My kitchen cupboards are in desperate need of a good clean out and the timing is perfect since our counter tops are done. So far I've found four (4) cans of tomatoes with green chilies and two cans of black beans, with no one remembering what recipe these and other mystery ingredients were … [Read more...]
Shore Birds on Lake Michigan Fall 2016
We camped by Muskegon in September where gulls and shorebirds were in and out of the water, swimming and walking and flying, busy searching for food. Gulls are smart and wait for people to discard pretzels that fall on the sand. This guy was persistent! (Yes, we gave him and his friends … [Read more...]
4 Myths About Fall Clean Up
There are all sorts of myths about fall clean up. Myth #1. You feel so good when everything is done. Nope. I'm a bit sore and a little miffed I missed the Lions win to clean the garage. Myth #2. Everything looks so much better when it's done. Well, maybe. Some of it anyway. The garage … [Read more...]
A Pleasant Experience with Kuhn Rikon Ratchet Pepper Mill
Our friend Loren gave Dave and me a set of salt and pepper grinders a few years ago. These are a neat design, easy to use, small and see through plastic to easily note when refills are necessary. The handle goes back and forth, easy enough to use one-handed. Our pepper mill broke. A piece … [Read more...]
Garden Updates this Fall: Hope for a Glorious Garden in 2017!
My Sweet Williams were beautiful this summer. This early June photo shows rose, pink, purple, red, white and bicolor flowers all spilling over on tall plants perfect for picking. I love Sweet Williams and planted two big beds, one in the main perennial garden and one in the back strip along … [Read more...]
Changes in the Garden – What Didn’t Work in 2016
This spring I changed one garden bed, moving peonies (aka attempting to move peony roots almost two feet square) and planting more summer-blooming gold/red perennials together in the now-open space. We purchased several plants both locally and mail order and I had high hopes they would thrive … [Read more...]
The Blue Flowers of Fall
Have you noticed how few flowers are blue? Purple yes, but true blue is hard to find. In spring we have small bulbs like muscari and hyacinth; summer brings delphiniums and bluebells. And in the fall we have beautiful asters and one of my favorites, eupatorium Wayside. I used to bike all … [Read more...]
Garden 2016 Winner – Butterfly Weed
For some reason I've avoided butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberosa and never planted it until we moved here and have a garden that's sunny all day. Butterfly weed is in the milkweed family and butterflies and bees love it. I have two plants growing between peonies, dark purple salvia and … [Read more...]
All For A New Disposal – New Kitchen Floor and Lights
It all started because we wanted a disposal. When we moved here 5 years ago we decided to add a disposal in the kitchen. Problem was, the counter tops were already cracked and we knew a disposal would make the cracks wider. So no disposal. Instead we wrap food waste in newspaper or use a bowl … [Read more...]
Glads from the Farmers’ Market – Beautiful Colors!
Dave got me a bouquet of glads at the Farmers' Market that is beautiful, full of colors and pretty shapes. Aren't these magnificent? I grow peonies, iris, zinnias and cosmos for picking but not glads. They aren't all that difficult, but it seems silly to use limited space for flowers that we … [Read more...]