Disconnected.

It does wonders for the soul.  I got home from work today, Ted & I ran some errands and then we proceeded to park our asses out on the deck with some spirits.  No TV, no computer, no phones.  It got dark and instead of turning on lights, we lit some candles long forgotten.  We sat and shot the shit, cursed some people who deserved it, cursed some who might not be so deserving just b/c we could, remembered some of our past and had a lovely evening...all without electricity.

The fun ended at 10pm, and here I am catching up on the world while Ted sleeps.  So, you get a blog post.  The GrowDammit weekend:

Flowers & Herbs ( a professional would probably cringe, but you should've seen the mess I inherited with this garden). *Note to Brookberry Garden Club, we have a rain barrel and are therefore green...how do you water?

 Parsley, Basil & Rosemary ( a bastardized Simon & Garfunkle Garden).

Again, note the rain barrel.

Thyme & Oregano.  Of interest, the large yellow marigold trio to the left are Marvel and they grow to a height of 2" with a rather large bloom.  Most people discount marigolds, but they are pest deterrents and can add visual interest to both vegetable and flower gardens.

We needed some shade plants, so I let Ted pick some non-flowering varieties with interesting leaves.  He was really into it.

The azaleas are starting to pop.

Garden 1:  lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, peas & onion.

Garden 2:  collards, mustard greens, brussel sprouts, okra, turnips, bok choi.

Interesting azalea blooming in the front bed.  It's a peach/nectarine color.  I have one about to pop that is more yellow/peach like an apricot.  And one that is more of an orange/tangerine hue.

Next...hopefully more musings from the deck.  It's my favorite time of day.

Red, White & Blue

We as a nation paused for a moment of celebratory jubilation, and then immediately expressed remorse for wishing a man dead...and then we celebrated some more.  I've seen the gamut run today on social media, and that's just in the very small world of my friends.  Tis the beauty of the USA.  We have Freedom of Expression.

I only hope that this brought some peace to those that lost loved ones 9/11.  Personally, I think that MF got off easy and less than he deserved.  I am an eye-for-an-eye type gal.  I'm also filled with a sense of dread that this will unleash a shitstorm of crazy we haven't anticipated.  "Is America any safer now that one of the billions of people on the planet is gone? You think any terrorists anywhere are hanging up their spikes and leaving the track with tears in their eyes? What, you think they’re all scared now? Is the mission accomplished?" ~ Henry Rollins via Vanity Fair

Anyway, we had an impromptu celebration tonight and didn't even discuss Osama.  It was born out of a need to burn some citronella candles to ward off pests.  I found a Pier1 giftset someone had given me that I never opened in a closet, and alongside of it some sparklers.  The youngest spawn was eager to light things on fire.  It seemed to meld with the theme of the day.

Notice the spawn's Obey the Dachshund shirt.  Rufus Dragon would've dominated Osama Bin Laden like he was the mailman or something.

Next...What did we do this weekend in the garden that has my back and thighs screaming in protest?

Exhausted...

Farmer Ted and Rufus Dragon have been sleeping for over an hour now.  We were in the gardens all day.  I would be asleep too, but I had to pay bills.  Damn you responsibility.

Today's garden update is postponed until tomorrow.  I think we are going to hurt in places we didn't even know we had.

We are gonna be busy tomorrow.

Today's field trip left us with...

A mixture of flowers, herbs and veggies.

Bonus pic.

We pass these dorms for West Chester U going to and fro.  For some reason we start singing the theme from Good Times.  Man, I used to love that show.  My favorite was "If you want any, just call Lenny."

Next...Weeding and Planting and Harvesting more Greens (take that Brookberry Garden Club).

More DC Fun

One great step for mankind.

Getting our kicks at the Air & Space Museum. 

Now we know.

What's he looking at?

Toddler playing with severed head.

Things that make you go Hmmm.

The South Lawn all decorated for the Easter Egg Roll with the President.

The lawn across from the south lawn for those kids not lucky enough to get picked to roll eggs with the President.  Is this the VP roll area?  "Hey kids, you don't get to rub elbows with President Obama.  But, you can take a turn with VP Potty Mouth Biden."  The row of crappers really add to the ambiance.

For a nominal fee, you too can have Honest Abe at your next event.

Just in case you missed it, Ted wanted some answers about the White House Garden.

 Retro Wannabes.

Destined for ParkedLikeAnAsshole.com.  Dude took up 2 of only 3 spaces at the Whole Foods.  Clearly marked Compact Cars Only.

What's for supper?

GrowDammit Salad.  That's what!

Lettuce from our garden!

The beauty of the GrowDammit Salad is that it can have anything in it, as long as it's from our garden.  It  will grow and evolve over time.  It won't pigeonhole itself like those dated Chef, Cobb and Greek Salads.  Move over Caesar, with the GrowDammit...Anything Goes!

It was delish.

Beets

I know I said more from DC was next, but the Pepper poll has ended.  Y'all like 'em sweet.  I still like spicy just a tish more than the sweets.  I don't know how Ted voted.  I'm sure he'll have something to say about it.

