meg's garden: Just For Fun

Two entries is one day?!

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:08:20 GMT

Yes, I know~ this is unheard of around the Garden, but I came across this video & it cracked me up!

What does meg do on a day off?

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:17:46 GMT

Guilt can be a wonderful thing.

Really.

My boss has felt soooo badly about all the late days & weekends I’ve had to work lately to meet state regulated deadlines (& I suspect a huge amount of relief that she hasn’t had to take on the responsibilities herself). Really awful~ as in “a very generous gift certificate to the LYS” awful (which appeared on my desk Tuesday morning after her return from vacation).

Also, last week, when I told her I would be in late on Wednesday because Sam had an out-of-town doctor’s appointment, she insisted I take the entire day off.

Huh?

If she was expecting an argument, she was sadly disappointed.

Serendipity being what it is, Wednesday was a Garden Club day meeting, & they were taking a field trip to a lavender farm. Even better, Chris ended up having the day off & offered to take Sam to his appointment. Yeah me!

So here are some pictures of our day at Lavender Hollow Farms:

We were given a tour,

and a class on making “Lavender Wands”, a traditional Victorian craft.

After lunch (which we brought along), Alice shared a peek of the Tea Room (no pics, sorry) & what the family calls the “Chicken Tree” (because this is where the chickens would roost occasionally)

It is a Weeping Fruitless Mulberry, over 50 years old, & the favorite hangout for their children, & now, grandchildren.

We did go on to another farm, Lorina’s Edible Gardens, which specializes in herbs. While there wasn’t anything particularly photo-worthy, it was very informative & I came away with some new herb plants & seeds for my new box.

I know Chris would hate this picture, but if he knows I’m taking a photo, he gets a really silly expression on his face.

Poppy approves; in fact, I’m going to have to watch her & Fred, our outdoor gentleman~ I don’t want them to start grazing through my plants or use it for a platform bed!

Summer Swap Time

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 02:17:44 GMT

If you have been visiting Meg's Garden for very long, you know how much I love, love, love swaps; now one of my favorite sites, The Simple Woman, is hosting one with a summer theme!

This one is super easy-peasy: choose one new thing, one gently used thing from your home, & one thrift store find- all with summer in mind & costing no more then $12.00 before mailing. If you are interested in joining, or just want to lurk while the rest of us have fun, drop by Peggy's to learn all the particulars.

Just zipping through...

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:32:05 GMT

Still no time for a real blog entry (not if I want to visit a few people, eat supper, & sleep more than 5 hours), so here’s a cheater meme, courtesy of these lovely folks:

Friday Fill-in

1. Idle hands are either sleeping or waiting for the pain meds to kick in.
2. I love just standing under the hot water in the shower.
3. My favorite time of the day is when I first get home- I can put on some comfy clothes, & relax in my chair with something to drink & my feline kids.
4. The last tea I drank was iced Ceylon with lemon peel & spearmint.
5. I like to go to the Concerts in the Park during the Summer.
6. My mother always said, “Let me be the Mother” (I was the oldest at home & in charge of my siblings too often, apparently).
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to an evening home alone, finishing projects; tomorrow my plans include going in to work, farmers’ market, dentist, & Sam’s golf clinic; and Sunday, I want to stay home & nap, but it is my weekend to docent at Ravenswood!

I wouldn't say no to a few of these...

Thu, 29 May 2008 22:37:37 GMT

My time is not my own right now~ too many deadlines looming at work :-(

I'll have a real post in a few more days (I hope); until then...

What Your Taste in Chocolate Says About You

You are sweet, mellow, and easily satisfied.
You don't like anything too intense and dramatic.
Deep down, you're a kid at heart... and you're nostalgic for the past.

You are mellow, spiritual, and philosophical.
You are a true humanitarian. You enjoy helping people.
Your heart can be too open at times. You sometimes over-extend yourself.

You love the feeling of accomplishment. You enjoy doing what's important.
You feel lost when you have to do frivolous tasks or hang out with shallow people.

The Chocolate Oracle

Another Obscure Monty Python Reference & Friday Feast

Fri, 09 May 2008 22:52:43 GMT

more cat pictures

Deadlines are looming (another Saturday at work is on the schedule), my only offering will be the weekly meme from Friday Feast

Appetizer

When someone smiles at you, do you smile back?

