Friday Felines

 Hello and Good Morning!

It is grey and threatening looking here, but I don't think there is rain in the forecast (though Fletch said he heard it raining lightly when he came to bed last night).

Look at this sweet kitty:

Mabel is gazing longingly at various birds.  Just before I took this picture yesterday afternoon, she was rolling around playing with the apple you can see by her side.  If apples fall near the patio I pick them up and toss them further out into the yard for the deer (and Steve the Beav and the squirrels).  Mabel will take off like lightening and chase the apple like it's a ball.  She's a pistol for sure.

Yesterday was mostly cooking and reading.  I made a delicious curried lentil soup for dinner...and forgot to take a picture.  I also picked another 14 (!!) figs and another dozen plus cherry tomatoes.  We are heading over to Bonnie & Zhongren's for a cookout tonight and plan to take them some figs.  I'm baking a cake to take - one I used to make a lot decades ago and then forgot about it.  It's called an amazing raisin cake and it has apples, raisins, and walnuts in it along with a ton of spices.  And, it's frosted with whipped cream - gotta love that!

I hope you all have a lovely Labor Day weekend filled with good food and fun.  Enjoy!!

Unraveled Wednesday 8/28/24

 Hello, Hello and Good Morning!

It's sticky here in Eastern PA...hopefully this is the last day of this type of weather.  It is also really overcast this morning.  Not sure if showers are in the forecast or not, but the garden could stand with a bit of rain and maybe that would cool things off a bit.

Today we find ourselves at the last Unraveled Wednesday for August 2024.  It seems impossible, doesn't it?  Time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers.  Fortunately I found a bit of time to do a small bit of knitting this past week.  One sock was finished and the second one has been started.

I'm finding these to be fun!  And, changing colors every so often is keeping the plain vanilla pattern interesting.  This is the May Sock Squad yarn from The Farmer's Daughter.

Semplice saw a little bit of progress.  I think I managed to knit another 6 rows and the reverse stockinette is now more visible.

Monday's mail brought my September Sock Squad yarn.  The color is "Brush Watcher" and it is a glorious harvest or Autumn shade.  Very rich looking I think.  Some cozy socks will be made.

On the reading front, some finishes!  Fletch and I finally finished listening to Nobody's Fool which feels like an accomplishment and a relief!  Listening time is just under 25 hours and when you only listen for 15 minutes after dinner (and not every night), it takes some time to get through.  I would say we somewhat enjoyed it.  It probably would have been better to read it (more quickly).  My favorite Richard Russo book is still "Empire Falls."

I also finished The Ministry of Time which is the latest pick for the Read With Us group.  Our discussion will be September 19th.  This book surprised me.  I was not expecting to like it, but I did.  A lot.  However, I found the ending to be a disappointment - it almost felt too rushed and too contrived (in my opinion).  I'm looking forward to our group discussion.

Now I am in the midst (a bit more than halfway through) Agony Hill which I am enjoying.  This mystery takes place in the fictional Vermont town of Bethany in the Connecticut River Valley.  I know that area well and the author has done a good job of portraying the way Vermonters can be quite quirky!  It's also fun to have "real" towns and villages mentioned that are familiar to me.  I should finish this book in a day or so.  

I can see that "Sipsworth" will be ready for me to pick up soon (I'm next in line and it's been "shipped" - meaning coming from another library).  The other books I am in queue for seem a long way off...but experience shows that the queues can move quickly.

For your amusement, here is a picture of Steve the Beav (our resident groundhog) munching on an apple.  Not a great picture, but I had to take it through the door...the moment Steve detects any movement at the house he runs (so funny to watch) back to his home which is under our shed.  Between the deer, the birds, the squirrels and Steve, the apples are dwindling.

Happy Hump Day!  Hope it's a good one for you all.

No TNT...But More Garden Produce!

 Hello My Friends,

Once again there has been absolutely no stitching during the past week.  We have been very busy, and that's ok.  I will admit that the small-ish piece I am working on by Blackbird Designs is taking much longer to stitch than I imagined it would.  But again, that's ok.  It's not a race and when I've had a free minute or two I have felt like doing other things.

