~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~
Every Thursday, here at Like Mother, Like Daughter!
{The winner of the yarn giveaway from Angora Gardens is Woman of the House! An email is headed your way!}
{pretty}
My garden… ugh. Bunnies. Bunnies everywhere, despite a cat and a dog. We need a real fence. But when to put in a fence? It's winter right up until things need to be planted ASAP. No time for digging holes, you have to be… digging holes!
The other day I noted about 5 zucchinis getting going, after a weird haitus. So happy about that. The next day — NOTHING.
You know your garden is failing when you have NO ZUCCHINI. The flowers are pretty, though.
{happy}
In other news, honey. Not a ton, but some. And that's happy.
And shallots.
{funny and sweet}
Roxie is a difficult dog. She looks classic and can be oh so loving. But she's mostly border collie and probably a bit of pointer (she sure points) and mainly hound/pound dog. This combination causes her to roam around acting like she has a vague idea everyone should please huddle together already and stop going from room to room or anywhere so… separately.
She would also prefer us to be on high alert when a stranger approaches the house or one of us goes out to the car and has the audacity to return to the house. BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK Roxie it's just ME coming back into the house.
She is always — but always — on the wrong side of the screen door. In. Out. In. Out. It's just so hard when you're going in and out, and for some reason she can't project that you are coming right back, like she lacks a rational mind or something. Yet, she doesn't go right with you, either. She waits until the door slides shut and then wants you to come let her in. Or out.
But the other day Bridget and I took Finabee and Roxie on a walk. When we got back, the baby was asleep and Bridget parked her under a tree, in the shade. We headed inside and I even said, “Inside!” to the dog — a command she understands, against all odds.
She just stood there, looking at me. “You don't actually think I'm going in, do you? I will stay right here, guarding this child. If only you were as responsible as I!”
She was thirsty, too. It was a walk of more than an hour in the hot sun! But she stayed out there, guarding silently, until the baby woke up. (By the way, that's not a street. The street is no where near our house.)
{real}
This is how you know Deirdre is back.
Leane says
I’m sorry about your garden, Leila. 🙁 Bunnies are so cute….but NOT in the garden. Your honey looks wonderful, though! And your table (with Dierdre’s leavings) looks like mine looks, regularly….hehe Have a wonderful day!
Mary says
Ah! Love all that honey! We’re reading up on beekeeping and are developing plans for next spring!
Mary says
Oh, and our zucchini has flopped this year as well. Along with pretty much everything else. So so disappointing.
Lisa says
No zucchini or yellow squash for me either this year. But the cucumbers and pumpkin did relatively fine. Weird.
Anne says
Awww, good dog! That is so sweet.
claire says
Lovely!
Logan says
This is my first time posting with PHFR! I was having trouble getting the button to actually link back to this site, is there something special I’m missing beyond entering the code? If I can’t get it to link should I just enter your URL in my post?
Also, that doesn’t look like a little honey to my eye! Delicious!
Leila says
Logan, sometimes the button is finicky, especially if your platform interprets the code for you, oh so helpfully. Linking back here is just fine! Thanks! And welcome!
Logan says
This is my first time posting with PHFR! I was having trouble getting the button to actually link back to this site, is there something special I’m missing beyond entering the code in my post? If I can’t get it to link should I just enter your URL in my post?
Also, that doesn’t look like a little honey to my eye! Delicious!
Barbara says
I think all dogs are on the wrong side of the door all the time. They come in so they can go out, so they can come in again. Rinse and repeat. We have an Aussie, and a not-too-bright one at that, and she is oddly protective of small children, just like Roxie. Maybe it’s the shepherd instinct. If ever there is more than one child outside, she runs circles — “stay together” she is saying. Yup — ever the herder.
Your kitchen sink/window looks peaceful. May I come and do some dishes? 😉
Adrie | A Little Wife's Happy Life says
My little container garden has been very disappointing as well… I’m thinking that my pots were too shallow and the roots didn’t really have much of a chance. Oh well. Next year!
