Tree And Go Seek

Choosing A Tree In A Blackout

When we got to Ross N Ross tonight, they were having some power issues

But no worries, we can smell a good tree from 100 yards away

This is the one we chose

We'll see what it looks like in the morning

A Saturday Full Of Pumpkin And Pride

Got a jump on our pumpkins early this year, and where else but the lovely and wonderful Ross & Ross nursery (tell your friends).  This was like last Saturday, and I'm just remembering now. Blurry.

Yuula picked out a nice white pumpkin only to have it eaten by Judee a few days later. So we  went back and got her another one and have it stored up high for the rest of the month.

She was quite fond of this little guy and even used it for her show and tell at dance class that day. I'm sure it was a hit. 

A dance class that we finally got to watch on television. I was rather impressed. Full stretches, across the floors and some combinations. All we could get out of Yuula was that they gave out lollipops at the end. I circled her in pink. 

After class it was straight off to Boston, and what a lovely drive. The only thing that could have made it better was if I could have gotten into Holy Land. Check it out. 

But we did have like 6 bags of these little nuggets to hold us over. Come to think of it I think half of the food I ingested that weekend was soft licorice. 

First stop: the Fallons, where we hung out with Miles and Isla until they both passed out, I'm assuming from extreme exhaustion. But naturally no such luck with Yuula. She was holding out for the party to get going. 

Miles and Yuula's contribution to Eric's train drawing.

The real reason we were there.

Line of the evening: "It's an Elton John book, because you're gay."

Got My Plum Nugget

We knew it'd pay off becoming loyal customers of one individual garden center. We embraced Ross N' Ross, initially because of that awesome water tower, then due to their passioned attempts at selling their products to well-informed and competent customers. They get credit for 85% of our gardens outcome. Just the stuff that blooms. But yesterday, after weeks of them seeing me stalk the plum tree harvest, they just up and gave me one!

And we already got plum nuggets.

Mama's Birthday Food And The Back Of Yuula's Head

This is what we get when Laura picks breakfast

Cherry Valley beeswax play tent, and the back of Yuula's head

Getting the royal treatment at the garden center, and the back of Yuula's head

Yuula is taking Kathy's job, and the back of Yuula's head

This is what we get when Laura picks dinner

and the back of Yuula's head

Strange Flowers, Stranger Behaviors

Another weekend in the books. The last before our little family getaway. Laura did some hardcore gardening, and I picked up heavy rocks and put them back down again someplace else. Yuula swam. She seemed to have a fairly intricate storyline going on there that involved plenty of action, catfood, a beachball and multiple bathing suits. As long as it was keeping her happy we don't really question it.

We stopped midday at around 90 degrees and went for a ride to Maryanns for some rainbow jimmies on vanilla and then to Ross N Ross for a few pepper plants and these weird looking flowers.

The weirdest part of the weekend was when Laura popped up at 5:30am and disappeared. When I went to look for her she was in the garden planting away. This marks the very first time in our relationship that not only did she wake up before me but she also left the bed before me and started her day. I'm a little freaked out by it still, but I plan to get tot the bottom of it.

In other, more Yuula-on-the-potty related news, progress of sorts was made this weekend. But not really. At one point while taking a break from her pooling she had to pee and decided just to pop a squat over a rock in the yard and pee. Then later on in the day she told us she had to go again so she walked over to the same rock and peed again. We didn't think anything of it, til later on that evening while Laura was cooking up some stuffed green peppers and I was cleaning up the yard, Yuula was inside and told us she had to pee. We gave her the okay, so she took off her bathing suit, ran outside to the same rock as before and peed. So apparently all this time she just needed a rock to pee on instead of a toilet. Gonna be a pain to carry around with us everywhere but we'll figure it out.

Living Historically And Just A Little Bit Damp

The rain didn't want us to work in the yard again today. It's already begun to be a bit of a worry, but hey, who doesn't want a lazy day here and again. So we thought we'd do some flower hunting and see if we could show Yuula some horses, her new infatuation. 

Ross and Ross first, under a little drizzle, but Laura had a big pot to fill and they were having a an open house with free cookies, so a little something for everyone.

Then we thought we'd see what this Quiet Valley Historical Living Farm was all about. Long story short, we became members and plan to be back as often as possible, hopefully once a month or so.

We brought Yuula to the schoolhouse for some drawing, sing-a-longs, BINGO, and a little play about a lamb murdering a wolf in the river.

Yuula caught fish and pet the largest bunny I've ever seen.

She couldn't ride a horse but being pulled by clydesdales seemed just as effective. She loved it.

Then the highlight was the hay jump, which is exactly what it sounds like. Children jumping off an 8 foot platform into bales of hay, in a dark barn.

Weird but she had such a blast that after an hour of hay jumping she still cried when they place closed down.

Then we ended the day the only way we know how.

Getting rained out ain't so bad

2013 Minus 1978 Equals 35

My birthday kind of stretched out over two days. It wasn't planned that way, but that's how it fell out. Plans included but were not limited to the city, planting trees, a concert, a curry house, cake, and maybe a little downtime. I had planned to finally build our compost bins, but I was forbidden from any work of any kind. Good for me.

Here's what happened...

April 24th, dropped Yuula off with the Trunks at Dansbury packed for her first slumber party

Headed to NYC, took a nice leisurely stroll up the East River, watched a girls softball game, play at a dog park and an high-end antique shop where we could only afford the postcards.

Stumbled upon a lovely little green space called La Plaza Cultural where we got lots of ideas for our own landscaping.

We spent about an hour there, wandering in and out of all the little gardens and hidden nuggets. Pretty awesome.

Dinner at Brick Lane Curry House was a delight. Rustic and European curry dishes where Laura had the butter masala and I had to try the chicken biryani. Much spicier than your average suburb fare, but that's what we were looking for. Partnered with some aloo chaat and a 40oz of Taj Mahal each and it was a dining delight. Entertainment came when one dude at the table next to us, full of Australian youngens, ordered the Phaal, the house "challenge" dish, where they have to give a verbal agreement not to sue the joint is any harm comes to them from eating this insanely spicy dish. Just hearing the ingredients described gave me sweats. I had to yell out to the guy, who looked a little nervous that if he ate it, I'd buy it. Long story short, our dinner cost $20 more than what we ordered ourselves. Honestly, it was impressive.

Then to the venue, Bowery, never been. Felt old. Found seats in the balcony, away from the hippies. Opening acts were noisy but pleasant M. Geddes Gengras and noisy but abrasive Eric Copeland. Then Akron/Family took the stage and literally and quite unexpectedly blew our damn faces off. Not a single one of their hits, which is what these guys do, and every song was rather indulgent, but not in a bad way. Lots of loud, humming, tribal blasts by insanely talented musicians who have apparently found their sinister sound. Not the A/F we would've expected 4 years ago, but an awesome show nonetheless. Highlight had to be the encore where they finally played a familiar tune, of course, "Ed Is A Portal" which tore the crowd to pieces. We left around 1am, and were thoroughly tuckered.

Next morning was early, even tho we got home after 3am, we had to pick up Yuula at 7. An oddly frustrating search for a breakfast venue landed us at the Arlington Diner where I of course had birthday pancakes.

 Went grocery shopping, took a couple hours. Then after going home and dumping the load, we headed out to Ross & Ross for the first time this season in search of some new trees, which has become a birthday tradition. Two hydrangeas, mainly because they were so well priced, plus Kathy likes us.

Home to break in our new grill, eat cake and open gifts. Check out this awesome addition to our ever-growing outdoor knick knack collection.

Nice. Happy Birthday to me.

And today we planted the trees.