Car Speak

I know I tend to get a little too technical when I start talking cars. If you've ever thought I sound like these guys, I apologize greatly.



This is what it sounds like to me when people start talking about how computer software works. Or RADAR.

Matt

Flower Bed Re-do, A Year Later

Last fall, Matt helped me with my most ambitious flower bed install/makeover.  We basically doubled the square-footage of tilled bed space for this feat.  I'm happy with the way it all turned out, and am looking forward to seeing it all fill in over the next couple of years. 

I don't have any good pictures of everything in full bloom, but here's how it all looks now (and as it did last year).

First up was the west-facing side of this fence.  It had three puny crepe myrtle "volunteers" that a co-worker dug up and donated from her garden.  We planted those suckers by simply scraping back some of the brick-hard clay and plopping them down.  They didn't hardly grow in the two years that they were there, so we dug them up, tilled the ground really well, added lots of soil amendments, and then put two of them back in along with three yellow roses and a whole assortment of purple and yellow daylilies.

 Before. Puny pink crepe myrtle seedlings.

 

After.  The roses have grown so fast that they're already larger than the 
crepe myrtles (who had to recover from their transplant).

These roses have been a real show-stopper.  They have bloomed non-stop all  year long since early spring.  I have not sprayed or fertilized them and they've been completely disease-free.  I highly recommend planting 'Sun Flare', a pretty yellow floribunda rose.  The daylilies all did well  too, but will be even better next year as the clumps settle in.  They're all reblooming varieties.

 'Sun Flare'

The back side of the same fence now boasts a hydrangea/daylily bed.  It's got four hydrangeas - two 'Royal Purple' mopheads in the middle and lace-caps ('Kardinal' and 'Eisvogel') on the ends.  The daylilies are planted in sets of three - alternating between a combination of one/two each of 'Grape Magic' and 'Rosy Returns'.  I also have a couple of lenten rose and like to keep pansies mixed in this bed as well.

 Hydrangeas and daylilies. 

Same bed, from a different angle.

We expanded the bed behind the house out a few feet and added the brick edging.  I moved the gardenias and 'Forever and Ever' hydrangeas that were in front of the house to this bed and took out almost all of the pre-existing perennials.  The hydrangeas are much happier now with afternoon shade, although they and the gardenias weren't too happy to be moved.  Now I just have to figure out how to make that one gardenia fill back in where it died back from the transplant (anyone got any good suggestions??).

Before, with black plastic edging.

 After the bed was lengthened and deepened, with brick edging added, 
shrubs relocated, and original perennials removed.  You can see my 
unhappy 'Cinco de Mayo' tree rose (needs to be fertilized), and angry gardenia (from transplanting).

I also took the climbing roses out and moved them so that they now hang over the back fence (they needed to be sprayed every other week and were also getting to be a hazard for people/dogs/kids walking on the patio or laying in the hammock), and added Confederate Jessamine, Madison Jasmine, and several different clematis cultivars to the three trellises.  

 Before.

 

After.

I expanded the far back bed to have an extra "hump" in it, where I put most of the perennials that were against the house, in addition to several new perennials and my David Austin roses.

The part of the bed to the right of the bag of compost was added last fall.

We also recently added a line of "Muskogee" crepe myrtles, which will provide a nice screen of privacy along the fence.  Muskogee grows very quickly and blooms for 120 days straight!  Can't wait to see these suckers grow and flourish!

Here are a few of the crepe myrtles we planted (about 5-6' apart).  

They'll soon be a welcome privacy screen, complete with pretty lilac blooms.

Other than the addition of another tree or two for privacy, I think we are done with planting!  With all of our travel and weekend activities this summer, I had a hard time keeping up with everything (mostly just the weeding, but that was in large part because I didn't have enough mulch).  I'm fairly certain that I'm set on flower bed space, and have really slowed down on plant buying.

I decided I needed some things in the garden besides just plants.  

I saw this frog and thought he was too cute.

Lately, I've just been watching when things bloom and what plants look best together.  I've moved some stuff around and am starting to figure out what I like planted with what.  It's all a learning experience - that's the best part of gardening.  So what if you kill something?  You can always start over.

