Super Sunday

I was apparently in super high gear this last super Sunday. I don't think I have gotten this much done in one day in a very very long time. So long in fact that I don't remember the last time. Where should I start...oh yeah, bottles. Lots and lots of bottles. Somehow between Thursday and Sunday I went from owning like 2 glass bottles to owning over twenty. And what do all old glass bottles have in common? They are usually always dirty. Who knew that the best cleaner for old bottles is denture tablets. Yep, that's right, I had to go to the store to buy denture tablets to clean some old glass bottles. They did look pretty amazing though all submerged in this green cleaning solution.

I can't wait to get them all set up. I will show you when I do.

Lets see, what did I do next...that's right I replanted all of my pots on the front porch. They were looking more than a little haggard after this cold winter so it was time for a little re-vamping. On Saturday, among many places, we went to the plant barn. Oh how I love the Plant Barn. I got so many beautiful plants, but I had to have some restraint or I would have come home with everything.

This is an amazing little plant called Artemisia schmidtiana. Uh yeah, I just call it the silver plant so feel free to do the same. And yes it is as soft as it looks, just don't rub it on your face because the foliage does smell and I am not sure if it is a good smell or a bad one, I'm still on the fence about this one. But any who, it is an adorable little guy, plus it is a perennial so what more could you ask for. Everyone should have a silver mound to pet on their way out the door in the morning, it would make you smile. Unfortunately I didn't realize until after I planted this doozy that it gets up to two feet tall...all well, I will just have to work with it.

Here he is with all his little friend in one of my newly planted pots. Yes that is one of my little Coleus babies on the left, cute isn't it? And those pretty pink flowers in the front are a new discovery for me: Diascia. It is related to Snapdragons, which you can see in the flower form.

I like to think that they look like they are smiling and laughing.

I also got some absolutely out of this world hydrangeas.

Bigger is always better when it comes to Hydrangeas. Blue is good too...I can't wait to get more.

Oh yes, I am getting at least two or three more of these babies, there are some amazing varieties. These are just the beginning.

Oops, I forgot about my other planters. Actually I was just so excited about the hydrangeas that I just couldn't wait any longer. So here is my small pot, boring you might say, but I have a big weakness for ornamental grasses. They are usually evergreen and always look so fun and carefree to me. They don't need any supporting actors, they are perfect all on their own.

Now, I want you to have an open mind about my third pot. I know it looks a little scarce and wimpy, but I promise that in eight weeks you won't even be able to recognize it. The Heuchera in the back dwarfs my seedlings that are much younger. The Heuchera will only have those tall bloom spikes for a short while, then it won't make everything else look so small.

As a matter of fact, these plants shouldn't theoretically even all fit together in one pot, so we will just have to see how they duke it out for space.

And here they are all together on the porch...before I hosed it off as you can tell by all the dirt.

Months ago I got a wicker hanging basket that I had big plans for. So instead of letting it sit around forever unused and uncrafted, I finally turned it into a planter. All I needed was a kitchen trash bag with some holes cut in the bottom. Once the plants grow in a little bit you won't even notice the trash bag, and it cost me nothing since I have oodles of bags under the sink.

Then after I replanted all of my pots, I transplanted all of my Agastache. Which means I only have Alyssum left and then I am all done transplanting. Almost there.

And despite the fact that Agastache aren't supposed to bloom until their second year, one of the types that I have growing seems to be growing what looks suspiciously like the beginnings of flower spikes. You tell me, but I guess the next few weeks will tell.

I couldn't possibly forget to show you my Columbine. They just came out of the fridge on Easter and they got a little bit of a slow start, so they are much smaller than everything else.

You may be wondering why such small seedlings have been placed in such large containers. Well these guys definitely won't bloom until next year, so in the meantime this will be their home until next spring. This way I don't have to transplant them again.

Just so you get an idea of how many plants I have currently under my care, here is a picture showing two out of five shelves that are full of plants.

Not only does my shed glow in the dark, but my garage does too. If you pass my house, you can't miss it.

Have no fear, I am not done yet. I told you I got a lot done. Just thank your lucky stars that I am actually leaving some stuff out. I have been wanting a backyard for a very long time, and I have decided that this is the summer that the journey is going to begin. I have acquired a kennel for my *$#@^% dog Riley who loves to personally see to the destruction of anything that falls within the fence line of our backyard. I attacked one of the many bamboozled planters with avengence. It took an hour to remove rocks, shrapnel and dozens of nails and screws (?) and to fill in the massive holes. I topped it off by leveling and smoothing the dirt before standing back to appreciate my hard work.

