Getting ready for Christmas

It is now less than a week until Christmas and things are finally calming down around here.

Goliath has made a full recovery, but we are taking things slow on the running and playing since he has recently gone off his meds. I think our shopping is finished and now all that is to be done is the wrapping of presents. We had to get a new computer since the old one died a painful and slow death these last few weeks. Luckily, my office offers no-interest computer loans to staff since we would need to work from home from time to time. So we have been moving files and setting up onlne connections the last few days. Add to that the fact that we moved from a PC to a Mac and it gets confusing. It took me almost five minutes to find and open the internet browser.

Now the fun begins. We go to my parent's house on Friday to celebrate my Mom's birthday. On Saturday, we are spending the day at Butterworth North with Matt's family. Back home Sunday for morning and evening Christmas Eve services. And on Christmas Day we go back to my Mom's where my good friend Mary will be joining us since her parents live in Wisconsin. This is the best part of the whole hoopla. I look forward to just spending time with family and friends that we don't get to see very often. Also, it has been wonderful getting cards and seeing pictures of everyone.

Matt is still quite busy with training. He had to swim this morning and I think he needs to run tonight. With him gone, I have had time on my hands since I am on vacation until January; so I keep moving the furniture in the living room. He just looks at me and shakes his head. I told him that I need to get out of the house since it has been just me and Goliath for so long. I am starting to get a little loopy. Maybe I just need a nap.

Anyway, to everyone, have a wonderful Christmas and I hope to write again before the New Year.

Merry Christmas,
Matt, Terry, and Goliath

Goliath's on the injured list

Goliath was injured over the weekend. Sunday night, he went outside and then came in not acting like himself. We did not know if he was just tired since he had not slept much that day, but by 8:00 we knew something was wrong. At first, we thought he had an upset stomach and forced some Pepto-Bismol down his throat. After that, when he could not stop shaking, we took him outside again; but he basically sat in the yard looking sad. We got him inside and I massaged his little belly until he calmed down enough to got to sleep, but he woke us up around 1:00 moaning in pain. It was now time to go the Emergency Vet. They took some x-rays and determined that he was experiencing some spinal pain and that he most likely had some problems with a disc or pinched nerves. He was given a shot for the pain and we had some pills for him to take. He slept for another 3 hours, but then woke up crying in pain. Luckily, our vet was open early and he went in for another exam. By this time, he couldn't walk and he wouldn't eat. They diagnosed him with a swollen disc and gave us detailed instructions about medication and keeping him inactive to help with the healing. After crying my eyes out and praying for him to get better, we went to pick him up and bring him home. He wagged his tail when he saw us, and I felt so much better. Once home, he had regained his appetite and tried to walk. He had some spills, but he could stand, so that was an improvement. We kept a close eye on him all day and he was great about not jumping down or walking too much. He is taking his medication and letting us carry him around without much of a fight. Today, he has to start spending his time alone in a crate so that he can be safe and heal while we are gone. So please keep him in your thoughts and join me in staying positive for his full recovery.

Philadelphia and Thanksgiving

Matt and I had a wonderful time in Philadelphia. If you have never been, I really recommend it if only to see where the Declaration of Independence was signed. Plus, we got to see an original of the Declaration that was handed out to the delegates for reading before it was signed. Also, Walking around in the historic district every day from our bed and breakfast was amazing. We would just look at the buildings and realize many of them are over 200 years old and could have been a stopping place for George Washington or Benjamin Franklin. I got a real sense of history from this place, more than I ever felt in Washington, DC. So go visit if you ever get the chance.

Matt finished the race and was in a great mood. He commented that this race felt better than any other he has run. He took it slow and you would have never known that he just ran 26 miles if you saw him at the finish line. Other than the race, we were able to explore the city and meet some interesting people. At the Love statue downtown, a homeless man offered to take our picture. I think we spent 10-15 minutes having him position us all around the statue and we have several shots of us against the skyline. He was a lot of fun, and he made us laugh through the entire photo shoot. I looked for him every time we passed the plaza, but I never saw him again. At least we got the chance to meet him.

I shared a Rocky moment with another tourist as we were both running up the stairs to the art museum as Stallone did in the movies. By the time I got to the top, I was ready for a break and Matt took a rare picture (follow for additional photos) of me just enjoying the view. Some girls we met at the Whole Foods told us the best place to go for cheesesteak, and the people I met Sunday at Old Pine Presbyterian while Matt was running were really friendly. All in all, it was a great trip and I look forward to going back again. But of course it could not compare to coming home to the boy. Goliath was very happy to have us home and we celebrated by going out to buy him some more food and a long walk in the park.

By the time Thanksgiving was upon us, we were well rested and ready for our pre-lunch races. Matt ran with his new team members in a 5 mile race while I ran a race closer to my parents' house with some friends that was 4 miles. I added a little to my mileage when I went out to catch up with Connor who was running from my sister's house before lunch. I was ready for my ice bath after that, and the entire house was amused to hear my screams as I sat down in the tub.

So now we are getting ready for Christmas and some down time. We have our decorations up and the shopping has begun. The weekends are already getting packed. Tonight, we have Matt's office Christmas party; then Saturday morning, we will help decorate the church and that night another party. Since I am the Lay Reader all month for our early service, that will be just the excuse we need to get home early and get a decent night's sleep. Something tells me that we will need a lot of extra rest this month.

City of Brotherly Love

On Friday, Matt and I fly out to Philadelphia for the marathon weekend. This is Matt's last big race of the year, so keep him in your thoughts and help him to have a good race.

I have been watching the forecast every day and it keeps going from rain to perfect running weather. I just hope that it stays consistent the whole weekend, so that Matt is prepared.

Speaking of Matt, he has been quite busy lately with his racing team. It sounds like he is really enjoying himself and they start serious training at the beginning of next month. He will be either running, swimming, or biking every morning. His next big race that I know of will be a half-IronMan in Panama City, Florida in May. Several people from his team go down together and get rooms and train, so he would be traveling in a group. He has to find out if I can tag along. Although, I do not relish the drive down to Florida, I don't want to miss it.

So check back here next week for photos and details of our trip. Hard to believe Thanksgiving is almost here. Even more strange is that Matt and I are running races on Thanksgiving morning, but they aren't the same race. I would have never guessed I would be going out on my own, but at least my race is one mile shorter than Matt's. That limits my dinner roll consumption to just two at lunch.

