I was unaware that lettuce plants turned into trees:
Yes, I've picked some and made salad from it. There are actually three types of lettuce, this tall one that I'm calling the "sapling", a purple version of it (to the left in this next picture, if you look closely), and a much shorter, leafier green type. You can't see that one in the picture.
All of them are great! But... can I just chop the top off this sucker? It's big and tall and well... I want it to keep giving me lettuce. I also don't want it to turn into a beanstalk all on its own... The other two types of lettuce are growing well, but are not approaching tree proportions.
Lettuce growers - let me hear from you!
So - true story.
I went to Lowe's the other day to get more dirt, and some more cinder blocks for the garden foundation (the wood was starting to bow. You can probably see one of the new blocks in the lettuce pictures).
The first place I went was to the far end of the store to get the blocks and one of the trucks they keep there just for people like me. Though apparently not "exactly* for people like me. I had just lifted my first block/brick, when one of the Lowe's guys rounded the corner and looked at me. Then, I kid you not...
He fussed at me.
Yep, he sure did. He fussed at me for getting my own blocks, being all offended that I would dare to put four cinder blocks on my own truck thing. He came up, asked how many I needed, and then *informed* me that *next* time, I was to summon one of them for help. Oh yeah, he did. I told him that you know, I was the one who was going to be lugging them at home. And he said, no joke, "That's at home. Here - you call one of us." And then proceeded to put three more blocks on my truck. Chivalry is not dead, it seems.
To head off trouble, when I checked out in the garden center, I didn't say a word when the cashier told me to pull my car up while she called for someone to load the stuff into it.
Yep, I sure enough hauled it all myself when I got home. But apparently I am not allowed to do that at Lowe's. ;-)
Tomorrow - Garden Expansion!
:)
Quilts Again!
This time from one of my cousins! He was kind enough to get pictures to me, and now I get to share them! Only three more quilts to go, then there will be pictures of all five of these. (No, they aren't the only quilts my grandmother made, but you can see the theme here, lol).
Clearly, the theme color for his quilt is brown, as mine was blue.
And again, every stitch done by hand. You can see some of the details of her handiwork here.
To finish - her signature, of course, and the year he graduated (yeah,, we're all old, lol).
I don't guess I can really say these are the tip of the iceberg, but the sheer volume of embroidery, knitting, sewing, and crochet that my grandmother did put out is kind of staggering when I think about it. But then, I also never remember her hands not doing something. They were never still. Even if it wasn't embroidery or knitting, she was doing crosswords, crochet, any number of other things.
The lesson to take away from this, I think, is that - for all we say we don't have time... How much of it do we spend staring at the TV? And not just staring, but doing nothing else at the same time? How many hours are we on the computer doing nothing really productive? How many books do we read now, as opposed to earlier in our lives? I know for me that answer is far fewer than I'd have guessed.
So there's time to do this stuff if we want to. I won't say my time is idle, because I get a lot done that doesn't "show" in some regards. But I also know I could work more of this awesome stuff into my own life. Hence the pseudo gardening, resuming my own turn at the needle (sometimes, lol), and even this blog. Getting stuff out there that's for me - but also to share.
Hope you enjoyed the pics! And hopefully, more will be coming from my sister and other cousins on this side of the family. For me personally, it would just be cool to see them all.
:)
But there is still scariness abounding! I present to you
FRANKENBASIL!!
No kidding, this stuff is... sad. But it just won't stop growing. Not that I want to kill live plants, but I sure as heck am not babying this stuff like a lot of people have and do. I water it from time to time. And apparently I'm not the only one - I hear tales from others about how basil just keeps growing.
I should cut off all the usable stuff, and empty the pots. I just can't seem to bring myself to do it though. Of course, it's not like I'm adding dirt or anything to them either, and they both need that.
And look - isn't that little bitty one cute, growing in between the house and the patio tile there?
So add basil to my list of "crops" I guess. It does taste good, and just walking by it and brushing the plant smells awesome! That's worth it right there!
Short one tonight - tomorrow is the Tournament of Champions for my Trivia team - wish us luck!
:)
The peppers are coming!
There are a ton of them, and they are just coming off the plants as soon as I touch them. At least they are making up in volume for what they lack in size. Take a look:
I know I have tried to explain to people that these peppers are tiny. I put a quarter in these pictures as a size reference so you can see just what I mean. I read that bell peppers don't grow as big here as they are in the store, but I'm getting so many of them, It's like getting two or three "regular" sized ones! Here's another look:
Now, these peppers are supposed to be red and orange (or maybe red and yellow, I can't remember, lol). They aren't managing to stay on the plant long enough to turn colors. I'm okay with that, because the trade off seems to be that that rot problem seems to be going away, too.
The plants are full of more that are not quite ready. These are just two plants in two pots that are on the patio. I keep going back and forth about planting them in their own tub in the "garden", but they are doing so well as it is, I hate to mess with a good thing.
So what to do with all the bounty? Well, I chop them up and freeze them, of course! Then when I want them, I take them out and put them in spaghetti sauce, on pizza (frozen or homemade, they are great!), in meatloaf, with chicken... just anything really. They are really good. And as silly as it sounds, I can tell the difference in flavor.
