tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65068937760326692222024-03-05T22:47:44.486-05:00Piedmont Patio WitchI'm a Michigander transplanted from cold wet soil to red hot Piedmont clay - exiled from my acre to a patio garden and a couple community garden plots. But the medium doesn't matter - it's all about magic via seed and dirt;)Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247477979560861388noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506893776032669222.post-27307736105856935462012-04-15T12:50:00.000-04:002012-04-15T12:50:42.824-04:00One Frog in the PeasBut an otherwise unobstructed view.<br />
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Spring has sprung here in NC. Which, of course, means that it's in the 70s and 80s during the day, and still occasionally drops to freezing temps at night. Up here on the third floor, I haven't had to do much to protect my seedlings - I'm more worried about not watering them enough than seeing them perish to cold.<br />
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The boys and I went to Michigan for a week during spring break and, of course, had a marvelous time galavanting between the homes of various friends and family. My tolerance for cold has all but evaporated, but I must admit that unlike springs here in the south, spring in the ice box is much more a cause for celebration. Here, greenery more or less pops into existence. In Michigan, each new bud and bloom is revered and celebrated.<br />
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So, my patio is ready for a new garden season. Pots are scrubbed and shelves are cleared, and I need to start thinking about what I'm planting. There are a few plants still going, but most (even the perennials) managed to die because I forgot that, in the south, in the winter, on a patio, you must water all year round. Oops.<br />
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The what-to-plant debate has been further complicated by the fact that I don't know what to do about my community garden spot. The garden leader has decided to move me from last year's spot to a different one, and I object. I put close to $100 worth of soil improvements in my plot last year, and to have to start from scratch this year would SUCK. I've bemoaned the places' excessive rules and stupid policies before (and if the new plot the dude gives me is one that was overrun with mint last year, I'm really gonna be pissed). I object to the enforced "community building" crap - I don't want to be social, thankyouverymuch, I just need some dirt. And truth be told, my patio is plenty of work already. But oh, the sunshine my plants get at the plot... it absolutely can't be rivaled here.<br />
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Quinn misses roses. I can't do sunflowers properly on the patio. Or peppers. I should probably just suck it up, especially since I've already paid the $30 annual fee. Don't worry, I'll talk myself back into yet. But I think my irritation at losing last year's work is justified.<br />
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Tomorrow I think I'll be off to do some plant shopping and pick up some dirt. But today, I'm enjoying a mostly unobstructed view from the patio, in perfect weather, with a hot cuppa and the pumpkin bread I made last night. Life is good.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfO0EpYwDcbkLAV_ascDbEbPzfpqkzWfxu9OL9afXkDCeGQWaC-Rhi8wG_X1NOzdc-9iZNwuGyR3vw6VYwaM2_-I3kal30M0E-ienZV7amg9iIJYhgRFXzvAHP77qT2mz27GonmgYFc44/s1600/peas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfO0EpYwDcbkLAV_ascDbEbPzfpqkzWfxu9OL9afXkDCeGQWaC-Rhi8wG_X1NOzdc-9iZNwuGyR3vw6VYwaM2_-I3kal30M0E-ienZV7amg9iIJYhgRFXzvAHP77qT2mz27GonmgYFc44/s320/peas.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247477979560861388noreply@blogger.com1Huntersville, NC, USA35.410694 -80.84285040000003235.3585045 -80.946988900000036 35.4628835 -80.738711900000027tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506893776032669222.post-82861806163799463862012-01-07T11:33:00.000-05:002012-01-07T11:33:37.902-05:00Well, that didn't last.Wow, what a blip on the radar that was. Two glorious months of working in a fun, creative organization and then *whack*... the ax fell. I sort of saw it coming, but I'm still devastated. I've never been fired before and I find the experience more than a little uncomfortable.<div><br />
</div><div>So, the full facts: I accepted a full time position at a local community theatre as the marketing and development manager. On the first day, when I thought we were going to hammer out the deal, I asked two things - that my schedule could be 7-3 and that I could have my son in with me for a few hours in the morning before I dropped him off at preschool. The executive director agreed.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Then I started noticing some things. First, the place has the highest turnover rate of any organization I've ever worked for. Besides that part-time artistic director, who also works for a school, the most senior staff member worked there for less than a year. All of the other staff seemed to be going through a revolving door. Second, I discovered that the board (which is supposed to govern and support the funding efforts of a nonprofit) wasn't a governance board at all - it was a nose-in-the-details board. </div><div><br />
</div><div>So, to make a long story short, first the board told me not have Quinn in there in the mornings. They cited liability issues, which of course is crap. (I worked in the office, not in the theatre.) They said they were afraid he'd break things. (Also crap - he's nearly 5, not an infant, and sat and watched movies on the iPad and colored for the two hours we were there alone in the morning. Besides, if that they were that worried, I could have signed a waiver.) But I wanted to keep my job, so I said whatever and asked my friend to watch him in the morning. This was one month into my job. It should be made clear at this point that a) my executive director (the one actually in the office) liked Quinn and didn't care if he was in the office, and b) I had never actually met the board members, with one exception.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Then, a month later, I get an e-mail when I'm on vacation that they have had it with my 7-3 schedule and want someone there 9-5. </div><div><br />
</div><div>First, what the hell?! I'm on vacation! And they new about this BEFORE I went on vacation and let me spend the crazy amount of money it cost to go! Was it a tactic to avoid confrontation? Seriously, who doesn't explain the situation before someone blows $600 on a trip to Michigan?</div><div><br />
</div><div>Second, at this point, I feel the board is nothing but a bunch of bullies. I stand my ground. I say that's not the deal, that's why I chose the job whose pay is crappier and has no benefits over another job with better *everything* except hours, and I feel on principle I should be there when my kids get home from school. </div><div><br />
</div><div>A week of torment later, I'm fired.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Good thing I've still been working for Jean this whole time. She's positively delighted my hours for her are going up. I'll go back to working at home, tending my gardens, and cooking more. It's not financially sustainable in the long term, but it will save me the cost of finding summer time child care. I'll start looking again near the end of summer, and make sure before I even go in the one the first day that my schedule is flexible, and I can be home by 4.</div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247477979560861388noreply@blogger.com2Huntersville, NC, USA35.410694 -80.84285040000003235.3585045 -80.946988900000036 35.4628835 -80.738711900000027tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506893776032669222.post-3999961535914489882011-10-31T01:50:00.001-04:002011-10-31T01:54:02.692-04:00WARNING: Not about foliage!Here we go, life full throttle... I've done it now!<br />
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I've accepted a new job.<br />
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A new, full-time, job.<br />
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And I'll still be doing work for my old one.<br />
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*gulp*<br />
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When we moved to NC, I had a plan. Big boy is in second grade. Little boy is in preschool. I was going to stick it out as development director for my Michigan agency (delegating the face-to-face stuff to a newbie) for as long as they would have me (which I figured would be about a year). I love my work for CTC and being able to pick up boys from school (the first at noon, the second at 3:30) and never have to worry about daycare or transportation or any of the unfortunate side effects of being a 9-5er. I figured that even though my hours would drop, the increase in Matt's salary would make it up. <br />
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First, we discovered that an extra ten grand for him didn't actually mean bigger paychecks. Loss of teaching opportunities plus higher health care costs actually mean several hundred dollars a month LESS. Then, I got bored and lonely. I started to make friends through fellow moms, but I was still stuck in my little apartment far too many hours of the day. Even the delightful work I did for my agency lost its luster as the opressiveness of being stuck in isolation day after day worked its unhappy mojo on me. I was bored, broke, and facing the prospect of not being able to go home for Christmas.<br />
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So, I started looking for a new job. I wasn't really earnest about it. I scanned craigslist, felt out the local nonprofit network, and updated my resume. But when our savings ran out, we got in real trouble. Haven't-paid-my-student-loans-in-months, can't-replace-bald-tires-so-won't-pass-inspection, have-to-borrow-cash-from-mom sort of trouble.<br />
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I got really motivated:D<br />
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I applied to about 15 places which resulted in four outright rejections, three false "we'll get back to you"s, two pre-screens where I didn't make an interview, three actual interviews, and two second interviews.<br />
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Considering the economy, I considered this pretty good for a month's worth of effort.<br />
