Garden Update

Plant growth fascinates me, and I find myself wandering out to the garden plot several times a day to see what's happened. Green bean plants are beginning to send out their feelers and climb the cattle panels - I'm anticipating a large harvest and plan to can several jars. These are a great addition to winter soups. Cucumber plants are moving slowly, but my fingers are crossed. I'm on my final jar of last year's dill pickles and savoring each bite!

Most of the garden plants have been in place for about a month, and the tomatoes are my biggest encouragement this year. Apparently I got them into the ground at just the right time (last week of April, before a major rain), and they've really taken hold. Cherry tomatoes are already visible and I cannot wait to start picking them - one of my favorite summer snacks. Last year these plants didn't do quite so well - it appears that the new location, compost, and rain barrel water was a huge boost.

Zucchini are doing well so far, but about halfway through the growing cycle last year they died on me. That was most likely due to my failure to water in the heat of summer. I tend to forget that step and think the plants can subsist on their own. I intend to do a better job this year - zucchini breads are a wonderful breakfast treat.

The lettuce bed has had some hits and misses. I much prefer spinach to lettuce, but for some reason spinach just does not do well for me. Leaf lettuce, however, does quite well. Rather than do rows, I just sprinkle the seeds into a square area and clean up the edges to keep the plants neat. I've fallen in love with this shade of green - it jumps out at me each time I look outside and makes me want to munch.

The herbs are growing wonderfully too - which only makes my mouth water at the thought of fresh salsas, rice pilafs, and stews. The cilantor/coriander plant intrigues me - it has tiny white flowers that remind me of baby's breath. Garlic plants look very much like onion plants - huge green stalks above while the work goes on below.

Check out this flower - I'm pretty sure its a lily, but if you know otherwise please let me know! My back fence line has a huge bed of these plants (looked like they'd never been separated) and I've moved them throughout my new flower beds. The plants are quite tall - as tall as myself, in fact - and the flowers are a lovely shade of orange. They are flowering much better thanks to the transplantation, and I'll likely move some more this fall.

Storm Front

Audiobooks are a great way for me to keep up with my love of reading while I'm busy outdoors. A friend told me about Audible.com many years ago, and I've been more than satisfied with my membership (even though I had to put it on hold a while, thanks to tips from Dave Ramsey). When I first subscribed I loaded up on the Wheel of Time series - I already own them in hard copies but the audio versions give a completely different perspective.

In an effort to grow outside the familiar, I used one of my site credits to purchase Jim Butcher's Storm Front - despite the lukewarm reviews of the recording. If you are a SyFy fan you might remember a short lived series called The Dresden Files that aired a few years ago (and currently sits in my NetFlix instant watch queue). This is the first novel in the series that inspired the show.

Storm Front introduces Wizard-Detective Harry Dresden and a host of other characters. It reads much like an old school detective novel or film noir, and you can feel the scenes as James Marsters (aka Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) reads. It took me a while to get into the rhythm of the story - and when its an 8 hour book that's not really a good thing. There was a lot of back history teased at, but it seemed to me that if the focus had been more on the current case and less on Harry's past dealings with the White Council I would have been more interested. Oh, and I came down on the side of "okay" with James Marsters' performance. While the sighs and other noises could have been distracting, I found (as did other reviewers) that it helped me picture Harry and his frustrations throughout the various scenes of the story.

I enjoyed the book overall, but I didn't immediate run back to my Audible wish list and add the next novel. This particular series is backburner'd until further notice.

Ladies Night - Old School

Last night I had the joy of hosting my second garden party of the year - Ladies Night with the original cast members! Having watched the sky with a weather eye (love that phrase from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies), I was pleased that the rain held off that evening. It was a bit humid but the steady breeze and light foods made for an enjoyable experience.

This time around I decide to try a couple different techniques, rather than just recipes. First up: pina coladas. After blending and tasting I could tell it wasn't quite right, but it was still drinkable and the ladies enjoyed it. Quite the refreshing beverage on a warm spring evening! Imagine my horror when I discovered about an hour later that the issue was not having stirred the pineapple juice! The layer of yummy pulp was clearly visible in the pitcher. Drat! You can bet I won't make that mistake again . . .

The second item had greater success. I'm not really a huge chocolate fan, though I adore dark chocolate when I'm in the mood. I scoured all my sources for recipes and came across this loveliness. I traded 1/2 cup of the milk for heavy cream and used a Ghiradelli 60% chocolate bar (the entire 4 ounces, not just 3.5). I love that there are bits of the chocolate bar that didn't melt so a chocolate chip effect happened. The picture doesn't do it justice - I should have photoed it in the service cups with a slight bit of melt. MMM.

For those of you in horror at the estimated calorie count - here's what I've found to be true in my life. If I cook/bake with good ingredients the food tastes incredible - which means I eat less of it. If I use so-so items, the calories taste different so I eat more of them. Its a total mental game - but it works for me!

Boundaries

I'm not one to read popular books - that is, I prefer to wait until everyone stops talking about the latest self-help/enrichment books and then read it with fresh eyes. This helps me see the book from my own perspective and not with the shades of interpretation others naturally add when they comment on it.

Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend are the current hot authors at KCBT for a variety of reasons - most notably because Pastor Adams recently attended their Leadership Conference and Jeff Cox taught a series based upon their Integrity book. Well, I picked up Integrity on recommendation, and I have to say I was not a fan. I found the book dry and dull - most likely because it was from a business perspective and that's just not something I care to read about. The book mentioned an earlier work called Boundaries, and since I'd heard that title mentioned (and had a gift certificate) I decided to pick it up from our bookstore.

