Garden Update

I was out weeding and realized how long it has been since I sent a garden update. January brought freezing temps that finished our tomatoes and peppers, unfortunately they were loaded with vegies at the time. But the great news is that the radishes survived, along with the onions, carrots, garlic, oregano and garlic chives. So we have herbs to cook with, radishes in our salads and soon the onions and carrots.

This week I cleaned out the weeds and added new mulch. A few tomatoes and pepper plants went in (they are little so I figure I can cover them if it freezes any time soon). And beets and nasturtium seeds, along with trying my hand at growing garbanzo beans.

The sad looking potted plant is the gardenia, which really does not like temps under 60. It does have new growth, so I remain hopeful, as I love the flowers. The hibiscus also looks pretty sad, but new buds and I'm sure red flowers are just around the corner.

Happy growing!

Turtle Square 3

Here is my latest and last square for inclusion in the 2010 Turtle Breast Cancer (Bead) Quilts. Turtle designed by my mom Dottie using large beads and background is triangle stitch with bugle beads. If you are snowed in... got beads? Get busy!

Wide Open Spaces

We travelled at the beginning of November. Along with visiting family in Bay City, Oregon and Salt Lake City, Utah, we took an overnight trip to Bryce Canyon in Southern Utah. It was a walk down memory lane for me, but it was a whole new experience for hubby and son. We ate lunch at Mom's Cafe in Salina and made it to the park in time to hit Sunset Point for sunset, at about 8000 ft elevation. We spent the night at Ruby's Inn just outside the park and then spent the next day visiting many different view points and walking some of the trails. Filled my soul.

OOPs there goes...

Our rubber tree coming down. Our neighbor asked us to trim it as it was hanging over their shed door on the other side of the fence. Once we started... we decided to take it all down and put in something that is not 25 feet tall and wide! This will give our small back yard more visual space, but I will miss the shade.

One thing connected to another thing and that thing connected to..

Once upon a time there was a family that decided to do some home remodeling. They took apart the ceiling and changed it a bit, then they started to put things back together. They realized if they want to do that then the walls are connected to it and if they want to bead board on the walls then the baseboard coving needs to be changed. And if the coving needs to be changed then the flooring has to go. Next thing they know, they dumped the old vanity and the toilet and are scraping the vinyl off the floor. Thinset and tiles and tools later the rebuilding starts.

If you think it is not all connected, think again.

Pulling crepes

Yummy... Blueberries, yogurt, and a bit of juice.

Beaded Turtle squares

The new Bead-It-Forward challenge is Turtles. Initially I was completely stumped. After a trip to the local craft store and the purchase of a couple of turtle buttons, I started stitching. The one on the right was first and then I played with a turtle heading into the water. Now there are patterns coming out designed by other participants. Ideas are starting to flow. Should be a really interesting (set of) quilt(s). Not sure how many I will do... I certainly do not expect the same level as last year but who knows...