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Finally, an agonizing week after both second interviews, I got an offer!!! (Frankly, I'm still expecting the other place to give me an offer, but I won't be sad to turn it away.)<br />
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The new place seems like my kind of environment. I can't give details yet - I start Wednesday and I want to give the folks a chance to call the other candidates. But it's flexible and fun and full of creative potential. The pay is frankly kinda crappy, but I'll take crappy pay and high flexibility over awesome pay and long hours/zero flexibility any day. Also, I'll still be able to work for CTC, so I'll supplement my income and keep the promise I made to myself to not leave them hanging.<br />
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But, now I have to work out the kinks. The transportation and child care and making sure all the little details come together. Like, adding an extra day of preschool and making sure the mom who offered to watch him in the afternoons REALLY wants to do it. But I imagine the sleep I'll lose over sorting out the details won't compare to the sleep I've lost over being negative in the budget every month.<br />
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Hurrah for progress!<br />
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Back to our regularly scheduled program next time, when I'll probably rip out most of my summer plants and pop in kale and spinach and daffodils:DSummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247477979560861388noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506893776032669222.post-55702240021231804872011-10-03T10:03:00.000-04:002011-10-03T10:03:29.415-04:00It's Cold!I woke up yesterday, and suddenly my warm happy place had taken a turn for the chilly. It was 60, and I wore a long black sweartshirty type skirt and a long-sleeve shirt - laughing at myself for adjusting too quickly to North Carolina's climate. <i>Christmas in Michigan</i>, I thought, <i>is going to suck!</i> <i>We'll be those funny people dressed to the nines in sweaters, scarves, double layer socks....</i> oh wait, I was like that anyway as a native!<br />
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Then I woke up this morning, windows open, to a lovely 41 degree day. <br />
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What the heck! This is supposed to be the South! The fact that it's supposed to hit 70 later today isn't much comfort. It's autumn in the South. The whole next week is supposed to be like this - 40s in the evenings/mornings and 70s in the day. Once I dig out my wool socks, I'm sure I'll find it quite enjoyable;)<br />
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So, this means that I have to deal with the plants on the deck. I have a number of semi-tropical plants out there, like Swedish Ivy and Kalanoche and Patchouli. I suppose I should bring them all inside, but I already have lots of houseplants. Guess I'll find room!<br />
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Another thing I'm not sure about is what plants are perennial in this climate. I love my Datura plants, despite their toxicity. (I keep them on the rail in the back, away from pets and kids.) Are they perennial here? Makes me not want to pull much out! Guess some reasearch is in order:D<br />
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Anyway, off to do some work. I have lots of photos from summer gardening adventures, but I haven't downloaded any since July. Once I hunt down the SD cards, I'll upload and backdate them. And for a parting shot - my lovely double-blossomed white Datura!<br />
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I haven't visited either of the community gardens in<strike> days</strike> um, <strike>a week</strike> well, <strike>before hell came to visit Charlotte</strike>... wait, I when was the last time I watered Cook CG? There has been some rain, but... shit. I bet all my carefully cultivated stuff is dying. <br />
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A craptastic side effect of being too much of a coward to leave the safety of air conditioning. Even to save my tomatoes and pumpkins and beans and luffas.<br />
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I just can't go out there.<br />
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I haven't left the apartment in two days.<br />
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At least Assurance CG has automated sprinklers. Now that's community for you! Why doesn't Cook have them?! <i>Curse, mumble, groan, unfair rambling</i>... (It's the heat. I promise I don't mean it.) <br />
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My parrot window thermometer says it's 99 degrees right now. I think I'm being lied to, or the thermometer is in denial. Wunderground's "Most Cloudy" thumbnail mocks me with his false predictions of protection from the soul-sucking sun and his orgasmic pleasure at frying my kids like tiny pink shrimp on urban parking lots and sidewalks. <i>"Sorry kiddo, we can't practice rollerblading today. Mr. Sun is in his happy place."</i><br />
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On top of a heat advisory, we have an "air quality" advisory. The air is poisonous?!?! Oh wait, that's nothing new either. If that annoyingly cheerful yellow exclamation hadn't popped up on my weather advisory <b>every day since the summer started</b>, I might have started paying attention to it.<br />
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Sheesh.<br />
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Break out the gas masks and arm yourselves with inhalers and ice cubes... we're going to visit a museum!Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247477979560861388noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506893776032669222.post-66478438871988642832011-07-15T23:28:00.003-04:002011-07-15T23:38:21.006-04:00The Oasis (From the front and side, as of July 1st)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DLwJ2RnSErELiymHO18MLba-8qsrs7jC70QU46Ru0bzABAuFY-w9QChftJnqsLV1SshzeWLSCyk2ekS83FM8zNaTlvMI-jpvv_QOoUbmkhm_CD2BcoL0DjJiBSjW8nUeGuBJvoyUWc0/s1600/patiofront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DLwJ2RnSErELiymHO18MLba-8qsrs7jC70QU46Ru0bzABAuFY-w9QChftJnqsLV1SshzeWLSCyk2ekS83FM8zNaTlvMI-jpvv_QOoUbmkhm_CD2BcoL0DjJiBSjW8nUeGuBJvoyUWc0/s320/patiofront.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuuUDbJg5GTRdQx5I4bVt6Fn0C0J4q7VoXq53zVGcdBLG6JzHH772GGi0lpUIWoNaElKkvFXhgi-n5IazVJmoCBJwLCPRKGDIRhrQ3poyvw2aXbeToa8OFan3SjOR3OxJ9VJoGyszsOEQ/s1600/patioside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuuUDbJg5GTRdQx5I4bVt6Fn0C0J4q7VoXq53zVGcdBLG6JzHH772GGi0lpUIWoNaElKkvFXhgi-n5IazVJmoCBJwLCPRKGDIRhrQ3poyvw2aXbeToa8OFan3SjOR3OxJ9VJoGyszsOEQ/s320/patioside.jpg" width="214" /></a> Sometimes I see people stop and look gap-jawed upwards toward me. The first time, I thought I'd accidentally wandered out into the sidewalk-line-of-sight part of the patio in my skanky summer night gown sans bra. (I often hang out on my patio in skivvies, but usually am careful to stay out of random jogger's field of vision.) But it didn't take me long to realize it wasn't me. Or, perhaps, wasn't<b></b> <b>just</b> my rolled-out-of-bed scariness. Patio gardens like mine are actually pretty rare in this stark apartment community of mine. Three floors up, The Oasis stands out as a lovely bit of greenery in a sea of white washed empty patios. You'll occasionally see bikes hanging from racks, or an odd pot or two, but usually nary a vegetable or bird feeder is to be seen.<br />
<br />
One day on my way back from somewhere, I decided to stop and gawk, putting myself in the shoes of tidy dog-walkers whose patios were are as barren as the Sahara. (OK, so I was plotting <b>exactly</b> exactly where I could hang out less-than-kempt without being seen.) I took some photos for good measure. This was a couple weeks ago, and things have since grown and been moved, but you get the idea.<br />
<br />
I wish more people would hop on the bandwagon. That way I wouldn't risk getting gawked at in my garden-witch-just-rose skivvies, watering and drinking tea, when a random jogger happens by.<br />
<br />
Or maybe they're just afraid of geting in trouble for putting holes in the wood. Ooops. I didn't think about that. (No, really, I did. I just don't care. :D)Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247477979560861388noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506893776032669222.post-80658472345303073642011-06-27T17:54:00.004-04:002011-06-27T18:34:07.898-04:00You know your neighbor is a witch when...<b>Thirty sure-fire ways to detect paganism without having to resort to a dunking stool or wart-inspection.</b><br />
1) She never puts any trash out on collection day. I mean, re-cycling and composting is fine, but you can take it too far.<br />
2) All the stray cats in the neighborhood tend to congregate in her garden (and use your own as their litter).<br />
3) Doesn't cut down the weeds in her garden; in fact it looks more like she's cultivating them.<br />
4) Footprints on the roof. And the trees in her flight-path have been pruned down. I swear it's true!<br />
5) She can't even make a simple sandwich without adding fresh herbs to it. And don't ask her for a cup of tea unless you want something yellow colored and smelling of flowers.<br />
6) When you pop next door for a chat, the kettle is always already on.<br />
7) Has a pond full of frogs (and you haven't seen that bothersome double-glazing salesman around for a while).<br />
8) She's always smiling, darn her!<br />
9) Her house always smells of incense.<br />
10) Frequently gets raided by the drug squad who confiscate large amounts of dried green leaves; they always return them with apologies after analysis.<br />
11) Christmas, it seems like half the garden has been moved into the house.<br />
12) You sometimes hear the sound of singing and dancing through the wall. If you look out of the window, it is usually a full moon.<br />
13) She was given a bodhram drum for her birthday. And she plays it at midnight in the fields. And she's got a blasted tambourine.<br />
14) You catch her washing a crystal ball along with the dishes.<br />
15) Irritating tendency to hum a lot. What's she got to be so happy about, huh? <br />
16) She has a tame robin that will eat from her hand in the garden. That can't be natural.<br />
17) Never catches a cold, even though she walks barefoot most of the time. In the snow as well.<br />
