The Garden is Planted!

Out of the 5 raised garden beds that we made, I have slowly been planting. Last night I finished planting the last bits. I bought 22 tomato cages and cut up many saplings to use as bean poles which we set in place.

We have 4 types of lettuce, rainbow swiss chard, carrots, radishes, collards, greens, kale, cabbage, and broccoli.

We ahve red and yellow onions, fennel, basil, cilantro, Armanien Cukes, burpless cukes, and regular cukes.

Sugar snap peas, Zennia flowers, butterfly weed, and sunflowers galore.

Over 50 tomato plants in all; grape tomatos, yellow tomatos, yellow pear tomatos, white and purple tomatos, stripped tomatos, and of course the reds.

12 different pepper plants; Hot peppers, sweet peppers, bell peppers, and too hot to eat peppers.

Three types of egg plant, spaghetti squash, yellow squash and zuccini. Miniture pumpkins will then fill in the corner of the fence.

These are the first bites from the garden.

At the end of the run, I took the starts of tomatos out of the Areo garden and potted them up in a basket of tomato goodies for Mrs. Brown, Pete's boss. In the basket she got crushed egg shells with instructions, fertalizer with instructions, and coffee grounds with instructions. It is so fun to share.

Pete then took a few tomato plants to his coworkers. A kind of bragging rights, I would say.

I am having too much fun with these gardens so far...lets see if I feel the same later in the summer. LOL

Fishin'

A weekend away from the daily grind. My hubby told the neighbor yesterday that "We caught a Mess of fish this past weekend". A mess of crappie, meaning well over 20. Mister Mister cleaned them and we packaged them in the freezer.

This coming weekend they are going down to cathc a MESS MORE. Which means:

FISH FRY soon!

Happy 15th Birthday to My Minion girl.

We went to the lake house for Miss C's 15th Birthday Weekend. It was very chilly all weekend, but no rain. That didn't stop us from having fun. We fished all weekend. Well, we also dug up a bunch of Iris from abandoned places.

Chelsie had no issues with kissing fish...

Nikki, would hardly let me get the fish near her...

We froze our bottoms off catching the crappie and this tiny bass.

Then we headed home ...

When we got home, I made her minion cup cakes.

Well, I don't bake but I can manage...lol

The only thing I would change, is to actually make the icing instead of store bought. The gel icing runs and the eyeballs sagged. LOL

The Tulip Chapter

This is the Tulip Chapter of my Photography. All of these pictures were taken in my very own yard.

What not to Crochet...

Not my work:

Photographs by Dean Kaufman.

I Yarn-Bombed This
An insatiable crocheter makes sweaters for bikes, teapots, and entire apartments.
By Wendy Goodman
Published May 1, 2011

OBSESSION: Crochet

Growing up in harshly cold, gray Ruda Slaska, ­Poland, Agata Oleksiak (now known solely as Olek) took creative refuge in colorful crafts, making bright Barbie clothes and the occasional crocheted hat. ­But it wasn’t until 2002, after moving to Greenpoint and teaching herself English by watching subtitled movies, that she picked up a crochet hook at the dollar store and her former hobby erupted into an obsession. Now an established artist—she’ll show at the Smithsonian in 2012—the 33-year-old Olek covers everything from mundane household objects to public sculptures to people in her loopy yarn confections. See someone riding the subway in a head-to-toe crocheted bodysuit? Chances are, he’s Olek’s latest canvas. Her largest installation to date is a fifteen-by-fourteen-foot studio apartment, wherein ­every wall, picture frame, television, and toilet is wrapped in its own custom sweater. Originally stitched in Olek’s own Park Slope apartment, the crocheted mini-universe is currently ­exhibiting at ­Christopher Henry Gallery in Nolita, where it will remain until May 28. The gallery’s assistant director, ­Jason LeBlond, confirms what you might have speculated about Olek, who is rarely spotted not wearing a crocheted cardigan or collar: “There is no separation between her art and her life.”

http://nymag.com/homedesign/spring2011/agata-oleksiak-2011-5/

Ta Da!

Mother's Day weekend we finished up the deck project!

Once we get the patio set I will take better pictures.
It is big and beautiful! We LOVE it!

May Day

May first is May day.

I never really knew about it till I met Dorothy Krich from apt 1801. She was a neighbor of Mom and Dads at the 1 bedroom apartment. She never missed a beat. 81 years old and was adorable and spunky. I am sorry I have not kept in touch with her. I think she is living at Georgetown apts and is 85 or 86. But anyway...

After Heather prepared me a random basket of baked breads in a jar and an arrangement of lilacs a week or so ago, I have wanted to return the favor. I was as giddy as a school girl romping around the yard clipping flowers and mint I have grown thus far. In a really cool tin container I lined it with a kerchief and wrapped one tomato plant and one mint starter plant that I placed inside. And in an old olive jar I stored for just the occasion, I arranged fresh cut mint and 3 tulips. My May Day (basket) present for Mitch and Heather. I wanted to drive it over last night but knew that it could wait a day.

Thanks to my flexible Monday's I was able to ride home and give it to her in person. I totally think that once a week I will try to share my goodies with my other friends too. It warmed my heart to prepare it and give it.

Happy May Day!