March Projects

I LOVE Johnny Jump Ups! We had a few peeking up through cracks or growing in a patch of grass last year, but there were enough this year that I dug them up and planted them in pots for the porch. This lattice was on the house when we moved in, but nothing was growing on it. We finally changed that! I planted a pink jasmine and let me tell you . . . what a heavenly smell! Hopefully it will be happy in its new home and flourish and climb!While I was planting, Erik was busy with a project of his own. The last of the "Reward Points" he'd been accumulating at work have been spent, and he is the proud owner of a gas grill! It came in a large, heavy box and had to be put together.Yes, we did already have a grill. A funny little charcoal smoker/grill that we also got through the rewards program. Erik was a purist and wanted that charcoal . . . until he cooked burgers for the ladies and kids at a swim day last summer on Phil's gas grill. Is it ok for a wife to think the words "I told you so" as long as she doesn't say them out loud? ;-)

You can see behind him a little sample of the weather we've been having lately--overcast and damp. Strange for Bakersfield, but very refreshing!Ta Da!!!! This is one happy camper.
Then came the real test. How would the burgers taste? (please ignore the fact that my husband looks something like a used car salesman; he'll get his hair cut eventually, I'm sure)

While the burgers are cooking you can take a peek at a finished part of the back yard. You can see our raised bed in the background, which has tiny bits of lettuce poking up from seeds and some green onions, peppers, beans, peas and strawberries in various stages of life. This is an experiment; hopefully we won't kill everything!

The half barrel has a couple of tomato plants in it, and there is some rhubarb and cantaloupe planted in the bare spots. The tiny plants along the fence are corn, and the three silvery plants are artichokes from friends of ours who culled the babies off of their own. The aloe has survived a year and seems to like that spot! We laid down weed paper and bark, hoping that the weeds would give up and stay gone--here's hoping! The trick right now is teaching the dogs about new Off-Limit areas in the yard . . .
The one little part that's done! ;-)
The burgers were delicious, by the way. Here's our totally indulgent meal: cheeseburger with mushrooms, cauliflower & broccoli casserole, and a clementine. Got to do it once in a while!
Pippin and Thomas posing in the afternoon sun
Jonah in the same sunshine
Thanks to everyone who was praying for smooth sailing on the Santa Maria house sale--it's all done!! :-D We're looking forward to visiting Patrick & Debra in their new home next Saturday.

Also thanks for all the birthday messages and love--it was a great day!!