18) Doesn't kill spiders. Not even big hairy long-legged ones that suddenly appear from the waste-pipe whilst you're having a bath.<br />
19) She listens to what you are saying like she really cares.<br />
20) She has lots of female friends who come round every few months. When you ask what they get up to, she tells you that they just have cakes and ale and a good natter.<br />
21) You catch her hugging a tree.<br />
22) She has a mail-order account with a semi-precious gem wholesaler.<br />
23) She makes jars of quince and mandrake relish for the Women's Institute coffee morning jumble sale.<br />
24) You ask to borrow a pack of cards for an impromptu bridge evening, and there are 78 in the pack.<br />
25) You ask her for suggestions for nice walks in the area, and they all go by way of stone circles and strange earth mounds.<br />
26) There aren't any mirrors in her house. Or clocks.<br />
27) The garden doesn't only bloom in daylight.<br />
28) When she says her house is protected by fairies, you believe her.<br />
29) The Jehovah's Witnesses never call (not anymore; not after the last time :-).<br />
30) Keeps the local scented-candle shop solvent.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW7nhuDAEIaFPGlNESCfqCaPYezBw4h1tyvdwvnWdZgF-zAXEMMxoeLC3YRROlgJZmntHPZD_QDMcoIGms0ySFa1bsBvejv7LxELti2dk6MyBKk2hb3scvecNud8JcBsFVgroJzRg5q_A/s1600/Mug+A+Happy+Witch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW7nhuDAEIaFPGlNESCfqCaPYezBw4h1tyvdwvnWdZgF-zAXEMMxoeLC3YRROlgJZmntHPZD_QDMcoIGms0ySFa1bsBvejv7LxELti2dk6MyBKk2hb3scvecNud8JcBsFVgroJzRg5q_A/s1600/Mug+A+Happy+Witch.jpg" /></a></div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247477979560861388noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506893776032669222.post-43371474071874155212011-06-22T15:51:00.003-04:002011-06-22T16:00:36.852-04:00A Sudden Charlotte Hail Storm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MvzzINzrA7TjZ-tGMiYubyLqGuzBNz-zF1Eoax0eQAv3KaGO4ydh0UL60ezVGqHRGyIqp1T6v__32qkFgVP4vLwiUcJjEnkxH84-j-oSPBs1P5ShZkLo2RxdraLxSBZNfnoPF1P_O9U/s1600/hail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9MvzzINzrA7TjZ-tGMiYubyLqGuzBNz-zF1Eoax0eQAv3KaGO4ydh0UL60ezVGqHRGyIqp1T6v__32qkFgVP4vLwiUcJjEnkxH84-j-oSPBs1P5ShZkLo2RxdraLxSBZNfnoPF1P_O9U/s320/hail.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6hm3n5BWWxSMUEMnImdgC6XSl2RCxRWWXPMhPmuC7NPJYIrqcrpSRWmW04XeBQIRWuS5KSxw2LnRfKY7fU30HWYNJ6fZfymRPUNJli51UkeRlbyjqqv4cUGSWq33dIgP0RnVbxBE5jyQ/s1600/DSC_0160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6hm3n5BWWxSMUEMnImdgC6XSl2RCxRWWXPMhPmuC7NPJYIrqcrpSRWmW04XeBQIRWuS5KSxw2LnRfKY7fU30HWYNJ6fZfymRPUNJli51UkeRlbyjqqv4cUGSWq33dIgP0RnVbxBE5jyQ/s320/DSC_0160.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5NkIHhjAqrSh97wgHlIViLzvVnoU5TIoHemubU8bbMk0vZCzGWhErsE8wPngrzwHc-o9LqdxyGYYvJcHsaQPGTXJRQuxJKCRSQaCIbInsYu3SWk7raZJxGgXLc5MQ9DPNx9ARDOuGkk/s1600/DSC_0161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5NkIHhjAqrSh97wgHlIViLzvVnoU5TIoHemubU8bbMk0vZCzGWhErsE8wPngrzwHc-o9LqdxyGYYvJcHsaQPGTXJRQuxJKCRSQaCIbInsYu3SWk7raZJxGgXLc5MQ9DPNx9ARDOuGkk/s320/DSC_0161.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #0b5394;">Charlotte rainstorms are quite different from what we're used to in Michigan. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Michigan thunderstorms are lovely things, usually coming at dusk with sudden spikes of impressive lightening and loud clashes of thunder that never fails to shake windows and scare small children and cats. They come in the summer, not overly frequent, but usually impressive and longish lasting.<br />
<br />
Here in Charlotte, they seem to slink towards us, either battered and beaten by the might of the mountains, or having already taken all their rage out on the wide open ocean.<br />
<br />
They show up with thunder and darkness and sparks in the sky, rage for a few minutes to a half hour, and go away as quickly as they show up.<br />
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They're also frequent visitors. We have storms every couple of days, keeping the hot days from turning into hot nights, and keeping the Piedmont clay from getting too crispy.<br />
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So far, we enjoy the hail storms the best. The boys love hanging off the patio trying to catch the hail. Plus, it's fun catching ice on what was a formerly 80 degree day.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOjmOMOJ5qiSXvNkwN9DcXuX5I3omC-wBiNOQnUvvwUZE26U-qt-6O6rSfBSsXTMAO6iyexDmcAiKwbWPYt2R5rMyfQ9OxcznD_g4bxL5vS5RJ2KDPQ8WnVQXIvNxPPMV81l5k8WXrn2w/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-06-22+at+3.58.36+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOjmOMOJ5qiSXvNkwN9DcXuX5I3omC-wBiNOQnUvvwUZE26U-qt-6O6rSfBSsXTMAO6iyexDmcAiKwbWPYt2R5rMyfQ9OxcznD_g4bxL5vS5RJ2KDPQ8WnVQXIvNxPPMV81l5k8WXrn2w/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-06-22+at+3.58.36+PM.png" /></a></div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247477979560861388noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506893776032669222.post-90603201163453866092011-06-21T20:25:00.001-04:002011-06-21T20:41:08.306-04:00Back From a Chilly, Rainy Week in MichiganThe boys and I went back to Michigan last week to hang out with my brother while he was home on leave from Afghanistan. It was a lot of fun, chillin out in my old hometown with the fam, cooking out and drinking. Of course there were other activities thrown in as well - I went to work, hung out with a couple other relatives, etc.<br />
<br />
One of the things I wanted to accomplish was moving some of my more meaningful Michigan plants from the old house to my boss/friend's yard, where they could flourish until I have a place for them.<br />
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There are a lot of plants in here, including several roses, a big mountain daisy bush in the middle, chives and mint that are a couple generations old, winter and summer savory, lemon balm, lillies that my mom planted decades ago - representing a bouquet of flowers my dad bought her when he was deployed over seas, borage, and a few more meaningful plants.<br />
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I didn't have a camera, so I used the crappy one on my phone to take some shots.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHN3E6v__Ul_m0y9ZM3FccRX5j818FglItfxepE_zFi4fLsPqy9vCCFB30WjMnsncrMtf4RQK8aWoTHsUnMvFLQ3uHJf55mCeKFGyZp8BZVZfxuH1dwOFkuGGMnZAFxnYgakVVrFokS5E/s1600/IMG_0836.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHN3E6v__Ul_m0y9ZM3FccRX5j818FglItfxepE_zFi4fLsPqy9vCCFB30WjMnsncrMtf4RQK8aWoTHsUnMvFLQ3uHJf55mCeKFGyZp8BZVZfxuH1dwOFkuGGMnZAFxnYgakVVrFokS5E/s320/IMG_0836.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xi7pp17l8B-XsEs3cO8zSP1a7q5owuTjefBW9IMCb6o08k67FYpcyu_tc8RU84kRMLtVETmX61bvZ3g8eBy_2Pnupnyw_5WSzJM31gexe-FO-Wqk_f6YOk3dmIX5Mo57QVeRKuqMPe4/s1600/IMG_0837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xi7pp17l8B-XsEs3cO8zSP1a7q5owuTjefBW9IMCb6o08k67FYpcyu_tc8RU84kRMLtVETmX61bvZ3g8eBy_2Pnupnyw_5WSzJM31gexe-FO-Wqk_f6YOk3dmIX5Mo57QVeRKuqMPe4/s320/IMG_0837.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj567zxp3UgeMRi1syBWInaExxu9EOUhLYITdeS0ZuTxuoqqTvmjAxSySyLQcbwMtFgOkWJy2OPSBTc4v8OAiQrzMOq_zNps9nd9aJbcE665Htb6Uyl_yx4orXLhZpM81uuP4cGoVWouJ4/s1600/IMG_0838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj567zxp3UgeMRi1syBWInaExxu9EOUhLYITdeS0ZuTxuoqqTvmjAxSySyLQcbwMtFgOkWJy2OPSBTc4v8OAiQrzMOq_zNps9nd9aJbcE665Htb6Uyl_yx4orXLhZpM81uuP4cGoVWouJ4/s320/IMG_0838.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOO4scrbs6KM_tmHPH2iXOF3c3kQXRZ0NENwqNpdwYBKvpHbYt73lr51N6QwR-NZGCC-uM6uCntKOheetAZNnWiycnvfPH1O3IpumVaCS94YZZXH0B0cz4gjPbMQd8Lz3_1AOtDqvGdrc/s1600/IMG_0839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOO4scrbs6KM_tmHPH2iXOF3c3kQXRZ0NENwqNpdwYBKvpHbYt73lr51N6QwR-NZGCC-uM6uCntKOheetAZNnWiycnvfPH1O3IpumVaCS94YZZXH0B0cz4gjPbMQd8Lz3_1AOtDqvGdrc/s320/IMG_0839.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I bet this spot will be gorgeous in a few years. *sigh*<br />
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<br />
<br />
I miss my garden! But I'm determined to get over it and move on. What else can you do? <br />
<br />
I was out digging in pouring rain in a blue and gold dress, surrounded by poppies and roses and flowering sage and irises and so much more flora that I had spent hundreds of dollars and hours coaxing out of cold Michigan mud, feeling sorry for myself, when my neighbor friend came over. She told me I looked like a garden fairy. We chatted and laughed in the rain, and I offered plants like I have for years.<br />
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At least my mark on Grand Rapids isn't doomed to degenerate into wildness forever, given that at least half a dozen yards in the place have blooms originating from my tangled collection. That makes me feel a little better:)<br />
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A few last shots from my former Leonard St. garden.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUOSzVzWMDkOtXRmJ0JgPPreks26QryqKMPxoKbR-2e_peVrokoKewDyFSu9Ehyphenhyphen99Zs9wGij700fSn0wx40AGVlL7R4yZZPi0Jf6WBptEitQZKrxsXddUOPjarsGCfKA_0FA6dGRfbIt0/s1600/IMG_0833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUOSzVzWMDkOtXRmJ0JgPPreks26QryqKMPxoKbR-2e_peVrokoKewDyFSu9Ehyphenhyphen99Zs9wGij700fSn0wx40AGVlL7R4yZZPi0Jf6WBptEitQZKrxsXddUOPjarsGCfKA_0FA6dGRfbIt0/s320/IMG_0833.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUfuOZjFHqYT_sQrS6NBOHgDHbLVDMNXk5cW6iSHWI-NTbWjS9AheAAMD6nvWePro6ay48qE1ShNXcO-tA5Q8MsW0r0_clCOY6Rl5CZ4B9t54G8K2CzVoltwCDxSrQn-zeqxQlSGmcfE/s1600/IMG_0834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUfuOZjFHqYT_sQrS6NBOHgDHbLVDMNXk5cW6iSHWI-NTbWjS9AheAAMD6nvWePro6ay48qE1ShNXcO-tA5Q8MsW0r0_clCOY6Rl5CZ4B9t54G8K2CzVoltwCDxSrQn-zeqxQlSGmcfE/s320/IMG_0834.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_uBL6Bb3q9ym3uQWTUkvg-ZewyXT1Iu_kM1PALcLUCyKQ5Lh-rve9Ng8wi2ksYwm0Yf9AGnv0RBbn3MUNa_qJDGTaRlwWIFObq7RwD4_buGfLjpW6P_BmXuRHFT9w7t3wZ9kluks6tgI/s1600/IMG_0835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_uBL6Bb3q9ym3uQWTUkvg-ZewyXT1Iu_kM1PALcLUCyKQ5Lh-rve9Ng8wi2ksYwm0Yf9AGnv0RBbn3MUNa_qJDGTaRlwWIFObq7RwD4_buGfLjpW6P_BmXuRHFT9w7t3wZ9kluks6tgI/s320/IMG_0835.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247477979560861388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506893776032669222.post-21451684978201107792011-06-09T21:35:00.002-04:002011-06-10T08:03:33.991-04:00How to Make Perfect Patio Bird Bath<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I'm not a famously patient person when it comes to getting things done. When I decide that I want something, I either buy it (not very often) or make it (my preferred approach if I have the ability, tools, and parts). So last week, when I decided I needed a birdbath, I did some quick research to see what was out there for patio birdbaths. There were some I liked, but I could only laugh at the cost. So I set about to make my own.<br />
