Snow Day

Morning came early today, at about 5:30 since the kids woke up and looked out the window... I think this is better than Christmas presents to snow-deprived children! So here's some photos and video of our day today. I apologize for the copious amounts of video, but Daddy's out on the ship and he checks the blog so he doesn't miss out on our daily life here. The day started out with dry, powdery snow, easy to shovel. Then the winds kicked up to about 30-40 kts and it was a mess. Later in the afternoon it changed over to wet heavy snow, and it is still coming down fiercely now at 6 pm with a lot of wind, and I am noticing the power lines are starting to ice over. Not good. I have shoveled the back deck twice today, it appears to be somewhere between 10-16 inches so far, I think it started snowing about 2 or 3 am last night. This was all grass less than 24 hours ago!

The back deck - the door was snowed shut!

Loch & Finn

Driveway has been shoveled 3 times today! We are the only ones on the street with a snow shovel, so we have to keep in inside so it won't get stolen, can you imagine?

Check out Finn's little mini-tantrum while shoveling snow, also, love the clip with the random blue-jacketed kid that walked through and decided to whip a snowball on his way cutting across our yard! The other one is of the neurotic dogs loving the snow.

Other big news on the "learning to knit" front... my first real project was completed at midnight last night! Just in time for the snow, and I will say it kept the blowing snow out wonderfully! No, it's not the best thing you've ever seen, but I am quite proud of myself for accomplishing it! I don't know how to do buttonholes yet so I cheated and attached a magnetic closure and stitched a faux toggle button on the front! I am so tired of practicing swatches and crap I just wanted to finish something without hitting a snag, so I will learn buttonholes the next time! This was originally intended to be a scarf but I wasn't able to get more yarn in the same color, so I just used one entire skein and I like this better, it even looks good worn indoors.

neck gaiter in action in the snow

I am starting another project this evening after the kiddos go to bed, not sure what yet. I got a couple of knitting books and have just been drooling over cabled sweaters today, but I need to get real and find the beginner projects tonight. You cablers and sock knitters are amazing, now that I know what goes into them!

As I was writing this, I just found out that apparently Finn decided to put snowballs in his bedroom... hours ago... oh, I can't wait for bedtime for little boys!

Snow and Subaru Love

Have I said lately how much I LOVE my Subarus? I have owned a few since the early 90's and honestly, it's probably all I will ever drive. Here are the current residents in all their glory...

Daddy's Subie

Mama's Subie

They run forever, have tons of room for us and the dogs, get incredible mileage for an SUV, and climb the dunes and traverse the snow right alongside pickup trucks. But my love today has nothing to do with the above. It has to do with my visit to the gas station today.

I roll up on the gas station, and egads!.... about 20 people in line at every pump. What's going on I wonder, is it the 70's again? I look, and nobody is in ANY of the left side pumps. So I roll up and ask the guy in the disgustingly big SUV across from me what's going on. "Winter Storm's a comin' in, everrbuddy's fixin' to get ready". Oh, that... keep forgetting I live in the South where they cancel the city at least 24 hours before the first anticipated flake. And if I forgot I lived in the South, I was sure reminded when he said "fixin' to get ready".... does that mean they were actually going to get ready, or just scope out the pumps while they thought about getting ready? Anyways, they are all staring at me in my SuperSubaru as I rolled up, gassed up, and rolled out of the left side pump while 20 cars were waiting on the other side, and they weren't nice stares, either. So, gas caps on the right side of the car.... that's Subaru Love. Subaru should have been filming a commercial during this. And as I drove away I couldn't help think of when people used to drive normal size cars and would just get real, real close to the pump and stretch the nozzle around... guess they kind lost out on that technique when they decided to drive the big 'ol SUV.

So that got me thinking, jeez, I better get fixin' to get ready for the impending "Winter Storm". 8-12 inches expected tonight through tomorrow, which is a big deal here, I guess. So my version of preparing involved me with son in tow hitting up Trader Joe's for some convenience foods and snacks, then heading to the craft store for some yarn, then to the used bookstore for a knitting book.

When we got home, I dragged this out of the shed, which I might add was all the way up in the loft where no one goes except mice.

