Friday, August 21, 2015

Round of Blogger Love

Holy Slugbait, where did summer go?!  We got back from spending a wonderful time at the beach a few days ago, to the delight of my garden - and to the dismay of all the crabgrass that had been having illicit parties in the flower beds.

Thankfully all that crabgrass makes the lawn look green?
I was flattered to find out that, while I was away, I had been nominated for a Liebster Award by Kevin from the amazing blog Nitty Gritty Dirt Man.  I enjoy his garden blog and always learn so much from it and was thrilled to receive a blogging award from him.  Thanks, Kevin!

According with the rules of this blogging award, Kevin gets to ask questions of the bloggers he has nominated, so here they are, along with my answers:

1. What is a favorite garden memory?
My favorite garden memory is when we dug up the (very compacted) area around the mailbox at our last house for a mailbox garden.  I first started out digging by myself with my shovel. Then my two young girls decided bring out their trowels to 'help' me.  Then their little friends across the street decided it looked fun, grabbed their kid shovels, and started digging.  By the end of the morning, almost every the kids in the neighborhood had turned out and were having a great time digging and playing in the dirt around my mailbox.  I returned them probably far dirtier than their mothers would have liked, but boy, did they have a ball - and my garden was nicely dug!

the little mailbox garden, dug by the neighborhood kids
2. What was your biggest gardening disaster?
While I have killed many a plant, usually due to putting the wrong plant in the wrong spot or not amending the soil enough, the disaster that sticks most in my mind is when I planted a hill full of Crocus bulbs one fall.  The next Spring, I was puzzled when only two out of the hundreds of bulbs I had planted came up.  Apparently, that hill was home to a family of voles, who thanked me for feeding them through the winter by making lots of babies.  Of course, all the babies felt so welcome in my garden, they proceeded to settle in other parts of the garden and eat all the roots of my most expensive plants.  It was the disaster that just kept on giving...


3. When you travel, are you someone who sightsees, goes on extreme adventures, or hangs out on the beach with a good book?
When it comes to travel, I like it all (though I don't care for my adventures to be too extreme!)

4. What meals have you tried to re-create from your travels?  (Feel free to include the recipe.)
While I can bake practically anything (and by anything, I mean anything detrimental to my waistline), I'm honestly not a great cook, so no meal re-creation here.  The only thing I've tried to make is Indian coffee, but for some reason it just never tastes quite the same as it did when I was vacationing in India right next to a coffee plantation.


5.  Why did you start blogging?
At the time, I had no friends who gardened.  My poor husband was tired of me talking his ear off about plants, so he oh-so-gently suggested a blog.

6.  What is your personal favorite post that you’ve written (and be sure to add a link)?
I do love my first Mission Impossible Squirrel post.  I'm pretty sure that these type of antics go on in my yard on a regular basis whenever my back is turned.


7. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
Since I don't really want to be experimented on by governments, manipulated by powerful syndicates, or spend all my time fighting crime, I'm going to go with none.  I might watch too many sci-fi shows, but if you really think about it, you know it's true...  (Though maybe the government wouldn't find out if I had the ability to eat all the baked goods that I make without it being detrimental to my waistline?)

8.  Of all the movies in all the world, which is the one film you can watch over and over again and why?
The original Star Wars trilogy.  Because those movies are awesome.
(Yes, I'm a nerd.)

9.  What is your favorite quote and who said it?
The quote that has gotten me through many a crisis is 'time to put on your big girl panties'.  Another quote/saying that I love is 'always leave a place in better condition than you found it.'  I don't know who originally said these things, but I attribute both to my mother.

10.  What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
I lived in North Pole, Alaska, when I was a kid.  That surprises all the people who hear me complain so much about the snow up here, but in my defense, that was several decades ago, and I wasn't the one shoveling back when.


11.   If you could redesign your life, what would you choose to do?
I would never actually wish to redesign my life, as it brought me to where I am now.  If I had to pick, though, I think it would have been fun to get a degree in horticulture.  And if I had a redo, I would probably work on being a little less socially awkward growing up.  But wouldn't we all?

