Pevensie

She doesn't have a middle name, but since we aren't keeping her I guess it's better that she doesn't. I probably shouldn't have named her at all. But she's just so pretty!

Melissa and I found her wandering around outside of work last night, and we thought initially that she was declawed, so we absolutely were not going to leave her out there to fend for herself. It turns out that her claws are just worn down really, really short. I'm trying to find her a nice home, because Dan put the kabosh on the idea of keeping her. He said he absolutely draws the line at two cats.

She's really just gorgeous. I guess she's full grown, but she's very thin and malnourished, and actually she's still pretty young, I think.

We put her in the cage at first.

She probably ate half her weight in cat food.

We moved her to the bathroom so she could have use of a litter box.

I hope we find her a good home!! :(

Lily fever

They're starting to open! So now I have to control myself every time I walk past a display at any plant store, grocery store, corner market, etc.

This little beauty is called a Pink Echeveria. Tiffany and I each got one at Meijer's. We just couldn't believe it was real. It's so crazy looking!

I also got this, called a Peperomia. I love the foliage.

At Home Depot, this tiny little Sarah Bernhardt peony was on clearance! I couldn't just leave it sitting there, never knowing if it would have a good home, now could I?

My pink oriental lilies have opened up!

Look at all those buds!

Happy Returns was the first lily in my garden to bloom. (The Stella d'Oros were going crazy before that elsewhere, but I don't have any.) Look at those ruffles!

The Indestructible Thyme is blooming.

My petunias seem to love the weather lately.

They're so pretty!

I haven't featured the hostas in a while, so here they are. :)

The peaches are getting bigger!

Big yawn!

She looks kind of evil here.

Dan and I didn't actually see a bug that she might be chasing, but who knows? (She is a little loco.)

We let the girls lick our bowls after having some pasta for lunch, and it was too funny for me to miss taking a picture.

You know they had to check out this old dresser before we could put in the drawers. They're very thorough.

Cornholing?

No, really! It's not as bad as it sounds!!


Cornhole is actually just a bean bag toss game. And it's totally fun. But you can imagine my surprise when I came into the library and opened up the computer and PlayCornhole.org was up in Firefox. Um, what?

But all cornholing aside, our barbecue was a blast. The shish kabobs were delicious! And the rain didn't even last all night.

My lisianthus is falling over, but it doesn't seem to bother it any.

These Exotic Impatiens are just so pretty!

Grape Crush New Guinea impatiens and nemesia.

Salvia and Dusty Miller are making themselves perfectly at home.

These, I think, are dahlias coming up from the tubers I planted a few months ago in the petunia garden.

And speaking of dahlias, my highlighter dahlias are making a comeback!

The Indestructible Thyme is blooming! (Keep off it.)

There are still a few flowers on my columbine.

But most importantly, yesterday my first lily opened! Say hello to my newest addition, Happy Returns.

Not your every day...

from www.icanhascheezburger.com!

Summertime Blues

Well, we haven't really had any summertime blues this year, unless you count the horrific weather we've been having. Dear Mother Nature, screw you. Love, Mary

But on the bright side, if it doesn't rain today (unfortunately, rain looks eminent), we're going to have a barbecue! Every two weeks (give or take a month) we rotate with some friends of ours for who hosts a dinner party. This week/month was our turn, and we decided we needed to take advantage of it being summer, so it's going to be a cookout. We have everything prepared for make-your-own shish kabobs, which should be delicious. We also have garlic bread, ice cream with waffle cones, and a spiked watermelon. (You can't have a gathering of twenty-somethings for a meal without alcohol!)


Home de Pot has a nifty picnic table kit that includes the pre-cut wood and hardware. All you have to do is put it together. Of course, Dan didn't like the design, so he built his own.

We're thinking we might have a campfire tonight, too, once (if) it gets dark (while people are still here). To this end, Dan decided yesterday that it was as good a time as any to trim all the trees and make some firewood. The really cool thingy he's using is a little chainsaw on a long pole. Don't worry, he didn't make it himself. You can buy them like that, with the trigger at the end of the pole.

Your first view of Elphie's new collar! This cat is very unusual. Nikki and her roommate Val gave the kittens baths once a week just to make sure they'd be used to water. So when we put Elphaba in the sink, she's not the least stressed about it. In fact, she'll drink straight from the faucet.

I love how her little tail is draped over the edge of the sink. :)

She's been doing this thing today where as soon as Dan gets up from the table she immediately occupies his chair. She's a little brat.

My petunias are looking purty!

I don't know why there's that patch that has no flowers, but otherwise the dianthus is looking gorgeous.

Here's a (somewhat) better picture of the Before the Storm iris.

I'm really surprised and thrilled that the pansies are still doing so well! I know it's just June, but it's been getting into the eighties and nineties out there.

This petunia is on a mission to steal the show in my garden. And it's succeeding so far.

Outback!

My Gerbera daisies are reblooming! I wasn't sure if they would or not.

I'm so incredibly pleased with this Twist and Twirl coleus!

Turn on your PHONE!!

Yes, that's right. I want to send you cryptic text messages that won't make sense to anyone else. When Dan and I watch a movie and I think it would be funny to send you a quote I know you would know, I realize it would be silly because 7 days later it would be sent back to me with a message with the general gist of, "Hey doofus, don't you know that she doesn't check her messages? Stop sending them!"

Anyway.


The dianthus is going crazy! I just love it. I bought one for Granny for her birthday, but it isn't this color. I'm thinking I might have to buy one like hers. But I do have seeds I need to sow -- two packets of pinks. :)

Look at my Outbacks! It's a good plant. I'll have to get another one next year. Do annuals in pots last more than a year?

This white petunia pooped out for a little while, but it's back with a vengeance.

Dahlias from tubers coming up very prettily, wisteria going cray-zay, and basil.

Dahlias making a comeback, especially the pink. The highlighter dahlias don't seem to be too excited about an encore.

Fusion Glow exotic impatien. Aren't they pretty? The plant had absolutely zero flowers on it when I bought it. Yay for blooming!

The coleus are both going crazy with their flower stalks.

Look at the buds elongating on the oriental lilies! Hopefully they'll open soon.

My newest iris, Before the Storm, opened up on Monday, the day after the incredible psycho storm. So I told Dan I was going to dub it "Before/After the Storm." We'll see. Anyway, it's so dark purple it's almost black. I got it because I thought it was so unusual. :)

Here's its close-up.

I'm pretty sure those are my glads coming up. Please please please!

This little guy is all alone out in the middle of the yard! I almost stepped on him today and I'm surprised I didn't decapitate him with the hose.

The peaches are getting big!

Elph decided the strap on this handbag looked like a yummy treat.

Much to Ginger's chagrin, Elphie does still seem to have the urge to nurse. Which kind of freaks Ginger out.

So I gave them both a bowl of milk.

Elph also explored the sink in the bathroom.

And the mail cubby as Dan took it apart and shrunk it. (Notice her new collar?)

Hiding. Encouraged by dad.

Ginge was still ticked that I was outside watering plants without her.

And last but not least, Dan decided that the pre-cut, easy-to-assemble picnic table kit at Home Depot was just not a good design, so he made one himself. From scratch. Well, obviously he didn't grow the trees to harvest their wood, but you get the idea. The finished product will be posted tomorrow. :)