Greenie Gardens

Scarlett and the Rock

2010-10-13T16:44:00.004-04:00

This is our friend Scarlett. She is a bit of a bad-tempered diva. Lately, Scarlett 's favorite toy is her lava rock. This may be lava but it is heavy. The game is to detach the snap and then wildly swing the rock in any direction and let her rip. Below are pictures of the process.

This is Scarlett unhooking the rock.

Safely in her grasp she moves to the hurling platform.

She checks for proper balance.

Woops! She drops it.

Good recovery!

Whew!

And the wind up!

As Scarlett says "WOW"!

Want to see that again? We do it about 20 times anyway.

Yep, this time it's really gone!

Zoo Day!

2009-07-31T18:01:00.004-04:00

Thursday we went to the zoo. It was such a great day!

We started out with tons of energy! Lots of interesting things to see...

Some of us weren't overly impressed!

We found these cute little goats at the petting zoo.

These great zebras were in the Safari section.

This guy and his amazing tongue was also in the safari section.

But, after a long day we were ready to go home.

All of us!

Grrrrrrrr- New Computer

2009-07-29T08:08:00.000-04:00

I was gonna wow you with pictures of my daylillies and star-gazer lillies. No cigar.
My old laptop (3 years old or less) gave up the ghost- taking with it all my photos on the hard drive! I guess if I can't convince my son to do it, I will have to have the overpriced Geek Squad take them off for me. Heather was shocked that I don't back up my pictures onto a disk - hey she's seen my housekeeping - why would my computer keeping be any better? So since I'm feeling whiney anyway I post about my farmhouse.

Crazy

2009-07-29T08:03:00.001-04:00

This is how the farmhouse looked shortly after we bought it.
Below is a list of the work we have done on the farmhouse over the last 3 plus years
in no particular order.

Replaced door to basement
Replaced pantry door
Added porch and stair rails
Replaced stairs to three porches
Removed and shored up ceiling in livingroom
Removed carpet and refinished existing pine floors
Added two upstairs bathrooms in one of the bedrooms
Replaced toilet in downstairs bathroom
Painted interior of house
Fenced area for dogs
New wood floor in master bedroom
Built arbor over gate
Built arbor with swing
New wood floors downstairs
Rebuilt chimney
Repointed stone foundation
Replaced faucets in downstairs bathroom
New countertops in kitchen
New sink and faucets in kitchen
Moved stove and added fan and pot filler
New exterior door in livingroom
New exterior door in familyroom
Hung pot rack in kitchen
Shored up doorways in livingroom and entry hall by adding headerboards
Planted fruit trees, roses and hedges
Planted hosta bed behind garage
Relandscaped circle near garage
Added upstairs laundry room
New mantle over fireplace
Added R.O. water system
Covered dry well in basement and added moisture barrier
Removed and pruned black walnut trees
Added warming drawer in kitchen
Added garage shelving
Relocated bats and red squirrels from attic
Added locks to windows
Changed hardware and painted kitchen cupboards
Added battons to plywood siding on garage
Painted garage
Replaced side door to garage
Added locks to front and side doors
Added curtains throughout
Added drip irrigarion system
Changed address on house from one city to one I liked better (that was a trick!)
Changed garage from one big door to two smaller ones
Added fire alarm system throughout house
Upgraded electrical system - grounded outlets
Added cupola and weathervane to garage
Supported floor in livingroom, kitchen and other downstairs rooms
New appliances except dishwasher
New furnace
Added airconditioning and removed window units
New light fixtures throughout
Constructed walkways and patio
Insulated attic and basement
Rebuilt porches (3)
Screened in one porch
Painted exterior with special paint which is now coming off in sheets
Replaced missing corbels and woodwork on exterior

Still to be done.
Repaint one upstairs bedroom
Renovate closets in two bedrooms
Reglaze and repaint windows

All this and the house still looks about the same. There are still draughts in the winter. Basically, I bought the house twice with the cost of repairs but could only sell it for a lot less. Would I do it again? I don't think so. Next time I would like to build a reproduction house and have some idea of what the costs and problems would be.

The Strong Survive

2009-07-17T10:10:00.003-04:00

Earlier this week I went to see a garden belonging to one of the Garden Club ladies. I had been grousing about the fact that nothing was blooming in my garden right now. Here with the long winter and short growing season- you just don't want to waste any "green" time. I went out to see her garden on the lake and was blown away by it's beauty. She had hundreds and hundreds of daylilies and some basic perennials. I came home inspired and immediately ordered a hundred daylilies. For now though, here's what's happening in the garden.

One Down, Eight to Go

2009-07-13T17:01:00.003-04:00

Today Fradie Cat used up one of his nine lives. He was diagnozed with lymphoma and hadn't eaten in two or three days. I tearfully accepted that this was the end of the line and drove him to the vet this morning to be "put down". He had an ugly growth on the right side of this face and I'm nor sure that he could have eaten even if he'd have wanted to. For the last couple of weeks he was getting IV fluids under the skin and I promised him yesterday that it was the last time I would poke the little guy. After a sad arrival at the vet we prepared to have him put to sleep and the young vet came in. She took one look an said-- you know this looks like an abscess! Would it be ok to try to clean this out and put him on antibiotics? And so Fradie missed the bullet. We're holding good thoughts for him and we'll know if he'll make it in a couple of days. Good luck Fradie!

Brody

2009-07-07T11:13:00.004-04:00

Brody has been transformed from that annoying stray dog to the much admired new kid on the block. Sad to think of all the dogs who don't get to go down that road. Our guy is settling in and becoming more comfortable with his new life every day. We brushed enough hair off him to cover several dogs amd he really seemed to enjoy it. Adam and Violet, two of our other three dogs, still don't play well with him so we may have to let them out separately. From these pictures it's easy to see why we've fallen in love with him.

