Updated garden pics!

Here are some garden pics for fun (and to fill up some space on this blog!):

Overall pic of garden



Crazy mint



Chives



Carrots loving the fertilizer



Orange bell peppers



Cayenne peppers



Too small thai peppers but they are so cute



Tomato plants on steroids



Ancho pepper



Lettuce that popped out of nowhere!



Also, updated Apple Seed blog if you are interested.

Heading to Louisville tomorrow! Ready to head out!! =]

Hey! I have 10 followers!!

And now I feel really bad for not posting on this blog for a while! And, unfortunately, I don't have much to post about today either. But I think I will post on the Apple Seed blog. I mean, lately it seems like my "housewife" role has taken a backseat to my "pregnant" role. I can't get my head out of my uterus!!

News on the garden (and hopefully some pics real soon...maybe today??). My tomato plants are growing like Jack's beanstalk! There are a ton of blooms that we are hoping will produce many more undersized tomatoes! We actually ate our first (and so far ONLY) "beefsteak" tomato that was the size of a vine ripe store tomato. I was reaching for the salt and pepper for additional flavor when I took a bite of my half. Wow! Sweet and juicy! It was wonderful! We were so proud of our little tomato. Hopefully that plant will produce more too.

I picked my first Cayenne pepper and she is a beauty. Still need to use it in something along with my first Thai pepper. My carrots seem to be getting taller on their green side. T pulled one out of the ground curious to see what the root (which is the actual carrot) was doing. It was tiny and skinny but had a hint of orange and was starting to look like a real carrot! Exciting!

I actually have lettuce now...I don't know where the growth spurt happened or how (maybe it was the fertilizer that T has applied once a week) but we have two heads flourishing (and T just came in and told me there is a third). I'm not sure when to harvest lettuce so I will just continue to watch it grow. That alone - living plants in my possession - is amazing!

I will take pics soon and post them for all to see.

So I was looking through some old entries and noticed that I mentioned I was making an anniversary gift for T but never did tell you what it was. Well, I put together our scrapbook that chronicled our proposal and our awesome wedding weekend in San Diego. I thought that gift was appropriate since it is "paper" and that is the one year anniversary symbol. I think he liked it. =]

Well, that's all I know now. Welcome to my new followers (I sound like some sort of self-proclaimed prophet or something) - it sure is interesting to see that there are so many bored people out there. But it makes me feel less alone! ;)

Check out the ol' baby blog if you'd like...next entry on this blog? Random pics of nothing much!

I'm a loser baby...

Yeah, I have been pretty much away from here for as long as I can remember. It really is a combination of things. Not feeling well, always tired and downright busy. But things are starting to lighten up - including the queasiness - which may have me back in the saddle with a vengence. But I will totally honest, my loyal readers, most of my entries may be living on the other blog. The apple seed blog. It is really hard to separate my day and my thoughts between non-baby talk and baby updates. But, when the situation presents itself or if something exciting happens that warrants an entry here, I will be on it!

Right now the only updates for this blog are pretty non-exciting. My garden is actually doing pretty well thanks to T fertilizing the crap (no pun intended) out of it! My fruits are really small, though. My "cherry" tomatoes are more like gumball tomatoes. But I do have two heads of lettuce popping out and the tomato plants are becoming Jack and the Beanstalk tall! My carrots are even growing - at least on top. Not sure what's happening underground. I can tell you this, I am certainly looking forward to harvesting the sweet onions. I think those are going to be the biggest winners of the garden!

Our summer has been quite mild up to this point. Highs in the 9os. That's awesome! Technically (or so I saw on the local news), we are now officially in "monsoon season." But, for the three+ years I have lived here, I haven't seen monsoon storms really hit until late July/early August. So we still have some time before our weather guys have something to really talk about other than a few passing clouds!