I suppose the sheer fact that I even own this stuff is strange enough here. As I put it on the deck, Finnegan says "what kind of shovel is that for?". Ha! "You'll find out tomorrow, Finn... it's a surprise"! And I didn't think I would get the chance to make my kids shovel snow. Heck, I even moved the Subarus out of the driveway in order for them to get the full effect. :)

Bring it on!

Seedlings 2010...And We're Off!

First Sprouts of 2010!

36 hours, Boxwood Basil!

36 hours, Mizuna Oriental Greens

48 hours....WAIT FOR IT.....

MYSTERY SEED!

Close-Up of the Mystery Seed...

I know, I know, you're thinking Basil, but I really don't remember getting any seed, and the fluff seed hulls that were in with the seed didn't seem Basil-ish to me!

I really think we need to start a tradition of sending Mystery Seeds to each other, it's actually a lot of fun, the kids are getting a kick out of it!

Stay tuned for the next episode of Mystery Horticultural Theatre, episode 2, "The First True Leaves"

No Kidding!

Stumbled on an article entitled "British Society is Frightened of Gardening" this morning while reading my gardening news. Pretty funny, considering the history the Brits have with gardening!

Notable sentences include:

"...people have become frightened of battling the elements or waiting for something to grow. Children are so used to meals from packets they do not know where vegetables come from."

"We are used to things on demand, we are so used to being in charge of everything," he said. I want a strawberry now! But, realise what you are going to have to pay for it not only in pounds and pence but in losing the anticipation of seasonality."

And my favorite:

"And Mr. Titchmarsh, who was once voted as the sexiest man on television after George Clooney, insisted gardening skills can even make you sexy."

Read it here: British society is frightened of gardening, says Alan Titchmarsh

Come to think of it, have you ever heard the comment "wow, I can't believe you can grow that stuff" or similar? I noticed many times these comments come from those many would view as very smart, successful, or otherwise competent! Are gardeners really that amazing? I think so, and apparently we're sexy, too!

First Seed Flats of 2010

Not that I was looking forward to flipping on the garish lighting in my kitchen, but I am so happy I finally got my first flats of the season started! While it's still too early for most of my veggies, I started 2 flats this afternoon, mostly herbs and a few flowers that need a good long start. Even though I start my main crop of lettuces and mesclun by direct sowing in the garden, I thought I would start a few indoors also since I have the lights up anyways - that way they can just continue to grow inside and give us some good baby greens while we wait for Spring.

2 Seed Flats, Heat Mat, & Lights

I need your help here... I saved some seed last fall and have no earthly idea what it is, apparently I forgot to label it! The first photo is on a salad plate to give you an idea of its relative size, and the second photo is a close up of the seed & hulls. Any ideas? I was thinking it was a flower, but it reminds me of an herb seed. Does anyone think this might be cilantro? The seeds are tiny and round. I had tons of cilantro last year and it is possible that I saved some as I was ripping it out. It has no scent like dill does, do Cilantro seeds smell like the herb? I don't remember!

Mystery Seed

Seeds started today and # of cells for each:

• Artichoke - 6
• Basil - 9
• Rosemary - 3
• Thyme - 9
• Marjoram - 6
• Oregano - 9
• Giant Parsley - 9
• Lemon Balm - 9
• Verbena - 6
• Chives - 9
• Leeks - 6
• Spinach - 3
• Val D'Orges Lettuce - 3
• Mizuno Oriental Greens - 3
• The Mystery Seed - 3 (this should be fun, maybe it's a new tradition!)

It may seem like alot of herbs, but I only keep a few in pots on my deck for kitchen use and all the rest go into a large area I have for my birds, butterflies, caterpillars and bees. Many of the herbs I plant are perennial here, so every year it gets easier. I will also be putting my Artichoke, Litchi Tomato and Ground Cherry here for some taller interest as well as getting them out of the way since a few are thorny.

That's all for now! Big day for me today - as a Minnesotan you know what I will be doing tonight. No phone calls will be answered!

I don't have any little girls in the house so I am deficient in purple hair ribbons for Marley to show her Viking Pride. I had to settle for light purple bands out of the kids' weaving loom set! There is no chance of Sprocket the puppy wearing hair ribbons, she would just eat them. As a matter of fact, she has probably already eaten Marley's off her head!