The Dog Days of Summer

2009-07-04T08:03:00.003-04:00

For us this has new meaning since the day about a week ago when a dog we called Homer started hanging around our yard. Always a sucker for an animal- we fed him. We noticed he didh't have a collar and were concerned that someone was missing a pet. He shyly accepted the meal and trotted off. We checked with all our neighbors and found out that he had been around for a while and was thought to be a "dumped" dog. We fed him a few more times but I couldn't get the idea out of my mind that he was a gray muzzled dog and, if picked up, wouldn't be adoptable. We could continue to feed him and just let him stay outside - but winter comes and I spent a sleepless winter last year worrying about the dog tied outside up the street. Our dogs (Adam and Faust) are not getting along and are kept separately so I just didn't know how that was going to go. Happily, the dog we were calling Homer got along with Adam and Violet and could stay in the kitchen. We booked a vet appointment for a few days later and Homer settled in. Yesterday, I took him to the vet and he was the hit of the waiting room. He was showered with cookies and compliments! They decided to check for a chip and --- he was chipped! Turns out he belonged to a lady in a town about 10 minutes away. Upon contacting her, the vet learned that he was named Brody had been given to "Joe" about a year ago. Well Joe hadn't had a dog for at least six months and he gave the other dog to a guy - but he couldn't remember the guys name and didn't know anything about him - we're thinking good old Joe is the dumper. So we now know much more about Brody and he is vaccinated and sleeping on his bed in the kitchen eating area. We also found out the our "old" dog is only in fact 4 or 5 but has had a hard life. So we learned a lot from a vet visit and now are a 4 dog family! Welcome Brody!

Treasure

2009-06-24T15:26:00.004-04:00

I had a successful trip to the antique show last weekend. I had been wanting someting cast iron for the rose garden area for a while and-- viola! It wasn't quite that easy, though. I have spent the last two days scraping peeling and cracked paint off the rusting urn. Two coats of primer and one coat of paint later - it's just right. Oh! and the roses are blooming! and check out my delphinimum!

Passionate for Peonies

2009-06-11T09:42:00.003-04:00

As a California transplant to the Midwest one of the things I can brag about to the folks back home is the fabulous Spring we have this year. I froze through the winter and listened with envy to the 90' temperatures in San Diego- but I'm finally getting the upper hand here. The lilacs were amazing, the iris were the best yet and finally the peonies are blooming!

And Still More Iris

2009-06-04T17:25:00.004-04:00

As I may have mentioned IT WAS A LONG WINTER this year. Having waited so long for Spring-- and having made such good use of my Schreiner's catalogue -- I just can't help myself- more iris!

More Iris Mania

2009-06-03T09:03:00.000-04:00

Bird-O-Mania

2009-06-03T07:30:00.000-04:00

My little Mango. Such a cutie!

This is Duncan (prenamed by the pet store) who is our Mama bird.

Tiki- Duncan's first chick.

Papa bird ,Cederic, in front and Kiwi, the other chick.

SPRING!

2009-05-28T12:06:00.001-04:00

I thought it would never get here! I just love Iris- could you guess?

Our Princess

2009-05-26T10:47:00.001-04:00

Our little princess had her first dance recital. She was fantastic and cute as can be!

Coming Out Party

2009-04-20T09:45:00.003-04:00

My last blog I mentioned Cedric and Duncan- our misnamed couple- were nesting. This morning Tiki made his entrance to the world- not too gracefully - by tumbling out of the nest box. He was able to make his way to the top of the cage and we got some photos of him on top of the box with his sibling- Kiwi still inside. Mango still remains skeptical about the whole incident.
This is the happy couple

The proud and hardworking Papa

The tired Mama

The party. Tili is on top of the box and Kiwi is still inside- maybe tomorrow for him/her.

Mango- the observer

Love In A Little Package

2009-04-08T11:16:00.004-04:00

Meet Mango, the Sun Conure. He came to live with us last Sunday and it was love at first sight! He is very social and would happily spend the whole day attached to me!
Our other two conures, Cedric and Duncan (who should be renamed) laid eggs and have raised two baby conures. Cedric is a Blue Crown and Duncan a Nanday so I had no idea such an alliance was possible but- live and learn! They have been excellent parents even though this odd pair has a huge age difference with Cedric being in his twenties and Duncan a youngster about three. Both take turns feeding the babies and Cedric stands guard outside their box to defend them. I'll post photos of the babies when they are out and about.

Happy Birthday!

2008-10-25T10:37:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday to our own little professor!

Happy Birthday!

2008-10-15T14:15:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday to our very own princess!

Happy Birthday!

2008-10-09T09:25:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday-- may the force be with you now and always!

This and That Continued

2008-09-08T12:09:00.003-04:00

Summer is almost over. It's just lovely weather now, not a speck of humidity and lovely fresh mornings.

This weekend Sam stopped by with the kids. I have to say, he's an amazing father. I don't know of another man who would take a 4 year old, a six year old and a 7 week old voluntarily - and still be able to smile!

I think this little one knows something we don't!

Topsy

2008-08-29T12:46:00.002-04:00

Sometimes it's just hard to be little. My granddaughter was really upset (as you can see) that she couldn't stand on her head.

Fortunately, she's got a lot of spunk and gave it a go!

I think she's almost got it though--maybe next year!

In theGarden

2008-08-15T21:24:00.003-04:00

These were taken in the garden yesterday. Things are growing so nicely right now. We've had lovely weather without any humidity. I hope you all have a great weekend!

More goodies for the garden.

Creativity at Work

2008-08-14T08:37:00.002-04:00

As we all know-- a picture is worth a thousand words! We're in the middle of a glorious summer and loving every minute!

