April 2009 Archives

I might talk about my plants a lot, but it's only because I'm so impressed with how great they look with almost no effort on my part. The yarn, on the other hard, doesn't knit itself.

Since my husband conveniently told his sister that I had already finished a gift for her new baby, I reeeeally need to get knitting. I decided on Little Sister's Dress, along with a coordinating set of bloomers and an embellished onesie in a cute polka-dotted fabric.

Wish me speedy knitting!

Since I forgot to take a picture of my progress on the red baby dress I started knitting on Sunday (that's the red yarn with my coffee & computer in the last post), I am distracting you with a picture of this flower.

Ooooh... pretty.

Actually, I'm looking for some advice. I planted several these flowers either last fall or the fall before. They seem to be doing really well this spring and I was wondering if you think I can divide them? They seem to be growing in clumps and I would like to just split each plant and replant half in another place, so I can have twice the number of plants!

Oh - it's called a Golden Ragwort in case you were wondering.

I found time for a quiet bit of knitting, coffee, and blog-reading this morning before church. I've got the back patio door open and I'm enjoying the cool morning breeze and the birds chirping. (Seriously, they're going crazy out there.)

I hope you find some time today for relaxing and quiet reflection.

Until it gets disgustingly hot and humid, this is pretty much where I'll be right after work all summer... checking email, enjoying a tasty beverage, and trying not to get barbeque sauce on my pretty white computer.

Tonight I'm headed to the first of many Springfield Cardinals games this summer (we bought quarter-season tickets). Matt has a meeting to go to, so I'm going by myself, but we have tickets near some friends, so I'm just going to pack a bit of knitting and head for the ballpark. The weather is absolutely perfect tonight, so how bad could it really be?

First of all, thank you soooo much for commenting yesterday.  It is wonderful to know that I'm not just writing this for my mom (although I'm happy to have her as a regular reader and commenter!)  I am looking forward to visiting all your blogs and getting to know you better.

Between Earth Day today, and Arbor Day on Friday, I was inspired to plant a new tree this week. I decided that an addition to the shade garden was in order.

An addition to the shade garden
Originally uploaded by kerner

After 2 more summers, it's looking great (and I predict this will be the year of the hosta explosion), but it's lacking a little... height.

Serviceberry Shrub
Originally uploaded by kerner

Enter the Serviceberry. (See it there with the white flowers?) Grow Native describes it as a "Tall shrub or small tree bearing clusters of fragrant white flowers in April. Flowers give rise to very flavorful, purple-black, berrylike fruits relished by both songbirds and people. This lovely tree has colorful fall foliage in a blend of orange, gold, red and green and is a Plants of Merit winner."

Sounds pretty good, right? I'm excited to see how it turns out. We've had really good with the native plants - they are perfect for low-maintenance gardeners like us. I just need to remember to water it a few times so it can get established, hopefully before it gets too hot.

I felt like I was representing happy hippies everywhere as I drove this native tree home from the nursery in my Honda, with the branches sticking out the back window!  Happy Earth Day, everyone.

Hey dudes... I'm feeling a little lonely in blogland lately. if you're a regular reader, or even if you're not, would you mind leaving a comment just to let me know you're out there? Thanks!

Hmm... I don't remember planting anything pink!

Oh, that would be the redbud blooms. Oopsie.

My garden is still mostly bare, but there are some signs of life along the back row. (I'm holding off on the fun stuff, like tomatoes, peppers, and beans, until the last chance of frost has passed.)

Pea tendrils
Originally uploaded by kerner

The peas are still doing great. This week they shot out the little tendrils that will hopefully help them climb up my makeshift trellis.

Is that lettuce?
Originally uploaded by kerner

Last but not least, I think some lettuce finally sprouted from the seeds that I haphazardly threw into the garden and pressed into the ground about 3-4 weeks ago. On the other hand, it could be a weed. Who knows?

Life can change so quickly.  I had a huge reminder of that this weekend as I went back to my hometown to attend the funeral of the father one of my best high school friends.  Branden's dad was killed last Wednesday when he accidentally fell beneath the wheels of a construction trailer, working on a highway construction project north of Springfield.

Lance was such a good guy.  He was so patient with his kids (and their friends!) when they were growing up.  Even though he looked the part of a gruff construction worker, he was sweetest Grandpa that anyone could ever want to his 5 grandkids. 

