If I only had a heart! Or rather--if I only had this cute guy in my garden. I'm talking about the tin man---not Dan. I think we could make one, but look how detailed his painted on heart is. I am going to attempt this later this summer. I will keep you updated.

I was made for summer weekends like this. The weather is NW Ohio at it's finest. Lots of sun, a little humidity, blue skies and cooling breezes. Will it stay like this all summer---probably NOT. So you gotta enjoy it while you can. Saturday started off at the Farmer's Market and -----raspberries are in. I can't get much more local than that because they are grown about a 1/2 mile from my house. They went into a pie! And then we took in Toledo Botanical Gardens Festival of the Arts. Look at the delicious handpainted Herb markers I found. Almost too cute to hide in a plant!

When summer finally arrives in Ohio, it arrives with a blast--as in furnace. But no--I am NOT complaining. I love the heat and humidity---I just feel so energyless. This cool dish of rocks is soothing just to look at it. I am just sitting around----THINKING!!!

Pondering things like--

1. Why am I so surprised that the dog does not tolerate heat well---total wet noodle. I turned the A/C on for HIM!!!!

2. I should go for a bike ride but the thought of insects sticking to my sweaty arms and legs is not very appealing

3. Are text messages and twitter going to make phone calls obsolete----I say this as I am getting ready to go get my new phone tonite. And I do NOT appreciate junk cell phone calls.

4. I do not like the new Facebook format. Too much Mafia Wars are clogging up what is interesting.

OK----stay cool everyone!

Here they are!! My spray painted Alliums!! I couldn't decide between soft pink or lilac but in the end, decided to stick with the color Mother Nature chose. I love them---and they blend in well with the Blue Hydrangeas. I even picked 2 and brought them in for the mantle!!

Fathers Day!
1. Go to Farmer'Market and see what is available. Nabbed some homegrown strawberries, rhubarb and Mesclun lettuce
2. Toss berries and rhubarb in sugar
3. Pour into pie crust
4. Make a Pie for Dan. Happy Father's Day everyone!

The "boat" was in the "water" for the first time this year and lo and behold, Magglio is seaworthy!! Of course, the "boat" is our dinghy and the "water" is our pond.

Last year I ordered this bell shaped Clematis after reading stellar reviews on gardening websites. It is called Roguchi and is loaded with graceful blooms. Although they are pretty, you have to be close up to appreciate them. However, IF they bloom all summer as promised, they will be a welcome addition. And then again----it is their first year so I just have to have patience-----

Remember that "simple project" I started several weeks ago. The one I thought I could finish in a few hours. Wellllll----it is still a work in progress. I am short about 150 corks----again. Once again, the old dilemna--do I start drinking or should I order order some. Common sense prevails once again and the corks should arrive in the mail any day now.

Dan cooked dinner tonite----well, at least he extinguished the fire!! The burgers still tasted good however. Hope your weekend is a great one!

I really don't think you can get more "bang for your buck" than a nite with the Toledo Mudhens. It is something we need to do more often. Baseball, good food, Tofts Ice Cream, beer, fireworks, running into friends--------for the small price of admission. We were with a group from Toledo Federation of Teachers in the Roost so that made it even more fun.

I cannot find a word to describe the evil of the killing at the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC. This post today is going to be my silent protest against white supremists and all the evil they represent. I am tired of hearing them deny the Holocaust and came across this picture on the internet. It is a horrifying picture and, to me, represents all that is evil in the world.

Look what they have in Indiana. A whole garden of Giant Allium's!! I am going to have to 1. plant more this fall and 2. Go back to Indiana and spray paint them when they stop blooming.

We recharged our busy lives by visiting our Hoosier relatives--Adam and Jonelle. They met us in a local park with a picnic supper on Friday and took us to an Art Fair on Saturday. We enjoyed these metal sculptures. Jonelle pointed out that they resembled us---the skiier was Dan, the lady with the wine glass, me(why does she think that?) and the photographer was Adam. We found some yoga frogs for her character! And yes, Magglio traveled with us----and traveled very well. A wonderful weekend!

Rhubarb again!!!! I just had to take a pic because the----red,no-----pink,no-----let's call it FUSCHIA. The fuschia color is just so pretty. Tonite we had it in a cobbler. No special recipe but I think I like it so much better if it is cooked in a little water and sugar to soften it before adding to recipe.

Why aren't there any "simple projects" anymore. A week ago, I looked at my growing pile of wine corks and decided to make a backsplash behind my kitchen desk. Just a "simple project".

1. Lay out corks in desired pattern. Find out I am 200 corks short. Debate how quick I can drink 200 bottles of wine and opt for ordering corks on ebay

2. Corks promptly arrive on Friday and with a few hours to kill on Saturday morning, I set to work.

3. Remove old cloth covered backboard and find(remember) I failed to patch wall

4. Patch wall and find it isn't flush to wall

5. Decide to start applying corks with glue gun.

6. Notice white background showing through.

7. Go to hardware store for a quart of cork colored paint. Reassured by hardware man that there is no such thing as simple project and he is sure I will be back soon.

8. Pull corks off wall and also pull off paint down to drywall

9. Find out that I best wait for a week before applying corks to fresh paint.

10. Rethink #1 and regret wasting money on corks instead of drinking my way to them.