In Bloom

2008-08-07T15:30:00.001-04:00

I just thought I'd share a few of the things blooming in the garden. What a great year for the garden with the wet Spring!

I just love hydrangeas!

Violet The Watch Dog

2008-07-19T16:45:00.005-04:00

This is Violet, the watch dog. She is watching for squirrels or, if she's really lucky, deer. She will bark violently and summon her partners in crime to help her really raise a ruckus.

Here is Adam taking his turn watching for the deer to come and eat the neighbor's apples.

This is poor Faust who can't figure out how to fit himself on the little settee. He's a bit embarrassed by this and has to do all his barking from the ground.
As you can see, being a watch dog is hard work. There is a lot of waiting involved.
Watch dogs springing into action!

What the watch dogs watch!

Please Don't Misunderstand Me!

2008-07-16T07:59:00.005-04:00

I have a great old book about the language of flowers. In Victorian times you had to be a little careful about what flowers you sent in your bouquet!

Adoration

Conforting, Stupidity

I am worthy of you

Red and white together (I doubt they mean stripped but that's all I have) Unity

Heartlessness; a boaster (poor Annabelle)
I share your sentiments

And this lovely poppy just appeared!

Welcome!

2008-07-10T20:51:00.003-04:00

Today, around lunch-time, Heather presented us with the latest addition to the family. I am pleased to share some of the first pictures of our little bouncing baby boy-- really bouncing-- weighing in at 8 lbs and 10oz! As you can see by the photos below everyone is looking for the photo op with the little cutie. It's a happy and exciting day for us all. Welcome little one!

More of This and That

2008-07-02T08:46:00.003-04:00

Happy Fourth of July everyone! Summer has clearly arrived and how. By next week I will be a grandmother for the 4th time- life can be pretty wonderful.

I've been on a needlepoint kick of late and this is one of the results. I think it will be going to a friend in the Netherlands for her 85th birthday! Off to the post office I go!

Although I'm very fond of my old house- it does have issues. One of these issues if the red squirrel that haunts the attics. The chewing and rolling of walnuts is driving me crazy. Since the breeding season for them is over---I have declared war. I have found a company that will trap and relocate the little darlings to a location elsewhere. Sometimes it pays to be a good guest and not eat your host's house!

Hello Annabelle! It's easy to see why she's such a favorite- all you need to do is plant it and get out of the way.

I thought the new garden was looking so cute now that the petunias are filling in.
Happy Fourth!

Happy Birthday Mom!

2008-06-29T08:09:00.002-04:00

My mother is having a birthday! Looking as good as she does I'm certain she doesn't mind! My mother is one of those people who simply doesn't have bad hair days, wear gringy clothes or look untidy. Her house is always spotless and even her car stays clean. How she manages this is a mystery to me- as I almost certainly have spots at a minimum and often a hole in what I'm wearing! At least I have someone to set the standard and she does a darn good job of it! Truthfully, I know she works hard at being the excellent wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother she is. Happy Birthday Mom and many more from one of your greatest admirers!

Where Am I?

2008-06-26T18:55:00.003-04:00

As you all know-- I'm a bit goofy when it comes to animals! I just love them all. When I took these photos today it seemed to me I could be in some exotic location in Florida or even Africa! Imagine my delight when Heather and Sam (my daughter and son-in-law) moved into their new house - just 3.5 miles up the road- and this is what I found in their back yard today! Yes, they're Sandhill Cranes and it's a Mom, Dad and two juveniles! I just love them and spent a great deal of time annoying them with the clicking of the camera. They even tolerated my coming close to them but eventually decided to move on.

Poor Heather has been going nuts trying to move, finish the sale of their old house and- by the way- a baby is coming soon! Did I mention that these are giant birds and stand 3 or 4 feet tall? Wow!

Rose Brain

2008-06-21T08:22:00.001-04:00

I thought you might be interested to see what I have been doing when I have a thousand other more pressing things to do---- I have taken a little break from quilting and have been working on learning needlepoint. Ebay has been the source of my kit purchases and I have made some nice purchases and some not so good!

This morning the garden was so lovely I thought I'd share a few iris and a lot of rose photos.

Even the garden frog looks like he's having a good time. My mother has mentioned that I take far more garden pictures than grandkid pictures but I think that's because the flowers will hold still! Have a nice day!

More Garden

2008-06-11T11:24:00.001-04:00

Even though I have probably put everyone into photo overload with my last post I just couldn't resist sharing these flowers as well. As some probably know, choices become a bit more challenging the older we get I couldn't make a choice- so here they are. There are a few of the first roses and a poppy and even the weeds are looking good! These iris remind me of my party dresses when I was a little girl. Why don't dress designers give us some pretty dresses in these yummy colors?

Iris

2008-06-08T10:07:00.002-04:00

Bet you thought I fell off the face of the earth! Actually, my daughter and her husband have bought a new house--- so new, in fact, that it isn't completely finished. Activity levels are at a new high around here trying to get their move together. What a lucky grandma I am as they will be even closer!

After complaining about the long winter, the spring is more than making up for the cold. I'd like to share a bunch of iris photos with you are the iris are just stunning this year. Here goes!

I hope I haven't worn you out but- believe me- this is the best way to see the iris --without the mosquitos!

Rose Delivery Day!

2008-05-14T15:41:00.002-04:00

Even though it was raining today, these little beauties were awaiting me on the front porch. They came all the way from California and some of them were even in bloom! Christmas in May-- I just love it!!!

This little darling is so nicely mossed.

Good old Mme. Hardy.(below)

Trcolore de Flandre-- only blooms once but what a treat.

