the (soon to be) peacock tree

Tree number two: Theoretically, this will eventually become my peacock tree, although currently the only peacock feathers on it are artificial and covered in glitter. But it’s a start, and everything has a starting point. The tree itself is old and sparse and at least a bit crappy. I think I bought it for five […]

boldly going into the season…

This should prove, ever onward, my obsession with decorating for the winter holidays. Last year, I created Star Trek: The Christmas Tree for my husband, a lifelong Trekkie. I scoured the internet for used ornaments, bundled lots, and all the greatest deals on my first foray into Hallmark Keepsake collections. To be certain, I would […]

the color purple:

I have said for some time that if a color could be anthropomorphized lavender would be my spirit guide. It is only a marginal jest. (We do live in a periwinkle cottage!) With this in mind, I will state that I have not applied as much effort as it would seem to putting purple into […]

our atomic tomatoes

Well, they’re Brad’s to be specific: Brad’s Atomic Grape tomatoes. They are the reason I wanted to learn to grow tomatoes from seed, since I cannot find them as starts. Of course, want didn’t stop me from killing every. single. plant. last year during the hardening off process. This year I get it. It took […]

the unbearable weightness of mowing

Keeping a lawn makes me crazy. The time, energy, and money spent on keeping a growing thing from looking like it ever grows. Seed and water and fertilizer and weed killers and weeders and edgers and push mowers and riding mowers and zero-turn riding mowers and treatment companies and lawn care companies and and and. […]

faring the storm

An abrupt and aggressive storm swept across the Kansas City Metro this morning, knocking out our power for over three hours while I was at work. My husband informs me that the wind was so strong and rain blew into the kitchen underneath the back door. He watched the garden in the side lot and […]

episode 130: where my hand is used for scale

As it goes, the Giant Marconi pepper is aptly named. This one is still going and hasn’t even started turning red. This will be an awesome stuffing pepper! Blauhilde beans: They’ve gotten bigger faster than last year. We only have a few stalks that volunteered from last year’s crop. I plan to just save the […]