Atack of the Zoe

Zoe decided to freak out this morning. I was still snoozing when she came meandering over the pillow looking for some pets. Something about the benign white sheet startled her. She went leaping into the air and came down scrambling to get away right onto my face. Ignore my post-shift bloodshot eyes and gaze upon the lacerated carnage that is my forehead.

Relaxation at last!

I had a lovely spa day yesterday. I spent the morning shopping for dresses at Nordstrom's and had a quick lunch at Johnny Rocket's. Then, I hit the spa at the bottom of Old Towne. I nearly fell asleep during the facial, had a most invigorating and knot-blasting massage and had a two hour mani-pedi. That last bit was most indulgent. C was waiting for me when I got done. We cooked a lovely dinner and then indulged in the most decadent ice cream EVAH!. Green and Black Chocolate Ice Cream. I have to thank Leslie for introducing me to the heaven that is Green and Black's Chocolate. It's super dark and not overly sugary. Very highly quality stuff for the serious chocolate addict. They make a cherry and dark chocolate bar, but unfortunately, do not sell it in the US. If anyone finds it here, buy me a boatload and I will reimburse you upon delivery!

Surprise Birthday!

On May 12th, C and I flew to Dallas for a quick overnight trip. Mission: Surprise Grandma for her birthday. Sneaky Grandma had been calling all her friends and inviting them out to dinner. Everyone thought she knew about the party and kept turning her down. I think her feelings were starting to get a little hurt until she showed up at the restaurant and saw everyone who loved her there. Lots of love, Grandma!!


I think she was just little bit surprised. Overwhelmed, is more like it!


My mama and my grandma. Hugs! Love!


My grandma with her three daughters and all her grandkids, except Leslie. (Missed you Leslie!)

Her very cool, yummy chocolate cake that Aunt Terry put together.

Grandma with the fattest small dog in the world, Mitzi. (Yes, she does get her own breakfast sandwich at McDonald's)


To really explain what they are doing here would take up way too much space and would get lost in translation. Email me if you really want to know. Or...just laugh....it's what I do.


The three sisters with their Uncle James, recreating an old photo for old times' sake.

Blech!

I just finished my latest round of night shifts. The past two nights have been quite hellish. I felt like I was back in Detroit on Saturday night...lots of major car accidents and butt kickings. To get myself back on a regular schedule, I try to sleep as little as possible during the day I end my last night shift. I'm not useful for anything, but it does get me back into the regular swing of things. On Thursday, I'm going here for a much needed afternoon of relaxation. C. gave me a gift certificate at Christmas and I'm planning on living it up like a lady who lunches...a morning of shopping, lunch with C, and then an afternoon of pampering.

Garden stuff

In case anybody is interested at all, I found this this link discussing mulch with the whys and wherefores explained rather clearly. There are several calculators out there on the intarwebs to determine how much mulch you should buy. This one is useful, I think, in that it also will calculate the cost for you.

More Falconry

This beauty is a European Eagle Owl. She's a close cousin of the American Great Horned Owl. Her only difference is that her eyes are orange instead of yellow. For as big as she is, she only weighs about 5 pounds.

Pretty flowers

This one is called Cherub's Smile. I planted it two years ago and it has finally bloomed.


This is a peony planted two years ago as well. It has finally bloomed, but peonies are notorious for taking several years to bloom after being planted. It is supposed to be a dark, ruffly red called "Karl Rosenfeld". It doesn't look like the pictures after all.


This is a falcon I had the pleasure of handling in April at the Homestead. The nice couple that took the class with me had a camera and are sending me pictures now that we have the email kinks worked out. Isn't she gorgeous?

Iris eyes are smilin'

Cheesy, I know. Last fall, I went on a bearded iris buying kick. I ran out of places to put them. I ended up placing four into the veggie bed just to have a place to put them. Two started blooming yesterday. They sure are purty...



Olympic Challenge



Earl of Essex.


And shhhhh, a big secret is happening this weekend. I can't delve into too many details, but, needless to say, someone I know is going to be very surprised this weekend.

It's spring...really, I thnk.

