Curses! (frivolous interlude)

I am getting tired of Anthropologie. They have these gorgeous sweaters that I totally want and they never go on sale! Who can pay this much for a sweater when you have no idea what the quality is? Or, ever? They are the sweaters of my dreams, and they are so hard to find - they aren't cropped, they have long sleeves and they aren't totally boring. This is why my wardrobe is totally boring. Interesting clothes are either too expensive, or not made in my size. Sigh. Good collar, interesting buttons, green, what else could I ask for? Maybe not being $200!

I am so tired there is no way I will be posting properly tonight. I did a six-hour stint in the yard yesterday and was so tired I had to take a shower sitting down. Today, I cleverly did a four-hour stint in the a.m. before it got hot, and then took a break for lunch and a nap, and then did another two hours in the evening. Not much of a weekend, but I did a number on that yard! Pictures when I've finished fussing over the little picky bits.

Hokey Smokes, Bullwinkle!

I am posting this from my new apple-green lappy. I swear, my life is lived in shades of chartreuse. Further updates once I get this thing all set up (as in, after I get my butt back to work all afternoon, waah). And get the mouse to work.

The REAL most wonderful time of the year.

In Nevada, I think fall is the nicest time of the year. It's still nice and warm in the daytime, and cool and crisp in the evenings, but not too cold to still get some work done in the yard. It'll only be getting colder, so in a belated inspiration from here, these are some of my favorite things about the cooler weather:

• I get to take a break from the yard. I love it, but it is getting too cold to work out there for hours every evening and now I can bust out my sewing machine and start thinking about Xmas presents... (no, I'm not that organized, I only said thinking about).
  

• It's tea weather again. Time to bust out the electric kettle and up my peppermint tea consumption by about 4 cups/day. I only drink peppermint or chamomile at home, and peppermint is my daytime favorite.
  

• Netflix. Need I say more? Ok, cozy blanket, couch, cup of tea, nice movie (probably British, with Matt in the background squealing "Oh Mister Darcy!" in his best Monty Python little old lady voice)
  

• Sweaters and scarves. I love me some woolly knitwear. Summer is nice and all but I never feel fully dressed without a large obnoxious scarf and I have been busting them out again for the first time this past week. I have a HUGE scarf collection and I'm always excited to get to use it!

• More inside time in general. I am a major nester and there are always projects to be done - things to be painted or refinished or something.
  

• Also, winter cooking. Breads, roasted things, stews, warm hearty things that don't require the barbecue. I am a bit of a reluctant Q'er, especially as it gets cooler, I just don't have the patience to babysit a piece of meat when I could just be sticking it in the oven. And my oven is so awesome that I use it all the time (it DOESN'T heat the house up, despite what Matt says, that's why we got a new one and it works great).
  

• Holidays. Soon, but not too soon. I like just thinking about them for now, and making little mental plans and lists for what I am going to make for people.

I will miss the gardening triumphs, but it was COLD this morning. And it is getting dark way earlier already. So I will have to say goodbye soon, but not quite yet...

What is your favorite season, everybody?

Why won't you go in my sidebar?!

So it seems like everyone has a little flickr thing in their sidebar. Not me. However, I just did a little update of my photos on flickr so here they are. I need to take some new garden pictures, hopefully there will be a "Garden - Fall" section in there sometime tomorrow. Until then, it's what I got. I need to do better with organizing my photos (maybe that should be a new resolution? or maybe I'll start with working on not hating my camera because I have no photography skills - it's not the camera's fault all my pictures suck).

All quiet on the ... wait, where am I?

Nothing too exciting of late, but I have to share a couple of gardening triumphs:

1. I made Matt his favorite green-bean based Thai dish for dinner the other night. With green beans I harvested the same day from my own backyard. Verdict: awesome.

2. I found out who is making all the little divots in my planting beds. And I guess it's a triumph for my aim of getting more wildlife into my garden, because it is what seems like a bajillion tiny quail! I wish I could get a picture of them in situ, but they are skittish. I have one bed where nothing is taking off and I might have to go put a couple of supportive rocks around my more wimpy plants, but still, yay quail! Verdict: moderately awesome, plants will just have to cope.This weekend I am trying to get Matt to drive to Nevada City with me, we've got friends down there and it should be a really pretty trip right now. I might also read up on some quail habitat, to see if I can encourage them to stick with other parts of my yard where the plants are less wimpy (although that may be why they like it there, it's not so crowded) and see if there are any good seed-bearing grasses or something I can plant for them to nosh on...

"The majority of their diet in California consists of Filaree, Turkeymullein, Barley, Clover, Lupine, Burclover, Deervetch, Oak, Poison oak, Star thistle and Pigweed." from here. Now I just have to see which of those will survive up here/are not totally nasty. I like wildlife and wildflowers, but I draw the line at planting invasives or stuff I am allergic to.

Too awesome not to share.

Via this lovely lady.

NObody expects the Alaskan politician!

Two short ones before I go.

My husband heard an interview with David Lee Roth after they took away his radio show (he was filling in for Howard Stern for a while), where they asked him if he was angry that they were kicking him off the air. His response was something to the effect of "Normally I would only be up this early if I was paying cabfare for the stripper". Not that I approve of that, but I do appreciate some authenticity. I went to their reunion tour show in Reno and they tear shit up. They do not phone it in and they do not sound the same as they did 20 years ago, but they sound damn good. This is how I want my rock stars to dress. I bet even money that this man does not have a stylist. And I hope I look that good when I am 50. Although maybe not with that haircut.

Also, my mom gave me some of her old Weight Watchers cookbooks and things, so I am trying to give their portion control system a shot. Further updates as events warrant. I don't eat badly, but I do like to snack...

Quick Post: Spotted!

This weekend my parents were here (again, long story) and my dad helped me build three big raised beds (I get to build the fourth on my own, cue ominous music). But the point is, I planted a weedy little salvia this spring and last week I finally moved the viburnum plant that it is overtaking, it's about three feet tall AND wide, if not more. And my parents were over with my sister and the kiddo and we were all having breakfast on my back patio (a triumph in itself considering how my backyard used to be, plus, scones!), and we saw a hummingbird come to the giant salvia! Twice! I wish I had a camera! Hopefully all my new agastaches and purple salvias will mean more hummers next summer! Along with the honeysuckle that I need to convince up my fence... pictures soon! I promise!

QOTD

4. One tomatillo plant is more than enough. They root wherever a branch touches the ground, they climb the asparagus, they hang outside the fence, they topple the zinnias. Like Sarah Palin, they look delicate, but are overweeningly ambitious, given their limited usefulness.

Along with a lot of other great garden advice, from here.