Vegetable Garden Progressing

28 Sunday Mar 2010

For the past few weekends, Rich has been planning and building two 5×8 foot raised planter boxes for our Mount Vernon house. This weekend, he dug holes in the ground and sunk them. In the middle is heavy plastic mesh to keep critters from burrowing up into the garden with a layer of landscape fabric on top. Raised beds Around the edges and in the post holes is gravel to prevent the wood from rotting.

Next weekend, we’ll get top soil, which we’ll supplement with bags of steer manure, bone meal, and other soil amendments, which are currently in the back of Rich truck.

For the past month, I’ve been starting herb, lettuce, pea, and string bean seeds in the house. The lettuce sprouted very quickly so I had to move them into a larger pot where they’ll hopefully get stronger so they can be planted outside.

It’s still very early to start planting, but we wanted to get the boxes completely so we could pop in seeds or starts when the weather gets warmer.

While Rich was building planter boxes, I was busy tearing out sections of ivy to plant a xeriscape garden with lavenders, salvia, thyme, and other drought tolerant plants. We planted similar plants into Texas (in place of grass). Once they took hold, after watering them for two years, they required very little maintenance or water.

Garage Gets a Make-Over

16 Tuesday Mar 2010

Posted by rajalary in Home Improvement

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Several weeks ago, we went to the Seattle Home Show, which featured merchants offering everything from resurfacing bathtubs and counters to landscaping materials, roofing, replacement windows, hot tubs, and garage doors.

Oh, garage doors!

Our stunning 1970’s house in Kirkland came with hunks of warped plywood, inset with amber glass windows, that swung up when opened, clobbering anything in their path. To say that I hated these garage doors would be an understatement. Although, in the grand scheme of necessary home improvements, replacing the garage doors wasn’t high on the list.

One vendor at the Seattle Home Show must have said "something" that compelled Rich to explore the garage doors that he was touting. His prices were very reasonable and the NEXT week, Rich called for a quote. A few weeks later, our hateful garage doors were sawed in half and replaced with fabulous, almond-colored doors with elegant windows.

Check out the before and after pictures. Note, the barfy brown shutters were removed from the front windows when they were replaced last year with double-pane windows. This summer we’re having our house painted in a pale almond with moss green trim. And the shutters, they’re history!

Plus, we’ll be axing the front door and replacing it with a pretty wooden door with inset panels of rectangular glass. I’ve scoped out the door several times at Home Depot several times!

Visit Down Memory Lane

08 Monday Mar 2010

Posted by rajalary in Travel

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Last weekend, we visited Portland, Oregon. Rich attended a fireworks certification class so he can retain his Oregon Pyrotechnician license. He’ll be firing a show for the Portland Rose Festival in late May to fulfill the other requirements of the license.

Meanwhile, I visited my mother in Sherwood, Oregon.. She’d recently hurt her leg and needed help with housecleaning, grocery shopping, laundry, and other tasks. We had an enjoyable lunch at Sushi Land and that evening, Rich joined us at the Sherwood McMenniman’s, a community tavern where Rich and I initially met after corresponding for a few weeks on Matchmaker.com.

Sunday morning, we headed to southeast to Milwaukie (SE Portland) to purchase Dave’s Killer Bread at their bakery/store. After serving 15 years in prison, "Dave," decided to start making outrageously nutritious and tasty breads. Today, he offers over a dozen breads, cookies, and a wickedly delicious cinnamon roll called a Killer Sin Dawg.

The problem with the breads is that once you’ve eaten them, other breads are… boring. His breads are liberally sprinkled with a variety of seeds and made with whole grains.

At any rate, we planned on purchasing a dozen breads, giving nine to Rich’s son, Chris, and keeping three four ourselves… along with a Killer Sin Dawg, and a Peace Bomb Mini-Baguette.

On the way to the bakery, Rich drove through Milwaukie and areas of southeast Portland where he used to live. He also stopped at the Historical Broetje House, where we got married in September 2002. The house was originally owned by a horticulturist who had lavish plantings, including towering Sequoia Redwoods. Above is the front of the house along with its water tower.

The next photo is part of the garden. Towards the back is a white gazebo where we exchanged vows. I had Rich pose in the gazebo to re-enact the event. He looked much more dashing during our wedding in a black tuxedo with a ivory rose boutonniere.

I’d also decorated the gazebo with ivory and floral patterned ribbons, ivory toile, and ivory and moss green flowers.

The guest sat on white chairs on the lawn. A bagpiper (Rich is half Scotch) played as we walked from the bed and breakfast portion of the Broetje House to the gazebo.

Afterwards, we greeted guests in the reception area before we proceeded to the ornate banquet room.

It was fabulous to once again walk around the Broetje House and remember our special day.