Anybody need any basil?  I have a monster of a plant with plenty to share!

With all of the bed additions and plant moving, I have ended up with a couple of extra plants if anyone is interested.  I have an unnamed hydrangea (I'm not sure if it's 'Royal Purple' or 'Nikko Blue') that's about 8-12" big and a small hot pink crepe myrtle in pots that are free for the taking, plus plenty of Shasta Daisy ('Becky'), 'Stella D'Oro' daylilies, and black-eyed susans.  I'll also have other daylilies next spring and fall that will need dividing.  If you're interested, please come claim some plants; I have plenty!

The Best Friends a Girl Could Ask For

The life of the party.  My maids of honor and best friends.

It's no secret to anyone that knows me that my family is a pretty close one.  We just love spending time together.  We have mutual interests (our ever-increasing dog population, kayaking, camping, wakeboarding, even wine-tasting) and always have a good time.

It wasn't always like this.  As kids, although we loved each other, we had some serious fights, and they were fairly frequent.  I can't count the number of times Matt's told me that he and his brother were never punch-throwing/scratching/hair-pulling brothers after I recount yet another tussle we three sisters had as kids.  (And yes, we did all of those things, and much worse, at home, in public, even once or twice in the church pew).  My mom used to ask us, "Why can't you be more like David and Jonathan (Adams)?  They never hit each other."

Not only did we resort to physical violence on occasion, but probably the most hurtful means of fighting was our use of words.  We knew just what to say to cut the other deeply - which choice words would cause the most damage, and we did it without thinking or regret (at least initially).  We were all three calculating and mean to one another.  We hurt each other on purpose.

We all followed somewhat of the same path as we grew up.  Softball in elementary/middle school, soccer in high school, life guarding during the summers, and then on to college at Auburn.  We met the loves of our lives there and went on to marry them after graduation.  However, we've never been in the same demographic or life stage at the same time before.  Now, we're all married, with full-time jobs, and live near enough to one another to get together fairly often (something I never thought would happen, and I just love that we live so close together).

Lately, I'd been feeling a little sorry for myself over the fact that the number of girlfriends I have in town that are in our "life stage" is rapidly decreasing.  It's not that I'm not excited for a friend when she tells me "the news", but it does make it a lot harder to hang out when you've got to coordinate naps, feedings, and diaper changes. There's also something about having a set of peers that is going through the same challenges as you are that is very valuable and comforting.

Dinner with my sisters (and their husbands) last Friday was just what I needed.  Grabbing beer and pizza was never so much fun as kids (maybe it was the lack of beer when we were younger, maybe it's that we're adults and get along much better now).  All 6 of us can just sit on the back patio, talk, and laugh together for hours.  It's the best group of close friends that I've ever had.

Amanda and Amy really are my best friends.  I can talk to them about almost anything.  They, together with my mother, fill in the parts of my life that Matt prefers to be exempt from (like outlet shopping, "girl restaurant" lunching, and chick-flick watching).  They hold me accountable.  They encourage and support me when I need it, rejoice with me, and cry with me.  It's not perfect - we still occasionally hurt one another's feelings, but the difference is that now we don't do it on purpose, and we always try to say we're sorry. 

I don't know exactly what it is that's made our relationship(s) change.  We all married kind, loving, wonderful, strong Christian men who have been able to calm us down a little.  I also think that as we grow and mature as adults and Christians, our relationships with one another grow and mature.  I may not be able to pinpoint exactly what has caused the change, but I can say that I'm ever so grateful for it.  I have always loved my sisters, now I also enjoy them.

Regina

We drove to Atlanta (and back) yesterday to see Regina Spektor at The Tabernacle.  I'm not usually the concert type, but I had a lot of fun!  I thought that RS put on an excellent show and especially appreciated the intimate feel of The Tabernacle (where you can sit, see, and hear everything from every seat in the house).

Regina jammed on the piano, sang a cappella, and even broke out a turquoise guitar. 

Our seats were about 4 rows up on the balcony, and with a great view. 

Manda and I even went down to the floor to take a picture or two.

