Dan builds a fence

After he took the fence apart this is what was left: framing:
constructing panels:
staining:
finished:
Wow. I'm impressed :)

Building a new raised bed

Dan's friend Jeb helped him with the construction of the bed.
Dan oiling the boards with linseed oil to stain them naturally.
Throwing the boxes together.
Healthy debates.
Positioning.
Anchoring it down.
Bring in the dirt. This was fun, we went to Lane Forest Products, and brought our one shovel to transport dirt to the truck, not knowing that they just dump it neatly into the back of the truck bed. It took 3 minutes. It was amazing.
And apply the finishing step.
Done. Sweet. Now there are only 3 more other beds to remove. The work continues.

Full Stop.

Lately everything is spinning around 3 feet above my head: school, house, love, work, family, friends, it all swirls just above my skull, just out of reach. With one week to go, its to soon to have done the full stop that I am in smack dab in the middle of. But I keep telling myself it will be fine, and that I need a break to touch my plants. I do, right? Well, whether or not I deserve a break, I took one, so here's picks:
Two weekends ago we bought a couple of half wine barrels so I could try out gardening on a somewhat contained space, before I try and attack the backyard:
I planted red leaf lettuce, arugula, rainbow Swiss chard, dill, rosemary, and basil in these little half barrels (the white buckets are tomato plants, and the center plant is a cucumber):
Needless to say, I planted rather a lot for those small barrels, and now they are packed to the edges with salad fixins:
So, Dan decided we needed to tear out the old flower beds and make me a garden box so my plants would have room to grow:
Now, he and his friend are out shopping for material to build the new box, I'll post pics of it once its done. Have a great weekend!

Whoa, talk about a hiatus! I guess that's what Nursing school does to a person. Oh well, its summer now (almost) and I am starting to feel the tugging of life outside of school again. It's about time... :)

Movie Recommendation

Dan and I just watched "When Did You Last See Your Father." I know, long title. It was a fantastic movie. It was the type of movie that sucks you in to the lives of the characters, and simultaneously makes you think about your own family experiences. We ended up discussing our families for a good 45 minutes after the movie ended. Rarely do we get to purge emotions quite like we did tonight, and what a good feeling it is! Anyhow, strongly recommend the movie, its a good one.

Happy New Pres-ie Day!

This morning I arrived at work and almost immediately took a break to watch the inauguration with other Staffers. It was the first time in a a decade that I felt like I was witnessing a moment that will forever be etched in my mind as one of inspiration, hope, and renewal. The golden pedastel that the New Pres is stuck on right now will surely get chipped away throughout his term, but I feel like everything that makes each of us a dynamic and connected human race is present now in the White House, where previously it was not. I feel a connection to his goals as though they were my own, I feel represented, like my voice has been heard. I am grateful to America, for the collective choice made. I am eager to see what the future holds.
(Dramatic? Me? Never, but....I can't help it today)... :)

Starting the week with Horror

This wonderful Martin Luther King, Jr. day I decided to start off my morning with watching not one, but two horror movies. The first was pretty good, "Backwoods" with Gary Oldman, and the second was pretty bad, "American Psycho 2" with Jackie from "That 70's Show." (I can never remember her real name, she will always be Jackie to me.) Starting the week with Horror is such a luxury.
I also started the week with a sore throat, which is not a luxury, but is currently being tolerated rather well by yours truly. (Usually I moan, whine, and cry my way through any hint of a minor illness.)