Dependable daffodil

This entry is a tribute to the ever-stalwart spring bulbs known as daffodils. They thrive under the fiercest of conditions. And their cheerful yellow and/or white heads never fail to disappoint me after having endured the deary winter doldrums.

Speaking of fierce conditions, the window box below my living room window is perhaps the hardest place to grow things. First, it gets very little sun. Second, it gets very little water (it's under the eaves and far from the hose bib). So, I'm always pleased to find something that thrives here. Well, last fall, I dug up hundreds (possibly thousands) of daffodils to give away to friends. What bulbs I could not give away I spread around the rest of my yard. Since this place was so desolate, I decided to give it a try. I'm pleased to see that the persistent daffodil is equal to the challenge.


Here's another place I stuck a bunch of surplus daffodils. I can't wait for them to open up!

I also can't wait for the honeysuckle bushes behind them to seduce me with their delicious pink fragrance. Leaves are already starting to arrive.

Pretty soon the dogwoods (the red sticks in the photo) will leaf out, and you won't even see the daffodils...nor the top of the sewer cleanout.

Here's the "breeding ground" where all my excess daffodils come from. By this time next year, I'll have twice as many, and I'll go to work to divide them once again.

Be fruitful and multiply, dear daffodil!

Planting day

It's my favorite day of the whole year. It's the day I start planting my garden for the year. And what stupendous weather I had for the occasion! The weather man said it could reach 80 degrees today. I have no trouble believing that it did.

This year I'm calling a truce with the wild creatures that wreak havoc on my vegetable garden each summer. I'm only planting the vegetables they've shown no interest in eating. Specifically, I am not planting corn (I gave up after the first year when the raccoons got nearly every ear I had), I'm not planting beans (any leaves the Japanese beetles don't get, the deer will, and then the deer trample anything else nearby), and I'm not planting tomatoes (I believe the raccoons get more pleasure batting them off the vine than I do in growing them, and I refuse to lose another plant to cutworms). I've decided not to plant broccoli, cauliflower, pumpkins, squash, or melons. You find better in the grocery store.

So what will I plant? Today I planted lettuce and peas. I've always had success with lettuce. And you can't beat pea pods right off the vine. When the weather warms up, I'll devote a large section to cucumbers. They're my absolute favorite. And I think I'll plant some bell pepper seedlings, too. I enjoy the peppers all year long by freezing them for frittatas and stir fries.

In the foreground: peas. Oregon Giants are my favorite, but I had to settle for Oregon Sugar Pea II this year. That's no different than last year, and last year was just fine.

Along the left: lettuce. I mixed together an "Italian Blend" I used last year, and some Iceberg. I loved the color and texture of the blend varieties, and the Iceberg adds a refreshing sweetness.

The bricks and blocks in the center will become stepping stones once I lay out the cucumbers and peppers. The lettuce and peas will be done-in by then. It's not a good idea to walk on the garden, especially when the ground is still so wet and soft.

Hey, speaking of wild creatures, I believe I've got a tenant in my compost pile. I thought about sticking my garden fork in there, but I was afraid of what might jump out! I'll wait to turn my compost pile. In other news, I found the skeleton of some poor varmint out in my lawn. I added his remains to the compost pile. Ah, the circle of life.

Wedding bells

I couldn't stay long after the burial. I had to get to Illinois for a bridal shower for Amy (a cousin on the other side of the family).

It's a tradition: the tissue paper wedding dress contest. Our design featured a halter top, empire waist, and a full skirt. Oh, and don't forget that tiara!

Here's another entry. Princess neckline and tulle overlay.

Third entry. Cap sleeves and V-neck.

P.S. Our design won.

Another tradition: the bow bouquet. I didn't get a great picture, but that's Amy behind the tulle.

Farewell

My grandmother passed away on St. Patrick's Day. I'm not entirely clear what happened, but the story I heard was that she and a group of friends were going out for corned beef and cabbage. They were having a great time laughing and chatting in the car. Then along comes a pick-up truck that smashed into them. Grandma was airlifted to a hospital. Attempts to save her life were unsuccessful, and she died. I keep having to remind myself, it was better this way. From what I gathered, she was mangled pretty badly. If she had survived, it would have meant a long downward spiral with the same inevitable conclusion. That was not at all what Grandma would have wanted. She was a proud and spunky lady. She valued her freedom. The last thing she wanted was to be trapped in a helpless body.