Wacky Spring

2008-05-13T11:56:00.005-04:00

I got up this morning and found a duck in the walnut tree

What I actually saw first was the female pop into the squirrel house in the tree! While I was trying to figure out how that would work (getting babies onto the ground) her mate arrived. Then, she didn't come back out-- I thought she might be stuck as it was a bit of a squeeze for her to fit into the opening. I was beginning to panic at the thought of having to climb way up into the tree to rescue her when she finally popped back out and flew off! Whew!

I found these lovely bleeding hearts blooming and
some nice trilliums
a few nice violets
and, of course, some nice lillacs.

Just Jane

2008-05-02T12:57:00.003-04:00

Before the thunderstorm starts I wanted to get a picture of our little Jane Magnolia. Though she's only a couple of years old, I give her an A for effort.

The Promise of Spring

2008-05-01T08:11:00.004-04:00

What a horrible winter 2007-2008 was! I had health problems that got better, John has health problems and they won't get better. Hopefully, next winter will be a better one. The good news is that no matter how awful, cold, and frozen the winter is---- spring will come. This year it is especially welcome. I went for a walk in the garden the other morning--before the last couple of freezing nights and found these little darlings doing their work.

It's Here!

2008-04-18T16:33:00.003-04:00

I honestly thought Spring would never come. I'm so happy I was wrong. Almost all the roses made it though the winter! These are some pictures of the early bloomers (not roses).

Off to the Zoo!

2008-04-09T08:28:00.004-04:00

Monday I got the call. Heather (you know six months pregnant Heather) thought it would be the best day of the Spring break to go to the zoo-- being (with our lovely Michigan weather) the only non-rain day of the week. We had a lovely day!

Above are the attendees!
We rode bears!

Watched seals

Rode the Merrygoround

Looked eye to eye with a giraffe!

Hatched out of an egg

But best of all was the aquarium--
We saw jellies
and sharks

and my personal favorite polka dotted something a ruthers

A Lion Fish

And beautaiful sea anemoes and clown fish

Needless to say -- we were all tuckered out by the time we left! What a lovely day to remember.

March You Say?

2008-03-28T07:53:00.003-04:00

This was the lovely view we woke up to this morning. Lovely in December, January or February--not so lovely at the end of March! To those of us who couldn't resist the garden goodies at Costco and are dying to get them planted, this is not a happy sight! Keep warm!

Could We Have A Little Spring Here?

2008-03-26T07:56:00.002-04:00

I am becoming desperate for a bit of green here! It's more than time for winter to be gone!

These are pictures from my Easter flowers and my window garden- sad isn't it?

Hope You Had a Nice Easter!

2008-03-24T07:58:00.002-04:00

This is how it all looked before. We ate and ate and ate some more. Below are some shots of my goofy two year old granddaughter. She wanted her picture taken with her bunny-- but not enough to put down the pizza. She has various poses she likes to try out. Her grandpa (Sam's Dad) decided she should add the dramatic one at the bottom! I hope you all had a lovely holiday. too!

What a Deal!

2008-03-21T08:50:00.002-04:00

I am still in shock! I got this cute little wool coat at Costco- for $12!!!! I guess they wanted to get rid of them before summer. In most places this would sit in the closet forever but here in Michigan they forgot Spring! I hear rumors that it is coming but with the predicted arrival of snow tonight- you can't convince me! Happy Easter one and all!

Happy Birthday John!

2008-03-20T13:10:00.000-04:00

Today is John's birthday! I won't give his exact age but will say he is old enough to drink. A few minutes into any conversation with John and you will know two things about him. Firstly, he was a pharmacist until his retirement. Secondly, he had a winery and made zinfandel. I think those two things pretty much define John.

This is a bottle of the wine he made.

This is the sign from his winery which now graces our hallway!

So, I propose a toast to John--- Happy Birthday and many more! Cheers!

Kumquat Marmalade

2008-03-17T09:35:00.000-04:00

To really appreciate this post you should check out Heather's post at http://splaneyo.blogspot.com/ I am totally in awe of my daughter and son-in-law's talent. This amazing cake helps illustrate John's passion for jam.

You can't begin to imagine the joy of finding a market in Ann Arbor that carries Kumquats and Meyer Lemons! At $3.99 per pound for Kumquats we didn't buy a lot but we got enough to make Kumquat Marmalade- yummm!

Got this book at Amazon

My rather grey mood was much improved by these beauties from Costco. I just know that spring will come soon!

Compassionate Caregivers

2008-03-15T08:16:00.003-04:00

Poor Julio has died. We noticed he was having a lot of trouble walking --- so off to the vet he went. Initally they decided that as an (ahem) older cat he was prone to constipation so gave the poor guy a series of enemas and some nasty gooey stuff to ram down his throat. Well, that didn't work and the nasty stuff had him not eating at all. Back to the vet he went. This time his not eating was causing his liver to malfunction so he needed a feeding tube (I am now having doubts about the outcome of this) and we were assured that cats tolerate these tubes well. Bear in mind that the cat can barely walk. I called Monday to check how the little guy was doing and was informed that he had passed away over the weekend. Sometimes I wonder about vets. Was this all about their bottom line or was this about providing care for my cat? I say this because when I was last there some lady was complaining about the $100 plus per month for pills for her pet. The vet overheard this and said that if money was a problem (don't you just love that attitude) the same medication in the non-chewable variety was available for $20-- since she had to put the chewable pills in food as well she thought she'd just save the $80! So here we are-- Julio is dead; we are hundreds of dollars poorer; and we put our dying cat through hell-- not a good feeling!

Enough of my rant- I am hopeful that Spring is just around the corner! Some of the snow has melted, the sun has been sighted, and Costco has roses!

Mickey Says Hi

2008-03-03T07:59:00.003-05:00

Thanks so much to Dolly of From My Cherry Heart for the I Sparkled Someone's Day Award! Stop by her lovely blog and listen to the wonderful music, enjoy her creativity and get acquainted- such a lovely lady!

