Apples

Last year, when we had just moved into our house, the previous owner told us about the apple tree out front. She said that she hoped we would enjoy the apples. I didn't even think to ask her what type of apples they were; I was just so excited about it.

A few months later I glanced out the window and saw the neighbor kids in our tree. I didn't mind at first. I mean, they're kids and kids are fairly unburdened by property lines and a climb-able tree is a climb-able tree.
So I was acting cool and laid back about the whole thing, watching them with a smile until I noticed that they were throwing all of the apples into the yard before they were fully grown. It was then that I realized the reason there were so few apples growing in the first place....they'd been doing this for a while. I kept my cool and walked outside to ask them to stop. I was careful to not be a scary angry lady. I asked them nicely to please quit picking and throwing the apples. Didn't matter, I freaked them out and they went running. ***In my defense they were kind of weird kids.



Anyway, the kids moved away with their family and a new family moved in next door. Apparently the new neighbor kids don't care about our tree. The result is that my apple tree has hundreds of apples. So now I have no excuse. I need to find out A) What kind of apples they are B) What should I do with all of them?



Anyone?

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Living up this far north we get a late start to our gardening. We have to wait until the threat of a late season snowstorm is past before we can really get growing. My friend Rachel advised me that no planting should be done before Memorial Day or until the last snow on the mountain has melted. I admittedly started early this year and it was pure dumb luck that we didn't have a heavy storm in April, like we often do.



I did manage to wait until Memorial Day to start my food garden. Eric and I set up a couple of raised beds on the lower level of our backyard. We hope to cultivate a great garden/ entertaining area down there as time rolls along, but the first step was to get these gardens going.



I have long dreamed of a decent garden space and I finally have something that is really and truly my own to work with.This year I mostly planted foods that I am absolutely certain we will eat, but I hope to branch out a bit more in the years to come, to try some fun new foods as well.



In early July, as long as I am not in labor, I plan to attend a little workshop on canning. I am really excited about all of this. What a great treat for me and such a fun learning experience for Cordelia as well. She has been really confused about how all of these seeds will someday be our food. I can't wait to see her little hands picking fresh fruit and veggies that she will help me to prep in the kitchen.

Do you garden? Any tips?

Outside/ Inside

Outside it is a bit chilly. Yesterday was very rainy and today promises to be more of the same. I love the rain and so does our yard, it is so green. I have a bunch of seedlings which are awaiting transplant into our new raised bed gardens!!!







Inside we are feeling the last (?) blast of the heater until fall. We are doing a little reading of library books. Some friends are expected for a play date in just a short while. Should be a lovely morning.





What are you up to?

Think Spring?

Today I am thinking spring. I know, I know, we have a looong winter ahead of us, but now I am thinking about those first bright harbingers of spring, the tulips!



As soon as the morning sun burns off the chill in the air I will head out with Cordelia and get planting!


Cordelia did not eat the bulb, for the record.



Do you plant tulips?

Summer Morning

Yesterday morning we had our usual company, Bode. We watch him 4 days a week. Bumblebee and Cordelia looove it! Since Bode is about 95% reliable in the house-training arena and since the weather has been so lovely we spend a lot of time in the back yard.

I have been busy weeding the garden, because things are starting to happen in my yard. I see there are tons of strawberries just plumping up. Cordelia follows me around with a rake when she's not playing. Bumblebee and Bode fall into a rhythm of play and then rest/watching the other chew on a toy.













The mood is completely relaxed and just perfect, exactly what I imagined in my daydreams of home ownership. How have your summer mornings gone?

Backyarding

Spring is such a thrilling time to move into a new place, it is as though the entire place is coming to life just in time for us to introduce ourselves. We ladies of the house have been spending much of our time hanging out in the backyard lately. Cordelia, Bumblebee and I are quite a team. We play, we garden, we investigate.



Have you ever had the good fortune to have a toddler point out everything to you? It is most certainly time consuming, but man alive is it interesting. I love seeing the world with her fresh eyes. It is an interesting exercise for me to let go and just watch her marvel at the world.



Bumblebee has reached a state of Nirvana. She couldn't be happier...unless perhaps we got her a dog buddy...hint hint (I have forfeited the power to make calls about animal adoption as I have no self-control).



I can't imagine a better way to get to know our little piece of the planet.

Around the Yard, Around the House: Just a Little Taste

I tend to be a little bit of a voyeur. I love looking at people's homes, the little details of their lives. I think most people are that way. I have been getting requests to take a good look at our new place. I promise a good thorough tour will soon follow, but Eric and I are busy arranging and re-arranging everything to our liking. Then we will do it all again later this summer as we prepare for the arrival of our little girl.

For now I thought I'd give a little taste of what's going on around here in the house and around the yard. I think sometimes those little details are even more telling.

Flowers, after our recent rainy days.

Green growing things in the garden. All of the rain this week has been wonderful.

The garage.

Bumblebee rests mid-morning.

My paintbrushes have been migrating around, looking for their new home.

Just a corner of the living room.

Eric and I are big on creating little vignette's throughout the house.

Oh, and on a side note do you see the little black specks in the photo of the yard, they're birds? Yesterday afternoon dozens and dozens of little black birds landed in the yard and then almost as quickly as they arrived, they were gone. I tried to count and got over 30 before I lost track. I was momentarily fearful that we were entering into some new version of The Birds.

Little Bits of Information...Random Blog Beware!

This Blog Post Contains the Following: Gardening, Lilacs, Photo Shoot, Pomegranate Juice, and Weird Baby Dreams

Gardening
Yesterday was another delightfully productive day. Today I woke up so sore from busting my hump, but in a good way. I spent all of my Sunday afternoon working in the garden. I am about halfway done with all of my planting. So far I have lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, Swiss chard, carrots, squash, peas, cabbage and pumpkins.

Lilacs
Then last night Eric, Bumblebee and I ventured into the backyard while I attempted to identify the various types of bushes and trees that live back there. Most thrillingly I found that we have at least 4 (yes 4!) lilac bushes. Eric even humored me by sniffing the blossoms at my request.

Photo Shoot
I was so thankful that he was willing to join me on my botanical odyssey that I humored him by posing for his impromptu photo shoot. Unfortunately I was feeling dorky and my sweet hubby had visions of his pregnant wife wandering through the lilacs at sunset. He's so sweet, but this ended up being the prize photo.


Pomegranate Juice
Also I was recently sent some Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice. Have you had this stuff? It's really good. I was also sent a little form telling me all about the health benefits so I felt extra healthy as drank away. I discovered that they sell different flavors as well, including blueberry and I have had a serious hankering for blueberry lately.

Weird Baby Dream
Finally, I wanted to tell you about just one of the many bizarre baby related dreams I have been having. Many of you know that we will soon find out the gender of our little baby (on Thursday) and I guess the excitement has carried over into my dreams. I had a dream that we went in for the ultrasound and the tech informed us that the baby was still a mermaid (???) and we would be unable to identify it's gender until it's legs separated. I was trying to swish my belly around in order to flip the baby and see if it was hiding something that would clue us in on the gender.

Yikes! Anyway, I think the excitement of finally confirming the gender (though we already have an idea) was coupled with the fact that this little one feels like a fish swimming around in there. It was either that or it was just a crazy dream that I should not have shared on the Internet...

Also, Hannah asked what type of bike I'm riding...it's a 1971 Schwinn Suburban!

What's new with you?