Ok, if I'm honest with myself, I actually have 3 addictions. One is lip balm. I have them stashed all over (one in the kitchen, computer room, by my sewing machine, one in my purse, car and desk at work). If I find myself without it, for whatever strange strange reason, I start to get anxious and my lips feel dry and I'm a bit grumpy. Indeed a bit of a pickle. The lip balm I always knew about, it's been going on for years now, but this week I've come to the conclusion that I do indeed have a plant addiction.
I have too many, yet I found myself buying more this week. 4 to be exact. One was a new African violet, a red one. But that wasn't even the purpose of the trip to the green house! It was to get some succulents and see if I could grow them as I love them, and a recent conversation and visit to Australia to visit with my friend Christine Danger who has many succulents, made me jealous. So I had to have some. The result is two new succulents.
But that wasn't all....A few days earlier, Melissa had told us she came across a pitcher plant. A carnivorous plant that traps bugs in it's pitcher and digests them. It gets hardly and nutrients from the soil, only from the bugs! Amazing! Apparently they are very tricky to keep alive but it sure is neat and so far (day 5) so good!
And so that leads to my third addiction: fabric. I started to sew this past weekend for the first time in a couple months (I've been too busy with all my plants!) It wasn't a spectacular day of sewing, just a start on my ugly camping quilt. We are finally going to go camping on Aug. long weekend, perhaps our only time this summer as the weather has been crap. At least we are heading south a bit to Montana and if all else fails I will hid under my double fleece ugly quilt and be warm!
On Monday in the afternoon, the sky went black, street lights came on and for 30 minutes we got golf ball sized hail, severe winds and lots of rain. Not a good day to leave your car window open, oh say, two inches (it was so bad there was no way I was going out to close it). I was at work hoping our ghetto building remained standing and Melissa, Gord's sister was at home and took these pictures. Lots of people in the city had their car windshields smashed out but the only damage we got was to our hard worked garden. Many plants were destroyed but some did okay.
Out our front window
Our neighbors roof
Our back deck
Today however the weather was beautiful! After a lovely walk with my Gord, I made chocolate fudge brownie cookies with peanut butter centres with butter cream icing on top. Bring on the diabetes! The good news is that most are headed to work with Gord and only have 5 in the fridge to arm wrestle for...or is that bad news....
Last week Anthony and I spent the morning together as he was off school and summer camps hadn't started. We made s'more cake. Under all that graham cracker, chocolate chunks and marshmallow is a chocolate cake. It was a bit much for me, but fun to bake! Anthony is starting to know his way around a recipe and each time we bake he needs less help and is starting to know the measurements, it's really fun to watch him learn:)
We also tackled our garden nemesis - the circle. This things had been covered in weeds since we moved in and it had a large stump that was the home to a lot of biting ants. We've tried several times to make it better but this time we (Gord) were serious. Gord attacked the stump with A LOT of ant killer, then a couple days later used an ax to chop out most of the stump. The ants are still kicking around but they seems to know who's in charge now and we ended up with this! I think it looks kinda old lady-ish but anything is better than what it was!
I haven't felt like sewing anything the past couple of months, I think it will be more of a winter activity, but I have been spending a LOT of time with my plants. I'm up to 36 not including bamboo and cuttings. I think I have a problem. Actually I do have a problem with red spider mites on two of my plants, I think I've killed them off now and I'm hoping that my sad sad weeping ficus tree (think Charlie Brown Christmas) that Gord bought for my birthday can turn it's self around now. Some of my flowering plants are doing great though! My begonia is growing like a weed and seems very happy even though it's flowering, not sure what the issue is but hopefully it sorts itself out soon.
My jasmine plant is also doing well and often has flowers on it that pleasantly stink up the whole sun room! I put a wire hoop in it today and I'm hoping it will grow around it and turn into a wild mess of flowers:)
The most exciting plant news (perhaps I need to get out more...) is that my hoya, given to me as a cutting 4 years ago by a friend's mom, is finally starting to flower! I found this little cluster on one of the 6 foot vines today and another bunch a little further down. These flowers are beauuuuuuutiful and smell very very sweet. I'm so excited to see it finally bloom and watch it grow. I heart plants!!
Below is the back of the quilt. The green part is a foot pouch, yes like a kangaroo. It's super soft and fuzzy on the inside and Gord's feet, which inevitably stick out the bottom of any blanket (and camping is no exception) will stay nice and toasty like a smore on camping nights!
While I have been sewing in the evenings, Gord has been playing Anthony's Indiana Jones video game. I took a picture of him, but I think he might get mad if I post it. If I did, it would say something about him being sooooo cute. More and more each day I feel so lucky to be marrying such a wonderful man!
This will be the next quilt...maybe I will start in a few weeks... I bought the fabric at Christmas time wanting to make one for our room that was kind of Indian colours. I'm not sure if I've quite got it right but we'll see what happens! Any suggestions Chris on a colour to add to help out the situation?!
