Monday, May 29, 2017

Poppy Party!
















What a whirlwind life has been. As school activities seem to be trying to squeeze in every last thing in the last few weeks of school (school auction, spring performance, school parade, field trip, field day, school art show, etc) the garden has been really waking up and taking off. Last weekend, before volunteering for five hours at the school auction, I spent a lovely afternoon in the garden out back, sowing summer and winter squash seeds, pole beans, sweet peas (possibly tragically too late), and planting tomatoes, herbs, and red bell peppers. Vincent built a trellis for the snap & shelling peas and pole beans. It's everything we can do to not prematurely pick the peas before they are ready. I've been eating salads with homegrown lettuce and radishes instead.

After spending the first two years renovating the interior of this house, last summer we turned our attention to the front yard. Vincent built retaining walls and I planted perennials and bulbs. Last fall I found lots of Asian Poppies on sale, bought a lot and now they are glorious! It's a parade of big blossoms. We've been watching the bees flock to the newly opened poppies in the morning as they get covered in black pollen.

This week kicks off a few weekends of travel for me; Berkeley with a friend to eat at the Chez Panisse Cafe & catch a Ryan Adams concert (beyond excited!), Seattle with Vincent (and no kids!) for our 10th wedding anniversary, and all together camping at the beach after school ends.

I've been making copious lists in preparation for the trips; restaurants to visit, clothes and books to pack, and many more lists for my mom to aid her in taking care of the kids for our Seattle trip. I've got an Elin Hilderbrand book to read (a quintessential "beach read" to counteract the sadness of the book I just finished, Ann Patchett's Commonwealth) and The Happiness Project, which is really inspiring.

Next weekend, I'll arrive home in time for dinner and bedtime, then I'll walk two streets over to drink a glass of wine and catch the last half of book club. This month we're discussing Piecing Me Together and the podcast S-Town. Whew. Life never stops and I wouldn't have it any other way.

2 comments:

  1. The colors on those poppies are incredible. I have never planted poppies but have to remember to perhaps add that to the garden. They are so pretty! Your garden is looking good. The travel plans sounds awesome! I start my travels at the end of the month. The reading material sounds interesting! Have a happy Summer!!

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  2. Love those poppies. We had some that self-seeded in our garden but I'm definitely going to sow more. Your life sounds about as busy as mine, and I enjoyed following your travels on instagram. I hope the summer break is going well - we have another three weeks of school here and it's going to be crazy.

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