So, now it's time to tell us about beets.  You either love 'em or you hate 'em.  I love them.  I love them best served at room temperature on a bed of arugula with goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette.  Fresh beets mind you.  Canned are just nasty.

I know this, the spawn will vote "Hell No."  A couple of years ago, I decided to roast some beets at home. They walked into the house from school and immediately gagged at the smell.  Then they ran from the house screaming.  It looked something like this (just imagine the big Star Wars foot is a giant roasting beet).

Even Rufus Dragon refused to try them.  This is his protest.

They will all be relieved to know that we are not growing them this year.  This year.

More From DC

ICBM

ICBM

ICBS

This blog post is brought to you from our back deck.  It was a beautiful day.  We are toasting the garden with a glass of wine and a beer.  Watching a dawg patrol the grounds.  It would appear that we have disrupted the cutworm feeding schedule.  All is right with the world.

Next...Even more from DC.  AND, it might be time to harvest some lettuce.

Hi Honeys...We're Home!

We are too tired for a full report, but here's a taste of our adventure.

This blog is rolling out.

That's right folks, we're taking the show on the road.  Tonight is the much anticipated RUSH concert.  Then on to DC.  We did not receive an invite to tour the White House Garden.  I guess the Obamas don't read the blog.  Too bad.  I wanted to arm wrestle Michelle.  A classic 1L vs. 2L battle.  I've been working out.  I think I could've taken her.

In other news, we have a thief amongst us.  A piece of yard art is missing.  A cute frog windchime.  Anonymous speculated that it was either Bootsie or one of her heir.  I don't know about that.  I do have a theory that Bootsie is indeed haunting Ted.  Every time he moves her, he aggravates his hernia.

Rufus Dragon is frantic right now.  The bags have come out and the packing has commenced.  He knows something is afoot, but he's not quite sure who to follow around the house.  First Ted, then me, then Ted, then me...I think he's settled on sticking with Ted for now since I've been up and down the stairs 20 times and he isn't keen on exercise.  He did get a bath.  I'll let Ted fill you in since a)  I slept in and b) it was pretty uneventful.  One of Ted's strengths is to make even the most mundane funny.

Next...If I can figure out how to blog from my phone, you'll hear from us.  If not, we'll be back Sunday.  Will we take I95 (boo), or the road less travelled?  I'm thinking we need an adventure.  You never know what fun you'll find on the back roads.

Tactical Maneuvers

It would seem that even though we haven't harvested anything from the garden, the cutworms have been helping themselves to all of the leafy green goodness.  We will not take this lying down.

Rufus vs. the Flamingoes.  We did some redecorating and put them in the garden as name stakes.  I guess he thought they must've moved themselves and went nuts barking at them.  Only the offer of treats could tear him away.

Goings on in the flower garden...tulips & bleeding hearts.

Bootsie.

Next...We'll break out the DDT if we have to cutworms.  You've been warned.  The Dragon's bath has been put on hold until tomorrow night because Friday he is going to the Spa for the weekend.

P.S.  I like both sweet and spicy peppers too, but I like one just a smidge more than the other.  So vote.

And the Asparagus Takes It

I admit, I do love roasted asparagus.  However, there is just something decadent about artichokes.  They are awesome steamed whole served with escargot in a white wine, butter and garlic sauce.  You can peel the leaves off and dip them in the butter.  Then, when you get to the heart.  Man, Oh, Man...that is the Good.

Apparently, our readers prefer smelly urine.

Anywho, a new poll is up.  Peppas.  Sweet or Spicy?  My youngest spawn told me once that I wasn't sweet, I'm spicy.  LMAO.  This is the same one who asked me in the checkout line of a grocery store why I wasn't on the cover of a magazine.  He's a player, that one.

We picked peppers because Farmer Ted put on his chef hat today in an attempt to fight off the depression that has set in over yet another NASTY, cold, wet day.  He was making me some vegetarian sauce (soy crumbles and earthy mushrooms - today's were woodears - to sub for meat) to add to a mix of whole grain rices and parmesan stuffed in a bell pepper.  Yummy.  We also roasted some poblanos to stuff with black beans and queso (which we decided would be even better with the addition of a cornbread stuffing).  More Yummy.

Next.  Rufus still has not had a bath.  The mulch pile is still there.  And, Cornholio has not made an appearance tonight.  Yet.  Ted is wearing his Rocky sweatshirt, so we'll see.

Boys and Their Toys

Farmer Ted got his hands on the neighbor's lawn tractor today.  I'm not sure what it accomplished, because the only thing that is growing in my back yard right now is onion grass, but he rode around on it.  The grin on his face when I got home was a mile wide.  It also kept him occupied, so I snuck into the garden to get those tomatoes, peppers and asparagus in the ground.  Wouldn't you know, I didn't get two plants in before he marched over and proceeded to dig holes for the rest.  *sigh*  Actually, it's really cute.  One thing I don't mind is having help.  Nobody likes lazy.

