This was indeed a week of simple pleasures. It was frugal, too. We started the week by having Rob grill up chicken and pork. We put it in the fridge to use for the week, and served it plain, with side dishes and also in tacos shells all week long.
On Tuesday, Ja’Ana made some excellent pork in the crock pot as well. Alissa made mashed potatoes. Paired, they made a pretty happy meal:) The pork was put in the crock pot with apple juice and a little honey, sprinkled with salt and pepper and 1 onion. That’s it, and it turned out so tender, flavorful, and delicious.
On Wednesday, my mom and aunt came for lunch. My aunt brought the beautiful and pleasantly scented roses pictured above. We had pork and chicken, herbed roasted potatoes and Marion berry cobbler. We used the pre-cooked meat from Sunday, and Alissa made the potatoes and cobbler.
By Thursday, the weather turned sunny and gorgeous. I took the home-schooled girls on a field trip. They have a project going for Biology that involves some outdoor work. We’ve been putting off all the experiments/labs that need to be done outside because it’s been so rainy. I can see we’ll get them done now! We went down to a park by the Willamette River. While we were there, we enjoyed the view of the paddle boat that is docked, and gives tours, at the waterfront park. There is more than one Sternwheeler boat in Oregon This one is the Willamette Queen.
I was able to do a lot of yard and garden work this week. I planted flowers, weeded, hoed, planted more veggie starts and seeds, and more. My mom and aunt liked looking at my yard, and I ended up over at my aunt’s later in the week to see how hers was coming along. I went shopping a few times, looking for a hanging basket for my Mom that had begonias in it. I didn’t find one I wanted, but usually found something else that would fit nicely in MY yard:) 🙂 So, I got an empty hanging basket from my aunt that she didn’t need and bought small plants and filled it. I really like how it came out. It’s sitting in my yard now, and I’ll get it to her soon. (She reads this, but is totally in on the plan, so I’m not ruining her surprise!)
One of the most interesting things I have blooming right now is my rhubarb plant. I never knew they could bloom so largely. I have always cut off the blooms as recommended before.
I got a bag of Ritz chips/crackers for free from my Friday download from Fred Meyers. I also bought a 1/2 price hydrengia. It is quite small, but it will grow:) I’ll try to plant it out soon.
We found the orthodontist is ready to put the bottom braces on Patsy’s teeth. When checked, the insurance is going to cover 80% of them. Thank you, Auntie Jan, for looking through all those insurance choices for us last fall! (She helped us sort through SO many choices) I knew she’d be the first one to be delighted after putting in the effort for us. I knew we wanted to choose a choice with orthodontics, because I knew this day was coming. We are going to have them put on in early June. He had needed to work on the top teeth for a long time (3 years approx), because she had a tooth that had never come in. There were braces, then there was oral surgery, a chain attached, the tooth pulled down, teeth straightened around the offender, and more. I’m excited that we can move on with this project while we have dental insurance.
I took Jake to a park one afternoon for fresh air and exercise. It was a LOT longer walk then he led me to believe, and I ended up carrying his scooter a long ways. Thankfully, Rob was in the neighborhood (sort of) and came and got us when we were done, scooter and all, and hauled us home.
The girls are getting dance pictures done this week. They looked great in their costumes for the upcoming recital!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have a giant plant in my yard, which I think is rhubarb… I will have to investigate this summer. Thanks for the information! 🙂
You’re welcome. I’ve never had mine flower like this before. If your giant plant is rhubarb, you can pull the stalks, use them, and then it will grow back. Just don’t eat the leaves–only the stalks.
cool. I heard that the leaves are poisonous! I will verify that it is rhubarb and then will sure enjoy the stalks 🙂
I’ve just been enjoying the novelty of them blooming, but since the blooms are fading, I will chop them down, soon. I hope you get to enjoy yours!
What a great week you had. The weather change has been amazing, right? Here too.
The plot next to mine in the community garden has rhubarb growing and it flowered, too. The flowers are stunning. I had never seen rhubarb flower either. So can you still use the stalks? I know I could google it but thought I’d ask.
One thing about the sunny whether, though, is that I’ve had to water now. Hahaha!