I started a new gym! I am no longer at Bally's. I have switched to LA Fitness and WOW what a difference. I switched because I was driving almost an hour one way to get to Bally's (which used to be a lot closer two or so years ago when I lived in my apartment). I kept going there because for a while I was doing personal training with a trainer turned friend. And, after that, I continued to go to work out with a good friend of mine. Since then, I no longer train and my friend and I are on different schedules so I couldn't think of any other reason to justify the drive or the gas money.

LA Fitness is super nice. Much nicer than Bally's by far! Nice equipment, five racquetball courts, a full basketball court, a pool...it is awesome. Now that my "morning" sickness has passed for the most part, I am jumping back into a routine. I am so happy and feel so awesome to be working out again!

T, Tay and I will be heading home to the L over the fourth of July! L Yeah! Looking forward to seeing my family that I have been missing terribly. We have a very full schedule and will probably be absolutely exhausted by the time we get home but it is always worth it!

Hmmm, other than that? Yeah, that's about it. At least for this blog. I will try to make my life more exciting so that I have more to post. Wish me luck!

Too Tired To Type

I'm so sorry folks. I am just too tired to go into a lot of details about my tired life right now. Over the past couple of days, my energy level has gotten to an all time low. I was able to get the house mostly cleaned and some more of my project (T's anniversary gift) worked on but now I am left running on fumes. There isn't much to tell other than; the garden is still doing it's thing - I will post pics soon, one of our mesquite trees fell over but it doesn't look damaged - that's one very flexible trunk, I saw a new hummingbird - a male - hanging out on one of my tomato cages, we've had rain and a few rumbles of thunder over the last couple of days, and I am sure there are some other small, wonderous things that have happened that I just can't think of right now.

I will try to have a better post soon and maybe post some pics of the garden. In the meantime, you are more than welcome to visit my quick entry in the Apple Seed blog with new pics.

If anyone has extra energy, please send some my way...

Ok, so where did I leave off? Oh yeah. Being pregnant. That's right. Well, you can hit the Apple Seed blog if you'd like for more news on that. But for now, let's catch you up with the rest of my days since last we wrote/read.

It's been six days since I last posted and I swear not much has happened in that time. I shouldn't complain about such a non-eventful life but sometimes I still do. Over the past week I really have felt like I have been going through a mid-life crisis. I know a lot of it has to do with the fact that I can't do some of my favorite things because it involves alcohol which is forbidden during the time I am serving. So it has been hard to get me motivated and I tend to feel bored very easily.

Last night, T and I went on, what I was calling, a high school date. We drove around town for a bit and then ended up at the Foothills Mall at a restaurant called Sega World Grill. It is a restaurant/sports bar/video game/pool table/darts place that is clean and fun. Big screen TVs everywhere, little living room vignettes with couches and coffee tables and a wide array of fattening bar food that will clog even the healthiest of arteries. Of course their selection of beers is pretty sweet but I had to put blinders on so I wouldn't get tempted...or depressed.

Boy, did I kick up my heels last night. I had a fully loaded ice tea - full of caffeine and mixed with an artificial sweetener (the correct kind for my condition). Cut me off, bartender. I may get a little crazy. It's been a whole week since my last dose of caffeine and I may end up dancing on a table!! Along with my ice tea, T and I shared a couple of the most fattening appetizers on the menu - Southwest Rolls with Salsa Ranch dipping sauce and potato skins. If that wasn't going to make me sick...just wait til you see how the rest of the night played out.

After our snacks and a couple of glasses of tea (I know, crazy, right?), we headed to the game area. We bought an unlimited two hour card for the games - it was only $15. Wow have video games changed since I was a kid going to good ol' Malibu with my Dad (remember Malibu Louisville folks?). The games are much more elaborate and fancy and the rules are a lot harder. You almost need a "For Dummies" book just to learn how to play! But we did our best. T even played a game that was totally in Japanese and I guess he did ok based on the smiley faces of the characters on the screen.