2 races and 2 reasons to celebrate

I have been lax in my postings lately (thanks for the email Aunt Polly), so it is time to catch up on all the activities from the past 30+ days. Let's see, Matt and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary at the end of September. His gift to me was cleaning out his sports memorabilia closet in the home office. For days, you could only get about a foot or two in the door. It has been almost a month and he is nearly finished with the clean up. For years I kept hearing how he could sell this stuff on eBay; well, it is time to put up or shut up so he can afford race fees for next year.

Another "event" for us in September was the Akron Marathon Relay. I am pleased to report that Team Butterworth (consisting of Matthew and myself) completed the race and earned our medals on a cold and rainy Saturday morning. I originally agreed to the relay when we were going to have a team of five, but slowly it came down to Matt and myself. He had to run 15 miles while I finished the last 11. It is something that I never thought that I could do, but now I know that it is possible and I know that I don't enjoy running that far. My knees and my foot were sore for several days, but that was the worst of my "injuries." On the trip back home the next day, we stopped to pick apples. The next weekend I made a double batch of apple sauce and canned it, so we should be set until January 2007 for a quick snack or dessert. We still have a few dozen apples left that we are slowly eating. Goliath is very happy with this development since we always share with him when having an apple snack.

Once we hit October, things have been constantly busy. The first weekend, Matt volunteered three days in a row for the Blue Jackets Hockey team. Then the next day we participated in the Crop Walk with other members from our church. I have two highlights of that weekend. The first was Saturday late afternoon when Matt and I had lunch and decided to get some ice cream on the way to my dropping him off for the game. We had cones of some great dark chocolate gelato and 20 minutes before he had to start work, of course he drops it on his light khaki pants. We had to race home, get him another pair of pants (that he was horrified had not been ironed) and get back to the arena. Luckily, we live close to downtown and made it with a few minutes to spare. The pants did not fair as well. We are giving them away to a good home after two unsuccessful washings. I offered to dye them a dark color, but that suggestion was not acceptable. Oh well.

Our second highlight came the very next day when we were waiting for people to finish the Crop Walk. We had Goliath and he was getting restless, so I decided to take him for a little stroll along the riverfront downtown. We managed to come across a large flock of geese sunning themselves and what does he do? He chases them at 100 mph dragging me behind him down towards the river. I managed to stop, but Goliath felt that he could get his message across better standing chest deep in the waters of the Scioto River. Let me tell you, it does not smell pretty. He was very proud when we caught up with Matt a few minutes later.

The following weekend was just as busy. The Columbus Marathon was being run that weekend and I volunteered both Saturday and Sunday to help out. Saturday, I worked the Expo while Matt stayed home to wait for the carpet cleaners. You see, it was my birthday and that was the present that I asked for. So I came home to clean, but wet carpeting and Goliath has already managed to have an accident in the living room because we were late getting home on Wednesday. Couldn't even make it a week. Sunday, I worked the finish line of the race while Matt took a well deserved break from racing and stayed home to rest. He has a marathon next month and was thinking of running Columbus just as a training race, but he has been having problems with a swollen ankle and needed the healing time. In some great news, his swim coach has asked him to join the Human Powered Racing team. I don't think he has to try-out or qualify to be on the team. Just fill out the application and give them the fees. So, I keep pushing him to sign up and take his racing to the next level. He still keeps talking about competing at the Ironman distances, so I want him properly coached.

And that brings us to this weekend. Matt is currently traveling for work in the northern part of the state and will be spending time with his family in Canton. Goliath and I are going to make batches of tomato and roasted garlic soup and can it this evening. Tomorrow, my nephew Cole is coming over to help me clean up the yard and garden beds for a volunteer project for school. Both he and his brother Connor are coming to my office this afternoon to work in the library to rack up some additional volunteer hours for their project.

Next weekend's highlight will be a visit from Matt's Dad and Stepmom who live in Las Vegas. Matt is trying to pack every possible event into two days. Let's hope we have some time to just sit and relax (and there isn't an ice rink in front of me!).

Great Lakes part two

We went up to Catawba Island this weekend for the Great Lake Escape triathlon and had a nice short vacation. For this trip, Goliath came with us since we found a bed & breakfast that would let him stay over. We went up Saturday morning to East Harbor State Park in Marblehead so Matt could get his registration packet and attend a race meeting. While he was doing that, I tried to get Goliath to the water. I managed to nearly fall into the lake twice from the rocky shore of the park and freak out the pup in the process. He was not eager to explore after my flailing about. It was a beautiful, sunny day, so we drove the bike course around the peninsula and through the village.

Afterward, we got settled in to the B&B and discovered that it was pretty informal. There was no one there to meet us, they do not issue keys, or lock the doors so that guests can come and go as they please. It was a little unsettling at first, but we got used to it. After a late and much needed lunch, we took a walk through the neighborhood to Catawba State Park where Goliath found his lake legs. He spent a fair amount of time in the water and chased rocks as Matt threw them in. Once he got in chin deep, he gave up the chase and opted to roll in the sand. After the walk, we settled in to relax with some football on television and Goliath took a well deserved nap in my lap. We did not stay up for the Ohio State game, but instead had to get to bed early since Matt had to be at the race site by 5:00am the next morning.

On Sunday, the weather had turned. The wind was roaring through the park and they had to cancel the swim portion due to a small craft advisory warning on the lake. So, Matt prepared to run, bike, and run again. Goliath and I left him to position ourselves at mile 5 to see part of the bike race and we were able to cheer on all 150+ participants. Since Matt still had an hour of cycling to complete, we went back to the B&B for breakfast. Goliath was welcomed into the dining room where the other 3 couples and the manager gave him lots of scratches and many offers of sausage which I refused much to his dismay. We did a dine and dash to catch up with Matt at the finish line where he was good and tired; but not too tired to go get an order of chocolate chip pancakes at a local spot not too far from the park.

All in all, we had a great time and are thinking about going back just to explore the area as well as the islands. So, that officially ends the triathlon season for us this year. Stayed tuned to see if Matt can grab a registration spot for the Florida Ironman in November 2007. He has a window of opportunity for a few minutes to register online in a few months. God help us if he actually gets in.

For some photos of our adventure, check out the Lake Erie album here.

Welcome home...it's time to leave

No sooner than Matt returned to Columbus on Friday, we were in the car and off to Cincinnati on Saturday for an overnight. Our original purpose was to go to the Cirque de Soleil afternoon show with friends of ours, but Matt and I managed to pack an entire weekend of activities into 21 short hours.

