Spring Break : Give me a break!

The Friday morning before Spring Break, we woke up to about an inch of the white, fluffy stuff.
Thankfully it melted by the day's end.

I think this was Mother Nature's way of warning me about the dangers of starting my garden too soon.

I started a couple of flats of plants with "Greenhouses" that I bought at Meijer on sale. Each tray contains 72 Jiffy Pots (peat packets) for a mere $5.99 on sale.

Note to self: Next year wait to plant squash & cucumber seeds outdoors, directly into the garden. I already have had to transplant into bigger pots and I still have about 6 weeks to go before danger of frost is over....

At least my indoor gardening has helped curb my Spring Fever!

Sing For Your Supper


The above photo is the scene that greeted me when I arrived to pick up my eldest son from track practice Friday afternoon.

I was running a bit late. Well actually I lost track of time at work when I received the "Mom? Are you coming to pick me up?" phone call. (what did Moms do before cell phones?) Thankfully I am just minutes away and was getting ready to pack it up and end my day. I told him I'd be there in 15 minutes or so.

When I pulled up at the school, I could not believe my eyes ( & ears). The kid was actually making good use of his time and practicing his trumpet. Some Moms might feel guilty... or even be a bit mortified. But not this mom!

"This.Is.Awesome!" I exclaimed as I threw the car into park and jumped out for a photo op. I was impressed at his lack of self-consciousness. And he actually sounded pretty good!

note to kid: Busking in front of a Middle School is probably not a great way of making money!

Other Musical Notes:

I also had the opportunity this week to attend a concert at our local High School for the area Middle School and the High School Jazz Bands. Alex plays piano (as well as clarinet in band) and Devon (as shown above) trumpet. The boys are in both Band and Jazz Band.

I was uber impressed at the quality of our district's music program. I was surprised that the auditorium was only half-full. We were encouraged to bring family and friends to the next concert. With all the negative stories in the media, it is so nice to see our youth doing something positive.

YouTube Concert Series

In an effort to encourage my younger two boys to practice their piano, I will occasionally film and post practice sessions. If you have kids that are musically inclined and have an account, feel free to pop by and "friend" us. I am hoping that peer-pressure and constructive comments will inspire them to work a little harder. http://www.youtube.com/user/badmommablogger?feature=mhw4

We have a Spring Recital coming up soon.

Happy Spring Break!

Sum It Up Sunday - Week in Review

Summer is in full swing. The days are flying by. Only two more weekly swim meets left!
The boys are doing well and are accumulating stacks of ribbons. I wonder if they will miss their morning swim practices next month. The older two boys are volunteering at the library and all three are participating the the Summer Reading program. They also all have weekly music lessons; trumpet for Devon and piano for the other boys.

Life's A Gas

I am constantly amazed at the progress the boys are making. The other day my husband informed me that my eldest son figured out how to play the NBC theme song. At first Dad was not impressed, after all it is only 3 notes. "How hard is it to play three stinking notes?" my hubby inquired.

" It's ironic that you used the word "stinking". I played it with my butt" our eldest (and baddest) boy replied.

Ewwww. Glad I was't there! Does the "Butt Trumpet" count as a musical instrument? If so I have a very talented boy! ( and a stinky one as well). ;p

Speaking of gas, this is what I paid this week with my 30 cent Kroger Marketplace discount - $2.18.
Not bad.... My Three Sons in Missouri " finally saw 2.29 ... for gas" this week.

What I paid for gas using my 30 cent discount!

Anticipation is Making me Wait...
My Bush Champion Tomatoes are getting really big and I am anxiously awaiting their safe change to red. I keep hearing about this terrible Tomato Blight and am trying to closely monitor my plants. I am finding the typical spotting on a few branches of leaves but I don't think we have any with the late blight that the media is reporting. As I bought a bunch of plants from a grower that was hit (Bonnie Plants) I am concerned. I've worked too hard this year to lose my crops.

As seen in the photo above, these are the biggest tomatoes I have EVER grown! Can't wait for them to turn red.


Bowling for Discounts

Yesterday I took the boys bowling so they could use some of the "Free" coupons they have accumulated. All 3 boys were given coupons for 2 free games. (not including shoe rental). When we arrived at the alley, my youngest son informed me that he lost his coupon. I paid for his 2 games and the shoes for the boys which set me back $16.

After bowling we went to dinner to use another coupon for 15% off at one of our favorite Italian restaurants, where I dropped $70 for dinner for 4.

Evening out with my boys, PRICELESS!


Hot Mess
Dad was home last night working on fixing a leak in the hot water pipe. Still working on it today. The broken part is ancient and impossible to find. Hope he gets the problem fixed. Today. I need a shower. Badly!

Seems like everything in the house is breaking at once. My hubby just fixed the ice-maker. Next on tap after the Hot Water heater is looking at new dishwashers.

When it rains, it pours. Same thing happens when pipes & dishwashers are broken...

On that note, it is a sunny day & I think I'll take the boys to the pool. Might be the closest we'll get to having a bath or shower today!