And, look at this!  Yesterday morning I wandered out to the garden to get some onions and parsley for the sauce I was making later in the day.  This is what I came back with:

Pretty, huh?  The onions and parsley are in there...just hidden.  The cherry tomatoes are finally beginning to ripen (soon we will be overrun) and the beans!  As I was picking the green bush beans I was counting (as one does) and I picked over 100 of them.  There are around 40 of the yellow pole beans in there.  Also some of the mucho nacho hot peppers.  And, yes, more figs are ripening - I will go out and pick them today.

Our weather has returned to the hot, sticky mess that August typically is.  Hotter today and tomorrow, but then the temps will drop a bit again.  Planning meals is a bit of a challenge.  We will be doing some cold stuff (shrimp, etc.) for a couple of days and then back to warmer things later.  I'm planning to try a new recipe for curried lentils with greens.

Hope you are enjoying this last week of August!!

Weekending 8/26/24

 Hi Everyone,

Wow!  The last week of August!  How can that be?  Our weather has shifted back to pretty warm but we sure did enjoy those days that felt like a first taste of Fall.

So, tell me, how was your weekend?  Mine was so nice.  Fletch and I drove over to the CSA Saturday morning to pick up Colin & Mailing's share.  There is a bunch of produce inside (some tomatoes, eggplants, garlic, greens, cukes, zukes, lettuce, etc.) and there is also a large "U-Pick" section.  We filled one of our grocery bags inside then took another bag to the fields where we picked a lot (I mean a TON) of various hot peppers and cherry tomatoes and paste tomatoes.  It felt good to be out and moving and it was not crowded at all (I'm guessing many folks are on vacation this week).  

We took it easy Saturday afternoon and then Fletch grilled some steaks (which were a disappointment - very tough).  I baked a couple of potatoes and quick steamed some green beans from our garden.  Today I need to get out there and pick more beans.  There are lots of both pole beans and bush beans ready to be picked.  I really like just munching on them raw.

Speaking of the garden...while we were sitting on the patio yesterday afternoon, Fletch said "I think I can see a ripe fig."  Wonders never cease!  Friday the figs were all still small (marble-size) and green.  Yesterday they looked as though they swelled up overnight and ripened.  I picked a dozen and there will be more in a day or so!

I also did a lot of wash over the weekend - both days were great for drying things on the lines outside, so not only clothes, but sheets, tablecloths and cloth napkins were also done.  Today I will tackle the bathrooms and wash the rugs and then the towels.

Yesterday was filled with a lot of cooking.  I made a peach German pancake for breakfast (so good!! and I forgot to take a picture).  For dinner I made a big batch of crawfish étouffée.

 We had that over basmati rice with some steamed broccoli.  Plenty of leftovers which pleases me.

I know that this is not the right time of year...but one of the does who comes to the yard to forage for apples looks like she is pregnant!  I'm going to keep my eyes on her.

I found a perfect apple on the ground yesterday!  They are not big this year, but they are plentiful and this one has NO damage on it at all!

Hope your weekend was a good one.  And cheers to the week ahead - enjoy!

TGIF

 Good Morning My Friends,

It's time to wrap up what turned out to be a busy week.  Fletch and I had dinner with Colin last night (Mailing was busy with work-related stuff).  After dinner Colin and I took a walk through their neighborhood.  Lansdale is a very pretty town.  No cookie-cutter houses.  Rather lots of different architecture and different gardens.  Lots of folks walking around after dinner.  Here are just a couple of pictures from our walk:

Fall Colors!!

Not a painted rock, but kind of cute!

And here are the Friday (well, Thursday evening) Felines - Talbot & Marcel.

Lots of fluff, lots of purring.  Talbot & Marcel have decided that their grandparents are ok!

And not to be left out, here is Mabel curled up on the lawn Wednesday afternoon while Fletch and I sat on the patio.  She is sticking by our side these days - ready to come in for the night by 9 p.m. or so, sometimes even earlier.

Tomorrow morning Fletch and I are headed back to the Kimberton CSA to pick up Colin & Mailing's share.  They have a busy day...all day...but will stop by our house to get the veggies late in the day.  I have some errands I need/want to run this morning, but am hoping to find a few quiet moments to knit or stitch and read some.

Here's hoping that your week is winding up nicely and that you are ready for a delightful weekend!

