Vertical Endeavors / Morton Arboretum

The one trip we took last week while on vacation was first to Vertical Endeavors to do some wall climbing.  We had been before, but this time we took our six year old.  Little “P”  did really well and surely climbed higher than the yellow butterfly that  I struggled to reach.   I suspect she was helped out by the fact that she only weighs forty pounds and the auto belay pretty much gave her “zero gravity” !!  But she had a lot of fun and was very brave going up as far as she did.  She already would like to go back soon.

After the climbing, we made the short trip to The Morton Arboretum.  It was a very nice early fall day to go and since it seemed only her district was off of school she had the Children’s Garden to herself.   A big thanks to my mother-in-law for giving us a membership to the Arboretum.  It was not that long ago (slipping into a Grandpa Simpson moment here) when you could take a whole carload of people into the Arboretum for $8.00.  Now, it’s $11.00 for each adult !!!  It’s nice to have the membership so we can make quick trips there (just to have lunch sometimes) and not have to spend the whole day to get our $11.00 worth.

Enjoy the photos of our visit.

Escargot II

I found several of these snails in the day lilies that I was cutting down.

Pesto to Be !

And it be done.

Last Friday I took the day to make use of the abundance that our garden has suddenly decided to produce after much patient waiting.  After a couple days of warmth the basil looks like a shrub.  And since you know how I feel about the price of a few leaves of basil during the winter,  I decided to freeze some, simply pureed, frozen in ice cube trays and then wrapped individually in waxed paper.  Hopefully this will be just what my pizza needs in January to remind me of warmer days.  After all, my preferred toppings are simply garlic, tomato, mozz and basil.  Did the same freezing technique with pesto too.

Then I made tomato sauce.  Can’t give you a recipe or technique though because I used parts of recipes from several sources.   I think it turned out  the way I’d hoped.  Froze that too.  I really have never cared for commercial tomato sauces so I would be grateful if anyone has a homemade recipe they could share.

Vintage Quilt Pieces

A couple years ago I bought these five quilt stars at a garage sale for just a few dollars.  I suspect the fabrics used to make them are old, however I don’t know much about the vintage patterns.  And each time I get them out I think of a new use for them: pillows, table runner, sewn onto a skirt, framed or perhaps even a quilt.   They each have a charm of their own and I couldn’t choose a favorite one if I had to.  Sometimes I’m drawn to the pastel calicoes of the first and fourth stars.  Then upon another look I love the last one  that is mostly blue with the red stripes thrown in.  Then again the third star is lovely with that big red flower fabric and navy floral.  Reminds me of men’s ties.

Which one do you like?

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Spider Web

Project from the Past

I had always wanted some kind of a garden potting bench but the husband was always to “frugal” to buy me one.  And quite honestly I wanted something a little more rustic than new looking.   One fine day he brought home several fence sections that were being thrown away down the street and being the incredibly talented and  creative man that he is, was able to make me this potting bench on a Saturday afternoon some years ago.  It has moved several times throughout the backyard and garden, but it is still in use.  Gotta love a man with a pickup-truck and a nail gun!

Viola

Curb Find !!!

Yet another storage piece headed for the landfill, rescued and awaiting some tlc.  Look at those cobbies around the feet.   Probably been sitting in the garage for years too.  Too bad the hardware isn’t original.  It is being stripped now and will definitely get a paint job.

The list of vacation plans grows ever longer.

Maple Seeds

 

Vacation Plans

The husband will be taking next week off and we have a few plans:

Get the tires rotated on the truck

Go to a Thai restaurant

Indoor wall climbing again (with our six year old)

The Morton Arboretum (after wall climbing)

GARAGE SALE (also known as “get that junk out of the garage day”)

Miscellaneous gardening tasks as needed

 

This is what passes for excitement as you grow older.