The Gardening Pest's Lump

I have been under a lot of stress over the past week, and was in the yard with the GP and noticed a mole he has had for almost a year has recently doubled in size. Needless to say I freaked out and immediately began searching on google to figure out what the lump could be.

The lump originally looked like a swollen tick on GP's chest. It was grayish-black, and was hard to the touch and harder at the base where it met his skin. Now that it has doubled in size, the middle is squishy and the color has changed to more black and less gray. Everything I read on message boards and websites had me convinced that this lump was cancerous. I freaked out, called the vet and begged them to work us in.

The next day we went to the vet. After a short wait he was ready for us. I think GP knew I was on edge, because he was on his best behavior. When the vet walked in, he looked at the lump and told me it was just a cyst caused by a clogged pore. Totally harmless, but that it needed to be removed so it wouldn't rupture or cause other pores to clog.

The best part is that they will not even have to use general anesthesia for the procedure. They will give him a tranquilizer, and numb him locally. AND the whole thing is affordable. He is scheduled to have the lump removed next week... Maybe we will have some cone of shame pictures to post afterwards:)

Almighty Alfredo

I haven't really been doing much gardening lately. My summer class was pretty intense, and it has been so hot and humid outside. Most of my efforts have been focused on weed control and general upkeep.

Last night I decided to break out the pots and pans, and remind my husband (and myself) that I am a fantastic cook:) I made chicken Alfredo over tofu noodles and broccoli. Tofu noodles- I can hear you gagging already- but these things are awesome! They are also so much healthier than regular pasta. The only place I have been able to find them is at Whole Foods. They are in the refrigerated section with the yogurt, and come in a bag that has brine ( I think) in it. You have to rinse them a few times and then cook them for a short time at a high heat to get rid of the flavor, but after that they are just like pasta.

So the sauce: Take 1/4 cup of butter and 1 cup of heavy cream. Put that in a sauce pan and let it simmer for 5 mins ( I whisked it while it simmered). Then add in a clove of crushed garlic and 1 and 1/2 cups of grated Parmesan cheese ( I suggest the farmers market for this ingredient). Whisk that together and wha-lah! Homemade Alfredo sauce. I threw bacon in it for good measure. It was delicious, and soooo very rich.

Two Weeks With No Dirt

Woe is me! I had to work Saturday and Sunday last week so I have gone a full two weeks without tending to my yard.

So, I will post a picture of a fun salad I made a few weeks ago. It is like a build your own Cobb Salad:)

Also, an update on my seeds- I am hoping to get them in the ground this weekend! Pictures to follow!

Some New Color

Today I decided to clean out the bed in front of my porch. It was looking a little frumpy, so I decided to spruce it up. Before an after pictures:

Time for a Bath?

After I turned my leaking birdbath into a birdhouse stand/planter, I realized I had no where for my avian friends to play in the water! So! I found this guy at Lowes for $30! Score!

Seedlings- Day ??

I have totally lost track of how long ago I planted my seeds. I know, shame on me;) Good thing I spent the extra $2 and got the self-watering seed starter, cause they are doing great! Now I am at the point where I need to transplant them.... Something I have never successfully done.

A good project for this weekend;)

The Weekend Accomplishments

I was hell bent on spreading mulch and throwing pinestraw last weekend... But I just couldn't bring myself to actually doing it! Something about 3 or 4 trips to get all of the supplies, and actually wrestling with 30 bags of mulch just made me not want to go there:)

So instead, I cleaned up the steps, planted some stonecrop, hostas and tried to find a subtle, pretty way to block the view I have of my neighbor's gravel parking lot. ( it isnt REALLY a parking lot, but that is just a nice, dramatic way to describe their driveway).

So the pictures below are of my cleaned up steps with new plants ( all of which claim to love dry roots an stoney terrain). The other pictures are of my attempt to hide the parking area that I have a fabulous view of... And then a picture of the Garden Pest- who is worn out after trying to eat one of my new cushions....

The rest of the weekend was spent weed whacking, mowing, blowing... And then enjoying the beautiful space that I have created!