We took a few days last week and went to Orlando, Florida for the first time. We were hoping to thaw out our bones and had one warm day and one day back in our Michigan clothes. We had a great time and came back with our very own princes! Mom and Dad came from California to meet us as this was the grandkids first Disney World trip and was not to be missed.

The Old Farmhouse

2008-02-23T08:58:00.003-05:00

I must first thank all of you who have sent such lovely emails checking up on me. I had no idea when Heather first talked me into blogging what a nice group of women are out there. It is such a supportive community and a great way to make friends with similar interests.

Next I would like to thank The Kitten's Mother for the blogging award. It was a great surprise and did, in fact, raise my spirits as was intended. She has a lovely blog, is from England and so creative. Best of all she is a cat lover and fosters kittens! Please check out her blog, I know you will enjoy it. It is listed on the right so click away!

Since I haven't been doing much but sofa warming, I haven't much to talk about. Since it is the 125th year this house has been sitting here, I thought I'd tell a bit about the people who first built the house.

According to the mill stone by the back of the house, it was built in 1883 by William H. Glenn. The History of Washtenaw County describes the family as follows: .... William H. was born on the old homestead, and received his education largely at home. Sept. 30,1850, he was joined in marriage to Mathilda J. Watts, of Lyndon tp., and immediately settled on a portion of the family farm lying south of his brother's, where he still resides. In addition to farming he has lately engaged in the Fire and Life Insurance business, which has proven very remunerative to him. He inherits characteristic energy and enterprise of his father, along with the noble and refined traits of his mother, which have aided him considerably in his way through life. He is connected with the Grange interest, and with his wife, is a member of the North Lake Church. Six children, 5 daughters and 1 son have been sent to bless this alliance.....

The picture of the house above was taken in the 20's. The property changed hands in 1918 and consisted of approximately 40 acres. In 1943 it passed to the children of this owner and was broken up and sold off in various amounts at various times. In 1946 the house changed hands and was sold to Cyrillus Nagle.

When the Nagle's purchased the house it had no electricity or plumbing! They pretty much made the improvements that were in the house at the time we purchased it.

The Glenn family is buried in the North Lake Cemetery as are several of their children.

Having an old house is like having a dog. It requires a lot of attention but gives you an instant connection with other people who like them. You always have something to complain about!

Happy Valentines Day!

2008-02-13T09:55:00.002-05:00

Roses are red,
Tulips are pink,
When it comes to poetry,
I really stink!

I hope you all have a perfect Valentine's Day! And may Spring be just around the corner!

Stephanie

Thanks for the Kind Thoughts!

2008-02-07T08:51:00.000-05:00

Thank you to the many of you who sent such nice get well wishes! There are so many nice folks out in blogland. I am playing catch-up and will be visiting everyone soon. I managed to pass the stone and in the doctor's efforts to push one out, they shook another loose! Fortunately, the second one doesn't hurt and is working its way out. I go in next week for the pulverising of the one that remains that is too big. Don't know much about the procedure and don't want to! I'll find out the gorey details when I get there! Meanwhile, I'm feeling great again. I've been reading, baking and quilting! So let me show you what I've been doing aside from staying out of the snow storms.

I realize that you are a busy bunch but please take some time and read these books. The first is a facinating look at the food we eat. The author follows several meals from the corn in the field and the cows in the feedlots to the table, the mushrooms in the forest, and the hunter's contribution to the table. It is excellent, sometimes painful but a must read.
The second book In defense of Food is about what kinds of food make sense to eat, the dangers of the Western diet and what we can do about it. Much shorter that the first but packed with excellent information and suggestions.

I found this book recommended on several other blogs- Gardens By The Lake and Breadbasket Case. I had to give it a try and love it! For busy people who want to bake and not be tied to babysitting dough this is the answer. Not only does the book contain excellent bread and sweet roll recipes but also had recipes for things to eat with particular breads and what to do with some of the leftovers! The secret is that you mix- without kneading- four or more loaves at a time and store the dough in the refrigerator. When you want you take some out, let it sit (usually 40 minutes) then bake it off. Here I deviated from their suggestion of the pan with hot water for the steam in the oven and I substituted the Cook's Illustraited technique of baking it in the cast iron Dutch oven- perfect! The dough can be stored for more than a week so you have plenty of time to use it up! The one recipe I have tried came out crusty and good!

So here's the update on the quilt.

It's together and I've started on the quilting part. I am really happy with the backing I used because the colors are perfect for the top and it's a little jazzy!

Looks like this one will take me through the winter.

I hope you're all keeping warm. I have been dreaming of Italian Cypress and Olive trees!

Sorry, I'm No Fun!

2008-01-29T14:59:00.000-05:00

Sorry I have been absent of late. I haven't forgot you all I just have been indisposed. The problem is really the disposal of a kidney stone that has taken up residence in the wrong spot (actually there is no right spot). I've spent a little time in the emergency room and a lot of sofa time. The dogs have made it clear that they want their space back! Mostly I have been in a drug induced stupor which is a little different from my normal stupor in that I can't even quilt. My greatest disappointment (from last Thursday on) is that I haven't been eating (yes, me not eating) food and the smell of it has made me sick. I have been consuming gallons of liquids and no..... I have not lost one ounce not a pound. How is this possible? My one consoling thought has been that I will have probably lost a dress size and people won't recognize the new slim me but--- no worries --there is no improved me. Maybe if I loose the kidney stone I'll loose some weight........ how much could a stone weigh? I'll be back soon at least a stone lighter.

