last week ok, this week not so much

Bee balm is such a funny looking flower. The bees do really like it. I think they look like balding Dr. Suess heads :)

This post is from last week. I meant to post it and then didn't get to it.... I ended up working a bunch of hours over last week (partly due to Pioneer Day) and this week I'm on target to hit twice as much. I wouldn't complain as much if I could put down the actual hours worked and be compensated, but I can't so its perfectly ok to complain. AND its MY blog so i can complain as much as I want!

I got home after dark and had to leave early (for me) every day this week. except I was home when it was still light out today, whoohoo. I found a giant zuchinnin, picked a bunch of fat beans (ie overripe), but also got a couple of tomatoes. Mama has been really good to help me this week with the watering so everything is still alive

Things were great with Melanie and Angela and Mom (briefly) came to vist. See melanie's post http://msmarthelm.blogspot.com/2009/07/weekend-in-provo-what-i-learned.html fyi I don't live in provo, we spent Friday mostly in SLC, then Sat up the canyon so I don't understand why Melanie always says that. Also for confidentiality maybe she should say that she went to Utah or something.

I really like the county building in Washington square. I think we should design our castle after it.

I saw this float parked near the end of the marathon. This stake is across the street from me.







I wanted to find the fountains at the gateway, but instead i found this cool hat. I think it would be too heavy to do any real work in!

Anyways after Angela and Mom left it went downhill from there pretty fast. I'm onery, tired, burned out, annoyed, and did I mention tired? But last week wasn't as bad and it ended happy with visitors and me taking friday off!

Post from June 22nd.

I meant to post earlier as I got into a habbit last week of posting nearly everyday and it was fun. Monday I got busy in the garden and Cathy stopped by and helped dig some holes for the last of the replacement flowers and then it was late and I was tired so I went to bed...no posting. Oh almost forgot that Cathy brought over a bunch of wood for our wood pile. We were going to have a fire, but got busy planting and then talking on the front porch.

Tuesday I was not so happy. Some things have not been going well for me at work. Some cases aren't going well and I keep getting shut down by some of the commitees. I must have offended some people higher up or something and I'm not handeling it well. I think I've also been staying up late and that makes me onry! To top it all off, I locked my keys in the car and left my phone at home. Fortunately I have Cathy's phone number in my work phone and she was nice enough to rescue me on her way to vegas. I think I was also sad about not going to Vegas with her. It wasn't practical but an escape sounded so great.

Wednesday went better. I was in a better mood, worked in my garden before work (actually got distracted and it made me a little late, but thats also what puts me in a better place) got some work done, but always still behind. I worked late but as we had an awesome breakfast at staff meeting, i didn't get too hungry. Then after coming in from working in the yard, one of the rommates (Kate or Mama I can't remember who started the conversation) said they wanted marshmallows. I said we could do a fire and with very little encouragement proceeded to do so. I don't know about you but once theres a fire going I need a hotdog. Kate was nice enough to let mama and I eat her last two dogs. Unfortately the roasting sticks I had cut for our Saturday fire weren't quite as green as before and we both lost them. I caught mine but we had to use some manoevering to get the other one out. Either way they were so tasty. We stayed out there a long time watching the embers. It had cooled off quite a bit and was a nice night. It made it a late night but was relaxing and peacefull.

Today I didn't need to come in to work for the hours (its pioneer day Friday), but had things I needed to do. I'm really looking forward to Melanie and Angela coming to visit, but don't have anything way fun planned yet. I've found it doesn't really matter since its just fun to hang out and as long as everyone is fed on time we are pretty happy!

I gave the lavendar bush a trim. It smelled so good. I should've saved a couple of sachet's but ended up just using them as mulch on the raspberries. Still smells good!

There was a sleeping bee in this flower, but she left before I got her picture. Watering sort of woke her up. I dont' know if any of my winter squash will ripen before the end of the summer, but the morning blossoms make me happy!

usual sunday update

So after writing the post yesterday I was still pretty tired and wiped out so I didn't get the things done on my list. I did join (or crash to be technical) Kate's party with her sister and nieces. We made a fire (fortunately a cloud came over the sun and cooled it down quite a bit) and had hotdogs and smores and starbursts and lots of laughter. Have you roasted starburts on a fire? Its fun, especially watching Laura (Kate's sister) drop every single starburst she put on her stick.