Of course I got all excited when I saw Pac Man - it was over in a dark corner hiding from the rest of the more modern games. Just like a grandpa sitting in the wings watching all the young'uns have their fun. I ran to it like a kid and swiped my card to battle the ghosts. It had been such a long time since I played but Pac Man was one of the first games I had on my Atari growing up. I studied books (that I rented from the library...for those young ones that don't know what those are...they hold books that you can rent out...this was before Google) to learn my patterns in order to make it through level 3 on the same life.

Well, just like I have lost brain cells since my Pac Man years, I have lost my touch as well. I didn't even get to level 3. I swear I think those ghosts go faster now. Or have I really become that much slower?? But I beat the young pup I call my husband. Hell, he barely even remembers Pac Man. Kids today, I tell ya!!

After all the game playin', we headed to the theater in the mall for a late night movie. We decided on Angels and Demons. We had to waste 45 minutes which was quite easy since there was a Barnes and Noble in the mall. We settled in for the movie and it turned out to be pretty good! Tom Hanks sure has come a long way since Bosom Buddies (yes, I remember that show even though my sugar baby husband was only a year old) and I am sure Dan Brown, the writer of Angels & Demons, sure has a lot of Catholics steaming in their holy water. But the movie was entertaining, intense and exciting - and I am VERY hard on movies. Especially ones that take me way past my 9 PM bedtime like this one did! The plot twists and turns and, even though you suspect the unsuspected, everyone is shocked in the end!! I give it two thumbs up! Even after getting home close to 1:30 AM.

This morning, T left for the airport. He is heading to Boston and then to Long Beach to do what he does best - schmooze and have meetings. I love watching him pack before a trip. He is so meticulous and doesn't miss a thing. When I used to travel mercilessly for work, I almost just kept the same bag packed all the time since I always had to wear "show black" clothes. Which means all black from head to toe. This is life in production. But, yeah, he left this morning and will be returning on Wed night.

I sure miss him already but this time away gives me the time I need to get his anniversary present ready. I would tell you what I am working on but, even though T never reads my blog...like EVER (unless I tell him to read something I wrote), it would be my luck that he would get bored in his hotel room tonight and tune in. So I will only say that it has something to do with the traditional first anniversary symbol - paper. I will fill you in after he receives it.

So, yeah, our one year anniversary is literally around the corner! We decided on no big trips since we just took one last November. Instead, if you recall, we bought a couch. Weelllll, things are a changin'. We are both jonesin' to get our toes in some sand and I am looking for some relaxation away from endless chores staring me in the face. He wants to get away for a while and spend some "us" time so we think we might be heading to San Diego for a long weekend. Our anniversary is May 31, which is a Sunday, so we may do a Thur through Monday getaway to the city where we got married. We may even stay at Glorietta Bay again - which is where all of us - including our guests - stayed when we were there for the wedding. I will be putting some pricing together over the next couple of days to see what we can do. I'm excited!

Today is one of those days that Tucsonans love. Heavy, dark clouds hanging in the sky with the occasional rumble of thunder. A sneak preview to the upcoming monsoon season. I doubt it will rain today and I may have heard the only handful of rumbles that will happen for the rest of the day but you can feel the excitement in the air. I think these desert rats really enjoy monsoon season because it gives them something to look forward to during the sweltering summer. The cloud coverage provides some relief from the oven hot sun and rain is an event all to itself. The first monsoon shower will have even the most hermit of neighbors peeking their heads out to investigate the tears of summer. I just love monsoon season because I love thunder storms. And the lightening out here is a magnificent show of electricity!! I have never seen anything like it!

Well, that's about all right now. There are some new entries in my other two blogs. Feel free to take a look if you are still bored after this one. Happy Sunday!

110th post - a nice ramble

I could talk about the beautiful coyote we saw in a field by our house last week. He was a gorgeous beauty that looked much healthier than the typical scrawny ones. He was alone and standing very regal in the wheat field chewing on what must have been left of his dinner. I was so amazed by the sight, T and I turned the car around to go give him another look. By the time we made it back to the same area, he had safely crossed the street and looked to be interested in finding the rest of his pack.

