Pretty is as pretty does

Its one of the best times of year. The Gardenias out front and out back are blooming! And they smell all pretty and stuff. I'll be putting some cuttings inside, for-sure!

A few days ago I planted the pentas (or starflowers as i like to call them) by the driveway. They went from looking a little less than happy in their pots to being green and flowery campers in the ground.

Why it is that it took 6 weeks of gardening to get poison ivy, i don't think i want to know. I hope this is the only outbreak for the year.

Grass, grass, more grass, and lots of weeds

Good news!
Yesterday I "fixed" my lawnmower! I use the word fixed very loosely. It wouldn't work. Eventually I replaced the air filter. That did the trick! It works! It was a good thing that I did it - the air filter was nasty and the yard was starting to look like the Amazon Rainforest back there.

After mowing out the rainforest I stopped to talk with my neighbors. Luckily they are like me, and prefer to wait to mow until their neighbors mow! We had a nice little conversation. I had a great compliment - apparently the thug dogs who terrorize the neighborhood bit a girl - hence they were hauled off 3 weeks ago. She was asking if it was me - and the girl was rumord to be 18 yrs old. That made me feel so nice :-) She also confirmed that they struggle with the Poison Ivy/Oak on a regular basis. I guess it is a group battle.

A Really Rad Rash

Poison Oak is such fun! I had never had the pleasure before. I had also never really known what it looked like. I can't believe I am just now getting it - my yard is totally INFESTED. I don't know how I am just now showing reactions. I took a bottle of Roundup to the yard this afternoon, but it is definitely going to require more treatment. I knew I should have bought the big bottle. Wish me luck. If you have any suggestions, I'm all ears. If I can't get rid of it the dogs won't be allowed in the princess pad, and how horrible is that?

Ivy, Oats, and Obedience

We had a fun weekend chez Sarah and Puppies. Friday night was the Relay for Life at Warren Central High School. I had never gone to the Relay, although I was always interested in it. It was amazing to see what the people of Vicksburg put togehter. Every time I lose faith in the 'burg they do something like this that shows me it isn't totally horrible. The relay was VERY moving, and I fully plan to go every year from here on out. THere were tons of people out there walking the track for Cancer, and the teams all did such a good job of raising funds, raising awareness, and having a good time! The survivors lap was amazing, and it was so cute to see little Joshua toddling around. He was absolutely precious.

Unfortunately, i apparently picked up some poison ivy this weekend. I have some spots that are quite itchy, red, and aren't from my friendly neighborhood mosquito. Note to self: 1) benadryl will knock you out, don't take it at work, and 2) find said poison and get rid of it. I think it is either in the yard and the dogs rolled in it and gave it to me, or it is somewhere in the neighborhood and the dogs rolled in it and gave it to me. Aren't you jealous? On a good note, Obedience school continues onward. We are enjoying it. Madison is Really good at sitting, down, and sit/down stays. We need some work on walking in a good heel though. She wants to go pay attention to anything and everything except me. We are working on comming now and continuing to practice everything we have learned thus far. Other good news on the dog front is that the thug dogs have been MIA for almost two weeks now. After Obedience school tonight Madison and I went to pick up the mail. Normally we could never walk from our garage to the mailbox without getting lots of unwanted attention.

I tried a new recipe at the end of last week. I made oatmeal from scratch in the crock pot using steel cut oats. They turned out OK, but not fabulous. There was too much spice/sweet in it, and the raisins didn't have enough texture for me. I would definitely reccomend adding them after cooking in the future. I plan to give another one a try this week. I keep reading how steel cut oats are so much bette for you than instant oatmeal. I think next time I'll try making plain oatmeal and then adding the goodies at the end when I serve myself.

Maple Oatmeal with Dried Fruit and Sweet Spices

1 cup steel-cut oats

1/2 cup raisins, dried cherries, dried blueberries, or sweetened dried cranberries

1 tsp applie pie spice or ground cinnamon wit a pinch of ground cloves, nutmeg, and allspice

4 cups water

2 tbl maple syrup

1. Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker. Coer and cook on LOW for 7-9 hours or overnight.

2. Stir the oatmeal well and scoop into bowls. Serve with mil and maple syrup or sugar.