Woman vs. Squirrel

That's it. It is war. These flipping squirrels have eaten my garbage cans, my lawn furniture, Halloween pumpkins, you name it. but I am now drawing the line. They have gone too far.

What, you may ask , have these furry rodents done to push me over the edge? They are digging in my garden. In my plants. My little plants that I have nurtured from seed.

I went to my local garden shop (bear Creek Herbary) they suggested grating Irish Spring soap around my plants or putting cotton balls soaked in mint essential oil around the base of the plants.

I looked online and red about spraying products made of fox urine, or cayenne pepper or even hot sauce around the base of the plants.

I posed the question on Mary Jane's Farmgirl chatroom and got some of the same answers, mothballs, a big dog...

I am starting to think a BB gun might be the best way to go.

Kidding.

Maybe.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day is so much more than barbecues, beaches and a 3 (or sometimes 4) day weekend. Memorial Day is much more than the unofficial start to summer. On Memorial Day we should pause for a good long time and reflect on the many men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we can continue to live the way that we do.

When I woke up this morning it was to the sound of rain. My first thought was "Too bad for the outdoor parties today". Then I stopped myself. Too many families today are not celebrating the beginning of summer. Too many families today are mourning the loss of a loved one. Someone who died far too young. Someone who gave their today for our tomorrow.

Memorial Day should be the day when we stop, think and thank all of those who have given their lives for our freedom.

Thank you.

Dirt and Dreams

This morning at 7 AM I was in my car and on the way to Home Depot. I still needed 12 more tomato cages, 6 more concrete blocks and yes, I can't even bring myself to say it...more dirt.

I have hauled more dirt in bags this year than I care to remember. This is it though - I have hauled my last bag of dirt for the summer. 10 more bags of dirt went in to my car. I found the 42 inch tomato cages (wow they are expensive but I'll have 25 from this year on). The 6 blocks were a bargain.

I replanted some hosta into pots and put them on my front steps and then put my Adirondack chair near the door. It looks like a comfy place to sit. Maybe when I get a second I will check it out.

My watermelon, cantaloupes and pineapple mint were all planted. I even picked up two pepper plants because what is the summer without a pepper plant.

As I was digging through my greenhouse I found two wayward eggplant plants so into the ground they went also. Everything got a dose of root blaster. Everything got my talking to about growing straight and giving me some veggies! LOL - ask around - I actually do hold conversations with my plants.

The best part of the day was the very cool shower I took. Then SJ and I ran over to Ocean Grove to pick up our beach badges. People were already in the water! I can't wait to plunk myself down in a beach chair and relax.

I have also posted another picture of a dream potting shed/greenhouse. I am getting so many ideas surfing the web. And I am still biding my time....

A Day in the Life of a Garden

My garden is really coming to life! The drenching rain last week and the sunshine this week have really had things sprouting and growing. (PS a little root blaster doesn't hurt either - thanks mom!)

I finally picked up some more dirt today so I was able to fill the abandoned tire and put my strawberry plant in - I think it looks great - free planter! My peas are climbing up the trellis and the green beans are filling in the tee pees. I also have a picture of the sunflowers and melons on the side of the house. Cucumbers are in their own little raised bed - growing big and tasty waiting for dad to come back to NJ!

I love my garden. I could spend the whole day in it!

My Disgusting Shed

This is a picture of my disgusting shed. Why is it disgusting you may ask? Let me tell you. First of all everytime it rains it gets flooded by at least a foot of water. That area is one of the low points in the yard and I do not know what possessed the people before us to put the shed there. There are animals living under it and in it. This winter must have been a wing dingy for them. It is filled with animal poop. (And the occasional dead animal be it bird, squirrel, possum, you name it). It wasn't made very well there are huge gaps in all kinds of places in it - the doors are two decaying inside cheapo closet doors that don't even shut properly. Anyone need bat guano? Because they roost in there sometimes too. Is everyone feeling the filth and general yuckiness? I think I have to go take a shower after just looking at it.

Now - I think the outside wood is salvageable. I just want to tear that puppy down, salvage what I can and build a potting shed/mini greenhouse somewhere else on the property. Somewhere where it won't get flooded or tunneled under or whatever.

