47/52: A Long Thanksgiving Weekend

Thanksgiving is a time for family and our family sure does know how to have a good time!

Wednesday night is kinda like Christmas Eve to me.  Family gathers together to cook, celebrate, listen to music and give thanks.  Brian prepared a wonderful Italian dinner and we all had a wonderful evening together.

Our Thanksgiving Day is typically laid back with the parade and football on TV, everyone devouring the Black Friday ads in the newspaper and preparing to feast.  We were treated to an Oregon Ducks Men's basketball game in the evening which was a perfect way to wrap up a great day. 

Friday was spent out in Oregon Wine Country and a visit to 4 wonderful wineries for some unique tastings.  This year the weather was amazing and we all enjoyed a wonderful drive through Yamhill County under white puffy clouds and sunshine.

I can't believe that Thanksgiving has come and gone.  The weekend flew by.  The parents are gone.  Brian went home Saturday and Uncle Steve leaves Thursday.  Our house is full of Christmas now...lights and trees and a different kind of holiday feeling.

Enjoy!
Stacy

26/52: The end of June through the 4th of July

We had a pretty cool long weekend for it actually not being a long weekend (I had to work Monday)!

It was a beautiful weekend in Seattle.  Time to catch up with friends, BBQ in the backyard, enjoy a crisp Rose on the patio and take an afternoon walk to Lincoln Park.

Back to Portland on Sunday and a short workday on Monday before spending some down time at Rebecca Lane for the 4th.  A walk through the neighborhood in the morning, coffee on the patio, Bloody Mary's in the afternoon and a wonderful spread of food to fill out the day.

How was your 4th?

Enjoy!
Stacy

How Does Your Garden Grow: Month #2

My garden is doing really well, mostly due to the extremely hot weather we have had for the past month.

I wish I had planted more green beans as one plant really isn't producing the amount of green beans we would like to eat!  Next year, three plants would give us a great haul week after week.

My tomato "bush" is growing nicely and I have already picked two tomatoes this week and have a few "pinking" up.

I've lost two zucchini early to blossom rot, but just picked my first one last night!  I've got at least 3 or 4 viable zucchini growing that I think will make it.

I don't think that the zucchini needs much water and in fact, I might be over watering.  Typically I water my garden in the early morning every other day. Because we've had no rain in 45 days and it's been hot, I figured that this would be adequate but perhaps squash needs little water.  I'll keep my eye on it going forward.  It might also be a soil problem.

I've not planted any herbs.  It's been so stinking hot in the afternoons and evenings that you just don't want to do anything outside, which is really disappointing.  Perhaps this next week will be cooler and I can spend sometime outdoors.

Enjoy!
Stacy

How Does Your Garden Grow: 6 week Check Up

My garden is coming along nicely.  Of course, right after I planted everything at the end of April...we had about 10-15 days of cooler weather.  I was most concerned with my tomato plants, but they appear to be doing just fine and I am starting to see not only tons of flowering buds, but one small tomato as of yesterday morning.

My black patio zucchini looks healthy.  It will be interesting to see how big it grows and if I'll be plagued with blossom rot.  I've got one lovely blossom!

My beans are already producing.  I've got at least a half dozen small green beans growing and perhaps next week, I'll have my first harvest!

I am ready to plant some herbs.  I'd like to grow some basil and thyme as they are the herbs that I tend to use the most and I have had good success with both, but basil more from July-September.

Enjoy!
Stacy

19/52: How Does Your Garden Grow?

April 27th I turned my garden over (with the help of Brian) and on the 29th I planted three Early Girl tomato plants.  My goal is to establish a tomato "tree", which I successfully grew the year before last. 

Last week was nice and sunny with no rain so I think they had a chance to take hold. Despite some showers this week, our night temps have been well into the upper 40's so I think I am in the clear.

This past Monday, I searched for some things to plant in the other box.  I've been kicking around beans or peas the past few years and this year I've taken the plunge.  I bought a set of bamboo stakes and made a tee pee for some french green beans...fingers crossed.  

In addition, I found a black patio zucchini so my thought is that the patio variety will be smaller and take up less space (again...fingers crossed).  Planting a garden in a raised box is challenging...space wise.  I am never sure if I've got enough room until it's too late!

I've got some herb starts in house (I don't dare put basil outside until July) and my rosemary wintered over in a pot so I think I am good on herbs, which I will re-plant outside later in the summer.

I am super excited!  Grow, baby...grow.

Enjoy!
Stacy

14/52: Final Four and Family Time

This is the first time in three weeks that Brian, Sammy and I were all together in West Seattle.  My train ride on Friday was beautiful...brilliant blues and gorgeous greens the entire ride north.

