Fast Trip To Arizona

Natalie gets sworn in tomorrow.  She will be a full fledged attorney, ready to practice!

I was going to drive out by myself.  I can do it.  I've done it lots before.  At the last minute, Duff was able to arrange some work things around and called me at noon and told me to be ready in an hour!  I threw in the last load of laundry and got in the shower.

No traffic at all at that time of the day.

We called them when we were at the 101 and Cave Creek and when we turned the corner Robert, Opa, and John were sitting on the seat wall around the big front yard tree waiting for us.

John started waving at our car and when we pulled in the driveway, he was a little puzzled.  I waved at him and opened the door and he was so excited.

Oma and Natalie came out to greet us and we all sat outside under the tree and visited while John went crazy entertaining all of us.  He was so funny.  His hand motions are very animated and he truly thinks we understand all of his 18 month old jibberish!

 John was very much a Papa Duff boy this trip.  Couldn't get enough of his grandpa.

They played with his toys and read his favorite books.  Walked all around and rolled on the floor.

Tomorrow is a big day and we are all excited.  Natalie is a little nervous.

Fruit Tart/Pizza

Isn't this beautiful?  And it tastes even better than it looks!

The recipe is from my friend, Victoria.  She is a very good cook and also has a catering business.  I asked if I could share this recipe and she agreed I could.

ENJOY!

Crust:
1 (18 oz.) package refrigerated sugar cookie dough [or 1/4 batch of your own homemade sugar cookie dough)

Filling:
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla

Assorted Fresh Fruit:  I used raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, and bananas.  You could also add peaches, nectarines, what ever you like!

Glaze:
1/2 cup white sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon orange zest (optional)

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350*.  Press dough into 12 inch pizza pan, or double the recipe and press into a cookie sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes for pizza pan, or around 18 minutes for cookie sheet.  It should just be beginning to get golden around the edges.  Allow to cool.
2.  In a large bowl, soften cream cheese, then cream together with sugar and extract.  Spread over cooled crust.  You can chill it for awhile at this point, or continue by arranging the fruit.
3.  Arrange fruit over pizza.  If you are using a pizza pan,  arrange the easier to slice fruit toward the outside.  If you use bananas, dip them in some lemon juice to prevent darkening.  Then make the glaze to spoon over the fruit. 
4.  In a saucepan,combine sugar, cornstarch, orange juice, lemon juice, and water.  Cook and stir over medium heat.  Bring to a boil and cook for 1 or 2 minutes until thickened.  Remove from heat and add grated orange zest if using.  Remove from heat and allow to cool but not set up.  Spoon over fruit.  Chill for two hours and then slice and serve.

Tips from me:
I used Pillsbury refrigerated dough.
I doubled the recipe and put it in a 12X17 cookie sheet.
Instead of either all almond or vanilla extracts, I did half of each and really liked the flavor.
I used the fruit in this order:  2 baskets of raspberries, 1 basket of bluberries, 1 1/2 bananas sliced kind of thin, 2 kiwis peeled, sliced and then sliced in half again, 1 1/2 baskets of strawberries sliced thin-ish.  Try and make all the slices of each fruit equal to the others.
I did use all of the glaze.  Just keep putting it on!  You'll be glad you did.  It adds so much!

Very Berry Strawberry Homemade Ice Cream

This was soooo very good!

(this isn't my picture--it is from google--but it is exactly what it looks like)

(from the foodnetwork.com  courtesy of Mary Ellen Hoybook)

Ingredients:
3 pounds frest strawberries
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
4 eggs, or 1 cup Egg Beaters
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1 quart heavy whipping cream
1 quart half-and-half
4 Tablespoons vanilla extract

Directions:
Wash, core and slice strawberries.  Gently mix with sugar and lemon juice.  Let strawberries sit for at least 1 hour.  While the berries are waiting, mix remaining ingredients and refrigerate.  Heat berries on stove in heavy saucepan until boiling.  Turn heat down and let simmer for 5 minutes.  Cool strawberries.  Put cooled strawberries in food processor and process until you have small bits or puree.  Mix berries and mild mixture together and freeze according to ice cream freezer instructions.

