Urban Gardening: Tiny Balcony Garden

 With this weekend marking the unofficial start of the summer season I thought I'd share a bit about our great outdoors.  One of the biggest compromises we've made for urban living has been (very) limited outdoor space.

Currently we have a small balcony that we make the most of.  We have two $7 camping chairs (one for me, one for jb), a $3 toddler plastic chair (for Leo) and a $10 camping table - all of which I got on sale and lugged home from the pharmacy nearby.  Not the fanciest set up, but I don't mind leaving them out in the elements and it makes it possible for us all to sit and enjoy a meal (or a snack) outside.  Add the charcoal grill we got on freecycle and we are able to enjoy our spring and summer evenings outside with just a small amount of sq. footage.

Toddler Chores and Fostering Helpfulness

 Toddlers are SO eager to help.  Leo is no exception and he melts my heart on a daily basis with his desire to assist.  From scurrying to get me a towel when he hears the shower water turn off to helping me pick out my outfit when I get dressed (I have left the house in two different shoes because I couldn't bear to turn down his proud and earnest selections) to giving me his hand to steady myself when he sees me struggling to get up from my seat (the only thing harder than getting up from our comfy couch in the third trimester is getting up without toppling your oh-so-helpful toddler).

The catch is that all this enthusiasm and willingness to do anything to help out is paired with limited ability to perform much beyond basic tasks.  Of course, we want to nurture, preserve and grow this natural urge to be helpful - but it can be frustrating when you are trying to get a task done in a timely fashion.

End of an Era

Monday was my last day at my job. I'm leaving with mixed feelings - but honestly the bad is quickly fading and I'm feeling very blessed to have worked with so many amazing people.

Unemployment would be awesome if it weren't for the choking panic of not knowing where money is going to come from soon. So far I've watched three seasons of Weeds, gotten a visit from Leslie and Holly, spent some quality time with my mom, worked in my "garden", shopped at the Farmers' Market, watched jb's first firecrackers' game of the season, walked Talula around the (suddenly hopping) park by our house, and made fresh pesto with the basil and parsley plants our neighbor gave us.We had a packed weekend, too. On Friday we went to the MF Urban Garden Party (where I came to terms with the fact that I'm getting too old to party like a rockstar), on Saturday jb and I walked across the bridge to the Three Rivers Arts Festival. We walked around holding hands perusing all the vendor booths then we bought ourselves a feast of over-priced fried festival food and sat on the grass and enjoyed the evening concert. On Sunday (the day before my last day on the job) I staffed what could be my last table at a Pride festival. I feel like a very bad lesbian because, honestly, I hate Pride festivals. I guess I just consider them work - in fact I can't remember the last time I attended one for fun. Usually my festival days consist of 5-6 hours in the sun trying to talk to drunk people about federal legislation - fun - and some years I've attended 5-6 festivals during the month of June. Maybe next year I'll get to actually enjoy a Pride Festival. Well, right now the future is unknown, but the present is pretty good. I ping back and forth between just trying to enjoy having time to myself while trusting things will work out and freaking out at the thought of money running out and having make some major changes to our lives. Right now there's not much I can do beyond get my resume out there and try not to panic. I'm going to visit my family in Mexico since I may not have the time again soon and because tickets are affordable (thanks to the swine flu scare). Hopefully I can make the most of this time and find a new job (or win the lottery) before things get dire.

rain and shine

Yesterday was one of those perfect new spring days. I had the day off from work so jb and I went for a hike with the puppies in Riverview Park - of course Talula isn't much of a hiker, so I ended up carrying her on the way back to the car. I love that we live close to so many great parks. Interesting Fact (courtesy of jb): Riverview Park has more miles of hiking trails than any of Pittsburgh's other three parks. Take that Frick.

After that we hit the farmers market and got some local honey for the store and some tomato and pepper plants for the tub. There wasn't much in the way of produce available yet, just some potatoes that were stored over the winter, some leafy greens, and a few green onions. Still, it's so nice to be in farmer's market season again.

Today I'm not feeling great so I'm trying to take it easy and work on my book for book club. I have a four day weekend and no upcoming travel for work, so I'm feeling pretty relaxed. I'm grateful I get the opportunity to travel through work, but man, it does get exhausting.

On my last trip to Rochester I was able to catch the Lilac Festival in Highland Park. I love lilacs, and there were so many varieties. White to deep blue, single bloom, double bloom...and the fragrance permeated the whole park.

Sugar Sugar

When jb and I were in Cleveland for our anniversary we visited their botanical gardens and jb got me these two little jars - one with crystals that absorb water and grow to 300x their original size and one with wheatberries.






I'm hoping to juice the grass once it grows a bit taller.

In other news I haven't had sugar in a week. Well, refined sugar anyway - I'm still eating fruit, dairy and occasionally a bit of honey. I thought I'd give sugar a break, thinking I wouldn't last through the day, but a week later I'm still going strong. I'm now aiming for a month. The hardest part has been avoiding all the hidden sugar. I thought I'd cut out desserts and be home free - but of course nothing is that easy and after a few days of reading labels, it seems if I really want to avoid added sweeteners I have to avoid anything processed. There is sugar in salad dressing (sugar is listed before and dairy in ranch), hot sauce, lean cuisines, everything. Luckily I'm pretty well equipped for this since the cafe is stocked with natural foods and natural sweeteners. I'm still using our juice sweetened jam and may try baking with honey or agave nectar. I've actually felt kind of sick all week - but hopefully the feeling good part will kick in soon.