Cheers.
To tell you the truth, I’ve always been told to cut them off before they flower because it will make the rhubarb less tender, which makes sense. The internet says it’s still edible, though. I figure that since I did not find the time to cut them off, it’s highly unlikely I would have eaten it anyway–crazy busy the past few weeks. So, my plan is to cut them off now, since they are done flowering, and life is a bit calmer, and then see if there’s any salvageable rhubarb–otherwise, pull it all off and let it re-grow and I’ll eat some then.
And, yes, I’ve had to make super sure things are watered in, as well–a small price to pay for this gorgeous sunshine!
Your flowers are beautiful! I would love to have a place to grown my own flowers. Alas, my only outdoor space is a small patio that’s pretty full with chairs and a big grill. Yours are just lovely though. I particularly love the ones you got for Rob’s mom!
I love growing flowers and veggies. When we had to sell our property and move into town, I was very grateful that we could move into a house with a good-sized yard so I could continue to garden.
The begonia and dahlia are so pretty! I loved them, too.
I’m just following on the same path as you this week! DD had ballet pictures on Saturday. Her dance this year is representing the Northern Lights. I just made rhubarb muffins, and I’m with you in the orthodontia. Glad your insurance will be so helpful. We have it as well.
My blog post has almost the same photo as yours!
Can you believe I forgot to nab the free download for the Ritz?! Grrr.
I’ve forgotten to download it several times:) Life is SO busy! But, it’s great when I do remember.
The pictures are now all taken for both girls–I love the costumes this year. When you go to a new studio, you just never know what kind of taste the costume choosers will have, and I’m loving these! Whew!
I’m always nervous about the costumes too, and hope they offer enough coverage!
Yes! For sure. So glad that this year’s are tasteful and super cute:)
I never knew that rhubarb bloomed! Those pink roses are my favorite. Looks like you had some delicious meals, too.
We have been at the lake house again. This makes 23 days out of the last 36.. I am really ready to stay home for a few weeks. While we were over there we pretty much decided that we are going to retire to that area. When I thought my husband might die after his heart attack I knew it was where I wanted to bury him. At that point I knew that it has become our real home. We love the people and the laid back small town life style there. It is a place where you still see families sitting on their front porch and every one waves as we drive by.
One huge problem we have with moving out of our big house is our grand piano. I just have not known how I would part with it but we found a player piano that is relatively new with 83 rolls at The Habitat thrift store. It was a bargain price at $800. I have wanted a player since I was small so this was so exciting and now I can sell the grand and be content. God is so good to me. I can hardly wait to get it home. We do have to pay a piano company to move it here but I will still make money on the switch. This changes everything with looking for a house when we retire. I can hardly wait for our grandchildren to see the piano that plays itself!
That’s great!!! A player piano sounds fun. I’m glad you had fun at the lake.
It sounds like a perfectly lovely, fun and frugal week. Those roses are gorgeous! I’m glad you found a great dental insurance that pays for that much of the braces…what a blessing that it! Aunt Jan rocks! 😉
She sure does. It’s been such a blessing to live closer to her now so we get to spend much more time together than we did before.
I am glad I stumbled across your blog! This is a fun post. I’m going to follow because now that my youngest daughter is living in Portland I find I’m interested in that area. Plus, I too love cooking, gardens and flowers. Also knitting and writing. I’m doing a lot of writing and in fact that’s what I did with my time in answer to your question. One novel done, working on another, writing short stories, and of course, my blog. Check me out, if you like.
Thank you! I do love living in Oregon. The scenery is so lovely and green…
That’s exciting that you are writing.
I tried to follow your link to your website, but it just sends me to a page that says that site is no longer up and running. Do you have another way to access your blog?
Odd. It works when I click it (the highlighted words A Work In Progress that follow my avatar) but maybe it works differently for the public, so thank you for calling my attention to it. Here is a link directly to my garden blog post and if you wish to follow me then I’m sure you can continue to access. Try this link: http://bit.ly/2rnMjMQ and I hope when I post my reply that the link will be active.
Try this link to my blog. writenowjbw.wordpress.com/blog/