In the elevator of our hotel, I ran into a friend of mine from high school that I have not seen in nearly nine years, so I had a mini-reunion. We then went to the show where Matt was able to eat his way through the pre-show appetizers and intermission desserts in the VIP tent. After a quick change at the hotel, we set off for dinner. We took a sightseeing shuttle bus for half of the trip and managed to grab a bus with half-a-dozen drunk women having a bachelorette party. Just one more item to add to the list. We departed the crazy bus and made our way on foot to the Montgomery Inn, where as you can see above, Matt managed to eat his way through some ribs and wings before calling it a night (how does he stay so thin?). The walk back to hotel was what we needed since we were stuffed with food, and then Matt and I walked up the 25 flights of stairs to our room, so we had a workout thrown in as well. Our friends Jim and Wendy opted for the elevator.

Sunday morning, we took off for a 6:30 run and crossed the bridge into Kentucky. The sun was just coming up, so once we were over the river, we had a nice view of the skyline. Of course being downtown we had to visit every major sports facility since they are all lined up in a row. There is a nice little elevation difference from the south end of the football stadium to north, which made for an interesting finish to a nearly hour and a half jog. So we had a sightseeing tour of the river district. Once we were back at the room, we grabbed a quick shower and hit the road to go back home, where we made a brief stop at the IHOP so Matt could get some chocolate-chip pancakes. I enjoyed the cinnamon-swirl french toast and did not feel too guilty about eating it after all the running/walking we did that morning.

Yet, the best part of the trip was just returning home. Goliath was glad to see us and spent the afternoon sleeping next to one of us as we watched movies. I think he is still tired from his surgery on Friday. He broke one of his front teeth and had to have it removed. He still won't let me look at it and I am pretty sure he is going to hold a grudge for a few more days. Oh well, it can't be any worse than when we had him neutered.

Good news and bad news

The good news is that Matt gets to go see his Dad and stepmom out in Las Vegas on his way to a business trip in Denver. The bad news is that Matt is going out to Vegas and Denver for a little more than a week. The pup and I will miss him, especially those first few nights when Goliath will spend most of the evening looking for Matt out the bedroom window. He used to lay against my neck at night and whine when Matt was on a trip, but at least he has moved on to a silent vigil that does not involve choking.

So, in anticipation of the departure, we tried to make the most of last weekend. We started out by dogsitting for the neighbors which proved to be exhausting but fun. Goliath is never very happy when other dogs come into the house, but he seems to tolerate Echo and Missy. I let them all run around out back while I cleaned up the garden, and then they ran around the house while I made dinner. Even more running around as Matt and I watched some television, then Missy (in the middle) curled up with Matt when he went to bed. They eventually went home that night and we started Saturday with our one pooch.


Saturday morning was full of small trips. We went to the Ohio Theatre downtown to watch a Daffy Duck cartoon festival. The picture at the top is one I took from the upper balcony. If you have never been to the Ohio, I recommend the trip. It is a beautiful old theater and Matt and I enjoy going there every chance we get. Next was the farmer's stands at the North Market where I was on a quest for okra. Matt also picked up several ears of corn and fresh lima beans. Yum! Our last stop was the Book Loft in German Village to find some diabetes cookbooks to send to my sister-in-law Brenda. I wrote in my last entry about my 6-year-old nephew Andrew's diagnosis of type 1 juvenile diabetes. We received a message recently that his parents are going to be participating in the 2006 Walk to Cure Diabetes. Mark has a web site established for walk donations at: http://walk.jdrf.org/walker.cfm?id=86414436

That was the extent of our fun-filled weekend. We spent the rest of the time doing laundry and cleaning. And now tomorrow Matt takes-off in the morning to head out west. He is not to happy about the no liquid rule, but at least they will serve him drinks on the plane.

Project meltdown

Quite a few things have happened this week that have left my head spinning. The most important was the news that our youngest nephew, Andrew, has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and had to stay in the hospital for a few days. Andrew is a happy, active, and loving little boy and from what his Mother has said, he is over the initial shock and doing well. I think it was an exhausting and scary time for the family and now they are just glad to be home and will take each day as it comes when dealing with new diets, injections, etc. We hope to make the trip up to Canton soon to see everyone.

We also have realized that our two Summer projects have just gotten away from us. This is due to a lot of apathy on our part combined with the hot, hot days. The deck looks sad and depressing with its peeling paint, but there is hope on the horizon as the temperature comes down into the 80's and affords us the opportunity to spend a few hours on sanding and painting. The veg garden is also a nightmare as the zucchini is taking over everything, but only producing a few mammoth offerings that I learned do not taste good at all. The broccoli never bunched, but instead bolted and attracted every flying insect in the county. I have been able to gather cucumbers and tomatoes from time to time, so it has not been a total loss. I may chalk this up to experience and try to grow some plants to attrack more butterflies next year. I have not seen too many of them around, but our hummingbird keeps coming back every day to drink from the honeysuckle on the deck.

I leave you now with one of my favorite pictures from a triathlon. Just look at how happy he is coming out of the water. If only his Poppy could be that excited.

Wolverines and Hoosiers

I can hardly believe this weekend has come and gone. All summer we have been preparing for this first triathlon and I am so glad that it is over. The drive to Michigan was boring at times because we were on the Ohio and Indiana turnpikes, but once we arrived in St. Joseph, we found a quirky little community that turned out to have plenty for us to do.

Our rooms at the Econo Lodge left something to be desired, but beggars can't be choosers and we were not the only people from the race staying there. It appears that most of the hotels/motels sold out due to the race. Not surprising when about 3,000 people descend on a town of 8,700. Once we unpacked, Matt and I took off for the race expo at the finish line. While he had a rules meeting, I went for a walk on the beach. It took me a little more than an 30 minutes to walk to the starting location of the swim. The races began at the North Pier Lighthouse where Matt jumped off the pier 10 feet down into Lake Michigan. The water was choppy on my walk, and he told me that it had not changed on Saturday morning. I found out a little too late that I had done some trespassing on my walk. I saw a sign towards the end that stated I had walked through private property, but it only extended to the water's edge, so I rationalized since I walked through the water the entire time, I was on government property.

After I committed my misdemeanor, I found Matt and we walked around the downtown area, then picked up his mother at the hotel and had dinner. If you ever make it to St. Joe's, I suggest a visit to the Pump House Grille. We had some great food and were stuffed by the time we left. A quick trip to the local grocery and it was 8:00 and time to go to bed.

Why so early, you may ask? Because Matt had to be at the race site around 5:00 the next morning and I had to drive him there. When three alarms went off at 4:30 Saturday morning, it was easy to wake up, but torture to get out of bed.