When I heard that he had passed away, I was completely shocked.  I can't think of anyone else I knew that well who had died in such a sudden, tragic way.  Of course it's always terrible when loved ones die, but to have it be so completely unexpected really struck me. 

I simply can not fathom what it is like to lose a parent, and I have been breaking into tears every time I think about what Branden and his sister are going through right now.  I can't even begin to comprehend how Branden's mom is holding up.  Luckily her kids are with her (Branden flew home from his military service in Afghanistan) and her sister and brother live nearby.  

There really is no way for me to express the sadness that was in that room during the funeral on Saturday, but I do know that Branden's family has the comfort of knowing that Lance was a strong Christan man.  I loved the pastor's description of Lance as Jesus' crane operator, helping Him build a place for the rest of the family in heaven. 

Regardless of your beliefs, or whether you know this family, this is a reminder that life can change in an instant. Hug your kids. Call your dad and tell him you love him.  Spend time with your closest friends.  This is what life is really about. 

Hi all. Just checking in - I've been busy with work... the new airport terminal is opening on May 6, so we're in the midst of all the grand opening ceremonies and parties and such. In total contrast to my boring work-talk, I'll leave you with a cute picture of my dachshund, burrowed in her favorite blankie (Go Tigers!), scratching her head with her back feet. Silly puppy. But I will say that the continuous shooting mode on my new camera is great for taking pictures of my dog (who generally runs away any time I try to take a picture of her).

Here we go... I am being brave and showing you the "before" version of my pantry, complete with overloaded shelves, 2 brooms (and a swiffer?!) and a half-full trash can.

My Pantry - Before
Originally uploaded by kerner

And ... AFTER! 

My Pantry - After
Originally uploaded by kerner

Improvements include:

-Getting rid of some old stuff that was never going to be eaten (canned chicken from 2003, anyone?)

-New trash can that the dog cannot get into (hooray!)

-Moving all but one broom to the garage

-Two sets of sliding wire drawers on the top shelf, for dry goods like rice, bean, and pasta.  (I recently discovered that I can take these containers to the health food store, have them weighed, and refill them out of the bulk bins.  Nifty, eh?)

-Found a bunch of weird ingredients that I am determined to either use up, donate, or toss.  

Random stuff I found in the pantry
Originally uploaded by kerner

Tomorrow night, I'm thinking stir fry with the rice noodles and maybe some veggie sushi.  (See the wasabi paste and the seaweed sheets?) 

Any ideas about the truffle? 

It seems like it's fairly common to have cool weather for Easter in the Ozarks, but yesterday was downright nasty. Heavy rain, strong winds, and about 40 degrees - not exactly outdoor egg-hunting weather! For the first time that anyone could remember (including back to my dad's childhood, when dinosaurs roamed the earth), we had to improvise with an indoor egg hunt at Grandma's house.

IMG_0296
Originally uploaded by kerner

Luckily, we only have 2 in the family that are young enough to be egg-hunters at the moment, otherwise the tight corners of Grandma's house could have gotten pretty chaotic.

IMG_0320
Originally uploaded by kerner

The Easter-egg girls also got presents from Grandma.  (Something about stuffed animals that you can play with on the internet? That was a new one to me. I am so out of the loop on this kids' stuff.)  They also got a little something from cousin Zarah!

Bunny brothers
Originally uploaded by kerner

Bunnies!
(My April CRAFT-Along 2009 project -- Best Bunny pattern from the Purl Bee.)

There's nothing like some quality time with girls that have known you forever to ground you when you haven't been feeling like yourself.  My sister drove in after work on Wednesday afternoon, which was quite a treat to have her for such a long weekend.  After a truly epic travel journey, my friend Leslie (and her mom/chauffeur, after she was diverted to an airport 3 hours away) showed up on Thursday afternoon.  I took that afternoon and Friday off work to enjoy the company and the beautiful spring weather.

Hi Baby!
Originally uploaded by kerner

Oh course... you have to teach the baby a few words: "Preposterous!"

Relaxation
Originally uploaded by kerner

Read/relax in the warm sun...

We luves the baby!
Originally uploaded by kerner

Give the baby hugs...

IMG_0262
Originally uploaded by kerner

Make some cutie patootie dish towels with my sister's awesome sewing machine that sews squiggles...

Flying Dachshund Attack!
Originally uploaded by kerner

And of course, what weekend would be complete without a Flying Dachshund Attack?