You know… that Blog?

Lacklustre green thumb

Written By: Jenn - May• 15•12

My poor garden. Now that we have a firm possession date of August 9th for our new house, almost all the desire to get into the garden and create some summer-lovin beauty has evaporated. There are even weeds all over the place that by this time any other year would be a forgotten memory. We’ve pulled a few, of course – can’t have the place looking seedy – but right now the place has a hearty dose of meh syndrome.

Oh, I did a few pots, sure. But the big pots and urns are not being rolled out this season at all. Did 2 of these…

Bought a Strawberry plant:

Chopped my houseplants back, and threw the cuttings in a “live or die, I don’t care” jar of water out the back door:

You can really tell that I don’t have the heart for it this year too, because while I did go out and buy some gorgeous hostas at a home show in March… I totally forgot about them and left them to shrivel up in the paper bag I brought them home in. I planted them once I found them, but was sure the damage was done. Or was it…?

Wow those things are hardy! From certain death, I now see some pretty tight little guys coming up in the pots I threw them into.

This morning I repotted the plant that I gave to my grandmother when she was in the hospital, just before she passed away. I talk to it sometimes. Usually just a “Hey Gran” or “Miss you, Gran” kind of thing, but it’s comforting to have, so I’m trying to save it.

See who came to visit when I had it out by the potting bench? Remember Floyd?

Poor old Floyd is starting to get weathered and thin, and his string broke this past winter so he can’t guard my trees anymore. As long as he’s still in one piece though, he’s got a place in my garden. My new garden, too.

 

Sensational Haiku Wednesday

Written By: Jenn - May• 09•12
Sensational Haiku Wednesday

Sensational Haiku Wednesday

Welcome to “Sensational Haiku Wednesday!”

The basics: Haiku is simple! It is 3 non-rhyming lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively (a great way to use your fingers!)

Here are the rules:

      Structure: While Haiku may be written by some in other styles, for THIS meme only 5-7-5 is acceptable. At least one of your haiku must be in this format.
      Theme/Prompt: We have a new prompt each week, and your haiku needs to be related to it, if not include the actual word in it. Feel free to leave a word suggestion in a comment!
      Linking: When you post your link, link to the blog post with your haiku, not to the main page of your blog.
      Reciprocate: If you participate and post your link on my website, you must have a link back here on your post. It’s only fair.

    Folks not complying with the above risk having their links removed. Don’t make me be all “Grrrr” and stuff, it makes me grumpy! Thanks for your cooperation!

    P.S. This is a really busy time for me – I may not get around to everyone each week. Sorry about that, but unfortunately I need to attend to business before pleasure!

This week’s theme is: Landscape

    Wrinkles, callouses
    Thinning hair, thickened middles
    Landscape of our lives

Trees in the distance
Earth, black as night, rich with life
Meaningful landscape

    Roiling thunderheads
    Seek parched land to weep over
    Bringing forth new life

Soft drips of water
Residue of a torrent
Vibrant green springs forth

We’re celebrating 150 weeks of Haiku! Thanks, everyone, for making our haiku community a great one :)

*** Please read the 4 simple guidelines above before you post your link – thanks!

Next week’s theme: Fire

Folks, a quick note about comments: A few of you don’t have Name/URL enabled on your blogs, and I CAN’T comment in that case. Take a moment to enable that, will you? There are other ways to combat spam and still allow people with their own domains to leave their homage to your greatness ;)


Nothing makes me happier than to see new people getting “hooked on haiku”! Keep it going to make it to the Hooked on Haiku List (if you’re not listed and should be, please [politely] let me know!)

To participate in this week’s event, please use the following code in your post on your own blog (if you don’t have a blog, post your Haiku as a comment):

You can also choose to use only a text link, or either of these additional images I made for your use! Use This one (dark), or This one (light)!

 

Where is this year going in such a hurry?

Written By: Jenn - May• 07•12

I haven’t had time to do much blogging lately, but it’s not because I don’t want to! Seems every time I turn around I see something I want to write about, but then life gets in the way, and the idea is lost. I really need to keep an idea list on my iPhone – because I am usually running around when these things occur to me – although I do jot things down in my journal quite often. The year is flying by though, and the ideas tend to get buried. Where is this year going in such a hurry, anyway??

Our house is coming along – it’s still a semi-formed pile of 2x4s and concrete just now, but I was standing in my still-open-to-the-sky living room the other day, and that’s progress. Actually, the way they’re going we could be in earlier than our August 9th possession date (3 months, 2 days from now!). Time and weather will tell! We met several of our neighbours on Saturday night when we were there poking around, who I had spoken to online previously, but not yet met. One absolutely adorable couple who just found out they’re expecting their first baby, and one other gal. The adorable duo will be 2 doors down from me on the left, and the other gal and her husband will be 6 doors down from me on the right.

I’m both excited and disappointed in it. It’s far smaller than we’re used to, and that will be the biggest issue, I think. It’s exciting to be “in town” again, for sure. No more dealing with a well and septic system! Not excited to be having neighbors that close to me though. We have been spoiled living here in the country, and as much as most people think otherwise, I’m not a real people person. I like my privacy, and I like space. I won’t have much of either at the new house! That’s ok though; this is not our “forever” home, and we’ll most likely sell and move somewhere more ideal in a couple of years. In the mean time, we will make the most of it!

Been busy buying things – except for our bedroom sets, our furniture is too big to fit in the new space, so my folks will have a lot of it in their basement for the foreseeable future! I bought the central vac package a few weeks ago, some end tables, new dishes, cutlery, pots and pans… Hey, new house = new stuff, ok?? Besides, the Teen is going to be starting off on her own in a few years, and she can have all the still-great stuff we’re upgrading from. Totally makes sense to buy all new stuff! Shut up.

Now I have to think about paint colours. The ceramic tile from the front door/foyer through to the kitchen, powder room, and landing on basement stairs is a rustic brown. The hardwood floor in the living room and both stair cases is “cinnamon” stained oak. The cinnamon is a medium-dark stain that is neutral enough that I’ll be able to add other wood… like the espresso kitchen set I have my eye on, and the matching espresso island I am designing. Carpet upstairs and in the finished basement is grey. I have been thinking about maybe a “Silver Mist” grey (Benjamin Moore collection) or a darker blue-grey (like Benjamin Moore “Silken Blue”) with white baseboards, crown moulding, etc on the main floor and up the stairs, which would look lovely over the dark floors. I’m sick to death of the classic “beige and white” colour scheme that is so common these days! I like the coolness of the grey, which will look blue in bright light, and love the clean contrast between white and grey.

This is more or less what I’m thinking…

What do you think? I’m open to suggestions (and pictures!) although I’m leaning towards the darker of the two paint colours. Frankly, I’ve changed my mind so many times I’ve managed to boggle my brain!