What I liked best was that she has a lot of personality.  She came off a little demure while playing at the piano and didn't interact with the crowd an extensive amount.  Then, when she stood up to sing a cappella, she stopped for a second to tell someone to "Shut the f@$# up!"  In such a small theater (I think it used to be an old church), you can hear everything, and I'm sure that people singing a half beat ahead of her was probably pretty annoying.  She also goofed on the guitar, swore, and started over - something I've never seen any other performer do before.  Other than those entertaining moments, she was brilliant.  She sounded great live.

Jupiter One opened for her and they were also excellent.  They're one of the bands that AltNation and Sirius XMU plays fairly often, so I'd heard several of their songs on the radio.  After their opening, the lead singer/guitar accompanied Regina on the violin. 

We had so much fun laughing, singing, and dancing in our seats, and then chatterboxing away on the drive over and back.  The only downside is that Matt thought he needed more hours in the office this week and I cancelled our hotel in Atlanta, so it kind of stunk to have to drive back so late and then drag myself into work (late) today.  Still, it was worth it.

Thanks for the suggestion, Mr. and Mrs. Pie!

Taking Chance

Recently, Dr. Charles recommended Taking Chance to us (read his review of the movie here).  We put it at the top of our Netflix list and watched it last week.

Taking Chance is an HBO film based on the true story of a marine leutenant colonel (Kevin Bacon) who escorts the body of a young soldier from his hometown who was killed in Iraq.

The story outlines what happens when an American soldier is killed overseas in combat.  His body is returned to the US where it is taken care of by a series of people before finally reaching his family and buried.

Such a high-ranking officer would not normally be an escort, but Lt. Col. Michael Strobl volunteers to escort 19 year-old Pfc. Chance Phelps as he is reading the daily casualty reports and sees that Phelps was originally from the same small hometown as he.  Through the journey, the Lt. Col. is taken aback by the honor shown the soldier by complete strangers, from the mortuary workers who take great pains to make his body presentable and uniform perfect to the people throughout all of the airports that take the time to pay their respects.

I was really struck by the people touched by the soldier being flown home, a soldier they'd never met, but still mourned for.  Do I appreciate and honor those who are fighting for the freedom that I so desperately love?  Do I appreciate the sacrifices they make in both life and death?  Freedom is not free and I am so thankful for those willing to serve our great nation.

Stolen Garden

I've heard of people stealing tv's, even lawn furniture, but not a whole garden.

This is so weird.

After they moved away and were preparing to put their house on the market, the Woods found out that their next-door neighbors had stolen their lawn shed, flower pots, and stonework and moved them into their own yard.

Can you imagine coming home to find all of your stuff in your neighbor's back yard?  I would throw a stinking fit!  

Auburn Campus Photos

A friend from work downloaded these from someone else several weeks ago and I'm just now getting around to posting them.  I can't believe how much the campus has changed (and we were just there in February). It's makes me a little sad to see all of the changes, but also excited for the students who will enjoy the new buildings and beautiful campus.

Hopefully we'll be able to visit for at least one home game this season.



These aren't my photos or captions.  I don't know who took them, but I hope you enjoy them (mouse over to pause or flip manually).  They don't call it the prettiest village on the plains for nothin'!

War Eagle!

New Week

So, last week I was too busy to breath, let alone blog.  But, I did think about a lot of things throughout the week that might've been decent blog topics.

Politics.  Wow.  So much going on in the political spectrum that would make a good blog post.  A Republican breaches protocol and calls out one of the President's carefully-worded political un-truths.  (Here's a good article about how BHO is very careful to avoid out-right lying - technically, but is still untruthful.) The Dems are calling it an unprecedented act, never before has someone been so rude to the President in chambers (of course, it is only "unprecedented" in the fact that you could pick out a single voice instead of a chorus of people calling the president a liar like we heard a few years ago, but who's keeping count?)  Did you notice that our representative voted with the herd of other lemmings to "rebuke" Joe Wilson for his outburst, never mind the fact that Wilson had already apologized to the President?

