Things I forgot I enjoy....
I found my wafflemaker while cleaning the house for visiting friends... I have been eating waffles pretty much every day. Waffles are amazing.
Also? Fall planting. I've been in Chicago for fall plantings the past three years, so I really haven't had a chance to get a handle on my yard. Sure, I could work on it in the summers, but it's just not NICE to be out in the summer sun. The fall sun makes me domestic, and with the current streak of AMAZING weather in Portland, I've been feeling like getting stuff taken care of.
Last week I edged the front strip (my yard now has a better bikini line than i do) and got it prepared for our new street trees (friendsoftrees.org FTW), then today I stopped by the nursery and picked up two dwarf escallonia to replace the one that the dogs have smashed to shit in front of the porch. Three plants was a little thin there anyway, so I'll try four. I accidentally dug up a bunch of mystery bulbs, so if anyone wants some, give a shoutout. They were packed way too close and needed to be separated. I suspect that they are bluebells, but no promises, mmnkay?
I also got a couple more lavender to fill in the border by the shop. My compost finally finished composting, so I'm trying to improve the soil out there (wtf is in there? motor oil? lots of gravel and some mystery black goo. UGH. It kills rosemary, but the lavender seems to handle it. I feel about lavender like I do about pokemon, so I have every variety I've been able to get my hands on back there. It helps cover up the smell of dog poo. Two dogs make LOTS more poo than one dog does.
In dog-related news, the horrid puppy is turning into a dreadful little dog. She's almost six months old, and has decided to go aggro on everyone. It's really embarrassing. I don't THINK she'd hurt anyone, but she's definitely growling, barking and snapping. Even at people she knows. So I don't know what to do about that. I mean, I tell her no, and she doesn't do it with me, but I'm about the only person she DOESN'T go apeshit on. I don't know what sets her off- it doesnt' seem to be anything consistent (you know, like "my dog doesn't like men in hats"). So I can't tell who she's going to hate on. I suspect she's going straight to the behaviorist as soon as I get a real job that makes actual cash.
Final yard news, I got a catnip plant on sale for $1. I figure that's as much as I want to spend on it. It's a mint. That's basically like saying "it's one of the gang rapists of the plant universe." I have put it in the back corner of the yard where the blackberries are trying to grow. One of them will kill the other, and until then, it's Mortal Kombat: Plant Edition. Both cats and the puppy love some catnip, too, so I may just find its little half-chewed corpse lying in the yard some morning. We shall see.
Still. It feels all nesty and good to be doing things for the house again. Instead of like a giant chore and a millstone. Yay.
Also? Fall planting. I've been in Chicago for fall plantings the past three years, so I really haven't had a chance to get a handle on my yard. Sure, I could work on it in the summers, but it's just not NICE to be out in the summer sun. The fall sun makes me domestic, and with the current streak of AMAZING weather in Portland, I've been feeling like getting stuff taken care of.
Last week I edged the front strip (my yard now has a better bikini line than i do) and got it prepared for our new street trees (friendsoftrees.org FTW), then today I stopped by the nursery and picked up two dwarf escallonia to replace the one that the dogs have smashed to shit in front of the porch. Three plants was a little thin there anyway, so I'll try four. I accidentally dug up a bunch of mystery bulbs, so if anyone wants some, give a shoutout. They were packed way too close and needed to be separated. I suspect that they are bluebells, but no promises, mmnkay?
I also got a couple more lavender to fill in the border by the shop. My compost finally finished composting, so I'm trying to improve the soil out there (wtf is in there? motor oil? lots of gravel and some mystery black goo. UGH. It kills rosemary, but the lavender seems to handle it. I feel about lavender like I do about pokemon, so I have every variety I've been able to get my hands on back there. It helps cover up the smell of dog poo. Two dogs make LOTS more poo than one dog does.
In dog-related news, the horrid puppy is turning into a dreadful little dog. She's almost six months old, and has decided to go aggro on everyone. It's really embarrassing. I don't THINK she'd hurt anyone, but she's definitely growling, barking and snapping. Even at people she knows. So I don't know what to do about that. I mean, I tell her no, and she doesn't do it with me, but I'm about the only person she DOESN'T go apeshit on. I don't know what sets her off- it doesnt' seem to be anything consistent (you know, like "my dog doesn't like men in hats"). So I can't tell who she's going to hate on. I suspect she's going straight to the behaviorist as soon as I get a real job that makes actual cash.
Final yard news, I got a catnip plant on sale for $1. I figure that's as much as I want to spend on it. It's a mint. That's basically like saying "it's one of the gang rapists of the plant universe." I have put it in the back corner of the yard where the blackberries are trying to grow. One of them will kill the other, and until then, it's Mortal Kombat: Plant Edition. Both cats and the puppy love some catnip, too, so I may just find its little half-chewed corpse lying in the yard some morning. We shall see.
Still. It feels all nesty and good to be doing things for the house again. Instead of like a giant chore and a millstone. Yay.