I did get the new rasberries and blackberries planted before joining the feast. That made me pretty tired too, its amazing how much heat sucks your energy. Not a fan (have i mentioned that before?). I ate one raspberry off a bush yesterday. Wow. I'd forgotten how good those are. I'm very excited for next year! I've had currants, dewberries, saskatoon, and of course strawberries this year. Saskatoon are like blueberries only not as gushy and very tasty (I'm not a huge fan of blueberries but I really like these).

For dinner today, since I didn't go shopping yesterday, I made a zuchinni caserole and fresh green beans (with really good sweet onions from the garden). And cold applesauce for the fruit. They were pretty good. I cooked everything outside on the electric skillet to keep the house cooler. Mamma wanted to bake lemon bars so we got out a wooden door from our garage, ballenced it on a couple of cinderblocks and a storage container and cooked outside (with the toaster oven and skillet). It was fun. I was able to sit on a little stool, and stir and chop and spread my stuff out. I think I'll invest in an actual table, and get one of those burner thingys that angela has so I can cook more then one thing at a time. My goal for the summer is to not cook in the house. I can also use my bread maker out there, crockpots, and the grill of course. I wish Mama's toaster oven was bigger.

I really want to go to farmers market and go garage selling to find a table and chair set for the patio.

Anyways here is an update of my garden. Its growing pretty good.

I've got lots of hollyhocks. The babies of my originals are blooming (first year no blooms on the originals, next year bloomed and got some babies the following year, which I transplated throughout the yard, and they don't bloom the next year, so finally getting blooms). They are all white and doubled. Huh? I thought that was hybridized. My originals were a white doubled and a single dark pink/red one. I thought I'd get single whites and pinks, but nope. Just whites. they are pretty but i perfer others. Also it means the babies I transplanted around this year are probably white too. I did start some from seeds the last couple of years so I'm hoping if they live they will be normal looking. I've got this pink one and a really light pink one right next to each other, but thats its for divirsity.

Beans are growing. Here is a before and after.

I've got some squash/melons growing (besides zuchinni). Butternut, pumpkin, watermellon and cantalope. The wattermellon has been really slow, but at least something is started even if its only the size of a golfball. I've got 5 cantalope growing strong and I probably should've only allowed 2-3 to grow cause they're small. Oh well I think they are mighty cute. I've also got squash bugs for the first time. Makes me so mad. I think they came from the replacer squash from the nurshry. grrr.

I love that the perenials take turns to bloom. It really makes the gardens look different from month to month. I'm in some inbetween times right now. But things still look pretty good. I wish the cosmos were bigger as I use them a lot for fillers.

This is the stump garden in the spring and now.

The blackeyed susans against the nicotania just really pop. They are so bright and cheery. Wish my phone could do justice to the colors and textures.

My hot peppers have not been doing so hot. Although I took a tiny bite of this "cow horn" pepper and it was firey. They didn't really enjoy the wet spring and then it went to super hot and I don't think they developed a good root system so now they get dry. (the water was too easy for them and so they didn't send the roots down deep). This tiny pepper is supposed to be much bigger and milder. Thats probably why it was hot. packed all the heat into one tiny red pepper. I have hopes that as the season progresses they will do better.

This is not brocoli. Thats what the lable said. Its cauliflower of a crazy nature. Its somewhat purple, and I think overdone. I don't know what to do with it. Its pretty strong in flavor, almost a little "spicy."

Well thats a long enough post. I was going to complain about the primary kids but I think its just me. I figure that after 5 months they should know better and behave, and I found myself getting annoyed with them cause I don't know what to do to make things go better and smoother.

Ward Campout

Yesterday I finished many of the things on my list. I got my car washed and vacumed. Planted the filler plants and some more squash. Worked on the drip system. Went shopping.

Then my friend Adrien called. "Are you going to the ward campout?"

Me: "Yes. ummmm when is it?"

Adrien: "Tonight."

Actually it didn't go quite like that but I was very greatful for her call. I always mean to go to ward activities but the date in the ward bulletin doesn't often translate into me going. Or I know the date of the activity but I don't know what today is... So I told her I would go and made sure what time dinner was as thats very important to me :)

Anyways I got my stuff together and I went. And I had a good time. But now I need a nap :)

I should've looked at a map because I didn't know exactly how to get to hobble creek. Well after driving around a lot and calling Kate I got to where I needed to go. It was beautiful up in the canyon.