Coyotes are dangerous out here in the desert. They are very much like Wild E Coyote on Bugs Bunny with their tongues hanging out, fork and knife in hand and ready to eat whatever they can catch. They aren't particular and don't just chase road runners. They will eat whatever is available - dogs, cats, mice, road kill. They aren't picky eaters. That's why there are walls around people's yards in Tucson (and here in Marana). It helps keep the wildlife at bay and protects pets. As scavenger as they are, I couldn't help but be awe struck by such a beautiful coyote.

I could talk about the fact that my old friend from high school that I reconnected with on FaceBook finally shed some light on the mystery of the horrendous bumps on the ramps leading from the store to the parking lot! Thank you Amy. She informed me that this is part of the Americans with Disabilities Act. They are there to help blind people know they are entering a roadway. Do they really have to be so big? I mean, is it worth losing fresh eggs over? Couldn't they just put shallow grooves in the ramp so that it makes the noise your car does when you are texting and start to wander in the emergency lane?

I could talk about how excited I am to make it home over the July 4th holiday! I feel I haven't been home in a lifetime and I am ready to catch up with everyone. Obviously with family but also with my friends I have reconnected with on the computer!

I could talk about T and I's anniversary coming up at the end of this month. No big plans - actually, no plans at all. But I am so happy that we are going to celebrate one year together. And it sure has been an eventful year!

I could talk about all of this but, the truth is, I have to let you know what is really going on. It is getting hard to talk on this blog about me when I am keeping a major secret from the world. And, even though I plan on keeping this a secret for a while to come, I thought I would share with my close blog followers (most of you already know anyway). I am 8 weeks pregnant.

I reveal this because I have started a separate blog so that those who care and/or are close to me can keep up with the updates along the way. I have kept this all a secret up to this point because I am still in the danger zone - the first trimester. After having a miscarriage last December, I felt the right thing to do was to keep this a big secret until week 13. And, for the most part (and for the majority of my family), I am hoping to keep it that way. It is just too heartbreaking and too complicated to go back and "untell" people if something goes wrong. And something still could. But I am getting a lot of positive vibes from everyone so I am trying to be positive myself. Even through all the nausea and exhaustion.

So I am jumping the gun on the timeline I established and letting my blog followers know that this is my current condition. Please send the positive thoughts my way (including anything you can do to make my nausea and exhaustion to go away). If you are a part of my family that follows my blog but you know others who don't, please try not to spread the word. We are planning on making big announcements over the July 4th visit if things are still progressing normally.

Now I know there are people who don't want to hear all that baby talk. Trust me, I am actually the same way. So this blog will remain in place for random rambles and everyday chat. But, if you are interested in the progress of the incubation, you can find it here:

http://thespencerappleseed.blogspot.com/

Thanks for understanding my desire to keep it somewhat private (funny to say when I am posting it in a public blog) but we would really like to wait for the BIG announcement when we are confident we are out of the danger zone. Just consider yourself in with the "in crowd" for now.

Other than that, not much going on here....

How long has it been?

Sorry to be a stranger for so long. Between the Derby preparations and other mindless tasks, I have been an absent loser when it has come to keeping up with my blog. But here I am to add some entertainment (or lack thereof) to your boring night.

The only real thing that stands out since my last entry must be the Derby party. But before that first Saturday in May, Tay and I hung out with her new boyfriend, Ethan. He lives across the street and comes over everyday ringing the doorbell like 10 times in a row. Ding ding ding ding ding. T has verbally thought about putting some wattage on the doorbell button so that little Ethan will get a zap if he rings the bell more than one time.

