Early Summer Delights . . .

 Fresh spinach and dill ready and waiting so at a moment's notice one can whip up a spinach, dill, kale, scrambled eggs, quinoa, shredded gruyere cheese dish...or some such delight!

Oh.My.Goodness.

!!

Fresh rhubarb ready and waiting for pies, crumbles and yesterday's, Rhubarb Cake!

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/161436/omas-rhubarb-cake/

The unfortunate timing of this over the moon incredible rhubarb cake is that it falls on the same week I kind of talked myself into doing some exercise again.

😋

So, yeah...I'm trying to get the ol' body moving in some kind of regular way that resembles exercise (not quite up to swimming yet) since even though I work my b.u.t.t. off in that yard, my body doesn't seem to think it's enough energy spent to stop the incessant weight gain (incessant...hahaha...I think it's called...Rhubarb pie, crumble and Cake!!). Anyhoo...what my exercise has looked like (for the last two days, that is just so ridiculous...here's hoping it becomes a habit)...1. walk & very slightly (repeat...ve.ry.sligh.tly) run Alli dog for 30 minutes, then do some slight sets of crunch and leg lift things and then I'm working through this plank thing that in 30 days goes from holding a 20 second plank up to a 270 second plank. The good thing for me is that I don't really think through what 270 seconds really means, too much math!

Chow!

Just before the rains . . .

I got these beauties!

My goodness those pink petals 

and that blue, blue sky

 and the green, green, green!

Have I mentioned what a true miracle it is that I get to live here?

God Is So Good!

More greens!

Spinach to be precise.

Oooo...Oooo...You've gotta...

GO WATCH THIS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqC5028obX0 This is the original "Greens, Greens" by Bernadette Peters from Into the Woods

OH BUT WAIT, GO WATCH THIS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOcw_qEEHCk This is Meryl Streep's movie version of the same song.

Any way...back to the program...

I put it and shredded carrots in my ramen noodles tonight.

Yep...ramen noodles...hahaha!

So far, from the various gardens throughout the yard, I've used dill and chives (in a scrambled egg/sausage mixture last weekend) and the spinach tonight. Today I bought what I think are the last of the veggie garden plantings. Here's this year's list to the best of my memory...I kinda went crazy with some seed planting this year, we'll see.

Out in the Shed Garden:

Corn

Asparagus

(just comes up every year)

Rhubarb

(just comes up every year)

Garlic

(planted last fall)

Scallions

(from seed)

Yellow Onions

Okra

(from seed)

Beets

(from seed)

Sugar Snap Peas

(two varieties from seed, planted waaayyy late)

Fennel Bulbs

Yellow Squash

Zucchini

Pumpkins

(from seed, still not planted, ugh!)

Eggplant

One note about this garden...it's supposed to be a few plants that can just survive on their own, no weeding or attention to this garden...and now look, hahaha!

Sunny side of the garage garden:

Tomatoes

(lots of different varieties)

Beans

(from seed, planted waaayyy late, last weekend)

Basil
Parsley

Dill

(came back by itself everywhere from last year's plants)

Pickling Cucumbers

Eggplant

Tomatillos

(green type of tomato thing)

Spinach

(survived from last year!!)

Kale

Sunny back corner of the house garden: (-:

Beets

Spinach

Yellow Onions

Little Black Tub Thing Herb Garden out in the Shed Garden: (-:

Livia's 2nd Gr Chives

Mint

French Cooking Thyme

Oregano

Um...Yeah...WOWZA!

And that whilst doing things like up on the roof last week roof cementing some leaks and cleaning gutters, working, cooking, being mom, getting walked by the dog around the yard and neighborhood, and trying to talk myself into swimming again, and maybe cleaning my bedroom! 

Sometimes I crack myself up!

😃

And, we're back! . . .

First one in the water!

 First one up the big pine tree on the island!

Harrison was actually first one to the lake this year, ahead of everyone else last weekend or maybe the weekend before, I forget.  He was the first one to fish there and I got nothing, no pics and I didn't get to sit on a fold up chair and watch him fish like last year because this year he can drive and went on his own!  I knew that time was short and fleeting last summer as I hopped him around to various fishing holes and for my two years driving him to and from high school, I soaked up every single minute of it, what a joy!

 First year I let someone climb this high in the tree.

Well, truth be told, I was out in the lake, he was just climbing.

He's not a fan of swimming but so glad he agreed to come.

One thing's for sure, we got vantage points of our dear oasis that we've NEVER gotten in all our years...I was trying to remember when all those years ago began actually, I know William had his two year old birthday there so that was 11 years ago, but I feel like we were there before that. Some day I should look that up. (-:

 We kinda made William climb back up the tree with his phone to get our pics, never had one of these before!! Super glad I decided to get over it all and jump in finally. It was a bit of a shocker as we were out deep, brrrr, but once I started kicking (as if the kayak were a kick board in front of me), no problem, water was GREAT!

 Despite our intentions to get there around 4p.m, then 5p.m., we once again scooted on in around 7:30p.m. and stayed till five till nine (closing time is nine). That's pretty much been our schedule for years, though usually we're scooting in around 8p.m. Liv has told me that at least one day this year we must stay for the entire day, plus we'd like to camp one night too, plus we need to have a couple class parties there in August. Great summer plans!

 Not the best zoom, but we'll keep it in. (-:

Then, last shot, he turned to landscape, ahhhhh....