ACORN.  Gees, what a bunch of idiots.  Glad they finally got caught red-handed, even if the main stream media is still largely ignoring the story.  Enough people have seen the tapes that have been released (I'm sure there are more to come) where the federally-funded "community organizers" are advising a prostitute and pimp on how to avoid taxes and find loopholes to get federal assistance in running a brothel.  Both houses have voted to cut funding for ACORN (hopefully we can keep funding from going to any of their many subsidies as well).  Good riddance.

Then there's Jimmy Carter who feels the need to chime in and call anyone who ever disagrees with the president a racist.  I think people should stop interviewing the man since he's obviously not helping the Democratic Party's interests.  Of course, some people are loving it.  With Carter still injecting his opinion, it makes room for Mitt Romney to tease the Democrats about the current economical and political climate, saying "I'll bet you never dreamed you'd look back at Jimmy Carter as the good old days."

Kanye West is a capital Jerk.  I think the president summed it up pretty well. 

On a happier subject... football season is finally here.  There's nothing like getting together with friends to root on your alma mater.  I just love this time of year!

One thing I have noticed - what's up with all of the car banners throughout town all of the time now?  I mean, it's one thing to put up a school flag on the passenger window Saturday on the way to the game, but do you really need four of them, in addition to 84-point font school magnets, while driving around town all week long?  It seems to be an increasing (and tacky) trend.  I don't care what school you root for, it's still tacky.

Grad school is going well.  I'm really enjoying my class this semester, it's the foundational course for the area that I'm going to specialize in (radar) and is really interesting.  All of this "black magic" stuff is starting to make more sense and I've really been glad that I'm back in school.  I've been trying not to think about how long it's going to take me to finish at the rate I'm going...  for-ev-er!

Oh yeah, Ryan got promoted at work, so congrats to him!  We're really proud of him.  Just one of the many benefits of his promotion is that it frees up some time next year and we are seriously talking about taking a trip out to Japan together to visit where we lived for a stint back in '96.  Anyone got any travel trips?  We're gonna plan the whole trip ourselves and are trying to keep it as economical as we can (which may be hard for a country like Japan).  If we're lucky, we might get to swing by and say hi to one of the missionary families that our church supports.  I'm really excited about it!

So, last week was crazy.  Hopefully this week will be calmer (I always say that, but it never is).  Happy Monday!

Health Care Summed Up

"Obama's health care plan is written by a committee whose head says he doesn't understand it, sought to be passed by Congressmen who won't read it and want to be exempt from it, signed by a president who smokes, funded by a treasury chief who did not pay his taxes, overseen by a surgeon general who is overweight, and financed by a country that is broke. What could possibly go wrong?"

   - Mo Brooks


The best quote I've read on the proposed health care "overhaul".

New Cuz

Welcome Amy and Ryan's new addition, Molly.  I think she's a cutie!  Definitely a sweet (and calm) girl.

Spektor at the Tabernacle

Anyone wanna come see Manda's new favorite artist, Regina Spektor, at the Tabernacle in Atlanta next  month?

Lil' sis gave me a couple of cds of RS music and I really like it.  I'd heard several of her songs on the radio, but not this much of her stuff.  Love "Eet".  It makes me want to get up and dance.  (Don't laugh, even ((mostly)) white girls can dance and have fun).



Also love "Samson", even though the lyrics don't make much sense...

Dog Fair and Microchipping

 

(Click for higher res.)

If you're going to be near the Huntsville area this weekend, you should check out the Dog Fair at Monte Sano State Park.  Amy and I went last year and had a good time.  We got our dogs microchipped, saw lots of different types of dogs and owners, watched some of the agility, and checked out the various vendors. 

My two are fairly good about staying with me and don't really have a history of getting out of the yard, but I still went ahead and got them microchipped.  Microchipping is when a very small chip (about the size of a grain of rice) is inserted under the skin of your pet.  A scanner can pick up the chip and links your dog's chip ID to all of the pet's information.  Avid, the brand of our microchips, has a program that gives out free chip readers to all rescues if they promise to scan all of the dogs they receive (which might save your dog from being euthanized if he escapes, is stolen, or somehow winds up in a shelter).  There are constantly stories in the news about dogs being returned to their owners because they had a microchip.