Tips from me:
After simmering the berries, cool them in a sink with some ice water if you want to speed up the process.
We don't care for large bits of frozen fruit in our ice cream, so I processed them just about to the complete puree stage.
We have a 4 quart (1 gallon) White Mountain electric ice cream freezer (that is our favorite).  This made enough for that and 1/3 of another batch that we did in our Rival ice cream freezer.
Remember to use a lot of rock salt in the proper ratio to the ice.  Your ice cream will be creamier and freeze better.  (You know how sometimes homemade ice cream can get icy?)  It took us a lot of years to figure that out!  Use more salt than you think you need.  You should use just about or all of the box of salt.

Memorial Day 2011

 Our Memorial Day was low key and good.

It was cold.  Brrr.  May Gray you know.

We bbq'd hamburgers and hot dogs.  Had Seafood Pasta Salad, Watermelon, and amazing corn on the cobb.  Mike grilled it in their husks.  I'm usually a purist when it comes to corn on the cobb, but am slowly becoming converted to the grilled taste.

I departed from the traditional flag cake.  Wanted something a little lighter and more simple.

I made a fruit tart.  Some call it a fruit pizza...

I used my friend Victoria's recipe.  It is the best I've had.

The kids wanted something other than the traditional vanilla homemade ice-cream too.  So we did a strawberry version and it was amazing.

Recipes to follow.

THANK YOU to all those who have fought and continue to fight for our freedoms.  I have really been into all the Memorial Day movies and programs the last few days.  The Battle of Midway.  Tora! Tora! Tora!, The Patriot, Patton, tv version of Band of Brothers.  I have thought a lot about my Dad in the Korean war.  Some of my uncles who were enlisted and fought in Vietnam.  Grandpa-Great, Richard, who fought in WW2 and parachuted into Normandy.  His experiences were crazy.  The guns, the hand-to-hand combat.  Being left for dead and thrown in a pile of dead servicemen only to be discovered alive as they went to put him in a body-bag!  THANK YOU to everyone I know who has helped to maintain our liberties and to those I don't know as well.  I am so grateful.

'Darla' Is Home

We picked up "Darla" from the vet the other day.

 She is 'home' now.  It is a tiny cedar box.  It freaked me out a little bit at first.  When Lucy died, we had the vet take care of her.  When I picked the box up the insides 'thumped' to the other corner and caught me off guard.  I think we are going to take her to the cabin and plant her under a new tree.

Some of the Activity Day girls made sympathy cards for me when they learned she had passed away.  Isn't that just the sweetest?

left to right:

~~Dear Sister Duffy,  You are the best girl in the world.  I love you.  You ROCK.  Love, McKenna

~~I'm sorry about your dog.  I hope you feel better in the future.  Love, Ainsley

~~Sister Duffy, I hope your heart will be better soon.  I love you!  Your Friend, Allison

~~To Sister Duffy:  Sorry about your d o g.  P.S.  You are soooooooooo Nice.  From Dani.

~~Dear Sister Duffy, Hope your dog goes to heaven.  Sorry about your dog.  Hope you feel better.  You are really nice.  --Gabbi

The cards made my day.  I'm happy to know they think I'm 'nice' and a 'girl' (not an old gal...haha!)

Garden and Garage.

We worked on the garden and the garages again today.
We couldn't find pole/climbing beans anywhere here for our new bean tower, so I had to order them online.  Can you believe that???  I soaked them overnight and we planted them today.  Pulled some weeds too.  Things are looking really good.  I think we amended the soil really well this year.  Hope we can remember it for next year.  Hahaha.

