Just finished

Picked it up Friday from the library. I'd checked it out once before but didn't have time to read it before it was due. Flew through it in 3 days this time. Great book, one of those books that makes you sad when it's over. Apparently there is a movie coming out later this summer - it's also one of those kind of books that makes me not really sure I'd want to see it as a movie because it's likely to not be as good.

$4

I got this inflatable kiddy pool the summer that Alex turned 2. It was on clearance at KMart for $4. The top yellow ring has a slow leak but it still works perfectly fine. I'd say we've gotten our $4 worth out of it!

The top picture is what you get after a full day of bike rides, hiking, backyard goofiness including the pool, golf clubs and disc golf with hula hoops.

Saturday hiking

We went over to Brown Bridge quiet area Saturday afternoon. It was Charlie's first hiking adventure and his first experience with water. The kids desperately wanted him to come in the water with them but it was just windy enough to generate little waves and the waves made him nervous. After walking for a while he did get hot enough to just flop down right in the little stream on the beach! So he doesn't mind getting wet.

Alex and Maya found minnows and rocks, strange bugs and we saw a swan family and a pretty big fish jump. Charlie seemed to like exploring and he managed to climb up about half the stairs on the way back up the hill!

The face of summer

A little bit of dirt, a lot of strawberry juice, messy hair and a big smile!

Can't believe I missed this one

I've read quite a few of McPhee's books, especially the pre-1990 ones. I don't know how I missed this one, we even own a copy (it's Ben's). I've been reading it a bit here and there, mostly at work. It's been a while since I've read one of his books and I had forgotten how much I like his writing. It might be time to revisit a few favorites and tackle some of those post 1990 books!

Get use to it...more Charlie pictures

Things found in the kid's laundry today:

-2 quarters

-a blue Lego light saber

-a flowered button

-a partially filled water balloon. (yes it made it through the washer and dryer before I found it)

.....reading

Over the past few days I've been reading this one. I've also read "Snowflower and the Secret Fan" and "Shanghai Girls" by Lisa See. I think I liked "Shanghai Girls" the best of these. (I haven't read "Peony in Love").

I really liked the chapters about Pearl and it was worth reading to get closure for her after "Shanghai Girls" but Joy as a character irritates me.

The history was fascinating but really bleak and depressing.

Quick read, I will admit to some skimming towards the end not because it was boring but either because I couldn't take Joy anymore or because it was disturbing to me to read some of the details involving babies and children and the famine.

reading,

My mom gave this to me for Christmas and I just got that far down in my stack of reading a few weeks ago.

True crime isn't usually a genre I read a lot of, especially serial killer stories. Non-fiction pertaining to history however is something I like to read and this book has such an interesting combination of both.

Parts are quite creepy but it's not over done or sensationalized so it worked for me.

I loved it, couldn't put it down towards then end and finished it within the week.

I am on the waiting list at the library for his new book about Hitler's Berlin.

Reading,

This is book 5 in the "Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel" series by Michael Scott.

I really liked books 1 and 2 but then by book 3 was ready for a conclusion. So 3 and 4 where kind of "eh". The only reason I kept reading is because at that point I had invested all the time in the characters and did want to know what happened. I think there was a fair amount of skimming going on.

Book 5 was much better, there was enough of a twist at the end (not shocking but still a twist) to really get my interest again enough so that I was only mildly irritated that of course there is a book 6. Supposedly 6 is the final.

Michael Scott is an expert on folklore and mythology and these books would mostly appeal to those who have an interest in that sort of thing. They are young adult fiction so they are a quick and easy read.

How does your garden grow?

We've certainly had enough rain lately to get things growing. I think they would like a little more sunlight though! Every year I try to keep good records of what I plant where and if it does well or not so I can plan better the next year. This year I thought why not take pictures and some notes here as well to fill in the gaps that I forget to write in my notebook.I planted a handful of tomato varieties in the back this year, a little over a row worth. Most of the plants are like this one right now, tall and spindly but filling in a little. This particular one has one little tomato already.
The front row in the backyard is half acorn squash and half butternut squash. I noticed a few little spots of what looks like powdery mildew on some of the leaves today so I am going to have to get something to treat them with.
The chives came back wonderfully on their own this year. The rosemary I had to replace but I think it's unusual for it to come back in our area.
This is the only other tomato plant with blossom buds starting yet.
Basil in the left pot (with some leftover marigolds) and the chocolate mint on the right came back nicely from last year. This year I think I am going to dehydrate some of the leaves.
The left pot is half cilantro and half flat leaf parsley. Since I've had such bad luck in the past with doing greens from seed in the ground, this year I got some starts and did them in pots instead. They are doing great and we've been eating off them for a while now.
The last pot has dill in with the greens. I think I should have done a whole pot of just dill.
Moving up to the front: I planted brussel sprouts this year. I've never grown them before. The plants seem to be doing well but I really don't know how they are suppose to look at this point!
Last year the things we planted around the teepee did not do well. This year we are having a lot more success. We have some hops, peas, pole beans and morning glories.
Second row of the front garden is bush beans, a zebra (purple and white) variety. No buds yet.
Sharing the front row with the brussel sprouts are the pickling cukes. Also noticing some powdery mildew spots up there.
Third row green bush beans. Buds and a few flowers already.
The peas and pole beans are really taking off this year and have already outgrown the trellis I built. I need to add some more levels. The pole beans are an heirloom purple variety and they don't have any buds yet. The peas are starting to bud.

I have some buttercup squash in the back that is flowering and a couple summer squash that actually have little squash on them already. Both have mildew spots on a few leaves.
And in the back corner we've got our pumpkins. Lots of flowers this year. Last year we had flowers too but they didn't get pollinated. There is some mildew here too.

Last year wasn't a great garden year. We got primarily beans, peas and tomatoes and that's it. I have high hopes for this year!