Branches for Bunnies

I'm no expert at pruning. I marvel at those who do it well. But I know how to remove branches that cross each other. And I can remove a few for better air circulation. I don't think this tree has been pruned for years--no judgement--so I put my pruning saw to work and trimmed a few branches. Above is the "before" photo.This next photo is how the branches look before wildlife chew. And the "after" photos follow. What's good about this? I'm helping bunnies survive the winter. The bad news? I have to plan to protect my plants this spring!

January Blahs and Carbs

This potato soup (see above) is a product of a new Instant Pot because we are without a kitchen for a while (see below). I'm so grateful that we are able to afford this project...and an Instant Pot. I do have the January blahs, and life moves a little more slowly and with more carbs. For example, I peeled potatoes for the soup but substituted green onions because I couldn't bring myself to chop and saute an onion. I intended to add kale but forgot to buy it in the store. And I may have bought two new kinds of oreos to "try" them.   How do people eat low carb in January? 

Happy Holidays!

Happy holidays! Whatever you celebrate, I wish you a time of good food and personal connections. And a seed catalog for summer dreaming. For those of you in the know, this is a Thanksgiving cactus (which bloomed with perfect timing on Thanksgiving). It looks like a Christmas cactus, so I'm pretending that it works for this post. We're still in the process of adjusting to our new place, so Christmas is a little "less" this year: fewer decorations, fewer cookies, less hubbub in general. But we still have the full spirit of good will to all! 

Sharing Library

This photo is from the first day I put up the library, at the beginning of the month. I meant to schedule the blog to post it automatically, but I goofed. Here's my first report: A few of these books are gone! And some of the ones I replaced are gone! I'm happy to share the books I've collected over the years. With moving, I've learned that I have a hard time throwing anything away. I prefer to recycle or donate, so this is a  perfect way to share books that have been a part of my and my family's life.  I'm hoping to get some Christmas books ready today. 

Compost Bins

Before our winter storm, which is predicted to cover us in several inches of snow, I thought I'd share this photo of my new compost bins. Since we're in a city, we can't pile up the leaves on the edge of the woods anymore, so we invested in these two bins. They're a little floppy right now since they're halfway full, but I've staked them. We have a city compost site, and that costs $35 a year, which is affordable. However, I have to transport the leaves, which is certainly doable, but I'm going to plead laziness...no...efficiency! I can empty the gathered leaves into the bins without driving. The finished compost will be close to my future garden. 

Snow in October

Unusual? Yes. Cold? Yes. Bearable? Yes. This is yesterday's snow. I went for my usual walk outside. If we quit living because it snows, then we miss half a year. I'm grateful I 'm not in North Dakota, where my in-laws live, because they're dealing with a record-breaking blizzard. 

Zucchini Bread

This is Martha Stewart's zucchini spice bread. https://www.marthastewart.com/318960/zucchini-spice-bread She made it with fresh zucchini from her garden, I'm sure. I, however, had to buy zucchini from the farmer's market. (Buy zucchini? I never thought I'd write those words. I feel lost without a garden.) Even though I have made this in the past, and it looked like Martha's, this time it did not. Not at all. It flopped. It tastes good, but it collapsed. Could it be the humidity? It was a high dew point day. Or maybe my baking powder is bad? It had been moved from place to place. Maybe it's the quirky oven I'm still learning. Ah well, mistakes happen. It's part of being human.