The guys moved the crib from above the cabinets to the shelving racks above the garage door tracks.  Now there is more room for the Christmas boxes to all be in the same area.  It was very annoying to Duff and the boys, but it made sense to me to have like things together so they obliged (with many manly complaints about it, but at least they did it, right?!)  Duff and I went through all the boxes on those shelves too and got rid of things we didn't need anymore.  Boy, those things sneak up on you.  Lots of old stuff from when the kids first started going to college.  But, among them was a computer printer/scanner that is still good.  Bingo!  Josh and Meredith took the Sears white and gold dresser and nightstand that we inherited from Mamo Minnie when she married Richard and they got their own bedroom furniture.  It will work well in their spare bedroom.

I moved on to the other garage.  My box of Christmas wrapping paper and stuff was still laying out all over when I stuffed it in there to get it out of the way of company on Christmas Eve.  Geez.  It's been 5 months!  I got all the paper, ribbon, tissue paper, tags, cleaned up and organized.  There was just a lot of things like that that needed to be done.  Natalie had packed up her Nativity in many small plastic totes, and I went and got a pretty big one at Target and it all fit in together.  Now it will all be in one place when they get it to Arizona.  Rotated some food storage around.  Then the best part of all--sweeping and vacuuming all the acculated junk on the floor.  Spic and Span.

I am tired and sore and dirty and finally headed for the shower!

Chimes--Ward Talent Show

The 8 and 9 year old Activity Day Group learned how to play the chimes.  Sister Hoopes has a set and taught them to play Families Can Be Together Forever so they could perform it at the ward Talent Show tonight.

Concentrating so hard on the song.  We practiced at Diana's, and then they stood on the front stage stairs at the church.  They were front and center!

I played the piano at the beginning and they sang the song through first.  Then they played the chimes for the second verse.

They did a GREAT job!  They received a lot of compliments and were really proud of themselves.

We practiced that at the end of their number they would 'ding, ding, ding' their chimes while the audience applauded.  It was a perfect ending.

Otter Pop Cozies

On May 11th, we made Otter Pop Cozies for Activity Day.

You use a piece of fleece or felt.

Place an Otter Pop or frozen Gogurt, etc. on it and fold over.

Cut off excess remembering to leave enough for a seam allowance.

Stitch along the bottom and the long side that is not folded.

There you go.  It's that easy!

The drips stay inside the 'cozy'.  It sure helps with sticky hands and when they get too cold from the frozen treats.

They are washable too!  So make several to have on hand.

Torch Of Excellence

Two weeks ago, we got a letter in the mail from the high school.  It was about Christine getting an award.  Didn't say what for, or really much about it.  Just where and when the ceremony was going to be and the dress.

Okay.  Good for her, I was thinking.

Little did we know!

It was a small group compared to the enrollment of the school.  The families sat on one side of the gym and didn't even fill that all the way up.  There were chairs and a podium area across from us.

The Jazz Ensemble entertained us.  And they were REALLY good!  I wasn't expecting a high school group to be THAT good.

Christine was awarded the Titan Torch of Excellence Award for DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY!

She has been telling us all year that she loves this, that she is good at it, that she wants a slr fancy pants camera, and her own MAC laptop to go with it.  I smiled, agreed, and didn't think much of it beyond that.  So I was blown away when they announced her award.  (Duff couldn't come tonight.  Work.)  This was a big deal! 

CONGTRATULATIONS CHRISTINE! 

YOU GO GIRL!

(Guess we are going to need to invest in some equipment.  You camera folks out there:  what do you recommend?  Prices? etc.)

A Good Thought!

An Angel says, 'Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.'

                      1. Pray
                      2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others
6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
                           7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
         8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time;

don't lump the hard things all together.

10. Take one day at a time.

11. Separate worries from concerns.

If a situation is a concern, find out what God

would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

13.. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday.

16. Carry a spiritually enlightening book with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough rest.
18. Eat right.
19. Get organized so everything has its place.

20.. Listen to a cd while driving that can help improve your quality of life...
21 Write down thoughts and inspirations.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray
24. Make friends with Godly people.

25.. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good 'Thank you Heavenly Father .'
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29.. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).

31.. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most).
32. Sit on your ego.
33. Talk less; listen more.
34. Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.
36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before. GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU.

