsession? Square foot gardening and trying not to obsess over calories yet still keep them in mind.
What's your weirdest obsession? I hoard quarters. I don't know why, but every time james empties his pockets of change he comes up missing quarters. I think it came from when I was a kid and my dad kept this huge change jar under his desk and every so often we'd get to sneak some change--of course, always going for the quarters.
What are you wearing today? green shirt with white polka dots, jeans, and flippity flops
Why is today special? Everyday has something special in it--I'm waiting to see what that is for today...
What would you like to learn to do? Yodel --I hear in runs in my mom's side of the family.
What's for dinner today? Hmmm...hadn't really thought about it, but most likely grilled chicken and veggies. Boring, I know.
What's the last thing you bought? Fish food & algae blocker for the pond, 2 red geraniums, and some other annuals I can't remember the names of - we had a gift certificate to Glover Nursery originally purchased at half price (It was $50 we paid $25) for Mel's Mix for my square foot garden. But they were out and informed me they will no longer be carrying it, thus the above purchases. Just in case you were wondering.
What's your favorite weather? Though I've certainly been craving the sun, I think rain is still my fave.
What's your most challenging goal right now? Debt reduction - thousands down, yea!-- much more to go, boo... and weight loss - 18 lbs down yea!-- much more to go, boo.
What do you think about the person who tagged you? She is quite a delight and watching her grow as a gardener/chef/wife/crafter/homeowner/etc. has been inspiring! I've know her for gosh...like 15 years or so and am fascinated with how much she loves people and large gatherings-- at a capacity I fall far short of.
What hobbies do you enjoy? Knitting, sewing, cooking, gardening, shrinky-dinking, learning guitar, soap making, painting...way too many if you ask james.
Favorite vacation spot? Anywhere with my dear husband away from the cares of daily life.
What would you like to have in your hands right now? Statements from our bank with big fat 0's in the "amount due" column on our car loan and credit card.
What would you like to get rid of? Allergies to fur
If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? To England to see Rolf and Nicole and to give Sophie a big squeeze.
What's your favorite thing about the city you live in? The quiet of the night and the big trees.
If you had $150 now what would you spend it on? Hmmm good question because I tend to spend my money on several little things instead of one large thing, but I guess that's ok cuz that wasn't really the question...oohhh I got it! A canopy for our back yard for instant shade! There is absolutely no shade back there.
Do you admire anyone's style? My friend Lisa has amazing style, both in clothing, decorating and gift giving. She's so fashionable and can get away with dressing in the trendy look without looking like she's trying to be a teenager again. Oh and I admire my friend Summer's style. It reflects who she is.
Describe your personal style. Hmmm these past few years I admit I'm rather frumpy. I'm just not wanting to invest in clothing or things for the house. Because of lack of fund-age and well again, it's a weight issue I guess. But if I had the money and the body I think I would dress and decorate more Bohemian-ish. I certainly don't dress everyday or decorate in the style that truly reflects me, but I've come to terms with it.
Who is someone your heart is missing right now? My grandpa Neu. I wish James could have met him.
What are three live shows that you have seen? Cirque du Soleil (a life-long dream fulfilled by my father-in-law), MC Hammer (with Nicole and my dad!), and Martin Sexton (with my james).
Now the rules of this tag:
1. Respond and rework. Answer the questions on your blog, replace one question you dislike with a question of your own invention.
2. Tag 7 other people you would love to learn more about. Here's mine:
We're back from our muchly anticipated, week long vacation to Lake Powell with our bestest friends Lance and Lisa (and the best vacation buddies). Here a brief recap and some pictures that just don't do it justice.
Lake Powell was well worth the scrimping and saving and calorie counting and the seemingly endless days of waiting for it to get here. Every time I go to LP, I am amazed by the beauty and grandeur of Southern Utah. God is quite creative when it comes to landscaping. What a treasure he has created.
Our first day was spent hauling stuff onto the boat and heading to our destination up the Escallante arm. We stopped in Willow Canyon for the first few days and then were in Davis Gulch the last few days. The heat was awful the first day. None of us slept. But by the next day our bodies acclimatize and it was great.
In Willow Canyon we found this ominous carved out cave with a sandy beach. It was pretty neat, but it felt rather depressing (due to it being in the shade for most of the day) and like something spiritually was not right in there. Lisa said she felt like she was inside and wanted to go out and play. I think it was just plain creepy. Maybe it was due the pirates who were camping there the previous night. They were deemed the pirates because they flew a pirate flag from their houseboat and had satellite dishes staked in the sand which were most probably obtained by pillaging the luxury boats of the lake-- I digress. Anyway, we stayed two nights there and left for Davis Gulch the next day.
In Davis we found the best spot. Great for floating on Queenie and Turtie (the names Lisa and I deemed our rafts) because the water was a bit warmer. It had a bit of a beach and a great place for "Cornhole"--an addictive, oddly named game that the L's introduced us to. Check it out here. I promise the link is safe.
After two and a half bottles of 50+ sunscreen, lots of good beers (though I only had 3 total the entire trip--the rest was consumed by my boatmates), many plays of the Conchords on the iPod, Cornhole challenges, star gazing from the top deck, getting caught up on the mysterious story of Everett Ruess who's body was found after missing for 75 years concidently just weeks before we arrived in Davis Gulch, several hints trying to convince Lisa that I do not dance and that I really had no desire to do a photo shoot after days of no makeup and grimy hair, many attempts of trying to get Sebastian to enjoy the water, soaking up the sun and fresh air, and just downright lazing about--I truly feel refreshed. A week away from the "matrix," as Lance would say, was worth it.
Here are a few more picts that I just can't leave out:
(Though he didn't enjoy swimming I think Sebastian dug his life jacket. He didn't seem to mind wearing it when not in the water.)
(I thought this was a cool picture. It's Lisa and I "dancing" around the fire. It was totally posed though. As stated above, I did not partake in the dancing. Lisa is the dance queen and I dare not attempt to match her skill.)
(This is how we all felt at the end of each day. A sign of good times with good friends in a good place.)
Yesterday my mom and I made a trip south to Provo to attend the Beehive Bazaar. It was fabulous! Though quite small, it was worth the gas money to get there. Finally a Renegade-ish craft shows in this state! And to my delight I picked up a flier that was advertising what seems like a similar show happening in SLC in August. It's called Craft Lake City. I am super WAY excited for that! I'll start saving my pennies now.
Back to the bazaar...I bought 2 things. Of course both bird themed:
The print is called "nestled" by Tanya Newbery of Gumball Grenade. I couldn't resist it because it reminds me of the warm, safe place under God's wing. The other purchase is a paper mache sculpture by Colett Yarro. I am really wishing I would have got the blue one instead of the green. There I go with differing to green again. You would think that my whole house was decorating in green birds. (it's not!) I think I will be banning myself from buying anything green or bird themed for a while.
Many thanks go to Halen for promoting the event :)
I tend to ebb and flow from needles to glue to gardening to fabric to music appreciation to watercolors to baking to soap making to... well, anything that can be made and creatively expressive... I love my life and my dear husband, family and those that surround me with friendship and most importantly my creator. In this space I chronicle my life adventures of everything above and probably more.
