Flowers, weeds, and wild flowers....oh my! And a goodie from the veggie garden

First, I apologize.  This post is a long one.  Grab a java or tea.  Or a meal, ha ha!

Wednesday my day was a bit wonky.  Hubby sent me all around the "big city" to fetch more tomato plants and flowers.  Even the back streets are getting close to the construction zones.  Ugh.  I have to use more gas to take the long route too, taking all the back roads.  Better than getting caught up in the construction zones though.

Early morning, the sky looked like the sun might shine, but minutes later it turned to this:

Thunder rolled in, but no rain thankfully.  Some areas got short rain showers though.

I had to zip back home to pick up sticks.  Hubby hired our biker friend to mow the almost 6 acre homestead (not all is mowed).  Anyway, the back of the house, where the trees are mostly, and winter wind ripped branches down was a mess.

The guy was already mowing when I arrived.  I hurried and changed into work clothes and loaded up the cart not once but twice, and dragged a huge limb to the brush pile. Most pieces were about 5-6 feet long.  Take about a workout.

Then I dug up all the naughty ornamental apple trees that were trying to take over my flower beds.  I would never plant one of these, but it was here when we moved here. Pretty in the spring and pretty in the fall, but it's mostly "bird food" and draws in spring and fall birds by the hoards.

Then I did some cleaning up of the front flower bed, breaking off the dead mum stalks, etc.  

Anyway, I planted 6 new pink hyacinths, and 6 red tulips.  All I could find this late in the month.

All were on clearance, so if the moles return the loss won't be that great if my tulips disappear, but I think we are in the clear.  

More flower photos:

...and the weeding will continue throughout the week, as I harvest weeds along the way.

Just a sampling of the chickweed the spring rain has brought me.  I'll be drying the first harvest first for a medicinal oil that might be used to make a salve.  

Despite the first mow, I have wild violets popping up. I'll be keeping an eye on them over the next few days to see if I can harvest enough.

I sometimes feel like a kid in a candy store when I find something in my garden. And so early in April!  I'll be clearing the asparagus patch tomorrow before I do anything.  Oh my, such a delight!  I better remember to take the wheelbarrow.  Hubby hates it when I leave a pile of stuff out there to pick up later.  I've been much better about it this year.

Then is was back inside to wash dishes and tidy up.  

We are still not back to 100% of our energy.  By late after noon I was draining my quart of nettle tea infusion for a nutritious cold brew.  It was beam me up Scotty or go take a nap, ha ha!

The family was lucky enough to get beans soaked and into the crock pot for some "unrefried refried beans" for breakfast burritos, a new recipe to try, etc.  I am not back on board with cooking full dinners.  I must...must...get to the grocery store.

Tuesday Tidbits

Although vacations are nice, home is nice too.  My own bed, my homemade food, my teas, weeds and what not.

Poor Jesse must have missed my company.  He's been following me around like a kid wanting his Mom.  His Mom didn't take long to take advantage of us being back home.  She left all day Sunday and didn't come home.  Jesse has been by my side constantly.

Speaking of Easter Sunday, our oldest wanted a meal on Sunday, so we drove to the store Sunday morning, but by 2pm we had canceled it.  One left, one was working, and one didn't respond, so we were literally in pajamas on the porch at 2pm, playing cards and drinking adult beverages.  Our biker friend who came and took care of Jesse while our daughter was at work, came to drop of the house key.  He stayed and chatted on the porch for more than 5 hours.

My fitbit is making a liar out of me.  The day we walked out of Dollywood I had over 15,000 steps.  Most likely had over 20,000 by bed time.  I synced it when we got home.  It said on that day I walked 9,000 steps.  Hm.  Liar, liar, liar.....

Monday was rough.  I plowed through it, as did Youngest and Hubby.  My clothesline worked over time, and I had dirty dishes to wash that our 21 year-old never washed while we were gone.  She did however, vacuum the front room and clean a bathroom.

It rained a lot while we were gone.  We came home to wet, tall grass.  The to-do list is back in action, although slow, ha ha!  Trash had to go out, kitchen cleaned up, and I had a stack of rotten bananas since our daughter didn't eat them while we were gone.  Mail was stopped so that was picked up, but I didn't do grocery shopping just yet.  We grilled out, and took it easy last night.  I'll be writing up a menu for the week today.

Banana bread was baked.

Banana cookies were baked.

Look at that grass!  Oh my.  We'll be mowing very soon.

My daffodils are in full bloom.  What a pretty sight to see. 

There is a rescue dog that we've been eyeing.  It's possible we may take Jesse with us to do a meet and greet.  Just not sure yet.  We may wait and see if Jesse goes with his Mom when she moves out.  Just contemplating....