'If God is for us, who can be against us?'

(Romans 8:31)

Taste Buds

I've been thinking about taste buds lately.

How some change and some don't.  For instance:  When I was growing up the only birthday cake I would even consider was angel food or white cake.  Now all I crave for my birthday is German Chocolate.  I hated (not a strong word in this instance) that cake when I was growing up.  Pecans (any nut for that matter) and coconut?  Not if it was the last food on the planet!  Now, I must have frosting for each bite of the slice.  How does that happen?  I love every nut now, except for walnuts because they give me cankers, and can't get enough coconut.  Love coconut cream pie and coconut cake.

And onions.  Still to this day, I cannot eat a raw onion.  Not on a burger, in a salad.  I love them grilled, caramelized, I cook endlessly with them, love the aroma (especially paired with garlic), but raw, forget it!  I can't figure it out.  Maybe it's the oozing juice, the crunch.  Can't do it.  Tried, but just can't.  I'll get sick.  Weird, huh.

Subway Art

I love what is called Subway Art.  The girls found it on the blog, eighteen25.  So I was beyond thrilled when I opened my present from Mike and Adrianne and Josh and Meredith to find all the panels to date!  I am going to put them in the greenhouse window by the kitchen sink.

THANK YOU!

It was a really relaxing, nice day today.  Church was good.  It was the YW program.  Good speakers and really good musical numbers.  I love when they sing As Sisters In Zion and then all the YM and their leaders get up out of the congregation and go to the front of the chapel and sing Armies of Helaman in tandem with them.  Goose bumps time!  The kids all came over for my family birthday dinner.  I wanted my favorite since my childhood:  classic roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy, broccoli, corn, carrots, sour cream cucumbers.  It was the best!  Everyone helped Duff get it done--the dishes too, and I got to be pampered.  Missing Nats, Rob, and John :(

My Birthday Today!

Today I am 55.
We slept in.  I liked that for my birthday.
But before that, Christine, Meredith, and Erik left about 7am to hike Saddleback Mountain.  It took them four hours up and 2 hours down.  Chris can hardly move tonight, but she did it and said the view from the top was AMAZING!

Today Duff and I cleaned/straightened out the big garage.  Not that it was a complete mess by any means, but over time things just get out of place and messy and piles of  'stuff' start accumulating.  It makes me crazy.  Please, just put things back where they GO, 'k?  We have been purchasing some case lots of canned goods for our working food storage pantry and those needed to get put away, which means that entire cupboard had to be cleaned out, rotated, etc.  We brought the garbage cans in and did some more tossing.  Why have we kept small red water thermos bottles from Christine's early soccer days???? Yeah.  Out they went along with some old shoes, expired sun screen for golfing, old out-dated broken holiday decorations, and the like.

It looks and feels so good.  I still would like to go through the workbench cupboard with all our gardening stuff.  That is in much need of a make-over/clean out.  I also want to move the crib to the rafters above the door because it is in such a random place inbetween the Christmas decoration boxes, and I'd like to keep the similar items together.  So maybe next week on those.

It took us practically all day, but we got it done. It was a perfect birthday present. It really made me happy. I love ShopVacs. They make getting all those stray leaves and dirt from the wind so easy to clean up.

My thoughts about my birthday:  I like me.  I'm happy I came to the family I did.  I had a great growing up.  I have the best parents and siblings.  Wish my brother had a relationship with our family, but I have made my peace that some things just won't be fixed until the next life.  I have a really great husband and children.  And in-laws too.  I have a testimony of the gospel.  I enjoyed working today with my hubby.  Tomorrow the kids are coming over to celebrate.  That's the best gift ever.

Nate And Alex's Wedding

Nate and Alex are married!

It was a beautiful morning at the temple.

Nate and Shaun have been best friends since he was 7 and Shaun was 8.  They have been through a lot in those 17 years.  I never knew in the summer mornings where Nate was going to wake up:  the floor, couch, top bunk....!  He had pantry and refrigerator privileges.  He vacationed with us.  Sometimes Jeff did too!