SKOL, VIKINGS!

It started with a crash in the night...

Yes, a huge crash. At about 2 am! My laundry "area" shelves came crashing down... all of them. We have no "laundry room" and no garage, carport or anything that might suffice for any type of storage so these shelves literally contain the weight of our world on them. Needless to say, the next morning instead of starting my seeds we spent the day picking our world back up again. In a way, it was good that this happened since that very night my husband was due to leave on the ship at 7 pm. In military life, we have what is called "a Jody". Some of you may have heard of him, he is the guy who "takes care of" your wife/girlfriend while you are deployed. As crass as that is, it is the unfortunate truth for many servicemembers. Now, I don't have that kind of Jody nor will I. My Jody is the kind who stops by to leave a path of destruction whenever my hubby deploys. You name it, it has happened. Exploded water heater, broken heat pump, broken pipes, unexplained electrical burning smells, sliding glass door shattered, ceiling cave in from a leak, even a fence that blew away in a hurricane! We own a duplex, and live in one side and rent the other out....so you can take all that and multiply is by 2!! So I actually do consider myself lucky that Jody stopped by a day early so my hubby had time to fix my laundry shelves before he left. I have tried numerous times to break it off with Jody, but he won't hear of it. Deployment is coming soon, so I know he'll be back.

There is is, all fixed up again!

Daddy giving hugs as we dropped him off at the USS Truman

How have I lived 39 years and not known the joys of quiche? My kids love eggs so I can pretty much put anything in there and they will most likely taste it. Here's my first quiche, and it qualifies as a garden dinner since I used frozen peppers, little grape tomatoes I had frozen, and fresh chopped leeks. Yum! Now I know what I can do with all those eggs once we get chickens, my kids would eat eggs every day if they had their way. I hear these freeze well, anyone have advice on that? I would love to make these ahead of time for homemade convenience food in the freezer.

So anyways, being the OCD person that I am, the laundry shelving incident lit a fire under me to start reorganizing the house and throwing stuff away. I am definitely not a hoarder, but there are always things taking up space that need to be tossed. Hmmm, for example, the 5 black floor length evening dresses in a size 3 from a prior life that are still hanging in my closet? Yeah, them's not 'gonna fit and nowhere to wear them, LOL. Time to face facts, I am a mommy and chase 2 boys around in my standard uniform of yoga pants and a t-shirt everyday, and they are definitely not a size 3... so out they go! I started my early Spring cleaning by completely emptying out all my cupboards and in an OCD fashion started wiping everything down and putting stuff back in. This took me a whole day and a morning... for what? It looks exactly the same as before. I am not a magician, not sure what I thought I was to gain from this, but at least it's one less thing swimming around my head.

Now here's where things get even crazier...

Yes, that's a gazillion pots I washed by hand. I had all my stuff in the shed since last spring so I felt the need to get all the dirt out before I start filling them with dirt again????? Someone please tell me A&E is going to do a show for the opposite of hoarders, and then please sign me up!

As nutso as the gazillion pots look, they all condense down into this neat little stack!

A makeshift clothesline to dry my trays. I think the neighbors were watching this one.

Which brings us to the seed starting! Finally, tomorrow it's going down. I am starting them in the kitchen this time on top of a large cabinet my husband built. It was actually a stand for our 100 gal aquarium, but I got rid of that and now it is our storage area for homebrewing supplies, bottles and keg stuff. This is in keeping with my belief that every item in my house must serve at least 2 purposes in order to be able to stay! There was already a shelf above that worked perfectly for hanging my lights from. So all is ready. I have made my list of seeds to start tomorrow, mostly herbs for now, and will start the messy task tomorrow morning. I just realized that hubby has been gone for several days now and time is flying by since I have been keeping so busy. This time is a breeze, only a couple of weeks, and I hope that the summer garden craziness will make the long upcoming deployment fly by.

By the way, unless you live in New Orleans, you need to show your loyalty to me by rooting for the Vikings tomorrow. Go Vikes!! :) :)

The Flip Side!

And for another take on the same subject.... feast your eyes on this!

What aspiring gardener, or architect for that matter, wouldn't want to be involved in this?! Read more here.