Squeezing Lemons

I was flipping through youtube clips

and came across this little nugget.

A chef from Gourmet Magazine

shows us how to properly squeeze lemons.

Totally worth the 1 minute 57 seconds.

Give it a view!

Bedding Some Plants

Yesterday was a beautiful, sun-shiny day!

We hit a few uneventful garage sales in the mid-afternoon

and came home to dinner while watching a DVD.

It's almost summer now, so the Lord

keeps the lights on later and later.

We had time for those hanging baskets and containers!

I prepare the 'dirt' with 3/4 of a container

of good quality potting soil,

1/8 th of peat moss, and 1/8 th of perilite.

I have been too cheap to purchase large ornate containers
(maybe next year I will splurge), so I used what I had.

On some blog I read a few weeks ago, a gardener
used wicker baskets for her containers.
They were weathered, but still functional.
I found this one at a garage sale and it even had a plastic liner.
And it was for free.
Bonus when you are experimenting!

We were also thrilled when we found these
'baby' Western Red Cedars for $2.00 each.
We have them planted along the edge of our property and
are always looking to fill in a few more spots.
As soon as they are established, they shoot to the sky!

Later in the evening
... you can't see them yet ...
but my pea plants are growing!

Lettuce seeds from last year took root this year
and I have a bunch of lettuce seedlings to transplant
to another bed.

Last night Hubby worked hard and put in a water line
to the INSIDE of my green house!
How lucky of me to have married him for his
rugged good looks, and he turned out to be quite the handy man.

He even attached a new hose winder AND a new hose
to the raised bed garden!
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Later I will post pictures of my bedding plants

and vegetables as they flourish.

How is your garden growing?

Fort Langley

On Monday we picked up Grandma W

and headed to Fort Langley.

Not the actual historic fort,

but the trendy ... happening ... yet quaint

Fort Langley

First stop was the Gelato Shop

Yum Yum

The cool treat was sensational yet

the little boy icon appeared somewhat sinister!

Next a walk down the almost deserted main street

to the Fort Langley Courthouse circa 1932

You might recognize this beautiful building from
a few different movies
as Fort Langley and the lower mainland
of Beautiful British Columbia
has played back drop to many films

Wendel's is another hot spot to visit ...
Although it houses a captivating bookstore ...
Wendel's has a cute cafe that is always bustling with activity
~ A must- go destination ~
So we went for coffee to warm up!

Directly across the street from Wendel's is
the old Fort Langley train stop

As we were taking pictures and sipping our coffee's
the Canadian Pacific Railroad train zips by.
I hardly had a chance to grab this blurred shot
as it zoooooomed by

And finally this is a close up of the old abandoned tracks.
I wonder what tales they can tell?

Chipping

Today is Victoria Day here in Canada
and although not sun shiny as we would have liked it,

it was a pleasant day and worthy of outside yard work.

We live on five acres surrounded by many trees

Evergreens mostly but also some leafy ones.

Beautiful they are, but work they require.

Here is one of the piles we make over fall and winter.

The grass under them is almost a foot high!

Here's Hubby up a ladder with his chain saw prunning

some of the branches that have tried to take over.

This Mighty Mac Chipper was a present to me

for my birthday many years ago.

One of the best things I have ever received.

All the branches, all the leaves, all the brambles and pine cones ...

Chipped into glorious mulch for my flower beds or compost.

Showing and Telling # 5

A week or so ago, Hubby and I went garage sale-ing.

We came upon this one sale manned

by two pimply faced teenage boys.

It was about 6 o'clock in the evening

and the sun was setting ...

But they were jumping with enthusiasm

and waved directions pertaining to their wares.

"This pile contains items that are $50 each ...

That pile is $10 each ... The small one over there was $5 each"

My eye caught something I liked in that pile

... but he persisted ...

"And the free stuff pile is around back."

He had me at free ...
Never one to pass up a deal, we venture out back to find the
MOTHER LOAD

Now I didn't take pictures of ALLLLLL the free stuff we grabbed

... sorry ...

but today through Kelli's Show and Tell,

I can introduce you to the ...

Soggy Bottom Bathroom Chair

I knew the potential was there

Under the icky soggy bottom bathroom chair seat

Remove that disgusting blue entity ...

And yes, pop in a pretty basket of pink geraniums ...

And there you have it ...

Someday remove the hanging thingies, and spray paint the chair,

but all in all, a star is born!

What sayeth thou?

Busy Days

It's that time of year ...

Rhubarb is busting out all over!

Time to chop and freeze,

Rhubarb Pie, Rhubarb Crumble, Rhubarb Cake,

Rhubarb Sauce, Rhubarb Jam ...

In amongst all that I found some footed dessert glasses

at the Dollar Store for $1.00 each

I bought twelve!

Then I went to the local greenhouse

and picked up an assortment of bedding plants.

Every year our church gives out a single carnation

to each MOM

~ This year is different~

This year they get a bedding plant to nurture.

Garage Sale-ing We Go!

Today my Hubby and I woke up early,

had an easy and quick breakfast,

and were out the door.

Today is Saturday

Today there are Garage Sales!

Let me share with you some of the deals we came across

This snowflake trivet was only 25 cents.

Shiny and new ... it will add sparkle to my Christmas table

This snowman ... donned in his striking plaid overcoat ...

was only $5

This green vase was only 50 cents

You always need another vase

So goes with another cookbook

Perfect shape ... spiral bound ...

50 cents

Elegant shelf (maybe needing painting ... maybe not)

$2

Metal hammered vase / basket ... $1

And the best deals by far were the DVDs and VHSs we found

This stack came to a grand total of $4.75

Our family LOVES those A&E performances

And I about peed my pants when she said 50 cents for the whole set.

Today was an extraordinary day!