What My Garden Looks Like
March 12

The peas are coming up

The radishes are poking through the surface

The tomatoes are planted and caged

A lot of barren ground

Now the waiting begins.  I planted 3 different varieties of tomatoes just to see which ones we like better.  I also planted eggplant.  I've never been successful in growing eggplant, but I keep trying.  I also planted anaheim chilis.  Another plant I've never seen through to fruition.

This year, just for Matt, I planted okra.  I was raised on okra.  I hate okra.  But I decided I could fry it up on Sunday dinner for Matt this summer - if it grows.  My dad asked me how many seeds I planted, I said I bought two packages, but only planted 1/2 of a package.  He laughed and said I'd have enough okra for the whole town.  "Make sure you cull those real good, you probably only want one or two plants."

I've yet to see any lettuce or spinach from my earlier planting two weeks ago.  there's a whole row of corn planted.  Two varieties of yellow squash.  The normal crooked-neck that I've been successful with in the past.  Then I bought a package of heirloom seeds for yellow squash.  My grandparents always "put their garden to seed" at the end of the season, and that's how they got seeds for the next year.  I'd like to do that but the seed packets at the store are almost all hybrid - which means their genetically engineered to do well, and sterile, so you can't save the seeds to plant again.  I've read up on heirloom seeds and looked at several seed providers, but I wasn't ready to take it on this year. I think you have to work a little harder with the seeds to have them come up, etc.  I'll read some more about it and perhaps start with the winter garden to use some heirloom seeds.

The garden is 24x12.  The fencing around it came from a demolition job site Ron did last year.  I am excited about my jumbo colored tomato cages.  I bought them at Habitat for Humanity Restore (they sell construction related items for cheap) last January.  They were $2 each.  Star Nursery is selling them right now for $7.99 each.  Deal.

We'll see how many seeds germinate, survive wind storms, hot sun, crickets, ants, and all other creepy crawlies to produce some vegetables this year!

What My Garden Looks Like
March 12 - Part II

Upcoming Projects

To prove that pictures can be angled to show all the best in life, I present to you my projects around the yard to take on the next two weeks or so.

First up:  Repaint the back wall to remove all graffiti.  We came over here in December so that the loser teenagers would stop using our property as the hangout and canvass for their boredom.  It has worked.  We haven't had any issues since we've moved in.  It wouldn't be so bad if it was 'real' in the hood artwork, like maybe for instance something like this:

but no, we have bored teenagers just trying to figure out how to spell their names and curse.  So the back wall needs to be painted.

Next up:  This is the area where the chicken coop is going.  It needs to be cleaned out.  that is a big rusted metal something or other in the middle of the picture.  There's lots of trash on the ground to clean up.  We've made several trips to the dump already.  I could walk around today and fill up Ron's trailer, but he has it at a job site.

Finally, this one is really bugging me:  We've done a lot of dead-tree clearing in the last two months.  A lot of cutting up logs and breaking up branches for firewood.  Most of what we've done so far, we burned as our winter warmth.  There is a pile of logs that were a live tree we trimmed that are stacked for next year.  This tree happens to be one Ron dragged home from a demolition site.  it's smack dab in the middle of my backyard and I want the pile gone.  Then see the tree trunk in the upper right corner?  That's a huge dead tree that has to come down.  Oh, man.  This is a lot of work.  But it must get done.

But wait, there's more: 

The fence around the garden needs to be painted black.  I had a lone can of spray paint with a little in it and I check it out and yep, it will look good.  So before the corn grows I would like the fence to be painted.  I'm also on the hunt for a cute old-fashioned garden gate.

I'll report back in a couple of weeks and let you know how I'm doing in the project department.

Catch-up
     Not to be confused with Ketchup or Catsup

1.  I have a twitter account.  That I never really use.  But you better believe I was person number 1,240,001 to sign up for charliesheen.  Just in time for him to tweet that he was an "unemployed winner" 

2.  The garden ground is ready.  Some cold-weather items were planted two weeks ago.  The first little signs of green are sprouting up.  The end of the week, all the other summer vegetables will get planted.

3.  I ordered chickens.  Pretty excited.  Five of each. 



Americaunas - tiffany blue pastel eggs



Barred Rock - brown eggs



Rhode Island Red - brown eggs











4.  I haven't been updating much and didn't know blogger had made it way easier to add picture.

5.  Ashley - not to be confused with Ashley Your Cousin, Lisa's Ashley, or Ashley Noel - posted the funniest blog.  We're still laughing about it.  If you don't think it's funny, well then, we just have different humor.   And when you take a look at it - overnight it seems like, Parker has changed his look.  he's gained a little weight, and man he sure looks like Drew now. But I'll stop now, because really, it's a funnny read, you should go over there.

6.  Matt went on a date with Charlie.  He called to say there were headed to CiCi's Pizza and had no idea what to do after that.  I suggested if he had $10 to go to Claires and let her pick out some cheap jewelry.  She loves that stuff.  An hour later he sent me a picture text message of her getting her ears pierced.  Nooooo, that wasn't my suggestion.  Luckily he checked with Ashley first for permission.

7.  Ron's working now.  The wind is blowing like crazy at our house.  Things are happening.  Slowly but surely.

I think that just about covers my exciting life.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Well folks, I have now written my 2nd Letterto the Editor of my whole life. 

The first one was to Merridian Magazine.  Years ago when Senator Reid became Senate Majority Leader, they ran a glowing article on how great it was to have someone that had LDS values and beliefs in this office.  I had the letter written before I even realized it.  

They never responded to my opinion.  But they also have never written another glowing article on his nonLDS-values voting record.  I'd like to think my letter had something to do with that.

