not so yum...

not so yum..., a photo by credd on Flickr.

i love popcorn...
and when i saw this new 'homestyle' popcorn by jolly time...
i decided to give it a try.

i'm glad it was on sale...
though i still think i was ripped off.

why?
i don't think it's either homestyle or yum.

jolly time needs to buy a few bags of the other homestyle popcorn...
and then send their people back into the lab...
cause they've got a bit more work to do.

i think i was more excited by the design & shape of the bag than what was inside it.

i coulda had a v8. :)

homegrown tomatillo...

homegrown tomatillo..., a photo by credd on Flickr.

yep...
i've got a little bit of everything in my garden.

this is my first tomatillo.

i've never even bought a tomatillo before...
but when i saw the plant...
i couldn't resist.

i picked this one this morning...
and am looking forward to making salsa verde.

peas in a pod...

peas in a pod..., a photo by credd on Flickr.

i planted these from seeds...
and they've been doing quite well.

i only have a couple of pea pods right now.
this was the first one i saw...
but now there are others.

i think i may plant a few more seeds tomorrow...
because harvesting one pod a week just won't do.

glad...

glad..., a photo by credd on Flickr.

part of the spring bulb pot that i planted last year.

its wonderful to see everything coming back this year...
as well as seeing all of the bulbs that i planted in the fall in bloom.

i'm really enjoying my garden this year...
and all the new plants we're growing.

we added a raised garden bed yesterday.
i'll be putting some starters i have into it this weekend.

of course...
there will be photos.

rise...

rise..., a photo by credd on Flickr.

by planet horticulture.
one of the gardens at cornerstone sonoma.

you walk thru a tunnel...
and there are a variety of flowers and textures...
in the space.

the tunnel is filled with gravel...
and i always like to practice my tap dancing when inside it.

*note...
i am not a tap dancer...
but it always sounds like i could be...
when i'm in there.

***

Rise is a celebration of color, texture, diversity, light, space and life. The plantings and landform, modeled on a natural landscape, are exaggerated to enhance the sense of separation from reality. Likewise the pipe exaggerates the sense of transition from one world into another.

gonna grow some eggplant...

gonna grow some eggplant..., a photo by credd on Flickr.

so...
this morning i was on twitter...
talking about gardening.

this afternoon...
i was at lowes to get a couple of items for my garden.

my peas needed something taller to climb on...
and i wanted some more labels for my plants.

anywho...
we start looking around...
and then we ask about planter boxes.

well...
lo and behold...
they still have some.

mind you...
i've already got an 80' by 3' space that i'm growing in.
so...
i really don't need more.

well...
since we picked out the raised bed with the trellis...
i bought a few more plants.

when all these veggies start producing...
i'm gonna be one busy woman...
trying to can all this stuff.

roses are red & buggy...

roses are red..., a photo by credd on Flickr.

these are roses in my garden.
they grow in clusters.
this is a photo of two clusters...
with my fence as the background.

they LOOK beautiful...
yes?

well...
they're full of pincher bugs!!!

i cut two bouquets...
put them in a vase...
and all of a sudden...
i start seeing pincher bugs.

luckily i hadn't taken them into the house...
and was doing all of this in the backyard.

i discovered a solution on ehow that i'm going to try tonight.
wish me luck.

hydrangea...

hydrangea..., a photo by credd on Flickr.

now that the weather has changed...
and the sun is shining...
the plants in my garden have taken off!!!

as i was watering everything this morning...
i noticed that all them seemed to be standing a bit taller this weekend.

my hydrangea plants have all had blooms for a few weeks...
but they growing & changing colors...
until now.

this cutting was taken from my smallest plant.
i have three in all.
and have had them all for a number of years.

the plant that i've had the longest is now over three feet tall...
and just as wide.
when i initially purchased it...
it might have been six inches in height.

i guess they like their location.
i know that i enjoy seeing their flowers each year.

teacher...

teacher..., a photo by credd on Flickr.

today...
we spent the day at church in san jose.

mrchazman facilitated a painting class.
i was his assistant.

my assistant duties:
- distributing the painting supplies...
- filling their trays with paints...
- bringing paper towels for spills & cleanups when needed...
- ooh'ing and ah'ing over what the students were doing...
- and taking photos of their progress.

there were 8 students today.
this was the second class he's taught...
and they're already planning the third.

***

mrchazman filling his palette tray

class introductions

works in progress

keep the change...

keep the change..., a photo by credd on Flickr.

i tend to collect a LOT of change.

i have 3 or 4 coin purses...
and i can always find a couple of dollars worth in the bottom of my purse.

ms. piggy will now help me keep track of it all.

i'll give her all of my change each day...
and see how much i have at the end of the year.


***

when my daughter was around 8 or 9...
she asked her dad if she could have his change.
he said that she could...
and everyday when he came home from work...
she'd come into our room to collect it.

one summer...
she made her own coin wrappers...
and wrapped all of her accumulated wealth.

when i took her to the bank...
she had over $80.

she's still pretty savvy in the finance department...
and i've learned a lot from her about budgeting.

box appetit...

box appetit..., a photo by credd on Flickr.

a few weeks ago...
when i asked my daughter want she wanted for her birthday...
this was on her list.

when i saw it...
i wanted one too.

i bought one for her.
she bought one for me.

i love it!!!

***

the box...
A revolutionary new lunch box. More like a ceramic bowl than your standard food container and with better functionality. The ‘glass like’ lid locks to the body for a water tight seal and has an ingenious sauce dipping area (good for sushi lovers). A sauce pot is ideal for salad dressing (or ketchup), so you can dress your salad just before you eat it. An inner dish allows you to split different foods so you can microwave a hot dish, but keep other foods cold. We have also included a fork / knife for easy one handed eating.

made from polypropylene and copolyester(BPA free)
includes sauce pot, inner dish and fork
microwave and dishwasher safe

the bag...
Carry the box appetit lunch box in style. The bag also has room for a drink and a piece of fruit. Then pull the bag open to create a mini blanket to sit in a park or use it as a place mat on your desk (the bag is waterproof, so any spillages can easily be wiped clean).

blue skies...

blue skies..., originally uploaded by credd.

view from my office window.

this is mt. diablo.

yes...
it was sunny when i took the photo.
but a half hour prior to that...
the sky was DARK grey...
and no clouds were visible.

the forecast is for rain, thunderstorms & hail...
for the next few days.

hopefully we'll continue to at least have a bit of sun each day...
especially since i'm on vacation.