Series Spotlight: Ivy + Bean, by Annie Barrows

This is a series my 1st grader and I have been enjoying together. I found them when I was looking up Annie Barrows, having read 2 of her adult books: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and The Truth According to Us. I had no idea she also wrote middle grade fiction!

They are right on target for my 7-year-old's reading level and the situations are things she can relate to, as well. There are usually 11 or 12 short chapters, with plenty of lively illustrations by Sophie Blackall--1-2 pictures per 2-page spread. We read the first one together to introduce her to the series. Since then, she has read some completely on her own, and we have taken turns with some of the others.

Probably the best part is that they're funny! At one point, as my daughter was reading on her own, she started laughing so much she could hardly explain what was happening. Always a good sign!

Luckily for all of us, there are many (many) books in the series.

Here's a sampling of what we've read so far:

Book 1: Ivy + Bean

Ivy and Bean are second graders, and next-door neighbors who never meant to be best friends. To tell you the truth, Bean had always pegged Ivy as completely boring and possibly weird. Despite her mother's suggestions to make friends, Bean always resisted...until the day she got into a rather tight spot and Ivy came to her rescue with an ingenious plan. That sealed it. They have been friends ever since.

* * * * *
Read this one first if you possibly can. You could get by without it, but it's a great introduction to the series, and some later references will make a lot more sense if you've got this one under your belt. The rest can be read in any order.

Book 3: Ivy + Bean: Break the Fossil Record

Ivy and Bean's second grade classroom has become obsessed with world records! Everyone wants to break one--after all, how hard could it really be to balance spoons on your face, or eat a whole bunch of M&M's? Ivy and Bean are desperate to be the first world record breakers in their class. After a few (rather unfortunate) false starts, they decide to become the world's youngest paleontologists. Bring on the shovels!

Book 6: Ivy + Bean: Doomed to Dance

After reading a book about ballet, Ivy and Bean are absolutely certain that they must become ballet dancers. After some begging and pleading, they get to join a class--on the condition that they have to stick it out for the entire 4-month session. No quitting. They are not worried at all. Piece of cake! Until the first lesson, that is. Oh boy. This was not exactly what they had in mind. Only 15 lessons to go...unless they can figure out a way to get out of it.

Book 7: Ivy + Bean: What's the Big Idea?

It's Science Fair time, and Ivy and Bean are partners. Their classroom's theme is global warming. Try as they might, the girls can't think of a project that has to do with global warming. Until they get a brilliant idea...

Book 8: Ivy + Bean: No News is Good News

The latest thing in the second grade is Belldeloon cheese. Well, perhaps it would be more accurate to say the packaging of Belldeloon cheese is the newest craze. You see, each individual portion is wrapped in red wax that can be used for all sorts of things. Ivy and Bean are determined to get their hands on some! Unfortunately, neither of their mothers will buy it for them. It costs $5 for a small package. So they need $10.

Actually, what they really need is a money-making scheme. Pronto! After a discussion with Bean's dad, they decide on just the thing: they will write a neighborhood newspaper and sell subscriptions. All there is left to do is snoop around and find out some news-worthy things to write about.

Book 10: Ivy + Bean: Take the Case

Ivy and Bean, girl detectives, are determined to solve all the neighborhood's mysteries. If only they can find some. Surely there must be something mysterious and unexplained happening on their street. They even get the neighbor kids involved. Just when it seems they leave on the most boring street in the entire world, a genuine mystery comes along. Who better to take the case?




* * * * *
Though the protagonists are girls, I think the quirky situations and humor would draw boys in, as well. Have you read these? Any favorites we should be sure not to miss?

3 (and a half) Delicious Snow Treats

We have had more and more snow here in Eastern Washington!

Barely visible vegetable garden terraces.

We have at least 2 feet in our back yard, deeper where it has drifted.

It makes the trees look shorter, when the snow goes so far up the trunk!

In front, due to shoveling or snowblowing to clear the driveway, my entire bottom 2 terraces are completely buried.

Garden? What garden?

Driveway view: the wall of snow.

You can see a few echinacea tops peeking out, and the tops of the shrubs, but that's about it.

Cherry tree buried up to its branches.

The kids have loved playing in it!

They've been out almost every day, even with temperatures this week in the single digits.

I...have mostly stayed inside where it's warm.

However, I have managed to make one valuable contribution to the snowy days fun:

snow ice cream.

You know it!

When Mom says its okay to eat snow, then you know good things are happening!

This stuff is gooood. Sometimes in the summer I think about it, wistfully.

So after your next snowstorm, do yourself a favor and mix up some of this!

* * * * *

Snow Ice Cream

1 C. Milk

1/3 C. Sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

4-5 C.  freshly fallen, clean snow

1.  Bring a bowl outside and scoop up 4-5 cups of fresh, clean snow. If you're not making the ice cream right away, but want to insure the cleanliness of your snow, either put it in the freezer, or put a covering on it and leave right outside your door until needed. 