I've always subscribed to the Church News.  Then a while back, it started coming with another section called Mormon Times.  I didn't ask for this publication, it just showed up.  I've glanced thru it with my Church News.

Last week I was dumbfounded and amazed to see the name of the Church misspelled on the front page.  I set the issue aside deciding to write the editor. Today I finally sent off that email.  I received a quick reply!

Editor:

I was disappointed to see the glaring error on page 1 of your February 12, 2011 issue. As writers for a paper called Mormon Times, Ms. Moreton and Ms. Morrill should know how to correctly capitalized the name of the Church.

Kim Marx

Kim,

I assume you are referring to the capital "Day" in what should be "Latter-day Saints." You are absolutely right, and we apologize for the error.

Aaron 
 
Perhaps I should catapult this new-found Letter to the Editor success into responding to substantial issues misrepresented in the media today. 

The Best Part About Being A Grandma...


Cute Recitals!!!

Tonight was the dance recital for Charlie. Her studio does dancing and singing, and each age group did a singing song, as well as a dance number. Then there were a few group numbers. These kids were so cute. And of course, my granddaughter, Charlie, shined.


The parents.


Charlie posing with her mom. Matt and Ashley are strict with Charlie dressing modestly, but this cracked me up. Charlie was miserable and ichy in her dance costume and after two weeks of fighting with her about it, Ashley put a tshirt on with it. That seemed to do the trick, no itching, scratching or complaining from our little dancer tonight. Modest is the Hottest.


Charlie's first number, Rockin Around the Christmas Tree


A star is born.


Our angel in the manger


Jenn & Carson came to watch the show. Drew kept entertained with a few cars in his pocket.



Singing with the group.


Parker and his big blue eyes just hanging out with the family.



No dancer anorexia here, a plate of cookies for a job well done.


Congratulations, Charlie. Your recital was lovely.

Carson's Busy Night

How do you enjoy your daddy's graduation?


Find a seat with your mother. "Hey everybody, my eyes are the same color as my mom's."


Cheer and dance to the brass band and loud music.


Jump over into my grandpa's lap.


Fall asleep listening to the brass band.


Cheer and Shout.


Walk the hallways with my other grandpa. (did you notice my mom put me in a Rebel red and grey sweater - I'm so stylin)


Then I decided to walk along the backs of the chairs.


My mom stopped all the fun to hold me up and start yelling.


That's my daddy!




Yeah!!!


The Happy Graduate, The Happy Wife, The Happy Baby
Jordan Richard Shields
College of Urban Affairs, Bachelor in Communications

Congratulations

Dear Ashley Noel:

I know you are anxiously awaiting the engagement post, and it's coming, along with Drew's birthday, my new harp, property progress, Texas trip. So much to blog about. So far behind.

Since you are away this semester and missing the day-by-day details of Scotty's design classes, this blog's for you.

This week's project assignment started out in the loft.

Then he moved to the dining room table.

It spilled over into the livingroom floor.

When he ran out of room there he used the couch in the family room

And finished up on the kitchen table.

As a mom, the dining room picture is my favorite. That table is not my actual dining room table - that table is in storage. The table I have sitting in the dining room now is technically my kitchen table. I have had that table for 23 years. I look at all of the stains and nicks with fondness remembering all of the school projects over the years that have taken place on that table. I love it. To see it used as project-central again warms my heart. It makes me smile even more to realize I did n.o.t.h.i.n.g to help with this project, unlike projects in the past. Nothing like figuring out science fair projects the night before they're due.

But I digress.

These pictures are just to offer you a glimpse into your future for the next few years. I am going to assume that your newlywed pad will not have the space that these five rooms offered; therefore, the mess will cover every inch of available surface in your small apartment making it 10 times worse to live through.

For your patience in this process, I thank you now.

Secondly, the cost of these design projects will undoubtedly take up money that you had previously budgeted for . . .food/gas/power? When you stop and realize that you just worked four days so he could complete this assignment, your first reaction just might be to cry or be mad or maybe even scared (whatever will we eat next week?).

For your patience, faith, and budgeting skills, I thank you now.

I don't know if the next six years will have him always building models. I imagine it will switch to computer face-time using CADD at which time you will see the back of his head for hours on end. You'll want to be talking, he'll politely nod and not hear a thing because he's trying to get another project done.

You guys are going to have so much fun!!!! When he walks across the graduation stage, I will also thank you then.

Hallie loves reading about and dressing up like Fancy Nancy. She has a lot of her books. Hallie decided in celebration of her three years of life, a soiree (that's french and fancy for party) was in order.



Her mother made her a brand new tutu for this day and she got her very own birthday tiara (that's fancy for Crown that the Princess wears)


As the hostess (that's fancy for girl that's having the party) she welcolmed all of her guests.
Hallie's friends all adored their accessories (that's fancy for extra stuff). They were even allowed to keep them as a souvenir (that's fancy for something that reminds you of a special place).

The buffett (that's fancy for table with all of the food on it) was all kids finger foods. Her mother even made peanut butter & jelly sandwiches fancy by putting pretty toothpicks on them. Bagel Bites, grapes, cheetos, all the food that boys and girls enjoy.

For the story about Fancy Nancy and Butterflies, Hallie decided to dress-down (that's fancy for dressing more comfortably).

Hallie's mother even made a fun game. It was called "Pin the Cherry on the Sundae" Hallie was thrilled her mother called the game this because pin the cherry on the sundae sounds so much fancier than pin the cherry on the bowl ice cream.

"Ohh-la-la" (that's french for Look, how wonderful). The mom's of all of Hallie's friends had fun at the party, too.

Hallie's friends were so creative and fancy making their butterflies.

Thank You for inviting me to your soiree, Hallie.

Happy Birthday, you are gorgeous (which is fancy for more beautiful than beautiful).