Saturday was the NCAA Final Four ahead of Monday's championship game and it was also Easter weekend.

We had an amazing walk through Lincoln Park on Saturday and Sunday, a few chores and then Brian made a huge plate of Deer Park Nachos for the Final 4.

On Sunday, we drove home to Portland early and shared Easter baskets with Chick (Blondie enjoyed investigating) and I cooked a pork roast, scalloped potatoes and asparagus.

How was your Easter Weekend?

Enjoy!
Stacy

51/52: Christmas at Rebecca Lane 2014

Chick and I celebrated Christmas early at Rebecca Lane last Wednesday.

We spoiled each other rotten with PJs!  Always the #1 go-to gift in our house.

I received the new Billy Idol book (which I can't wait to start reading).

Chick got flame-less remote candles which we love having in the house all year round.

I am also super exited about my new knife block.  I can't wait to start chopping stuff up!!

It was a super fun night with lots of laughs, wine and Christmas music.

Christmas #1 down with many more celebrations to come this holiday season!

Enjoy!
Stacy

45/52: Halloween Wrap-Up!

We just barely got home from our Chicago trip, then the first major end of the year holiday was upon us.

HALLOWEEN!

This year I was a "little" devil..........

Chick dressed up as a kitty cat.....

We've had the house decorated for a few weeks with all kinds of lights, pumpkins and decorations.

 I just love these skull goblets I got at the Halloween store for $6!

We had 47 trick-or-treaters this year, not quite as many as I anticipated given that the rains stopped and it was Friday night.  Our first little beggar was at 5:50 and the last one was at 8:15 (we pretty much turned out the lights at 9:00).

How did you spend Halloween?

Enjoy!
Stacy

37/52: Fence Project and Garden Update!

Thanks to our dear, sweet neighbors, we have a new fence at Rebecca Lane!

The project was completed in about 10 days from start to finish and the end result is a beautiful new fence.

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The garden continues to produce 4-6 tomatoes a week (we eat a lot of BLTs this time of year)!

Finally, my acorn squash in coming along nicely.  I have two "hopefully" eatable candidates!

Duds this year included my basil, which I believe does better out of the direct sunlight.  Next year I will perhaps keep a plant on the front porch where it will get morning sun only?!

My broccoli bolted while I was in Hawaii, but some of the smaller limbs will continue to produce until first frost, so I cut it back last week, keeping only one plant.

I still have green onions which are getting quite big.  They are always nice in a salad.

Enjoy!

Stacy

30/52:Garden Update!

My garden is seriously taking off!  The 80-90 degree consistent temps have been a big help, plus the radiant heat from the south side of the house!

Just when I thought my broccoli was done, I've had some success with the two plants I kept.....we will see.

I have more tomatoes than I can count albeit, they are seriously small and very green.  I bet I am harvesting a few by the last day of July.

Herbs are herbs......harvesting basil and oregano.  Rosemary is quite small and I will most likely replant into one of the main boxes before first frost.  Not sure how much I will harvest anytime soon.

Acorn squash has had blossoms for weeks, but I am not seeing any buds???  I would be so happy to just get one edible squash!

How does your garden grow?

Enjoy!
Stacy

28/52: Yard Work Party

We had the help of Brian last weekend at Rebecca Lane and spent Saturday & Sunday trimming trees and bushes, raking beds, picking weeds and laying bark.

Here are the before and after pictures!

The mound of bark!

 

4 rhododendrons to deadhead!

The front after bark is laid.  We spent 4 hours prepping, trimming and cleaning beds and got the front yard finished by 2:30 on Saturday.

With one final push on Sunday, we finished the backyard just before 1PM.

 




































This morning...everything except my eyelashes hurts (muscles that I didn't know existed).  We accomplished a lot....more than the three of us thought we would.  Now we can sit back and enjoy our work.

Enjoy!
Stacy

19/52

The first round of clean up and planting for the 19th week of the year!  

The Seattle patio is coming along nicely.  Brian's spent quite a bit of time weeding, edging, mowing, weeding, clearing ivy, (did I mentioned weeding?).

Here is my Rebecca Lane garden.  This year I planted broccoli, spring onions and tomatoes.  I hand laid 6 cubic feet of hemlock barkdust, but I still have at least 6 more more to go.

Enjoy!
Stacy

12/52

Here is what we experienced the 12th week of the year!

MARCH MADNESS 2014

• Pop spent 7 days at Rebecca Lane

• We watched 4 straight days of basketball; that's 12+ hours each day and 48 games watched!

• We ate some awesome food including a St. Patrick's Day Corned Beef Feed, Aloha Friday with Kalua Pork and Teriyaki Chicken Wings and a Bloody Mary Bar on Sunday

Cheers!

Stacy