Gardening

Well, everyone has been talking about blogs and for a while I must admit I didn't even know what a blog was. But here I am starting one. I have really enjoyed keeping up with friends that live close and far away, reading their adventures with new babies, preschool, bottles, etc.

I decided to also start a garden (I guess I didn't have enough to do). Anyway, I thought it would be fun for Madeline and Jack to see that food actually grows in the ground and not just at the Farmers Market or Trader Joe's. Since we are so lucky to be blessed with so much construction in our neighborhood (yeah right!!) I thought I might as well benefit from the noise and dust and take some of the extra wood. Heath and I asked the workers and they okayed it and we hauled away enough wood for two planter boxes. Since all the grass (new grass, I might add) on the side of the house has died or been dug up by skunks or raccoons I decided that would be the perfect place for the raised beds. I read several books on gardening and attended a couple of classes/workshops and felt pretty ready.

One of the classes I attended gave me a lead for free compost out in Alta Dena (a long way away) and we drove out with the wagon and filled 6 bags with compost (horse poop and other yummy stuff). To complete the day we thought we would have lunch in Old Town Pasadena as long as we were out that way. So off we went off for some lunch and shopping for a couple of hours, did I mention it was 100 degrees that day? Did I also mention that the six bags of compost were still in the back of my wagon? Several hours later the valet guy pulls the car up with all the windows down, he jumps out of the car gasping for breath and gives all of us very dirty looks. Let's just say the car smelled like you know what... Hasn't smelled the same since. Oh well, all in the name of gardening.

I should mention that we went to Il Fornio for lunch that day, not really my first choice. However, everyone was starving and it was the first place we stumbled onto when we got out of the car. Anyway, of course Jack was being a little boy (and a little beast-like) and wouldn't sit and wouldn't eat (surprising) and wouldn't anything. The table of old people next to us kept making comments (old people sometimes completely forgot what kids are like) and it was not pretty. All of a sudden the waitress brings out two huge plates with flour and pizza dough! Hallelujah! It saved the day and made it the best lunch ever, we even managed to have espresso and dessert, something that almost never happens.

In our garden we have one raised bed that is full of lettuce, edible flowers, onions, and garlic and the other has radishes, sweet peas, broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. We will keep you updated on our progress. Here are some pictures brining in the compost and Jack playing with the compost (lovely)! I should mention that the reason Jack is dressed so warm is because the fog had rolled in and it was cold, the reason Madeline is not dressed warm is because she insisted she was not cold and refused to put anything else on.