dishwashers and pizza makers

Our older son, his wife, and their family arrived at midnight Friday for a week’s visit. We are so happy to have them home! The parents and Sissy went to bed and the twins stayed up with Pa and Ma. They were too excited to go straight to bed! So they washed dishes for grandma.

it's fun to wash dishes at grandma's house!

After washing dishes, their jams were so wet we had to change them again before putting them to bed.

Grandma's dishwashers

Poor tired Pa. While the girls washed all the plastic we could find, grandpa took a catnap.

What Pa does while the twins wash dishes at 1:15 am.

Come to find out…this morning our son came downstairs to find the twins washing dishes again. But unassisted this time. Pa was on a 34 mile bike ride (celebrating our anniversary of 34 years of marriage) and Ma was still asleep! The girls got up by themselves, came down and resumed their job. 😀

Today, the twins helped me make pizza for lunch. First, you pat out the dough…

patting the dough...

…then spread the sauce.

spreading the sauce...

Pepperoni goes on this end…

this end gets pepperoni...

…and spinach over all.

making pizza with Ma

Some mushrooms down the middle and some feta on the end of one pizza, sprinkle on the cheese, bake it, then eat it!

it's DEE-licious!

I made the pizza...I ate the pizza.

After lunch, our younger son and his wife and their friend and her daughter came to visit. The girls shopped the yard for daylilies and hostas. The kidlets played on the playground. Lots of fun, even though it rained a bit.

"shopping the yard" for daylilies

fun on the playground

Off the bed. Tomorrow is a new day of fun with the family.
~~Grandma, otherwise known as “Ma”

garden tour

This morning, we enjoyed sharing the garden with a group of Master Gardeners. It’s always a joy to have other gardeners visit. They appreciate the garden, the plants, and the effort.

garden tour

Many thanks go out to my sister Margaret and her husband John, who came Monday evening and worked through Tuesday and early Wednesday to help us prepare for the tour. They pulled weeds, spread mulch, and went home with a carload of plants to put in their own garden. A very small token of our gratitude!

The garden is a sea of color. If you are local, please feel free to stop by and enjoy it!

front yard garden

‘Mardi Gras Parade’

'Mardi Gras Parade'

‘Jedi Tequila Sunrise’

'Jedi Tequila Sunrise'

‘Palace Guard’

Daylily 'Palace Guard'

‘Ivory Edges’

'Ivory Edges'

front yard

The daylilies are certainly holding center stage right now, but the rest of the garden is full of color, too.

front porch

Ox-eye (False Sunflower) Heliopsis helianthoides

Heliopsis

hydrangeas

We’ve had plenty of rain this spring and early summer, so the hostas are happy.

birdbath

Honesty and hosta

hosta bed

hosta bed

We have a few Asiatic lilies and they were beautiful this year. I want to get more of these.

lilies

pink lilies

Thanks again, Margaret and John, and Genny, who came last week to help in the garden. I hope you’re having some fun in your own gardens! ~~Rhonda

menu plan monday ~ june 20, 2011

Today is my sister Genny’s birthday. Happy birthday, Genny! Genny is a giver and she gives to me all the time. She comes down to help with any kind of project I want to do. She works full time and saves vacation days so she can come in November and help me decorate for Christmas. If you know anything about me, you know that is a huge job. We couldn’t do it without Genny’s help! So happy birthday, Genny! You make a huge difference in the lives of so many people and I’m one of them.

making a pattern

We have a garden tour planned for Wednesday. A group of Master Gardeners are coming to enjoy the garden. The daylilies are blooming beautifully. We’re hoping for a rain-free day for the tour!

front yard

Our older son and his family are arriving Friday to stay for a week. We can’t wait to see them! You can look forward to lots of pictures of our grands. 🙂

The menu for the week is as follows.

Monday
Crockpot Chicken over Rice
Garden Salad
Steamed Green Beans

Tuesday
Lunch ~ Chef Salad

Supper ~ Pizza

Wednesday
Hamburgers
Homemade Hamburger Buns
Garden Salad
Red Grapes

Thursday
Caesar Salad

Friday
Tacoritos
Taco Chips
Corn on the Cob
Garden Salad

Saturday
Lunch ~ Fridge Food / Sandwiches
Veggies / Dip
Red Grapes

Supper ~ Grilled Chicken
Oven Fried Potato Wedges
Corn
Steamed Sugar Snap Peas
Fruit Salad

Sunday
Lunch ~ Spaghetti
Homemade Sauce
Garlic Bread
Garden Salad
Steamed Green Beans

Supper ~ Fridge Food

You’ll find more menu and recipe ideas at Menu Plan Monday.

~~Rhonda

happy father’s day!

DH is not only a wonderful husband, but a great father, as well. Our children know they can *always* depend on him, no matter what.

self portrait

And he’s a great “Pa,” too.

letters with Pa

up high!

