Monday, May 21, 2012

Monday, Monday...

I wonder how many Monday blog posts have used that title since blogging began?

When did blogging begin, anyway?
According to Wiki it was the mid-90's.

In the mid 90's I was busy recording my girl's childhoods in the form of really bad photos that had to be developed in a store and then put into plastic sleeves in photo albums. Or dropped into shoeboxes and scanned into a computer some 20 years later.

Anyhoo, it is Monday which is good enough for me. I have a bunch of thoughts that don't really add up to a blog post (as evidenced by this post so far) but I'm going to write one anyway.

Ha. That is sooo me.

The weekend. Low key. We needed that. In looking back over the past couple of days I will tell you the highlight was a glorious nap on Sunday afternoon. It was like baby sleep. My hair was matted to my forehead when I woke up.


We ran some errands on Saturday and spent a few hours and a few hundred dollars at our local nursery. I know some of you have had your flowerbeds and pots planted for weeks now, but here in the Northeast its best to wait until Mother's Day has passed. Experience is a great teacher.


We were given two lovely plants from friends and co-workers last week which are perfect for our patio. I like to put pots on the steps but the steps get almost no sun so the choices there are limited. The rest of the back garden gets lots of sun so I have more variety there.


Still a work in progress. I don't line the pots up in a row like they are here although hubs would probably like it if I did. He is all about symmetry and I'm all about hodgepodge. We are quite the team.


Speaking of the mid 90's...that silver box was all the rage once upon a decade. We have ipods and ipads loaded with music but for some reason we like to whip out the old 'boom box' and listen to the radio when we sit on the patio. You just plug it in and hit play. Remember when 'technology' was simple?

This one actually belonged to daughter1 and I spent many an hour, pencil in hand, untangling plastic cassette ribbon back in the day. If you don't know what I'm talking about you're blissfully young.


The weather was spectacular all weekend long. Saturday evening we sat amid the plants and flowers with a glass of wine and some sea salt and pepper cashews. Those cashews just might be my new addiction. The brand is Emerald and no, they're not paying me to advertise. This variety is super salty (don't tell my doctor) which no doubt is why I love them.


Ever since hubs started traveling to Asia he has been hounding me to put an azalea in a pot on the patio. You see that a lot in China and over there they manage to keep them beautifully manicured and, most importantly, alive.


When I see a manicured shrub in a pot I think Karate Kid. I can sort of picture hubs out there tweaking this one and I do love the way it looks. We'll have to see how this goes because he travels and I'm not good with fussy. An azalea in a pot in Northern NJ might be a little bit fussy.


Sunday afternoon (pre-nap in case it matters) hubs and I took the MG for a spin around the lake. We stopped for an ice cream cone (coconut for me and cherry vanilla for him) and sat on the boardwalk while we ate.


This sweet little mama duck with her babes in tow had everybody snapping pictures.


The lake on a sunny spring day is so pretty.


Someone thinks the backyard view is okay too.

20 comments:

  1. Lovely pictures of your patio. I'm with the dog--I'd curl up in the warmth of your surrounds.

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  2. It has been glorious weather here these past few days. I am happy its raining today though. Once in awhile I enjoy a rainy day. The rain will be good for all your plants! Do you like music outside when your working? or is that your husbands thing? My husband loves music playing when we are out in the yard. I prefer listening to "nature". Have a good week!

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  3. Sounds such a great weekend. I hope it revitalised you for the week ahead.

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  4. Happy Monday! My post has the same title this morning.....great minds think alike! Your yard is gorgeous! It was a hot almost too hot weekend here....lots done but still more to do! You remember the days of getting your house ready for Prom and Graduation....

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  5. After all you have been through,this weekend looks wonderful and I know you loved it. Beautiful pictures.

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  6. Your weekend sounds wonderful. So far I have one pot of flowers which was a gift....I need to get on that little chore.

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  7. We have a boom box that comes out whenever we're outside, working in the yard. Although ours is usually set on the baseball game. ;-) Your yard looks gorgeous! Maybe I should pot an azalea, since I seem to not have the greatest luck with planted azaleas (I have 3 in front, and 1 is not doing too well, and I have an everblooming azalea on the side - it hasn't bloomed at all!).

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  8. Boom box is my kind of technology, too. I can't stand ear buds and ipods. Your flowers are so pretty. My hubby asked me on Mothers Day if I want some hanging plants to kill. I started to get defensive but then admitted my track record. So no. They only look good for three weeks. So i will be watching your fussy azalea saga unfold.;)

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  9. Monday, Monday was a title I recently used, too :) The old song by The Mamas and The Papas comes to mind...

    There is nothing like a few gorgeous plants to brighten one's mood! Glad you had a relaxing and enjoyable weekend :) (Kathy)

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  10. what a wonderful weekend---i loved all of those soothing pictures!

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  11. You definitely were due a low key weekend.
    The rain is back in buckets this week here so I don't have to worry about watering the pots. It's one of my least favorite things to do.
    Good thing I live in the NW, huh? :)

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  12. I bet you really enjoy those low key weekends, after all the traveling and sad happenings that have gone through your life. Looks like your weather is really warming up too. Glad to hear it. Enjoy your week Joyce!

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  13. Happy Monday to you! I love the stone wall in your back yard. The doggie looks so precious sitting there on the lawn. I love being in our backyard. That is until a neighbor hooked up a rather loud pump to his pool. I have never heard on so loud before. I am sorta wishing the motor will blow!

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  14. Lovely weekend!
    Guess what? I'm shopping with my girl! Bliss.

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  15. Joyce, your weekend sounds perfect! When we are in Mammoth Lakes each summer we bring our boom box and listen to the one radio station that plays a nice variety of music. I love it! Your flowers look lovely.

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  16. Funny, I had a wonderful Sunday nap too, all curled up with Arnie the dachshund! It was such a busy weekend, that I am still tired.

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  17. Your flowers and yard are so pretty! Let me know how the azalea does. I love them, and I might be willing to try a potted one.

    Sounds like a wonderful weekend.

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  18. Oh I love this hodgepodge of a post. I can relate to so much of it. I love the silver boom box and the reference to the cassette tape. Those things were a nightmare at times! The pencil often did the trick.

    I love, love all the flowers and I think I have that large brown pot in the first picture. Speaking of pictures... the reference to the developing of them, sticking them in pockets or putting them in shoe boxes... uh huh. I do all of that and try as I might to scrap book about twice a year. With 5 kids that's about all the time I have. :0)

    The azalea looks tempting. I might have to get one and see how Michigan treats it. Yeah, I'll blame it on Michigan if it dies.

    I've been to that lake, the boardwalk, and I think we even had ice cream there. It's fun to think that you live so close to where we used to live. We lived in Andover (actually Lake Tranquility) and used to go to the Shop-Rite in Byram. Any of that sound familiar?

    Love the mama and her 10 babies. That's a lot of babes!

    So good to be here, Joyce. Be blessed.

    Hugs,
    Carol

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  19. These are such lovely photos. It looks like your yard and garden are really shaping up nicely. It is really a beautiful place. I'd say you had a perfect weekend. I like them like that.

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  20. Lovely flowers...and nice relaxing patio time.
    After all you have been through, glad your weekend was nice and relaxing.

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