Wordless Wednesday - Garden Report 6/17/09

Cone Flower?

Fairy Forest

Tiger Lilies

Grape Tomato (1st to turn red!)

Pepper Plants

Peas are starting to flower!!!!

Strawberry Wars

The Casualties of War

Fallen Heroes
Note the specks of red (strawberry blood) that remained even after watering my garden.
My perimeter was invaded and Rabbit Guard was attacked. Not sure what animal did this but it apparently was not put off by my turtle and bunny statues. This garden savage even managed to smear strawberry guts on one of my soldiers.... Oh the indignity of it all.

This brave bunny lost an ear to a hail storm but still continues to serve with valor.

The Battlefield
In addition to my statuary troops, I also employ the use of spare clay and plastic pots to shield as many of my ripening citizens as possible.

Sweet Victory
Although we sustained some losses, we still managed to yield the best harvest ever.

Time For A Quick Party Post before Gardening

I stopped by Ann's for GNO before I head out to the garden store. This is my Party Game 80's Paragraph:

After a long week working as an assistant trainer at the Jane Fonda Exercise Studio I was ready for a night out. I went to my closet, put on my Polyester Suit and headed out the door. I stopped to pick-up my friends KC & the Sunshine Band and we headed to Studio 54. This place was packed! I had just about sweated my glitter off when they turned on the lights and told us it was time to boogie home. Another great night. Can you dig it? :->

Ann's Garden Video Post has given me extra inspiration to get all dirty today! Not only did I attend her 80's Virtual Party but with the sunny weather & rising temps, looks like it's gonna be an "80's Weekend!"

Can you dig it?
*getting out my garden spade*
Yes I can!

Garden Pest

I found out what's been munching on my flowers and plants in the front yard. On my way to my car this morning, I saw this guy in my Lavender. I had to get a quick photo. At times like this, I wish I had a better camera; one with a macro lens!

If I was not so squeamish, I'd pick him off and stomp him. Instead as I left for work, I put my oldest and baddest boy on that task.

Some things you just have to delegate.......

Cukes in a Pickle!

I picked a bunch of pickling cucumbers tonight. The giant one is about 5 1/2 inches long and 2 1/4 in diameter. I found that one hiding near the bottom of the vines. There are several that are oval shaped or have started to curl up at the ends. My Straight Eights have yet to take off.

This is due to the heat! It has been in the 90's for several days. I have heard from several bloggers that they are having problems with their crop this year. I spoke with a friend who is quite knowledgeable about gardening. He told me when it is hot, the plants are concerned with putting out seed in a hurry and that's why the fruit tends to ball up. My friend suggested watering the garden for several hours to get the ground fully saturated down deep. Then don't water for a few days. This will encourage the roots to burrow down deeper into the earth for water. This should make for stronger, healthier plants.

I will give it a try! I also hope to try my hand at a sample batch of Kosher Deli Style Dill Pickles. I'll post the recipe I use if I do!

Garden Report - 6/17/08

Last week Joeprah asked: Is this a gardening blog? To answer his question: Why, Yes! For the Summer, it looks like this is what my blog is turning out to be. Lots of similarities between mothering & gardening. You plant the seeds, nurture, water, feed and they grow. The miracle of life!

This weekend I cleaned out a bunch of weeds and transplanted pepper and tomato plants that popped up around the garden. This is our 5th year of the vegetable garden. Each year I gain new insights and we change the layout and crop selection ever so slightly. I have also gotten better at recognizing weeds and tree seedlings from vegetable starts.

I only bought 3 tomato plants this year and everything else is from seed or reseeded itself. New to our garden is the yellow squash which is planted next to the cucumbers. Last year was a fantastic year for peppers and fair for tomatoes; cucumbers did not fare so well. Some sort of blight. This year I positioned the cukes in the same area as the first year, The Year of The Cucumber, where we had a bumper crop and shared with many of our neighbors. I hope we will have the same good fortune this year.

So far we have had an over-abundance of Dill. I learned a few things about Dill this weekend. Contrary to popular belief, Dill is not a garden bug repellent. It can attract a few pests such as the dreaded Tomato Horned Worm ( looks like Heimlich the fat Caterpillar from Bug's Life ). I did some research on the internet and this is what I learned:
1. Horn Worms are attracted to Dill but the good news is that it makes them easier to spot. I found about a dozen small worms and threw them in the yard waste trash can.
2. Fully grown the Horn Worms turn into Hummingbird Moths. They are freaky looking, similar to hummingbirds but not as cute. We had a few last year and now I know where they came from.
3. Dill can be frozen. Simply wash, dry, cut up and put in freezer bags.

I have cleared out some of my dill by giving to neighbors, freezing some and transferring some to pots to be given away (perhaps left on doorsteps like orphan babies). I hate to let my plants go to waste but will need to clear away more. They are taking up too much space and crowding out other plants such as onions, tomatoes and peppers.

If anyone out there has any great recipes that use Dill, let me know! Right now I use it with Tuna fish and in salads.

Wordless Wednesday: The Peonies Have Finally Opened!

