Favorite New Movie

John and I went out last night to see Julie & Julia (the story of Julia Child and and a woman who works through her cookbook in a year and blogs about it). I was soooo looking forward to this movie and as I learned more about it I had an inkling I would "connect" to the main character very well. Guess I'm just feeling like I need some inspiration in life like she did? My sweet husband will often caress my arm or hand during a movie to communicate something - it means different things at different times. But it is a point of connection for us, communication without words. John does not like to talk or be talked to during the movie or even the previews (even when his wife gets upset during a very scary preview). So as we were sitting there watching the movie first something happened and John gave my arm a little rub to say "That is something you would like." The next time it turned into a little slap on my knee. The next time he flat out said "That is so you!!!" I wasn't the only one feeling the connection. Unfortunately, I think John said that when the main character was having a melt down over not getting a recipe correct and was laying on the kitchen floor in emotional turmoil. Not like me at all!

My Nemesis: The Reappearing Yucca Plant

This spring I wanted to tackle a "small" garden project in our front yard. There is one corner of the front yard that has the best light in the entire yard and I very much wanted to clear the very old yucca plant, weeds, vinca, and no longer flowering bulbs and give it new life. I hacked, and hacked, and hacked at the yucca, eventually creating a hole about four feet long, three feet wide and two feet deep, pulling out all of the exposed root. Yucca roots run deep. I called a gardener friend and he said it was probably fine if I left the rest of it in the ground.

I only half finished that corner garden project because of more pressing yard projects and then vacation season. Sometime in the last couple weeks I realized the yucca had grown back strong and healthy!!! So today I went to the local garden shop and asked for help. They gave me a product that I had to paint on the remaining the roots deep in the ground (knowing it would be impossible for me to pull it all out). This afternoon I opened up the hole again, cleared out the new growth, sat inside the hole and painted poison on every bit of root I could find. I'm so stinkin' sore. And John reminded me that last time I wrestled with the yucca I was sore for two days!

Before our landlords bought this house a couple years ago (unfortunately they spent one year working very hard on making the house "livable" before moving overseas for work), the house belonged to an elderly woman who had let most things go, including the yard. The Kropps did TONS of work in the yard before moving including taking out a big tree in the backyard. We tenderly cared for the new grass put in its place and planted a raised bed full of perennials. But every time we turn around there are new overgrown weeds trying to establish themselves as small trees. I'm scared to even enter the back left corner of the backyard! Weeds taller than me.

Good news is that I scored a MAJOR bargain on end of the season perennials and now I have plenty of flowers for next year for front and backyard! My hope is that I can give the house back to the Kropps having defeated the weeds and with beautiful full (low-maintenance) gardens.

Backyard before tree removal.

Backyard after tree removal. That is the flower garden. I just purchased creeping flowers to plant at the top of the wall to creep down and cover it. I think I actually have to plant them in the neighbor's dirt. Don't tell them, OK?