Unraveled Wednesday 8/21/24

 Hello My Friends,

Like Kat, I am feeling a bit sleep deprived this morning.  Fletch and I watched two episodes of Poirot and then stayed up to hear both Michelle and Barack Obama speak at the DNC in Chicago.  Pretty rousing speeches.  I still say that Barack Obama is one of the best orators I have ever listened to.

And boy was last night chilly!  I needed another blanket on the bed...and I wore socks!  LOL. This morning I turned the heat on in the bathroom when I got my shower.  We are fortunate because we have thermostats in every room of our house, so easy to warm up the bathroom without heating the entire house.  I made French Toast using croissants which turned out pretty well.  Not exactly low calorie, but tasty.

So, a slightly later start to my blog post.  It's Wednesday which means it is time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk everything making and everything books.  Fun stuff!  My Semplice shawl is slowly growing.  I've just started the first of the reverse stockinette sections (hard to see in the photo as only a couple of rows have been knit).

Sorry for the darkness of the picture.  I took this shot this morning as the picture I took last night made the shawl look blue.  It's purple, not blue...I've gotten into a rhythm with this pattern and the rows are going fairly quickly despite adding 4 stitches every other row.  I'm sure it will begin to slow down at some point.

My sock is growing as well.  I'm about halfway down the foot, so it won't be long till I cast this one off and start sock #2.

Not a whole lot to report on the reading front.  I'm more than 2/3 of the way through The Ministry of Time and I am still finding it engaging though I'm beginning to worry that I will not like the ending...we shall see.  And Fletch and I are finally nearing the end of Nobody's Fool - listening for 15 or 20 minutes after dinner.  I think we have under two hours left.  We are laughing out loud at some of it, but I'm also weary of it.  Next up for us we will be reading (as in a real book) "A Man Without a Country" by Kurt Vonnegut.  A slight change of pace.

Yesterday afternoon I walked alongside the canal.  It had been months since I walked there and it was actually pretty chilly.  A strong breeze and some cloud cover kept things cool.  I did not see any Blue Herons, but I spotted several Green Herons!

And, of course, some turtles (though not many were out as it was not very sunny).

Be sure to head over to Kat's blog to see what everyone is making and reading.  I'm sure there will be plenty of inspiration.

Tiny Needle Tuesday 8/20/24

 Good morning!

Rise and Shine!!  It looks to be a gorgeous day here - sunny and the temps should top out at around 75.  Sounds pretty perfect to me.

The escarole soup turned out to be delicious.  I had never made it before...so was wondering...but it was great and now there is a large container in the freezer for another day.  I also made a loaf of banana bread (which we may try for breakfast this morning) and biscuits to go with the soup.  Fletch is planning to grill hot and sweet sausage this evening, so all I need to do is sauté some onions, peppers and mushrooms to go with that.  YUM!  7 a.m. and I'm already dreaming of dinner - LOL

Tuesday has arrived and it is time for a Tiny Needle update.  Once again, just a small amount of stitching was accomplished this past week.

Some more vines, a few more rows on the basket and the words are finished.  I love the saying:  "sewing mends the soul" - those words were what drew me to this piece.  I often find stitching to be very meditative and soothing.

A few more viney flowers to finish, the basket to finish and then the bouquet in the basket and a few more doo-dads and this piece will be wrapped up.

I looked outside after feeding Mabel this morning and look who I saw:

A handsome, young buck.  There was also a doe and two fawns happily forging for apples.  Turns out they are also quite fond of Rose of Sharon branches...and I guess pretty much anything they can get!  I need to remember to take my phone outside when Fletch and I sit on the patio in the afternoon.  There is a doe usually in the yard who will often come within 6 feet of us!  I'd love to get a picture of her.

Here's hoping that your Tuesday is off to a good start.  Enjoy the day!

Weekending 8/19/24

 Good Morning My Friends,

It is foggy here in Eastern PA this morning.  We had some thunder (loud) storms roll through yesterday evening.  Everything is dripping and the air actually feels refreshed.  My weekend was simply lovely and I hope yours was too.  There was cooking and knitting and reading.  A little TV watching (an episode of Poirot and an episode of "Sound" narrated by David Attenborough).

Initially I had planned to meet up with Colin & Mailing at the Farmer's Market, but I did not sleep well Friday night and Saturday morning was a little on the wet side, so I opted out.  Perhaps we will meet up next weekend.