So I am continuing my perusal of the web for great looking potting sheds and I will just bide my time.

Still Dreaming of Potting Sheds....

Yes! I am still dreaming of potting sheds. I like this one out of the UK. It is a quasi-greenhouse. I think I could be very content to sit in there and potter around with my plants.

Garden is Blooming

Finally - a day with some sunshine. I was so excited this morning I ran out to Lowe's and bought a few things - tomato cages, landscaping pins and green plant supports.

I came home and laid down the biodegradable weed barrier. then I planted my tomato plants from the greenhouse. Put the cages around them and voila! Last bed planted!

Then I looked around and added support to my sugar pea trellis netting. As I was looking at them I noticed that the green beans needed some support. I used the green plant supports and rigged up some tee pees. I noticed that I had some metal bars that were headed for the garbage and took them out- I have some ideas for making more tee pees. I just have to figure out how to keep them from falling. Easy with wood - not so easy with metal.

I also found an abandoned tire in the Lowe's parking lot. I put it in my car and I think I will fill it with soil this weekend and use it to plant some strawberries. I am really trying to use things that would otherwise be thrown into a dump in my garden. I am getting some great ideas from the ladies on the MJF chat room as well as on the net.

It was a beautiful day today and I got quite a bit accomplished. That makes me a happy camper.

Wishing...

Now that vacation is over I have time to go out to my garden and begin my daydreaming.

One thing I would love to build for myself is a small potting shed. I spent last night surfing the net looking at all kinds of potting shed images and saving some of my favorites. From time to time I'll post them here.

I dream of all the grassy, muddy areas around my raised beds covered with pea gravel. It would just make things so much neater. And who doesn't love the crunch crunch sound?

While I'm daydreaming what about a picket fence around my garden? With two nice gates and an arbor - or even better a pergola? I love a good daydream!

Back Home after Vacation.

We finally made it home last night. 17 , yes, count them, 17hours straight in the car. Such togetherness. Leaves me speechless. Absolutely speechless.
I am so glad to be home after that ride. it was a great trip. Very relaxing.

I wanted to share a few more pictures of the trip so I posted them here. I really didn't take many pictures. Although this camera is good for a quick click and shoot and get it on the Internet it really doesn't take fantastic pictures. i think I will be researching cameras that take great pictures and are also easy to hook up to the laptop to import pictures.

The pictures you see are so very random. SJ. food, whatever else. But they are fun!

Outrageous Farming at EPCOT

We went to Magic Kingdom this morning and rode a lot of rides that we haven't been able to in a few years because the lines have always been out of control. Embarrass myself I will - Snow White's Adventures, Peter Pan, The Jungle Cruise and yes - yes - It's A Small World.

Then we headed over to EPCOT - rode the clam shell in Nemo's Adventures, Spaceship Earth (we call it the golf ball), the Norwegian ride, the Mexico ride and then my all time favorite - the ride in The Land "Living with the Land". I love it not for the hokey keep the earth beautiful stuff but for the experimental farming.

Fish farms, food farms, fish and food farms together. I love it. Tomato "trees". 9 pound lemons. Herbs grown hydroponically - it was all there. if it was possible i would get out of the boat, touch every blessed plant, knock on the door of the laboratory and ask 5 million questions. However they escort you out of the park for such actions.

We had a great dinner at Jiko at the Animal Kingdom. Now I am dog tired.

Delicious Disney

This morning we slept in. I woke up to a fresh - right -out-of-a -Disney oven cinnamon bun. It was delicious.

We went to Downtown Disney this morning. The cup with the two mice in the picture above is going to be coming home with me. It is sooo very cute. We ate "lunch" aka chocolate sundaes at Ghiradellis. Delicious.

Off to Epcot - we went on many rides and had dinner at the Italy Pavillion. Pizza to die for. Delicious. Of course the carafe of sangria that haskell and I split didn't hurt either.

A lot of walking today and tomorrow morning it is off to the Magic Kingdom.

Magic Kingdom

We had a wonderful morning at the magic Kingdom. We were able to go on all the rides that we really enjoy with minimal wait time. We even thought we would give Space Mountain a try. The last time I was on Space Mountain was probably 1975 when it opened. My dad took me on it and told me that I better not throw up because it would shoot backwards and land on him. I remember the ride being terrifying. But, hey, I was 10 years old at the time - everything is terrifying to a 10 year old - right?