I should also sing the praises of HOTC (Huntsville Obedience & Training Club), who is hosting the dog fair.  We took Ace and Tyson to obedience classes (although, they should not be considered the basis of whether you'd like to go there or not) and learned all kinds of things.   Their people really know their stuff.  They train you to train your dog.  They also have classes for dogs whose owners want them to become therapy dogs (visit nursing homes) and agility classes.  We got to do the agility courses on our last night of class and both dogs loved it.

Anyway, this sounds like fun.  Let me know if you want to meet up!

Battle Wound

Now, I know that health care is a contentious issue, but come on!  It's not worth throwing punches or biting off stranger's extremities.  Gees, people.  I think both of these guys are idiots. 



Just about everyone has an opinion on the health care debate.  Instead of fighting with others, why not research the issues, write your congressman, attend a town hall or protest (peacefully), you can even blog about it, but don't resort to physical violence.  Besides, you'll have a doctor's bill to boot.

(Hey, but look at the bright side... the guy got in and out of the hospital and didn't get wait listed or fight with rationed care...  The down side: he's now short and appendage)

Going to Venus

Ahahaha... this was a great laugh this morning. 

Is this the face of an alien abduction victim?

"Miyuki Hatoyama, wife of Japan's Prime Minister-elect, Yukio Hatoyama, is a lifestyle guru, a macrobiotics enthusiast, an author of cookery books, a retired actress, a divorcee, and a fearless clothes horse for garments of her own creation, including a skirt made from Hawaiian coffee sacks. But there is more, much more. She has travelled to the planet Venus. And she was once abducted by aliens.

"The 62-year-old also knew Tom Cruise in a former incarnation – when he was Japanese – and is now looking forward to making a Hollywood movie with him. "I believe he'd get it if I said to him, 'Long time no see', when we meet," she said in a recent interview. But it is her claim in a book entitled "Very Strange Things I've Encountered" that she was abducted by aliens

while she slept one night 20 years ago, that has suddenly drawn attention following last Sunday's poll."

Granddaddy

Gardening: learning early.

I never really got to know my paternal grandfather. Sadly, he passed away of a heart attack when I was just 4 1/2. I do have some very vivid memories of him that I greatly cherish and wish I'd gotten to know him better.

Norman Harvey Shipman was the eldest son of nine surviving children, descended from a long line of southern Presbyterian farmers, mostly Scottish. As a young adult, he took care of his widowed mother and younger siblings, living at home for a while and supporting them with his paycheck. He married my grandmother when she was very young, and they had three children together.

He was a tinkerer, engineer by trade, gardener, and avid reader. I don't remember him talking very much. I remember walking around with him in his garden (his back yard was completely incorporated into his garden...) where he'd pull out a dirty radish, shake it off, and hand it to me (yuck, but I ate it because he gave it to me). He doted on us (he lived just long enough to meet all 4 of his grandchildren) and we all loved him dearly.

My grandfather with Amanda, me, Grandmother, and Rachel.

I clearly remember when my dad came to tell Amanda and me that Granddaddy had died in his sleep. We were in the kitchen of our old house and he hugged us as he cried, probably the only time I've seen my father cry. The funeral was surreal; my great aunts were all weeping behind us in the pews while I wondered what was going on. It's funny the things you remember.

Growing up, I didn't think about Granddaddy too often, but there are some definite traits of his that influenced who I am today. He was one of the first "radar guys" in town, moving to the area when the arsenal was first being established. I used to say I'd never be an engineer like my parents, but whooops... I'm currently working on a master's degree in electrical engineering specializing in radar theory and now think that it's really neat that I'm kind of following in my grandfather and father's footsteps. Also, like my granddaddy and Aunt Terri, I too love to dig in the dirt. I don't know what it is, but I sure do love it!

For my birthday, my dad gave me what is probably the most sentimental gift I've ever received. He gave me Granddaddy's old "Simpson 260 Volt-Ohm-Millianmeter". It's not as flashy, or really as useful, as our modern voltometers, but it was his. And what a cool gift, too. Something that he used all of the time to fix radios and friends' electronics with.

A few months ago, my Aunt Sherri sweetly gave me my grandparents' wedding china. Before then, I didn't have anything that belonged to them, and until recently, I didn't even have a picture of my grandfather.

