The Gypsy Wagon

I bought these great handmade magazine boxes at The Gypsy Wagon. They had an outdoor market one Saturday, featuring local artists. I need to look up the name of the woman who makes these so that I can give her credit. I'm going to organize my recipes into them. Isn't all the old door hardware awesome??

Punkin' Chunkin'

Did you know there is a cable TV show called Punkin' Chunkin'? I didn't until last night... and I must say, it was intriguing. It involved large pieces of high powered equipment, massively huge slingshots, pumpkins being hurled upwards of 2000 feet, and a LOT of testosterone. Look it up if you don't believe me.

This summer I will have my own pumpkins to chunk. Last fall I carved a tiny jack o'lantern, set it in my butterfly garden out front, and it rotted a bit faster than I expected. By the time I noticed it, there was no way I was picking it up. And I thought, "oh, it's so small, I'll just let it disintegrate right there." I did, and I forgot about it.

And then Spring came. And the first green thing that came up? You guessed it ... pumpkin plants. A LOT of pumpkin plants. In fact, you might say an entire pumpkin's seeds worth!

They Will be Berry Berry Good!

When I visited my parents in April, my dad dug up some raspberry canes for me. As in, I get to have fresh raspberries growing in my yard -- next year! I need to get the details from my dad, but one of my sisters told me that the canes are from Finland, or Sweden. Apparently my ancestors had a shovel, and then got on a boat...

Anyway, I am very excited! Raspberries were on my wish list (along with asparagus, blueberries and blackberries) but I had delayed getting them until next year, when I thought I would have a better handle on what the final layout of my yard would be. Because those plants are sort of .... permanent.

But when your dad digs up 16 raspberry canes, trims them, puts them to soak in a bucket for 3 days, and then you tote them across the country (I am leaving out a LOT of details here -- just trust me -- and have you also heard a similar story about BACON?) well, then you find a place to plant them.

For grins, I'm including a "before" photo of the area where they are planted, and then two "after" photos. There is a cane everywhere there is a red flag. Three of the canes have already started sprouting! Fresh raspberries are coming, folks. YUM!

Earth Day 2010

I was in Minnesota in March, and Red emailed me that he had heard about a Rain Barrel Workshop to be held on Earth Day. It was a brave thing for him to do, because he had to know that I would want to attend... and that I would want him to come with me. And indeed... that is exactly what happened. It was delightful -- and oh, my the people watching was supreme! These are the results of the evening!