My Perfect Weekend

2008-01-22T08:16:00.000-05:00

This weekend my son, JR, came for a visit from California. He had a happy reunion with the dogs and played with the grandkids who were thrilled to have a new playmate. As a mother it just doesn't get any better than to have both of your children, son-inlaw and all the grandchildren together at once! Perfect!

Cllearly, the new car was also a big hit!

Back To Bread

2008-01-13T12:21:00.000-05:00

I've been baking again- not that my girlish figure benefits from this! I was inspired from the December 9, 2007 post on the blog by Breadbasketcase http://www.breadbasketcase.blogspot.com/ . She had been baking from the recipe at Cook's Illustrated February 2008 magazine that had a no-knead bread recipe. I gave it a try and substituted my sourdough starter (about a quarter cup) for the vinegar and got what you see above and below. The one on top is olive and Parmesan. I tried the green olive, rosemary and Parmesan and liked it but really thought maybe Kalamata's would be better- I'll let you know. Anyway, this article touted using a Dutch oven to get the crispy crust and we had an old one- see bottom picture- and I found this works much better than the pan and ice cubes or spraying water into the oven! It's a sacrifice if it's a new pan but in the magazine they show one that can be had for under $40. I love this method and have been using it for my other recipes. It's embarrassingly easy!

Only One To Go

2008-01-06T09:07:00.000-05:00

While everyone else has been taking down their Christmas trees and getting organized for the year to come, I have been working on my next quilt. I admit to being a bit obsessive about my projects. I only have one block to applique and I can start the final shuffle and decide where to place them. If I can find more of this fabric, I might but some more fabric between the blocks to allow more quilting space. Decisions!

Fun In The Snow!

2008-01-04T08:52:00.000-05:00

The Dober's have been enjoying all the snow- who needs a snow plow?

As much fun as the snow is, Violet still loves her bed!

You're probably sick of snow scenes but the sunsets and mornings have been really lovely---

Dumber Than Dirt

2008-01-03T11:39:00.000-05:00

I freely admit that I am technically challenged. I had one of those happy ideas that cause all kinds of grief when I couldn't load pictures into my photobucket. After the third or fourth failed attempt (no one said I was bright either!) I figured out I was at capacity and needed to open new albums- well, then I decided why not organize all my photos in the bucket? I just got busy and ignored that little warning sign that kept coming up about links, etc. and moved all the photos attached to the blog! Clever, no? After a panicked phone call to Heather, she was able to restore my banner and the rose by Greenie Gardens and make me understand my stupid mistake. But I now had no photos to go with the archives on my blog, not wanting to go back and try to figure out what went where, I erased most of the old blogs. So--- I have decided to just do posts of the subjects I wrote about- dogs, house, quilts, roses, garden, my California garden and house, maybe some cooking etc. Sorry if you have seen some of the pictures before! So that's my latest hairbrained idea.

This is always my wacky time of year. For example the major things that are going to go wrong with the house, car, etc. usually happen about now. This year is not much different. I had a lovely day yesterday working on my blog, taking photographs, cooking, my basic favorite activities -- and then it all started--- I went upstairs to start a load of laundry and the gray box that controls the washer with it's automatic shut-off valve wouldn't work --- for no known reason. It has been working perfectly for the last year and now-- won't let the water come to the washer---grrrrrrr. The room is only big enough for the door plus the washer and dryer stacked on top of eachother and -- yep the panel is behind the stupid thing. I am able to wedge
my not so slim body into the space on the side and feel what is in the box but not see it. Well, a call to the plumber--Happy New Year. Next, in frustration I go back to the computer, have a glass of wine and work on a posting. John comes up behind me and decides to point to something on the screen and-- you guessed it --- wine all over the computer. First I just wanted to panic, they I wanted to do serious damage to John and finally we mopped up what we could and pulled the battery out. After a lot of time with the hair dryer and the hose on the back of the vacuum blowing air-- it works but with a little damage to the screen--did I mention he hurled it everywhere? Oh and the garage door is barely opening-- you have to help the opener open it. They say bad things come in three's but I've found it's more multiples of three's. It's looking like 2008 is going to be an expensive year!

Roses Continued

2008-01-01T15:36:00.000-05:00

Rose- O-Mania

2008-01-01T15:32:00.000-05:00

Roses Keep On Coming

2008-01-01T15:28:00.000-05:00

More More More Roses

2008-01-01T15:23:00.000-05:00

More More Roses

2008-01-01T15:18:00.000-05:00

More Roses

2008-01-01T15:12:00.000-05:00

Roses

2008-01-01T15:07:00.000-05:00

More Calistoga Gardens

2008-01-01T14:50:00.000-05:00

Calistoga Gardens

2008-01-01T14:43:00.000-05:00

Cast of Characters- Even More Cats

2008-01-01T14:39:00.000-05:00

Goldie

Sylvester

Rupert

Cast of Characters- More Cats

2008-01-01T14:29:00.000-05:00

Sparky

Camilla

Mama Cat

Cast of Characters-Cats

2008-01-01T13:41:00.000-05:00

Clio

Julio

Fraidie Cat

Caesar

Fuzzie

Indie

Cast of Characters-Dogs

2008-01-01T12:32:00.000-05:00

Interior of Farmhouse- Upstairs

2008-01-01T12:20:00.000-05:00

Master Bedroom

Bath With Tub

Bath With Shower

Hall

Guest Room

Guest Room

Interior of Farmhouse- Downstairs

2008-01-01T11:55:00.000-05:00

Living Room

Entry Hall

Guest Room

Kitchen

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T09:53:00.000-05:00

I hope you all had a safe and sane New Year's Eve. We had a nice dinner out with friends and came home to await the winter storm. Being a transplant from California, I still get excited about snow. I just love it. Of course this attitude has a lot to do with the fact that I don't have to go out in it unless I want to!