But he is a cute kid. A bit less "developed" than Tay - his speech isn't as clear. Or maybe Tay is just more advanced for her age. Regardless, they have become fast friends. I was pretty excited to have Ethan over on Friday to play with Tay. This keeps her occupied and I thought that would be my chance to get some work done around the house before my Derby party. Well, I think it was when the ol' doctor kit came out that I decided that my attention needed to be in the living room making sure "playing doctor" was a legit, innocent game. After doctor came an even stranger game of "getting married." Tay brought her dress up box downstairs and started to undress in order to put on her "wedding gown". Well, I just felt uncomfortable with this scenario but didn't want to make it a huge taboo so I told her it would be better for her to surprise Ethan with her dress so she changed in the bathroom.

As they were playing outside, the distant melodies of the ice cream truck was lingering in the air. The kids were really excited so we made our way out front so that they could get some frozen sugar concoction. I think this was one of the highlights of the day for them. While they were out back, I became nostalgic thinking about being a kid and playing outside for hours until it was time for dinner. I am sure there must be pics somewhere of me and my childhood friends. And, with that thought in mind, I grabbed the camera to take some pics of the new friends.

Gotta love the rockin' horns Tay is sportin' and her Bundi beer (it is a ginger beer from Australia)



Having fun



And now, on to the Derby party. I will be honest, while I was getting everything ready that day, I was really not wanting to go through with it. I wasn't going to be drinking and sometimes that helps calm my nerves and prepare me for a house full of guests. But through the anxiety and the occasional tears, I made it until the last couple (my SIL and BIL) left at 2:30 AM. Here are some pics of the evening along with commentary:

I opened the door to the most festive, best costumed group of the day! The jockey is my StepMIL Linda, the head of the horse was my not-so-happy FIL, the butt of the horse was one of Linda's daughters Erin and the old school Southern lady in blue is Linda's other daughter Kasey. Kasey says her outfit is circa 1920's. She won the Best Dressed trophy based on votes from other guests.



More photos of this team!





I couldn't get enough of them...



Kacy and my BFF Amy



BIL Ryan with "uncle" Mario workin' it old school Derby style



SIL Lauren with her BFF Liz



Jim and Steph (were they dippin' in the mint juleps?)



Jim rocked his cowboy hat Derby-style, real men are not afraid to wear roses!



MIL Steph with her old friend Barb - Barb won the Best Hat trophy with a huge majority of votes from the guests



Her hat was beautiful and the lady at the consignment shop insisted it was an authentic Derby hat that was actually worn for the race!



Hanging out waiting for the big race!



The big winner of the "pot of gold" - Amy, with her partner Kay, won the $56 pot with Mine That Bird. She didn't realize that was her horse and, until no one else cheered, she didn't think of looking at her ticket. She was pleasantly surprised to find out she was the winner!



Candids - Steph, Jim, Barb and Barb's husband Mark



Todd's friend Demian and his new wife Katie - their first Derby as a married couple!



My other BFF Amber and her date (who we all loved) Ryan hanging out with T



Us - me sober...and me living vicariously through T and the yummy beers he was drinking! Oh..and a mint julep...and Bailey's coffee...well, you get the idea.



Into the night - after the exciting 2 minutes in sports, after hour party commenced. Sitting around the chiminea, smoking cigars and drinking spiked coffee. Not to mention occasional face smacks (don't ask) and marshmallow roasting.




Ahh, the chidlish behavior that excretes from the system when the juleps take hold!



Amy, with eyes open, and Kacy, the marshmallow mama and the one falling into the smoker every other second...get it girls! =P



Dawna is getting bored with the conversation of cartoon faves...picture time




The day after shot - everything was placed on this chair and it looked like a photo...so I took it!



The party seemed to have gone well and I suppose everyone had a good time since it was such a late night before everyone was gone. I made it through and quite honestly glad it is over. Now I can move on! I am soooo looking forward to going home in July!! I love going back for the July 4th excitement and seeing everyone while I am there!!! Maybe I will even get to connect with those I have reconnected with on FaceBook! That will definitely be the next thing I am definitely looking forward to!! I need to get out of Tucson for a while. I need a taste of home...