Spring Forward

It was a beautiful day in Pittsburgh today. I took the opportunity to work in our "yard". Our only outdoor space is a small patch of concrete enclosed by chain link fence and plywood. It's hideous. I'm actually too embarassed to post "before" pictures - so please, just know that as humble as the after pictures are - it is a huge improvement. This poor little patio has been through so much lately. In addition to the usual job of housing our garbage cans and the puppies' outside time - the contractors working on our house used my flower pots as ashtrays, left garbage everywhere, tore up the plants (dormant trees that just look like sticks - but still!), and generally wreaked havoc. Last summer I had this bright idea - basically I wanted to put a line of cinder blocks all around the house and fill the holes in them with dirt and plant flowers in them - like window boxes, except on the ground...and made of concrete. Well, I got as far as purchasing the cinder blocks and piling them up in our "yard" so that they took up most of the little space we have. So today I moved them - block by block - to make a wall of sorts around part of the perimeter of the yard. It freed up a lot of room and looks so much better. Of course, now that I'm in bed I can feel back starting to hurt and I'm sure I'll really be feeling it tomorrow. Last summer was the summer of ideas I never saw through. In addition to the cinder blocks, I also purchased and old, rusty claw foot tub that I hoped to turn into a planter - but it sat empty over the winter. Well today I sanded it (the best i could), spray painted it (with car paint that Keystone was selling at 3 cans for 99 cents!), and planted the berry plants in it. Bathtub planters kind of walk the line between trashy and shabby chic - but I wanted more than just potted plants. I think it's cute, and it will let me plant things that demand more soil than a 14" pot can offer. Maybe I'll even get some berries out of it!

Easter Cactus

I think I may have really f-ed up my arm pushing the car out of the snow over and over again. I was sore for a few days, but now that the soreness is disappearing - I still can't seem to lift my left arm over my head without whimpering.

Last night jb and I went to Costco to pick up some stuff for the store - but I got distracted by all the gardening inventory. I bought three huge bags of potting soil (hopefully enough to fill the clawfoot tub) and a four pack of plant seedlings - strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Right now I'm torn on where to put the tub - because it's hella heavy and will have to stay wherever I fill it. On the sidewalk I have a feeling it will get vandalized, but there is very limited space behind our house. I suppose I'm leaning towards leaving it where it is - right outside our back door. I'd love to give it a paint job before I start the garden, but that may be a little ambitious. In other gardening news - I have this plant that I inherited when my grandmother moved. It was really small and sickly looking and planted in one of those disposable foil containers for leftovers. I repotted it, and while it's grown, it's always looked kind of sickly to me. But a couple of days ago I went to water it and it had this beautiful red flower. I didn't even know she could do that! So case closed. I totally have a green thumb.

This morning jb brought me french toast with powdered sugar and fresh strawberries for my breakfast in bed (she brings me breakfast in bed every weekday morning). It was such a nice treat.

Remember when I had a blog?

Sorry about the hiatus - Larissa and Nick came to visit last weekend (they are the main reason I write the blog, so no point in filling them in when they are here) and finally got to see the cafe in person. Then, once they left, I was feeling a little under the weather, hence the lack of blogging.

Sidenote on the word hence: One time Nicholas and I were chatting and I said, "You know, Nick, you are my favorite brother." He responded with, "I'm your ONLY brother..." I replied, "Hence, my favorite brother." And Nicholas said, "Wait, who's Hence??"

It was really great to see the kids and for them to see the shop and for us all to spend time together. I miss them so so so so much. I can't wait until they come back and I can get sick of them. I'm already thinking about this summer's camping trips :)

March is a rough month for me - in like a lion out like a lamb - if only the transition were so smooth. We get a taste of a beautiful spring day and then the next thing you know there's freezing rain. Today is rather gloomy, but you can feel spring trying to break through. I've been getting in the mood with some indoor gardening - can't wait to take it outside (and into that damn clawfoot tub I keep saying I'm going make into a garden!)

Book Nook

The latest addition to our bedroom is a reading corner. It all started when my sister Stephanie brought me the most beautiful tapestry you ever did see back from Thailand. You know when you get a present that is so gorgeous that you can't think of anywhere that would be nice enough to put it? Luckily, it just so happened to match the color scheme in our bedroom (which also happens to be the only nice room in our home).

So even though we don't have much wall space to choose from (since our room is in the attic and has dramatically vaulted ceilings) we agonized over where to hang it. We chose a corner of our room and added a $10 garage sale chair that we purchased earlier this summer (which got a good vacuuming from our brand new vacuum!) and painted an old bookcase (that we've had since the last time we lived in Pittsburgh) to match the room. Throw in a lamp and an a large plant (which breaks up the space to keep the tapestry from competing with the pattern of the curtains) and you've got a fabulous reading corner.

I'm especially proud that my Pachira (braided money tree) is doing so well. These plants are notoriously difficult to care for and ours seems to not only be surviving, but thriving. There are new shoots growing from the top of the plant and it has been through all the traumatic changes that tend to harm them (repotting, moving location in the house, pruning). I went through a rough patch with house plants...there were no survivors...but since moving to Pittsburgh I've had great luck with a variety of plants. Just call me Green-thumb McGee.

The bedroom is nearly complete. We are saving up to buy some new furniture (a chest of drawers and two night stands) and another pair of curtains to cover the closet doors. It has been so nice to see it all come together...if only there weren't four rooms left to go. I'll post pictures of the entire room when it's complete.