This is the second lake, Livia's favorite. It is far more scenic than the first but still I usually aim for the first lake, it's shaped more as a long oval and has the jumping platforms. At the end of August 2016, as we were wrapping up the swimming season, one evening just Ben, Livia and I went to the second lake. I will always be able to vividly picture watching Ben and Livia jump and play together over in the side entrance of the water by the island (where Liv is entering in the first pic of this post). Even then, I knew it was a special, unique time for them together as he was 15 and she just over 6 and a half, they didn't often have such carefree and easy play time together like they did that night. I'm fairly certain I have no pictures of it either, it was just another quick run to the lake, but I know I sat on the banks soaking in the moment. Each year since, at the start of the season I ask Liv, "Do you remember playing with Ben that night?" And she always says she does and this year she added a detail she hadn't before, that they were playing a Pokemon game. I remember that too, Liv. 💜💔💜

Morning blooms on the picnic table.

I'd be hard pressed to find a simpler joy that this.

💜💜💜

Purple, Purple, Purple, Purple, Purple, Purple, Purple, Red . . .

Quite literally, when I took these pics last week they were the only flowers on the lot blooming, all purple (well fine, there might have been a few paperwhites left). And, let's not forget how very soon after our life changed so dramatically, my favorite color shifted from 40-odd years of red right over to purple. I've found that interesting over the last few years. 

Anyhoo  . . . 

Here's the full shot of Purple #6

This, my friends, and I know I've captured it in picture on this ol' blog in past years too, is Ben's clematis, his confirmation brunch table decoration plant that I chose. Look, look, look how absolutely beautifully it's growing and those incredible flowers!  Oh does that make my heart soar...just at the time when my heart has actually been quite sore moving through this time of what would have been his graduation year and all the exited expectations of his peers who are graduating.  Has been a tender and sensitive time for me, but as we know...He will carry you through...and He does!

💜

Yesterday, last weekend, before that and even before that! . . .

Yesterday: Afternoon with the girls!

What a delight to get back to the Arb with these gals before Lara takes off (no pun intended but how hilarious is that??)...in her car...back to school. She'll be learning how to be an instructor this summer so that she can teach next summer. So, this rhododendron...what??!!...how have I NEVER seen this or the other many, many...just past their prime relatives in the garden?  Well..because in early June it is Peony time and we never quite get there before then.  Since everything's like 2-3 week's late blooming this year from our cold, rainy spring we caught the end of the rhododendron's and caught this part of the peonies . . .  

Yep, at least 2 weeks out I bet! Ha!

I was wondering, when there was a little talk around town about the early June festivities for the peonies, how like 5.4 miles away from my yard could be so tropically different in bloom stages because mine look just.like.these. 

They weren't.

We'll be back.

I hope.

I'm sorry but...that's not what we were really looking for.

Ha!

BUT...don't despair, we managed to make lemonade out of lemons and went paddle boating on the ol' river and explored areas we'd never gone to on the 5 third grade field trips that included these paddle boats. I think Lara and I may have scared Liv though with our "helpful tips" on steering. She didn't seem to have the fondest memories of the trip at bedtime. When you're thighs are burning though at 45 minutes in and you're on an hour rental deadline...sometime you just want to go STRAIGHT towards the docks!

😂

Last Weekend: Memorial Weekend

Harrison's Parade.

Likely the last of my drumliners unless some miracle happens with Livia and her current desire for the clarinet next year in 5th grade. I may have been heard saying recently, "why yes the clarinet does have a lovely sound...but there are just so many exciting options in percussion." (-:

For a milisecond you can see him on the far side of the road with his snare. I sure was on the wrong side of the street, but glad to be there with my friend Corinna who I just happened upon. Sometimes hard to go these parades alone still when they used to be such fun with the whole family.

This was a total stealth picture as he headed towards the car. There was no way I was going to be able to ask him to stop so I could take a pic so I just lifted my phone as I was approaching, snapped and immediately dropped it to my side. Whew, got it! (-: Pretty sure his mouth was just about to say..."What...are...you...???" By then...done...

😂

Percussion Truck

 Still Memorial Weekend.

I ordered some parts for my rototiller. You know, like a primer pump replacement and some filters, no biggie. Haha!  Finally put them in today, and knew there was still a 50/50 chance that it would or wouldn't start with my pull, pull, pulls of that darn cord.  Landed on the 50% WOULDN'T start naturally. So, it'll probably sit around in my garage like my towel bar's been hanging out in my bedroom until that magic handyfairy shows up!

😂

Before That: Mother's Day

William, Livia and I went out to eat at one of my fav, fav, favorite Middle Eastern restaurants and these were our drinks (it was Mother's Day for heaven's sakes...not just "water with lemon please" on this day! (-:). William had the strawberry banana smoothie, Livia had regular lemonade and I had mint lemonade, yes, with a huge amount of mint leaves ground right into the drink. Delightful! You know, even though I basically took my own self out for Mother's Day, it was one of the nicest still. We all enjoyed the meal and conversation a lot! 💜

And Even Before That: Easter!

Yeah...now I'm pushing it, I get it. It's just that I recently discovered these on a different camera phone where the Easter Bunny must have been getting artsy at like 12:05a.m. after hiding eggs or something. Haha! I thought they were kinda pretty and was going to throw them back into the Easter post but then...here they are.

Chow!