In all honestly- not really. Being a shy person, it’s a challenge for me to look at faces- I’ll give a small, tentative grin, & look elsewhere.

Soup

Describe the flooring in your home. Do you have carpet, hardwood, vinyl, a mix?

We live in a rental, so we inherited low pile brown carpet & aged vinyl flooring in the kitchen, bathrooms, & laundry area. I personalize each area with throw rugs- partly to protect the floors from dirt traffic, partly to bring some color into the very neutral rooms- in hues of red, green, & browns.

Salad

Write a sentence with only 5 words, but all of the words have to start with the first letter of your first name.

My Mother Makes Mean Mocha!

Main Course

Do you know anyone whose life has been touched by adoption?

Yes~ one of my sisters (my Dad & his second wife) & Chris’ only brother were both adopted as infants. Also, Chris was adopted by his step-dad, & his brother adopted his wife’s daughter (both their biological fathers abandoned them)

Dessert

Name 2 blue things.

My husband’s eyes & the recliner in the study (which I’m planning to replace this year)

Friday Funnies 4

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 22:39:48 GMT

see more crazy cat pics

The return of....

Cat Haiku

(author unknown)

Terrible battle.
I fought for hours. Come and see!
What's a 'tax return'

Yes, it's that time again; my forms are signed & ready- but I keep the check until Tuesday, by golly!

I'm having my ears lowered after work, then need to collect the photos I plan on working with tomorrow; Sunday is the docenting gig, a bit of garden maintenance, & boxing up the goodies for my latest swap partner on Ravelry. I'll probably be MIA until mid-week or so (I am soooo behind at work!)

Hope you all have a lovely, restful weekend

For the "Monty Python" Fans

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:28:59 GMT

see more crazy cat pics

Friday Funnies #3

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 00:32:38 GMT

Just preparing to fly from the proverbial cuckoo nest that is my job, for the relative peace of my “perpetual motion” weekend~ tomorrow is our turn for “House to House” dinner (I got stuck with the rude lady again- Lord, grant me an extra measure of self control) & Sunday, I’m out at Ravenswood, on my own giving tours, & it looks to be a lovely weekend, which naturally means lots of visitors. Some time in there, I need to sit down & actually write a letter (not typed or email; an honest-to-goodness handwritten epistle, with paper & ink) to a new pen pal I met through Ravelry; what was I thinking?

So, in lieu of an original entry- which requires a certain level of concentration- let me offer up some observations on mid-life, emailed to me by my MIL.

Mid-life is when the growth of hair on our legs slows down. This gives us plenty of time to care for our newly acquired mustache.

In mid-life women no longer have upper arms, we have wingspans. We are no longer women in sleeveless shirts; we are flying squirrels in drag.

Mid-life is when you can stand naked in front of a mirror and you can see your rear without turning around.

Mid-life is when you go for a mammogram and you realize that this is the only time someone will ask you to appear topless.

Mid-life is when you want to grab every firm young lovely in a tube top and scream, "Listen honey, even the Roman Empire fell and those will too."

Mid-life brings wisdom to know that life throws us curves and we're sitting on our biggest ones.

Mid-life is when you look at your know-it-all, cell phone-wielding teenager and think: "For this I have stretch marks?"

In mid-life your memory starts to go. In fact the only thing we can retain is water.

Mid-life means that your Body By Jake now includes Legs By Rand McNally -- more red and blue lines than an accurately scaled map of Wisconsin.

Mid-life means that you become more reflective . . . You start pondering the "big" questions. What is life? Why am I here? How much Healthy Choice ice cream can I eat before it's no longer a healthy choice?

But mid-life also brings with it an appreciation for what is important. We realize that breasts sag, hips expand and chins double, but our loved ones make the journey worthwhile. Would any of you trade the knowledge that you have now, for the body you had way back when? Maybe our bodies simply have to expand to hold all the wisdom and love we've acquired. That's my philosophy and I'm sticking to it!

Another Anniversay

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 02:22:40 GMT

It's been a rough week in the garden; everyone is keeping a low profile, nursing their wounds & waiting for the return of both the sun & our sense of humor. Here's a rerun to keep you all company (originally posted February 22, 2007)

One year ago, I was perched in a hospital bed with an ice pack on my tummy, surgical hose squeezing my legs (leaving a blood blister on my tuckus), morphine drip trigger in one hand, and TV remote in the other. My room looked like the walk-in cooler at a florist shop and there was a steady stream of visitors from church, each telling me how good I looked; personally, I thought I looked dreadful- pale, no makeup, hair gone wild- but I just smiled and said thank you.