It doesn't make the loss any easier though. She was the picture of health for an 85-year-old. She could have easily had another decade of laughter and independence.

Goodbye, Grandma F. We'll miss you always.

There was a silver lining. Her memorial service was an opportunity for my dad's side of the family to have a reunion. And it was also a chance for me to spend more time with my nephews. Sarah got the boys the cutest little suits to wear.

Sarah found a quiet spot in the pre-school adjacent to the church for the boys to play. I thought it was so cute that he bribed Nash to keep clean by giving him a dollar bill.

We also held a private burial service at her grave site. She was joining Grandpa and Uncle Jim.

After the burial, the family joined up at my parents' house. Again, the boys were the stars of the show. And what toys did they fight over? A fire station and clubhouse that had to be at least 30 years old. I remember playing with them when I was a kid.

Happy Birthday, Nash

I can't believe how fast my nephews are growing up. Nash is now FOUR! Unbelievable. He had an awesome birthday party at the Princeton Club on the west side of Madison.


I was so happy to see my nephews.
They're always such gentlemen. Linc clearly wanted to dig into the cake right then and there, but he was very patient.

This was Nash's first birthday party where he could invite his friends from daycare.
The first activity was to build little race cars out of foam parts. It was really fun, even for me! Nash likes to do crafts, so he was a natural.

The kids waited patiently for their turn to do the bean bag toss activity. Other activities included "Pin the Tire on the Car" and "Matchbox Car Races".

This was another party game. One kid would sit in a box and the another would push. (A laundry basket or a plastic storage bin would have been stronger and easier to push.)

The "helmets" were really cute.

A couple of the kids threw a fit if he or she didn't win every game. One kid especially had some control issues. But I was amazed at how tolerant and accepting Nash was. Win or lose, he had a good time. What a great sport!

Linc's favorite part was the cake. He not only ate this piece, he ate another!

Nash had a great time opening his presents.

My parents got Nash a bike. He was a little too short for it to be comfortable, but he'll soon grow into it. Then watch out! He'll be off to new frontiers!

(I love Sarah's expression!)

Look at all this loot!

Thankfully the place provided a cart for Sarah to haul this stuff to her car.

Brad and Sarah invited my parents and me back to their house. The boys started playing with all the new toys. Linc decided to open up the box that contained the new car seat that Sarah's parents got Nash. He was shockingly adept at handling scissors, and he easily managed to get the seat out of the box and onto the kitchen floor. He promptly sat in it. Sarah tried to explain to him that it was Nash's car seat. To which Linc replied, "But look, Mom! I fit!" I about died laughing.

Busy March

You probably noticed I haven't posted in a while. Well, you're in for a treat. I'll be blogging a lot today to catch up. I've had a very busy past few weeks.

First, I finished a few projects at home.

I refinished the top of this sewing table. It was a gift long ago from my Aunt Debbie. I'm going to make it a night stand in the little bedroom. The room is going to have a mid-century vibe. Maybe my Ma will let me have the lamp in my brother's old bedroom...


I went outside in early March to take a look at my garden. I discovered a piece of sliding had started to rip off the house. Its proximity to the weather head (where the electricity enters the house from the pole) concerned me a little, but I figured, what the heck? Standing on an aluminum ladder a dozen feet in the air just inches away from death might be kinda exciting.

So, instead of gardening, I repaired my siding. A few screws, some caulk, and I was done. (Note: The duct tape was only to hold the right side in place so the caulk could dry.)


Then, a couple days later was St. Patrick's Day. At lunch time, I came back to my desk after a routine trip to the library, and I noticed I had a voicemail message. It was my brother. I called him right back. Grandma F was in the hospital. She'd been in a car accident. It was serious, but there were no details available. A few hours later, Brad called back. Grandma had passed away. Wow. Wow. No way! She was the strong grandma. She was so incredibly active. She had so much to look forward to (golf, bowling, card games, shuffleboard, not to mention the most adorable great-grandkids on Earth!). It was just so unfair. I was already heading up to Wisconsin for my nephew's birthday party, so I took my bereavement days the following week and just stayed up there.