Here is who I ate with. Sister Nickles is the first one who welcomed me into the ward, with her friend. She always remembers me and says hi to me. She brought up a car full of ladies just for the dinner and evening. I took these photos on the sly.

Here is a picture of Adrien and her mom. Its great to have friends in the ward. I know Adrien from the singles ward. She is awesome!

There was some entertainment:

There was fire (very important):

And I used tons of bug spray and I didn't get bit!

And there were lots and lots of stars. (My phone doesn't take pictures of those).

I set my bed up and slept pretty comfortably. Except that when Sister Nichols learned I wasn't sleeping in a tent she said, "What about the bears?" I wasn't worried until I had gone to bed and was starting to fall asleep and heard something from the grove of trees. Then the first thought in my mind was "BEAR!" I shined my light over there and there was nothing. I did that a couple more times through the night....

Had a great breakfast and it was just so pretty and cool.
Before leaving I made sure to get my feet wet in the creek. It was COLD! In retrospect I should've found a place to set my bed up close to the creek. I think the sounds would've helped me sleep longer.

I came home and needed a shower but also needed to mow the lawn before it got too hot. Too late (for the too hot part) but it needed to be done anyways so I did it. Then I was hot and blotchy and had fun taking pictures of myself looking hot and blochy.

This is me aout 20 minuets later before showering. Still blotchy.

I showered and look better now, and at least I'm not soooo smelly.

Today's list: Wipe down inside of car, clean bathroom, pick beans, figure out what i'm cooking tomorrow and buy any needed groceries.

Beans

i can't believe how fast grean beans come on. Now I need to figure out what to do with all of them. I cooked some turkey bacon, onion (from the garden), added some butter, dill, pepper, basil, and cooked the beans. I never realized how long it takes for beans to cook, but it ended up being very tasty,! I should probably pick them everyday. I ate a bag full for dinner and I think Mama ate one for lunch. So to show a picture I just went outside with a flashlight and picked a couple. Half of the bean crop is producing which is good so that I will have the crop spread outa bit... hopefully.

I bought some more squash today to make up for the crispy ones (plus a few extra), but they didn't have the kinds I wanted, and its probably too late for me to get any fruit off of them. However Squash look productive and make me feel good about my gardening skills. Its ok for a little garden pride because my lawn makes me very humble.

I also got some berries to replace the crispy ones, plus a few extra :) It was very difficult picking between the varieties so I'm proud that I only realy got one extra sortof.

Yesterday I was able to hook up some parts of my drip system. I moved all the "misters" to the edges of the porch were they will water the hanging pots, and hopefully still work to cool it off somewhat. I still need to move the lines out quite a bit to water the things that need it. Hopefully will get that done tomorrow along with all the other millions of things to do.

ITS GETTING HOT AND I HATE IT. just so you know.

While waiting for things to cook, I've been eating cheese and crackers. I got this cheese from costco and it is amazing. I won't describe it too much or you would drool and posibly ruin your keyboard. Its white chedder, called champaign.

This is how I like to eat it. With a slice of tomato on a cracker.

I also picked my first cucumber today. Its small, and the skin is bitter, but the cukes should get better as the season goes on.

Roots or tubers (whatever)

So apparently I haven't lost touch with my ancestors potato growing genes. I was just so sure my potatoes were only folliage. Well Cathy convinced me to look again and this time I dug down pretty far with my hand.... felt a rock, that was pretty big which was suprising cause I thought I got those all out when prepping the soil. Pulled it out and it was a big bright pink/red potato. I would say you should've seen the look on my face but I couldn't see it either. Anyways I was way suprised. I didn't think I could grow potatoes. They seemed picky. But here it is. I dug down another place a got another one. Cathy dug down and pulled up two.

It was like easter only more fun! The skin comes off really easily since they aren't curred and so they were pink and white.

I guess they grow further down in the soil then I thought they did. Cathy thinks I have lots of potatoes but since mine were so deep I think maybe I just have the one layer instead of all along the burried stem like the experts.

So then I steamed them and ate them and Cathy and Mama and Kate had some too. They said they were tasty and they were. They tasted like potatoes.nThen we had more bannana icecream.

