It's Goat Day and other thoughts

Well really, it's Farmers' Market Day here. We just call it Goat Day because there are often little baby goats at the market. It's still too early for the really good stuff, but I enjoy going. Today I got some breakfast cookies - yum. I also got a cinnamon swirl loaf of bread to try at home - hope A likes it. And I got a container of broccoli in peanut sauce - thought it sounded tasty. I'll let you know. There are a lot of tomatoes and lettuce out. I saw beets -ugh - and cauliflower too. Me, I'm waiting for the zucchini and squash!

Today was also asshole driver day. Today was just my day for it. The worst was this red Chrysler that was weaving in and out of traffic on I-95 at something like 90 miles per hour. In general, I get annoyed at the people who believe that their rights trump yours and show it with their vehicular behavior. Like the people who block the box. Or the ones who find that waiting in the left turn only lane is beneath them, so they drive up in the straight-ahead only lane and then cut into the left turn lane at the last possible minute - or worse, make the left turn from the straight ahead land just as you are making your left turn from the left turn lane. Love them. Or how about the ones who just think that the Stop line is just for decoration and stop wherever it suits them, making it near impossible for you to turn onto that street. Or the "so what you are going straight and have the right-of-way, I'm turning left now because I want to" folks. And then there are the people who think that the STOP sign is merely a suggestion. Last, but certainly not least, are the ones who get in the left lane and drive slowly, blissfully letting a line of cars build up behind them. Okay - annoying driver vent over. I've been wanting to do that for a while.

In gardening news, my coreopsis are blooming. They are way tall. I have to see what to do about that. I guess I need to stake them. My peonies have all bloomed and are now starting to lose petals. The lilies are starting to bloom and I keep getting roses. I don't think I mentioned this previously - I went into the garage for something one day and in one of the pots I had out front last year, there was a mum growing. It had sat there in the garage all winter and with what little light it got this spring, started popping up. So, I planted it in the garden and it's thriving! What a nice surprise that was. My maiden pinks have been going great guns. I think I will move some of them this fall. They would look nice along side the fence. I do have a fern growing that I planted two years ago and my lavender plant is getting ready to bloom. The rosemary plant didn't make it through the winter. I didn't realize it wouldn't survive outdoors up here. Oh well. I'll find something else for that spot. I have had great luck at Home Depot with plants - go figure.

Last thing for the day - I should finish up a bib I'm making for the nephew at lunch today. It's an "A" bib - very cute and clever. Then I plan to do another garter stitch one where the colors will be the interest in it. Bibs are fast! As part of doing the bib, I learned how to make an I-cord. Much easier than I expected. Pics will be posted when they are done.

Friday Photos

The two rose pictures are actually the same rose. One shot was taken first thing in the morning, the second taken later in the day after it opened it up. You can also see that I had watered it - the water drops are visible. Down at the end, the first twin blanket finished. And, as always, there's a Boomer picture. He's a very good poser.

It's Friday - you know the drill

I have a lot of roses blooming right now. My irises have also really popped. And, of course, there's Boomer. First a shot of him ready to go after the frisbee, then when he's all done playing.

Sometimes when you least expect it....and peonies

I wanted to blog about two things today - hence the odd title. I'm starting with the peonies. This is part of my learning crusade. So - did you know that peonies can be yellow! I did not. I thought they only came in shades of white and the pink family. They are name for Paeon, who was a student of the Greek god of medicine, who became jealous of Paeon and turned him into a flower! The peony is a traditional symbol in China and is the state flower of Indiana. Peonies are fragrant and attract ants because of the nectar on the outside of the blooms. Peonies are creatures of habit - good for a CT girl like me. (CT is the land of steady habits and that fits me to a T.) They do not like to be moved and may not bloom for several years if you move them, but once comfortable with their new surroundings, they will bloom every year. The blooms are heavy for the stalk, so they need support. And after the blooms die, you do have a nice shrubby looking plant for the balance of the year. In the language of flowers, peonies have the meaning of shame or bashfulness. That's because nymphs are alleged to have hidden in the many folds of the blossom. I have several peony plants in my garden. Some were planted by previous owners along the neighbors fence. I planted some in our garden the year we moved in. I've been surprised this spring by the plants that are popping up! I had quite given up on some of them, but it now looks like I have 4 or 5 in my garden!

So - the other topic. Sometimes when you least expect it, something comes up and bites you in the butt. This morning, on facebook, one of my friends sent me Happy Mother's Day wishes. Yup. to me. the infertile. the barren one. I'm pretty sure she knows that A & I don't have kids. Her husband is also in R-1. We've been at plenty of functions together - most notably the Christmas Party, where we clearly did not have children. So, I don't know why she sent it. Maybe she just sent it to everyone on her friends list. Nice way to start the day. I blocked the application so that no one else can unwittingly do the same thing.

To end on a good note, a friend of mine who struggled to conceive is happily pregnant and recently found out the sex of her little one. I have been waiting anxiously to hear, so that I could go buy some yarn for the gift I want to knit for her. I was hoping for for it to go a certain way, because there are a couple of colors I have just fallen in love with - and I got my way! Now if only A's fellow firefighter and his wife would have their twins so that I know what colors to go with for them. I have such ideas!

Friday Photos

It's spring, so of course you should be expecting some pictures of the garden. I have my first tulip completely up. It's a very pretty pink. I have a variety of daffodils. They hyacinth are looking good and there's lots of other stuff making itself known. The peonies, some lilies, some coreopsis, lavender - good things. I'll get surprises too because I don't know what got moved when the fence guys moved dirt around - some stuff might not have made it, other stuff may show up in a new place! I've also added a picture of the stole I am knitting for myself. It's about 2/3 done. I'm really happy with the progress and how it looks.

Friday Photos

Some knitting, some flowers, some fencing. Yeah fencing. I'm excited. Our fence was delivered yesterday. It will be installed later this month. I think I'm going to particularly love the fence come winter when I can just open the door and say "go do your business Boomer" and not have to go out with him.

The knitting is booties that I will send up to my new nephew. They were very easy to make. The pattern is at http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/60091A.html?noImages=. They aren't fancy - I figure they are knock-around booties. I did a better job sewing the 2nd one up. The hardest part was the stupid tassels.

drive by post

Just a quick post to show off some of my flowers. The yellow dahlia is a dinner plate dahlia. It's at least 7 inches across! I like the lilies too. I didn't plant them. They are an unusual color. The hydrangeas are from the same bush as the purple one - go figure.