The next time I doubt my childhood memory I want someone to come over and smack me in the head. Possibly everything is terrifying to a 10 year old - however it is even more terrifying to a 45 year old whose body is not really great at taking the whipping turns and jolting pop ups of Space Mountain. Not only was the ride itself just as terrifying as I remember it but at the very end I was saying a Hail Mary that the next tight curve spiralling downward would be the last.

Why? You may ask. Because I calculated that I had only moments before one of two things was going to happen. 1. I was going to throw up (thank God no one was behind me) or 2. I was going to pass out. Now I'm pretty sure that #1 happens all the time but #2 was probably going to get me an ambulance ride and possibly some news time.

Thank God neither one happened. As our car came to a sudden stop and we were told to unload, I unsuccessfully attempted to get out. Of course my husband and daughter bolted for the exit and yes, mortifyingly, the attend had to give me a hand. Yes and said "Have a magical day MAAM."

We're Here!

We made it! The ride from Georgia was uneventful. The weather was on our side - no rain and sunny skies. We arrived and went right to EPCOT. We walked around for a few hours and headed over to the Animal Kingdom Lodge for dinner (fufu was delicious). Afterwards we went over to the Disney Studios and then took the long walk by the lake back to the Boardwalk.

I can tell you this much - I will sleep well tonight!

Georgia on my mind...

Okay, the picture to the right is a beautiful scene in Georgia. Savannah to be exact. Technically I am in Savannah. very technically I am staying in the Wingate Hotel off of the off ramp of Interstate 95 at the very north border of Savannah. So my view is more of the Interstate, a parking lot and a questionable Shoney's and not the beautiful picture you see before you.

However, since I choose to envision my own reality (lol) I am choosing to envision the beautiful moss covered trees arching over a rural lane leading to a historic cemetery on a lush plantation. Not the tar covered line less parking lot surrounded by eighteen wheelers and the smell of something -I -don't want- to-know billowing out of various restaurants.

When we wake up tomorrow morning it will be to head south in to Florida and then -- Disney--or as I lovingly call it, after one of my favorite movies "Vacation" -- Wally World! I can't wait - lots of pictures tomorrow!

Oh and by the way Gus and Trudy are still loving their adventure. Don't forget to look in on them at gusandtrudy.blogspot.com.

Meet Gus and Trudy

I have started a new blog. Gusandtrudy.blogspot.com. Everyone knows of my love for gnomes. I love watching the travelocity gnome and I loved watching the gnome on the movie "Amelie". Based on those two gnomes and because we were leaving for Disney World today I hatched a plan to bring Gus the Gnome and trudy the Owl on the trip.

In one of my previous posts I told you about the neighborhood kids and how they found gnome jewels in my yard. They had left a note for the gnome to leave them candy - and he did! Well now Gus and Trudy have decided to let the kids keep track of their adventures. I am going to enjoy blogging the adventures of Gus and Trudy and I encourage you to peek in on them every once in a while!

Meanwhile I am so excited for our trip to Disney. We did sit in traffic for a while on 95 but at least we did not have to detour off the road (as we did one infamous year).

I hope to keep you posted on our trip. Don't forget to say hi to Gus and Trudy!

Sara Jane is a Substitute Teacher!

Today was a very special day for me. My daughter, Sara Jane, had enough college credits to begin subbing at school with me. her last final exam was on Monday and she started teaching today.

Sara Jane subbed in Spanish class today for 5th and 7th grades. I think she handled herself beautifully. I tried very hard not to go and keep checking her in the classroom. I always try to remember that little birds have wings.

I was subbed in the Science lab today with 4th and 6th grades. I always enjoy myself in the science lab. I had some free time today so I took a few pictures. You can see the teacher's demonstration table, the microscopes and our friendly classroom skeleton - Bones.

It was such a pleasure to be ale to drive in with Sara Jane. I have to admit that I did make her stand on the front step and have her picture taken, just like I always did at the beginning of every school year and for every special occasion.

She looked so very mature in her suit. I couldn't resist taking a picture of the both of us together! Did I mention how very proud of her I am?

