Spring Chores
12:06 p.m. - 2008-04-20


The spouse had to go to Modesto for a business meeting on Friday, and he came home with a huge box of strawberries. I have been pondering what to do with them. I think I will make one jar of jam to be eaten right away (so I don't have to get out the big pot of water for water bath canning) and maybe some strawberry sauce for freezing. I have been making berry sauces lately for spooning over cottage cheese or yogurt or over vanilla pudding for desserts.

At church this morning the pastor said he has only ever recommended two movies, The Passion of the Christ, and the new movie, Expelled. Joel said that he and the Bean saw Expelled yesterday and that it was excellent, so the spouse has said he is interested in going. We will have to go see it soon before it disappears from theaters.

My little plants are doing very well so far, though the nights have taken a turn to the very cold (by Californina standards, that is). The lady across the street came over to chat awhile ago and we were standing out there freezing in the cold breeze. The spouse has planted the new shrub with blue flowers that we got up in Plymouth in front of the tree, so we will see if it likes it there. I still have to decide where to put the new daylily. While we were out there, we were admiring the size of the those rose bushes by the driveway this year. There are tons of buds on the bushes so it should make quite a show. This is entirely due to the new neighbor guy who waters his lawn, and accidentally also waters our flower bed. I guess it just shows that things will grow better if you actually water them now and then. Even the Italian plum tree has lots of fruit on it as a benefit of the extra watering.

This weekend we have been pulling up many giant weeds and digging up the garden. I just got back from the hardware store in a search for chicken manure, which I eventually found. They were pretty much out of most soil amendments at the big warehouse hardware store so it must be springtime.

I also promised to bake an apple cake for the hubster, so I should go get a start on that.