Things are going my way

I made a yummy pie with fresh local strawberries and rhubarb. My crust turned out perfect (that doesn't always happen). I use the recipe from Angry Chicken. We devoured it.

I am harvesting arugula by the arm full. It's so yummy in this salad.

We will be done with school tomorrow (yay!). Then we are taking a little mini-vacation before swim team starts up next week. 

I made it through The Hatfields and McCoys this weekend. It's worth a watch.

It rained last night which means I don't have to water the garden today. 

I folded a HUGE pile of clean laundry while watching Jane Eyre (for at least the tenth time). I love the part where he says:

 "I sometimes have a queer feeling with regard to you - especially when you are near me, as now: it is as if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly and inextricably knotted to a similar string situated in the corresponding quarter of your little frame. And if that boisterous channel, and two hundred miles or so of land some broad between us, I am afraid that cord of communion will be snapt; and then I've a nervous notion I should take to bleeding inwardly. As for you, - you'd forget me.”  

I bought a new camera- a Nikon D5100. I've been saving for months. (My old camera was a Nikon D40). The new one has mostly been sitting in the box. This is one of the few pictures that I have taken with it. I'm kind of scared to use it and maybe even feeling a little guilty for buying a new one. I haven't totally convinced myself that I'm keeping it. We'll see.

Happy Monday Friends.

winners

Random Number Generator picked #s 1, 3, 7, 9 and 16. 

So: Heather, April, Kristen, Jill, and Dawn are the winners. Please send me your print preference and your address. I'll send them out right away.

Thanks everyone for your sweet comments!

I'm running out the door. It's free friday at the museum! Field trip! Love to you all.

greenhouse

A few months ago we bought a greenhouse. It's been sitting on Carl's side of the garage where he normally parks. In boxes. Un-assembled. Sitting there. Unused. 

You see, I have this thing. My thing is that I HATE reading manuals. I never do it. Who can? Who has the patience for something like that? I wasn't about to attempt to put this greenhouse together "just by looking at the pictures." That would've been a disaster. 

I had to wait for this guy.

He is an expert rule follower/organizational maniac/manual reader. He also spends hours typing incoherent (to the average person) HTML coding on the back end of websites. Sometimes I just want to cry thinking about doing certain parts of his job. Tedious, and not for me. Guess we balance each other out. 

We got very serious last weekend and finally put it together. Ok. I'm taking a little too much credit. Really I just swooped in for a few pictures and then left again because Carl- ahem- does not excel in delegating. I got bored and gave up.

Pretty sweet huh? Yeah! Thumbs up Carl. Nice job. Who was I thinking that he was all needing my help? Besides, look at the pride on his face. How could I have robbed him of all that glory? You did it Dear. All by yourself.

We made an in-ground bed on one side. Any ideas about what I should grow down there? I'm kind of at a loss as to how we can utilize this thing in the summer. It would've been nice to have it earlier in the Spring when the weather was much cooler. Carl if you are reading this please do not take that as a jab. (Even though I sort of meant it as one.)

(planting mint)

Whoa mama. It. Is. Hot. In. There. So hot. It's like a giant bubble of hot steamy air. I was so sweaty. I'm thinking that next time I will skip working in the greenhouse right smack dab in the middle of the day (or any time that I would like my hair to remain frizz free-- humidity is not a good thing for me).

The kids love it and huddle in there to warm up after hopping out of the pool. Needless to say, that has not been going over very well with Carl.

The roof is self-venting. Somehow this little greenhouse is smart enough to open itself up when it gets too hot inside.

We pulled out some left-over seeds from seasons past and planted a few odds and ends. Right now there are a few marigolds sprouting. Later they will go in the garden for pest control. I also started some basil because the bunch outside in the garden box looks iffy. The greenhouse is also housing our peppers, one replacement tomato plant, and 4 pots of cilantro (which Laurel has eaten all the leaves off of already).

 I think it looks great. Thanks Carl.

Don't miss yesterday's post... there's a giveaway!