April 2018 Books

Again, I seem to be a little behind in my reading log...

I've continued my Tasha Alexander journey and this month found an old friend (more in a few days when I write about May books!)

1. A Poisoned Season (Tasha Alexander)
2.  A Fatal Waltz (Tasha Alexander)
3.  Tears of Pearl (Tasha Alexander)--each of these continues Lady Emily's story.  They are entertaining...that's about all I can say.  If you like historical fiction/mysteries, you might like this series (see last month for the first book/s)
4.  Shadow of the Titanic (Andrew Wilson)--interesting mini-biographies of people who survived the Titanic.  Some stories I'd read before and some were new to me. It was interesting, not super exciting, but interesting.
5.  Forever My Girl (Heidi McLaughlin)--this is the book the movie is based on--I think it was a flash in the theatres a few months ago.  Never saw the movie, but it looked interesting.  The book was very Nicholas Sparks-like--a good entertaining read, but no big surprises.

That's all...no top ten, no super exciting new authors..but some solid good reads!  Have a good month!

Summer break?

And just like that, the school year is almost over.  I am ready for summer, I think, but I am kind of reluctant for this year to end.  It has been a roller coaster of a year--I'd tell you to read my blogs, but I haven't been a great writer this year, so that would be fruitless. And, the last few days of school have been a little crazy--at our senior exit assembly in the gym a fight broke out, followed by three (four?) more that day and four (five?) the next day... so it seems like it should be time for summer...but, there is a big "hmmm"....
As our seniors did their exit hugs (graduation is next week, but we do our "good-bye" assembly early because graduation day is, well, so much...) I thought--"I'm ready for the seniors to go to their next step, but I"m not ready to say "bye" to  "my" kids for the summer".  It is an interesting feeling--I used to be a big proponent of counting down the days, but I stopped a few years ago-Angela Watson describes it well here. It is just a change in how I think about school.  There are three days left with students--all three half-day final exam days--so hopefully these will be calm, productive days for the students and set them up well to have a good summer.....

Spring 2018

Good morning!
Some of these are from a couple weeks ago--I <think> the back and side yards are almost "done"....This morning I released 1500 ladybugs and hung two egg sacs of praying mantis..I'm hoping this solves the Japanese beetle and aphid issues of last summer (bonus if they eat the slugs in the garden, but I'm not holding my breath on that...I have my jar of Sluggo ready).  I've sprinkled the garden with red pepper to keep the creepy voles out (and the bunnies).  I'm hopeful!

 Side yard--ignore that last corner with the wheelbarrow...we have plans for it...eventually...the girl is relaxing on her chaise lounge..courtesy of a neighbor moving out who left it on the curb with a "free" sign.

 Plant starts, patiently waiting to be moved outside...sometime...tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, peppers, and flowers.  If the weather stays ok they might get a couple hours of outside time today or later this week.

 It's hard to see because the onions in the back are out of control, but there is a thriving blackberry (raspberry?) bush in the front--this is last week, it has taken over that whole corner this week.

 St. Francis and his livestock (birds, bunny, trash panda  racoon, chicken, frog...

 The peach tree and its blossom seem to have recovered from the cold weather and sleet last week, so I have high hopes for a couple peaches this year...

 Another "save" from the moving neighbor--a rubber tree..unfortunately, poisonous to house pets, so it lives on the front porch.  If it survives the summer it might get to go to work with me (and if it doesn't, I'll use the pot for something)

 The lone (of 5) surviving redwood from a family wedding a few years ago--it looks pretty good though!  Soon I guess we will have to find him a place in the yard (maybe in the front?)

 Godzilla leaving the gnome village...enough said..

 Old man beach gnome, not concerned at all about the village carnage (he's at the beach, man...)

 Geraniums, poisonous to dogs, so they have to stay outside, too. Morrison already sampled them and immediately threw up.  Fantastic.

 Garden is planted, except for the seedlings above (and a lot of them might go into pots)--carrots, leeks, spinach, beets, herbs, asparagus, garlic, onions, green onions, strawberries and probably things I've forgotten are in.  It rained and sleeted this week and I was a little worried about the seeds, but they have sprouted like crazy this week!

Ironically, the greenhouse has become a bit of a staging area instead of a plant growing area.  I considered moving the seedlings out, but is is so much easier to water them from inside that I left them for now.


So how are your gardens?