Cindy and I were able to catch up with Matt after the swim where he delivered the news that he had cramps in his calves, so I knew this was not going to go well. He did not have anything to help relieve the pain and I could not give him anything for risk of getting him disqualified, so he made the most of it and was able to finish. He was not happy with the results, but he finished and that is all that matters. The rest of the day was spent relaxing, eating and going to a winery where we nearly crashed a wedding.

Sunday morning was spent packing, going to the beach one last time and deciding on a detour home. We stopped on our way home in South Bend, Indiana and visited the campus of Notre Dame. Matt said that we had to find Touchdown Jesus which made me a little nervous. I had to laugh when I realized it was a mural on the side of the library. I thought it was appropriate to go to the library for salvation. As soon as I found the library, Matt located the ice rink and took off to see if he could get in. He called me and asked that I take his picture on the bench. This was a very interesting experience since I stood in the middle of the rink to take the shot. Instead of ice, I was on a concrete slab. This was the first time I had ever seen what was below the ice. It was pretty cool.

I would show you all of these pictures, but Blogger seems to not want to load any no matter which computer I use, so you will have to see the rest of the highlights here. Select the Steelhead album.

We were all glad to pull into the driveway and unload the car. It had been a long weekend and 6 hours each way. Goliath was thrilled to see us and it took him almost 30 minutes to be able to sit still. I missed him, my bed, and my quite neighborhood. I think I fell asleep by 8:00 and did not budge until the alarm went off at 5:30 this morning.

It is good to be home.

And we're off

This Friday we begin the race season for 2006.

Matt's first race is the Steelhead Triathlon in Michigan. This is a half-ironman triathlon, so it will be a long day for all of us. Matt's Mom will be joining us for the race, and she will be in for a surprise. There is a whole lot of waiting to do for this type of race when you are there for support. You wait for them to come out of the water, then you wait for them to come back from the bike course, then you wait for them to cross the finish line from the run portion. Even with all of that waiting, it is quite a sight to see the participants cross the finish line and know that they have completed something that few people ever do.

This will be Matt's second half-ironman, so he has some goals for himself. I just want him to cross the finish line. The weather is supposed to break the day before the race and the forecast looks to be sunny with a high of 81. Matt will be racing for at least 4 hours, so the less humid and hot the better. You should be able to see his race results on Sunday and I should have some pictures to post.

As I said before, this is just the beginning. We seem to be embarking on a lot of traveling next month, but we aren't always going very far from home. Matt has a business trip out to Denver the third week in August and he is going to hop over to Las Vegas to see his Dad and Stepmom. Then we go to Cincinnati the day after he gets back. September takes us to Marblehead for the Great Lake Escape triathlon where Matt will have to jump off a ferry boat into Lake Erie and swim to shore, on purpose. While jumping into Lake Erie sounds crazy, the real crazy part is if he does well, he could qualify for the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon. That's right, the prison. But as crazy as it sounds, it makes him happy.

At the end of September we go up to Akron to visit the university where we met and to participate in the Akron Marathon. Supposedly, Matt's brothers and sister-in-law are going to join us for the 5-person relay. Mark, if you are reading this, I hope you, Brenda and Mike are still be planning on being there. I have been training for the final leg of the race and I better not have run 7 miles this past Saturday for nothing. I am not the runner in the family, but Matt figures it will be an easy race for all of us. We'll see.

October keeps us home for the Columbus Marathon and a visit from Matt's Dad and Stepmom. Then in November we go to Philadelphia to eat cheesesteak, kiss the Liberty Bell, and participate in the Philadelphia Marathon and knock Pennsylvania off the list of states in which Matt needs to run 26.2.

Of course, all of this is done without the pup. So we will get the glare and pout every time the suitcase comes out. Of course, he is spoiled enough that we have someone come over to watch him and the house while we are gone. So Goliath still gets plenty of attention while we are gone and I toss and turn each night because I don't have a 15-pound furnace pressed up against me while I sleep.

I once grew a zucchini this big...

Time is flying by and the weather is heating up. In the past week, I ran in a 5K race, Matt had a birthday, I went to a library conference, and the garden has grown. You can see above our new deck shading. It has really come in handy on the hot, hot, hot summer days. We have not been able to sit outside much, but it really shades the kitchen where the walls are mostly glass.

Luckily, we have been receiving a fair amount of rain, which was the case last Saturday when we went downtown for the Dash For Donation. A good friend of mine asked me to run in it since it benefits organ donation. Her son was born with only half of his heart developed and had to have a transplant at only a few weeks old. Now he is a happy and healthy 4-year-old that ran to meet his mother as she crossed the finish line after race-walking a half marathon. I just went in for the 5K. If you are interested, you can see the results. Matt did not participate since he needed to ride his bike that day. He has a hard time being a non-participant. I could tell he was a bit antsy when the half marathon finishers were coming in. But, how often do I run a race while he watches? I was really grateful for the support.

Sunday through Tuesday of this week, I was down in Wilmington, Ohio for a conference/retreat of which I am on the planning board. I did not get to attend many sessions (only one), but I did get to meet several new people in the library world. I did not, however get much sleep in the campus apartments. I forgot how uncomfortable a college bed could be. Needless to say, I was so happy to come home Tuesday night and crash in my own bed.

Wednesday was Matt's birthday and of course, he wanted to keep things low-key. We went out for dinner to one of our Columbus Originals restaurants (The Clarmont) and ate way too much. Matt's boss commented that our choice of restaurant was were all the "old folks" went to eat. Matt did have to laugh at all the Cadillacs and other large cars in the parking lot. We had a great meal, and got seated just before the rush. The diners at the Clarmont do not follow the "elderly as early diners" rule. We were seated by 6:30 and were one of the first dozen there. The place was hoppin' when we left and this was a Wednesday night. Retirement should be a lot of fun.

This morning Goliath and I went for a walk in the neighborhood and then a stroll through the garden. I was looking to harvest a cucumber or two and some tomatoes, but we were in for a shock. There was a huge, and I do mean huge zucchini waiting for us. Too bad I cannot enter it in a county fair, it weighs over 6 pounds. Goliath is about 13 inches from neck to tail and this veg might be a bit longer. I cannot find my tape measure to be sure. I tried to get a picture of Goliath next to it, but every time I would move it close to him, he would jump away. Yes, my dog is a afriad of a zucchini.

