History of a "Lime" Green Thumb

Circa 1979:The mothers of my two best friends and I come up with an idea to give us kids a bit o responsibility for the summer...a vegetable garden! We'd take our harvest to the Farmers Market for moolah. Dollars and cents fill us with hope. Certainly this will be the start of something big! But after planting the seeds, the newness quickly wears off. Mom does the weeding and harvesting. But she still lets us keep the $2.68 we earn from our Farmer's Market sales.

Circa 1987:My college roommate finds my solitary plant in the trash and gives me a bit of a lecture. Jean revives the plant before it is destined to the dumping ground. I feel like I just killed a cat. I'll never again throw away anything green, unless it's moldy bread.

Circa 1994: Just married, living in town and I (in my early attempt to prove my domestic worthiness) decide our rental house desperately needs a dose of floral accents. After all, we live next to retired green thumbs with inspiring flower beds, which make our house look pitifully barren. I throw a few pretty flowers in the ground and voila! They flourish, creating a nice, homey appearance for our now quaint home.

Circa 1995: Move to the family farm. Can't wait to get busy on the vast amount of yard to flaunt my obvious knack for gardening. But something goes amiss. My only successes are the flowers already planted by my mother-in-law. Everything else seems to flounder. What in the heck happened to my green thumb?

I come to find out that my early horticultural successes were entirely due to our green thumb neighbors. They'd sneak over while I was at work to cultivate, replant or fertilize, and consequently, creating my delusional green thumb.

But if anything, the setbacks make me more determined. After all, who doesn't want to live in an aesthetically-pleasing environment. So, after years of experimentation and talking to other real gardeners, I consider myself, well, a novice really. But I still love it! No doubt it takes patience, of which I lack. But it is so rewarding when a design finally comes together.

Yesterday, we toured the Lauritzen Gardens (where the photo was taken above). Talk about inspiration! But on a much smaller scale, I can have the same enjoyment at my very home...See my lilies below? It's taken me four years, but now I sneak out several times a day to peek at them. (Obviously, I'm on vaca.) As my mother always says, gardening and flowers are wonderful therapy. I hope you enjoy as well.

What I Need To Get Done!

Monday:
1. Sleep until 9:00
2. Review session at 10:30
3. Go to Jessup and pay bill
4. Study for Lit & Theory exam.
5. Drink with Meg and Jean.
Tues:
1. Go to class 15 minutes early, practice progressions.
2. Dictation exam (8:30)
3. 9:30 to 10, practice sight singing.
4. Chem lecture at 10:30
5. 4:30 watch Jeopardy and clean room.
6. Go jogging after supper.

...As I was digging through some sheet music the other day, I found an old tablature notebook from my freshman year in college. Not only did I find Led Zeppelin lyrics, alphabetic listings of my favorite rock bands and music assignments, but I also found a few pages of my lists! Above is a small example. Look at the time I had in between my tasks...that was quite a life. Interesting...There were few "practice piano" tasks for being a piano major. Apparently it was more important to keep my mind sharp by watching Jeopardy.

Oh, to be young again. On the way home from Chicago, my family had to endure another walk down memory lane as we drove through Iowa City. Luckily for Doug, there was a jazz festival going on downtown. As we walked through the crowd, I was immersed in the energy of the eclectic youth surrounding us.

My college to-do lists left plenty of time for leisure. Perhaps I need to take a lesson from my youth. My current lists are chock full, from sun-up to sun-down. Why is that? Because obviously, I haven't grown wiser with age...but, guess what? I'm gonna change...so before I sign off to "live in the moment", I'll leave you with this poignant Kung Fu Panda quote:

"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. But today is a gift -- that's why it's called the present."

A day at the Chicago Field Museum...living in the moment by walking through the glorious past...

Back from Vacation

For as much fun as we had, it's always good to come home. I can only take gluttony and leisure for so long...even if I am spending "quality time" with my family.

We began our vacation by visiting old college friends in Monticello. Once again, I find another friend with an insanely organized Pottery Barn house. I should be compelled to dust right now, but here I am, typing on the keyboard...(I must say that a few days free from typing did wonders for my aching hands.) The Kehoe's were spectacular hosts and I'm hoping my husband will be compelled to cook a little more. (Like I'm compelled to dust?)

I won't bore you with all the details of our National Lampoon's Vacation, but here are a few highlights...

*Sear Tower...not the best choice, since "the ledges" just opened. Spending three hours in line to be trapped on the highest floor in the U.S. did little but make us cranky and nervous. Except for Alex of course.
*Field Museum of Natural History...AWESOME! I could have spent much more time here but was outnumbered by hunger pains. I honestly believe that my kids aren't happy unless they spending a bunch of dough.
*Fireworks at the Navy Pier...Moved me to tears, but then again, I'm a cryer...
*Michigan Avenue...to fully experience, should explore with group of girls without husbands.
*The Westin...completely luxurious beds, BUT Mom screwed up. No pool. Luckily the Country Inns at Iowa City on the way home put me back in good graces.

Other tidbits... Alex is a dramatic sleeper. Actually, she's a little scary. Cole holds the world record in saying "Watch me..." After five days together, we could hardly say one word to each other. But today, we're all chatty again...and a bit more productive which makes me happy.

