Neil and Garlic

It was warm yesterday, by Sequim standards anyway.  The high was 76 degrees even though the thermometer on the wall said otherwise (we need to move Pruetts to another spot).  When the sun is out, it is glaring and hot.  The air is so clear here that the rays come right through.  When that type of weather hits, you find projects to do under shade until it starts to cool off. 

Yesterday I opted to clean the garlic that we have harvested, and had drying out in the shed.  I poured a big glass of ice water, turned on Neil Diamond, and got to work.

Doesn't quite look like the garlic at the grocery store, does it?  We planted five varieties, but I am hard pressed to tell you which one is which right now. 

The stalks have been cut off, and now the roots need to be trimmed.  Regular scissors is needed for this.  It's like cutting the beards off.

Now to let them cure for a while until the tops are dry and closed up.  Yum. 











Meanwhile, we are getting stockings for Operation Holiday Stockings.  The ladies at the Eastside Knitting Guild in Bellevue continue to amaze me. 

Betty used up a bunch of yarn scraps to make these.  I love the colors. 

More from the Guild.  More fun colors.



Susan B. has been busy as well.  Love the trim at the top.

Well, today is supposed to be another warm one so I'm on my out to the garden to do some planting. 

If you're interested, I did knit four rows yesterday.  I seem to be so busy playing in the yard that knitting is a little hard to get to right now. 

TTFN

Sue

Changes

I was just rereading my last post and the final statement that I hoped it wouldn't be another long silence before posting.  Well, it looks like my hope on that went out the door.  I know it's been a while, but I have been busy.  We've made the BIG MOVE to Sequim.

I started my sabbatical on July 1st, and on July 2nd at 6:30 a.m. we packed up the dogs and cat and drove over to Sequim in both vehicles.  Louie slept in the front seat of my car, and Abby rode in the back seat in her crate.  She meowed once, and decided that since we weren't headed to the vet's office she would just lay down and relax and see where this was going to.  

The first week here Abby slept under the comforter on our bed, Louie chilled on the couch, Edgar scouted for something to bark about, and Johnny wagged his tail.  Me, I napped.  Seriously, I couldn't stay awake.  I'd sit on the couch and snooze.  I'd get on the computer and snooze.  I'd go to bed and sleep 12 hours.  Apparently the stress of the last few months got the best of me.  By the time Friday came around I was upright and feeling good. 

A a prelude to what was coming (the moving van), Jim and Pat came over for the weekend and we went to the Olympic Music Festival in Quilcene to hear the Mosaic Brass Quintet.  Wow.  They were wonderful, the venue amazing, and of course, the company was the best. 

The next Friday the van came, and with it 23 years of living in Bellevue.  Stuff was delivered to our storage unit, dropped in the house, and shoved into the garage.



David and I spent the weekend unpacking the kitchen, which if you have moved, you will know is the biggest project when it comes to unpacking.  My feet ache recalling this project.  As we were unpacking I was sorting out what I would be donating to the Sequim Elks Garage Sale.  I did sort out a LOT of stuff in the past six months, but once we got here there was still more to do.  Who needs six sets of dishes and four sets of cultery? 

Monday morning David left with a kiss and I hit the rest of the boxes with rested feet and bewilderment.  Where was all of this stuff going to.  I had a housefull of company coming for the Lavender Festival and had to at least have beds ready for everyone.  Fortunately, as Jim said, it was an easy group. 

First things first.  I found this in my kitchen that morning. 



A bear taking a bubble bath in my sink.  Welcome to Sequim and insanity.  Pretty crazy.  He is now on the deck in the back feeling better about this whole move. 

So the second week of my sabbatical went like this ... work in the yard while it wasn't (a) raining, (b) cold, (c) windy, or (d) all of the above.  In other words, most of my time was spent in the house working the biggest jigsaw puzzle of my life.  The last time I moved was 23 years ago and I was 37 years old.  It goes a bit differently when you're 60 and have feet who are bad sports for the most part.  In the evening in helped being able to take a break with my friend Merlot. 

Of course, Abby and Johnny had to help, primarly with putting the yarn where they thought it should go.  (Notice Merlot and his friends Cab on the left.)  Of course, Abby did an exit stage left when the camera came out. 

One night I was unpacking boxes and suddenly noticed Edgar wasn't around.  I figured he had gone outside or was on our bed, then when I started picking up paper I found him. 

Love his take on life.  Mellow.   Louie in the meantime was on a couch staying out of the way.  Abby?  Well, once the big bed from Bellevue came in she came up for air.  (More on the killer cat later.)

