Sunday, March 27, 2011

WRAP-UP

It's time to wrap up the week, only this will include two weeks worth of wrap-up because I forgot to do it last time--let's attribute it to the age issue and leave it at that, shall we?

The last two weeks in the proverbial nutshell:


My daily walks with Tucker are getting hotter and hotter.  Spring sprung here over a month ago and I'm beginning to break a sweat on our walks.  Tucker is even having to go into the pond for a dip and a drink.  Although two days ago (Friday) we had a veritable cold snap as the temps only rose into the 60s.  After hearing some of your tales about the snow you're still getting, I'm really not complaining.  Much.

The time change is messing with me as it usually does.  I have no idea what time it is when my eyes open.  Not that it matters because, when MY eyes open...I am awake.  So I am awake now either around 4:00 am or 7:00 am.  This is not great on either end because my ideal wake up time is 6:00 and I miss it either way.  Getting up at 4:00 makes the afternoons difficult (and I am not a nap person) and getting up at 7:00 leaves me grumpy AND puts our daily walks later in the morning which means the day is getting hot which means my mood is not going to be that great.  It's a vicious cycle.

Have you seen us?
I managed to get all three raised beds all set for planting.  Each bed is 18" high and are 4'x4' squares.  This year I am going to try square foot gardening.  Last year's garden was a flop except for the peppers and tomatoes.  This year, I am hoping to find my elusive green thumb and have a garden filled with a variety of veggies!  The squash garden is just sitting there waiting on Hubs to get the tiller going---which means the probability of  having a squash garden is slim to none.  He always wants to go with me to select the plants (I'm not starting from seeds again--at least until he gets the greenhouse up--which means, well, you know) and we actually made it out yesterday and purchased a few plants to get started with-peppers (hot and sweet), eggplant, onions and some flowers. (We will hit some locally owned places next week in the hopes of purchasing plants started by locals).  When my mother was purging for her move to my aunt's house, I discovered a set of hand gardening tools that had never been used.  There was no way I was going to put those in the yard sale because they were perfect for working in the raised beds.  I put those tools away and, in the back of my mind, thought, "Are you sure you want to put those there?  You probably won't remember where they are."  I left them there.  I saw them about a month ago and repeated the mental thoughts with a slight difference, "Don't you want to move those to a more obvious location?"  I left them there.  I cannot find them ANYWHERE.  I would blame this on age, but I've been like this for as long as I can remember.  Also, I would ask, "When will I learn?"  But it has become painfully obvious that I'm never going to.

I made the girls a Philly dinner the Wednesday after they returned from their trip.  We had pierogies, spinach quiche, and shoo fly pie--all chosen from the Philly cookbook they brought back for me.  The pierogies were a big FLOP but I am not discouraged- I will  try again (I googled some recipes and they can be deep fried or baked--the recipe in the book said to boil them...don't); the quiche was delicious and they loved the shoo fly pie- I don't like molasses so I didn't like it.  This past Wednesday I cooked spaghetti for them with a huge salad and garlic bread.  Of course, they just appreciate a homecooked meal, regardless of what it is!



One of our good neighbors remembered that DoodleBug is very interested in joining the Peace Corps once she graduates and invited her to hear some guest speakers at the Center for Women.  These women speakers spent years in Afghanistan and completely eradicated small pox there.  DoodleBug is even more encouraged now than ever before.  SO, if any of you have suggestions on how I can redirect her interests and encourage her to stay here have ever been in the Peace Corps, I would appreciate your thoughts/experiences/etc.
  
So far my bracket is still alive thanks to UCONN, UNC (Oh how I LOVE my TARHEELS); AND KANSAS--at least as of this writing.  (WTH Ohio State?!). This won't mean anything to you if you aren't following the NCAA tournament (MARCH MADNESS baby!).  The GATORS messed me up yesterday but WHAT A GAME!  Oh, and I HATE BUTLER.  But, WHAT A FREAKING GAME!  (The UCONN/AZ game was good too--actually, most of the tournament games this year have not disappointed in the excitement and good basketball categories).  I'm depending on KANSAS to win today and KICK BUTLER'S ASS!  Yep.  We're all about March Madness here.  Then we sit and wait for FOOTBALL SEASON--preseason begins in August! God knows I love me some football!



Last, but not least.  I finally finished Tucker's doggie sweater- not that he'll need it until NOVEMBER.  But it's done!  TaDa: 

WTH Mom?!  It's 70 degrees out there!

  
This is the 27th day of NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) for the month of March. The theme for this month is: in a word! My chosen word for today is: WRAP-UP.





18 comments:

  1. Quick pierogies receipe from my youth living in very ethnic Western PA...blanch the pierogies and then saute them in unsalted butter with camerlized sweet onions. Serve them with a spoon full of sour cream on top :-)

    As far as spring. Spring has sprung here in MI. It was 28 and sunny yesterday..but there is no snow on the ground :-) so I went for a walk...wore shorts and a sweatshirt..shorts were a bad idea...hahaha

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  2. Of course the weather has gotten colder and rainier because we are in the process of moving. It will probably pour now through Wednesday. GO UCONN! That's my team.

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  3. I am so jealous you're setting out plants already! All I've got is a dozen tomato seedlings sitting in the window. They're doing good though - must be all that light reflected off the snow!

