Remembering

wipe down
Originally uploaded by Meditechguru

Since it's Memorial Day, we visited the local cemetery where the POs are buried. Robert served in WWII, somewhere in the Pacific. That's where he learned photography. We left some irises on Florence's grave. They were the only flowers in bloom yet.
You can see how large her headstone is compared to a soon to be second grader.

A Little Edgy

After clearing much of the garden pathway for the formal front garden, we find ourselves contemplating what edging material to use. In the knot garden, the path is pea gravel and the edge is brick. But all those bricks were just stacked up in the garage and came to us at no cost. (We did have to buy the house to get them but the roses alone made that purchase worthwhile.)
Do we continue the look and spend the money on bricks? Saw a nice metal edging in brown at Lowe's this weekend that was affordable. We're pretty set against plastic or cheesy looking stuff. And with 100 feet to edge, more than a couple packets will do.
One other thought was to mix our own concrete, add coloring and create a custom concrete edge. It seems to be all the rage among landscaping companies at the home shows.
So what do you think?

The Big Reveal

I went to get the mail and there it was; the June edition of This Old House magazine. It's arrival is usually something to get excited about but this month's has been especially anticipated. Here's the whole story:
quite a while ago I posted a picture of my favorite putty knife on This Old House. No big deal, just a whim. Compared with monster power tools, who really cares about an old hand tool.
But then I received an email from Denise Sfraga, photo editor at TOH. They saw the putty knife online and wanted to use it in a future magazine. Would I be willing to ship the knife to NEW YORK CITY for a photo shoot? (Not me, just the knife) Well, of course!!!
Then began a string of emails and phone conversations. First a new gal called me (perhaps an intern?) gathering basic information about me and the knife. Then a couple follow up calls from the section editor. And finally the fact checking department weighed in. If nothing else, my knife had a thorough provenance investigation.
One time, I was working outside when the phone rang. The Mrs answered and then yelled out the door, "It's This Old House on the phone!" Both kids went nuts. They thought for sure that Norm was on his way to fix that one squeaky stair. If the boys ever did visit, there are many other gaping holes or primary systems that need attention before that one stair tread. And that stair comes in very handy at Christmas time.
A couple weeks ago, Denise returned the knife leaving me no more excuses to put off working on the windows; unless I get one of those glass display cases. Perhaps we could keep it on the mantle? The knife's return told me that the magazine had gone to the printers and would soon be on my doorstep.
So if you just happen to have a copy handy, on page 115 you'll find the infamous putty knife. No plans for a book deal or European tour, yet. Perhaps I should submit a photo of my screwdriver the dog used as a chew toy. It's not very ergonomic but it's got great grip!

Columbine

columbine
Originally uploaded by Meditechguru

many of our Spring flowers are in full bloom. The columbine seems to be sporting a deeper red this year.

front door color

front door right
Originally uploaded by Meditechguru

here's a little bit of potted color the Mrs put together to help liven up the front entryway. Not sure about the bird on a stick but guess that's decorative :)

Boys of Summer: Broken Dreams

It's been a rough evening. Started out with the boy deciding to lounge on the couch watching TV while the rest of the family worked outside. He didn't ask, just decided not to help out. So we had a little "talk". He ended up with a peanut butter sandwich for dinner while the rest of us ate at Hardee's (no big deal, he probably preferred it anyways).
But because the evening got off to a rough start, when he asked to go outside and play catch I couldn't turn him down. We spent about twenty minutes with some great throws and catches. Then it happened.
He decides to rear back and hurl the wild man throw without looking at where it's going. Where it went was over my head and through the garage window. If one of the cars had been in there they may have lost some glass too. Some days your patience really gets tried.

First Harvest: Rhubarb Crunch

The crops are already coming in. I decided that this year I'm going to make better use of the rhubarb, more than just jelly that the family won't eat. Both plants are well established with several stalks. So after cutting off about four cups worth I composted the noxious leaves, rinsed off the dirt and baked some Rhubarb Crunch.

The recipe is from Helen Guyer and was found in the Dana, Indiana 49er's Club 1974 Home Cooking cookbook. Here's the recipe for you to try:

4 cups rhubarb
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Dice rhubarb; add sugar and salt; place in bottom of 8" x 11" shallow baking dish.

1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg

Stir above until crumbly, spread over rhubarb, sugar and salt. Melt 1/3 cup butter and spread over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool. Top with whipped cream.

Don't Fence Me In

Spent the day pulling out a fence row on the old family farm. Winds were steady at about 25-30 mph. Bit chilly but still good working weather. I'm in the background working on digging out staples. Payment? A big country farm lunch with enough leftovers to carry over to dinner.

Back Home Again in Indiana

I've been holding out on you. It's not that I didn't want to tell you, I just didn't want to jinx anything. But today the prodigal has returned home. You see, a few months ago I received an email from This Old House magazine regarding a tool I submitted on their website. They wanted to fly my putty knife to the Big Apple for a photo shoot. Not me, just the putty knife. (I honestly expected to see it appear on Letterman or at Yankee Stadium) And so today, after a long stint in the big city, my heirloom tool has returned. After the magazine hits newsstands I'll give you the full story.