~~~flashback warning~~~

The Gardening Goddess is sitting on the veranda sipping her first glass of vino and watching the birds flit playfully through her expansive gardens....OK, who am I kidding...I'm inside wating on Martha Freakin Stewart and The Moon Goddess, listening to the dog whine at the window I had to open because I stunk up the house with the oven while whipping up a culinary Italian masterpiece for my friends (well a frozen Lasagna)...but I am cooking and in the loosly plagerized words of the most famous Southern Belle ever to grace the Imaginary South...We shall nevah go hungry (tonight)!!!


OK, that post comes from a calmer simpler time, well, from a couple of weeks ago anyway, before it was really warm enough to get much in the ground and I still had time to wreak havoc with a simple last minute text message to a couple of my dearest friends. Now and until school is out my life pretty much belongs to my youngest daughter's soccer games, and as a Mom I wouldn't have it any other way! Throw in that my middle daughter graduates from college tonight, and I'm hosting a graduation celebration for her on Sunday afternoon...I am the keeper of Easter for both sides of the family, I. E., big gathering at our house last Sunday...and I'm trying like crazy to get as much as possible in the ground before Oklahoma heats up and stays that way and folks that doesn't take long...and I think I'm feeling a bit stressed! Fortunately, my oldest daughter somehow inherited "Auntie Martha's" love for cooking and will be a big help with getting food ready for her sister's party!!!

Fortunately, if you're me and gardening is your passion, as well as, the best stress reliever you know, lost should get accomplished in my back yard today. That is if I don't get rained out. I'm not about to complain about the rain, however, considering we've had one of the driest winters and early springs I can remember. I'll end this post with a nice little continuation of my flashback and you guys can see exactly why Martha Freakin Stewart got her name!


~~~warning, returning to flashback mode~~~


Unlike my veranda sitting friend, I spent most of the entire day outside working hard and have the sunburned shoulders and aching back to prove it! I'm not planting much yet due to the freeze warnings for next week but I did get lots of ugly weeds cleared out, created a couple of beds and then came in and made homemade spicy chicken soup. (Saute diced onion and carrots in olive oil, add 2 cups water and 2 chicken bouillion cubes,cover and simmer til the carrots are tender, add cubed leftover baked chicken, sliced canned potatoes, kitchen sliced green beans and rotel tomotoes. Simmer for a few minutes then serve in a shallow bowl with a double pinch of mozarella cheese on top.)Dave and I headed to town and followed Granny Opal's directions digging up several small shrubs from her yard. It's so funny how that works because she gave me FOUR barberry and I was planning to go buy three new ones this week! She also gave me two photenia which I needed to fill in some gaps. (Sorry Queenie- I got there first)Dave and I had a great time with Granny and heard all kinds of fun stories about times both old and new from her. She is one of the most fascinating people I know. The hand me down shrubs are now planted and watered in, my boston ferns are tucked into safe spots on the front porch and I'm ready for the next winter blast predicted to come in next week.Signing off for now... Yours, Martha Freakin Stewart