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  4. Came steaming over having seen you on Twitter..
    Great wrap up with as always some fab pictures.
    We had spring for five days and now it's freezing cold again. I could do with Tucker's sweater.
    Reading through this I can only marvel.How do you find the time to do everything and still blog?...you are amazing.
    And now I'd better go and rescue Hubby who is being pinned to the fence by a very large rosebush while he tries to paint it (the fence, not the rosebush). Have a fun filled week.
    XOXO

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  5. I love Tucker and he looks so cute in his little doggie sweater. I am so with you on putting things away, and then forgetting absolutely where they are! Grrr! I have learnt though, and make notes in my diary when I am putting things away. See! Easy! Our temperatures have only just reached the 60's, and that's not every day, so I'm very envious of your warmer climate!

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  6. I made a shoo-fly pie once because my husband saw on one the food network and decided he NEEDED one, he had no idea what they tasted like. In the end he decided it was too sweet.

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  7. Tucker's sweater is a very sweet thing! I love the color, and he looks too precious for words. What a neat sweater. He'll be the class act of the 'hood come November.

    As for gardening...I love it too. I usually put out flowers but this year I put out some tomatoes. Heck, maybe if this works out, I may have Bud make me a small garden for veggies!! Who knows...you know how that goes, right?

    And the tools for the garden?!------that's a hoot. Y'know?---I'm the very same way. But I learned. I put up a chalk board in the garage and when I put something away I know I won't use for a while, I write down where they are!! It works!!

    It was super having you visit with me yesterday. Your comments are always welcomed as is your company!!

    My Sunday Blog Post Link

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  8. Jeff- Thanks! I will definitely give it a try! Shorts? In 28 degree weather? What WERE you thinking? LOL

    Barb- I was wondering why it cooled off and we got some rain...thanks for clearing that up! LOL Hope everything is moving along smoothly!

    Kara- Sunlight reflecting off the snow---LOL At least your sense of humor is still with us!

    Carol- I hope that you are feeling better! I've been sending hugs and get well vibes and chicken soup! Hope spring comes again and stays!

    This-I am going to try the writing it down thing- can't believe I never thought of that! LOL

    Jennifer- Hubs always NEEDS things he sees on the food network too...which is why I stopped letting him watch. LOL

    Anni-My flowers do well but not my veggies...maybe this is my year! Yes, I do know how it goes when getting the hubby's to do something! LOL

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  9. I am so freakin jealous of you right now. First, Tucker's sweater is da' bomb, and he looks so cute, I'm afraid he might be upstaging my chis. Where did you get the info on how to make him a sweater? Ok, I don't even know how to knit, but I want to try.
    Second, I live in sunny southern Ca, where it's supposed to be sunny and warm pretty much all year...NOT. I've been freezing my buns off for way too long and I totally envy you your warm weather...lol
    Your garden idea sounds so fun, I would love to have one, but I live in the freaking desert...

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  10. I love reading your blog! Like your style.

    I hope you will have a successful gardening year. We love to grow our own vegetables but the space is the limit. Plus around our house in Chennai we have 3 big coconut trees and nothing grows under that. And the open space we use for few flower plants.

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  11. Right there with you. Spring has sprung here too kiddo. It's already getting hot and sticky outside.

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  12. We're considering raised beds this year. Guess we better get moving or it won't happen. Maybe you should go buy some more gardening tools. As soon as you use them enough that they can't be returned, you'll find the others!

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  13. Betty- the girls said that theirs were fried they thought. Now that I have other recipes to follow we're going to give it another shot soon!

    Alessandra- You are too funny! I like to use this site for knitting patterns: http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/directory/pets.php
    I used the first one as a guide. To learn, I just typed in knitting for beginners on You Tube--I'm more of a visual learner and the videos were great!

    Sailor- Thank you so much! We have a decent sized back yard and Hubs made some raised beds for me. Have you tried container gardening? It's fun!

    Michele- Yep, hot and sticky. And my sunglasses fog up while walking so the sun is annoying me too. LOL

    Beverly-I really love my raised beds! And you are so right about the tools---LOL

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  14. First, Tucker looks so sweet in his sweater..but there is something about his expression that does indeed say WTH!!

    As far as Doodlebug goes...KEEP HER HERE!!!
    I know it is a noble cause but Holy Smokes...it is a dangerous world.
    My son went to Sri Lanka to help rebuild and he contracted Dengue Fever from a mosquito bite. So there he was in Sri Lanka....very ill...and I am here..not a situation I would wish for any mother.
    Is there not something here in the states that she could devote her time and treasures?

    One thing about our children..they will do what they are going to do!

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  15. Shawn- Thank you! I have told her that there are plenty of opportunities to help right here in our area. Very good friends of ours know the man in charge of helping inner city youth and she is interested in hearing more about that...fingers crossed. I don't want her to go but, at the same time, I won't stand in her way. And you're right, they are going to do what they are going to do!

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  16. What a wrap-up. Sounds like you need a water spray bottle to spritz yourself with on your walks with Tucker. My parents are doing the garden thing here, too. And I only understood that bracket business because I met up with a friend of mine when I was home and her boyfriend follows bball and pulled out his bracket sheet. I had no idea what it was, so he explained it to me. Thanks to him, that portion of your blog didn't go right over my head. However, I am now following the games, but I do know irritation when I read it... lol. Hope it all gets better.

    And thanks for the encouragement on my blog aka life.

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  17. I made Wilbur a jacket once. it was a diaster but have to try again. This time will measure him a bit better. What is shoo-fly pie? I will have to look that up along with a few other things you fixed. Such a different menu then we make.
    Thanks for stopping by. Take care and God Bless!!!

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  18. Robin- At this point, I do not care who wins the dang tournament! LOL I love visiting your blog- hope things are getting some better.

    Julie- Measure? What's that? LOL Shoo fly pie is a Philly thing-they could call it molasses pie.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! It makes me feel connected to everyone even though we may live far apart! Have a wonderful day!

 
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