2.  Mix together milk, vanilla, and sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

3.  Slowly add the snow to your mixture, stirring constantly, until it is as thick as ice cream. Chill in the freezer for 30 minutes and then take it out and enjoy!

* * * * 

When you're ready to take it to the next level, try this variation:

Fancy Snow Ice Cream

1 C. cream

1/3 C. sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 T. instant vanilla pudding mix

crushed Oreos, to taste

6 + 4 C. clean snow

1.  Stir ingredients together, using the 6 C. clean snow, until it is a thick, milkshake-like mixture.

2.  Cover the bowl and set it out in the snow for 15 minutes.

3.  Mix in about 4 more cups of snow, until it is thick, and ready to eat.

From: http://almostunschoolers.blogspot.com/2010/12/new-and-improved-snow-ice-cream.html

I haven't tried these last two yet, but I have no doubts they will be just as well received.

Hey, the month is still young!

Maple Snow Candy

1 C. 100% pure maple syrup

¼ C. unsalted butter

a clean patch of snow

1.  Place syrup, butter, and a candy thermometer into a saucepan and place over medium heat, making sure that you stir constantly.

2.  Keep boiling and stirring until your thermometer reaches a temperature of 220 degrees Fahrenheit.

3.  Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for a minute or two and then find a nice clean patch of snow and pour. You can wind the candy around popsicle sticks for easier eating.

Fresh Snow Slushies

Fruit juice

Freshly fallen snow

Small containers to hold the slushies and spoon

Scoop some clean white snow into a cup or small jar. Pour fruit juice over and enjoy!

* * * * *

C'mon, no holding out on me!

What other recipes do you have for snowy goodness?

(After all, if you can't beat it, EAT IT!)

Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo

This book was a standout read in late November. A good one to read just prior to the Christmas season, to inspire me to serve who I can.

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity, by Katherine Boo
National Book Award for Nonfiction (2012)
Pulitzer Prize Nominee for General Nonfiction (2013)

4 stars: A moving portrayal of life in the slums of India.

Abdul Hussain is a Muslim teenager and resident of Annawadi, a shanty town on the edge of Mumbai's airport. He makes a living for his family sorting garbage tossed out by the rich people living in the hotels close to the airport, and recycling items for sale. He doesn't speak much but feels the weight of his responsibility to his younger siblings keenly. Unfortunately, he is on the run.

You see, there was bad trouble with the Hussains' neighbor Fatima. Fatima of the one-leg, who recently died due to complications from self-immolation, and blamed it on the Hussains. They never did get along, and now her vengeance is about to tip their tenuous existence over the edge. Everyone is corrupt, everyone has a price. For the poverty-stricken Hussains, like every other citizen of their settlement, almost any price is too much.

* * * * *
This is not just the story of Fatima and the Hussains, though they remain a common thread running through the narrative. Boo also brings to light the lives of several other people in Annawadi. It's a different world, the contrast to the lives of the wealthy made even more glaring by the expensive hotels and state-of-the-art airport on the borders of their little town. The struggle to break free from their life in Annawadi and the varied forms that may take. The deck permanently stacked against them.

It was heart-wrenching. I couldn't put it down.

Sometimes I get too comfortable in my American middle-class world. Books like this help bring me up short, and remind me of all the privileges I enjoy every day. It was a reminder of my responsibility to use what I have to make the world around me better. Even if I can't help the Hussains, there are those within my sphere that I can and must help.

Content: There's some language, and Boo doesn't shy away from any of the situations faced by the Annwadians, from prostitution to suicide. For older teens and adults.

(Finished reading Nov. 29.)

2016 Reading Goals: How Did I Do?

This year has gone by so fast!  Yet here we are, ready for The Accounting. Hoo boy! Let's get to it!

Reading Goals for 2016:

1. Finish the last 3 classics from last year's goal, which was to read one classic/month.
I did it! (Phew! It would be a bit embarrassing to have to carry this goal on into 2017.)
Here's what I read:

* The Hunchback of Notre Dame, by Victor Hugo (February)
* A Girl of the Limberlost, by Gene Stratton Porter (March)
* The Enchanted April, by Elizabeth Von Arnim (April)
  What do you know? I actually didn't review it on this blog at all, only on Goodreads.
Here's the quick version: 4 stars: A quick, sweet read, reminiscent of L.M. Montgomery's books. The beautiful setting just helps everything right along!
* Keeper of the Bees, by Gene Stratton Porter (April)
Another only reviewed on Goodreads! It's a bit longer, so I won't reprint it, but you can go here to read it if you like.
* Crossing to Safety, by Wallace Stegner
   Although this one was more contemporary than the others, I saw several comments about it being a "Modern Classic." I'll take it!