YAY!

I'm feeling very successfull right now so probably all my tomatoes will die to keep me humble. Also I thought about what plant gives you the most food for space? How much stuff would I need to plant to actually live off of? How did my ancestors do that-grow enough to feed them during the summer and store enough to feed my family for the winter. Wow.

My roommates and I just discussed this. It was very fun... for me.

quick post

Yay mom has joined the blogosphere! http://www.helmhq.blogspot.com/


I kind of like the posts that are about just day to day stuff and I'm excited to be able to follow mom's adventures. I started to leave a long comment on mom's blog and decided to just do a quick post here instead. Speaking of comments how come I got 8 on my last post but only 3 on the one before that? Maybe it was too long?



The bananna icecream from Sunday was ok. It was actually too rich and creamy I feel for homemade icecream, but its growing on me. I think I like fresh banannas better then carmalized ones. Next time I need to remember that just cause it has a fill line doesn't mean that I need to make that much icecream each time! Does anyone know a way to store homemade icecream so you can get it back out? I feel like I have to get an icepick and chip away at it to get any. Oh well, burns more calories.



Also my first zuchinni pizza was a success although I didn't get the "crust" part as crusty as I like it. I've got to figure out a way to make that without heating up the whole house, but I think its imposible.



Yesterday Cathy came by for FHE and it was a very nice evening... not too hot, but just right. We enjoyed the weather, had a short lesson and then had icecream with Kate's chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. Cathy had wanted smores but we didn't really need treats after the icecream. But we had a fire anyways. This is me we are talking about afterall. I had a bunch of twigs left over from trimming the trees and boy did those things burn well! Flames shot up higher then the back wall probably about 10 ft and lit up all of the back yard. It was very exciting! I hope it doesn't get so hot that we don't want to burn things. I really love blackened hot dogs. I have my emergency smore kit all prepared for the very next roast. But need to get some roasting sticks. I thought I had some last year but I think they were little Katie's since they aren't here any more.



Well its beyond late and I have lots to do tomorrow. I will end with some pictures of snails that have died in my garden. They were eating everything so I had to put down some bait stuff. I don't feel bad about the slugs because they shrivel up to nothing but the snails leave behind evidence of my killing ways. I am so not an organic gardener apparently.

The second photo is just from under the hollyhocks in the stump garden. No wonder there were lots of holes in the leaves.

Now I need some grasshopper and earwig bait. ewwww gross!

Memorial Day Post

I got the pictures off of mom's camera so I can finally post this. I was in a bit of a strange mood when I posted so you're forwarned.

Memorial day has always been a bit of a mystery holiday to me. I understood the concept, even have attended some memorial service, but didn’t have family traditions associated with that day. I’ve gone to memorial services when I remember too, but often its just a day off from work. I’ve been told the stories of my Grandfather who served in WWII and the Korean War. Many other extended family members, my parents’ aunts, uncles, cousins, etc also served their country. I’ve been very proud of that heritage and legacy and have thought of them specifically on Memorial Day. Many times as a young adult I seriously considered joining up but was always led a different way.

Anyways this weekend I got to experience some of the traditions my parents have associated with Memorial Day. I took a last minute trip with them up to Idaho for a small reunion of my mother’s cousins (on her mother’s side). We placed flowers on the graves of my relatives, and they told me the stories once again. For them, Memorial day was all about honoring those who came before, and reconnecting to home and family. I got to see other families bringing their children and extended relatives to clean the headstones, place flowers, trim the grass, take pictures and share stories. At Angela’s ward yesterday one of the girls shared how her family would go to cemeteries wherever they lived and provide service by cleaning up and tending neglected graves. This is something I want to do. I have relatives buried in Utah. Some we don’t know where, but I believe a great-great grandmother is buried in Provo Pioneer Cemetery, not too far from where I live. I want to make my own traditions of this holiday from here on out.

Here is my cute mom really enjoying being with her family. Here is a picture of my great Aunt Helen and Uncle Ivan. I've always felt close to them. Aunt Helen really looks like my grandmother, and Uncle Ivan has always been like a grandfather to us. Last is Angela and Thorpe heading over to read the war monument.

