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i was giving you everything i have to give.

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Happy Thursday, kiddos. We’ve made it over the hump, and we’ll be rewarded by Friday tomorrow followed by a lovely weekend ahead.

This week is the second week I’ve been at my new job, and my first full week there, and I am loving it. Besides my coworkers being general delights, they like my baking (thank God) and I’ve already been gifted some lemons for the taking (seriously, our lemon gentleman dropped ’em off in the marketing area and said take as many as you want…which obviously meant I took an entire bag).

I think I am going to love this job, with its fruity perks, it’s “farmer’s hours” (I work 7:30 to 4:15) and everyone’s sunny dispositions. Did I mention there is a TJs right across the street? And that I already have a friend there from a previous job? And that my coworkers have already picked up on the fact that I love penguins? And that I love yoga? And didn’t laugh when I blew up my exercise ball to keep under my desk?

These are good people, folks. I hope you have the same lovely luck I do. Sending you sunshine from my lovely state.

 

solvang: sunny fields

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These girls are my favorite. They were with me through thick and thin when we traveled abroad, through countries where we didn’t speak the language, when we had two dollars to our name, when we couldn’t find a bathroom…they are my  kindred spirits, always up for an adventure. And of course, Corelyn and I have been adventuring in the kitchen for years, and in 2011 traveled across country…so it was only natural we enjoy a day trip with the crew to relieve the old days…this time, with a few extra bucks.

Last weekend we adventured in Solvang, where we enjoyed bookstores, coffee, jumping photos, and a whole lot of laughter. So, so much laughing. And delicious food, of course. These girls keep me happy through highs and lows, and are always in for a hilarious photo or two.

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I am so glad I have such lovely friends to travel around with…more photographs here! Thanks ladies, for being such lovely friends!

Grown.

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Here’s the second half of what I’ve been working on in the garden. For Christmas, SS got me some seed bombs to plant with – they are dill, chives, and basil!

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My friend SJ also had sent me a thank you card with wildflowers inclosed – so I planted those, too! Plus, Melissa had given me some basil seeds. What a lucky woman I am, to have such wonderful friends.

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I had fresh eggs (thanks Ana!) and I wanted to make sure that the seeds got the proper nutrients, so I looked online and it turns out you can grow seeds in egg shells – so I did just that!

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This was about three weeks ago, when they were all still seeds. Then, slowly…they started to sprout over the last week!

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I know have tons of sprouts growing up – dill and basil and wildflowers, oh my! I’ll keep you in the loop as I repot these and they get even bigger!

Growing, growing, growing.

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I can’t believe I didn’t post pictures from September of the plants, but alas, I did not. And now, the spring season is here and my herbs are planted and I have updates for that, too.

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And now, in March:

This was Merv when I first planted him, back in June of 2012.

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Here was Merv in the beginning of March – look how far he’s grown…except I need him to grow wide, not tall. No matter, we can fix that!DSC_0896

We just have to do a little surgery on him…

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Snip, snip! Now Merv is TWO plants!

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It took him a couple weeks, but he’s starting to grow back now!

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And, his top half has rooted…this is Sally. She needs a name plate, coming soon. I don’t know why Merv became Sally, he just did. I just write down the names I feel in my heart.

So this is my aloe plant, which started as a small baby plant wayyyyy back years ago as a window plant.

Just to show you, this is the aloe last year in March. Also, please note the flowers to the right – there are pink, and white, and some yellow.

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Look at these beasts now – out of control! The pink and the white have totally overtaken the yellow, and the white have actually started to turn pink.

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But at least the yellow is finally sprouting, despite the bullies surrounding it.

Anyways, back to aloe.

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So this is the aloe now – overgrown, sad, and it has recently started stabbing the UPS man. Seriously, I think he cut himself once. I felt horrible, and knew that it was time to put it apart…I didn’t know exactly what to do, so I of course Googled it, and researched how to fillet the aloe so I can store it.

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Step one: Remove from the aloe plant with a knife. YOU GUYS ALOE PLANTS ARE SMELLLYYY AND THEY EMIT YELLOW SAP. Don’t be alarmed, like I was, sappy and Googling “yellow slime + aloe.”

Step two: Cut the spiky sides off, and the tip w/ the sap on it.

Step three: Slice horizontally off the top green part. Then do the same for the bottom. Try to do it so the curved side is down the first time (you’ll understand when you see it.) (If you ever actually do this.)

Step four: You have aloe! Hurray! It’s slippery, isn’t it? I put mine in the freezer for burns I will inevitably suffer someday in the kitchen.

Up later…seed bombs and herbs!