This year the house in 125 years old.

This is the busy street in front of our house. Not a car in sight!

Some of us find the snow somewhat less wonderful!

I don't think anyone wants to sit on this bench!

Panettone has so many possibilities.... I can't tell you how delicious this recipe for bread pudding with amaretto sauce is, I double the sauce, however, because I like lots. It's relatively quick to make if you precut the cubes and freeze them. I've found that they keep for a long time in the freezer and I can have bread pudding even when panettone is hard to come by. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_29086,00.html

This morning - to start the year out right- we had Panettone French Toast, I cut some slices of panettone, mixed a couple of eggs with a tablespoon or two of cream, added a little Grand Marnier, dipped the slices and fried them in butter. I topped with some powdered sugar and pure maple syrup and it was heaven!

Happy Birthday JR

2007-12-26T08:19:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday JR! Today is my son's birthday. Sadly, when we moved to Michigan, JR stayed behind in California. Since I don't get to see him as often as I would like, pictures of him are kind of hard to come by-- so I have one from last year and a couple of ancient ones. The rest are pre-digital. Poor guy just imagine having a birthday that follows Christmas Eve and Christmas Day - someone didn't plan that very well. JR we wish you the happiest of birthdays! Can't wait for a visit and some new pictures! Love you, Mom

Sharing!

2007-12-24T09:14:00.000-05:00

Just in case anyone still had any suspicion that things were normal around here. ... this morning Adam decided he just needed a little one on one time with me. I was also eating a scone which was, in fact, the main attraction ! Of course photo op's never arrive when we are dressed, hair combed and makeup on. Clearly I'm not vain! Merry Christmas all!

Our Very Own Artful Dodger

2007-12-22T09:59:00.000-05:00

Faust is a very talented Dobermann. A lot of his talent is due to his height. His chin is just at table height. Adam is close and poor Violet is way too little (they have developed the heavy head technique- we'll have more about that in another post) but Faust simply has to walk up to the table and rest his chin and if no one is paying attention---- score! When we have company I have to pay more attention to him than to what the guests are doing, otherwise dinner can be over before they know it. John is usually the sad victim and Faust has enjoyed porkchops, hamburgers--well, you get the idea. His best opportunities come when I am out of town and someone unexpectedly comes to the door-- but there really isn't much challenge to that. The real art comes in when someone gets up to get, say, catsup or salt and pepper then speed, agility and skill must come into play! He is a master! The photo above shows the casual approach- just hanging out.

Moving into position- note the skillful angle of the head.

And here it comes.....

Tasty! Want to see it again?

The setup.

The position and....

Almost!

Making Progress

2007-12-21T11:27:00.000-05:00

So far I've done the applique on 4 of the 9 blocks I need for my new quilt. I'm starting to think about sashing and how it should look when it's done. Got to keep the momentum up because I'm probably going to be a lot less excited about a Christmas quilt after Christmas!

Christmas Eve we'll be at Heather's and she is making Cioppino- for those of you unfamiliar with this - do yourself a favor and give it a try! It's a seafood stew with a spicy Italian tomato sauce base. If you are really lucky and have fresh Dungeness crab from the San Francisco area to go in it, you will come very close to heaven! It also requires sourdough garlic bread to sop up the juices.

The Real Deal

2007-12-20T09:31:00.000-05:00

My gutters runneth over which means......

We don't need any artificial icicles here! We have the real deal - which means it's plenty cold!

Snow globe time!

2007-12-20T08:23:00.000-05:00

Wow! Now that was a winter storm last weekend! For us who were snug in our cozy houses it was lovely and ezciting. For those who had to go any where I'm sure it was a nightmare. From the safety of the porch I was photographing away.

i can't believe Christmas is so close! The disadvantage of getting older is that they follow one another so quickly. This is a happy Christmas for us all - in July Heather and Sam will have another baby. I'm so excited for them and happy for me as well! This will be the first child that will arrive with a quilt already made for it as I have finished my snowflake quilt and it will be just right. With the other three I was lucky to finish one for them before their first birthday!

Winter Bread Baking

2007-12-10T10:57:00.000-05:00

What is it about winter and bread? Like so many bloggers, I have also been baking bread. I am obsessed with learning to bake sourdough bread a la Zingermanns or Acme bread. My grandson is usually appreciative of my efforts. I do not quite have the crisp crust and large holes inside figured out yet and my efforts are very inconsistant. This seems to have been a relatively good one. We'll see when it cools.

These are some sourdough cheese rolls. They just came out of the freezer so they look a little funny. I just pop them in the oven and reheat them and good as new. They are made with Asiago and Gruyere cheese. Crisp cheese on the bottom-yum. These I can do. The recipes for the sourdough bread and cheese rolls are in the cookbook below.

I love this book so much that I keep two copies- just in case something happens to one of them!
Did I mention obsessive? The Cheese Board is in Berkeley, California. They have outstanding breads and pizza. They are really known for their cheeses though, and have a huge selection. They also have an interesting pricing arrangement and you get a discount for being over 65, and a bigger discount the older you get. Cheese Board is located right across the street from Chez Panisse. If you ever get to San Francisco area it's a great place for foodies. The line at lunchtime for pizza is pretty long but worth waiting for.

Violet's On A Tear

2007-12-10T09:53:00.000-05:00

It's looking more and more like Violet is the window-breaker. This morning Adam was running around without a color. Guess what that blue thing is next to Miss Violet? yep! I think the dogs must have cabin fever because they are really wild right now. You'd almost think she's sorry from the look of her.

House-Wreckers

2007-12-09T10:59:00.000-05:00

Lovely isn't it? Since neither John nor I broke the window below are the most likely suspects.

They even look guilty don't they? When the likely witness was asked, this was his response.

