A Bit of Home

Mom had this beautiful blue iris right out the back door.  I loved sitting at the breakfast table and watching it grow and blossom.  I've never been a big fan of irises but this one was gorgeous- it looked like a waterfall.

After Tony and I got married she gave me a cutting for our own garden.  We planted it in a nice sunny spot and waited 10 months for it to grow.  Boy was it worth it!  

It's been blooming for several weeks now- what a precious piece of home.

Bone to Pick

So the State of California is broke, in debt, having to raise taxes, issuing furlough days, etc...

Want to know why there's no money?  Because of silly issues like this!

We've asked many times for the tree in front of our house to be taken out.  The root system is just too big for the tiny few feet in the median between the sidewalk and the street.  Since it's a city tree we're not even allowed to trim it!  Trees are causing tons of damage to the sidewalks, water pipes, sewer systems, and lawns/landscaping in our neighborhood.  Believe me, we are not the first people to try to change the situation. 


Instead of replanting all the streets in LB with trees suitable for an urban environment (or just taking the trees out), the city comes by every once in awhile, jackhammers the sidewalks, digs up roots, and repaves the sidewalk, which can't be cheap.  This is in addition to the lawns, pipes, and sewer lines they are constantly having to replace that are destroyed by city trees. Now, I'm no economist, but wouldn't it be cheaper to just fix it once for good?  

They had to spend extra time hacking away at the roots of this one in front of our house. Wonder if it will make it!

We Heart Orchids

Tony bought this orchid about a year ago.  He decided to try to make it re-bloom so he clipped it,  fed it, and placed it in the front room where it's sunny and warm.  A few months ago we noticed buds forming on the stalk.  This is the second bloom in just a few weeks.  Gorgeous!

P.S.  Sorry Mark- I know these flower stories aren't particularly interesting to you...

Happy Mother's Day!

Show me Grandma!

Gotta love the cards that play music

Claire danced and danced and danced to it

Bell Peppers for Mother's Day

Starting to enjoy food from the garden

The aftermath of the German feast!  

Brat's, potato salad, corn on the cobs

Gotta keep him busy while we eat dinner

Wait!  You're not a Mommy!

Randy's offering to Mom

Dylan seems to really enjoy this spot

This is the best picture I've seen in a long time

Happy Mother's Day to both our Mom and our Mum!  

We are so thankful for the love and life you gave us

Clothesline

I wish I had a clothesline.  Perhaps I sound quaint, but nothing smells better than sun-warmed sheets.  I am super thankful for our darling little house and garden, but there are times when a private backyard would come in handy.  Like when it's hot and we want to eat outside.  Or sit in a blow-up pool.  Or cut down on the bills by drying laundry outside instead of using the dryer. 

In New Zealand everyone drys their laundry on a clothesline.  It cracks me up...even in the middle of winter when it rains everyday there are clothes hanging on the line.  Here, it never rains, and nobody uses a clothesline.

I think clotheslines should come back in style.  Heck- it could even be the trendy thing to do.

In the name of being Green and Thrifty during the Current Economic Crises...Use a Clothesline!

May 1st in the Garden

It's so beautiful!  It looks like I dreamed it would when Mom helped me plant it last August.  I picked huge handfuls of sweet peas to give to all the neighbors, we eat almost daily from the produce, and every morning brings a smile to my face to see how gorgeous it looks outside.

The humble beginning

The beautiful results!

My First Ham

I've never cooked a big piece of meat before.  When I lived at home that was always Dad's thing.  Since we've been married it's seemed a little silly to cook 10 pounds of meat for the two of us.

However, the day after Easter is a fantastic time to buy Lamb and Ham for a very good price.  So, I took the plunge and cooked my first ham last weekend.   

It turned out so well! We've been gobbling ham sandwiches, ham and egg Frittata, ham and potato soup... you name it, we've made it.  

Actually, I need a bit of a break from ham.  I think I'll make taco's tonight.

Things We Are Thankful For

Happy Saturday!  

As I write this the sun is pouring through the windows, the smell of fresh coffee is washing over me, I am rested after sleeping in, and very thankful for the many blessings God has given us.

We are thankful for the success of Tony's knee surgery.  He is able to walk around with very minimal pain and will begin Physical Therapy next week. 

One of the contributing factors to the quick healing of Tony's knee is our awesome Bledsoe Cooling Ice Therapy Machine.  It sounds a lot fancier than it actually is...

Basically, it's an ice cooler connected to an ice pack you wrap around your knee.  It keeps a constant supply of ice water circulating through the knee pad keeping swelling down and relieving pain.  A friend from church had the same surgery a few weeks ago and recommended the cooler.  It was going to cost $200 to rent one from Tony's insurance, and we could only find them online for over $100 plus shipping.  The morning of Tony's surgery he was double checking Craigslist again and he found one in Tustin for $40!  I went and picked it up right after the surgery and it has been a lifesaver.