Busy, busy week

Now that Matt is back from Florida, things seem to be busy all of the time. Last Saturday we went to the movies and out to lunch and I was able to capture this gem of Matt in the theater lobby. I told him that I was going to use it for our Christmas card. I think he needed the break of no work at home or at the office since he was just so tired from the trip. It is good to see him smile again.

We have had quite a bit of rain with our hot humid weather and garden is going crazy. I have harvested my first crop of zucchini and I have had no problem figuring out what to do with it. One of my favorite dishes in a no-fry eggplant parmesan and I have found that I can substitute summer squash and it taste just as good. So here is the resulting dish. This will last us a few days and I picked up some more sauce at the market for when the next crop comes in.

Matt enjoyed it for lunch one day with a salad using lettuce and cucumbers from the back yard. So even though my eggplant never managed to grow, we still are able to create a meal from our fledgling garden. That to me is success.

The big highlight of the week was the installation of shade covers on the deck. We now have lovely bright yellow canvas stretched across the top level and it has made all the difference. The house is cooler upstairs because not so much sunlight is flooding the kitchen and I found that I had to get a blanket out on Sunday afternoon when I was reading a book. So between the new air conditioner and the canvas shade, we are finally getting the house to a comfortable temperature for us. I have even found myself sitting outside around noon enjoying a book and the view. Something that I would have never, ever done before. It has been quite toasty this weekend, but I can at least last for 20-30 minutes at a time.

The Best Laid Plans...

Our holiday weekend was interesting in a very non-traditional way. I spent most of the day Saturday either steam cleaning the carpets or napping trying to fight off what felt like sinus or flu problems. Sunday was more of the same until Matt returned from Florida in the evening. I heard from a few of his fellow travelers that he was a "treat" to be around. Evidentially, he made a declaration that he was not going to shower for the entire trip and that shocked a few of them. Now, I know that he was just joking and trying to get a reaction since he pulls this kind of stuff all the time with me, but these folks seemed to take him seriously at first. Oh well, he took regular showers each day and even got a rain bath one night. By the time he got home and Goliath jumped all over him, I could tell he was wiped out. Good thing he had Monday off. I, on the other hand did not.

Monday started just like any other work day with me going in early to get my run and weight training taken care of before I head up to my office. On this day, getting into the building was a challenge since a fire broke out around 6:30 in the morning. A group of us stood outside for an hour before we decided to have a late breakfast. My work day which normally begins at 7:00 did not start until close to 10:00. Even then, things were crazy since the smell of smoke was still lingering in the atrium and hallways. We lasted until 1:00 and then took off for the rest of the day with some headaches and sinus problems. Today, the smell is all but gone, unless you go down the stairs close to the source of the fire. Unfortunately, people that have their desks located in that area have to work in one of our other buildings for a few weeks until the damage is repaired.

Matt and I went swimming Monday afternoon, and I never realized how hard it can be when you actually do it the right way. I always swim laps by using the backstroke so I don't have to constantly move my head in and out of the water, but today I thought I would try a front crawl. After two laps I was huffing and puffing and had to ask for a technique lesson from my resident expert. Matt walked me through the 5 stages to get to a full crawl and I got through the first 3 without too many problems. I will need to get some goggles and wear a swim cap if I want to try the 4th stage again. What a mess and my eyes were burning.

Tuesday morning we had planned to go on a long bike ride at one of the local trails, but the rain was constant so we stay in and cleaned furniture and the bathrooms. We then decided to go to a movie and have some lunch. Lunch ran longer than we thought and we decided to not rush the food and skip the movie. During lunch, I was witness to one of the most disturbing sporting events I had ever seen: Nathan's Famous July Fourth International Hot Dog Eating Contest on ESPN. I do not eat hot dogs EVER and to see people cramming them into their mouths for 12 minutes was unreal. I think the winner ate almost 54 hot dogs. That's right, 54 hot dogs in 12 minutes. Next time to have a cookout and grab a dog, see how long it takes you to consume it at a normal pace. And believe it or not, these people are pros. There is an entire organization called the International Federation of Competitive Eating. There are international rankings and various disciplines for competition including ice cream, pies, pizza, ribs, and even corned beef and cabbage. The fact that no one threw up during the contest amazed me. Of course they would be disqualified. Watching it was like looking at an accident. You know you should just move on, but you are compelled to witness the spectacle.

Anyway, we returned home for some more lazy time since the rain was not going away and continued to witness disturbing and bizarre America by watching the Dirty Jobs marathon on the Discovery Channel. This is one of our favorites. If you have never seen it, check it out. The host participates in 1-3 real jobs per episode, and it just amazes me what people do for a living. We got to see him catch, tag, and release sharks for marine studies; artificially inseminate a horse and a pig; but by far the worst to watch was putting on a tar roof. The work looked miserable and something that I am glad that I do not have to do, but I am glad someone knows how. I would not last an hour at some of these. Wow, what a lot of work. I will never complain about shelving serials again.

The Suburban Version of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox

It was a sad day in our backyard last night when I finally got around to taking down the Red Bud tree. This was the tree that never developed its beautiful pink Spring blooms and did not sprout a single leaf this year. A landscape friend of Matt's said that the best thing to do was to cut it down since there was no hope of it coming back to life. This tree had been a source of delight and complete frustration since it was installed over 4 years ago. We loved to look at it, but the branches had a mind of their own and would grow in just the right direction so you could not easily walk under the tree. We always had to walk around it by stepping into the flower beds, or going under it by lifting branches and hoping whoever was behind you did not get slapped in the face, and finally just avoiding it altogether and walking under the deck to get to the yard. But we really did not want to let it go. There was some discussion early in the growing season that I was the source of death because I pruned the limbs back so that I could walk under it, but as I found out, an insect infestation was the real culprit.

I still cannot believe how easy it was to tear apart this tree. It took me about one hour and I used my hands for most of the demo. The poor tree just crumbled in my hands like soup crackers. It was also interesting to note that something that had a span of at least 10 feet could be reduced to the contents of a blue tub and a few limbs. I tried to break the largest limbs down further, but by this time my arms and shoulders were getting sore and I had taken a branch in the knee when it snapped a little too easily. I have everything lined up and ready to be taken over to my parent's house this afternoon. The tree will get a new brief life as firewood for their outdoor pit.

So my dedicated companion and myself were able to call it a day. We need to get our rest for a few more projects this weekend before Matt gets home. I spoke with him last night and he is just as exhausted from his labors. He won't be home until Sunday night, so that gives us a lot of time to wait. In the meantime there is a lot of weeding to be done, grass to be cut and deck boards to be lightly sanded. Plus, I need to go pick out the deck stain at the store after I take my measurements. Thanks to my instructions from the Paint Quality Institute, I should be able to tackle this project over the next few weeks. But, we'll see what really happens.