The weather has been consistently warm the past two weeks. I've put down my pre-emergent and sprayed the overgrowth of weeds on the lawn. The flowering plum has flowered. My weeping willow has put out tiny green leaves. My forsythia is in bloom and my Yoshino cherries are blooming.
From the patio, they still look tiny, but I can already envision how they will block the view of the neighbor's yard.
A close up of the delicate, pale pink blossoms.
Zoe T. Cat didn't like that I was outside having fun in the yard without her. She complained a lot in her sweet, whiny, tiny little cat voice.

Ain't no sunshine when you're gone

Who took my Spring away? We went from 80 and sunny to 40, rainy and miserable. The area is looking at snow and sleet tonight and my daffs just started blooming. The weather gods have a miserable sense of humor, I do believe.

Spring has Sprung!

I know it is still officially 9 days away, but spring is just leaping up all over my little patch of earth. I had the day off today and it is warm enough to go outside without looking like I'm on an antarctic expedition. The crocuses are blooming. The daffs and tulips are starting to emerge. I imagine they should be in full bloom by the end of the month. My Japanese cherry trees are budding. As pricey as they are, I'm really happy they survived the winter.

They are predicting a perfect bloom for this year's Cherry Blossom Festival.

If anyone is up for wandering the Mall in perfect Spring weather while surrounded by flurries of perfect pink and white flower petals, come for a visit.

Representin' the 313

I know these little quizzes are dorky, but this one cracked me up. I only lived there for 5 years and apparently, I can blend in like a native.

DETROIT WHAT !!!83%

WHAT UP DOE....DETROIT HOMIE**

HOW DETROIT ARE YOU
Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Loves me some Kitty Pi

I made a list at the beginning of the year and my goal is to actually finish some of the half dozen or so knitting projects that I have started and never finished. I'm happy to say, first one down, several to go! I made a Kitty Pi for Zoe T. Cat. She always seems rather pleased with herself when she is in it. It's made from some no-name gray wool that I found at a store in Las Vegas and is edged with Bernat's eyelash yarn.




From above, she always seems just squeezed into it. I've contemplated reblocking it and making it a smidge bigger, but she doesn't seem to mind.

You know it!

What Amy Means

A is for Athletic M is for Magnificent Y is for Yummy

What Does Your Name Mean?

Morning surprise

I got home from work last night around 1 AM. While chilly, everything was dry. I woke up at 9 AM to at least 2 inches of snow on the ground and a lot more still falling. A very pretty surprise, indeed. When it snows, this is what my backyard looks like:


It's supposed to warm later and start raining. I'm hoping it will so I don't have to shovel my drive...maybe the snow will just melt away while I'm at work this evening. Ha...not likely.

Years later, she emerged from the gloom

Yes, I suck at keeping this thing updated. Since last I even logged on, we have had Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, and Valentine's Day. I think there was even a wedding thrown in there for good measure. (No, not mine, so don't even ask) Like that silly ad says, "Life comes at you fast." I'm not even sure what they are advertising...cars, insurance, hamburgers?? Who knows.

The most recent and relevant thing to happen was last week. C and I celebrated 4 years of dating blissitude on Valentine's Day. The following Friday, we hopped a jet to Puerto Rico and spent President's Day weekend basking on a warm, sunny beach. It was a definite improvement from the 4 degree weather here in the DC area. I was trying to pack light and left any cold weather gear in the car. Let me tell you, there is nothing more eye opening than slipping across an icy long term parking lot at 5:30 AM in flip flops while dragging a suitcase behind you. C has the camera, so photos are pending. If you are interested in making the trip, we stayed here.

Rumblings around the house

While C and I were at the spa, there was a lot of digging around the house. I had some landscaping done. I hope everybody likes the results. I love them.

Hardscape materials piled up on the drive.


The guys in back, hard at work. They moved an entire hillside by hand using nothing but shovels and wheelbarrows.


The front yard afterwards.

The sideyard, afterwards. The bushes will grow up and hide the utilities.


There are more pictures HERE

Another Birthday Trip

C's Birthday is almost exactly a month after mine. This time, I took him to Keswick Hall. It's a wonderful manor house that has been converted into a spa and hotel. Nearby, are multimillion dollar estates. Sissie Spacek and Robert Duvall have houses in the area. A nearby horse farm is up for grabs at a measly 15 million dollars. The area is near Charlottesville, VA and is so serene. To the east, there are rolling hills and manicured horse farms. To the west, are the foothills of the Shenandoahs.

Keswick Hall from the foot of the drive.

The rolling hills of Virginia. This is a view from the patio area.