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And it turned out to be incredibly easy! And cheap! So in case you're so inclined, here was my process.<br />
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Disclaimer: I'm a jewelry maker, so I have tools and decorative chain on hand. But if you don't, don't let that stop you. Use whatever you have in tool boxes, junk drawers, and n the back of the closet!<br />
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<h3>What you need:</h3><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpmZUY_Vm4SKcOwKHxMRTlOG1NEx0PNdJ13pM9YvkkGTUxdIQjbJwuAXs0dZOutM-z1yWESDD2DEa9W-lPy_o2AzgOpt1bgb5zny84W-NXbAT_dNX_eWSc7Dw2agH91iYP10CZ-iM6yQ/s1600/tools.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpmZUY_Vm4SKcOwKHxMRTlOG1NEx0PNdJ13pM9YvkkGTUxdIQjbJwuAXs0dZOutM-z1yWESDD2DEa9W-lPy_o2AzgOpt1bgb5zny84W-NXbAT_dNX_eWSc7Dw2agH91iYP10CZ-iM6yQ/s320/tools.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b style="color: #0c343d;">Two pairs of pliers.</b> I have jeweler's tools, but any pair will do just fine.<br />
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<b style="color: #0c343d;">About 4 feet of small but sturdy chain. </b> This will be what wraps the bowl. I used some ugly cheap stuff I've had for years. You can use any kind of chain you have, including an old dog chain.<br />
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<b style="color: #0c343d;">A foot or two of sturdy chain.</b><span style="color: #0c343d;"> </span> This is the piece you are going to use to hang the bath.<br />
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<b style="color: #0c343d;">An old bowl.</b><span style="color: #0c343d;"> </span> The shallower the better. I also like the clear bowl so I can see when its empty or dinner without having to climb on a chair.<br />
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<h3>Preparing the Chain</h3><br />
Separate the chain into four separate chains. You do this by opening the last link of the chain. Grip the link with one set in your not-dominate hand. In the other hand, slightly bend the ring to the right. NEVER pull the two ends apart unless you plan on throwing the ring away. If you have never done this before, here are some <a href="http://www.making-beaded-jewelry.com/beading-for-beginners-3.html" target="blank">excellent step-by-step directions</a>.<br />
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Using the same method as above, unhook a link from the big chain.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGYdl-Ltklp-D6HE6aSllyN-aJ36GyM_NEE06xoFeyScnmKOGavRcH9KbrrJNNJKgIf9Xjta5bRH3ytAhRP6KmdjcRtXHyvpbDbXAX-haEkk3B6C9-6h22M1uaAqcReT77cQ8lGLc4wA/s1600/5-links.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGYdl-Ltklp-D6HE6aSllyN-aJ36GyM_NEE06xoFeyScnmKOGavRcH9KbrrJNNJKgIf9Xjta5bRH3ytAhRP6KmdjcRtXHyvpbDbXAX-haEkk3B6C9-6h22M1uaAqcReT77cQ8lGLc4wA/s320/5-links.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Slide the ends of all four small chains on the link.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6NDViyTZ9MDz1y0cKindxGuJzEtwyLWoXd91r5MWf1SJJko-1obOLx8l_xPQaBr9lRKl9qq9bpbaK13UPqO0KYSevZjm-_UrKBXuAGK79VtFjRJ-Wj2xIPWcGRrKii9-w5nGmHKX5Yw/s1600/6-linkstogether.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq6NDViyTZ9MDz1y0cKindxGuJzEtwyLWoXd91r5MWf1SJJko-1obOLx8l_xPQaBr9lRKl9qq9bpbaK13UPqO0KYSevZjm-_UrKBXuAGK79VtFjRJ-Wj2xIPWcGRrKii9-w5nGmHKX5Yw/s320/6-linkstogether.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Close the big link and spread out the chains like an X.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6Ch8NaZ5luSkLzC6iu1LyeCxj4Z0cpSd6DxaUfvD1nQcqCpEFX1bM0T8-kyhOlWV5wPjtaq2Cv9ZCfmKYW0FpXvkLJNnEbfAqp2hWF2GdwlbcHy2iwSWh978ITLDNj-3_FbdD__yVKo/s1600/7-octopus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6Ch8NaZ5luSkLzC6iu1LyeCxj4Z0cpSd6DxaUfvD1nQcqCpEFX1bM0T8-kyhOlWV5wPjtaq2Cv9ZCfmKYW0FpXvkLJNnEbfAqp2hWF2GdwlbcHy2iwSWh978ITLDNj-3_FbdD__yVKo/s320/7-octopus.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<h3>Making the Base</h3>Set the bowl on top.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQmQGdNfga6vMx3hLS1RLnLbSHSWu3-R79ePTrJ-pu48CQw7qbRoYkxI243fWkVVxHFESTFxrzSeuGGFCXLoDNZ-R4McohoGOHLOg9pDa26m4QzaCq4rexP0t4hAbmwSIKHBP5FbPXndU/s1600/8-bowlonchain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQmQGdNfga6vMx3hLS1RLnLbSHSWu3-R79ePTrJ-pu48CQw7qbRoYkxI243fWkVVxHFESTFxrzSeuGGFCXLoDNZ-R4McohoGOHLOg9pDa26m4QzaCq4rexP0t4hAbmwSIKHBP5FbPXndU/s320/8-bowlonchain.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Open the bottom link of the big chain and slide the other end of the four small chains through it. Close the loop.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifPZwOoOAAP9mP3Gz8rdv76w1XVP5Ahfchr3inDBERZOeyfnJjgLBlaV_3wPjZyynWKufF9Uqdxhq9hhyphenhyphenmTXlAW7gL23qJx_vXT0Fuj87ZPzi6dNE6lEIep9I6fzPssupuzvohnia3Odc/s1600/9-loopedup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifPZwOoOAAP9mP3Gz8rdv76w1XVP5Ahfchr3inDBERZOeyfnJjgLBlaV_3wPjZyynWKufF9Uqdxhq9hhyphenhyphenmTXlAW7gL23qJx_vXT0Fuj87ZPzi6dNE6lEIep9I6fzPssupuzvohnia3Odc/s320/9-loopedup.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Straighten it all out and give it a few light yanks to make sure all the links are properly tightened. Better to have it fall and crash on your patio than fall several stories on some poor soul's head.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRGfhU8IhkJm3gelEFKIujsGcE9fmaB9up8IEExbYverpHuWlIYkQ6jtVKTexp4gk7wPeJw70iTV19Za28c50ZvlZUS0llEA5wv8yU5C7ay7P5huYhgJc42u3YEm7NkyMGTWP_dsp2lo/s1600/11-hangingbath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFRGfhU8IhkJm3gelEFKIujsGcE9fmaB9up8IEExbYverpHuWlIYkQ6jtVKTexp4gk7wPeJw70iTV19Za28c50ZvlZUS0llEA5wv8yU5C7ay7P5huYhgJc42u3YEm7NkyMGTWP_dsp2lo/s320/11-hangingbath.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<h3>Step back and admire your handiwork!</h3><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxGFkrezw7-N7wr6wbH0d0g4dUSfEsKGNWsR3Yv7Pd-FSqDx1RHh_aiswevFKkI9rNtw1UpUa32uLvtTwwxwy0KiHbKoX27scqoYYmf8F0Y5G8H5rRT7ZOIdSjKSILqCqX-Dcclz8jiY0/s1600/12-finished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxGFkrezw7-N7wr6wbH0d0g4dUSfEsKGNWsR3Yv7Pd-FSqDx1RHh_aiswevFKkI9rNtw1UpUa32uLvtTwwxwy0KiHbKoX27scqoYYmf8F0Y5G8H5rRT7ZOIdSjKSILqCqX-Dcclz8jiY0/s320/12-finished.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247477979560861388noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506893776032669222.post-81897982534837617712011-06-06T17:58:00.002-04:002011-06-22T14:40:37.105-04:00Assurance Community Garden<div style="margin: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 0; width: 500px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5805546643/in/set-72157626777447795/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Quinn's Tasty Treats"><img alt="Quinn's Tasty Treats" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5184/5805546643_ca65b996f0_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5806108288/in/set-72157626777447795/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Three Sisters: Scarlet Runner Beans"><img alt="Three Sisters: Scarlet Runner Beans" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2300/5806108288_80aba30b38_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5805547973/in/set-72157626777447795/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Three Sisters: Pumpkins"><img alt="Three Sisters: Pumpkins" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2136/5805547973_bb623a0c7f_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5805548223/in/set-72157626777447795/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Cheese Pumpkin"><img alt="Cheese Pumpkin" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3017/5805548223_25164c88d7_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5805548639/in/set-72157626777447795/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Sunflower Bud"><img alt="Sunflower Bud" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5080/5805548639_cc0fcaec12_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5806108036/in/set-72157626777447795/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 0 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="A Tiny Fuzzy Cucumber"><img alt="A Tiny Fuzzy Cucumber" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2520/5806108036_44898a1b26_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5806107082/in/set-72157626777447795/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Picking Squash"><img alt="Picking Squash" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2036/5806107082_92c48d02a1_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5806107614/in/set-72157626777447795/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="The whole view."><img alt="The whole view." src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3485/5806107614_fbdf48d05c_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5805547765/in/set-72157626777447795/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="A Basil Forest"><img alt="A Basil Forest" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5181/5805547765_3b79ec3ed0_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5806108622/in/set-72157626777447795/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Northern Corner"><img alt="Northern Corner" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5270/5806108622_49fda901ca_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