It wasn't all work.  I went into Port Angeles and had lunch with Mary Lou and Laurie, followed by the best massage I have ever had.  My cousin Laurie is a massage therapist, and OMG, is amazing.  Also met up with Leslie for lunch and caught up on our lives.  



When David showed up on Thursday night I threatened his life if he dared to unpack one more box.  I was sick of the packing paper, and sick of trying to find a place for anything.  I poured him a drink and told him to sit and listen to me lament. 

On Friday, in a matter of three hours, we had the beds made, shopping done, and the house as ready as it was going to be.  Susan B., John, Jim and Pat, and Lindsey came over to a composed Sue and a house in some type of order.  We grilled a ham and corn on the front porch because of rain, but were able to meet around the campfire later on. 

The next day was the Lavender Festival.  Poor John couldn't get us moving fast enough.  He had lavender to check out, and Lindsey had wedding venues to see.  We went to Purple Haze first, which is a beautiful farm.  We took advantage of the scenery for photo opportunities.

John and Lindsey.  I remember when they were both 5.  Lindsey makes John look tall.

Real Men Love Lavender.

After Purple Haze we visited Port Williams Farm and the Washington Lavender Farm.  Too bad the weather wasn't a bit better but we had a blast anyway.  Later that evening Leslie and Steve, and Susan and Linda from the Eastside Knitting Guild joined us for another grill fest.  The guys cooked three chickens and corn on the cob.  The skies cleared enough for another night about the camp fire.

The next morning everyone headed on out, but not before this ... Johnny has won Pat's heart and her lap. 

Susan, being the good sport that she is, stayed until Monday so she could help weed, and David brought out his Mikeda and started hanging up stuff for me.  It was a wonderful weekend with wonderful friends and family.  Love you all.

This week the dogs, cat and I have been able to come up with a routine of some sort.  We sleep in, have coffee, look at the weather, and think about how hard we want to work. 

Wednesday I went over to De's and made spring rolls with her and Tammy.  Yum.  Of course, we had to have a glass of wine with the finished product.  A lot of the veggies we put in the spring rolls were from De's garden.  So good.  Later that evening I went to the Bag Auction with Leslie and Pat at the Elks. 

Yesterday I woke up to Abby chortling at me.  I went to pet her and the Killer Cat grabbed my wrist and bit me.  She apparently was hungry and wanted food.  I told the little B that all she had to do was ask and I would get myself out of bed and feed her.  I got up scrubbed scratches and fed the cat.  This morning around 2:30 I heard this horrible screech and woke up and immediately totally covered myself with the bedspread.  I wasn't going to let Killer Cat go after my face.  While I'm burrowing under the covers she's off of the bed, slammed into the dresser and then went over at the window growling.  I got up, had a glass of water and climbed into bed again burrowing totally under the covers.  At 3:35 she's sounding like a lion ready to attack and at the window.  This time I looked and saw eyes looking in at me. Abby's growling and screeming, and now the dogs are barking.  I got out of bed and damn if there isn't a raccoon looking in at me.  I got up and let the dogs out and that was that.  We all slept in until 7:30 this morning. 

Today we had SUN!!!!!!!  I spend the entire day in the garden, finishing up with harvesting the last of the peas.  I'll be freezing peas in the morning, and from the look of the raspberry canes, making raspberry jam. 

Next week my brother Steve and his wife, Judi are coming up.  I am so excited to see them again and to have them come visit.  I hope the weather is nice. 

All in all, I am now rested, and in a good frame of mind.  I am very grateful to have three months off to rest and relax.  A sabbatical is a wonderful gift, especially for a paralegal.  There are very few firms that provide that benefit and I am very grateful.

Well, it looks like a nice sunset so the dogs, cat and I are headed out to the deck to watch the sun go down. 

TTFN.

Sue

Scattered ...

Native Western Dogwood in our back yard.



A month, it's been a full month since I've posted anything.  Many times I started out to write something witty and so very clever, only to get distracted.  So what's been happening?

We've had the realtor come over to the Bellevue house, contractors are coming over to give us bids, we're cleaning up the yard when the weather permits, I'm helping plan a friend's retirement party, I'm getting ready for a 3-month sabbatical that starts July 1, we're putting together the Last Bellevue Barbeque, trying to get anything to grow in our garden, receiving requests for stockings for troops deployed in Afghanistan, working with the knitters, crocheters, and sewers to get stockings made, and we are planning THE BIG MOVE to Sequim.  Maybe that's why I haven't posted anything.  Maybe that's why I'm feeling scattered, distracted, and maybe a little bemused. 

