Carrie's Garden

I have a small, but functioning container garden with four different plants. I would have liked to add more plants to my garden, but living in an apartment, and never having done it before, I decided to stop at four, otherwise, I'd would have kept adding plants, until I couldn't manage them anymore.

I was at the greenhouse, looking for some bright flowers to stick outside my window, when I noticed that they were selling strawberry plants, in containers. So I immediately bought a container. The greenhouse guy said they would flower this year, and give strawberries, so after waiting a month, and hearing about the nice crop of June berries, I was starting to lose hope. Than, a flower, the next day more! and a few weeks later, a strawberry. I have no idea when they ripen, but I'm guessing to have red strawberries in a week or two. My last strawberry/ flower count was at about 25, so I'm happy.

This is my container lettuce. My friend's Mom gave him a pot full of lettuce last year, and I was completely amazed. I didn't know you could grow leaf lettuce in a flower pot. So this year, I went to Wal-Mart, bought a 97¢ packet of mixed leaf lettuce, and talked the cashier into selling me the wide pot with cracks running down the sides for $4. I added soil, put in the seeds, and viola, a few days later I had sproutlings. The lettuce is quite big now, and I haven't tasted it yet. It's so pretty, growing in my pot. I really don't have the heart to eat it, although... It's looking yummier and yummier all the time.

This is my tomato plant. I bought it at the same time I bought my lettuce seeds. Aren't my tomatoes beautiful? I don't remember the variety, but they are a cherry tomato, supposedlyy good in containers, and seeing the large amounts of flowers on them, I will have to agree. The plant is about 24 inches tall, and quite compact. I was worried that I didn't buy a big enough pot for them, but they are doing wonderful. They do take a large amount of water. Out of all my plants, they are usually bone dry by the time I give them their nightly drink. I don't like large tomatoes, but I love the cherry tomatoes. These guys should get to be about an inch wide, so it will be good eating.

These are chives. One of the people at work was thinning out her chive bed, and brought a whole box full in. She left them outside, and forgot to tell anyone that she had chives to give away. By the time I got to them, the chives had sat through a few days of hot weather and were not looking so good. I grabbed the healthiest bunch, and stuck them in a bucket full of water, and left them in my office for a weekend. When I came back, they had perked up, and starting to smell, well oniony. I put them in a pot, where they were growing, but not thriving. It turns out, the plant was just growing brand new spikes, and now I have a healthy chive plant.

Kool Aid- Its not just for Sugar Highs Anymore.

The local yarn store was offering a class in Yarn Dying, using the perennial favorite of small children- Kool Aid packets. You know, the 20 cents per packet found in flavors such as Lemonade, Cherry, and Very Purple Grape, which taste nothing like Cherry, Lemon, or Grape and requires a full two cups of sugar to make it taste good.

The blue yarn in this picture I believe was fruit punch, and the very cool purple yarn was made with good old standard grape.

The other two skeins were made with Cake Icing, painted on. It was fun, very easy to do, and very child friendly, and the color will stay, although I'm told it will fade in the sun.

Day Off!

I decided to take today off. On hindsight, I should have taken July third off, to give me a four day weekend, but alas, I just wasn't thinking, and now I won't have any comp time left. Its a good thing that in a month or two, I can actually use my accumulated time off.

But today I did a lot of things, well not really. I called the insurance lady about seeing if full coverage makes sense for my 5 year old car. But, she never called me back. So now I wonder, like I usually do when someone doesn't call me back, if I left the wrong phone number. I also got my car in for an oil change at the only quick lube place in Montevideo, according to the yellow pages. My car should be a happy camper for the next 3 to 4 thousand miles. I also bought some yarn for a pair of felted clogs for my Grandma. I thought about making them as a Christmas present, but I think I'm going to start right now, and hopefully give them to her when I go home next.