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</div><br clear="all" /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/sets/72157626777447795/">Assurance Community Garden</a>, a set on Flickr.</div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247477979560861388noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506893776032669222.post-44310098630007598312011-06-06T15:24:00.004-04:002011-06-22T14:39:29.685-04:00Cook Community Garden<div style="margin: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 0; width: 500px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5805000099/in/set-72157626900895002/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Me"><img alt="Me" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3076/5805000099_a1096b936e_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5805000223/in/set-72157626900895002/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="The Man of the Coop"><img alt="The Man of the Coop" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2056/5805000223_3c4841d401_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5805559348/in/set-72157626900895002/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Barred Rocks"><img alt="Barred Rocks" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5074/5805559348_d104406228_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5805000419/in/set-72157626900895002/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Silkies"><img alt="Silkies" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3469/5805000419_e1eab2d3d5_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5805000477/in/set-72157626900895002/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Magnolia"><img alt="Magnolia" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2261/5805000477_762e40f953_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5805000557/in/set-72157626900895002/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 0 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Standing-on-the-Table View"><img alt="Standing-on-the-Table View" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2016/5805000557_2984df9993_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5805559760/in/set-72157626900895002/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Potato Bins"><img alt="Potato Bins" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3131/5805559760_cb94cedb45_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5805559852/in/set-72157626900895002/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Magnolia Tree"><img alt="Magnolia Tree" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2719/5805559852_d75f6f3cf3_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5805000877/in/set-72157626900895002/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Magnolia Bud"><img alt="Magnolia Bud" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5198/5805000877_43c021c4dc_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5805000973/in/set-72157626900895002/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Quinn with a Magnolia"><img alt="Quinn with a Magnolia" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5272/5805000973_9a3c479ed2_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5805001079/in/set-72157626900895002/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Entering the Gaden"><img alt="Entering the Gaden" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2516/5805001079_ff3431256e_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5805560534/in/set-72157626900895002/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 0 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Chicken Coop on Wheels"><img alt="Chicken Coop on Wheels" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5312/5805560534_245a5f9783_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5805001637/in/set-72157626900895002/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="A Reason for Rows"><img alt="A Reason for Rows" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2042/5805001637_e7e7b1b3a1_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5805560882/in/set-72157626900895002/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Watermelon on a Trellis"><img alt="Watermelon on a Trellis" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5159/5805560882_cc2c388f41_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5805561040/in/set-72157626900895002/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Tiny Tomatoes"><img alt="Tiny Tomatoes" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2536/5805561040_98b8712937_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5805002055/in/set-72157626900895002/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Quinn Watering"><img alt="Quinn Watering" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5306/5805002055_fccbed976e_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5805002213/in/set-72157626900895002/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="A Side View"><img alt="A Side View" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5311/5805002213_cd499d88dc_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/5805561466/in/set-72157626900895002/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 0 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="My Plot"><img alt="My Plot" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3566/5805561466_2ee668cf45_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/summeralyssa/sets/72157626900895002/">Cook Community Garden</a>, a set on Flickr.</div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247477979560861388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506893776032669222.post-81221507841047343402011-06-05T20:52:00.002-04:002011-06-05T20:54:26.366-04:00Common Miracles - The View From Where I SitThe <a href="http://www.gingerblue.com/?p=1085">Common Miracles Project </a>was started by Chel over at <a href="http://www.gingerblue.com/">GingerBlue</a> earlier this year. Out of her research on human happiness, well-being, etc., she found that:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>the <b>one </b>piece of advice I have found *across the board*, shared by everyone from religious experts to philosophers to psychologists to historians to self-help gurus is this:<b> FEEL GRATITUDE</b></blockquote><br />
So, I'm gonna jump on the bandwagon. The move and leaving behind so many things that are so important to me razes me to my emotion ditch more often than I care to admit, so hopefully this sort of thing can help me keep me "bloom where you're planted" mantra in focus.<br />
<br />
<b>Lights in the Darkness</b><br />
<br />
I'm not afraid of the dark. But I do appreciate the different view of common things provided by odd light and shadow. And, of course, my life as a chronic insomniac would be so much less productive and interesting were it not for lights in the darkness.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8bfTlzwPj11ou0ApA6xNmrzJui3rmD-T36cDzQdueU5khOVhmL2VJQalieNZrbTDbCqRHLCe7eqSSB9XgiNApOGEUXZFvWRdImCdUOrq40gNmLAoL7UWbDcVKnUsDZTyngOSYnxvG6w8/s1600/DSC_0167.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8bfTlzwPj11ou0ApA6xNmrzJui3rmD-T36cDzQdueU5khOVhmL2VJQalieNZrbTDbCqRHLCe7eqSSB9XgiNApOGEUXZFvWRdImCdUOrq40gNmLAoL7UWbDcVKnUsDZTyngOSYnxvG6w8/s400/DSC_0167.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roses, ivy, aloe, lavender, etc. on my patio, brightened by a streetlight.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Tea and Honey</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFab-azo2V5zvw4vuGjmq2Qv2PBsG02Asjsx4qrfvo1A5aQUMAcaTGa-a3S02C0X15OJL0LRgJqRETUxRh6jX6k7V7L47A0795NsO8qJ4SN0Tjse6KdKRLISa5_-83bvos8KmGocEOl38/s1600/DSC_0170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFab-azo2V5zvw4vuGjmq2Qv2PBsG02Asjsx4qrfvo1A5aQUMAcaTGa-a3S02C0X15OJL0LRgJqRETUxRh6jX6k7V7L47A0795NsO8qJ4SN0Tjse6KdKRLISa5_-83bvos8KmGocEOl38/s200/DSC_0170.jpg" width="166" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjR9ndjT986sKAxZCAYOKmdWayOZXm2QVQ8YuQeURBXe1aiL4-XT98MY-ADvh8_9v-uraMARdu2dNHYg15KIWoZvTwYOmfq89GGyDu9giOZohILqP9WFiXYWampiTaaSaf2mISKQQG1Ew/s1600/DSC_0170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a><br />
There are songs and poems about it; romantic movie lines you wish you had thought of. All for good reason - there is nothing quite so soothing in life as a cup of tea with honey.<br />
<br />
I grow and mix much of my own tea, too; part of the process of calming oneself down from a really stressful day. This particular cup has jasmine, mint, and alfalfa with a tad bit of honey from a beekeeper who sells at that <a href="http://davidsonfarmersmarket.org/">Davidson Farmer's Market</a>. The tea ball is from my sweet mother-in-law, Anne.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Alela Diane's <i>To Be Still</i></b><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRGJCLB9WHoTBf-yTlvjWJU2nr1FeATE4TO1zypU_5bMHdzlvEah6BWs8hi-85Ch3TZ0rUy4S3QzzUb_b5JZrg1Td5i68BF4csOZE45Ox-rp4qmIGR6Uqe9xYHbkNIsduDA6TMiIsqhw/s1600/To+Be+Still.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRGJCLB9WHoTBf-yTlvjWJU2nr1FeATE4TO1zypU_5bMHdzlvEah6BWs8hi-85Ch3TZ0rUy4S3QzzUb_b5JZrg1Td5i68BF4csOZE45Ox-rp4qmIGR6Uqe9xYHbkNIsduDA6TMiIsqhw/s200/To+Be+Still.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I love this mellow folk rock album. <b><i> </i></b>It's beautiful and wispy and the imagery often describes places I want to be. Or makes me homesick. I originally bought the album when I was looking for new music on Amie Street, which was criminally sucked up by Amazon MP3. If you like girly voices and folk music and mellow song stylings, you should check it out.<br />
<br />
While sitting on your patio, looking at roses, drinking tea with honey. Or at least, that's what I'm doing!Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247477979560861388noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506893776032669222.post-34214015791039397742011-06-05T16:43:00.002-04:002011-06-05T16:46:00.794-04:00Patio Update in Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieipHA5_CxHzLLYlC2Xe4An3wqjuEcuP7qYJtxwZyZxFwW-Abv2WJswpKvpC5QfRLgELEI6i_YSU3eSKvDL5wpiDSPa_L7gVgC64MRhzVz-xTju7i33Z0LsNjnDhiqEHfeR9rpPCZg_IA/s1600/patio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieipHA5_CxHzLLYlC2Xe4An3wqjuEcuP7qYJtxwZyZxFwW-Abv2WJswpKvpC5QfRLgELEI6i_YSU3eSKvDL5wpiDSPa_L7gVgC64MRhzVz-xTju7i33Z0LsNjnDhiqEHfeR9rpPCZg_IA/s400/patio.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247477979560861388noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506893776032669222.post-34298795740317942812011-06-04T02:33:00.000-04:002011-06-05T16:25:47.077-04:00The Community Gardens - or, a Reprieve from the PatioOne of the first things I did after moving was apply to local <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_gardening">community gardens</a>. After I filled out a dozen applications and made a handful of phone calls, I ended up with 2 spots: one in the Assurance Church Community Garden (where the low-land muckishness of it invites crayfish to play amongst the veggies) and the Cook Community Garden (where I'm learning about Piedmont clay in all its dry red glory). <br />
<br />
