Lovely

My friend Danielle posted "A Little Bit of Lovely" earlier this week. Check out her beautiful hydrangeas.

I decided to follow suit and share my roses that are climbing the trellis out front.

As soon as I brought them in the dining room smelled so wonderfully fragrant.

And though they aren't fancy, I just love my petunias. They make my deck look so colorful.

Natalia's Shadow

...also known as ADAM, is determined to do E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. his big sister does.




This has given his mother more than her share of gray hair.

Yet he is his own little person, more serious and sensitive than Natalia was at this age. He is quick to snuggle and give hugs to his favorite people. He loves books. He is mischievous, playful, determined, and curious. He is all about barnyard animals, especially horses. He loves to find sticks in the yard, play in the dirt, kick and throw balls, and RUN! (I think he has inherited his father's need for speed. Who knows? Maybe he'll beat his daddy's track records.)




And he loves his big sister. They are quite the pair. :-)

Grunt Work

My biggest project this past month was creating a new 8' x 12' flowerbed in our backyard. I use the word "our" loosely, as I've mentioned before that all of the grass/yard in our neighborhood is considered common area...no fences. Not so nice if your children are wanderers, but nice because we don't have to mow. Not so nice if you have ugly utilities right behind you, but nice if your association will let you make a pretty flowerbed to disguise said ugly utilities. (AND agree to pay for the topsoil, edging materials, and mushroom soil mulch!)


First I needed a plan. (Those of you who know me well won't be surprised that this was my favorite part. Any excuse to draw a diagram and make a list--I'm a happy girl!)


Now, I'm a novice gardener. So I also needed a good resource to help me figure out the kind of plants that would do well in full morning sun, partial/full afternoon shade, heat zone 5/6.



A couple of weeks ago I was perusing online and found this.




PERENNIALS FOR EVERY PURPOSE by Larry Hodgson



I can't say enough about this book. I found it in the used books section on amazon.com, in new condition, and I think I paid $12 with S&H. It had the information I needed, was straighforward and organized, and the author didn't shy away from saying things like, "this plant is commonly pushed in your box stores, and it has some merits, but it'll completely invade your space, so just beware." And at 502 pages this book will be something I pull out often, especially during those long winter months when I need some inspiration.



Because this project was my baby and not my hubby's, I was the "grunt". (He has had plenty else on his plate.) This meant using the claw of a hammer to remove the grass (no digging because of buried lines), corraling my youngest in a playyard when he wasn't napping, keeping my 4 yr. old from digging up everyone else's grass, muscling 50 (40 lb.) bags of topsoil, and attempting to keep the sweat out of my eyes. It was...an undertaking.



In keeping with my thrifty heritage I was delighted by friends and neighbors who shared plants with me, and by the wonderfully low prices at a local plant sale Memorial weekend. After reimbursement I will have only paid for the plants--a whoppin' $35. Not too shabby!



BEFORE:


AFTER:

(I planted: Echinacea, Shasta Daisies, Rudbeckia, Russian Sage, Liriope, Old-fashioned Primrose, Coral Bells, Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass, Maiden Grass, and 2 kinds of Hosta.)




I still need to haul some small river rocks from our neighbor's creek to put around the outside edge.

I'm looking forward to seeing everything fill in and bloom.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to prop up my feet and enjoy a glass of iced coffee.

Extraordinary True Life Stories

I just finished two books recently, both excellent! Funny thing is, they are both true life stories written by granddaughters about their grandmothers, who were both born in the early 1900's. That's where the similarities end though. One was born into an impoverished family in west Texas, the other an aristocratic family in Pyongyang, North Korea.


Still Life With Rice by Helie Lee

This one was full of surprises. It came recommended by my friend Lynn, who said she especially enjoyed it since she and her family recently lived in South Korea for a year.

It starts off with granddaughter Helie, living life much like any other young adult in America, but being at odds with her Korean mother and grandmother and their inquiries into what she is doing with her life. She decides to take a sojourn to the place where her family originated, in hopes of finding her purpose.

