Garden Tuesday: Lawn Update

Well, look at that!  Just a couple of thin spots where the sprinkler washed out the seed (note to self: sprinklers are evil...), and I"m working on the overseed.  I think William can mow it next week!

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Monday Miscellany

So, how many of you have signed up for ancestry com?  My dearly beloved urged me to sign up last fall after seeing an advertisement on TV:"I know you had it years ago! But the ad says it's easier and better!  Try it!"  Now you know why I can't let the man watch commercials.

So, I signed up.  And I spent many hours watching TV while searching into both his and my ancestors.  And I found some expected things, some unexpected things (ancestors who were Tories, and left for Canada in 1777, along with some who stayed).  I found my grandfather's parents, whose names I didn't even know, but not complete information because of the commonality of the name.  And I learned that his mother's genes have doomed every one of her descendants (and her siblings to the extent I can find them) to a very short lifespan.

To back up a bit, when I was a child, there was a 3"x4" picture of a young man in a military uniform in my grandmother's house.  So when I was maybe 11 or 12, I asked who the "soldier" was, and they told me it was "Uncle Jimmy," who left home in the early to mid 1950s and never came back.  So, in 1987, I decided I would find the missing Uncle Jimmy, whose name was actually Robert.  Confused yet? Me, too, when I learned that Jimmy was short for Robert.  So I actually found his son, who said his father was an orphaned only child.  Well, then.  But he spoke to his father, who eventually admitted that I was his relative, but didn't want to speak to anyone from the family; he was happy being an orphaned only child.  Fast forward to about 2 months ago, when I got a message through said ancestry website that someone claimed to be the granddaughter of my grandmother.  What? I'm the only granddaughter. Nope.  Not any more. 

So, this weekend I met my cousin for the first time, and learned that there are at least 3 more cousins out there.  Seems Uncle Jimmy is not forthright with his information, even amongst his children.  But it was interesting to meet her; both of us learned a lot about the family's history.  It is strange, however, to get not one, but 4 brand new cousins when you're as old as I am!

How about all of you; any family mysteries in your background?

Busy Weekend!

My other daughters and I held a bridal shower for the bride-to-be.  I'm glad that's done; the worry of planning, and whether everyone would be happy, made me crazy.  This from the person who thinks nothing of hosting Thanksgiving dinner for 25!  Who'd have thought holding an event that's catered and not at my house would trouble me?

Buying miscellaneous china tea cups and decorating them as shower favors was positively inspired!  Everyone made sure to take theirs with them. (Note: it took a lot longer than I anticipated to get all those bows just right.)

 The groom's mother ordered the cake, red velvet.  Of course, Blogger turned the picture upside down and I can't make it get right.  Stand on your head to see it properly oriented.  Trust me; I'm helping you get your exercise.  You're welcome.

 Presents.  The fabric wrapped things were shrubs for the bride's new house.  Both the groom's mother and I had pictures from their childhoods printed, we ordered matching sets of frames, and set them up for all to admire.

 Her sisters insisted Shannon needed a veil.  Just look how thrilled she was.  It lasted at least 90 seconds after the picture was taken.

 Bridal Pictionary is a great shower game.

 Even 94 year old grannies can participate!

So, that's where I've been.  I made myself a new dress for the occasion, but since I ran the camera, it's not photographed anywhere.  Oh, well.

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Thorsday Book Review: The Little Paris Bookshop

THE LITTLE PARIS BOOKSHOP
by Nina George

It all started with a table.

Jean Perdu owns The Literary Apothecary, a bookstore aboard a barge in Paris.  He won't sell just any book to a customer, but only what he feels they need.  His life, however, isn't in such fine condition.  One afternoon, when he returned home, his landlady told him that there was a new tenant in the flat across the hall from him, and since her wealthy husband had just put her clothing in a suitcase on the doorstep with divorce papers atop it, and changed the locks, all of the tenants in the building were contributing furnishings to help her.  The landlady determined that Jean needs to donate a table, which leads him to a slow emotional meltdown, the origins of which stretch back 20 years, and which is revealed to us slowly.  Because of this meltdown, one day Jean unties his bookstore/barge from its moorings and sets off downriver, accompanied by his two barge cats and a young author who lives in his building, who is suffering from writer's block and can't even begin his second novel.

I chose this book because of the title, and the pretty picture on the cover.  I"m a sucker for book stores, and love stories set in France (where I will never visit, because the reality is never as pretty as the pictures in your head).

I loved this book.  I read it last week, almost finishing it before Jeff and Tank came to visit.  Of course, I stayed up most of Friday night to finish it, because I enjoyed it so.  5/5

Note: I received this book free from Blogging for Books.  All opinions are my own.

And, since it's Thorsday, here are some pictures of Tank from last weekend.

Happy Thorsday, everyone!

Cookbook Wednesday: Too Busy?

Yes, the title is correct: Too Busy To Cook?  And who amongst us hasn't had such days?

 I mail ordered this from Bon Appetit magazine back around 1984.  The mail order receipt has been carefully tucked inside this cookbook ever since.

 The recipes are pretty simple, and at the beginning of every section is a brown bar containing handy tips for when simple recipes just aren't easy enough.

 There are some pretty pictures, but not that many.

 Every section contains those handy tips.

 In each category, you have your hot section,

 the do ahead section,

 and the microwave section.

 I want this dessert.  Now.  I never have the patience to arrange my berries so prettily.

 And, being Bon Appetit, of course they had to include a chart which tells you which cheeses go well with which wines.

 This is Cookbook Wednesday, in honor of Louise, who is on hiatus for the summer.

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Garden Tuesday: The Walled Garden, Again

It took 5 days for very fine grass to appear, and 7 days to this point.

This point is in very deep shade.  I just finished overseeding it with deep shade grass seed.

 Right next to my feet, the sprinkler flooded away the seed, and it's in deep shade.  You can see the bright green where we get a few hours of sun a day.

 Again, shade.

 And standing water from the 2" of rain we had overnight.  I probably won't need to water for a day or 2.

Maybe next week it'll all be lush green!

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Tank is here...

Tank is here this weekend.  This is going on a lot!

Garden Tuesday: Let's Get Growing!

Larry and Karin were probably right last week.  I haven't yet received the bill, but I'm certain that what I showed you was very expensive "soil."  You are all excused from sending flowers when I have a heart attack after I see the bill.

And then there will be the bill for adding a new patio under the yews.  Note that the "soil" is still on display.  These are the final pictures before seeding: you can even see my footprints in the first one.

 I took this picture upright, so I have no idea why it came out sideways.  And then I turned it upright, and blogger still turned it sideways.  But you can see the turquoise hydroseed.  THAT will be a shocker of a bill, I'm sure.

 (Just turn your head sideways to see this one, too.)

By next week, there is supposed to be grass.  Hopefully lots of grass!

Happy Tuesday, everyone!