Little did I know that when Riley went out to go to the bathroom just a couple of hours later all my hard work was ruined in less than five minutes. I have since restored it to this state, but now Mr. Riley is on strict lock down, only supervised visits to the backyard to go to the bathroom until the kennel is in working order.

OMG! I think I am finally done...

Wait I forgot to tell you one more thing...

Hahaha, just kidding, I really am done. I have to tuck my seedlings in for the night and am running out of time.

The Cat and the Fiddle...or was it a Pickle?

So it's official, my cat really is crazy. I awoke to a ruckus in the middle of the night (this is the way almost all cat stories start I believe), only to realize that my cat was up to something. This happens often so I paid it no attention. That is until today. I could not find the top to my coffee mug this morning in the dish jenga, and although this perplexed me since I remembered washing it, I just grabbed another cup and went on my way. Then it happened. I was minding my own business tending to some laundry when I happened upon what looked to be a coffee cup lid. But alas, why would my coffee cup lid be squished between the washer and dryer with missing socks and dust bunnies? Then it dawns on me...this is the doing of my cat, I just know it. I know this because she has an obsession with many strange items along with the predictable hair or twisty tie. She has been known to steal your straw right out of your cup then making a mad dash for some hiding spot where she can enjoy her spoils. She also really likes stuffed animals, even if they are larger than her entire body. I have seen her running down the hall (actually more like hobbling since the stuffed animal is usually between her legs and dragging out her back legs) with a certain favorite stuffed animal of hers more times than I can count. I cannot help that Bella was raised in the scary trailer park across the street from Piggs Liquor and was covered in dirt and reeked of cigarettes when I rescued her at the tender age of five weeks old. Her first day home in our little apartment consisted of a bath (we all know how much cats love this) and several taming sessions since she was more than a little wild. I will never forget when David first came home and I told him I had gotten a kitten and it was in the bathroom settling in. He went into the bathroom and was more than a little surprised to find a fully fluffed attack kitten waiting on the other side of the bathroom door. I believe the first time he actually tried to pet her, she hissed at him and ran and hid in her kitty hideaway. You can see it in her crazy eyes, can't you. This is one of her favorites, his name is Bernard. She may be crazy, but she is pretty sweet sometimes too. At least with me and David. You will probably never have the pleasure of meating this elusive wild animal, but she never misses a snuggling session that involves a blanket, hot chocolate, and a little reading or crocheting. She really does look evil in this picture though. She probably felt violated since I made her lay on my bed and pose with Bernard for the sake of my blog.

Can you imagine if our dogs behaved the way our cats do? Man, that would be a disaster. Having an eighty pound unruly cat running around is what happens in the zoo, not in homes. I could not imagine what it would be like if Riley climbed on my stomache in the middle of night and proceeded to dig his claws into my flesh. He does this enough to my feet, and I can only imagine the pain it would cause in my soft unprotected abdomen. What if your dog jumped on the coffee table and stole the straw right out of your drink before running away frantically down the hall? Or what if your dog decided to hang from your sheer living room curtains like an olympic gymnast? Oh, this one is the best: What if your dog decided to tear ass down your hallway, sideways, burning out on your hardwood floors for no apparent reason at ungodly times of the night such as 2 o'clock in the morning? This seems to be a universally known time for cats to run spasmodically around your house breaking things and running into walls like the devil is chasing them. And why is it that if you get up to see what the hell is happening in your house in the middle of the night the cat is always inexplicably scared shitless and therefore must jump two feet straight in the air before tearing off to some dark closet somewhere.

I have so many funny Bella stories, if only I had the dedication and time to record them all in some sort of Crazy Cat Memoir. Maybe one day.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to tell you all about my other discovery today. I was doing the dishes this afternoon when I came across a most unusual discovery in my sink. A pickle. That's right, a pickle. Not a pickle slice, or pickle tail, an entirely whole pickle. I have to say that I have found some strange things in the sink before, but this by far tops the list. This matter is still under investigation. I have a few leads, and some very promising suspects.

I think this is all I have in me for the night, big day ahead tomorrow.

Hodge Podge Post: Courtesy of my Tourettes

It's true, I have finally transplanted some of my seedlings. Thanks to the encouragement from my sister, we managed to get about half of them done this morning. What a relief that I am almost done. Now my little plants should be very happy with their new spacious containers. That is until they outgrow these too.

Now, this is only a small portion of what we got done today, but my favs are in this batch; my Coleus.

Now, when I have the final tally you will all know what stock has survived the season. I am already making plans for next year. My precious Crepe Myrtle dwarf shrubs, I have grand plans for these guys. Too bad four little ones is all I have to show for all the seeds planted.

