wherever the afghans are, that is where puppy will be!

i washed and folded up the two afghans i usually have over the foot of my bed in winter. they're only twin size. i set them on the futon and puppy jumped up and rolled around on them, spreading them out until they were just right.


wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle wiggle. yeah.


there was also some cute grunty/groany noises going on. he was really enjoying himself. i couldnt stop giggling.


ultimately he settled onto his side and napped.

greenhouse and lawn spots

greenhouse is full!


view from the backside of the greenhouse



lawn care is challenging with dogs. you can tell exactly where the dogs peed all winter long by how much grass got killed.


we had such a bizarre winter with so little snow (while everyone else got pelted!) the snow usually helps dilute all the dog pee and the dead lawn spots arent usually quite so bad.


just dead spots all around the patio.

create your own layout soaker hose

i found this nifty soaker hose kit at home depot where you can cut and join lengths of soaker hoses to any size or shape you want.


it comes with all these different connection parts to help you lay it out the way you want.


even a 25 foot soaker hose is too much hose for this little area of my raised bed, so up until now i've been watering by hand. which is doable, but a hassle. i really like the soaker hoses in my garden. this is how i laid out the new soaker hose configuration in my raised bed garden.


the hose connection is on the right. a splitter is on the left


and end caps for the two different lengths.


then i buried it more evenly spaced than it looked laid out on top of the soil. i've used it a twice and it worked well, though the hose is a smaller diameter than my other soaker hoses, so it takes longer to water.

and theres enough hose leftover (and enough connections) that i'll be able to use it on my second raised bed once its properly filled.

teriyaki pineapple kielbasa appetizers

i made teriyaki pineapple kielbasa appetizers. i used turkey kielbasa to cut back on the fat.


they were good. just not all at once for dinner. which is what i did. i ate them. all. and had to hit the antacids hardcore.



2 lbs. kielbasa, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
14 oz can pineapple slices, in juice, quartered (i used pineapple chunks instead of slices)
3 T teriyaki sauce
1 T sweet chili sauce (i skipped this)
1 T honey
1 T pineapple juice from can

preheat oven to 425 degrees
place a piece of pineapple on top of a slice of kielbasa and stick a toothpick into them
in a small bowl combine remaining ingredients
line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray
place kielbasa bites onto the baking sheet
brush glaze over tops and sides of bites
place in oven and cook for 15 to 20 min (keeping an eye on them)
remove and enjoy hot!

http://realhousemoms.com/glazed-kielbasa-bites/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/335447872220561511/

go for a ride!

i opened the truck and shoved in a big comforter. then i left the door open and went back inside the house to grab the next big comforter. came back and puppy and molly are sitting in the backseat of the truck, waiting patiently to go to the dog park. except i was going to go to the laundromat to wash the extra large blankets that dont fit in my washer. i wasnt going to the dog park.

they both climbed up over the first blanket i'd dumped in the passenger seat, hopped over the center console, jumping down into the back, and knocking down the blue/patterned sheet i use to protect my dads truck from all their fur.


i dumped the rest of the blankets in and tried to get them to come out. they refused. so i went inside and grabbed my camera.


this picture was taken thru the rear window of the truck, with the camera held up over the truck bed. they're just sitting there waiting for me.


this picture was taken from standing up in the doorway between the house and the garage, (up a couple steps). they're still waiting. their heads squished between the two front seats.


clean blankets! i left SO MUCH dog fur behind at that poor laundromat...


they wouldnt get out of the truck. i left the truck door open, and the door to the garage open (attached garage) and sat in the house and waited. they just laid down behind the seats. waiting me out. we had just gone to the dog park the day before and they clearly wanted to go back.

i felt like i'd been outsmarted by the dogs. i thought i could out-stubborn them. puppy eventually hopped out and came to find me. molly i had to lift out of the truck. next time i'll resort to bribery. food works better than trying to out-stubborn them.

pear buds and cauliflower and asparagus

pear tree buds




cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and broccoli newly transplanted into the garden.