Growing up, I never asked too many questions about my relatives, but I've found that the older I get, the more interested I am in where I came from. One of my aunts has done some pretty incredible and extensive research into our family's genealogy and has been able to share some of the family's history with me. I have really enjoyed getting to hear about some of my ancestors and their every-day lives. It's also been neat to be able to recognize some of the traits that I've inherited from others and share with my parents/grandparents/aunts and uncles.

Halloween Puppies

I didn't think Halloween was just around the corner, but I guess if you sell lots of Halloween costumes for dogs, it is.

We occasionally order dog toys, treats, and supplies from Pet Edge (they have great prices). Periodically, I get emails like this:


Too bad my boys already have superhero costumes. The sweet pea one is so funny! 

Here are Ace and Tyson for Halloween a couple of years ago:

Super Ace!

Can't you tell how much they enjoy being superheros?

Matt hates it when I dress up the dogs, and I can't say I blame him 100%.  They do look a little pitiful (except when it's cold, Ace freezes and would probably enjoy a sweater if Matt would let me "dress" him).  

What the Heck?

...those were my first words when we pulled up to the house today after church and saw our next door neighbors' yard.  I think it's a kiddie blow-up playground thing - hope this is only temporary.

Looks like it blew onto its side and isn't really supposed to be that tall.  I could see it from the main road before getting into our neighborhood.  Nobody was outside; not a single kid was playing on it.  Weird.

It's bigger than the house!

Wedding in the Woods

Amicalola Falls.

Last weekend we went over to North Georgia for the wedding of my freshman year roommate. She and her now-husband have been dating since highschool! Ten whole years of datehood before finally making that lifetime commitment.

Matt and I had decided to make a weekend of it before we planned our trip to California because we were going to stay at Amicalola State Park and the Lodge there requires a minimum two night stay.

Manda and Wade went there for their first anniversary and recommended all sorts of things to do. With a rehearsal dinner and wedding events all weekend, we didn't get to do everything we wanted, but we still had a good time. It's so pretty up there, I'd recommend going if you've ever got a spare weekend. We ate lunch on Saturday in Dahlonega, which is about 25 minutes East of the Lodge. It's a very cute small town with a great downtown square and some nice restaurants. It's also the home of North Georgia State College, which has a beautiful campus.

The gallery owner told us there are specks of glass melted into the pottery.

We made time to go by the Petti's highly recommended stop of The Funky Chicken Art Project, a gallery that displays the works of over 150 artists. There are peacocks and chickens roaming around and a "junk garden" out back. It was really neat. I even came home with these two pottery pieces to add to my growing blue/green pottery collection. They had lots of paintings, sculptures, hand-made boxes, and some really interesting pieces that were just a little too "artsy" for us.

Me and the bride.

The wedding on Saturday was a spectacular event. Whitney's family owns some 400 acres in the middle of nowhere. The area where they have their land (they have a permanent home in Athens, GA) apparently used to be a boys' camp that went bankrupt in the 30's. Now, several families own mountain homes around the lake and surrounding area.

It was a little cold in the woods at night.

The ceremony was on a hillside (apparently a former fairway) overlooking the lake. Her mom told me that she couldn't convince Whit to get married in the First Presbyterian Church at home, but the woods are really more Timothy and Whitney's style. The reception was at the old swimming dock, complete with white table clothes, a band, and freshly-cooked crab cakes. It was a beautiful setting and we were so happy to see them get hitched!


On the way out of town, we stopped by the Falls and also tried to see the kangaroo preserve (but we found out they're not open on Sundays). We had a great time, but I'm so glad to be home after four weekends away last month. Other than a football game, I'm hoping we don't have to go anywhere for quite a while!

August Blooms

Holy cow, August is almost over. We missed most of the month and came home to find a yard full of weeds. Still, there is a lot of color, and the cooler weather is getting me ready for mums and football!

Gladiolus 'Flevo Amico' is a mini glad that's hardy in zone 7 and won't flop over.

Hardy hibiscus.

Daylily 'Rosy Returns' has been going strong all summer.

Vase full of dahlias.

One of my many zinnias in bloom.

Blackeyed Susans still going strong.