My mother’s father’s grave didn’t have a flag on it. This really upsets my mom and they have tried to rectify it for as long as he has beeen gone. They often leave him off of memorials and such. At the park in Parker (where the reunion was held) I looked at the war memorial and I think he was on that one (They put Robert J Ricks instead of Robert L Ricks). We bought a flag to put on his grave. I noticed that most, if not all, of the graves with flags mentioned their war service and so I’m going to get a little plaque to put on his grave so he won’t be forgotten in the future. I don’t think he minds, but he did sacrifice a lot, and so did his family and it really matters to my mom. He wasn’t on this earth very long, passed away when my mom was 7 years old or so, ant the long years he spent overseas and away from his family are a precious sacrifice to his family. I tried to look up his military record but it’s not a simple search…. Seems like most government organizations end up complicating things!

I'm next to my mom's baby sister's grave, my Aunt Harriet.

This is a picture of the house my father's mother's father built. Most of the farm is gone, but the house is still there. Thats amazing!

Do you feel a pull or tie to the land? I’ve been thinking of this since I attended the family reunion with my mother. Do I have a homeland? New Mexico definitely feels like home since that’s where I was raised, and my parents still live. Its an old land, and we are newcomers. My parents both came from Idaho for a couple of generations and this area is “home” to them. From Idaho the family spreads out to England, Kentucky, New England, and on and on. A true homeland for my family would probably be England, although there are German, Scottish, Irish, Netherlands, and Prussia roots on the fringes. I feel a connection, but not a tie to any of these places. Makes me feel a little lost, but I maybe its just right now. I definitely feel a connection to my extended family. Maybe this is why I love gardening and digging in the dirt. I have probably a somewhat romanticized vision of eking out an existence on the land, but I know its hard work. I read a history one of my mom’s cousins put together of their grandparents. I had known they were poor, but this time it really sunk in what poor meant to them. They were a happy home, and my great aunt said that she didn’t realize how poor they were until much later, or what the great depression meant. They were a very happy family. Its interesting to contrast the two sides of the family. Pretty similar circumstances, with similar backgrounds, but one created happy childhood memories and the other did not.


We made sure to put flowers on my father’s father’s grave. Dad remembers as a little boy asking someone once on memorial day why they didn’t put any flowers on that grave. The answer was an unsatisfactory “we don’t need to,” and the conversation ended. My dad isn’t perfect (don't tell him I said that) but I am constantly amazed at the man he is and the great father he became when all the cards were stacked against him. He is someone that was able to find some positive aspects in a messed up family and not pass on the generational ickyness. I don’t know much about his father, but I honor him because of my dad. When we went back to water the flowers and put some stakes in, someone had added another bunch of flowers to my grandfather’s grave. Perhaps one of my dad’s step sisters have been doing this in behalf of my father. Such a small gesture, but very meaningful to me.

It was a fun quick trip. Dad was happy and relaxed because they were going to buy his new pickup truck, aka Betsy.

It was fun to see Angela in college too.

I took the shuttle from Rexburg back to SaltLake. Its longer then if I drove myself but its nice not to have to drive, and I got to ride up with the parents. My driver is licensing to classical music station and its really fun. Right now is Vivaldi’s summer, from the 4 season, the last movement, one that sounds like a thunder storm. Its incredible, and I had forgotten how much I enjoy some of this music! Now a cello duet is playing amazing grace. Incredibly beautiful. The scenary is beautiful, the grass has gotten so green with snow on the summits, flowers blooming in the valleys, calves sitting by the grazing cows, a swoaring buzzard. Green, green, green.

Picked up a guy from Texas (dallas/fort worth mess according to him) in Pocatello. His daughter and son in law had just moved there from back east to do his residency. It was really fun to listen in. He had something to say about most everything. Everything from the land we were passing through, to kids: “having kids is like getting ATM tattooed on your forhead” to politics “my friend has a small business that’s been hit hard by this stuff [economy] so he went out to the parking lot and wrote down everyone who had an Obama sticker and figured he would lay them off first.” “My friend only votes for incumbents, don’t want to ruin another good man.” To weather: "two seasons in texas Too hot and I don’t know what the other is.” the bus driver responded with "well, there are three seasons in Idaho: July, August, and winter."

I got back home in time to enjoy the evening getting things done in the yard, and wasn't super tired for work the next day. I need more vacations like that!