This time of year, if he has any free time (not so much lately!), you’ll find DH on his bike or in the garden. Seems I have a lot of pictures in this pose…

DH pulling out lemon balm

hosta bed under the mulberry tree

mulching the hostas

Here he’s trying out one of his Father’s Day gifts…a new reel mower. We still need the riding mower for the big mowing job, but this is going to be a great way to take care of those small spaces that the big mower doesn’t handle well.

new reel mower

Father’s Day was a good one. DH enjoyed his favorite main dish, Marinated Pork Tenderloin, for dinner and a choice of apple pie and peach pie in the afternoon. Yes, I said “and.”

apple pie for Father's Day peach pie for Father's Day

After a full Father’s Day, DH also enjoyed a little couch time, watching some cycling time trials out of Switzerland.

watched some cycling

Thanks, Honey, for all you do for us. We love you!

~~Rhonda

ready for a few more?

There are more daylilies than I can feel OK about posting. Don’t want to bore you! But aren’t these beautiful?

‘Chicago Flapper’

'Chicago Flapper'

‘Gentle Shepherd’

'Gentle Shepherd'

‘Refiner’s Fire’

'Refiner's Fire'

‘Daring Deception’

'Daring Deception'

‘Neal Berrey’

'Neal Berrey'

‘Spider Man’

'Spider Man'

‘Wild Mustang’

'Wild Mustang'

‘Atlanta Full House’

'Atlanta Full House'

‘Amy Michelle’

'Amy Michelle'

Enough, already? Or enough of a tease to make you want more? 🙂 If you’re local, drive by. Come in and look around. The garden is beginning to show some great color!

~~Rhonda

a few pretty blossoms

I have taken a lot of daylily pictures the past few days and would like to share a few with you. DH and I check out the FFOs (First Flower Out) every day. Sometimes the FFO is not the best looking blossom, so I don’t post every one on its debut, but we’ll be getting better pictures as the daylily season unfolds. You can see a lot more daylilies from our garden on my flickr site.

‘Novelty Number’ has a beautiful blend of color.

Daylily 'Novelty Number'

‘Two Part Harmony’ was planted in our garden in 2009. It’s looking great this year.

Daylily 'Two Part Harmony'

‘In Springtime’ had never impressed me until we moved it from one bed to another. Now it’s showing better color and is growing on me.

Daylily 'In Springtime'

A pretty pink one, ‘Chorus Line’ has the green throat I like so much.

Daylily 'Chorus Line'

‘Pure and Simple’…orange in a lovely way.

Daylily 'Pure and Simple'

‘Tiger Track’…orange in an in-your-face sort of way. This one is stunning when viewed across the garden, and even more so close up.

'Tiger Track'

‘Monterrey Jack’ is one of my very favorites. The yellow is a beautiful shade.

'Monterrey Jack'

Daylilies come in so many colors, shades, sizes, forms and textures. Here’s a subtle one, but no less beautiful than those more intense.

'Courtly Love'

‘New Note’…another gorgeous color.

'New Note'

‘Fairy Tale Pink’…soft and lovely.

'Fairy Tale Pink'

There are a lot more blooming in the garden. I’ll share them soon. Remember, if you’re local, we do sell daylilies. All proceeds go to the mission fund of our church. If you see a plant on this blog or in my flickr stream that you like, make a note and give us a call.

~~Rhonda

menu plan monday ~ june 13, 2011

Seems the weather is going to be cooler this week than last, but perhaps wetter. We’re not adverse to a little rain, though. The garden would appreciate it.

The daylilies are providing a lot of color in the garden right now. This is the “common” daylily, otherwise known as a “ditch lily” around here. But if you look at it closely, there’s nothing common about it. How pretty is that?

hemerocallis

The elderberries are blooming, too. So pretty, when you stop for a close-up look.

elderberry blossoms

We hope to have weather that permits us to work in the garden this week, as we have a group of Master Gardeners coming on the 22nd for a tour. This weekend, two of my sisters and my brother-in-law came to help weed beds and spruce things up a bit. They worked so hard! And we appreciate it SO much!! And we girls got matching garden hats. 🙂 BTW, the trim on the house is being painted as I write. By next week, it should look fresh and new!

garden helpers

With a pretty busy week ahead, I plan to keep the menu simple.

Monday
Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
Rice
Didn’t get to this yesterday, as planned, so we’ll have it this evening.

Tuesday
Chef Salad
Around here, “chef salad” means you throw anything you want into a big white bowl and pour your favorite dressing over it. Makes a meal.