Despite the storms, the hibiscus continues to bloom and is gorgeous.  Yesterday I counted six blossoms fully open!  We also have gorgeous snap dragons this year.  So pretty!

Saturday just before dinner Fletch walked out to the garden and came back with produce.  Finally!!!  The pole beans are producing.  The cherry tomatoes are beginning to come in (and not split) and some of the mucho nacho peppers were ready to harvest.

We had the pole beans last night with dinner and they are some of the best we've ever had!!  Skinny like pencils and full of flavor.

Fletch and I both have various errands that need to be done today.  With the more agreeable weather, I will do some more cooking - I plan to make escarole soup with chicken for dinner!!  Hopefully there will be a bit of time for making later in the day.

Wishing you all a great start to a new week - enjoy!!

A Gathering of Poetry. 8/15/24

 

A week or more ago Kym posted a quote from May Sarton on her blog.  Years - decades - ago I read May Sarton's journals and gathered a number of her poetry books.  I had not looked at them in a long, long time.  But, recently I did and came across this poem which is perfect for me (I only wish the figs on our tree would get bigger and ripen!).

The Fig

 

Under a green leaf hangs a little pouch

Shaped like a gourd, purple and leathery.

It fits the palm, it magnetizes touch,

What flesh designed as fruit can this fruit be?

 

The plump skin gives a little at the seam.

Now bite it deep for better or for worse!

Oh multitude of stars, pale green and crimson – 

And you have dared to eat a universe!

From "A Grain of Mustard Seed" by May Sarton

Unraveled Wednesday 8/14/24

 Greetings All,

Wow!  How did it get to be mid-August already?  I thought July went fast, but it feels as though the speed of time passing has increased a lot.  For me (us) it has not felt like August at all...more like September (which I love).  Sitting on the patio in the afternoon with our beverages of choice, there has been a cooling breeze in the air and (especially after last week), the air is so crisp and clear and clean.  I'm loving it!

Because the weather has been so much better I am once again cooking.  This morning I will whip up a batch of cookies and then later make some red beans to go with rice.  Colin & Mailing are coming over for dinner.

Mabel, too, has been enjoying the improved weather.  She has been racing around the yard like a young kitten and then jumping and running up the apple tree.  Yesterday Fletch saw her jump around 3 feet in the air after a moth.  So much energy!

The return of more pleasant weather has also meant more knitting and stitching.  And, seeing as it is Wednesday, it is time to link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk making and reading.  Fortunately knitting is moving forward rather than unraveling.  First up is the initial sock using the May yarn from the Farmer's Daughter Sock Squad.  A few more rows and I will be at the heel flap!

No pattern - just a plain vanilla sock with blocks of different colors.  Easy and appealing to work on.

I also managed to start my Semplice Shawl by Vera Marcu.  I am loving how geometric this pattern is.

Obviously still a way to go with this one, but it is growing.  Every other row adds four stitches.  The yarn is very nice to work with - it is "Gloss" from KnitPicks which is 70 percent wool and 30% silk.  The color is Jacaranda.

I have yet to start the Baby Vertebrae I intend to make, but soon.  

Reading has been good.  I finished The Solitude of Prime Numbers over the weekend.  I really enjoyed it, though it is most likely not a book for everyone.  And on Monday I picked up two books that had come in from my queues at the library.  Agony Hill which is a new release.  I think Kat and Bonny have already read this and I am looking forward to it...but am first diving into the other book that came in:  The Ministry of Time which is the selection for our "Read With Us" group.  Funny how on Friday when I looked I was about 19 in the queue.  Saturday afternoon I received an email that the book was ready for me to pick up!  Anyway, so far I've read maybe 75 pages in this one and I like it!  It's definitely different and has a different vibe about it.  I'm curious to see what happens.

Well, that's a wrap for me.  Time to get moving and make those cookies.  I also need to pick up wine for tonight's dinner and then get the red beans cooking.  Be sure to stop by Kat's to see what everyone is making and reading.  I know you will find plenty of inspiration.  Have a good Wednesday!

Tiny Needle Tuesday 8/13/24

 Hello All,

How are you?  I feel a chill in the air this morning and it is so delightful.  It won't last.  The temp will rise, but for now it is simply lovely.

I'm happy to report that I did get some stitching in during the past week.  Not a whole lot, but progress is being made.