I found Boundaries much more to my liking - in fact its filled with all sorts of notes and markings. The gist of the book is that Christians tend to lead lives that are rather free-flow - saying yes to activities and ministries even when they are too busy - instead of creating some boundaries in their lives and learning how to say no. As someone who's had to learn this the hard way, I found the principles incredibly helpful to shore up what I'd previously learned.

There are also chapters devoted to boundaries with family, co-workers, establishing boundaries for children, and even discussing the difficulties of establishing firm boundaries for themselves (how many times have you failed to keep a promise to eat better, work out more, stay on budget, etc.?).

I found the book immensely practical and the stories of others who've lived these principles (or not) were engaging and entertaining. I came across numerous passages and lessons that I've heard from others, and this was a great way to see where I've learned and applied (and where I need to shore up my boundaries a bit). All in all, this is a great read for anyone that's looking to grow a bit in a well-rounded way.

Gazelle Like Intensity

Its Biggest Loser season at KCBT, and since I've found that goals are just about the only thing that keeps me motivated I put my name on the list. Little did I expect that I'd end up a team leader, much less create a mini-crisis by calling my team "Gazelle".

At the time the email went out I was listening the Dave Ramsey Show podcast. I went through Financial Peace University about three years ago with a group of KCBT College students, and to say it changed my life is an understatement. I'd never before understood the purpose of a budget, much less how to make one that actually would work. I've been working to get myself out of a few holes I dug, and this time next year I expect to be debt-free (except the house).

Dave challenges listeners to pay down debt with gazelle like intensity - what does that mean, you ask? You move really fast to accomplish your goal so those dratted lions don't eat you alive! Well, there are some lessons I just have to learn the hard way - paying back my debt at the same speed with which it accrued makes me desire more and more to never, ever put myself into this position again. As my goal gets closer, though, I find myself feeling a few more gazelle-like tendencies.

Anyway, back to Biggest Loser. "Gazelle" seemed like a great way to inspire myself on multiple levels; however, the prompt email flight revealed not everyone quite got to the connection. So when someone on the other team made a suggestion that I found hysterical, I made an executive decision and totally swiped it - feeling no guilt as it wasn't the team leader that suggested it/claimed it (yup, that's how I roll).

So Team 2 will hereafter be referred to as Los Perros de Martillo de Oro, and with gazelle-like intensity we will hammer at our healthy living goals with the tenacity of my pup, Miss Sumatra. Let the good times roll!

Revisiting Old Friends

Sometimes picking up a book is like coming across an old friend unexpectedly. You know, it feels like no time has passed and memories begin flowing as you chat. That's exactly how I felt as I began listening to Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon, one of my choices this month from Audible.

It's the second book in her Outlander series, but it was the first one I picked up about 20 years ago while I was still in high school. At the time I was more than obsessed with stories set in ancient Great Britain (Robin Hood, Arthurian legends and the like) - kilts, swords, and great adventures were a grand form of escapism. This book captured my attention. Set in the 1970's, the story utilizes the Standing Stones found throughout Great Britain as a means of time travel back 200 years to Scotland in the time of Bonnie Prince Charlie. After I read the copy from the library I quickly ran out and purchased my own, then eagerly awaited each new installment of the series.

The books are written in first person from Claire's persepective, and hearing them read by a woman with a British accent (Claire is English) gives a whole new layer to this epic story. I can clearly see each scene in my mind's eye and am once more captivated by Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser's century spanning love story.

Yes, that's right - while this is historical fiction there are definite romance novel scenes (which are most disconcerting when you hear them read sitting at work!). Their arguments are probably my favorite scenes, though - imagine a modern feminist clashing with an Highland warrior. Hysterical!

This is my favorite book in the series and at approximately 24 hours of reading it was definitely worth one of my Audible credits this month.

Royal memories

Last night I was offered a ticket to see the Royals, and as the company would be good and I had nothing but weed pulling on my agenda I hopped at the chance. I can't remember the last time I'd been to the stadium, and all the remodeling work they've done is rather impressive. Our seats were fantastic (second row behind the home team dugout!) and the weather was lovely.

Walking into the stadium I found myself reminiscing about my childhood at Royals stadium. I was lucky enough to be a child during the George Brett years - pine tar incident, 1985 world series - and have many wonderful memories of attending games. Dad usually picked up the stat card and filled it in as the game progressed. Mom would bring paper grocery sacks filled with popcorn, and I seem to recall Vess soda being in her bag as well (mmm - cream soda and root beer were the best!). Frosty malts and peanuts were often purchased as traditional ballpark fare. Sometimes we'd stay until the very end and run around collecting souvenir cups people left behind.  I might not understand the game stats or know players by name, I certainly enjoy sitting outside on a warm summer night and watching things go down.

On the row in front of us last night were two fathers with their sons. It was so sweet to watch the care they took with their boys: quizzing them on game info to ensure they were learning, helping them persuade Royals players to toss them game balls (they each scored 2!), and buying them treats. Glancing around the stadium proved this was not an isolated situation - fathers were everywhere with their young children, simply enjoying an evening out together.

Adults have a different game view than children - we observe the missed plays, the low ranking teams, the bad calls. Children remember the time spent with the family, ball park treats, and players that kindly toss them souvenirs. Wouldn't all of our lives be happier if we remembered the best parts and not the worst of each experience?