In the garden again......

So..... I've been weeding .....every blessed free moment .... and I still have more to do ....and when its all done .... I'll have to start all over again.   Slowly but surely I have been bringing the back yard back to life.   It's looking pretty dam good but I've a long way to go and many miles before I can rest.  I've noticed a theme this year....

 

Balls .... I think it's because I grew a pair myself this spring .... I can literally do anything .... and I'm not afraid of anything .... and that my friends is a great feeling!  

1 Year Anniversary

Yesterday was my 1 year anniversary of starting this blog.  I would like to have posted but to be honest I was too tired.  I spent the day with my 3 year old nephew Zachary.  Holy cow how do you people with kids do it.  I'll tell you how...parents don't do it, crazy aunts like Auntie Lisa and aunt Sharon do it. (Notice that Lisa gets the Auntie and I just get aunt .... as those that follow the Zachary saga know he loves aunt Lisa more.) Anyhoo yesterday was his pre-school end of the year play, skit, whatever you call it when a bunch of 3 years old sing and dance.  So I was up earlier than on a work day... on my day off.  Then off to New Hampshire for the show which was to start promptly at 10:00. (not till 10:20) and we got there around 9:30. (Not complaining just explaining why I was so tired.) 

He was the color "Yellow" for those of you that do not go to the theater 

and do not understand the acting genius that is before your eyes.

After the show and the tour of his school and classroom we all went back to his house for a cookout and birthday party for both of his grandmothers.  My sister-in-law is a damn fine cook and the food was good and I didn't have any breakfast so I ate too much. (Whenever I eat too much it makes me soooooo tired)  The kid loves to play with his aunts.  I'm not happy to admit it but I'm 48,  and playing with a 3 year old,  although I wouldn't miss it for the world, makes me tired.  

So I didn't post on my 1 year of blogging anniversary...but I did want to just say that it has been so good for me. I truly don't think I would be in this good shape mentally after the past 3 months and a few days if I didn't have this space to write my thoughts and feelings.  (All my friends are saying "what we don't get the credit for carrying your sorry ass for the past 13 weeks and 3 days"....they do....but me and the blog did some hard work too.) Thanks to those who have been reading for the past year ... and all the positive comments.... and happy anniversary to me!  

Amber is 27

My niece Amber turned 27 on the June 14th.  She lives in Long Beach CA, so I don't get to see her that often.  It was great to have her and her boyfriend Bryce here for a few days and great for me to be able to cook a big birthday dinner for them.  Amber is very special, at three months she laughed like a 3 year old. It always amazed me.  She was very smart and knew how to pose for the camera very early on.  She was the flower girl in my first wedding she was only 2.

 

I know the head piece is a little much but it was the mid 80's.   The dress was made entirely by my mom you can't really see it to well from these bad photos but lots of sequins an pearls. (She also made my next wedding dress 5 years later, but this is about Amber and not my failed marriages.)

Amber is a meat and potato girl although you would never know it because she has a salad body.  Anyhoo it was steak tips and scalloped potatoes for her and lobsters for Bryce.

 I prepped too many potatoes so I had enough to do 3 dishes.

Amber and Bryce ate most of the small one before dinner.

 Bryce is a huge lover of seafood, so he really enjoyed Boston. They were able to travel to Gloucester 

(pronounced glossta with your best Boston accent) and Rockport for a day. 

He is also a huge Red Sox fan which we love about him.

 Amber wasn't quite as comfortable as Bryce which amazed me 

because the girl went sky diving for her birthday.... fearless.

 So Amber got her meat and potatoes and 

 Bryce got his lobster (lobsta)

 and Zachary got birthday cake

It was such a great visit .... but too short....come back soon!

Better, much better!

If someone told me 3 months ago that on June 10th I would have a spring in my step and a song in my heart I would have told them to go.......well you know!  I was told over and over that the day would come, maybe not next week, next month or next year, but someday I would realize that this was all for the best and I would be happy again.  I never in my wildest dreams thought it would only take 12 weeks 2 days and a few hours, but that's all it took.  Don't get me wrong, part of that time was the most difficult time of my life.  Some days I literally thought I might die, thought I would just stop breathing, or that I may explode into a million little piece or implode and just disappear.  These 12 weeks 2 days and few hours have changed me, I've changed me.  My eyes are open now and I can see clearly.  I wrote 3 months ago that the road that was my life had been smooth and I was able to see for miles, then suddenly the road became bumpy with lots of twists and I couldn't see very far ahead.  But I was wrong about that....it's the bumps in the road that make life interesting and when you have to go around a sharp curve is when you realize just what your made of.  I have some of the most amazing friends and the best family anyone could ask for.  I've had the good fortune to see that the human race is good, even strangers have been so kind to me.  I am excited about what the future holds for me  and not knowing what will happen next is no longer scary....it's thrilling!  Oh, and by the by, I can cook again!  Anyone want anything ..... just let me know and I'll cook it for you! 

Now just a quick plant update....had to buy this lawn mower for my lawn.....

Had to mow for the first time today!

Look at my little lawn ...

The herbs are all filling in nicely....

The nasturtium are really growing ....

vegetables would do better with more heat 

(all the windows are closed and the fire is on right now)

look lettuce....

I just planted these this past week 

 This is on both ends and is called bishops hat it will have small pink flowers

 these are sweet woodruff and they smells amazing

 these are bleeding hearts and I love them!

I have lots of weeding to do....did some in the rain today till my hands were so cold I had to quit.

 The day lilies have buds ....any time now

The honeysuckle is about to burst 

Trying to fix the glass birdbath that I made ....  it broke last year 

This is one of my favorite things, it some sort of succulent that grow at the base of the big tree

 The balloon flowers are staring to come up in the BBQ 

I will get the waterfall to work this year

This is my view from the kitchen