The best gifts EVER

I don't know if I mentioned it, but Apollo was gone for an entire month recently. He took a trip to San Diego, then to Houston and Louisiana and then back to San Diego. He got back last week and good thing too, it was getting awfully quiet around here. Also, the back yard needed to be mowed something fierce (the neighbors took care of our front yard according to prior arrangement with Apollo). The cats were beginning to crowd me on the couch and follow my every move. Plus, I wasn't ready to give in to their nightly demands of special food that Apollo always gives them. And then there's the issue of the whole neighborhood constantly asking me when he was coming back. (Seriously, it's like we had a celebrity in town the first several days he was home!)

In the fifteen minutes it took me to drive to our tiny two terminal airport (complete with sheep grazing on the other side of the air strip), he had already picked up his luggage and was waiting for me at the curb. I love small airports! And totally the extra $100 we had to pay for flying out of this airport versus an International airport a couple hours away. I'll pay $100 any day to avoid driving in Portland's traffic just to get someone to their flight on time or bring them home after a long trip.

While unpacking, Apollo surprised me with three frozen bundles wrapped in foil and plastic bags. Get this...frozen carne asada's straight from Saguaro's! He bought and froze them the night before his trip back home and then tucked them deep into his luggage for the flight. After heating them up in the oven, he, Aimee and I had a delicious dinner straight from our own favorite Mexican restaurant in San Diego.

It was outstanding. I think I'm going to do this every time we go to San Diego or have a guest who visits us from the south!

Keep that in mind people!

Signs I am losing my mind

After a night filled with cat fighting, playing, getting into things, walking on loud things, walking on me, jumping from windows (and possibly the refrigerator, from the sounds of it), meowing in the empty room creating loud echoing, barfing sounds, cabinets slamming repeatedly, and cats launching off me, I have finally succumbed to what may be called "the crazies."

So far I've managed to keep the cats awake all morning, though they are now grouchy and are hissing and growling at each other as I type.

I've also been doing the, "Ha ha, You're Awake How's it Feel," dance every time they try to doze off and I wake them up with kisses and hugs.

There has also been a lot of cackling by me in their direction.

Also, I caught myself signing to Simba. Zoe got mad because Simba came over to me to get pet and she ran off like a little monkey (we call them monkeys when they scamper with their tails curled). I signed, "She's a mad monkey," to Simba. I know!!

And then I found an old man hair in my eyebrow!

Kiila

I finally got a photo of my latest socks on the lettuce bed. I thought the green would make the peach socks pop and boy did it! I used Hazel Knits Artisan Sock in Sanguine Peach with Sock Knitters Anonymous May Mystery Sock, Kiila (Rav link). It was my first toe up sock. They're going into my Christmas bin for an unknown recipient.



The cable and cuff was knit through the back loop and created a nice defined stitch. I ended up casting off in pattern while using two needles in my right hand, one in my left to avoid a too tight cast off edge. It was a little uncomfortable but well worth it.



The pattern is of Finish design and only available until June 8th. If you're interested, be sure to get it from Ravelry while you can.

Raised beds almost out of control

So it seems those instructions on the back of the seed packets were there for a reason. Who knew? In this first photo, the radishes are trying to kill the carrots (bottom left), the broccoli won't stop flowering, the collards are also flowering and one got so heavy it fell over. There's also brussel sprouts, tomato and a basil plant in this box. Good luck finding them.



To the right of that box is our strawberry bed. It's in a box but hasn't been raised yet. We're waiting until the strawberries are done producing fruit before we dig them up. A snake lives in the strawberry bed, he's a cutie pie.



Next is a box of zucchini, more tomatoes, a cilantro plant that exploded, some peppers that are still itty bitty and two different kinds of squash. I'm worried the zucchini will take over and end up spilling into the lawn. How do square foot gardeners make this work??

Last is my box full of lettuce, spinach and collards. It's an understatement to say the lettuce has gotten out of control. Well, the spinach too. Unfortunately I don't like spinach or collards so Aimee and Apollo better get to eating!!



We have another garden area but I'm saving that for another day. The weeds are a bit embarrassing.