The pictures above were taken in line at the Sear's Tower...A Classic Cole pout...and a typical happy Alex expression.

I Won't Back Down

See this lovely grouping of lilies? My husband thinks it's necessary to hide their beauty behind a rusted 1990 Chevy pickup, a four-wheeler and a lawn mower. Apparently, our garage isn't big enough...although we have an entire farm less than a 1/2 a mile away with plenty o' storage...

"No one comes here anyway!" he declares.

"Are you kidding? What about the mailman, the Schwann's man, the UPS guy...and Lois was just here the other night?" I artfully respond.

So, there it is. The argument of the ages. Aesthetics versus practicality. It's why we spent $4000 on the backyard. There's no way I would allow the grill to sit in front of our house. But since we couldn't beat the wind and keep the grill standing on the backyard deck, we had a very expensive brick retaining wall built next to the deck. It's really pretty, and functional too!

Well, I think I've won this one. I haven't seen the old Chevy all day...I think the lilies got to him...

And look at these Gerbers! They finally bloomed again. Just as we go on vacation. Maybe I should move them near the mailbox for our visitors to enjoy.

Perfect Day...Perfect Moment

I'm sitting outside right now, watching my son climb up the basketball hoop pole, with a big toothy grin...now he's hanging from the top and he jumps. And my heart flip flops in anticipation of his injury. But no harm done. He was merely trying to get away from his sister in an intense game of hide and seek. Now he wants me to give him a boost. No way. I will not be an accomplice to a premeditated accident.

Doesn't matter. Alex decided to boost him up. Apparently it's not hide and seek anymore. It's just a game of climbing the pole. They are giggling uncontrollably. Yes, this is one of those oh-so-perfect moments.

Have I mentioned that this is my first day of a two-week vaca?

Today, I vacuumed (actually moving the furniture and finding a SIPPY CUP! Yes, my youngest is 7. We took those things away a long time ago.)...mopped the floor...finished two loads of laundry (I'm almost caught up!)... watered flowers and moved some pots for aesthetic purposes...and you know what else I did?

I rested. I'm pretty much resting right now as I look over our lush, green panoramic vista and feel the balmy breeze gently roll through our...Hold that thought...Alex and Cole came over to join me and the dog. (How's that for a scene?) Alex decided to pop Cole over the head, for no apparent reason. The oh-so-perfect moment evaporates.

For just a little while. I'm back to listening to the breeze. I wonder why I don't make myself do this every night.I never do this. Just relish in the moment. It's quite delightful, really.

Even with a dog drooling all over my Mac.

My Monkey Man!

The other night we researched our Chinese Zodiac signs. I’m a rooster...apparently I’m confident, motivated and (I really hate to say this) pompous, I guess. Doug is a monkey...curious, mischievous and clever. I knew this, of course. But guess which animals are compatible with monkeys? Rats and dragons. Not roosters. At least it explains why Doug was attacked by a rooster when he was a toddler. No kidding -- he even has the scar.

Who wants to be a perfect match anyway?

I make him read. He makes me relax.
He makes me watch baseball. I make him watch What Not to Wear.
I make him eat vegetables. He makes me eat meat.
He disciplines the kids. I give them hugs.
I discipline the kids. He disciplines the kids even more. (Just kidding...he’s a hugger too.)
I like to spend money. He likes to sav....no that's wrong. He likes to spend money too.
He farts. I never fart, ever.

While we don’t exactly match up in terms of Chinese signs, at least we are both of the “earth” element. I’m sure it’s what keeps us together. Besides who would have known that a rooster and a monkey could create an ox (Alex) and a snake (Cole).

I’ll end with this quote that has nothing to do with the blog, really.

“You don’t have to be anti-man to be pro-woman.” Jane Galvin Lewis

In Honor of Father's Day!

In honor of Father’s Day yesterday, I devote this week to the men in my life. Since Cole tends to get the spotlight, I’ll begin with someone who only makes an occasional appearance on this blog. I feel just a tinge of guilt. He really IS an important part of my life, and he often provides great fodder for blogs. But it’s just so hard to beat the words that come out of my kids' mouths.

Anyway, here’s to my dad. He has many formidable traits, and I listed them below in the order I think he would prefer:

1. Good looking, not appearing a day over 60. (He’s actually 62!)
2. Modest, really.
3. His ingenious mechanical mind, of which I inherited absolutely none of it. I can’t even rebuild a 1960 Panhead.
4. His financial acumen. (Only he and my mom will get this joke).
5. Obtains the best Cole confessions ever. (“Grandpa, you know when your daughter (my mom) was a baby and she was a lot of work? Well, I’m not gonna get married because I don’t want that stress.”)
6. How he remembers every detail of a 1928 JD Harley, but he can’t remember how to spell my name...Steffffenie, Daphne, etc.
7. The joy he brings our kids. No kidding on that one..he never tells them no.
8. Finally, and most importantly, his plan to take us to Hawaii next year. You just can’t beat that.

But seriously, as is with most daughters (including my own), I believe my father to be the funniest man on earth. I can always count on him to make me laugh, no matter how crummy I feel. Thanks Dad, you’re #1 in my book.

Pictures this week will have nothing to do with the men I feature, but I thought I’d share a bit of the wildlife at our farm...have you ever seen a more stupid-looking cat? He's actually quite pretty when he's not posing.