<b>Assurance CG</b> is by far my favorite. This is it's second year, and it's just about everything you imagine a church garden would be. There are a handful of plots for folks in the area (most of whom attend the church), but those are really just there to sucker you into working in the much larger community garden part. You know - the one where you grow bushels of tomatoes, squash, corn, watermelons, etc., and send it all off to the food pantry. <br />
<br />
I really love it. I run into all sorts of interesting people who have all been snared into doing one thing or another (like set up the sprinkler system or pound in stakes or run the tiller). I love knowing that the work I'm doing is very directly helping a serious local need. I haven't yet met a single snob, and I've gone home more than once with handfuls of produce just by virtue of being around to help. Did I mention I love it there?<br />
<br />
<b>Cook CG </b>is aesthetically more pleasing, but I don't really care for the spirit of the place. They're all about the rules. I had to sign about 10 waivers and assorted contractual weirdness, one for me and each family member who *might* come by to help. There are rules about everything:<br />
<ul><li>Chemical use: they want to stay organic, but you can use "organic" chemicals.</li>
<li>Weed control: no landscaping fabric allowed - no, seriously! But you can use hay... not that I would because of all the hay seeds in hay... </li>
<li> The number of pots you can have at your spot: no more than two!!! </li>
<li>What type of plants you can have: evil spreading oregano is outlawed unless in a pot, but mint in the ground is OK. No, seriously.</li>
<li>Even composting: you're not allowed to throw weeds in the compost bin. I understand not wanting dandelion heads in the compost bin, but no weeds allowed at all?! How do they keep their green content up? Again, yeah... seriously. </li>
</ul>It was thoroughly explained to me that this was a "community" space and so I was expected to interact with others, keep my kids under control, keep my weeds under control, spend 10 <u>supervised</u> hours a year in the donation garden, not touch the sprinkler system, and be friendly. Even as the whole interaction itself was rather unfriendly and businesslike.<br />
<br />
The whole thing reeks of the bourgeoisie "look at me, look at me, I'm growing things" mentality that seems to frame a lot of the recent green movement. Most of the people, with two exceptions, are older (boomer age) 9-5ers with no kids. My first "community" day there, I felt like a dark cloud over their sunny spot because I had two young boys who like the mud and were loud and chased butterflies.<br />
<br />
Even though a big part of the plan was to start establishing friendships - at which I've failed miserably - the bigger plan (playing in the mud, growing things, and keep Quinn and I outside and active every morning) is clipping along nicely. And I've got photos to prove it. But not until tomorrow. I have to go hunt out that darn cable...Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247477979560861388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506893776032669222.post-53180791212714307922011-06-01T16:33:00.001-04:002011-06-03T13:23:42.230-04:00A Word About Spiders<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu04q0zYG0l_GXKBizBQI64s4yZEz44ccO4N7ex7K1psNtVbvad6fH7tjwruq2h2itubHnZM3bYhGr_4QwyGsr-8NQN-b3wPzxdbDA7s4Io6i8UmdnUflgxubQOUxFLgoiKW2StIJmRlI/s1600/Spider+Diagram-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu04q0zYG0l_GXKBizBQI64s4yZEz44ccO4N7ex7K1psNtVbvad6fH7tjwruq2h2itubHnZM3bYhGr_4QwyGsr-8NQN-b3wPzxdbDA7s4Io6i8UmdnUflgxubQOUxFLgoiKW2StIJmRlI/s200/Spider+Diagram-1.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://michiganspiders.blogspot.com/">michiganspiders.blogspot.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Let me preface this little rant by saying I don't hate spiders. I actually kind of like them. They're cool-looking and mostly mind their own business and eat lots and lots of pesky bugs.<br />
<br />
In Michigan, we had lots of spiders: our two out-buildings and huge musty basement = dark-corner-loving, eight-legged-freak heaven. Wolf spiders are the most common and bite a lot, but they're pretty harmless. A stout heart and a quick hand are all that is needed to keep the creepy beasts at bay.<br />
<br />
Here in North Carolina, there are lots of spiders... including the two most venomous in the United States. Honestly, I don't worry too much; no one in the US has died from a spider bite in the last 10 years (unless from an allergic reaction to the bug). And bites can be painful and cause damage, but it's pretty rare. <br />
<br />
But lately, I feel like I'm under attack. I've had spiders falling on my head while I'm in the bathroom, crawling on my computer unannounced, scurrying across my kitchen counter, and otherwise just surprising me and making me jump. And the ones I'm talking about have all been different kinds. I didn't recognize them - but at least that means they weren't poisonous.<br />
<br />
But it's starting to freak me out! Either this apartment was uninhabited longer than I thought, or the air being on has scared them out of hiding, or someone has cursed me!<br />
<br />
I'm going to be proactive. I'm going to vacuum the utilities closet, unscrew all the vents and vacuum them, spray the outside walkway and patio with alcohol to kill what's there, then spray every vent, door, and walkway leading into the apartment with a solution of 2% lavender oil mixed in water. I'm going to hang lavender bunches at each point of entry. And then I'm going to repeat the process every month from here on out!!!!<br />
<br />
Now, if only there was such an easy solution to getting rid of the ants...Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247477979560861388noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506893776032669222.post-47247660569775533842011-05-30T11:31:00.004-04:002011-06-22T14:38:43.947-04:00Don't stick your toes in the holes and other lessons...<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">I’ve learned a few things about patio gardening, and southern gardening, that I didn’t know before. For instance:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>When you see a 8” mound of mud in the middle of your </b><a href="http://www.kidsgardening.com/growingideas/projects/march02/mar02-pg1.htm"><b>three sisters planting</b></a><b> in your community garden plot, don’t stick your finger in it.</b> It’s not an anthill. It’s a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crayfish">crayfish</a> hole. You know – the tiny lobsters with big claws? (No, the boys didn't get pinched, but someone yelled a warning at them before they could.)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_DM1Bz-dhECuKIhkPtyAi6HEWI0nzPd0OWkf2v2Zg0OxKvhVqIXm4d_dQtO8P08Aopp2zUSWQZ18m3krYQdpWk2XrERNxwtZqopnIj2UuIlfzOnRVssVKv-g-gmOMsxfOrw-wazTBOuM/s1600/crayfish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_DM1Bz-dhECuKIhkPtyAi6HEWI0nzPd0OWkf2v2Zg0OxKvhVqIXm4d_dQtO8P08Aopp2zUSWQZ18m3krYQdpWk2XrERNxwtZqopnIj2UuIlfzOnRVssVKv-g-gmOMsxfOrw-wazTBOuM/s1600/crayfish.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<b>It’s not a good idea to put a string between your seedling morning glories and the hummingbird feeder</b>, led by some misconception that the birds will like the flowers and the cover. It just turns into a trapeze for more ants than you knew were in 100 yards of you to climb up and invade the feeder. And drop on your head while you’re drinking coffee. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlHoMuti7fe-1ARe_4nobBCE2xJBrt4OsT5n4-BIU4JoblOdEw8yNf_zV7KdF6FHQtdMr1PYoQnSdmfEdYnOrZZ_-INwYzr0aorawY17MH9dS67H0J0vmwVnmuinxlxZ4-W7Qji03VUuA/s1600/vines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlHoMuti7fe-1ARe_4nobBCE2xJBrt4OsT5n4-BIU4JoblOdEw8yNf_zV7KdF6FHQtdMr1PYoQnSdmfEdYnOrZZ_-INwYzr0aorawY17MH9dS67H0J0vmwVnmuinxlxZ4-W7Qji03VUuA/s1600/vines.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Running a hose from your kitchen sink to the patio is a much more efficient way to water your plants… but beware the tightening process.</b> Water is expensive in the south, and the squealing the pipes make when you’re not releasing the pressure except by leakage will have folks looking at your apartment with “Take cover!!! It’s gonna blow!!!!” written all over their faces. (Yes, that's my actual contraption. A $5 connector on a $10 hose. Totally worth it:D)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJOzz6vXoq1MVRe73cxMb1W4imWZNkNMfBkLTaQLZikYzRVKoaRQ0fUHUBenarIBSLf8fVdJi71J3Kwk2Tui6XL_d8rdp8pA2fGNBFkwKIwgAMYU8ckTFjLE3WDxjrYX0RBVpx9e4QVT0/s1600/hose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJOzz6vXoq1MVRe73cxMb1W4imWZNkNMfBkLTaQLZikYzRVKoaRQ0fUHUBenarIBSLf8fVdJi71J3Kwk2Tui6XL_d8rdp8pA2fGNBFkwKIwgAMYU8ckTFjLE3WDxjrYX0RBVpx9e4QVT0/s1600/hose.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>And speaking of neighbors and watering,</b> have you ever wondered if some uptight businessman in an expensive suit three floors below you might sue because you accidently <i>aimed a little too high</i> when trying to water your red geraniums? Creating a shower on the walkout three floors below? I have. Luckily, he ducked. And I looked wicked contrite. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">But the learning process is paying off! Check out today's view:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxN42s-BsjETwRywWpWd83lu4QEfZ7tS7AieLc0veTJcDksWSNGh5Uy-sX9wyxGezscrNjKi36CsEPOVPwqTMY52m3jw17lqwaqLiSFOoh4xZm2t2A1pZp5zWfjPtX7AL6b9dsGtdi25U/s1600/view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxN42s-BsjETwRywWpWd83lu4QEfZ7tS7AieLc0veTJcDksWSNGh5Uy-sX9wyxGezscrNjKi36CsEPOVPwqTMY52m3jw17lqwaqLiSFOoh4xZm2t2A1pZp5zWfjPtX7AL6b9dsGtdi25U/s400/view.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247477979560861388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506893776032669222.post-76236404414333094852011-05-28T00:08:00.001-04:002011-05-30T12:36:23.583-04:00King's Mountain Military Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8L9q-MH2YSUSajBT9tmICXapP68aoicYBkfakzq-bJCGZzgaqJ3K-AXUiPC7R-ni9pY1yIysf29C7vYxXLtHHsJXXrvM3BDpyNyMR284jlXU0UcdelYc6Hvdsy1ifqHWPUy0AodiDLoM/s1600/IMAG0085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8L9q-MH2YSUSajBT9tmICXapP68aoicYBkfakzq-bJCGZzgaqJ3K-AXUiPC7R-ni9pY1yIysf29C7vYxXLtHHsJXXrvM3BDpyNyMR284jlXU0UcdelYc6Hvdsy1ifqHWPUy0AodiDLoM/s320/IMAG0085.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>Sometimes, a good stiff hike is just the thing to do... especially when boys are running around screaming so loud that you are either going to go deaf or deck someone out of self-defense. I chose my usual favorite: burn, energy, burn!<br />