On knitting news, the first Cat bed I made wasn't quite right, and not up to my standards, so I gave it to my sister as a house warming present, who knows nothing about it not meeting standards (until she reads this blog). Her cats are very cute, very long haired, and nothing but trouble. Apparently, the Orange one (she refers to them as the Orange one, and the Gray one, although their names are either Simba, Tiger, Muskie, or Sunny, depending on who you ask) absolutely loved it, and pulled himself around and around with his claws, so my cat bed is a success. As soon as I get picture of the sister's cat using the cat bed, I'll be sure to post it. I've immediately started on a new cat bed for my two. The picture is of Bentley helping me knit it.


I finally got to see Em's new house. For being in a development, it's a really nice house. They have a small front, and back yard, but theres a county park right behind their house. It would be a perfect place for someone who doesn't want much upkeep, but still have access to a large open area. I also made some super cute booties for her unborn baby, and helped carry a rather heavy crib up a flight of short stairs.

So now its back to work tomorrow, where hopefully, I should be getting a new computer, with dual monitor action. So exciting.

Till next time! Carrie

Mentos... The Freshmaker with Geyser Like Action!

Because I am lazy, and don't feel like blogging, I give you Mentos, and Diet Coke, in action. Have fun!

Quick Thoughts on Current Events

On Gay Marriage, or Marriage in General- If two people want to spend the rest of their lives together, why does the Government have to get involved by issuing marriage licenses? Also, whether you are for or against Gay Marriage- Everyone should be absolutely appalled at how the Marriage Amendment was brought to the Senate Floor for the sole purpose of getting more Republicans to win their elections.

On the Iraq War- Bush is an ass. We are in a war that we cannot win with current tactics, but to leave Iraq in the state its currently in would be incredibly immoral, so change tactics, and get out. Those of you who were for the war at the beginning, but now want out when things aren't going according to plan- nothing but hypocrites.

On Afghanistan- We wouldn't be in the mess we are in, if we had put the money towards making Afghanistan work, instead of starting a needless war with Iraq.

On the new Light Rail System- Its about time!

On the New Twins, Vikings, and Gophers Stadiums- Do we really need new stadiums?- No, but I would like the Twinkies stay in Minnesota. As for the Vikings and Gophers, well, I could do without either team, so my feelings are that the money going to be spent on those stadiums are completely wasted.

On Anne Coulter- She is one messed up lady! Why oh Why does she have bestselling books that are nothing but long rants against everything! I give her the right to free speech, but how can anyone actually take her rants seriously!

Black Bird Problems

While taking the garbage out, I ran into my neighbor, Clara. She asked me where the chickens went, and if the chickens would eat some bread crumbs. I answered that the chickens probably would eat the bread crumbs, and she then told me, she was never around chickens, and didn't know that much about them. She was really mystified as to where they went. I then explained that if she left the bread crumbs, they would probably come back, and then I took the garbage out. Now Clara is this really old lady who lived across from me and according to her daughter, isn't always so sure whats happening. I was a little confused as to where the chickens came from, but I'm wondering if she saw the rather large hoarde of black birds hanging out on the lawn, and thought they were chickens.

Now, my problem with black birds is that that is the only bird I seem to get at my bird feeder. Friday afternoon, I put up a bird feeder, filled it up with seed, and by noon the next day, the food was gone, and their was a whole black bird family hanging out underneath it, outside my window, at early hours, with a voracious baby who was very very hungry, and was making his problem known to the world, at rather loud volume. One adventurous blackbird even discovered the suet feeder. Its been hanging out on my window by suction cups for at least three months, and not one bird has discovered it. Yesterday, a blackbird found it. Now, its almost gone. Even the cats don't get excited about black birds anymore.

So, between imaginary chickens, and a noisy, voracious black bird family, its been an interesting day.

I also got a good start on my next knitting project. I am attempting to make a kitty bed. You can find the pattern at WendyKnits.net.
There's also a photo gallery of people who knit this pattern, and their cats using it. My guess is that my cats will sniff it once, and than promptly ignore it.