The fig tree is in the ground!  We jury rigged some fencing around it to keep the critters out, so we'll have to come up with something better tomorrow.  Is it jury rig or jerry rig?  I think I've heard both.  I'll let Ted figure that out.  Since he gets up so early, he can often be found reading random Wikipedia entries when he's not in his library.  He knows a LOT of random shit.  It might not be acceptable for citation in research papers, but he sure can spout off some interesting facts convincingly.

Next...Rufus vs. the Bath.  He's been on groundhog patrol.

Fun with 10 square yards of mulch.

Never a dull moment.

The Strike is Ovah.

That little temper tantrum didn't last long, but boy does crappy weather put us in a bad mood.  Today was much more seasonable, and productive.

Ted and I seem to be at an impasse about the yard work.  He doesn't like to see me work?  So, while I REALLY hate to complain about this...I like working in the yard.  I pick up the mafia scissors (you know the ones...they look like they were designed to cut off a toe) to do a little pruning, and he immediately takes over.  I pick up a rake, and within minutes he's got the rake.  The only thing he won't touch is my flower garden.  He doesn't know a weed from a daisy, so he's not going near it. I fixed his wagon and decided to put the herbs we got yesterday in there.  I could tell he wanted to take the trowel away from me, but decided against it.  Besides, the youngest spawn was eager to help so I didn't do all of the work.  I was considering planting some of the hot peppers in there as well, but he gave me the stank eye as he grabbed those along with the tomatoes and shoved them inside the gate of one of our veggie plots.  Point taken.  I know when to back off.

He went back to work on the front bed we decided to tackle today, and clearly was not going to let me help.  As he's said before, my job is to "stand around and look hot."  LMAO.  I went and got a manicure.  He stayed home and performed a small miracle on that bed.  I guess I'll wait to do my yoga until he is finished gardening for the day.

Rufus Dragon continues with his daily groundhog patrol.  This consists of napping all day until I pull up in the driveway, at which point he hops up and makes a mad dash to the groundhog hole in the back yard.  He then pops over to the neighbor's yard to check the various holes that Phil has made over there.  After he makes his rounds, he comes back and harasses one of us until he gets a treat.

Just another day in the life.

Next...tomorrow's forecast looks pretty nice.  Of course, I have to work but I imagine Ted will be out in it.  I'm not going to tell him yet about Tuesday's weather.  You might hear him sobbing from here.

This blog is on strike until Spring actually arrives.

Rain and a high of 48 on April 16th.  Depressing.

Do you think the Obama's would be interested in a Celebrity Garden Feature?

We were sitting around one night shooting the shit with the eldest spawn who announces that Rush is on tour and he would like to see them in concert.  16 + Rush = Huh?  Anyway, Ted was all about it.  After some investigation, we decided that the upcoming show in Baltimore was doable.

The dilemma about whether or not to drive all the way down and back was soon solved.  I pricelined a hotel for a great price in DC, so we decided to make a weekend of it.  The youngest spawn is going with his dad to Canada for a special trip, so it'll just be the three of us.  The plan is to drive to Baltimore.  Ted and #1 will see the show.  I hopefully can catch up with and hang with a friend there.  And after the show, drive down to DC.

Needless to say, we are pretty excited.  Ted and I were talking about our last trip to DC, how much fun we had, and what we might want to do this time.  And then it hit us, how can we go about getting a tour of the White House garden?  I mean, can you see Ted chatting up Barack?  We started to plan:

Do we know people?  Do we know people who would actually let us on the grounds of the White House?

Michele:  Do you think they’d let us sleep in the Lincoln Bedroom?  You look like Abe.

Ted:  Philadelphia has their own Ben Franklin for events.   I could be available to do tours of the Lincoln Memorial.

Michele:  I promise not to bring cigars.

Ted:  Please bring cigars.

Michele:  I wonder if they’ll accept garden art, like they have a White House Christmas Tree?  Mr. Greenjeans would be honored.

Ted:  They could name their garden “The Cluck Stops Here.”

Michele:  I bet they spread their manure liberally.

Ted:  Did Jimmy Carter have a White House Garden?  He could’ve called it the Peanut Gallery.

Battle of the A's

What's your fave?  Artichokes or Asparagus?

Butter Beans blew the rest out of the water.  This surprised me.  Clearly, Lima Beans are far superior.  Why the Lima hate?

Nothing new in the garden since we've been back.  Today it rained.  Yesterday was a day of unpacking and cleaning up my new-to-me Jag.  That's right folks.  I bought a 1990 Jaguar XJ6.  For $1.  The engine is sweet, but the body and interior need some work.  The plan is to get rid of my leased Ford (what a waste of money...leasing a car) in June and fix up the Jag.  Hopefully, we can find a cheap pickup as well.

Next...Hopefully, when we can finally slog out to get a good look at the gardens, we'll find some sprouts growing.  The plants don't look like any varmints got to them, so that's a bonus.

Random Vacation Blog Post

We have yard art envy.

Something made us think of you Paige!

One in a rash of strange recent ambulance sightings.  The other pic is being held hostage by Ted's Blackberry.

New Dock.

Wannabes at the beach.

Ted got roped into some gardening.

Next...Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety, Jig.