We were planning to go hiking for a couple of days for the long July 4th weekend.Well 50% rain possibility made us a bit hesitate. We wind up staying at home. Finally I played outdoor volleyball for the first time this year. My whole body is just aching. How our muscle works fascinates me. I run 3-4 miles and do some weight stuff and do not feel much impact since it is a routine that I do 2-3 times a week. But my body just aches when I start playing VB after a month away. All the jumps, maneuvers and spikes certainly use very different muscles. Or simply just get too old and have to admit it.

We had a great fun when Sammy's moms visited us. They are very low maintenance ladies. Last weekend, we went to Cincinnati to pick up my mom and spent a day to visit Underground Railway Freedom Museum and got lost in IKEA.

I did some gardening as usual and took some photo as well. I experiment growing lamb ears left by previous owner. It attracts hundreds of bees without exaggeration. So glad to do something for shrinking bee population. Everything we do have impact with the surrounding we rely on. Hope more positive than negative.

I have to show the Chinese Zodiac chain that my cousin bought in Shanghai and my mom brought to us. It is three dimensional, very folkloric and authentically beautiful.

Hope that everyone has great July 4th holiday.

Snap Shots

I have a bit technical issue with downloading pictures from my new cam. Still old one is in use for all these pictures. Just catch some of what happen in my garden.

No Topic

Just hate when the long weekend is over. Sammy's sister Karen came in Town to visit. I picked her up in Columbus after work. We did a bit every Athens' thing - biking on the path to old mine town Eclipse, wandering in Farmers' market, dinning out, cooking and baking and especially napping. In between, I did a bunch of dirt worshiping. It was relaxing but still some happening. Our big screen TV is finally walking into history after long eleven year. It busted on it own. We had to go shopping and the only place for large screen TV in town is called Wal-Mart. Yuck!

I am posting a bit of everything I can think that we had done during those days. Sammy's peach tart, my simple noodle soup, more peony from yard. Also I did a mini hydro system to reduce the damage to my plants of rain water pouring from the gutter. Amazingly it works. Sammy's brilliant system to use rock weight to guide tree branches to go horizontal.

Sunday Brunch

We had some friends come over and had a nice Sunday Brunch. I met Krista during my weekly Volleyball plan. She is a resident in our local hospital and her bf Paul is in Nursing school. And also Bob and Laiyee. Sammy made his comfort food shrimp and Grit and baked Apple Tart. I made mango salad which was fresh from our garden. Well both couples brought us flower from their yard. I made a simple arrangement. They are still looking good.

Would You BE MY Cutting Board?

Still In Making

Am I just lazy or overwhelmed? I have not done a post since we came back from Atlanta. Guess it is both. The trip was very nice break. The GT party was super fun. Glad to see Dawn and Preston and meet some of Sammy's old classmates for the first time - Bruce, Ben, Celina, Steve, Barber and ... People can always amaze others and their owns. How different they are becoming now but how much the same they still are. We went to Bruce and Ben's house for a little party after party. House is beautiful and garden is incredible. People are still beautiful with the continuation of their life drama.

Every time we goes back, it appears that we never have had enough time to visit family, old neighbor and friends. We always have a wonderful time with Sammy's mom and bc. Glad to help them set up wireless router for Pat's new toy - laptop which is already 6 month old. Now she can launch her writing career right outside her patio. Wish that they are living closer to us.

We stayed with Sammy's dad and Norma for a couple of days. I did some gardening work in front of the entry and chatted a bit with Norma in a beautiful day outside. Sammy mowed the grass. They were very appreciative. I did take some picture of the lake in the morning.

Back to Athens, Bracken turns into a miniature of Forrest while they just broke the ground less a week ago. I almost missed blossoming of one of my peony tree. Well Sammy totally did since he flow to Philly right after. Fortunately the most magnificent one was still on its prime. My imaginary chic hippie prairie garden finally shows some reality this spring. Naked lady lily, lupine, astilbe, fox glove and Asiatic lily and tulip can not wait for their turns to shine rising above the base of monkey grass. Spotted lamb ear plant creates surprisingly negative space in between with Irish moss. Unexpected Zen with hippie lush. I start to like what is taking shape. For me, the beauty of gardening is that never have a finished product. We do not create it to be but it evolves to be.

That is for now.

Irresistible

I just sit here and download all the pictures I took during lunch time. I am just glad that my crazy on-call week is finally behind me. I am so looking forward to the trip back to Atlanta later this week.

I just check Robert's blog with its beautiful background music. The ocean disappears at the end of the sky. The mother holds her little son. She might ponder what the future lies ahead for her son and the little boy could really want to touch the other end of the sky if it was not far away. It brings me back many years ago when I just came to this land. In my world, oceans are always connected, it brought great comfort when I missed what I left at the other end.

Spring just comes slowly this year. But the air becomes so irresistible. I can breath it so do my plants.