The rest of the book is her grandmother's life story. Here is a sample from the dustjacket:

"Born in 1912--"the year of the rat"--to aristocratic parents, Hongyong Baek came of age in a unified but socially repressive Korea, where she learned the roles that had been prescribed for her: obedient daughter, demure wife, efficient household manager. Ripped from her home first during the Japanese occupation and again during the bloody civil war that divided her country, Hongyong fought to save her family by drawing from her own talents and values."

What was such a pleasant surprise in the midst of this secular novel was the story of how Hongyong, her husband, and her children became believers of Jesus Christ, and how they persevered in their faith despite the horrendousness of wartime.

An utterly fascinating and beautifully written memoir.


Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls

This is one of those books that you know is a true life story, yet throughout you keep uttering, "seriously?!" because it's fantastical. And I don't mean in a ridiculous sense, but in that this woman's story is incredible!

Maybe our generation has life too easy. (Okay, so I know that's true.)

This is the story of Lily Casey Smith, born in 1901. A no-nonsense kind of gal growing up in west Texas. She spends the first 10 years of her life living in a dugout. At age 6 she is helping her disabled father break horses. At 15 she makes a solo journey on horseback to a teaching assignment 500 miles away. Drought, flash floods, tornadoes, the Great Depression--hardship follows her throughout life, but her pluck and ability to made do through the most challenges circumstances is inspiring, and she does so with a wonderful sense of humor.

Summertime

Taking a manditory break from the scorching sun.

It's practically torture in her eyes.

This is her idea of "smiling for the camera".

Perfect For Your Next Cookout--Macaroni Salad

This has become a staple for any meal involving burgers in our household. Easy to make, great when you want to make a dish a day ahead to save time, and oh so delicious.

Macaroni Salad
(modified from "Amish Macaroni Salad" on allrecipes.com)

2 c. (scant) uncooked elbow pasta
2 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. prepared yellow mustard
2 1/4 tsp. vinegar
3/4 tsp. celery seed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 hardboiled eggs, chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 sm. red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 dill pickle, minced (or 2 Tbsp. dill pickle relish)



1. Cook macaroni in salted water for 8-10 minutes. Drain and rinse. Set aside to cool.
2. In large bowl combine the dressing ingredients, then add the vegetables and egg. Toss gently. Then fold in the macaroni.
3. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving, if possible overnight. The macaroni soaks up some of the dressing and has better flavor the day after it is prepared.


Makes 8-10 servings.

Enjoy!

MIA?

You may be wondering where I've been.


I'm wondering where the month of May went.


All is well here in the Winkler household. I've just been in overdrive, doing the dailies while tackling a couple of projects (that's a whole separate post), chasing the kids, and holding down the fort while Hubby is finishing out the school year and knocking out 2 graduate work classes. Come on June 11th!


Those of you experiencing twinges of jealousy just now thinking teachers have it easy (with summers off) have, with all due respect, no idea. Thankfully it looks like Pete will have a steady income this summer, sweatin' it out on the construction site. It's been 11 years since he last built houses. I'm confident he'll do fine but am stocking up on aftersun lotion and IcyHot.


One major change this past month, (to us it's been major), is that Natalia is now officially pottytrained! WOO HOO!


One day she woke up and decided that being a big girl had its benefits. We knew she could do it all along (she was successful when we first started), hence the frustration of the last 10 months. I think it may have also been to teach me more about forbearance, perseverance, faith and hope...


I just finished two books, both excellent! Funny thing is, they are both true life stories written by granddaughters, about their grandmothers, who were born in the early 1900's. That's where the similarities end though. My reviews will be posted shortly.


I've also been planning our 10th wedding anniversary weekend. We would have loved to travel internationally, but due to a number of factors we're staying semi-local, farming out the kids to the grandparents, and taking a daytrip to Washington, DC.


And, I've been trying some new recipes. I'll post a few of my favorites soon too.


That's about it for this newsy post. Check in with me again tomorrow.