Jersey Girl

This is one of my favorite pictures of my daughter. I love the way she is slowly walking down the beach searching for sea glass. She is such a Jersey Girl in this picture. I love it and her!

Rhubarb

Isn't my rhubarb plant wonderful? I planted two in my garden last year. I got them both at Delicious Orchards. One came up immediately and the other one barely sprouted. This year one came up and I haven't seen hide nor hair of the other. Now I just need to plant some strawberries so I can make strawberry rhubarb pie.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's day to All! I hope everyone enjoyed their special day - I know I did!

Gardening Round 2

I was waiting for it to rain this morning but it never did. it was a sunny breezy beautiful day. Looking in to my little greenhouses I noticed that it was probably time to transplant some of my seedlings. Normally I don't like to do this until after May 15 th but the roots were coming out of the bottom of some of the cups.

I had so many helpers today; Nick, Tommy, Carmella, Gianna and Abby. They helped me to transplant some peas, gourds, summer squash, pumpkins, red kidney beans and zucchinni. We watered them and then went back to the greenhouses to start some more seed. We started some small tomatoes, red kidney beans, green beans, sugar snap peas, luffah, zinnias, shasta daisies, lavendar, basil and oregano.

It was a very busy day. The girls found some "jewels" in the hosta beds. I explained about the gnome that lives in my yard. They collected the gems and wrote a note to the gnome asking for candy. Wouldn't you know it?! The gnome left them some fun dip and a good time was had by all!

The Long and Winding Road

This is a picture of the road that goes from St.David, Maine to Pelletier Island. I feel such a sense of awe when I see the sight of a road or a path leading to somewhere new. Everywhere I go I am always looking for that view. The view of a path to a new place or idea.

I love to take that road to the island. I imagine that I own one of the little camps on the island. What a peaceful solitary life. A simple life, surrounded by nature, by such awesome beauty.

Little Gnome in the Dunes

I swear that I saw this little guy this morning when I was in Ocean Grove!

True, he may have been blown away. It was very windy today. I headed into Ocean Grove to my favorite art gallery/shop for local artists - The Main Street Galleria.

They have the most lovely things in there. Beautiful bracelets and necklaces made from silver spoons. Sea glass turned into pendants. Soda pop tabs transformed into stunning jewlery. The paintings are gorgeous - mostly sea scapes and the surrounding area. The tents in Ocean Grove, the Great Auditorium, The Casino in Asbury Park, Convention Hall and mermaids. Lots of mermaids.

After I roamed in there I walked around the town and then down to the beach. It was a sunny but windy day. That is when I saw the little gnome in the dune.

At The End of A Long Day....

It was the end of a long day today. I had subbed yesterday for 6th - 8th grade science classes and today it was all about 5th grade science classes. It was a long two days. And today was rainy cold and just plain yucky out.

I knew I had some oatmeal raisin cookies waiting for me at home and the thought of them sitting there waiting for me made me happy. I walk in the door and - the cookies are gone (courtesy of my husband). That's OK I am thinking I have left over potato chips from my Panera dinner last night and - gone (courtesy of my daughter).

What to do? What to do? Panicky, I ran to the kitchen and opened my baking drawer. Flour, sugar, baking powder,egg, cocoa powder, butter? Yes, yes ,yes YES!!! (i felt like Meg Ryan in "When Harry Met Sally").

Humming happily I mixed all of my lovely ingredients up and....nirvana achieved.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I was really in the mood for some oatmeal raisin cookies. There is just something about the chewy, oaty, brown sugary, buttery, raisiny taste that I adore. Adore.

I love it so much that, if I am not careful, most of the dough wouldn't even make it into the oven - not even to the baking sheet - not even off the spoon.

I love to try to eat them hot out of the oven with a big glass of milk (even though milk, now, is no longe good for you).

I love to eat them later when they get even chewier.

I love to put them into my cake server and see them sitting on the counter waiting for me.

Listen! I can hear them calling.

Osama Bin Laden is Dead

Happy 68th Birthday Dad!

So today is my dad's birthday. The picture above shows him with all 3 grandchildren.

My dad is the best dad in the world. He has helped me through so much and supported me in everything I have done or tried to do. Besides all of that he is just plain fun! So in honor of dad "Old Guys Rule!"