Still a bad blogger

It seems that I have been behind ever since I got home from my parents' a week ago. I have had something going on everyday except Sunday (including four 12 hour shifts at work) and it seems that I am just now getting caught up with everything that needs to be done. I am hoping to take some "urban wildflower" photos...just need to remember to take camera with me when I go out.

Upon the recommendation of the vet (Graycie is getting a little pudgy), the cats are now on a diet. Well, not really a diet, just not unlimited grazing at the self feeder. They actually eat less than I thought. I have been giving them one cup of food (Science Diet dry) a day to share, which is actually less than the recommended amount and they don't even finish it. So maybe what they really need is more exercise (don't we all?). I found this really CUTE food bowl at Petsmart, on clearance for 50% off. Very Mary Engelbreitish, don' t you think?

What a difference a week makes

Yes, I know I have been a very bad blogger. I was out of town for 9 days playing opthalmology nurse. Not my area of expertise, but the patient (my mom :-) was satisfied with the care. When I got home, I was amazed at how the garden had blossomed while I was gone. These are the crape myrtles after I pruned them in February.

And this is them now. They will be full of magenta flowers all summer. The neighbors' tree appears to be doing well, too.


While I bemoan the lack of lilacs and peonies here, there is this amazing plant I never experienced in Wisconsin... wisteria. In two weeks, it goes from looking like this

to looking like this! It gets its leaves after it blooms, and will provide shade over the garden swing all summer (never mind that it's too hot to sit outside).

It has these incredible blooms that have a faint fragrance. I'm glad it blooms when it does so I can actually be outside to enjoy it.

And while the Azalea Trail was almost 3 weeks ago, ours are blooming now.

Another beautiful flowering plant that you won't find in Wisconsin.

On the knitting front, I made my first Itty-Bitty hat. I had seen the book on Sommer Designs and had to have it. This was just a trial run...can't wait to make some more!


Speaking having to have it, I saw this book at It's A Stitch yesterday, then promptly came home and ordered it from Amazon.

Happy Easter, bunny!

This was a candid shot, I promise! If you have cats, you know that they don't pose...

Spring forward

Even though we have been having below normal temperatures, there is no denying that spring is here. The problem with spring in Houston is that it is very short and it is followed by summer, which is verrrrrrry long. I am trying not to dwell on that and just savor the moment. And at the moment, this is what we have blooming in our garden:

Daffodils

Pansies

SnapdragonsHere is an overview of the flower bed and herb garden

And here is the herb gardenI finally found some basil to plant
These are the tomatoes we planted on February 2nd...yes those are blooms! Maybe we will actually get some tomatoes this year.

And here are my Meyer lemon blooms...
look at those little baby lemons :-)

And here are the roses which are thriving after their February pruning

But alas, no lilacs, forsythia or peonies...

Made in the USA

I recently bought this plastic watering can at Target. When I brought it home and took the label off of it I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was actually made in the USA by Arrow Plastic Manufacturing Company in Elk Grove, IL.
Don't get me wrong, I love foreign made products...Japanese cars, English bone china, Irish wool sweaters, Italian leather shoes...you get the idea. What bothers me is that so many things that used to be made in the USA are now being outsourced to China, India, etc. Coach bags, for example, which were originally made in New York are now made in China and are more outrageously expensive than ever. So I have started a Flickr group for people to share items they have found that are still American made, hopefully so that others may seek them out and support these companies. If you find something that is still made in the USA, please share it there. Thanks!