In honor of the one-year anniversary of my hysterectomy, I humbly present:

Ode to a Uterus

In my teens, you bore promises

In my twenties, you bore fruit

In my thirties, you bore trials

In my forties, you bore grudges

Not one to slip gently into the quiet night

You fought age and obsolescence

Like any dame worth her salt would

Demanding the spotlight though your day had past

Flows became floods, cramps became crippling

Until we could no longer co-exist

And parted company

I like to think that you are where

You have your f-tubes propped on a stool

Tossing back estrogen poppers

And bragging about the time

You produced a 10 pounder with no help

Rest in Peace- you done good

Thanks, GP!

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 18:44:07 GMT

Enter the ICHC online Poker Cats Contest!

From me to you

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 19:17:57 GMT

I'm picking out a Valentine's Bouquet for you

my dear friend,

to share a little of the sweetness you bring

to my life

Happy Valentine's Day

Sweetie Swap

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:05:34 GMT

I like participating in swaps, as you well may know; I find pleasure in putting together a package of special things- some meaningful, others just for fun- to send off to someone I often don't even know. I also enjoy the anticipation of receiving goodies in the mail, curious to see what other people think I may like. This is way I've been having such fun with the seasonal swaps hosted by The Great Pretender (if you haven't met her, I highly recommend dropping by- she is such a sweetie)

So, the lastest round was the "Sweetie Swap" & today, the participants are sharing photos of the goodies they received; here it a sampling of the box I got from Tracie (aka The Other Blonde)

There must have been an entire bag of Dove's candies tuck into this package; they kept falling out every time I picked up something;

A great set of notepads & cute pen (now on my desk at work)

Some great smelling lotion & home fragrance from Bath & Body

The cutest novelty socks (how did she know I collect them?)

A jar candle- never can have too many (especially with 2 men & 4 cats in residence)

Dip mix- perfect for my upcoming Spring Tea

And the beautiful glass vase, embossed with daisies- some of my favorites!

In all, a sweet & lovely package- Thank You again, Tracie!

We are indisposed

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 03:12:47 GMT

The lady of the house is a tad under the weather & has retreated to her boudoir with tissues & tea; she will hopefully be receiving company again a few days.

“Choo!”

Way Excellent!

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:23:12 GMT

The venue was much smaller, more intimate, no duets, and yet...

...awesome.

This is one of my favorite pieces;

if I could become a torch singer...

yeah, sweet

In celebration of all things Austen

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 21:24:12 GMT

Which Jane Austen Character are You?

You are Eliza Bennett from Pride and Prejudice! Yay, you! Perhaps the brightest and best character in all of English literature, you are intelligent, lively, lovely-- in short, you are the best of company. Your only foibles are that you stick with your first impressions... and your family is quite intolerable.

(Take this quiz)

I have always loved to read; books have been my companions through all the stages & seasons of my life. In my early teens, I discovered a love of period fiction; my first dip into writings about a gentler age was with the Betsy & Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace. It was as an adult that I first read “Little Women” (& several subsequent books by Louisa May Alcott), “Jane Eyre” (a little dark for my taste), & “War & Peace” (entirely too ponderous!)

In my early 30’s, I met Jane Austen & a fast friendship was formed; while her wit, intelligence, & sense of irony satisfied my intellect, it was her pleasure in the simplicity of the everyday that struck a chord in my own soul. Although the snobbery of the class system & the utter lack of self-determination for women during this period grates against my 21^st century sensibilities, I was charmed & changed by Jane’s word craft; the politeness & propriety of social interactions, the genuine enjoyment of gentle pastimes, & the invocative imagery of the natural surroundings.

Therefore, along with the thousands of fellow Janites (or Austenians), I have been looking forward to this first part of the Masterpiece Theater season, where they are presenting adaptations of all six of Jane Austen’s published novels. The first installment- Persuasion- was this past Sunday; while I was not absolutely thrilled with this rendering of my second favorite novel, (some very strange staging choices, over-the-top characterizations by actors, overall dark tone, & several very period-inappropriate actions, such as the couple kissing in public & a lady running through town without a hat!), it was infinitely better then wasting my evening on the current drivel being televised.