I've been wanting to go to King's Mountain Military Park for awhile. The park part isn't really on King's Mountain - it's more of a foothill to the mountain. I knew I could take the boys and not end up carrying them most of the time. <br />
<br />
This weekend presented the perfect opportunity. It is Memorial Day weekend, so they had an event where re-enactors dressed up as soldiers from time periods from the French & Indian War and Revolutionary War (whose King's Mountain Battle the park commemorates) all the way to the current Iraqi & Afghanistan wars.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPp1YizgTVogLGheDCy26ai6r4UudYEX001S7b99-g212wbHthoKc-BNZlDXvoiG3ooUb7FTINgN6nWpDWgsvtYPmklGMnca5SQ-wmyNwWzGag06eX75lK5j0kowv0HOeaVQcO9WzEA4c/s1600/IMAG0080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPp1YizgTVogLGheDCy26ai6r4UudYEX001S7b99-g212wbHthoKc-BNZlDXvoiG3ooUb7FTINgN6nWpDWgsvtYPmklGMnca5SQ-wmyNwWzGag06eX75lK5j0kowv0HOeaVQcO9WzEA4c/s320/IMAG0080.jpg" width="191" /></a><br />
The best part? The weapons demonstrations. Watching how cumbersome Revolutionary War weapons were to load and unload was very interesting. So was seeing the evolution of weapons over the years. Quinn, however, had a near panic attatck from the noise of the weapons (especially the cannon) so he and I ended up taking a hike by ourselves towards the end. 1.5 miles up a minor minor mountain and down again? My back is still a little sore from the parts when I had to carry him! <br />
<br />
Also very fun was the fact that the re-enactor the boys hit it off with - the hunter from the Revolutionary War period - was a teacher from Rockford! Talk about a small world!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgphuc7L-tDixYLcdEXiwf7CDFFdJbBYYKc6mXq9El7ThFZOie6V8WZ2NJBGyQ82ZA8nCgD4qjZLECSuev5Bm8k1eG3LaaTJSBYFMqJC6ZBE_I3fiAy81xIOyLCTbe9-K-o6PmSYsbXdE/s1600/IMAG0095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgphuc7L-tDixYLcdEXiwf7CDFFdJbBYYKc6mXq9El7ThFZOie6V8WZ2NJBGyQ82ZA8nCgD4qjZLECSuev5Bm8k1eG3LaaTJSBYFMqJC6ZBE_I3fiAy81xIOyLCTbe9-K-o6PmSYsbXdE/s320/IMAG0095.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqng0mjR4p2H4cMnuvqDArAEoDezKa7-9_lx4lbuV9RiyRH3Rt_bNenaOorEOuKIXzU1HYOPES9VorHFNXOscibR_U6JWs4-MfSb0xbDAXfPgJL7nmISefzsnSOjpGFfFX57J9rUOAVIk/s1600/IMAG0105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqng0mjR4p2H4cMnuvqDArAEoDezKa7-9_lx4lbuV9RiyRH3Rt_bNenaOorEOuKIXzU1HYOPES9VorHFNXOscibR_U6JWs4-MfSb0xbDAXfPgJL7nmISefzsnSOjpGFfFX57J9rUOAVIk/s320/IMAG0105.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAn7k0RYXzkgqUH2645J4Pe0gUX5KNbQPQ1w3AYPlJ9Tn5S9YAKrQYf0j-0OurlLd8fIcs_eTlNWA27iRw7AqzaMaC7UlWbXuVeS1nclYpbH2TOftwzM8TW1cq_9ky6nlK03WI9kqJYs/s1600/IMAG0109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAn7k0RYXzkgqUH2645J4Pe0gUX5KNbQPQ1w3AYPlJ9Tn5S9YAKrQYf0j-0OurlLd8fIcs_eTlNWA27iRw7AqzaMaC7UlWbXuVeS1nclYpbH2TOftwzM8TW1cq_9ky6nlK03WI9kqJYs/s320/IMAG0109.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWF2qPcilRpPcXvPeMlP3u_3QtDbv9gS0jqOPk5WJ1fNUsW2VYJ2DovBq7lg8HV0vz65T12cMF7zzvZZCpdOaxW_IcrildGtZzMRtVFCrbmVK1N62AH9V7V6LeWVMlB2YNnUk3FaGedY/s1600/IMAG0128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWF2qPcilRpPcXvPeMlP3u_3QtDbv9gS0jqOPk5WJ1fNUsW2VYJ2DovBq7lg8HV0vz65T12cMF7zzvZZCpdOaxW_IcrildGtZzMRtVFCrbmVK1N62AH9V7V6LeWVMlB2YNnUk3FaGedY/s320/IMAG0128.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgt3NTpoHzu8W-ajjx6gl8LVqiSstOZ8sIumrniT68vGmirtxNBEw3pyANot0AOgutGgaxY-qO6r8UEwgSth4SRV3i2hOX1IoVQnfC2nCa-tWUupJCLPTBT51PeF5CJjAfDwByn2Cf3C4/s1600/IMAG0134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgt3NTpoHzu8W-ajjx6gl8LVqiSstOZ8sIumrniT68vGmirtxNBEw3pyANot0AOgutGgaxY-qO6r8UEwgSth4SRV3i2hOX1IoVQnfC2nCa-tWUupJCLPTBT51PeF5CJjAfDwByn2Cf3C4/s320/IMAG0134.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247477979560861388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506893776032669222.post-46575590454143698122011-05-21T23:45:00.000-04:002011-05-30T11:46:48.513-04:00A Latta Plantation Nature Preserve Hike<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7K-Y20e2VqTB7KRMVel-VaJlZUi3Su9SYRNN2dT6lId9TUp7ooGWqZAQegUfW95pQ9zO7cMQthRIBqZBnOWEPxOIlEM872UqMxvv-lvKN1VuyPKLeC5eMxgMN6Yrq_6817rc8sFjmy8/s1600/latta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7K-Y20e2VqTB7KRMVel-VaJlZUi3Su9SYRNN2dT6lId9TUp7ooGWqZAQegUfW95pQ9zO7cMQthRIBqZBnOWEPxOIlEM872UqMxvv-lvKN1VuyPKLeC5eMxgMN6Yrq_6817rc8sFjmy8/s640/latta.jpg" width="448" /></a></div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247477979560861388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506893776032669222.post-1958533748941177302011-04-20T12:09:00.000-04:002011-04-20T12:09:22.174-04:00The Beginnings of a Patio GardenBefore I came back to MI, I got my patio garden off to a start. I didn't have time to make it pretty, but that doesn't matter as much as actually having things growing:D<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEholQdGwiqbFvQ3C24mMooUgN0jHs9JWNUnBGhNjcKUfaqZH6P0Li4MH15p6KhPUDnC8uY9-ZUliB4HEt06vr4IoxpYEHoq__1PIfRPetcJ_p4tlaeyIoP8NHRaRmeTLplEmKfvmMmFJPU/s1600/IMAG0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEholQdGwiqbFvQ3C24mMooUgN0jHs9JWNUnBGhNjcKUfaqZH6P0Li4MH15p6KhPUDnC8uY9-ZUliB4HEt06vr4IoxpYEHoq__1PIfRPetcJ_p4tlaeyIoP8NHRaRmeTLplEmKfvmMmFJPU/s320/IMAG0003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Gerber Daisies from Harris Teeter, a sock grass man Torin made at school, a variety of morning glories (to be spread out in different pots later), and a white pot with a moonflower that hadn't sprouted yet. You can see my hummingbird feeder in the background. I have no idea if hummingbirds come through my area at all, but better safe than sorry;)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBfdN_0TjJhmVys6ZFIzqzhVSC7XhpqQuHl-IvZZA-BcTOA_5RYNYLUWd_vvB4Mx1_fgSUkyDklZoNC3PxNn0n3IPVBEEqUR_xfUz-AfQ0BjWLBZzEHXdE35n2FZpKYUwzwGQsEFb40g/s1600/IMAG0005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBfdN_0TjJhmVys6ZFIzqzhVSC7XhpqQuHl-IvZZA-BcTOA_5RYNYLUWd_vvB4Mx1_fgSUkyDklZoNC3PxNn0n3IPVBEEqUR_xfUz-AfQ0BjWLBZzEHXdE35n2FZpKYUwzwGQsEFb40g/s320/IMAG0005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Before I had found a community garden plot, I went on the assumption that I wouldn't have one. So the terra cotta pots have pole bean and wax bean seeds that hadn't sprouted yet. I think I'll leave them - what's more fun then going out to the porch an picking some yummy treats? I have no idea if the smaller pot is big enough, but let's just call it an experiment!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The metal wash bin has a variety of salad fixins - a lettuce mix, green onions, radishes, etc - and two types of nasturtiums (which are edible too!). There are some cucumber seeds under the wire cage - I'll let the healthiest plant climb up the cage instead of the porch. Once the greens are over with, I'll fill it with later season crops and/or flowers.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xBi2lKgCtzA4FCbjGfXyRT5YCWOQLcJYChqtSJbSyp_thy_clG3sc7ZlYmldrEhEBOckWVRYi0i22Vu3MC97Jv5107ub69codRfnH83QfrRi5y6x8nfDwuFpNLtW75pBipP3uAkUY4Y/s1600/IMAG0006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xBi2lKgCtzA4FCbjGfXyRT5YCWOQLcJYChqtSJbSyp_thy_clG3sc7ZlYmldrEhEBOckWVRYi0i22Vu3MC97Jv5107ub69codRfnH83QfrRi5y6x8nfDwuFpNLtW75pBipP3uAkUY4Y/s320/IMAG0006.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Lettuce, spinach, flowers, parsley, dahlias from Harris Teeter... I would have to look at the seed packets to remember what is where. There is another bird feeder there too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">See the cardboard underneath? Well, the last apartment I lived in (about 5 years ago) taught me a lesson in remembering to be aware of drippings... the stuff that falls between the wooden floorboards on unsuspecting neighbors below. It was a incident involving one of those small blue wading pools full of water on the patio, Torin, and neighbors coming in with groceries at just the wrong moment... I don't like to speak of it now. :D So, in a preemptive move to avoid patio wars, I used some giant cardboard strips left from new mattress packaging to prevent an invasion of dirt and compost raining down on the neighbor below. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivl8oHaL6NYCwdKwLdcj7WUey4mp2tnTbMtSSRa1clXrALtEisDoLM-YOmLfgtSIbZ9LFId4o_-XxpMmLYvF0raJmFXyCPIPL3FNrw8p_TjDO2uYh4-PWtKLGoMcTdWF4CSO7_u-P0oSo/s1600/IMAG0008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivl8oHaL6NYCwdKwLdcj7WUey4mp2tnTbMtSSRa1clXrALtEisDoLM-YOmLfgtSIbZ9LFId4o_-XxpMmLYvF0raJmFXyCPIPL3FNrw8p_TjDO2uYh4-PWtKLGoMcTdWF4CSO7_u-P0oSo/s320/IMAG0008.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Finally, some basil. Basil needs more light than my patio is able to provide, I think, so I took a different approach. I bought one of those kitchen rod hanger sets from Ikea, bolted it to the outside rail, and wired the pots to it so they wouldn't blow off. I'm going to do more of that, I think... <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30184446">the pots</a> already have holes in the bottom, and <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50072645">the rods</a> are pretty inexpensive! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'm going back this weekend, so I'll have an update on how things are doing soon. I'm such a geek - I can't wait to see how many true leaves have emerged!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</a></div>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247477979560861388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506893776032669222.post-57106666433140034302011-03-08T14:40:00.001-05:002011-04-20T12:14:21.767-04:00A ConundrumSo, as luck would have it, I'm moving to Charlotte, NC.<br />
<br />
I'm very excited about the whole thing, really. I look forward to living close to the ocean and in a reasonably warm climate again. The gardens and sanctuaries there are amazing. Plus - all the mountainous backpacking a girl could ever want within an hour's drive or so.<br />
<br />
But...<br />
<br />
I'll no longer be Michigan Mud girl. And since I'm moving to an apartment, relegated (at least temporarily) to community gardens, I won't even be much of a North Carolina mud girl.<br />
<br />
