It’s a drizzly day today but I noticed that finally my Peonies started to bloom.  This is the first year I have seen so many buds on my plant but all of neighbors have had flowers for days.  I was afraid my buds would never open (not sure if that is even a founded fear but none the less it was real to me).  I have my first Peony this year.  I don’t know the type, it was here when we bought our home but it has such pretty shades of pink.

My neighbor to the South has all different colors of Peony plants along the fence line - so pretty.

This bloom inspired me to take some photos of the garden.  Not the best day for photos as it is overcast but the pictures are okay.  This is our vegetable garden - it was planted a couple of weeks ago and it doesn’t really look like it’s changed much - our weather has been so cool, hopefully it will warm up soon.  We are ready for summer.

We have Sweet Cherry tomatoes, Beefsteak tomatoes, Heirloom tomatoes ”Rainbow Mix Cherry”, Roma tomatoes, Rutger tomatoes, Big Boy tomatoes (we really like tomatoes) as well as basil, Jalapeno peppers, Melrose peppers and California Wonder peppers.  We also have an overflow of tomatoes and basil along the North fence, not sure how well they will do there.

In the containers we have oregano, chives, garlic chives, cilantro, rosemary, and parsley.  Off to the side we have a bean (not sure what it is but it was white) that  Ross planted in school).  I wanted to plant zucchini and some lettuces but ran out of room and time.  I am hoping to expand the garden next year.  We had planted peas in the spring but nothing came up (they were old seeds).

This is a giant Hosta that my friend Anita gave me a division of from her garden.  I hope it grows as large as hers, it’s just beautiful.  The orange ribbon along the fence and here and there in the garden mark where I planted last fall.  In this photo the orange is the Annabelle Hydrangea that I planted last October.  It was so tiny when it arrived - I can not imagine how long it will take to be of any size and substance.  I planted four of them along the back of the yard.  

This planter thingy was a must get rid of over the last few years.  I tried, but I couldn’t budge it.  It is set in concrete and is really set in the ground.  Last year I spray painted it and decided to try to live with it for now.  I am leaning towards glad that I did.  The Bishops Weed grows high on the bottom and I planted annuals in the top planters that will hopefully grow down.  The Potato vine in the middle should do so as well.   My vision was to have plants trailing down from the pots and then have plants on the bottom that were very tall so that the planter can’t really be seen.  Not sure if I have chosen the right plants for this but the beauty is that they are annuals so I can change them out.  I may grow some tall perennials at the bottom, it’s hard to say if they’ll come in as the Bishops Weed is so full and when it shoots up the flowers it gets a little tall.  I’d have to put something in that was already a decent size to survive, I think.

It gives some height to an area along the back of the yard that is in need of foundation plantings.  Right now there is an awful lot of green along the back of the yard. but soon the Peonies will be more visible and the Allium is starting to get buds.

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 There are seven little Allium buds peeking through all the greenery.

This little lovely was a pass along plant from my cousin Carols garden.  It is her “What is it?” plant, as she does not know what it is.    I have so much of the garden to share, but I’ll post it later this week.  I want to show you the side garden and the garden along the back of the house, as well as some of the container plantings.  For now, I’ll leave you with a closer view of the plants on top of the planter in the back. 

Potato Vine

Other assorted annuals (I have misplaced my tags - I need to find them to identify what they are).  I believe the middle ones are cone flowers and the ones to the side trail but I can’t recall their name.  I’ll find the tags soon and post their names.

Ciao for now, I’ll post more garden soon!

Well over a year ago, when he was first signed with an agency, Ross’ very first call was to audition for a major motion picture role.  His agent emailed over the story line and it was for the role of Matty in an untitled original screenplay.  It was billed as a psychological thriller in which a 19 year old is “haunted by a dybbuk - the soul of  a dead person barrred from Heaven — in the form of a young boy who perished in Auschwitz.” 

In reading over his lines for the audition we were a bit concerned about the content of the film and how the experience would be for him. Ultimately, we decided that his lines for the audition would not be in context of anything else and,  what was the chance of him actually landing this role as it was his first time out (and the role seemed more than supporting).

Ross auditioned and he did well I suppose as well as a first timer, but he didn’t get the part.  We were not surprised nor were we disappointed, we thought it was great experience for him to audition and what fun it will be when the movie comes out to be able to say he auditioned for it.

We have been waiting ever since to see what the movie will be.  Well, thanks to Brandon’s key eye, the mysterty is solved.  The movie is called “The Unborn” and from the looks of the trailer it looks like we may have saved a boat load of money on therapy down the road.

The Unborn Trailer ,  shows a scene Ross actually did for his audition - standing over the crib and swinging the mirror to hit the babysitter’s face and then saying “He wants to be born now” . Creepy.  And kind of cool. 

I am not the fan of horror movies that I was when I was younger.  But I just might have to see this one because of the fact that Ross had his first audition for this movie. That, and the fact that someone thought my son looked like he’d make a good disturbed, possessed child.  Freaky. 

So it’s still snowing outside today…. when Francesca went down for her nap, we bundled up and headed outside to make a snowman.  The snow was not exactly good packing material.  Let us introduce to you, Frosty the snow blob….

To scale.  He looked cold.  We added a scarf.

Maybe tomorrow the snow will be more cooperative and we’ll add to him.  Or start anew.  Ross really likes him.

Ross turns five Christmas Eve, but last weekend we had a birthday party for him.

They dug for dinosaur bones and did dinosaur crafts,

they made and expolded volcanos….

they went on a nature walk,

and visited the animal room.  A good time was had by all!

My Little Goblins

Now we are on to planning Thanksgiving already.  I had the pleasure of being a “secret reader” at Ross’ Pre-Kindergarten class.  I read a Thanksgiving book called “Alligator Arrived with Apples  - A Potluck Alphabet Feast” to the class and then we all crafted a felt turkey door hanger.  I think I had just as much fun watching the children as they did hearing the story and doing the craft.  There is such exuberance in these 4 year olds - they are so hungry to learn! 

I’m glad the craft worked out.  I enjoy doing crafts with my kids but am not exactly what you’d call “crafty”.  The felt turkey was a substitute craft for my original choice of a pine cone turkey.  I have learned that you are supposed to buy pinecones, not pick them off the ground at the park.  You see, pine cones on the ground are sticky.  Really really sticky.  And the sap is really really hard to wash off.  I soaked them in vinegar and even baked them (all remedies found on-line), but alas, still kind of sticky.  Therefore - PLAN B. 

Not so bad.  Hey, they’re 4, this turkey rocks!

felt turkey

The new Pottery Barn Thanksgiving/Autumn  catolog came in the mail yesterday.  I love looking through the catalog for ideas, and Rossi enjoys looking at it with me.  He likes to go through item by item and circle what he likes.

One of the pages is of a place setting with a note written in white capital letters shown over a napkin and the title “Celebrate Joyfully” written above in a more cursive style.  When we got to that page Ross asked me to read what was printed.  I did.

He then looked at the cursive writing and said “Oh, I wish you could read to me what that says”.  When I told him I could and that it reads “Celebrate Joyfully”, he looked at me completely astonished and said “HOW could you read that, it’s in Brittish!”  That’s just how smart mommy is.