Happy Memorial Day Weekend folks! It is I, your ever faithful though slightly m.i.a. blogger! I will endeavor to do better.
I have a series of posts in mind for this summer in fact, and they will concern my latest and greatest project. What was originally going to be a vegetable garden, but due to excitement at the farmer’s market this morning, is now a fruit/vegetable garden! I was going to take pictures today, as I planted them, but honestly it was hard work and I got tired and decided to put it off until tomorrow. When my fingers wouldn’t be so dirty and perhaps I’d be perspiring a little less. Don’t want to muck up the camera.
Anywho, I planted several things today, and I am so excited to spend the summer watching them grow. If all goes according to plan, at various points this summer I should have some roma tomatoes, green and red bell peppers, “burpless” cucumbers, yellow squash, and some baby watermelons! I’m fairly certain I didn’t plant them correctly, or that a veteran gardner would roll their eyes upon viewing my paltry beginning, but I don’t care. Luckily my dad is allowing me to take over a corner of his backyard for me to do this. It’s not pretty, but hopefully it will yield something! One thing I probably should have paid more attention to is that watermelon need to be planted like 10 feet apart. Made it so one of my watermelon plants is kind of off on its own, in its own little area of the yard. I hope it doesn’t feel left out.
My plan, however vague it may be, is to over time make this garden somewhat sustainable, and perhaps a tad more aesthetically pleasing. The next step will be figuring out how to keep the little animals from eating whatever may happen to want to grow there. I’ve got some chicken wire that I’ll be trying to figure out how to use in the next few days, but the most interesting thing I’ve been told is that I should use human hair to keep animals off the plants. I guess the theory is that the hair retains the smell of humans, thereby warding off animals. We must smell pretty bad. (that’s a joke btw).
Eventually, it would be great if I could get some carrots, some lettuce, potatoes, and who knows what else going! But for now, I felt I should take it one step at a time and see if I’ve got what it takes to get a few plants going. Ever since I planted the buggers today I’ve been feeling like I need to adjust some of them. I’m not sure I did the drainage quite right. Also, are worms a good thing to have in the dirt of your garden? Because there were a ton of massive worms in the dirt that I tilled today.
Man oh man, the things I come up with. This will certainly be an adventures. Get excited for the pictures. I’m excited.
Check this out. Turns out my source was right, as usual 🙂
I feel like I have been on hiatus! I’ve missed this blog, I’ve actually missed writing on here. In large part, I was not writing with any frequency because my dear old pc laptop was in the process of crapping out on me…again. That has now been remedied, which I will get to in a little while.
Over the course of this last week, I spent three days in court. For those of you not familiar with what its like to be in court all day, it’s exhausting. I think in part because you are trying to pay attention to so many things at once. Particularly if you are representing someone in that court room. Your eyes are constantly trying to ascertain the attitude of the judge, while your ears are listening for anything objectionable asked by the opposing counsel as well as any juicy information elicited by the witness on the stand. It is mentally taxing to say the least. We were in court on Monday, Tuesday, and then all day again on Friday. This matter was supposed to be concluded on Friday, and yet we are going to have to go back in again on Monday and most likely Tuesday as well. Granted, the issue being litigated is no small matter — the outcome of this trial will have devastating consequences for someone, no matter which way it comes out. But then that is usually the nature of Family Law. No one wins.
Okay, so that took up a huge chunk of my week. It wasn’t all work though.
Thursday, April 28, I turned 26!
In anticipation of my birthday, I decided to indulge in an activity I love. Making pie.
That is what I like to call “Piled High Strawberry Pie.” It’s basically just the pie shell, fresh strawberries, a strawberry glaze, and homemade whipped cream. You can find the recipe here. I have to say, it turned out spledidly. I made it on Wednesday so that I could share it on Thursday. I brought it over to the office, and it was devoured. I don’t blame them, it was GOOD! I loooove strawberry pie. Ever since this trip I took in high school to Mobile, Alabama where I first had strawberry pie, I’ve wanted to recreate that Alabama pie. I think I got close, but it will take a few more tries. Happily, my sister thoughtfully gave me a pie cookbook authored by Martha Stewart. If I was good at making pies before, I’m going to perfect it with Martha’s help.
Moving right along 🙂
My birthday this year was really good. I felt very loved, and very blessed. I think I did a post last year about how nice birthdays are because it is the one day of the year that you are entitled to be absolutely selfish and everyone encourages you to do that. I was wined and dined, that’s for sure! I went to Spin! Pizza for lunch, always excellent, and with excellent company I might add. For dinner my pops took me to this place called Justus Drugstore for dinner. I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not a drug store. It is owned by this couple who moved here from San Francisco, and the husband is the chef, the wife runs the show. The food is phenomenal. I had an appetizer of ceviche, and my entree was this pasta with pork sausage and asparagus. It was soooo yummy. I had never been there before, but I am so happy that we went there for my bday. It’s a little pricey, and probably 30 minutes north of KC, but it is definitely worth the drive and the money.
The main gift that I got this year was money. This suited me perfectly, as I had a gift in mind which would require all the money I could get! I went to the Apple Store on the Plaza, and after discussing my options with a very helpful Apple dude named Mike, settled on a 13″ Macbook Pro. This thing is amazing — and it is how I have been reunited with my lovely little blog! I’ve always wanted a Mac, but never was able to get one throughout school. Partly I was afraid of the hassle of trying to convert things for non-mac people (especially teachers) and of learning a completely different system. Granted, there are some things I’m going to have to learn, but overall I don’t think it’s that difficult to figure out. Actually seems a lot more straight forward than a pc in some ways. It doesn’t hurt that it is much prettier than my old laptop. So yes, right now I am having a love affair with my mac. I’m told this will wear off with time and that I’ll become used to it so it won’t be so novel, and I won’t be so in love. I doubt that very much. I may even enlist in some classes to teach me how to truly use this thing to its full potential!
The great thing about having a birthday towards the end of the week is that it pretty much just keeps going through the weekend. I got to see Jane Eyre yesterday. I love this movie. The book is kind of crazy — but I’m glad to say I read it. It is a classic after all! Charlotte Bronte had quite the imagination though. I liked that in the movie, Mr. Rochester was not quite as insane as he is in the book. In the book it is a little difficult to understand what Jane sees in him that is so attractive simply because he does such weird things all the time. Overall though, I think the movie did a remarkable job of sticking with the main attributes of the book, and keeping a lot of the same language. Not always true of book adaptations. So my hat’s off to this latest movie reincarnation of Jane Eyre.
I also got to spend a lot of time with friends this week and weekend. One of my favorite pastimes. Now it is Sunday, and the week is wrapped up. I still love Sundays. I’m going to spend the day cleaning, and organizing and preparing myself for the week to come. Always a feeling of hope of things to come on Sundays, at least for me.
Wherever you may be, whatever you may be doing, I hope this finds you well.
Sagacious Student 