A view of the infinity pool.

The place is gorgeous and the service is impeccable. We had a wonderful dinner. The next day, we went to the spa for massages.

Birthday Trip

For my birthday, C took me to the Shenandoahs. We spent 3 days at the Big Meadows Lodge. We had some wonderful meals in the dining room. We took a 10 mile hike down to Hoover's old summer retreat. The weather was cool and luscious. It was a much needed break from the heat and work that have both been excessive this summer.

Lovely Big Meadows Lodge in Shenandoah National Park.





The lodge had a fabulous "Great Room" with a huge fireplace and windows looking out over the valley. In the evenings, guests hang out here playing board games, reading, putting together puzzles and generally enjoying the non-electrifiedness of it all.
The fireplace in the Great Room was made from native limestone.

The veranda outside the dining room. It looks out over the valley.
Over the valley at sunset from the veranda. After dark, it was even more spectacular with the stars overhead and the lights from the little towns in the valley.

The cuteness of being Zoe

How could one possibly resist such cuteness? In the middle picture, she is asleep in the awesome plushy kitty tent my mom whipped up for me. Thanks, Mom!

Let me introduce you

Welcome and please say hello to the newest member of the family. I picked her up at the SPCA offices today. Her name is Zoe. Pronounced like Joey with a Z. It does not rhyme with toe. She's 3 1/2 months and was found as a stray shortly after birth with her 3 siblings. She is very siamese looking in her build and was originally described as a lilac siamese, but her points are starting to darken up and she has a very subtle stripe in her main coat. Sort of an off-white on cream sort of thing. She is still pretty freaked out about the big move to her new home, but is exploring and playing and being very kitten like already.

Flowers in the garden

Siloam Virginia Henson

Royal Mountie.

It has been forever since I posted for all my nonexistent viewers. It rained for about a week here in Virginia, otherwise it has been too hot and humid to go outside, much less move and breathe once you get there. I did sneak out way early in the morning when it is half a degree cooler to snap some pictures of my daylilies in the side yard. The first two were planted in the fall last year. In the intervening time, I have lost their little nametags and have no idea what their names are. I smartened up with the last two. I'm keeping a book with all the changes in my garden and I'm remembering to record what and when I plant things.

Otherwise, I've been too busy with work to make any progress with the inside of the house. Last weekend, C and I went to the National Theater in D.C. to see Spamalot. If you are a fan of Monty Python, I highly recommend tracking down tickets so you can see it. Lots of hilarious fun.

April showers.

We had a recent rainstorm. Double rainbow appeared across the street with a weird combination of super-dark clouds and glowing sunset. Later, I ran outside and tested my new flash on some lovely daffodils.

We all scream for ice cream

We had a gorgeous weekend full of warm breezes and sunshine. Sunday was the perfect day to head to Bruster's and eat ice cream in the sun. This is a peanut butter cup. Vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, peanut butter sauce, Reese's peanut butter cups, whipped cream, and a cherry. Definitely not for the faint of heart. After this one, I won't need another for a very long time. Very very yummy!

Amusement with my email name

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New door

I've finally gotten around to taking down my autumn wreath that I put up in October. Yes, I know it's March. Somehow I skipped over Christmas this year. I hit the craft store today and this is what I came up with. It's a nice mix of tulips, daffodils, and iris.

Spring blooms eternal

It's been an incredibly warm winter. After the wintry blast of Prague, I came home to some early spring bulbs in bloom. What a great welcome home.

Fall pansies merging with spring crocus.

Daffodils in bloom.

A close up of a crocus

Prague

Prague was more than just a little bit cold. It was sleeting, snowing, raining and windy cold. I have a pretty decent case of wind burn on my face from all the cold and walking around in it that we did. However, we had a great time and saw a lot of the city. Pictures will be coming soon.

Yes, I know it's almost March!

Astrid was just giving me a hard time for not posting any new picture lately. Sorry, folks, there hasn't been too much exciting going on. I'm sure nobody wants to see pictures of my dead, forlorn winter garden. There's hasn't been any decorating going on in the inside either. C. leaves for Prague this Saturday. I'll be following him a week later. We'll have a week to run around the Czech Republic. Hopefully, lots of interesting photos to post after that.

In more recent news, give a shout to my good friends, Mark and Astrid. Hopefully, they will have a new addition to their family today or tomorrow.