This week at Nana's

Helloooooooo Family!

Weather Update
April is still happening here!

Hot, hot, hot. Its pretty nice here in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It time to wear the summer clothes. I bought new swim suit and I'm ready to take the Grands to the pool this summer. Remember how much fun they use to have in the front yard sprinkler and at the spray park? But now they are older and will want to swim in the big kids pool. That means that Nana will have to get in the pool. No more pool side lounging. Im going to miss that kiddie pool. LOL.

The fire pit works great! Cant wait for a camp out.

Garden Plants And Outdoors Update

 I have been watering the yard and nursing the rose plants back to good health. This week one of the rose bushes popped out a beautiful red rose. The first rose of the season. I love to see the rose bushes bloom. By the time the Grands get here this summer the big rose tree on the side of the house should be bursting with roses.  

This weekend, I will plant the wildflower seeds in the front yard. In a couple of weeks, I should be able to put out the planters that I planted the herbs in. I will spray vinegar around the planters to keep the dogs and cats away. I just hope the Bonnie and Clyde dog team will stay out of the front yard. Those two pit bulls still roam the neighborhood destroying the front yards. Its so sad.

For the veggie garden, Ive had to improvise because of the dogs. This is the crate project. The K-9 Kennel Garden Club has been created. Its still a work in progress but this is the start of it. I white washed the wood and bricks to make it look less ghetto and this week, I will staple cloth or plastic around the big plant table to hide the crates. I should be able to put all of the inside veggie plants out there by the weeks end. I think its going to work. I have some chain link fence that I can put on top and grow hanging gourds. You cant see it but I strung fishing line back and forth to support the tarps. Those tarps can be put on and off easily. The wind beats on them pretty well but the tarps have held up wonderfully. I will still plant around the back yard to see if anything will take and if the dogs get it I wont be toooooooo upset. I have been sprinkling the corn meal around the ant mounds in the yard. There are 8 tiny ant hills. I just keep at it sprinkling cornmeal around the ant mounds each morning. The book says to do this for a couple of weeks. I think the cornmeal is working.

The K-9 Kennel Garden Club

I planted spinach and lots of green beans and (organic) watermelon and honey melon. I planted plenty of beans, the Grands love to pick the beans and I dont want to disappoint them this year. LOL. The spinach is already coming up. Very exciting. This week, Im going to sprout another set of green peppers. (This will be set 3 from differnt seeds I saved from last years garden). I just cant get them to sprout. I dont even eat much green pepper. Its just that Im stubborn and want to grow some blasted green peppers. LOL. The chile pepper plants and the red pepper plants are growing good. Still having trouble with the eggplant sprouts. Only1 plant grew from sprout batch number one. Looks like eggplant batch number two is producing sprouts. Im not sure how important eggplant is to me at this time. I may just say forget it. Boo who. Did I tell you that a lettuce sprouted up in the garden area from last year? I transplanted it into a planter. Its growing really well. Last year, I planted lettuce but the sun scorched it and it did not grow.

There is another kennel next to this one and I am thinking of making that into "K-9 Kennel Garden Club Bldg 2" or........ a rooster and three chickens? What do you think about that. LOL. I cant we havetoo many stray dogs and cats. I dont know how Rob does it. I wonder if the dogs or cats get his chickens.  But for now the K-9 Kennel Garden Club works just fine for my vegetable garden and it is animal proof.

Pet Update

The tank gang is doing great. Mr. Tubbs has had a good appetite and chases me for a snack just about every time I walk past the tank.  Mr. Tubbs gets overly excited and splashes making a huge mess when I lift the lid on the tank to feed him. Goldie the goldfish is just happy to get in on the action too and helps to make the water splash out at me. Bad Goldie. LOL. Mauricio is doing well too. I skimmed down on his snacks and he is not happy about that. LOL. The other day, he ate some of the plastic on the bowl that holds up his water bottle. Bad Mauricio. Tuck has been walking more around the house and has not been trying to hide he kind of just stays around the tile area. I finally got new filters for his house tank. Missy has still been spending most of the day outside because she likes it. She does not like to be out at night. Maybe there are skunks or racoons running about but I have a feeling its because of Bonnie and Clydes late night adventures in the yard. Poor baby, Missy probably has to run and hide for her life when those dogs come over. I let her stay in for the night if she wants too. Believe me, she wants to. LOL. Skinny Ding Dongs AKA Pedro sort of hangs out around the front yard. Missy chases him off but he comes right back. 

Wheezy the Jail Bird

I am happy to report that Wheezy has finally stepped up onto my finger!!! I am so proud of Wheezy. Last week, I had given up and I did not train with Wheezy over the weekend. Today, out of habit, I put my hand in Wheezy's house just to be friendly and talk, not even thinking of training. Wheezy stepped up onto my finger. Just like that. WOW. Was this a fluke? A freak accident? Who knows. I will continue the effort. I returned the weird looking millet sticks in to Wheezy's house. Wheezy has been enjoying the millet stick. That whacky bird. LOL.

Neighbor Update

Things are looking good around here. The lawn or dirt areas got mowed this weekend. I let Jowanda, the lawn killer man, mow down the dandelion patch. It should grow back in stronger. Once we get some rain the dandelion patch will grow like crazy. Anyways the yard, what grass there is looks okay. Jowanda is a good guy for weeding and mowing the lawn. Because I sure cant mow and I hate to weed the lawn. LOL. Guess who else was outside this weekend doing yard work? Yes, Henry. Finally! His yard looks so nice. I may just have to bake him some cookies for that deed. Today, I looked down the street and saw some hired help mowing the lawn in front of Orney's house. What is going on here? LOL. There is hope for our street. Now, if only they would tear down the old, dried up, giant sunflower stalks in Rob's front yard.....Is that asking too much? I wont get my hopes up. 

 

Due to some zucchini and walnuts hanging around the kitchen, I decided to bake up a batch of sweet bread in the form of jumbo muffins. Click here for recipe. Not too much baking or cooking happened. Also, I ate out a few times. Ive had lunch at Sadies and lunch at Dions. Tomorrow, I will bake a harvest pie because I have a butternut squash that's been starring at me for two weeks.

This week, I will try to stay home and do the soup and salad thing along with eating some healthy dips. Why dips? I know, I know. I always make my own hummus, salsa, white bean dip, pesto's etc. But here they are freshly made and delivered right to my door from someone who knows I love hummus. When God blesses you, roll with the blessing and eat the hummus. Now, I just need to make the pita bread. I may have to skip the soup and salad and live on dips this week. I will definitely have to share this blessing with friends. Hummas & pita anyone? 

Videos I watched this week and said "That's Cool". LOL.
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKOrmETgMkM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZH6i4L3Q3A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG9HOnZCDK8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPyIwY2hJ_A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yolum7_0UCA