Michigan Mud transplantee? Does that sound like a good name for a blog?<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7FtTubhh8PvmeU1P15qlMIGNak2Vk5u8ftB2NkDDmL-jy7Bdwd5wTOCjNbx1Q6WDIjMqLtQ5Swga9gpqRg0lLcJxe4ei8SR7-VDD39rSA2toqE4fX9ihYIH1q13UzfUPZON7LotRYohE/s1600/north-carolina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="74" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7FtTubhh8PvmeU1P15qlMIGNak2Vk5u8ftB2NkDDmL-jy7Bdwd5wTOCjNbx1Q6WDIjMqLtQ5Swga9gpqRg0lLcJxe4ei8SR7-VDD39rSA2toqE4fX9ihYIH1q13UzfUPZON7LotRYohE/s200/north-carolina.jpg" width="200" /></a>Next up? "Strange and horrifying things I found in the backs of cupboards and closets." <br />
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Be afraid. Be very afraid. :DSummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247477979560861388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506893776032669222.post-71653691918787036272011-02-16T18:00:00.000-05:002011-02-16T18:00:10.507-05:00OK, so I cheated. And neglected.I cheated by retroactively publishing a post I'd started in October.<br />
<br />
I neglected my blog. Oops.<br />
<br />
The truth is, I was busy. Busy with work, busy with the harvest, busy with Torin's school. Just busy. Then there was Art Prize. And Halloween. Then, it was Thanksgiving, Torin's birthday, Christmas... <br />
<br />
Four months of absence on a blog can seem like a lifetime, but in reality it went by in the blink of an eye.<br />
<br />
So, anyway, I'm back. I'll come up with something more interesting to post later. In fact, I'll probably publish some more retroactive posts of autumn and winter activity. After all, this blog is only part reader oriented. Much of it is me keeping record of our lives. (If I were a scrapbook person, it would be different, I suspect.)<br />
<br />
So anyway - cheers to a new year! Lets see what adventures we invent in 2011:DSummerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247477979560861388noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506893776032669222.post-83648593504599634482010-10-01T17:12:00.002-04:002011-02-16T17:43:50.276-05:00Pesto in Pictures<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLGbFMlAeexIxuTzfSGjxb6o5_Xb96-KSammbkywhT-SWMqMDpRpNnMq_tKafvjIx45kxcAu7hO05yrJZan0r5Xxtg6RVjRbAO6hFwtQjimycX9h5PuL5gOAHpoA_BT5Z2Eas4fjwlrUA/s1600/DSCN1708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLGbFMlAeexIxuTzfSGjxb6o5_Xb96-KSammbkywhT-SWMqMDpRpNnMq_tKafvjIx45kxcAu7hO05yrJZan0r5Xxtg6RVjRbAO6hFwtQjimycX9h5PuL5gOAHpoA_BT5Z2Eas4fjwlrUA/s320/DSCN1708.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>BASIL!!!</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzASKSUL6YOBzcrkgl4PaVCxS8M8PeiciK6ILxcc1avETVODF89DkQC39UYUqZnsiHnqDZQf2kKpK_vqIxq1WKkzkPkXLtGlfN939UVa-QiZ6HiWr8Kluebn665lqIP83VQh9dA5Rc6o/s1600/DSCN1709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzASKSUL6YOBzcrkgl4PaVCxS8M8PeiciK6ILxcc1avETVODF89DkQC39UYUqZnsiHnqDZQf2kKpK_vqIxq1WKkzkPkXLtGlfN939UVa-QiZ6HiWr8Kluebn665lqIP83VQh9dA5Rc6o/s320/DSCN1709.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Taking off the leaves.</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfEbkHM_gTa5tkjV3_IIA24tWwUS9RkoPY36AGCQ9FcOpTjk1VVCIc8v2JR1J1F3D2W94njs-xZwY-gLCXFDmPEG9q262QC7qJq654u4jlqKU16VVpvP6h6ZBxs8nQ7UuTucEcevT-txE/s1600/DSCN1710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfEbkHM_gTa5tkjV3_IIA24tWwUS9RkoPY36AGCQ9FcOpTjk1VVCIc8v2JR1J1F3D2W94njs-xZwY-gLCXFDmPEG9q262QC7qJq654u4jlqKU16VVpvP6h6ZBxs8nQ7UuTucEcevT-txE/s320/DSCN1710.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Adding the Parmesan.</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3TWi8FVNKTdQSO_a1kU4W5YR3O4arTeNL9U2JjiA-cs76D5jUsxvCfAaQll-LK6MBwGdt3b2wCsaM_9sSUYqcNWchg9y5garFxmDbzqwWxWmFYO6Am75qrTwusedHqVhEfaxuPjMPkIw/s1600/DSCN1711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3TWi8FVNKTdQSO_a1kU4W5YR3O4arTeNL9U2JjiA-cs76D5jUsxvCfAaQll-LK6MBwGdt3b2wCsaM_9sSUYqcNWchg9y5garFxmDbzqwWxWmFYO6Am75qrTwusedHqVhEfaxuPjMPkIw/s320/DSCN1711.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Finishing touches.</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRnrzEA8QjmfN-u6mI-IyKO9PEurmZS27L78Vj2qGh1zxJBPvGncaU2pKPw6ozdhxi-t09xgTdRZ-ylrrFwGPlEOR0691kzg38y9lG9EOD5Jg0PcmH6l0kPHKEA0PIS0gaymKs6eqA_U/s1600/DSCN1712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRnrzEA8QjmfN-u6mI-IyKO9PEurmZS27L78Vj2qGh1zxJBPvGncaU2pKPw6ozdhxi-t09xgTdRZ-ylrrFwGPlEOR0691kzg38y9lG9EOD5Jg0PcmH6l0kPHKEA0PIS0gaymKs6eqA_U/s320/DSCN1712.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Holy cow that's violent!</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvtNDCMVnErr9ynzsw0NaxN-eeDTQBwtoubSctBXarJ-A6JbTQjRi00HmrvRIevvav38YCoenHWY3DSyVuwtTHuA85QFAlANJ6Myqx7fBAeSAUhMpd5mDsN8e3aJQzEu-YbjY1C_DF6Yw/s1600/DSCN1713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvtNDCMVnErr9ynzsw0NaxN-eeDTQBwtoubSctBXarJ-A6JbTQjRi00HmrvRIevvav38YCoenHWY3DSyVuwtTHuA85QFAlANJ6Myqx7fBAeSAUhMpd5mDsN8e3aJQzEu-YbjY1C_DF6Yw/s320/DSCN1713.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Oooh... the power.</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQvs2g-55mKaKiII75bh-lYPv_41B9QOkfWbwC-klF0VZc3gWwPkUEQha12DM2aCwQghPbKdJ3FNVLjAFdXYW66k1h2FODBvhv5YIxfRBBt4QdzkC5FffMb2edwudARRQTdBXJraKxdw/s1600/DSCN1718.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQvs2g-55mKaKiII75bh-lYPv_41B9QOkfWbwC-klF0VZc3gWwPkUEQha12DM2aCwQghPbKdJ3FNVLjAFdXYW66k1h2FODBvhv5YIxfRBBt4QdzkC5FffMb2edwudARRQTdBXJraKxdw/s320/DSCN1718.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The less than attractive but oh-so-tasty final result.</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydH2wTN05-wywOJWe7CrbID71b3jD9IPsBeovdb6AvMiSxiy5RgNAbLIIxS0f8-xMQRus2jZmKfVk7pVEs3JZrbbUr1_T3ecHsXEu44uYevNJKRVEq_kc0H_6LNfJSStH8QgNj_mWVnI/s1600/DSCN1716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydH2wTN05-wywOJWe7CrbID71b3jD9IPsBeovdb6AvMiSxiy5RgNAbLIIxS0f8-xMQRus2jZmKfVk7pVEs3JZrbbUr1_T3ecHsXEu44uYevNJKRVEq_kc0H_6LNfJSStH8QgNj_mWVnI/s320/DSCN1716.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Quinn approved!</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247477979560861388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506893776032669222.post-88168038082697383272010-09-05T00:09:00.001-04:002010-09-05T00:11:35.249-04:00Savory SuccessToday I made lots of yummy treats that didn't scorched or turn out in any way icky. <br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/apple-butter-muffins-200507" target="blank">Apple Butter Muffins</a> (Didn't puff up, and added lots of chopped apples, but still yummy.)</li>
<li><a href="http://michiganmud.blogspot.com/2010/08/yummy-treat-tuesday-basil-pesto.html">Basil Pesto</a> (I took photos of my adorable sons helping me out, but since I can't find the cable, you'll just have to wait.;))</li>
<li>Tomato Sauce (tomatoes, olive oil, sugar, salt, oregano, and don't forget to add a potato to a) take out the acid, b) sweeten up the sauce, and c) help it thicken better.)</li>
</ul>Then I dropped off the boys at their Grandma's, went out to eat, and wasted the rested of the night painting my nails and watching Clash of the Titans. Another pot of sauce is on the stove, so off I go to do my toes. Maybe by tomorrow I'll find my cable or card reader and wow you with the adorableness that is Torin and Quinn;)Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247477979560861388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6506893776032669222.post-59117126441057249242010-09-03T20:08:00.004-04:002010-09-03T20:12:32.068-04:00Mixed Results<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmlt468T46aZszkjIiiCwMIHG4jbjMhfJ8uSKOIc2-A8Uvwza95Jk8b2JW6mdq3S3P_qet6mqoJo4z24VeYVLrSNEHKYpNThUUN7FAARQ6gA4jLFFTdBz7NDb4PeE5R7UXdxq73R_cm84/s1600/DSCN1702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmlt468T46aZszkjIiiCwMIHG4jbjMhfJ8uSKOIc2-A8Uvwza95Jk8b2JW6mdq3S3P_qet6mqoJo4z24VeYVLrSNEHKYpNThUUN7FAARQ6gA4jLFFTdBz7NDb4PeE5R7UXdxq73R_cm84/s320/DSCN1702.JPG" /></a></div>Why must best intentions die such horrible and tragic deaths?<br />
<br />
My today's best intentions (which, if you remember from yesterday's post, was to be a domestic goddess of the oven) crashed and burned with spectacular failure. Not only did I fail to do all the things I wanted to do, I failed to do the things I <b>did do</b> correctly.<br />
<br />
I made <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/crock-pot-apple-butter-93886">apple butter</a> last night. Given it's long slow roast in the crock pot, I managed not to burn it. But the apples I used must be sweeter than my usual choice because boyhowdy is the result<i> sweet</i>. I'm not much for sugar anyway, so I had already cut the sugar back, but wow does this stuff pack a syrupy punch! The 5 or so pints I got out of the pot need special labels, methinks, cause eating it straight up could cause a coma. Perhaps I'll use some of it up in <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/apple-butter-muffins-200507">baking muffins</a>.<br />
<br />
I also tried to make <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/spiced-peach-butter-139121">peach butter</a>. Setting out, I knew fate was against me. 1) I had never made peach butter before, 2) it was way late, and I knew it would require my focus until 3am, and 3) I was coasting high on my dinner success - <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Recipes/story?id=4310959&page=1">copycat Panera egg souffles</a> that totally rocked my tastebuds (YUM). But given that they were seconds in a serious way, I thought it best to process the peaches before they turned to moldy mush.<br />
<br />
FAIL. First of all, the recipe wasn't the best. I cut back on all the spices because I didn't want to overwhelm the peach flavor, and it still was too spiced for my taste. And there wasn't enough sugar (which is an odd thing for me to say!). And then, even with various sci-fi movies playing loudly in the background, I managed to fall asleep on the couch just long enough for it to burn on the bottom. Normally, you can manage to save the top half of the goo if you don't scrape the bottom. But scrape away I did, 'cause I didn't know it was burned. Long story short - there was no saving the stuff. It's gross, with black flecks of burned ickiness floating around. Good thing I only paid $2 for the peaches!<br />
<br />
And I didn't do much else today. A few loads of dishes (catching up from the work week). I picked some butternut squash and turned it into a gratin casserole for dinner. (Another fail. Came out like crap, mostly because I ignored my instincts and followed the recipe to a T, resulting in under-cooked squash.) I puttered and watched the first 7 Buffy motion comics and got a fire going to ward of a decidedly autumn chill.<br />
<br />
Oh well. Butter luck tomorrow!Summerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13247477979560861388noreply@blogger.com0