This upcoming Sunday is Northanger Abbey, a great bit of light fun, even by Jane’s standards, & my hopes are high that it will be a pleasing interpretation. I was planning to host a “Virtual Tea Party” for last week’s broadcast- inspired by my friend Junie Moon’s talk of baking scones- but returned home from my duties at Ravenswood too late to put it together properly. So, providing all the stars align, the landlord takes himself in good time (he’s bringing an appraiser over as part of his efforts to refinance at a better rate), & no one is called away unexpectedly, I would like to extend an invitation for the honor of your presence at high tea on Sunday evening (gloves & hat are strictly optional)

Looking forward to something new...

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 18:18:17 GMT

I have the first in a series of posts about Ravenswood in the works, & hope to have it ready this weekend. In the meantime, the first offering of the new year...

Cat Haiku

(author unknown)

Grace personified,

       I leap into the window.

I meant to do that.

Cooking Fun?

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 20:57:57 GMT

Friday Funnies (courtesy of Prairie Home Companion)

An old man was lying on his death bed, wishing for one more pleasure out of life. Suddenly, he smelled the scent of cookies coming from the kitchen. With all the strength left in him, he made his way to the kitchen, where his wife was busy baking. It took all he had to reach out for a cookie. Just when he got his hands on one, his wife slapped him on the wrist. "Leave those alone," she said. "They're for the funeral."

This office move is testing the limits of my composure.

Somehow, in the course of a week, I- possibly the least thrilled person in this company in terms of the relocation- have ended up as project supervisor for this fiasco, mostly be default since my boss has decided to take the next week off

It has reached the point that whenever anyone mentions the word m-o-v-e, my upper right eyelid begins to twitch so violently that it appears I am winking at everyone; either they are attempting to figure what the joke is or considering bring me up on harrassment charges.

I need chocolate.

The saving grace is that it will all be completed in 10 days, & 6 of those days are weekend/Thanksgiving. That, & the fact that my vacation starts in four weeks, just in time for the problems that weren't considered to pop up.

I will not be answering my phone. Period.

I've had some requests for the recipes I mentioned this past week. Aways happy to oblige my adoring public, here they are- quick, simple, & tasty, which is the only way I will submit to the tyanny of the kitchen

Spiced Cranberry/Peach Chutney

3/4 cup of water

3/4 cup of brown sugar

1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice

12 to 16 oz of fresh or frozen whole cranberries

1 can of unsweetened peach slices, drained & chopped

(Optional- 1 cup coarse chopped pecans)

Combine first three items in a saucepan & bring to a boil, stirring frequently to dissolve sugar; add the cranberries & bring back to a boil; lower heat to medium & simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on, but cracked to let out steam; set aside to cool until ready to serve; just before serving, stir in drained peaches & optional nuts.

Curried Olive Dip

2 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese

1 can chopped black olives

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 green onions, finely chopped (or 2 tbsp of dried minced onion)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

3/4 tsp of curry powder

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly; cover & store in the fridge for 4 to 12 hours; serve with crostini or wheat thins.

Cat Haiku

(author unknown)

Tiny can, dumped in

Plastic bowl. Presentation,

One star; service, none.

What do you call a Halloween Grinch?

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 19:48:11 GMT

Phew! I’m glad that is over; it is Escheat Reporting time, my least favorite part of my job. Do yourself & your loved ones a favor- read this again. This year has been complicated with a new state controller, federal court injunctions, last minute legislation, & just all around general confusion; the end result is the same- a whole lot of work in a very short period of time.

Yesterday was a series of odd adventures. While home for lunch around 1:00, I heard a large helicopter- one of those military jobs, with double rotors on top- fly over the house; this isn’t all that unusual, since there are a couple of military bases within 80 miles of here. The strange part was it kept circling, lower & lower, just over our neighborhood; by the third or fourth pass, it was only a couple of hundred feet over the houses! At this point, a dozen people are standing out in the street, trying to figure out what was going on... & one fool brought out a shotgun! What did he think he was going to do with that- bring it down? Fortunately, the helicopter soon flew off towards the northwest, so we didn’t have to find out what the idiot intended.