A few more viney things, another word, a doo-dad and the beginning of a basket in the middle of the piece.  Still lots to stitch on this one, but it is going well.

A little bit ago I showed you our first hibiscus blossom and mentioned that there were a ton of buds.  Look at it now!

A mass of blossoms and still more buds.  Too bad these don't make nice cut flowers.....

Sunday night Fletch and I watched Wicked Little Letters on Netflix.  I heard about this through one of MDK's Sunday letters where they talk about things one can knit to (either watch or listen or both).  This movie was hysterical!  Fletch and I both enjoyed it.  The cast is perfect.  If you have a chance, check it out.

Sweet Mabel says she would rather just curl up for a nap.

And with that, we are off to see what Tuesday holds for us.  Something good, I'm sure.  Have a good one!

Weekending 8/12/24

 Good Morning My Friends,

Geesh!  What a difference in the weather now.  The rain is gone and the humidity is gone as well.  It is simply lovely out and the weekend weather was equally fabulous.  YAY!!

We finally were able to cut a Dahlia bloom that had not withered and turned grey!  It's only one, but it is magnificent.

Fletch had to go out to the garden to prop up a cherry tomato plant that had blown over during the storms and found a few cherry tomatoes that had not split and a couple of Mucho Nacho peppers.  They look like (and are about the size of) jalapeño peppers, but a little milder.  I love jalapeños, but they are too hot for Fletch.  This variety works for him.

Saturday morning Fletch and I headed over to the Kimberton CSA.

Colin & Mailing are members and pick up a share each week.  They were still in Turks & Caicos, so we went to pick up their share.  What a lot of stuff:  tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, chard, dandelion greens, peppers, celery, garlic, parsley.  There was more in the fields to pick, but we were a little pressed for time.  We took the haul back to Colin & Mailing's and put most of it in the frig - tomatoes, peppers, cukes and garlic we left out.  Then we headed out to lunch.

Like many of you, we've had a ton of rain.  And look what popped up in a yard just down the street from Colin & Mailing.  Giant mushrooms/toadstools!!

And, for size comparison, here's a shot with my foot in it.  My feet are large (size 10).

Saturday afternoon I took the Shakerag Skirt off the blocking mats!!  It finally dried so that I could thread the elastic through the waistband and close it up.  Woo-Hoo!  Not the best picture, but it was hard to get a shot outside because it was so bright and sunny!

Here's a shot from Sunday morning.

This one shows the lace work better...and sweet Mabel of course.

I like the skirt.  I would not say that I love it.  It is very heavy (not hot, but heavy weight-wise).  The Rowan Creative linen just feels heavy to me.  I think I will get more use out of it come the Fall when I can pull on some tights to go with it.  I would not rush out to knit another one...and I would try a different yarn if I did.  But, the color is great and the pattern is lovely.

Sunday morning after breakfast I headed out to walk along the Perkiomen Creek.  It was a very busy place.  I thought at one point there would be a traffic jam with all the folks on bicycles.  No crashes that I saw (and no one ran into moi!!).  At the dam there were some herons!

Thanks for sticking with me for this long-winded post.  Tell me, how was your weekend?

Thursday Musings

 Good Morning!

What a difference a day can make.  Yesterday afternoon our temps started to drop and even though it was raining, the humidity dropped as well.  When Fletch and I sat on the patio at 4 p.m. with beverages, I needed to put a sweatshirt on over my tee shirt and Fletch actually brought a wrap out from the living room!  This morning it is still raining and the temp is 62.  It feels deliciously cool.

I'm thrilled with my new washer!  It was delivered yesterday afternoon, installed quickly, and I had a load of towels washing before dinner.  It is so quiet compared to my lemon Maytag too.

Today's agenda includes feeding these two:

Once I'm back from that I will get more laundry done (!!) and I plan to (finally) roast the tomatoes and peppers that have been sitting on the counter.  I did manage to make some bread and butter pickles the other day.  There are still a couple of cucumbers in the frig, so I should probably make some more.

I should do some cleaning.  Yesterday I was finally inspired to do the kitchen floor - you know it's bad when there are spots that feel sticky.  LOL. So, while Fletch was out of the house late morning, I moved chairs out of the kitchen, and throw rugs out and got down on my hands and knees and scrubbed the floor.  Major bonus:  no back issues!!  Now I need to tackle the bedroom.