That is so sweet about the dog. We had a dog named Buddy, and he’d sleep outside the nursery door every night (or outside the living room door if the baby was sleeping in the living room). When we were older, he slept outside my bedroom door most nights, unless someone was sick- and then he’d be outside their door. It was a sign that you were coming down with something- if Buddy was sleeping by your bedroom, you were sure to have the flu or something the next day.
(Also, I feel that I could use some quilting pointers- how do you cut fabric for quilts? Rotary cutter? Templates? Help this beginner out!)
Margo, Thrift at Home says
love the photos of you braiding shallots. You look so comfortable and pretty.
Susan (DE) says
I think the Roxie and the baby story is darling.
What is Deirdre making? Looks like pressed flowers?? and cloth?? So curious.
Your peaceful walk sounds lovely — though probably HOT. 🙂
Julie says
We just finished listening to Young Fredle (twice) by Cynthia Voight, and Roxie sounds just like their dog Sadie. Good girl!
Jennifer says
I feel your pain!! We never had a rabbit until this year and my garden is now all but lost despite lots of hot pepper, garlic/tea tree oil sprays, a spinning Cd contraption to scare them away and other natural measures. Just when I thought I had beaten the bunny invasion, a ground hog got in and finished the job.
Mrs. C. says
Leila, Sorry to hear about your zucchini. I had so much this year I would have had some delivered to you. I’m just so envious of your honey stash. I use it all the time in my bread and that would be really handy.
Your shallot strand photos look like they would make a good tutorial post.
Erin says
Your sweet dog sounds exactly like the sweet dog we used to have. Moo was a dog of unknown origins we adopted from a dog rescue. She was continually “herding” our family and “pointing” at squirrels. Reading your story was encouraging, like when you meet another mom whose child has the same personality quirk as yours and you realize that the quirk is not a result of your faulty parenting!
Kimberlee says
Trust me, shallots are way better than a boatload of zucchini. My family is getting a little tired of the accidental baseball bats I keep finding.
You look so super cute sitting there on your porch you almost have me considering cutting my hair to have lovely short curls like yours. (But not really. I always said I would wind grey braids around my head when the time came.) 😉
And don’t you just love the evidence of having an artist in the house?! I find creative messes like that delightful.
Happy August!
Kristi says
The apron action shots remind me to tell you — I’m wearing an apron lately because of your suggestion. It’s very helpful, just as you say. I tie the strings in front and hang a handtowel at my waist — so convenient! Sometimes over my pjs, but baby steps.
Mary Keane says
I’m sorry about the garden. Ours seems done for the season as well, but because of polar vortexes rather than rabbits! Once we got that week of lows in the 50s everything went dormant. Our two little pumpkins are already ripe and the tomatoes completely stopped producing!
Your honey harvest looks impressive to me! What flowers do your bees visit that makes the honey so very dark? It must have a wonderful flavor!
sarah marie says
That honey, oh, that honey! It looks amazing. I would be so happy to have our own honey and our own shallots, but sadly, our back yard is all shade and I just can’t grow a good vegetable garden like I could at our last home. Perhaps next spring/summer I may have to transform the front yard into a kitchen garden with raised beds, and just be the odd one on the block without a regular lawn. I say next year, because this year it just wasn’t feasible with a new baby in the house!
Ginger says
Hi Leila, We moved and haven’t installed the garden yet, but the leaves falling in a few months of our 13 liquid ambar’s will make the best compost for next springs garden. We just adopted two puppies. Lab Border Collie mix. I know reasonable people adopt one puppy. They herd eachother and keep everyone together. Always sleeping atop one another they look like a cuddly puddle of chocolate. Busy days in our future
Woman of the House says
It was heroic of Roxie to guard the baby so selflessly! I loved all your pictures~ so homey and inviting!