Hail

Last night I went outside to rid my lettuce patch of the thistle and had just finished the job when the rain started. They were big large drops that were hitting me as I made my way in closely followed by a less than happy dog. A few hours later, the sounds of the rain changed and I realized that something stronger was hitting the house. We received a brief hail storm and I started having flashbacks from a few years ago when we had a horrible hail storm that caused power outages and holes in our siding. Fortunately as you can see, the hail was quite small and caused no damage at all. We were even able to go back outside for a little bit before heading to bed. The best part is that the various rain showers that we have been receiving this month has provided enough water to keep the gardens going strong. I think that I only watered when I put in the veg plants, and I have not done anything since. Our lawn is starting to look a little dry in places, so I should start some early morning watering before the heat of July kicks in. The forecast calls for several moderate days for the rest of the week until we hit the 90s on Saturday, so I better get a move on and mow while I am at it.

Goliath and I went out to get some more lettuce this morning, and picked three varieties for the next few days. I am almost halfway through my crop, so I need to get some seeds and figure out what I am going to do with the bed until Fall. Maybe some herbs would be a good idea. That way I can load up on them for the Winter. Or better yet, some additional tomato plants so that I can make some sauce to set aside. There is already one volunteer tomato plant growing in the middle of the lettuce. Where it came from, I have no idea, so if it is thriving, than maybe that is the best choice to make. I will leave you with our view as we headed back into the house. The plants look great and the color is really starting to come out. When the deck is gray, it will really let the flowers shine. It just dawned on me that as we paint the deck, it will be nearly scarlet and gray. That should make the Ohio State fans in the neighborhood happy. We better get it finished before football season starts.

Hacking through the wilderness

It is supposed to rain tonight so I figured that I better work on weeding the veg area before the thistle takes over. Plus, I have eaten through my first harvest of lettuce (3 small heads) and need to see how much is left. I think that I am going to have to purchase some additional seed for a Fall planting. The lettuce tastes great and I have been making a simple balsamic vinaigrette to go with it, so having a salad with every meal has not been too bad. If only Matt were here to enjoy it.

Speaking of my poor beleaguered husband, I am including a picture of him from Florida. The few times that I have talked to him, he has told me a little about how the work is going. Tearing out drywall and insulation, finding mold, and battling the heat. I am so glad that I did not go. I would not have lasted very long in the heat. To learn more about his trip, check out the HPC web site. July 1 seems so far away. I have a feeling that I better not ask him to do any projects around the house for a few months.

First Harvest

Goliath and I went out this morning to see if we could grab any lettuce for lunch. Wow, what a change the rain makes. I am going to have to start eating salad all the time, or give this stuff away before it bolts. Mom, are you interested? While I was delighted to see all the various lettuces waiting for me, I realized that only about one third of the plants made it from seed. There could be many reasons for this lack of a crop but my guess is that the competing vegetation took over: the dreaded thistle.

Now being part Scottish, I enjoy the thistle symbol, but I don't want to see it all over my yard. And as you can see, they are everywhere. This particular breed is nasty because they see to spread from an underground runner, so even when I pull them out in one location, they are happy to flee to another part of the yard and cause more headaches. We did not mulch this year, and this could be a major source of their success. Just something to remember for next year.

Our other veg plants look great. The broccoli is huge and the squash and cucumbers are already starting to produce immature fruit. I spent some time on Sunday getting the cucumbers to climb the support I made for them. Unfortunately, I forgot about the spiny vines and finished the job with some sore fingers. Oh well, all for the culinary cause. I do not seem to have any eggplants growing and will have to put in transplants next year and not seeds. I also noticed that barely any sunflowers made it. I think they were eaten before they had much of a chance. One thing is for certain, no matter how well Matt cleared and turned the soil to prepare the beds, a lot of the previous plant life has come back. There must have been a great deal of seed activity when we were ripping out plants. Yet another case for mulch.

Our trip back into the house at the wee hours of the morning gave us a nice view of the flowers along the deck before the bumble bees came out to get to work. The purple coneflower seems to have spread itself around quite a bit, but it does add some color in July when I need it most. Well I will leave you for today, be well.

What happened to June?!?

Things got away from me in June. I have no excuse for my lack of posts, but I now have a chance to write a few paragraphs to catch you up on all the drama.

The week of Memorial Day, Matt had to work at the ProLogis house for the golf tournament. And just like every other year, it rained, so no progress made on the deck or the yard. A few weeks later he fired up the new power washer and we discovered that it is not the final solution for taking the paint off the deck. Our plan of complete paint removal and then staining has gone out the window. Time for plan D -- painting again. This has not begun since neither of us wants to actually start the project of painting the deck. We do not tend to agree on how the process should work so our solution is to ignore it until I can't take it anymore and buy the paint. Instead of screaming brick red, we are going to go for an understated gray. This should put the emphasis on the surrounding gardens and not the two story beast in the backyard. We also moved shade cover from the bottom level on the deck to the top. Hopefully in three weeks we will be getting a canopy system installed that will make the summertime more bearable. The canopy will be a nice bright yellow that you can probably see from space. If anything, when you fly into Columbus, you should be able to spot our house from a few thousand feet.

Finally, this week Matt is in Florida with a group from the church. They are helping to repair homes damaged by last year's hurricanes. This community is primarily older residents that cannot perform the repairs, so they have had their FEMA supplies for quite a while and need help with roofing and drywall installation. Matt left on Saturday morning for the long drive down and called from Georgia Saturday night to say so far everything was fine. Unfortunately, things are no so golden at the house. I have a depressed dog that keeps looking for his "poppy" and does not sleep well through the night. So I don't sleep well through the night. I am hoping that he will settle down tonight and get some rest. Either that, or I will have to take him on my run tonight and just wear him out.

On the bright side, I have a crop of lettuce to harvest when I am ready. On the dark side, I seem to be growing more thistle than anything else. Once I find the digital camera, I will be able to provide some art.

Hot, hot, hot!

Wow, was it hot over the weekend. Temperatures hit the 90s in Columbus and sapped most of our energy. We were able to go out early (between 6:00 and 7:00 am) for walks and a run on Saturday and Sunday, but turned into zombies by mid-afternoon. We did get a few things accomplished in the mornings. One of which was garden clean up. I cut back bulbs while Matt edged most of the beds in the backyard. Goliath found various shady spots join us while we worked.