We have enjoyed watching him grow up and find Alex.  They are a good match.  Well suited for each other.

He and I had a tender moment this morning after the ceremony.  We both got a little teary and he told me he loved me and thanked me for all I had done for him during the years.  Gosh, if I didn't just about lose it!  Cute kid guy!

The reception was pretty.  It was held at Alex's grandparents house in Hunt Club in San Juan Capistrano.  Beautiful setting.  Good food and even better company.  Before we knew it our table was squeezing more chairs around it than could fit and we laughed and reminisced with the married Steele's and Koelliker families.  Little ones running all around. 

CONGRATULATIONS, NATHAN AND ALEX.

WE LOVE YOU!

Nate and Alex's Groom's Dinner

Tonight was the groom's dinner for Nate and Alex.

It was at Talega Golf Club in San Clemente.

What a fun evening!

We had Italian Sodas, custom Creme Sodas, and all the other usuals in the soda department.

Fajitas buffet with some amazing guacamole and salsa.

A happy program, complete with 3 year old Brandon (Jeff and Lisanne's oldest) singing a personalized version of the Beatles song Eight Days A Week, standing on a chair with a microphone!  Oh!  It was adorable.  Mom, Lisanne, and aunties Brittany and Stephanie singing backup (haha), with Greg on the guitar.

All was good, until Shaun and I got terribly car-sick on the way home.

I wanted to die.  Not really, but you know what I mean.

Josh and Meredith

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Best wishes for a happy anniversary to a couple we love and admire.  May your relationship continue to be a blessing to both of you as well as to all of those who know you.

You set a good example for all of us.

What a memorable day that was 4 years ago! 

Much love from all of us to you~~

She DID IT!

Natalie Passed The BAR EXAM!!!!

She found out last Friday, but I'm just now posting it.

It was such good news especially since we had just put Darla down the night before.

Not only did she pass it, but when she got her scores on Saturday, she found out she 'nailed it'.

She studied on her own (they only had money for Robert to take the prep class), and she forgot to register her computer so she had to do the test longhand.

Now she is waiting to get the date for her swearing in, and she will be a lawyer!

CONGRATULATIONS, NATS!

Good Job.  We Love You--

Neck Coolers

Tonight was RSM:  Relief Society Meeting.

We made neck coolers for the military.

I had never heard of them before, and was really impressed.

Adrianne and I brought our sewing machines and were assigned to the last station.

There were cutting tables, ironing stations, first stage sewing, turning right side out stations, measuring stations, and our sew and fill and finish stations.

 You make a long tube like above, and sew it on three sides.  Turn it right side out.

Measure two lengths on each end for the ties, and then measure every 4 inches to make 4 sections.

 We sew straight across each section, then stop and fill with a small pvc pipe, funnel, and these teeny, tiny clear beads. (The picture above is what they look like after hydrating.  I got all these pics from google.) Only 1/4 teaspoon of the beads.  That's all.  It almost seems a non-issue.  Stitch the next section to close it and form the next part.  Top stitch the opening at the end.

These clever neck coolers are standard issue to troops operating in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Once soaked in water, the crystals inside absorb water and the scarf swells up. Once drained of excess water it is worn around the neck, forehead etc, and as the water evaporates, the scarf becomes cold and has a cooling effect.

 They can be re-used again and again, simply by resoaking in water.

They reduce core body temperatures fast, thus helping to prevent heat stress. They give hours of cooling relief from hot temperatures. Just soak them  in water for about twenty minutes. Through evaporation and air circulation it will stay cool for a week. It helps cool the neck and major artery blood flow, which keeps them more comfortable.

I think this is such a good thing.  I might make some to keep in my emergency preparedness supplies.

Tonight was a lot of fun and comraderie.



Monday Madness.