All are now doing penance- on the sofa- that is.

It's a dog's life!

Dottie About Dots

2007-11-30T16:56:00.000-05:00

Not long ago I saw the movie Because I Said So. I was delighted that polka dots were part of the costuming. I almost always have a black and white polka dot dress in my closet. I only wish I looked like Diane Keaton in mine! The fashion police have been after me for a long time and I have taken a lot of flack about my dots but as you can see from my wallpaper-- I just love them. Polka dots always make me smile. I have been so happy to see them breaking out all over, even in Horchow's catalogue. This is not just some passing fancy with me, when I was ten or so, my parents made the mistake of telling me I could pick out the material for the curtains for my bedroom. Easy enough I picked a lovely bright pink background with dinner plate sized white dots on it! They were so beautiful to me! Sadly, not long after they were up they just disappeared! I asked and asked about them but they never again materialized (shame on you Mom and Dad!) You can imagine how thrilled I was to find the fabric above on Ebay. Now some may find this obsessive but I just couldn't help myself.

Backing for the Snowflake quilt.

Hair and There

2007-11-30T12:50:00.000-05:00

It's just amazing to me that these cats have any hair on them. If you could see what I vacuum off the floor and pillows you would be certain these guys would be bald! Looks like they're not too concerned about the cold outside!

In this case FAT and happy apply! (Sorry Ceasar)

Ahem! Weight Watchers for Cats should be just around the corner!

Winter has definately arrived!

Done!

2007-11-24T16:37:00.000-05:00

I banished the grumpy Scrooge and got to work on the tree. It's always so nice when it's finished!

I thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you. This tree is a combination of many years and many memories! My friend from Hawaii even sent me some Hawaiian ornaments!

This gold Santa is really old from the late 50's at the old City of Paris in San Francisco. The ornaments outlasted the building!

Next to the ship is a banana! There are all sorts of little pears, one is above the banana. Below and to the left of the ship is one of the Hawaiian ornaments!

Below is an egg with a mini tree in it. It reminds me of some of the beautiful things Ruth Welter makes over at http://artful-creations.blogspot.com/.

My son brought this lovely ship home with him when he was in college.

I can't decide whether I like it best lit or unlit!

I just love this little violin, also the grapes which are only partially shown.

This surfing Santa is probably hoping for a wave to take him back to a warmer climate!

This is one of many little stuffed and embroidered animals from China.

By the time January rolls around I can't wait to take the tree down but it's so much fun to greet my old friends in November!

So It Begins!

2007-11-24T09:58:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving was great - and no more rich food please! These little cuties were there as well as their parents. Sadly those pictures were on their camera so I'll just share this one! It may look to you like they are grimacing but, in fact, this is smiling with teeth. Perhaps the candid shots are best! Now that Thanksgiving is over the tree must go up! Last year we decided to get smart and buy one that already had the lights on. It worked fine last year but this year - guess what? I spent a frustrating afternoon messing with this monster and the Christmas spirit decided to go elsewhere. I was prepared to huck it onto the front lawn! I guess I'll just have to put more lights on where the gaps are. These pre-lit trees are just great- right!

Although it wasn't much of a first snow it certainly added to the holiday feel!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T09:48:00.000-05:00

Although it's cold outside we send you and your loved ones the warmest Thanksgiving wishes!

A happy camper!

Winter Projects

2007-11-19T18:04:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty sure I'm crazy and if not completely now, I will be by the time this project is finished.

This is a small portion of John's classical record collection. These are literally boxes of Bach!
It all started out as one of those happy ideas. We didn't have a record player at the moment and I saw an ad for one that would put your records on CD's. As I said before, it sounded like a good idea at the time. It has turned out to be a rather time eating endeavor with something of a learning curve!
Looks like a loooong winter!

Potato Pizza

2007-11-18T17:38:00.000-05:00

Last night I had the experience of cooking something perfectly. I say this because although I have never made anybody sick, I always feel like something would have been better if there was more salt or it was cooked a little longer or the crust was a little crisper- you know how it is!
Of course the kiss of death for any dish is to invite someone over and tell them you are making something special for them- it will likely be inedible. Last night, however, I made potato pizza and since no one but John and I were there- it was as perfect as I can make something. The crust was perfectly crisp, but a little chewy, just the right thickness. The leeks cooked exactly right. A good amount of garlic in the oil; the potatoes not over or undercooked; just the right amount of Jarlsberg cheese-again not over or under baked. The right number of Greek olives and a sprinkle of parsley on top. No, no salt needed- just perfect. I had to take a picture and even if you can't taste it -I at least have some momento of a heavenly pizza done to my own personal best. Please don't ask me to make it for you because it will not turn out the same and then I will have been bragging and look silly!

Too Much Help!

2007-11-16T08:19:00.000-05:00

I finally put the last stitch in my Snowflake quilt, washed it and decided to photograph it for the album of completed quilts I keep (since they usually get given to a kid). Well, as you can see there are a lot of photo hogs around here!

Cleo thought this one needed a kitty.

Adam the ham- really thought a handsome Dobermann would add something!

As usual, it's a great feeling to finish a project but you also feel a little sad that it's all over so I've started working on a Christmas quilt.

I'm sorry this is such a fuzzy photo but I guess Santa needs to bring me a lens (John pay attention). This guy has been gone for the whole summer but arrived back about a week ago. The feeder is really getting a lot of action now that the leaves have fallen.

My Marvelous Mini

2007-10-14T17:33:00.000-04:00

Yep, it's here! I am in car heaven. This is my ultimate car. I am in car love!
I do not recommend test driving this car unless you are prepared to buy one because you just won't be able to help yourself---it's that great. Of course no one but me would buy a convertible in October. Hope you have better sense. At least get the heated seats!