Wednesday
Hamburgers
Homemade Buns
Garden Salad

Thursday
Baked Chicken
Garden Salad
Steamed Garden Beans
Corn

Friday
Homemade Pizza

Saturday
Lunch ~ Taco Salad
Taco Seasoning for meat

Supper ~ Spicy Shredded Pork

Sunday ~ Father’s Day
Marinated Pork Tenderloin ~ DH’s favorite!
Garden Salad
Steamed Garden Beans
Corn on the Cob
Homemade Rolls

Apple Pie and Ice Cream
We usually don’t make a dessert, but since it’s Father’s Day…he deserves it. 🙂

You’ll find more menu and recipe ideas at Menu Plan Monday.

~~Rhonda

menu plan monday ~ june 6, 2011

The weather has turned into summer quickly. It’s been hot and humid. The peonies and most of the irises are done blooming. The Asiatic lilies are blooming, though, and they are beautiful. We don’t have as many as I’d like, but here is one of my favorites. The daylilies are beginning to bloom and that’s always exciting so I will be posting pictures of those soon.

lily

Monday
Spicy Shredded Pork Didn’t get to this one on Saturday, so am making it today.
Homemade Hamburger Buns

Tuesday
Fake Baked Ziti
Homemade Rolls
Garden Salad
Steamed Sugar Snap Peas

Wednesday
Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Homemade Rolls
Pretzels

Thursday
Hamburgers
Homemade Hamburger Buns
Veggies / Ranch Dip

Friday
Tacos

Saturday
Fridge Food

Sunday
Broccoli Beef Stir Fry
Rice

You’ll find more menu and recipe ideas at Menu Plan Monday.

~~Rhonda

more hostas

In the lull between the iris / peony blooms and the daylily flood, we are thankful for the hostas that grace the garden. They add color, texture and beauty. A sense of peace after the fast moving spring flush. Over the past few years, the bed by the carport has become more shaded. Last year, we moved peonies out and moved more hostas into it. They didn’t seem to mind the move at all.

‘June Fever’ stands out with its beautiful color.

Hosta 'June Fever'

‘Waving Wuffles’ and ‘Clifford’s Forest Fire’

Hosta 'Clifford's Forest Fire'

‘June’ is nearby. This is my favorite hosta. I love the color and its vigor. ‘June’ just keeps going.

Hosta 'June'

And here’s a small hosta that I really like. It’s called ‘Lemon Lime.’ It would make a very pretty edger.

Hosta 'Lemon Lime'

‘Invincible’ has a very glossy green leaf. It makes a shady spot sparkle.

Hosta 'Invincible'

‘Golden Tiara’

Hosta 'Golden Tiara'

In the front yard, ‘Royal Standard’ and ‘Grand Tiara’ grow under the redbud tree by the front porch.

Hostas under the redbud by the front porch

‘Torchlight’ is under the same tree.

Hosta 'Torchlight'

We have some hostas that have been in the garden ten years or so. ‘Blue Angel’ may be one of those. I don’t remember when we added it.

Hosta

‘Powder Blue’ was added to the garden a few years ago. This is going to be a gorgeous hosta when it reaches maturity. It’s a beautiful powdery blue color and is supposed to grow to a 60″ wide clump.

Hosta 'Powder Blue'

Another fairly new hosta in our garden is ‘Journey’s End.’ This, I believe, is it’s third summer. It is growing quickly. The hosta to the right is ‘Candy Hearts.’

Hosta 'Journey's End'

Hostas come in so many different colors, sizes, and textures. They are a beautiful addition to the garden and don’t require a lot of care other than mulching. Like most other plants, they do best with adequate moisture, especially during their first season in the garden, but once well established, they can take care of themselves.

~~Rhonda

menu plan monday ~ may 30, 2011

Today was Memorial Day in the United States. We didn’t participate in our usual tradition of attending the ceremony at a local cemetery where many of DH’s ancestors are buried. Instead, DH and two of our daughters joined our younger son and his wife to attend a special event at another cemetery. DH’s great-great-great-grandfather fought in the Revolutionary War and a plaque stating that fact was dedicated to his memory today.

Revolutionary War veteran

Our thanks goes out to all those who have stood through the years for the freedoms and safety of our country and her citizens.

We had planned to grill for supper, but the day quietly slipped by and we never quite got around to it. So we’re putting that on the menu for Wednesday. Here’s the week:

Monday
Fridge Food

Tuesday
Ham or Turkey Sandwiches
Veggies / Dip

Wednesday
Grilled Pork Steaks / BBQ Chicken
Oven Fried Potato Wedges
Garden Salad

Thursday
Baked Chicken
Corn on the Cob
Steamed Green Beans
Garden Salad

Friday
Spicy Shredded Pork
I use the ingredients in the recipe, put them on top a roast in the crock pot and cook it on low all day. Delicious.
Homemade Buns
Garden Salad

Saturday
Fridge Food

Sunday
Ranch House Crock Pot Pork Chops
Mashed Potatoes
Garden Salad
Corn
Steamed Cauliflower and Broccoli

You’ll find more menu and recipe ideas at Menu Plan Monday.

~~Rhonda