Not all is scatterment, however.  We've been having fun getting together with friends, building fire pits, grilling on the deck, and, believe it or not, David and I went to the Irrigation Festival Parade in Sequim this year.  We were at the grocery store (took a while taking detours to get there), and decided to get a coffee, sit on the curb, and do the parade.  It was a blast.  I loved every minute of it.  Here is a annotated version of the parade.

We had the motorcycle drill team.

The City of Port Angeles Chain Gang truck (for real).

The Sequim Fire Department Engine No. 2

The sewer pumping truck.  Huge!

A front end loader with a bucket in the front and a scoop in the back.

Veterans from every war were there for us all to thank.

Toys for Tots.

The Irrigation Festival Queen and her Royal Court.

A vintage John Deere.

Marching bands (six of them).

Horses of all sizes.

A vintage tow truck.

Logging trucks.

Finally, a modified logging truck.

People were laughing, talking and sharing a good time.  It was a spur of the moment decision, and a good one too.

I continue to knit doggie blankets, because right now the garter stitch "dish rag" pattern is all I am capable of dealing with.  I am grateful to have my knitting, it's keeping me centered.  The doggies are big winners too. 

We have received a request to provide 700 stockings to a battalion deployed in Afghanistan.  The Chaplan asked if it would be possible for us to consider them.  I said yes, of course.  In about three months, we will be going full steam ahead on Operation Holiday Stockings again for the seventh year. 

Finally, among all of this excitement, Susan B. bought a new car and a beaut is too.

She's named the car Madeline and we are all excited for her.  Barb, her sister, is relieved.

Well, hopefully it won't be so long until the next posting.  Take care everyone, and happy knitting to my fiber friends.

TTFN

Sue

Bird Baths

Yesterday I made bird baths.  I know I should have been weeding in the garden, but instead I went over to De's and with a group of fun ladies made bird baths.  These are made using rhurbarb leaves as the mold.  Putting it simply, here is how you make these.

You start out with a pile of sand and put your leaf on it to build it up a bit.  This is to make the "bowl" portion of the bird bath.

After you have built up the sand pile, you cover it with plastic wrap.



You then put the leaf back on the little sand pile.

Then comes the ready mix concrete.  Judy applied concrete dye to her leaf before putting on the concrete, which explains her red gloves.  All is well.



When you are done you have a nice mound of concrete holding a nice surprise.

You will note that even though we have beautiful sunshine, we are working in the shade with our winter clothing on.  Ahh Spring!



This is De taking a picture of me taking a picture of her.

When the concrete has cured, you can paint the bird bath.  This one was done a while ago. 

Thank you De for a lovely afternoon, and for introducing me to a group of wonderful women. 

TTFN

Sue

Walkin' on Sunshine



Still in the afterglow of Frank and Rachel's wedding, we headed out yesterday for a weekend at Edgar's Acres, where we were greeted with sunshine.  Folks, its been a while since we have had more than one day of sunshine (fortunately it was last Saturday), and that is since last September.  April has been a horribly cold, wet and gray month.  Everyone has been good sports about it, however, in light of the monsterous weather that has hit other parts of our country.  We are hoping the sunshine and warmer weather here in the Pacific Northwest will bode favorably on the weather east of the Rockies.

Our tomato plants are anxiously awaiting their spot in the garden, but in the meantime are happy to be inside where it's warm.  Poor babies would have perished if they had been planted outside earlier.  My cherry tomato is doing it's best to be happy.



See, two little tomatoes in the making.  Yum.

Yesterday we made a detour to Port Gamble since the Hood Canal Bridge was opened.  When you visit Port Gamble, you take a step back in time. 

I kept expecting to see either Pollyanna or the Music Man.  What I did see were these tulips, a treat to weather weary eyes.

The dogs are happy.  They are at Edgar's Acres, where the sun is shining and the grass is green.

Edgar (as in Edgar's Acres)

Louie squinting from the sun

 and Johnny.  He's tired from running in the freshly mowed grass.

We harvested our first crop for 2011 yesterday.  Yep, asparagus. 

This is the first year to harvest.  We will only be able to harvest a few so we can let the roots continue getting settled in.  At $4.99 a pound right now, these were a real treat. 

Just enough for David and I to have a nice portion.  Should be able to get another harvest next weekend when Susan and I come over.

Today I am joining up with some delightful neighbors to make bird baths out of rhurbarb leaves.  Should be fun.  More fun than weeding, which is what I really should be doing. 


Take care and stay safe.

TTFN

Sue