I am always a bad seedling mommy for one reason. I just don't have the heart to pinch off flowering plants when they are young and need to be riminded that they need to focus on healthy roots, good branching habits and size. I fail every time. So here is my Nicotiana flowering away when I should be snipping off those little flower buds before they even get going.

Who could cut off such a cute face?

Then there is the matter of these orphan Iris's in my backyard. Every year they pop up and every year I swear up and down that I am going to rip them out since I am just not very enthusiastic about them. They take up great amounts of room and don't flower that much, and the fact that they multiply like rabbits is not very endearing either. But regardless of my feelings about Iris, I can't help but love the few flowers that have decided to show their faces this year. This is quite astounding since they have not flowered in the four years we have lived in this house.

Even their insides are spectacular.

Is that what I think it is? :)

I love my Iris orphans, but sadly, once I start planting in the backyard they are being torn out. Anyone want them? I can't possibly image why not after I have opened your eyes to all their amazing qualities :). To each their own, and Iris just don't hump my camel. (Thanks Urban Dictionary and Jessica, I really do love this new phrase, I only wish I had more appropriate situations to use it in) Anyway, my Iris are pretty, but I am going to murder them.

On to the next subject: my Greenhouse Project.

Slowly but surely we have been remodeling what is eventually going to be my little piece of nerdy plant loving heaven. Just as a reminder, here is what the poor shed used to look like.

Roof riddled with holes, having seen much better days.

After finally finding a good deal on some roofing on Craigslist we were able to put new shingles on. By we I mean that I bought them and then David and his dad worked for two days to put them all on. Good job guys.

Don't worry, we are going to close in the eave, it's on the to do list along with replacing the window that broke during a recent windy as hell storm.

I quite like the non traditional pattern that I was able to find, much more interesting.

Next project: Door or Painting? Not sure, but be sure that you will see whatever it is. Hey anyone have a giant outside dog run they don't want anymore? I am hoping that Craigslist will again help me out a little.

In a Funk

Sometimes I just wish that I had a magical crystal ball that I could just look into and see how everything is going to turn out. I could see which paths lead to prosperity and which ones were just dead ends. I suppose that's why it's called life, you just have to live it and figure it out for yourself. Just once, just one little peak, just one question...

Perhaps it is all the depressing country music I have been listening too, but it's official, I am in a funk. It seems like I am spending half of my twenties in a funk, but maybe that's just a part of what's supposed to happen to everyone. Does it happen to everyone, or is it just me?

I am stuck between adolescence and adulthood it seems. Sometimes I feel like I am just playing grown up. Some imaginative playing house game that I should wake up from at any time. I just want to be a kid again. I think it's been decided that people want to have kids so that they can return to childhood once more, to the innocence and sheer joy of it all. Children are a window into our own youthful hearts, where we can unashamedly bask in a fictitious childhood once again.

I don't have the answers, and I just wish I did. Why is it hindsight that is always 20/20?

Question of the day: Do you believe in fate?
I know those of you who read my blog and it would be nice to see what everyone believes. My answer is no. I believe that you make your own fate, but who knows, perhaps I could be totally wrong.

I have no pictures for you today... oh wait, I found one from the other day that I didn't share. My cute little Begonias, I love that they stick around even during all the cold winter weather. They seem so delicate, but they can take quite a lot of abuse. Take my word on it.

Paint.NET

Well today was beautiful outside. I planted some plants that have been waiting around for me to get my act together for a week or two, and I am sure they appreciate it. Then I went outside and took pictures of all kinds of stuff. Best of all I came inside and messed around with my pictures with my free, yes I said free, program Paint.NET. It's no Photoshop, but it does more than I need anyway. Here's what I came up with.

WARNING: OBSCENE AMOUNTS OF PICTURES UP AHEAD

So here's the Original

Original picture #2

Original #3

So that's all I played around with in my paint program.

Here's some other pictures of what is going on in my front yard these days.

Hostas emerging from their winter hibernation.

Everytime I go on my front porch, or when I get home from work at the end of the day, it's unbelievably soothing to just close my eyes and enjoy the scent of my pink Jasmine.

Perhaps this Lantana will succeed next to this very intensely hot wall by the front door. This will be my third attempt at putting some sort of small shrubish plant in this location. Third times the charm right?

And of course, my crazy Alyssum that decided not to die this winter. It is very happy, and reminded me all winter that Spring would be back since it never stopped blooming.

I know it is supposed to be raining again this weekend, but a girl can dream can't she?