Our other big project was repairing/replacing our mailbox. The numbers kept falling off the post, so we needed to apply a fresh coat of paint. Matt determined that with the paint the actual box would look shabby, so we went out and purchased a new one to install. Unfortunately, we (meaning Matt) did all of this on Monday when the heat was unbearable. I tried to work on this project and was reminded that he "promised to take care of it by Memorial Day." To quote Matt yet again, "nothing like waiting until the last minute." But it is now done and we have a shiny new box.


We have had a few setbacks with which to contend. Our lovely redbud tree has died. We have only had it for about five years and it seemed just fine last summer, but this year it did not bloom and has produced no leaves. When we asked the landscaper that installed it, he told us that the main trunk had died and we could cut it down and allow the small new growth at the base of the trunk to grow and replace it. We would probably be well into retirement when it catches up to the current dead portion. So we decided to cut off the limbs that get in the way when we walk past it and wait for cooler weather to cut it down. One advantage is that the tree's trunk is only 3-4 inches in diameter, so we can saw it down, and it is not a major part of any landscape bed. It sits right next to the deck and we would often have to push limbs out of the way in order to get to the yard. It will be sad to see it go, but it is not the blue spruce or birch, so I am okay with the change. One change that I am not okay with is the fact that we need to get a new cooling system installed.


During a regular maintenance check up, we were told that there was a leak in the cooling line. This makes sense because every year, they need to recharge the coolant in the system. We had two options: keep putting a bandage on the gaping wound, or just replace the entire system. We thought we could get by without replacing anything, but then we practically melted this weekend and the decision was easily made to go into debt for the ability to survive the summer. We are getting some cold air from the system, so we are not going to suffer too long while we get quotes, but we need to get the new one installed before the real summer meltdown begins. We have been spending a lot of time downstairs and are grateful for the leather furniture. Also, I have been sleeping outside in Matt's tent and find that I get pretty cold during the night. Matt has stayed in the house since it hurts his back to sleep on the ground. We having been meaning to pick up an air mattress for him, and this is just the push we need. It has been fun to be outside at night. I seem to fall asleep much faster and wake up on my own around 5:00am with the help of the birds. Most importantly, I feel well rested and no aches or pains, which is very surprising. Since it is going to be horribly hot again today, I left the tent up on the deck for a smoother sleeping surface. I cannot seem to get Goliath interested in staying out with me. He is too much of a suburban pup and requires a king-sized bed for his evening rest.

We're back

We have been so busy lately, but I feel like we have not accomplished much of anything. The rain was on and off for more than a week and kept us indoors and unmotivated. Yet, we were welcomed back to garden with beautiful color. I need this because the vegetable garden isn't doing much without the warm days and sunshine. We do have more lettuce coming up and I can see some sunflowers poking through, but otherwise nothing exciting.

Matt's mother came to spend the weekend with us for Mother's Day. We had a wonderful visit with her and took her and my parents out to dinner. Not much later we had another visitor. While out on the deck, I was taken by surprise when I saw a baby robin just sitting on the railing looking around. It was still quite fluffy and looked a little dazed. But it held our attention for quite a while until I had to get Goliath inside since he was intent on trying to smell it. I still remember several years ago when another baby robin caught his attention. He followed it around the yard as it hopped and chirped, but he never got really close to it. He was just curious. Yet, that was too much for the mother and she proceeded to dive after him until he came crying to me. So even though I was excited to see this year's baby, I knew the mother could not be far away, and I have an unnatural fear of things flying around my head. Time to move inside.

I am hoping that with the long weekend, we can get back into the yard and work or at the least hang out in the hammock or read on a garden bench. Have a great weekend.

Lettuce celebrate

As you can see (if you squint) we have little lettuce seedlings popping up in the garden this morning. The other plants look good, but this is our first seedling to emerge this summer. There are supposed to be various thunderstorms in the next two days, so I will have to keep my eye on these guys to keep them protected. You can also see our lovely Ohio clay soil. No matter what I do, I cannot seem to get that perfect Martha loam. Oh well, things continue to grow every year, so I won't worry too much.


I spent a few extra minutes walking around the yard this morning. Matt has been working hard every night cleaning up the flower beds. Everything looks so wonderful and green. I still remember when we first moved in and the entire backyard was nothing but grass. Not one single flower bed. But we did have two dead trees. We spent one year mowing and decided that we could not stand to mow for 2 hours in the backyard alone. Once we got a plan from a landscape architect, Matt starting taking out sod. He must have filled over 30 lawn and garden bags and he only used a shovel. Then to top that off, he planted all the shrubs after we had the trees installed. I might be the one that considers myself the gardener, but Matt is without a doubt the reason the yard looks so good.

We have seen the veggies and they are planted!

On Saturday, Matt was able to turn the rest of the vegetable bed area and he even created walking paths so that I can have easy access. Isn't he wonderful? I was able to get all the seeds and plants installed Saturday morning. We have garlic, lettuce, sunflowers, cucumbers, zucchini, broccoli, tomatoes, basil, and eggplant. I am a little unsure about the eggplant since I planted them as seeds. The packet stated more than once to start them indoors, but I was not paying attention. I might go out this weekend and pick up a plant just to be safe. I am not 100% certain on all the spacings of my plantings, but I figured that I gave everything nearly a foot of room. I even made hills for the zucchini seeds. I found out later that this was the only thing of interest to Goliath when he started to paw through one to see what I hid inside. I was able to get him out and rebuild the hill. He then pretty much ignored me for the rest of the day.

Sunday was a great day to be lazy, but that feeling did not last for long. After church, we went to the market where Matt kept getting "samples" of honey-roasted peanut butter. At our local Whole Foods you can grind peanuts to make fresh butter, which Matt enjoys doing. He also likes to grind just enough extra for a tasty sample that he scoops into his mouth so that he looks like a chipmunk. It makes him happy, and makes it difficult for him to object to the price of organic milk with his mouth so full. I eventually hear all about it on the ride home as he goes over every item on the bill. He is always quick to point out that the apples he selected were the most inexpensive, while I went nuts on one heirloom tomato. Whatever. I'll be able to get tomatoes from the backyard this summer while he will still have to purchase apples at the store.

Anyway, once we got home and had some lunch he took off for a 50 mile bike ride. I tried to hold out and read or watch television, but I thought this was my golden opportunity to clean out the garage. It never fails to surprise me when I do this task how much useless stuff finds its way into our house. I think this is only one of half-a-dozen times that I had filled up our city garbage can. Goliath hung out in the front yard as I swept and threw stuff away. He wandered in from time to time to see if I was done and only got excited when I repositioned his trailer for my bike. I need to get air put into the tires so that we can go for a ride. We always get a response from people when they realize I have a dog in the trailer instead of a child. It works for us. I get exercise, he gets fresh air, and we always stop for a quick walk halfway through the ride.

