Rock Gardening

Still Life for Gardening

Yup, these are the essentials for a bit of yardwork. Though it appears to the naked eye that my yard is a stretch of lawn surrounded by rocks, therein lies the problems. WEEDS! In and around and under the rocks. I spent my morning outside pushing rocks around. It was a pretty morning for it and after about 2 hours and the wind kicking up I was done. I did have some great tunes on the CD (no IPOD for me, yet). My good friend JK in Portland sent me a CD for my birthday entitled "Groovy Tunes for Jeri". It's a really cool mix of belly dance music, some malian guitar, what I think is a french song, and some stuff that sounds like european techno. If you are familiar with Khaled, Ali Farka Toure, or Anne Dudley & Jaz Coleman you know what I am talking about. If not check them out, expand your horizons, listen to the world.

Hidden from view and tucked near a post of the deck is this beauty.

Odd place. No idea whence she came. Decided to just let her be. Perhaps more will sprout up.

I am also the proud owner of a new shovel. Gift from MMspouse. It's a fine shovel and should come in handy transplanting a pitiful little rose bush shoved into a corner of the fence with very little light and no attention. We must bring her into the light, bath her in water and see if she will again bloom the way nature intended it. That was my day. Mystery pansies and rock gardening.

UHMM.....Nevermind

Tuesday, 7:30 AM

Tuesday, 6:00 PM

More Signs of Spring

Daffodils abloom in a neighborhood yards.

Zeke seeking a spot in the sun.

Yesterday I had an inspiring visit to Home Depot. I had to pick up a few things whose names I learned...that's the thing about Home Depot...everything has a name....for instance, did you know the little knobs on the toilet seat are called "bumpers". Who knew? I also picked up a "flare cap" for my outdoor faucet so it won't spray water all over the house when I am trying to water. I feel immensely more educated. MMspouse is on a tear to replace our light bulbs with fluorescent bulbs to save a little money on the electrical bill. I was happy to see there are several types to choose from that don't give off that industrial glare and I hear it's considered "green" to do so. Al Gore would be proud though I think he needs to install a few in his home considering the latest "outing" of his electrical bill. Once all supplies were in hand, I sauntered through the place checking out prices and dreaming of upgrades....new bathtub, new vanity, closet doors, etc...happy to note several things I would like to do aren't nearly as expensive as I imagined. Per the usual, I have spent my tax return money in my head long before I have received it.

Once home my favorite site greeted me.

Books in the mail! I love getting books in the mail. I am especially intrigued by the new Mark Haddon, author of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time" which I loved for its narrative voice and endearing hero. I read a bit of each and am already intrigued about both.

One of the things I forget about spring is it's changeability. One day it's lovely, warm and comfortable: the next day, windy and cool. I think we get so excited for spring we forget it's unpredictability. Still all the signs are there and it is a welcome relief from the cold and gray of winter.

First Sign of Spring

Lilac buds March 18, 2007

"I'm Your Handyman"

Me and James Taylor working our handyman thing.

Hanging the awesome Galileo Thermometer I got for Christmas in the eaves of my deck. Check.


















Installing a peephole in my front door. Check



















Getting comfortable wielding a power tool: priceless.















A weekend of puttering with visible results. Yea!

No, Really...I'm a Wild Child

One of my little indulgences is to reward myself for going to the grocery store. Having little interest in the actual cooking of food and even less interest in anything that isn't chocolate, I find the grocery store can be a strenuous mental activity in what to put in my basket. Sometimes I can actually fill my cart with things that might be considered healthy. Soy Yogurt! Cheddar Rice cakes! Wow, I'm doing good. This is immediately offset by the presence of Mother's Double Fudge Cookies. I try though...I really do. My motivation and reward for this exercise in food roulette is the purchasing of a magazine at the check out line. Sometimes a fashion magazine, perhaps a Marie Claire. Often times a celebrity rag: US Weekly, In Touch...always good for a few hours of mindless browsing on the couch in the afternoon. Often I will indulge in an ABC soaps magazine since I rarely have the patience to sit and watch anymore I do like to keep up with story lines. So, imagine my surprise when I opted out of the latest Britney/Anna/Brangelina unnamed sources reporting the latest and instead found myself drawn to this:
That bastion of Northwestern Living, the bible of inspiration for all things home and garden.....Sunset Magazine. This new magazine browsing behavior is right up there with salivating over Washer/Dryer combinations in the Sears flyer. Who is this woman? I am so grateful that I lived a wild and crazy urban existence up until I decided to move to the mountains. Otherwise, this gal would scare me!