Lately..


Busy Busy.  Summer is coming, and the farm will be open soon.  The blueberry patch is full of buttercup.

Though we've had next to no sun, the mock orange has exploded..


...and the peonies are bursting.


Outside of planning my next mojoto soiree using all this mint...


..thinking the rain drops on the garlic leaves look like diamonds..


..and still trying to figure how the hell to tell the difference between dill and carrot..


..we've been undergoing a large project in the back yard.


Down came the 40 foot cedar hedge, up went the split rail fence.  My husband has been harvesting fallen cedars from the woods with our neighbour.  They've split and widdled them into rails by hand. 
Almost done!


My new Japanese maple will look beautiful next to the new fence.

Bite Me..


Look what I found in my garden today.  No one knew.  No one saw it.  I was alone.
If someone had come along, I`d have declared `look, a strawberry, the first of the season!`
I would have offered to share. 
So, I sat there a while.  Maybe three minutes.  Felt like forever.
But no one came.

I picked it.  I put it down.  I looked over at Lily playing with her cousin. 
She loves strawberries.  But she would eat it all.
She can be so greedy. 
She`d never know. 

 

I took a bite.  A more perfectly delicious berry, there could not be. 


I can be so greedy too.

A Blob or a Swirl..


I am trying to understand something today.  It's not life and death, and it's not even important.  It's just something that makes me go..hmm??.  It's been going on since I first met my husband..so, gee, that's about 20 years now.  I have to say, it drives me crazy.
 I thought I would put it out there, to you, my fellow bloggers, and see if you have any insight on this topic.
We had burgers last night. 
My husband blobs his mustard and mayo on the bun as seen above.  I spread it evenly from side to side, achieving maximum coverage and continuity in every bite. 
So I ask you..do you blob or do you swirl your condiments?
If you are a blobber - WHY? 
Is it a form of artistic expression?  A free spirit application?  Are you allowing your mustard to make the choice on it's own?  Would that be considered Free Range Mustard?
*Please don't point out my need for control or perfection - I am aware of this issue and am working towards a solution.

On another note..

HGTV Style Sheets is featuring my bathroom - Most of have seen this and know the details, but if you are new, pop over and have a read.

In My Garden Today..


Sugar Peas.  Good Seed.


999,003 dill seedlings from last year.  Bad Seed.


Black Beans.  Good Seed.


I love wood piles.  Is that odd?


I can't believe I got this shot either.


First time I ate a fresh warm fig, I went out after and bought three trees.


Swing break.


Family walk after dinner through the yard.


300 new raspberry cane update.  Hmm, coming along nicely.


Down to the blueberry patch to see how they are.  They are in bloom.


They go from this..


To this.  Then they get plump.  Then they turn blue. 


Enjoy your week.

Moments of Escape..


There's been a lot of flower picking lately.  It's calming, and boy, I need calming.


  Walks in the woods with our sweet old girl Finn help too.
Life these days seems to be full of ..hmm.  The word, the word to use here... 
  The kind society of blogland, keeps me cussing.  Though, my clever use of cussing is what enabled me to receive a present in the mail today.  Another nice moment amongst chaos.  

  

Did you ever see the movie 'A Christmas Story'.. Fra Gee Lay - must be Italian! 
Good remembering moment


Oh..lookie.. a 3 bedroom home in Bear Flat - bath with shower, garden, a...oh, sorry, the gift came from the U.K, and was wrapped in the real estate paper. 
Good escape moment.


Ta Da.  All the way from Tom Stephenson.  A crusty blogger from the Bath.  He can make you laugh, or make you go hmm.  He can also make you cuss!  And boy, I did. 
Here's the skinny on the glass via Tom: a lovely, little, Champagne glass flute, dating from around 1840, standing almost seven inches high on a foot with a ground pontil-mark, and with delicately cut facets and bands on the lower half of the bowl. It is in perfect condition.


Well, it arrived in perfect condition, and as I was not expecting it to arrive so soon, champagne was not on hand.  So, today Tom, I'm sorry, but it's a vase.  Do not leave a cussy comment, I will block your profanity.
It's happy and it made me smile - a very good moment.
Thank you Tom.


We also got the vegetable garden planted. 
Proud moment.


And today, it was my mom's birthday.  We made her a cake and decorated it.
This, to a tiny girl of two, is the perfect cake.
Her Grandma will also enjoy the new bubble bath that she can generously apply with a giant pineapple sponge!
heartwarming moment.

Rhubarb Pie with Poppytalk..


Come over to Poppytalk today, I guest posted on how to make a rhubarb pie...entirely from scratch!  And you know Lily was in there stealing the show again!


The beautiful images were taken by my sweet friend Janis over at Pinecone camp.

Missing Goat Spotted at Granville Island..


Today, Goat was spotted at Granville Island in Vancouver. 
In Edible BC to be exact.  Eating my Apple Curry Chutney asking, 
"Is that fresh Ginger, or did you kick me!"
"It is fresh ginger" the lady replied, "but I kicked you too.  Now get out".


We got the call, and headed out.  I packed up the kids - yes, today I had two, but just for a few hours.


A little aqua bus ride, and we were there.  Granville Island.


You'll be happy to know, I did not get one of these big boys stuck in my hair this time.  Yes, it really did happen and no, I don't want to get into it with you right now.  Like a deleted scene from Hitchcocks The Birds.  Not pretty, and hard to believe what you are seeing, is actually happening.

I'm a Guest Blogger over at HGTV.CA today.  They loved Lily's birthday party so much, they are running it for their readers.  It really was cute as ever!!   Have a peek if you missed it last fall.

First Day Off..


Here's how the first day off went.. Met my sisters new puppy.


I'm sorry, but is that not the most pinchable butt ever!
He's a rescue mish/mosh puppy from the pound.  Makes him even cuter, doesn't it.


Set up a new happy place in my house.  My dear friend Janis over at Pinecone Camp, gave me the beautiful photograph.  I've hung it next to the bird painting her husband Rob did.


so cute, it deserves two shots!


I fiddled with my mantle -  a collection of glass bottles and a fire king bowl..


I fiddled with some flowers ..it's lilac season here.


I found a pretty new flower in the garden..hello new flower.


I had two giant fights with my two and a half year old today.  She finally passed out. 
I sat down, sighed, looked out the window.  The end of the day.  The blueberry patch was glowing.
I had to take a shot.
..and now I'm going for the wine bottle.