The Cat Mystery

I planted peas February 2nd, the earliest that I have planted peas. Then I will plant more this week to have peas all summer long. However, the neighbor's cat had been using my raised bed for a bathroom all winter. So I got the brilliant idea from a gardener of 29 years to stick the potty soil with sticks sticking straight up in the air. The cat has not since stepped foot in my pea patch!
I think I won the cat war!
The raised bed above is before I prepared it for planting.
For those who think that the NW never has sun, notice the peach tree backed by intense blue sky. That picture was taken in February 2009.

Growing Groceries Community Mentor

This February I started a 10 month long seminar, the fourth Saturday of each month. It is 4 hours long from 10 to 2 pm. I feel like I am in school again and gaining so much knowedge. We pay a fee for the first seminar and if we go out in the community and teach it the rest of the seminars are free. We just have to document that we actually taught each month. I talked to my Relief Society president and she wanted a gardening group to meet once a month. I volunteered to share the handouts and what I learned each month.
The program is through WSU Extension and the teacher is a retired Master Gardener. She knows so much about vegetable gardens. Saturday a participant came bringing free flower and vegetable seeds. I took those and put them in a bin at church with a tag that said "free seeds." They all got taken so the purpose of handing out free seeds is getting out to the community!
We learned a really neat way to germinate seeds on a moistened paper towel in a ziploc baggie. It acts like a small greenhouse. The seeds sprout in 3-5 days. The picture above is geraniums, so flower seeds can be grown from seed instead of buying in the store. It' s fun to watch the seed sprout and the kids love it too.
I jury-rigged my transplants to within 2 inches of the grow light under my kitchen cabinets. Base is 9 by 13 cake pan, square china platter, 2 one gallon pots and add the plant container equals success! The picture "Indoor planting with grow light" is what I just described.
The flowers are from last summer but they are so beautiful I wanted to share the colors.

More Pictures of David's New Baby

Saving Money Site

I just saw on the news a local Mom who decided she wanted to do a blog about saving money on eating out, grocery shopping and all other types of shopping. She does all the research and has it on her blog. It's not just local here in Seattle.
The blog is mommyswishlist.blogspot.com
If you are interested in the Entertainment Book it is referenced on this site and is now half-off.
The following is an excerpt from her site:

Some Bath & Body Works goodies

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Ellen wanted me to bring your attention to this deal: Go here and print your $10 off coupon good on any Patricia Wexler MD Dermatology purchase at Bath & Body Works. This coupon is valid thru April 5. There are several cleansers on sale this week for $10 (making them FREE with this coupon) including: Acnescription Exfoliating Acne Cleanser, Universal Anti-Aging Cleanser and Dual Action Foaming Cleanser.

Then go here and sign-up for Bath & Body Works emails and get a coupon for a free Signature Collection Shower Gel (up to $10.50 value) when you make any $10 purchase. The coupon is valid through March 25. (but you cannot combine this coupon with the above one. Make separate transactions.)

When you buy any Signature Collection item you also get a free Zip & Go Tote (a $10 value, no coupon required, while supplies last) in your choice of pink, blue, or black.

Find your nearest Bath & Body Works here. They have 1600 stores nationwide, as well as stores in Alberta and Ontario, Canada.

New Grandson Today!

Today at around 3 p.m. Parker David Marchant was born at Layton, Utah. Rachel and baby are doing very well. Delivery went quickly. He weighed 7 lbs. 9 oz. and was 20" long. David reports that he came out crying lustily but quickly calmed down when they cleaned him up and put on a warm knit hat. We are very excited to go and see all of them the end of April.

Surprise visit from my Brother

This last Friday night, my brother Ron and his wife Betty made a surprise visit for the weekend.
Because Ron had a job Friday during the day they could only leave at 6:30. By the time they got to Stanwood, Frank and I had bedded ourselves down and they came in and made themselves at home in our downstairs guest bedroom.

We decided that we needed proof of their visit so out came the cameras!

Saturday morning Betty and I got up early and headed to Everett for a four hour gardening seminar. I think that Betty really enjoyed the information and when I get the notes transcribed I will send them.
Then we went to ACE hardware where everything in the store was 20 percent off. We both saw the same watering can that we liked so we both bought one. I got some new gardening gloves and black plastic. The black plastic seems to be the secret of helping heat accompany our vegetable gardens since heat is in very short supply come summer time.
Then it was off to the unique gift shop in town for Betty to find a gift for her grandaughter, Aubrey Thelin who is turning 15 years old. Here's the scoop on what's in for teenage gifts; part of a recycled 7-up can turned into a bracelet. It's the new cool green thing for the next generation.
Finally we barrelled over to the local nursery where they had last years seeds 50 percent off and Territorial Seeds (formulated specifically for the NW) were 40 percent off. We had a lot of fun choosing flower seeds for starting in our spring baskets and vegetable seeds for our spring gardens.
That evening we spent an enjoyable evening in with a dinner of cube steak, sliced and baked red potatoes with basil and olive oil and a wonderful tossed salad with all the trimmings.
We continued our enjoyment by watching the "Get Smart" movie accompanied later by old-fashioned strawberry shortcake! Mmm good!
It was sad to see them go after such a short weekend with such wonderful friends to whom we just happen to be related.

Till later