• Cleaned the kitchen really good.  Why do stoves get soooo dirty?
• Scrubbed the laundry room down.  It's weird not having the kennel in there anymore.  On the bright side, there is a lot more room.
• Called the groomer and cancelled Darla's appointment.  The British gal was shocked and crying on the phone.  She called to everyone to come over and told them Darla had passed.  They were sad.  They loved her.  They would keep her in with them while they worked on other dogs just cause she was so sweet and they liked her in with them.
• Got all the laundry done!
• Adjusted and leveled the fireplace wood pile.  Covered it tightly with a tarp.  More rain expected tomorrow and later in the week.
• Cleaned the garbage cans and brought them back in.
• Washed down the driveway.  It always amazes me how dirty it can get.  It doesn't look dirty, but the thin layer of silt and dirt and grime surprises me every time.
• School carpool.
• Tilapia, baked potatoes, green beans for dinner.
• Duff and Christine went to a mandatory meeting at the school for those who will be driving and want to be entered in the parking lottery.  They said it was good, but too long.
• We watched DWTStars.  I am a Karate Kid fan, but I think Ralph's dancing days might be numbered.  I would like to see the finals be him, Chelsea, and Hines.  Sorry Kirstie.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

We woke up to rain, rain, rain.  Lots of it.  At one point this morning, I thought to myself how much it felt like a winter rain storm instead of a spring one.

But by the time we got out of church, the sun was peeking through the big white puffy clouds in a piercing blue sky.  Magic.

It was really weird not having Darla welcome us home.  That is just the routine on Sunday.  She watches us get ready, goes downstairs without us even telling her and gets in her kennel and waits for us to come and latch her in.  Then she acts like she hasn't seen us in 5 years when we get home.  Chris and Mike summed it up when they said it was just weird feeling.

Mike and Adrianne made a great pulled pork sandwich dinner.  They did it in the oven without the grill or a smoker.  Duff had a million and one meetings today.  The rest of us just relaxed. 

Everyday we get rid of a few more things of Miss Darla's.  Yesterday Duff took down the kennel and I washed it good and zip tied it closed.  Ready for our next chapter with a 'tail' one day!  I found one of her scarves in my hair stuff drawer in the bathroom.  She hadn't like that one and I took it off her and threw it in the drawer.  I picked it up to toss it, and it smelled just like her when she first came home from the groomer.  A great memory!

Duffy Garden 2011

Today, we planted our garden.  Finally.  We are getting it in a little late for us this year.

Mike was at the tiller mixing up the dirt and compost we added.

Duff raked it smooth and stamped it down.

 Adrianne planting a tomato plant.  Beefsteak.  She has been so excited about the garden this year.  It is her first one.  I laid everything out and Duff taught her how to plant them.  This year we have: 1 Early Girl tomato, 3 beefsteak, 2 Roma's, 1 cherry, and 1 yellow plum tomato plant.

 The herb bed.

We figured out this year what we use the most of and planted those and left the others out.

Lots of cilantro, parsley, basil, thyme, oregano, chives, rosemary.  I put an upside down tomato cage in the rosemary.  I'd like to shape it into a cone topiary.  It would add a different design element to the garden.

 Center box.

Green onions, two green bell pepper plants in the back, 2 red bell peppers in the front, and pole beans in the center next to our owl.  He glares at the wildlife and lets them know not to come around!

One of my favorite gardening catalog/sites is Gardener's Supply.  That is where our tomato cages and pea fences come from.  They are sturdy and fold completely flat when not in use.  We have always planted bush beans, but just don't have enough room in our backyard garden for them.  This bean tower was tested and produced 1400-2000 beans from one planting.  So we decided to go vertical this year with pole beans.  

 

 Last, but certainly not least, we have to have our zuchinni.

Oh!  The soft buttery taste of a freshly picked and steamed zuchinni squash!  I could make my whole dinner of them.

It always seems like it rains whenever we first plant our garden.

It was such a cold day, and the drizzle began while we were finally cleaning up.

It's May Gray you know. 

Happens every year.

Now I want to try my hand at composting.
Gardener's Supply has some great ones.  I might start out small so I can figure it out and get some experience.  Anyone out there who can give me some pointers?