I will leave you with my poppies that are starting to open. We are supposed to have rain later this week and that always wreaks havoc on the delicate petals, so enjoy them now!

Begin Phase 2

Well, we did it. Matt turned over the soil in the top bed (by hand) and we now have garlic and lettuce planted. We have several other plants and seed packets to put in the garden, but I want to make sure that I have the right combinations. Besides, Matt still needs to turn over the other two beds, and they get more sunlight than the first one. Until then, my plants will have to tough it out on the kitchen counter.


I can now wander around the yard to see what else is going on, and there has been a lot of activity. Our poppies look wonderful. Hard to believe when I took them from my mother's yard that they would survive. We had dug them up shortly after they bloomed, so of course they looked horrible. Plus, I had forgotten how they die back and started to panic when they turned brown and disappeared. Yet more than 5 years later, they look great and keep spreading. Luckily they have some company with the purple cone flower and columbine, so the bed stays full throughout the season.

We also had a visitor looking for food. I saw this cardinal jumping around on tree limbs and had to stalk her to get this picture. My zoom was set to the maximum, so she might be a little fuzzy, but I was happy to get the shot. I will need to get some advice from my dad about better ways to catch wildlife on "film."

Throughout everything, Goliath has been keeping me company. I often find him laying in the grass getting some sun, but this time he was hanging out on the deck while I took pictures. Hopefully the next time you see the deck, most of the paint will have been removed, thanks to the power washer. Maybe I can help out with that project after my piano lesson tonight.

Moving ahead

We have made progress on both projects over the weekend.

Friday night I came home determined to get some work done on the deck. I grabbed our spackel knife to continue scrapping paint and brought out my orbital sander (which I put away after 30 seconds). After an hour, I had cleared off a space about 12 inches by 4 inches. This was going to be torture. Matt came home and got to work weeding flower beds while I continued peeling paint one millimeter at a time. After another hour, I decided it was time to get some dinner and see if my legs still worked. A bit of advice, don't kneel for nearly two hours. I could not stretch out for a few seconds and I hobbled around the deck. It was like a charley horse in both of my knees. Goliath thought it was some sort of game and followed me while I limped in pain. I gave up on the deck for the night and went out to get some dinner which we enjoyed outside while watching a movie. It got cold and we must have spooked the neighbor's dogs (because they would not stop barking at us), but we finally got our first movie night under the stars.

On Saturday, Matt went for a run while I created tiers to the vegetable garden. I tried to take it easy on the shoveling because I knew if Matt didn't admonish me about taking care of my back, my mother would. Matt returned for 30 minutes, then left again to go to a swim clinic with his triathlon group and I took a nap. Afterwards, we went out and purchased a variety of vegetable plants for our space, and they are still sitting on my kitchen counter.

Sunday we tried to turn the soil with the tiller that my father has been storing at our house for two years, but could not get it to start. I managed to spill gasoline all over myself and smelled lovely the rest of the day.

We had a cookout to go to that afternoon and on the way home stopped to pick up a few things. We almost brought home the gazebo that we wanted to put on the deck, but things did not work out so well. At the store, we notice that the cost had gone down $100 and it was on clearance. Matt suggested that we get it now, but it took me a while to come around. We hadn't made much of a dent in scraping the paint from the deck, so who knew when we could actually put the thing up. Yet, I saw his logic and we found someone to help us. It turned out that the floor model was the only one they had left. And we found out it was the same story at all the other stores in town. The upside was that we would get an additional 30% off, but we would have to come in with our own tools and take it apart...without instructions. I started laughing so hard, I don't know if I upset the guy or not, but he was very easy going. Believe it or not, Matt actually considered this option. This from the man that has probably not assembled more than a sandwich since we have been married. I knew it was time to go. But here is the icing on the cake. When we went to check out, I was told I could save 10% on my shower curtain liner by opening a credit account. I declined and the guy at the registered said, "Are you sure? You would save a quarter." I almost started laughing again.

But our journey did not end there. I still needed some paint for the guest bedroom shelves, so we went to the home improvement store. After I picked up my paint, I went to check out their selection of gazebos and found none. I was disappointed, but figured I was better off taking things slow since the deck was no where near ready and it would probably take us all Summer to scrape paint at the rate we were going. Then it happened: Matt stopped to play with power equipment. While this phrase sounds harmless, it is one that sends chills up my spine. Let me explain. Matt is on his fourth (and better be his last) lawn mower. He actually bent the crank shaft of one, but that is a story for another time. He also has managed to break loppers, a sledge hammer, two tillers, and thought he broke my Dyson vacuum cleaner. I don't know how he does it, but it happens all the time. So when he became interested in the power washers, I had my doubts. Luckily, he asks a lot of questions and is not an impulse shopper, so we were given clear instructions on how to operate the machine. Appropriately enough, it has a Honda engine, so that was an added bonus. Once we got home, I pulled all the manuals out to read them and Matt fell asleep.

So the power washer is still in the box, and we are in for a week of rain. I just need a break in the weather to turn the soil so that I can get the plants in the ground. At least we are making progress.

Back to work

Over the weekend, Matt was able to finish clearing out the vegetable bed area, so I just need to set up the beds. I did have this big elaborate plan with raised beds and everything, but I thought that I had better just take it easy. I am just going to even out the soil and make my little planting areas. Later, if this is successful, I can make my own raised beds.

I have been out of town for the last few days at a library retreat, so I am ready to get back to the garden. I went out at lunch today and picked up several packets of seeds. I am going to have to find out our last frost date so that I don't kill the seedlings before the rabbits have a chance to eat them. Luckily, I don't have to wait too long since I have lettuce. That can go in the ground today after I clean up the bed. Of course, I will need to make little protection covers out of whatever I have laying around the garden shed. I have some old wire fencing from when Goliath was little and could get through the wood slats, but I need to find some heavy plastic. That will be my project for the night.

On another note, my nephew Cole came to work with me today for Bring Your Child to Work Day. I don't know if he has had any fun, but it was nice having him around. He told me his mother asked him if he was going to do any work over the Summer and I let him know about our projects. I told him that I would expect him to put in the work, but I would pay him and feed him for cleaning up flower beds and helping to scrape the deck. I can use all the help that I can get.