Hicksville Happenings

Lately, I've kind of been taking a blogging break. Not really intentionally, but it just kinda happened that lots of things were going on all-at-once and I just didn't know what to write about. Because there was too much to write about and not enough time. I like to write, but I can't usually just whip something out and press "Publish Post." But I'm going to make myself do that. At least today. We'll see how it goes.

I like to read other people's posts with random lists of their thoughts or what they're up to or just...whatever...that day. So...I will be a copycat.

1. I am OBSESSED with our plums trees in the yard. I've been composing a whole blog post about them. I promise, it won't be as boring as it sounds. There will be plum jelly and plum cobbler involved. And lots of crazy adjectives, like "glorious." And gratuitous plum tree photography. I might frame some of it. I love the colors!

2. Our kitchen sink (and dishwasher) had some major problems last Wednesday night. When we had friends visiting after church. (Hello, Bethany, Brittany, Ian, and new baby Owen!) And people staying the night with us on Thursday night. I was going to cook for them, but I could not. The plumbing situation didn't get resolved until Saturday, but the glue on the new pipe fitting wasn't cured until Sunday, and though I slowed down with the cooking, I didn't completely stop everything, and we didn't use paper plates, so we had a truckload of dirty dishes, and even though I usually hate washing dishes, this conundrum drove me CRAZY. But I'm just glad that Jeremy was the one who fixed it. He ran a new line and tied it into the separate washing machine line, and how did I get so lucky to marry a handyman?? Amen.

3. I've just figured out how to spend less time on a blog post. More commas and conjunctions. Less full sentences.

4. This weekend I made individual blueberry peach crisps, following this recipe from last year. I used to always prefer chocolate over fruit desserts, but times, they are a'changin'. That stuff is excellent, especially when the fruits are squarely in season.

5. Jeremy and I got new smart phones. We actually stepped out of the Flip-phone Stone Age (seriously, we both had our phones for four or five - or six? years) and now have Droids. It's taken a little while to get used to them, but I think it's safe to say that they're working out quite alright. I love taking pictures with mine (8 megapixels!) and Jeremy has discovered Angry Birds. And we've both started playing Words with Friends and I'm not really even a game person.

6. This HOT weather is so stinkin' uncomfortable. I have been longing to visit a milder climate. Until September maybe.

7. Our little gardens (you may remember the cedar garden and the cardi-garden from last year) weren't doing too great. Again. Enter the addition of nitrogen, which was recommended from various sources. Here's what Jeremy came home from the Co-op with.

Phone picture...sometimes they're great...

sometimes I can't figure out how to turn off the flash.

Dried blood. Isn't that sweet? But the plants loooooooove it and want to marry it. It smells kinda like a dead animal.

8. Our Rose of Sharon has started blooming. I love those trees (or bushes?) for several different reasons...my parents had one outside their bathroom window years ago in Picayune, MS. So when we moved to TN when I was a baby, they planted another one outside their new bathroom window. They have several around their yard now and we have one big one and a few smaller transplants to find places for in our yard. 

I love the idea of them because of their name, too. When I was taking these pictures last night, I kept singing, "Jesus, Rose of Sharon" as I played with the last light of the day. (I just learned a few things about that song that you might be interested in, too.)

Doesn't this little branch look like it created its own corsage? It's so crafty.

Well, I have deduced that I need to limit my random lists to about three items in the future. You live, you learn.

Happy Monday!

Kristen