Card Tops

Here's another round of time card tops. I posted some a while back with the This is... meme and just felt like posting some more.

What I draw depends on a lot of things...the season, things that are happening in my personal life, my level of inspiration at the time, etc. For instance, the top two were done when nothing was going on. The one that looks hot pink but is supposed to be red was done the week of Valentine's Day. The one next to that and the two below it were inspired by the onset of Spring. The one with the dandelions is depicting my front lawn at the moment. The last one, well, that was drawn for no reason, I just felt like it.

I feel that this little bitty bit of creativity is therapeutic in my bland and beige work world.

Has it only been a week since my last post?! It feels longer than that, a lot longer. I found out on Thursday evening that my general manager passed away that afternoon. He was not only my boss but also a friend. He was like that grumpy, cranky uncle that is actually a teddy bear deep down inside. Yeah, that was Tony.

He walked around the office (coffee cup in hand) with a perpetual frown on his face but his laugh came easily. And as much as we all complained about his triftyness (he was in charge of the company's financials) and grumpitude we are all going to miss him a lot.

I learned that he died sitting by his pool with his dog next to him with a smile on his face. That sounds about right. I think the only place he'd be happier would be on the golf course.

It's been very draining and difficult coming back to work this morning. We are all grieving and trying to work at the same time. Needless to say, I don't feel much like working.

A new adventure

Last week I took the week off from work...a staycation, if you will. My sister was on her spring break so we decided to get stuff done around the house. Now, if you know me, that's pretty much saying devote about 1/2 an hour a day to doing stuff around the house just so I can say that, yes, I did get some stuff done. Mostly, what I worked on was planting a teeny tiny veggie garden.

I originally had these grand plans for a raised flower bed and rows of little veggie plants but being a lazy wench, I ended up buying a few plants and getting some seedlings from a friend. So, now, I have 1 tomato plant, 1 green bell pepper plant, 1 jalapeno plant (that doesn't look like it's going to make it), 1 Santa Fe Grande pepper plant, 1 sweet basil, 3 cucumber, 1 purple bean, 2 broccoli, 2 spinach (the last 4 are still just itty bitty seedlings that are struggling to survive).


I've been inundated with signs telling me I should do this. The first was an article in Better Homes and Gardens about raised beds and planting veggies specifically for certain things (like salsa or Italian foods), then the seedlings being offered to me, then two different friends who don't know each other telling me that they're both doing raised beds and planting and then some blog posts that mention it (and here's one I actually found when doing a little research). I figure I really don't need to be beat over the head that much to catch on...so I planted.


There are 2 obstacles that I'm going to have to hurdle...1) I don't really like very many veggies. My sister is a veggie fan so I planted some that are her favorites (broccoli & cucumber - gross!) and 2) I've never kept a plant alive that wasn't in the cactus family. I'm relying heavily on my mother to get me through this one. I'm usually the kind of person that needs all the information before I start something like this. Normally, I'd read piles of books and magazine articles in order to garner the best way to do things but since time really won't allow that (this much I know about planting, it has to be done at certain times... I think) and since my mother has never killed a plant or met a plant that didn't flourish under her bright green thumb, I figure she's all the reference I need. And so far so good (I know it's only been a week but I've killed plants in a lot less time).

Really what I'm looking forward to are the peppers. Neither my sister nor I like tomatoes in their fresh raw state, so why, you might ask, do I have a tomato plant? Well, I'm a big fan of salsa and we both love things like marinara sauce, etc. But the peppers, they're really what this is all about for me. I can't wait! I think my next step will be to plant a couple of herb pots. They seem a little more delicate and easy to kill. Of course, I don't really know this, but that's what it seems like. I guess I gotta make a call to my mom again.

Just as a side note, over the weekend, my sister decided to put her bed together (it's an Ikea bed). The bed we bought her 3 years ago for her birthday. Procrastination runs in the family.

Happy Easter, a day late

Yesterday after we got back from church we planted petunias, see...

Then, we decided to decorate a few eggs, we're kids at heart, really. I was unsuccessful at creating any photo worthy eggs, plus we pretty much ate them as soon as we were done.

And, since we only boiled six eggs, 3 a piece, I got bored (in typical me fashion) and decided to tie dye my washcloth that I was using to wipe up any spills.

That was my Easter. It was a beautiful day outside and I regret that I didn't have the forethought to take any pictures, but take my word for it, it was gorgeous.



Today, was not so gorgeous, a bit overcast and humid and I had to take Sasha in for some shots...boy was she pissed! She spent 8 hours after I brought her home hiding under my bed. Now the poor girl is super sore and keeps rubbing her shoulders on our not quite finished floors. She's super miserable, poor baby.

I love surprises!

This weekend was, after a rocky start, a really lovely weekend. For the most part, it was spent doing things like laundry and a little bit of yard work/gardening. Saturday, after my brief bit of discomfort, I went out and decided to pull up this stuff from the flowerbed in the front of the house (it's the stuff right up against the house)...

I don't know what it's called but it was all over the place and hiding a couple of very pleasant surprises...

I had noticed the big leaves a few days back but, not being a plant person, I didn't know what kind of plant it was. Then I noticed this little gem peeking out of the jungle...

and decided right then this stuff had to go. If for no other reason but to see the full beauty of the lily.

I must say that it was so nice to see that lone flower struggling to get through all that mess. It brought to mind some wayward metaphor for life that I won't bore you with but it really made me smile. Now, if I can just keep from killing the poor thing like I do most other plants, I'll be very happy.

Ahhhh Spring!

It's a beautiful Spring day outside and for the most part, I've been stuck inside. I was supposed to go to the Sustainability Seminar and it is a perfect day for it. Unfortunately, I woke up this morning with a rumble in the jungle, if you know what I mean. I did start feeling better around 1 so I decided to take the boys on a walk around the neighborhood just to get out of the house because this is the chaos that is our house right now...

I love the signs of springtime! Here are a few of the little beauties in the neighborhood...

and my personal favorite...

I love ranunculus, they're like roses on steroids.

And now the boys are tired, they're plum tuckered out...

Sustainablility Seminar

A friend from high school that I recently reconnected with via facebook put my onto this organization called the Regen Co-op. Among a long list of other things, once a year they hold a sustainability seminar (happening this Saturday). It happens to come at just the right time, at least for me. I have been mulling over (and over and over) the thought of my own little Victory Garden and being more self sufficient as far as growing our own veggies and such.

The co-op's seminar this year has quite a few sessions that I'm interested in.

Natural Building, Good Soil, Good Irrigation, and Greywater Recycling have really piqued my interest. I'm also really interested in seeing the urban garden. I've driven by it everyday since we moved in and everytime I saw it I wondered whose it was, who tends it, etc. Now I know.

It's amazing how this is all going on in my immediate neighborhood and I never would have known about it if my friend hadn't mentioned it. I mean the co-op is literally down the street from me.

Anyway, if anybody reading this is in the SoCal area and is interested, as the flyer says, it's free and open to the public.

Also, if you're interested in starting your own veggie garden and would like a sure fire way (at least I've been told it's sure fire, don't know yet, but I'll let you know soon) to have a thriving veggie garden, check out this site. I'm giving it a try and will update you on how it goes.