We're all a little special around here.
Now I would like to share a little of the blogger love.  While there are so many blogs I enjoy and read for various reasons (see the list I have on the right hand margin for some great garden blogs), there are several that I appreciate due to the more quirky sense of humor of their authors.  When the gardening chips are down, here are some blogs that stay upbeat and might give you a chuckle as well.



I hope everyone is enjoying the late days of summer!
As always, happy gardening!

26 comments:

  1. thanks, three new ones to explore.

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    1. Glad to be able to recommend some good blogs!

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  2. It's fun to learn some new things about you, Indie. I remember that squirrel post--that was a good one! Regarding the voles ... yeah, they can be destructive!

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    1. After going through all my vole problems, I have to admit that having a few non-poisonous snakes is much better than having a family of voles. What a disaster!

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  3. Wow, lots of info on you with those questions. Glad not to answer them myself since it must have been a lot of work. I do like to re-create meals from travel though. Eastern Europe had some tasty dishes.

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    1. Oh how I would love to visit Eastern Europe sometime! I'm sure it did have some great food!

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  4. I was busy answering those questions as I was reading yours. We all have a different story to tell. Your movie choice was interesting. I think mine is A Room with a View-the recent version. it makes me cry but is so romantic and who could fail to enjoy those shots of the Italian countryside. How sweet is the little pink heart at the end.

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    1. I didn't know they remade A Room with a View - I'll have to watch it! The Star Wars movies have been favorites of mine since I first saw them as a kid, so they have a lot of nostalgia for me, along with being sci fi classics.

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  5. Congrats on your award. Enjoyed your answers.

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  6. Nice to learn more about a blog friend....

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    1. It might be too much, but there you go :) That was a sizable number of questions!

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  7. That was interesting and fun. Now i'm off to explore the blogs you recommended.

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  8. I went on a treasure hunt to find my small red and yellow tomatoes. It was a success and they were a real treat. Maybe next I will put out an APB on the onions. If I haven't told you before I am thrilled that you still read my blog. Perhaps my sense of humor is out there somewhere too! The search continues.

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    1. Becky, I remember starting to read your blog because I suspected you live somewhere in the same area as my grandmother. I keep reading it because I learn so much from you! I love your blog!

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  9. Indie, I enjoyed getting to know you better! I wish we could meet, as I would have given very similar answers to questions 2, 3, 6 (regarding my favorite post YOU have written), 7, 8, 9, and 11! Also loved the heart! Thanks for the blog links; two I follow already, but two are new to me. Can't wait to explore their sites.

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    1. Glad to know another gardening sci-fi fan! I wish we could actually meet, too (and I'm dying to see your woodland garden in person!) Never say never! Do you ever go to the garden bloggers fling? I haven't been yet, but one of these years I'd love to go.

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  10. Congratulations on your award -- keep up the good blogging! :-) I enjoyed reading your answers to the questions, and especially liked the incognito cat pic.... Best, -Beth

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    1. Thanks! Our cat is quite the character. One of these days I really should blog about some of the scrapes he's gotten himself into (like the day we found him stuck in the refrigerator...) And one can never have enough about cats on the internet.

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  11. Awwwww!! Thanks! I'm very impressed that you've been to both the North Pole and India! I love those quotes, too. :o) I love your blog and am quite honored to be mentioned by you.

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    1. My reply post is up but I broke the rules a bit.

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    2. Loved your response and learning more about you! Always love your blog!

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  12. What a fun read, Indie! The story of digging up your mailbox garden with the help of your girls and the neighborhood kids is so sweet, and I laughed at your vole family...though I'm sorry about the crocuses. I think we've all had a similar experience--wondering where all the bulbs we so painstakingly planted went to. Congrats on your award!

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    1. Thanks! We all have garden disaster stories, don't we?! I now know way too much about protecting plants from the evil voles!

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  13. This was fun Indie getting to know you in a different way. Yes the voles are evil and eat all my crocus bulbs. Love the yarrow heart and some new blogs to explore.

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