First Salad

We had a nice sunny day today, although still a bit cool. I needed to finish getting the vegetable garden ready for planting. I found some chives and rogue lettuce that had sprouted up; just enough for a small salad.
I made my first salad of the season and had to take a photograph. I added some salmon and strawberries with some raspberry vinaigrette. It was delish!

Tomorrow we will go to a garden center and I get to pick out plants for the garden. This is our Mother's Day Tradition. Hopefully I am able to get some gardening done. We're expecting rain.

Happy Mother's Day to all you Mommas out there!

Perennial Potluck

Photo by Alex

Common Ground
There are many similarities between blogging and gardening. Both are hobbies that almost anyone can do, you learn as you go ( or grow!), and can be shared with others. Both past-times also help preserve memories.

Certain plants and their scents can bring back long-ago experiences. To this day, Forsythia and Lilac bushes and Lilies of the Valley remind me of the first botanical treasures to flower each season at my childhood home. When my parents' home was sold, the new owners let me dig up some plants to relocate to my yard as momentos. This was mutually beneficial. I was able to hold on to some dear memories and made room for the new owners to relocate some of theirs.


Pot Luck

This Sunday, I took my middle son to a garden party. I was invited by a friend who owns a garden shop in an urban area. I was having a hard time finding Lily of the Valley plants and was going to have her special order some for me. Her neighborhood garden club was having a Perennial Potluck / Plant Exchange where gardeners would divide and bring plants from their garden to trade. She thought I might find some interesting plants.

I dug up a variety of perennials from our yard such as Day Lillies, Lamb's Ear, Lamium, and Sweet Pea to swap. My son was excited about finding some flowers for a small patch I designated as his special garden plot. I was hopeful of finding some shade loving plants. Neither one of us was disappointed. I even found Lily of the Valley plants that I was searching for!

Good Gardeners are Hard to Find

I was a bit surprised at the lower than expected turnout. In recent years, attendance at this garden party had been dropping. As the urban neighborhood is becoming more gentrified, it is attracting a younger, more affluent population. One of the club members speculated that her neighbors rather pay someone to tend to their landscape than to get their hands dirty.

She shared a recent anecdote about a neighbor who approached her to get the name of the lady who tended to her yard. As the neighbor was coming and going he would frequently see a woman hunched over planting, pruning and weeding at his neighbor's home. The man wanted to see if the gardener would be willing to work her magic on his property.

She gave his a bemused look and said, "That lady is me!"

A Memorable Time

My son brought his camera and took some photos of both gardeners and plants. When we came home, we excitedly showed off our loot to the rest of our family, and found the perfect home for each new friend. Not only did I find my sought after Lilies to help preserve my memory, I helped create a new one for my son.

The Plant Rescuer

Newly planted Yucca-Rescue plants

If there isn't a plant rescue group for unwanted landscape plants, I think I will start one. I started yesterday with some Yucca plants.

My landlord at work is in the process of re-landscaping and had some of his men pull out dozens of new Yucca plants that have sprung up where a few large Yuccas had been pulled out a month earlier.The guys asked me if I wanted the new growths they were digging up.

Last month, the large, four foot tall plants were pulled out and put in a dumpster. I was sad that I could not salvage them. This was my chance at redemption. I could not save their "parents" but I could find new homes for these "orphans". The guys filled up 3 boxes of Yucca shoots. I loaded the boxes in the back of my van to take home.

When I got home, I found that I could only use one box of plants. This left me with two boxes to find homes for. I felt like a child with a box of kittens as I knocked on my neighbors' doors. I was not having any luck until I saw my next door neighbor and his mother who just came to their house to babysit. While these neighbors are not gardeners, it turns out Grandma was happy to take a box off my hands.

That left me with one box. I called David this morning and it turns out he had a spot at his house that was in need of drought-loving, low-maintenance landscape plants. He came to pick them up.

As I waved goodbye to my last group of babies, I was glad I was able to come to their rescue, and find them homes. I then had an 80's flashback to my college days and remembered the time my friends and I "saved" a plant from a campus bar.

An African Violet Named "Ursula"

My memory is a bit fuzzy. It was many years ( and beers!) ago. I was out with a group of my friends at our favorite campus bar, The Thirsty I. We were celebrating a birthday. I don't remember whose. After several pitchers of beer and "chair dances" later, we began to dance with the African Violet that was the centerpiece on our table.

My friend Mindy and I decided that our plant-centerpiece was not happy and needed to be rescued. We enlisted some guys that were waiting outside the bar. When the coast was clear, we handed the plant outside the window to our waiting friends.

We then exited the bar and were re-united with the newly liberated African Violet. We named her Ursula and took her bar-hopping. After what was probably the most fun night of her life, Ursula went home with Mindy and her roommate. I'm not sure whatever happened to Ursula. She may have had her life shortened by alcohol poisoning..... College life, go figure. Come to think of it, we may have been more of plant-nappers than rescuers. There is a statute of limitations on these things, right????

I'm not sure if this bar is still around but I am prepared to make full restitution. How about a box of Yucca plants?