Then, last night, as we were all sitting around the living room, the floor started rolling; it was a bit like sitting in a boat on the lake, riding the wake. Chris, Sam, & I looked at each other as if to say “Did you feel that?” then each grabbed a cat & headed to the backyard. Yep, for the first time in 18 years (Loma Prieta was Oct 17, 1989), we rode out a fairly respectable earthquake, the only one we’ve ever felt since moving out of the Bay Area into the Central Valley. Last reports put it at 5.6 on the Richter scale, centered nine miles northeast of San Jose; I received a call from my daughter within five minutes, telling me she was fine, but they were evacuating the shelter to be on the safe side. After a flurry of calls, it has been determined that everyone in the family is fine & there was no damage to report, aside from some flashbacks & rattled nerves.

Yee-haw! Gotta love California!

As you might (or might not) know, I choose not to celebrate Halloween, despite the grief given by co-workers & in-laws; even as a kid, I went along reluctantly, dressing up in innocuous costumes (mostly fairy tales or animals) & trick-or-treating for UNICEF (do they still do that?) Tonight, while the guys are over at the church helping with the annual Harvest Party, my porch light will be out, I will be praying that we don’t get egged or TP’d (12 years so far without a problem) & I’ll be hanging out either at the knitting shop or the bookstore, sipping cider & relaxing. We’re having a potluck at work today & frankly speaking, the food looks disgusting- of course, that is the point, but some people really went overboard.

Mummy fingers with blood sauce

Arachnophobia

Litterbox Cake

Bird Nest Noodles

With real baby birds- still in the shell!

My contribution is:

“Barf Bisque, with Rotted Cream & Fried Rattlesnake”

(aka Spiced Pumpkin Soup w/ Sour Cream & Fried Onions)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup onion, chopped
3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 cup peeled and cubed sweet potato
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 14 oz. cans of low sodium chicken broth
1 15 oz. can of pumpkin
1 cup 1% milk
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Nutritional Info

	Fat: 4.3g
	Carbohydrates: 21.6g
	Calories:160.3
	Protein: 10.3g

1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté onion for 3-4 minutes then add flour, curry, garlic, cumin and nutmeg and sauté for 1 minute.
2. Add sweet potatoes, salt, chicken broth and pumpkin and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered for about 20-25 minutes or until sweet potatoes are cooked through and softened. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes to cool.
3. Place half of the pumpkin mixture in a blender and process until smooth. Using a strainer, pour soup back into pan. Repeat with rest of soup.
4. Raise heat to medium then stir in milk and cook for 5 minutes or until soup is heated through.
5. Remove from heat and add limejuice.

6. (Optional) Stir in a dollop of sour cream & sprinkle with fried onions
Serves 6.

Last, but not least, my annual concession to the costume party.

We are not amused.

Friday Funnies II

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 18:31:58 GMT

It's been one of those weeks- work has been hopping with end of month stuff, the upcoming office move, & new staff training; I haven't been home in the evening since Monday; Chris is gone until at least the 20th, so I haven't been sleeping too well; & Sam has been tied up with rehearsals for Powder Puff cheerleading & XMA demo for Homecoming week (starts on Monday).

All this equates to not much blog-time, though I've been trying to get by to visit people; unfortunately, this will carry through the weekend as well- I have to go into work for awhile Saturday morning, hit the grocery store for our next House to House dinner at 5:00 that evening, then Sunday will be spent out at Ravenswood. The good news: it is raining, so I won't have to worry about watering my new transplants (more on that another day) & it will discourage most visitors at the house musuem, so I should get some quality knitting time. Here are a few chuckles to usher in the weekend~ hope your's is a good one!

You Are Fall Flowers

Beautiful yet often forgotten.

What Part of Fall Are You?

If at first you don't succeed... then skydiving is not for you!

A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store
but she couldn't find one big enough for her family. She asked a stock boy,
"Do these turkeys get any bigger?" The stock boy replied, "No ma'am,
they're dead."

Some people are like slinkys- they absolutely have no purpose but it sure makes you smile when you push them down the stairs...

Guy sits down at bar in Irish pub.

Two guys at other end are exclaiming, "I'm from Ireland too! What county... city... parrish... street...etc.

"Me too!" is the answer to each query with lots of back slapping.

Man says to bar tender, "That's amazing!"

Bar tender says, "Oh, don't mind them. That's the O'Reily brothers and they're drunk again!"

Did you hear about the Scottish drag queen?

He wore pants.