Maybe later I can do some knitting or stitching.  I'm not a huge fan of housework, but it sure does feel good to get some done!

Unraveled Wednesday 8/7/24

 Hello One and All,

How are you?  We did get some strong storms last night and the rain gauge shows roughly an inch of rain fell.  More is expected today and for the next several days.  The temps are lower, thankfully, but it is still pretty humid.  My Shakerag Skirt is still living in the land of dampness though it is improving.  I should be able to weave in the elastic and then get a picture in the next couple of days.  Woo-Hoo!

Being Wednesday, it is time to once again link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk all things making and all things reading.  There has been unraveling in my world....

First up we have the start of a sock using some Sock Squad yarn from May.

The cuff was knit once and the leg started when I found I didn't like it at all.  Unraveled it was.  The cuff has been re-knit, but I have not yet started back on the leg.

Then we have the yarn for the Baby Vertebrae I'm intending to knit.  I started this last night and did not like my tension...so it was unraveled and is ready to start on another day.  The yarn is Opal in one of the Van Gogh color ways.

Not pictured, but also started and ripped back is my shawl.  I'll save that for another day when perhaps it has actually been started (again) and knit some!

I realized that in my rush to get out of the house last Wednesday I never mentioned books in my post!  I don't read as fast as many of you, but I had finished a book!  "James" by Percival Everett.  Wow!  What an amazing book in so many ways.  I had also finished "The God of the Woods" which I enjoyed.  Not the level of James, but still worth reading in my opinion.  Now I'm in the midst of The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giordano which is quite good.  My friend Leslie recommended this to me and I'm so glad she did.

Time for me to get dressed and go feed Talbot and Marcel.  I'm hoping our slightly cooler temps will let me do some "making" of some sort today.  And, of course, my new washer will be delivered this afternoon!!  

No TNT Again! 8/6/24

 Good Morning my Friends,

Once again, I have no stitching to show.  It's just been so hot and humid that it drains whatever ambition I might have had.  Today, though, I need to do something cooking-wise.  Yesterday when I went over to Colin & Mailing's in the morning to feed Talbot & Marcel I gathered up some of the produce that C&M had gotten from the Kimberton CSA on Saturday.

We had BLTs for lunch using one of the tomatoes.  I may roast the balance along with the peppers today and make some red sauce.  I also need to cut up some of the cucumbers and make pickles.  It's a bounty of veggies for sure.

I'd be content with just raw veggies for dinner, but someone wants a little something more.  It's hard to come up with ideas that are appealing in this heat.  Thankfully the heat should break by tomorrow.  I'm planning to cook some red beans and rice later in the week and also spicy Cuban beef.  I want to leave a couple of containers in C&Ms frig so that they have a ready meal or two when they get back on Sunday.

Meanwhile, here are the two we are caring for while C&M are away.

Marcel likes the camera much more than Talbot - LOL

Have a great Tuesday!

Weekending 8/5/24

 Hey Hey and Good Morning!

How are you?  How was your weekend?  Mine was filled with the usual bits and pieces that make up life.  A little of this and then some of that.

It's really been much too hot and humid to have any ambition for doing anything.  I did manage to finish up my Shakerag skirt and I gave it a good soak in Soak on Saturday.  Since then, it has been on the blocking mats trying to dry.  The air is thick though and it is taking forever for it to dry.  Naturally more rain is forecast for mid-week through the weekend, so drying out may be a problem.

A little bit of other knitting and some cooking was accomplished as well as a (final I hope) trip to the laundromat.  And the kids got off for Turks and Cacaos, so Fletch and I are back on cat duty for the week.

Even Mabel seemed tuckered out by the weather and spent all of Sunday morning napping in the office room.  Later she went out.

Up in the apple tree.  I snapped that picture right before she jumped down to join Fletch in the garden.  Fletch harvested a few more hot peppers, but nothing else.

The deer (mostly one doe and two fawns - still spotted) come regularly to consume fallen apples.  They have grown accustomed to me opening and closing the patio door as well as Mabel hanging on the patio and are not as skitterish as they once were.  As soon as I see a Gladiola shoot pop up I cut it though - I don't want the deer munching on those!

I hope your Monday is off to a great start.  I need to get ready to go feed Talbot & Marcel.