my older brother was growing asparagus in planters at his townhome, and gave them to me. we planted them in my raised bed.

i hate landscaping rocks

these are the landscaping rocks that i hate to the power of infinity. they surround my house front and back, they surround the sunroom extension, and they surround the lilac bushes in front. they surrounded the patio behind the garage (this is the part i'm still working on. i removed over half of them two years ago just to get the greenhouse put in). they USED to surround a bush and tree out front, and two different trees in back, but i've removed all the rocks from those places. here are some old pictures showing how my entire house is surrounded.

front of the house


patio


back of the house and sunroom



the last of the daylilies i needed to move before attacking the landscaping rocks full force.


it *looks* like not many rocks. thats just because of all the dirt on top of the rocks. they go down almost a foot in some places. at least 6 inches deep at the shallowest. and at the point this picture was taken, i've already removed at least 6 bags before taking the photo.


screening and sorting. little rocks in one planter, big rocks in the other. little rocks are discarded, big rocks are bagged and going to my dad who will eventually be doing some rock work of his own.


big rocks go in the old water softener salt bags. we only fill them about half full, they get heavy fast.


inside the bag, the big rocks


the little rocks get dumped in the bottom of the new/second raised bed garden. i dug the leaves back. i'd already dumped rocks in the bottom of this raised bed last fall before the leaves even went in, so whats a few more.


the daylilies newly moved to the patch in the front yard.


the darker dirt is where the daylilies i just transplanted are. the rest of them i'd transplanted two years ago before building the greenhouse. all of these daylilies are orange ones, coming from about 9 of them given to me by my dad shortly after i first moved in. i like them because they're practically impossible to kill.

more garden fripper of the non-stake variety

this pretty much sums up how i feel about gardening. imagine me stomping my foot along with it. i'm so impatient.


turtles and sunflowers and welcome oh my!


solar froggie! the light is in the butterfly on his tongue. unfortunately the butterfly wings keep breaking off and i've misplaced the one wing.


my garden sign. its solid wood so i have it inside the greenhouse.


reclining froggie, also in the greenhouse


this froggy dude sits on my front step except during winter when he hibernates in the garage. he's actually a tea-light lantern. you can put a candle inside him. he was bronze-looking when i got him. so i spray painted him green. i like him green.


my toad house. i have only had a toad in the garden two years out of all the years i've gardened. but every year i put the toad house back in the same spot, hoping. (forgive the cobwebs, it spends the winter in the garage along with the spiders apparently)


old garden stuff. i had cute a mushroom, but it broke in half so its gone now.


i had an adorable tortoise on a swing with a butterfly on his nose, but the rope disintegrated. its sitting in my garage waiting for a repair.


the old tortoise sign welcoming you to my garden. this broke up into pieces and is gone now.

do you like my garden frippery?

i bury my soaker hoses in my garden (it takes 3). i use all these garden stakes to mark where the hose is buried so i can plant the seeds and seedlings appropriately (and not puncture the hose while digging).

froggie on a glass crackle ball. this one is a solar powered light! i really like it!


a glass birdie. this one is a solar powered light too. this one cost too much.


this butterfly stake i got in red, orange, blue, and purple, as they were very cheap. the wings and antennae are on springs so they move and waggle in the wind.


this little turtle came with a very short stake, so he's pushed in down to the ground.


this is an older stake. i have two of these, a yellow one and a green one. the petals are on springs so they move around and waggle in the wind. as you can see, one of the springs gave up the ghost. they used to glow in the dark, but after 4-5 summers in the sun, they dont do that anymore.


old metal butterfly garden stakes. they're slowly rusting away. i used to have more, but now i'm down to only 4 i think. they came a bunch in a set. i ought to throw two more of them out. but they were pretty when they were new!


big blue butterfly with wings on springs.


big purple dragonfly with wings on springs.


sideways view of them


frog on a turtle


side view


glass butterfly. it was gorgeous, but some of the paint has since flaked off.


glass lady bug. again it was gorgeous, but nearly all of the paint has flaked off this one.