Or maybe it's just more concentrated because they are so small, ha ha. Regardless, this growing stuff is cool! Still determined to do it without any real work though ;-)
So there you go. Tomorrow (or later today maybe) - the Frankenbasil! Eeeeek!
Ha ha! Happy Friday everyone!
:)
Tomorrow is Halloween!
I love Halloween. It's just a cool holiday. And is this not an awesome Halloween picture?
Yes, Phil again. But he's a black cat sitting with a pumpkin. Actually that's last year's picture, since he hasn't managed to pose so nicely for me again this year, ha ha.
At work tomorrow, we are all dressing up, students and teachers. Or most of us. I'm sure there will be some sticks in the mud who don't do it. But it will be fun regardless.
Then I will sit here all night tomorrow night with my bowl of candy and get NO trick-or-treaters. Really. Last year, not a one. The year before - one. The year before that - three. Not a kid heavy or Halloween active neighborhood. I'm the only one who ever decorates, too.
But I do it just for me. And the candy, for good or ill, will get eaten, lol.
:)
PS - Trivia sucked tonight. But then half the team was missing. Still, ten bucks is ten bucks...
My last post had much excitement about my new china cabinet! It's still awesome, and I grin every time I see it. Well, almost every time, lol. But I still love it, is the point.
These are a couple of baby pictures of my dog Sophie Anne, aka Sophie:
Wasn't she cute? And little? Ha ha!
Now you may be wondering what one has to do with the other, the china cabinet and my huge, hundred pound scaredy dog Sophie (see current picture. Yep, over a hundred pounds, that one, lol).
As I was putting things into my awesome china cabinet on Sunday, the door was open, of course. And as you can see, there's glass in it, as there should be. Sophie walked up and sniffed the door - then she huffed and looked alarmed. I checked it out.
I kid you not. She was looking at her reflection in the glass! And it scared her!
She is huge, and the biggest chicken ever. So today she was walking by the cabinet again, movement in the glass caught her eye, and I saw her see herself again! LOL - and she paused, but then looked again and walked on.
So who knew there was this added, hilarious bonus to having a china cabinet? I'm even happier now... as I giggle.
:)
Today started early, paused for a nap, then busy, busy, busy once more!
First up: China Cabinet!
Woo hoo! I've wanted one of these babies for years. Unfortunately, they are usually really expensive. I found this one yesterday at a rummage sale. She took the price I offered, and there went my birthday money from my awesome mom :D (Last year my birthday money went toward skydiving. The year before that, a tattoo. Needless to say, my mom was very much more pleased with this year's spend, hehe.)
Once the thing was wrestled into the house (thanks to the Amazing Andy! So far he's received a piece of cheesecake and two small banana trees for his efforts, with promise of dinner another time. He brought avocados. We're going to keep trading, I think, lol), it had to be set and cleaned.
And then of course, stuff put in it. As if I needed any more proof that I am an old lady:
I've been wanting a place to put my teapots for years, and my inheritance from my Granny. It's not nearly as full as it could be, which is just... hehe. Something I'll have to take care of now, won't I? ;-)
But that's not all to this productive day! Keep going...
Really - I mean it! It was a great day!
I ended up going to this rummage sale near the little foodie shop I like, and I got something awesome! Pictures tomorrow, once I've gotten it home.
Now, however - take a look at this:
Yes, that's Jack the Beanstalk, already making a break for it. I don't think my idea of a small piece of decorative fencing is going to cut it here. Not with all *8* plants that are now in my tub! My mom doesn't think so either. It looks like I am going to have to break down and buy a trellis.
Still - I think I can get away without much work here (remember, this is the no-dig, low work garden, hehe). I can get a trellis and just lean it against the house or the fence, then set the tub next to it. With a little coaxing, those bean plants will figure it out, right? Then there's still no bending over, since the trellis will most likely be taller than I am (ha ha! What isn't taller than I am?).
That's the plan. And judging by the rate these things are growing, I need to get that trellis ASAP, lol.
Check back tomorrow for pictures of my rummage sale awesomeness!
:)
Woo hoo! It's Friday!
'Nuff said. Hehe
:)
I am repeating a picture from last night for this post:
The reason for that is that I have realized I need help with a few things. So let me have it!
First up - yep, those beans. I realized (too late) that they are pole beans, and not bush beans. Meaning that they are going to have to have something to climb on eventually. So - my first thought is to grab a cheap piece of semi-decorative fencing (or maybe two, one for each side) and just shove them down into the dirt on either side of my bean tub.
Thoughts?
Second - Blog!
For the life of me, I cannot figure out how to get the links at the tome, like "Home" and stuff. Help?
Third - Possum removal
Yep, the dogs cornered a possum a couple of days ago. Now I have nothing against wildlife in general, but dang if those things don't just look like big rats! And "big" is the operative word here, because this was a *big* possum! I think it's gone, because I made the dogs stay in and not try to chase it. Later they were barking up a tree, making me think the thing climbed its way out once it got dark.
Thankfully, it hasn't been seen since and the dogs haven't gone any more nuts than usual. But - how does one possum-proof a yard?
Just askin'. Let me know how I can work on any or all of these, lol!
And remember - tomorrow is Friday! Woo hoo!
Thanks!
:)
