In the garden: red, red rose

In the garden: pepper

This is the largest pepper I have ever grown (in the 3 whole years I have been gardening – ha!). I attempted to grow peppers for my first 2 years by seed and was never successful, so this year I purchased 2 plants (a chocolate and an orange pepper), planted the seedlings in containers by our south facing house wall, and waited. They are pretty protected from the rain and hopefully retain the heat the longest (when it is actually sunny) out of any other spot in the garden. I purchased this particular plant at the UBC garden sale.

Supposedly, if the weather permits, this pepper will eventually turn orange (it is a “true” orange pepper) and then I will snap another picture – right before I exuberantly eat it!!

In the garden: Sweet peas…

These sweet peas just came into bloom (that is how awful our weather has been in Vancouver this spring/summer). They are in the window box on the kitchen window so I can see them from inside while prepping dinner or baking – so pretty and sweet (they are obviously aptly named). The pinks really stand out against the mountain of green that is this years garden.

From the garden: Strawberries, Blueberries & Raspberries

Not sure this could even be considered a small batch harvest… maybe a teeny, tiny harvest?

However tiny, this luscious handful of berries rocked last night’s ice cream dessert, so there are certainly no complains in the (big!!) taste department.

What a lovely fall we are having…

It is pissing rain Vancouver. PISSING. I can feel my autumn instincts trying to kick in. Suddenly, I crave hot chocolate paired with a good book, or to bake dinner rolls or corn bread or at least a bunch of cookies, with spaghetti or maybe chili for dinner… then knitting a blanket or sweater in front of the TV afterwards.

Except the TV currently sucks and I’ve barely managed to harvest anything out of the garden! WTF?

I guess we are just skipping spring and summer this year, hey Vancouver?

Joanne’s Birthday Socks

A very lovely friend of mine turned 30 last week [ah, 30 I remember you fondly, as you blew by many, many years ago] and I wanted to help her celebrate this milestone in style, so I knit her some socks:

And last Monday, in a brief sunny break, we sipped iced tea in the garden and Joanne modelled her socks for the blog. Here is a detail shot of the stitch pattern and yarn:

In the skein I really though the blue and pink were dominate, but, as you can see, the purple won the pattern.

I don’t think they could be more perfect for my vibrant and, still so young in age but wise of heart, friend.

______________________

Pattern: Bois de Rose Socks – a well-written pattern that complimented this gorgeous variegated yarn just perfectly, plus it’s FREE on Ravelry!

Designer: Nicole Masson [aka stefanina on ravelry]

Yarn: CashLuxe Fine by SweetGeorgia Yarns Colourway: Stella – This yarn is so soft it is yummy, and the colours kick-ass! Plus it’s LOCAL = one of my favourites!!

My Ravelry Project Page

Hibiscus in Bloom

Last month I treated myself to a pretty hibiscus plant–I have always wanted one–I placed the plant in a southwest-facing dining room window and it has rewarded me with bloom after bloom.

Nectarine Tree in Bloom

It is a grey and very wet day in Vancouver this morning. Thank goodness it was lovely Saturday morning when I snapped photos of the 2-year-old Golden Prolific Dwarf nectarine tree, because I seriously need this to believe it is actually spring today:

March 14, 2011 – Thought of the day…

LOCATION: home office, Vancouver, BC, Canada

WEATHER: Rain – currently pouring – though seconds ago the sun attempted a break through.

TODAY’S TO DO LIST: flesh out new idea for AFTER THE VIRUS prequel **Note: can it be called a prequel if the storylines eventually overlap? Will need to check into that, eventually, if the story makes it beyond brainstorming.

PROGRESS: Null – have been answering phone calls and emails instead.

MUSIC: Fidelity (youtube video) by Regina Spektor – will mostly likely be on repeat while I brainstorm, which was very helpful last writing session.

EATING: Raisin & Hazelnut Milk Chocolate Bar (Green & Black’s Organic to be specific). Gone now, was only ½ a bar.

READING: nothing currently, but have the ASTONISHING X-MEN vol. 6, FELL & IGNITION CITY on my desk. The fact that Astonishing is also written by Ellis is coincidental, though he, as a writer, was recommended to me the other day – hence the other two titles.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: I’m wondering about the house across the street, which, today, seems to be under going a (minor) renovation. A few months ago, the homeowner carried drywall and some lumber into the house, and then, a couple of days later the house, which looks to be of fairly new construction, was listed for sale. It sold. The owners moved out. No one moved in. The house was re-listed. It sold, again. New owners moved in. The house is now empty (again) (I seemed to have missed the moving in/out part). More construction is now taking place, more woodcutting, tradesman vehicles, and perhaps an appliance of some sort was just delivered. I am waiting to see if the sale sign returns after today.

I am really, really hoping the house is haunted or perhaps it’s an alternate universe anchor point, but it is probably just water/leak/mold issues.

Too bad.

Also, not as interesting, so it really shouldn’t be holding so much of my attention today.

Oh, look the sun is making another attempt…