Hey hey, better than I expected, thanks to Book Club (#'s 2 & 3) and Gene Stratton Porter!

2. Read 1 biography or memoir per month.

I was doing great up until this last quarter. In the past 3 months I haven't read a single one. However, I read plenty of extras in the first 3/4 of the year, so it balances out. I'm calling it complete!
I kept up on reporting this one throughout the year, so these links go to each quarter's recap, with reviews. In case you're interested, I've listed what's covered in each post.

January to March (5 titles)
* Life with Father, by Clarence Day
* Of Beetles and Angels: A Boy's Remarkable Journey from a Refugee Camp to Harvard, by Mawi Asgedom
* Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina, by Misty Copeland
* The Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, by Parley P. Pratt
* If a Pirate I Must Be: The True Story of Black Bart, "King of the Caribbean Pirates," by Richard Sanders

April to June (5 titles: the first 2 reviewed separately)
* The Last Season, by Eric Blehm
* Fearless, by Eric Blehm
* Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World, by Anthony Doerr
* Emma and Joseph: Their Divine Mission, by Gracia Jones
* The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates, by Wes Moore

July to September (4 titles)
* Escape, by Carolyn Jessup
* Triumph, by Carolyn Jessup
* The Girl with Seven Names: Escape from North Korea, by Hyeonseo Lee
* Follow the River, by James Alexander Thom

3. Last but not least, review every book I read in 2016.
I am behind on this one, but I will get it done...it may just be finished in January 2017, is all. I'm actually mostly caught up, except for what I read in December. It has taken me awhile to figure out the balance between reviewing everything here on the blog vs. reviewing on Goodreads, cross-posting, etc. I think I'm coming to a good place with that, though. So, here's to forging ahead with reviews!

* * * * *
I'm making my way up. Last year I was at 50% complete on my goals, and this year I'm at 66%. Improvement is good. Plus, I think I'm booting #3 off the list for next year. These aren't goals for reviewing books, after all. Getting that done will still be a priority, but it does not need to be a goal. So there. :)

Did you make any reading goals last year? How did you do?

This Year's Vegetable & Herb Garden

Just like every year, my vegetable garden is as much "learning experience" as it is bountiful harvest.

A few notes on what I did and what I want to do differently next time:

Spring Veggies

This year I got my spring vegetables in nice and early (3/26!) which was a big improvement from 2015. The kiddos planted their patches at the same time.

We put in lettuce, peas, spinach, beets, carrots, onions, and pototaes.

The peas were delicious!

We ate them by the handfuls in June.

The pruned plum tree branches as "pea sticks" (pea vine supports) were perfect.

(Pea sticks for ever and ever!)

Of the 3 varieties I put in, I couldn't tell you which was the best.

We gobbled them all up.

Every year I decide I should plant more peas and every year it is true.

We did plant copious amounts of butter lettuce (the seed package spilled...more than once).

So, as it turns out, I don't really like butter lettuce.

The kids would nibble at it from time to time, but mostly it just grew and grew until it bolted.

Exhibit A: I don't think lettuce is supposed to be this tall!

If we are going to grow lettuce again, I need to find a different kind that has more crunch.

Spinach and beets were a disappointment this year.

Something got to the leaves making the spinach virtually inedible.

I harvested some beets at the end of the summer, but have yet to use them.

I threw away one bag the other day and the second may be on its heels soon.

Better luck next time!

Onions, late July.

Onions weren't terrible, but didn't get nearly as big as last year's.

[Small onions make me grumpy.]

I picked more as I went along this summer and liked using them fresh.

Carrots were slow to germinate, as always, but I had enough patches scattered around that I ended up with a decent harvest when all was said and done.

As with the onions, I harvested these more as I went along this year, instead of all at once to preserve.

The flavor was fantastic, even eliciting a comment from my oldest about how vegetables you grow yourself always taste better than store-bought.

YES! Another gardener in the making!

Last but not least, let's talk about potatoes.

I put in 'Yukon Gold,' which are my favorite, along with 'Viking Purple.'

I planted them later in the spring this year--more towards the end of May--and didn't find any rotten hills at harvest. I'm counting that a minor success.

However, the harvest was small--really just a few potatoes per hill.

After a few years of trying the method of just planting the whole seed potato--1 per hill--I'm going back to what I used to do, which was to cut up the seed potatoes and put 4-5 pieces with growing eyes in each spot. 

Part of the smaller harvest could have been due to the soil up on the top terrace, since it hasn't been amended as much, so next year I will be rotating those to a different spot, as well.

We had eaten up the garden potatoes by late October, probably.

Summer Veggies

This year I put in tomatoes, yellow straight-neck squash, cucumbers, beans, and bell peppers.

With a very mild winter and spring this year, my tomatoes were planted extra early (5/14) and no, we were not surprised by a late frost. I could have put them in at the beginning of May, which is unheard of around here!

I did just 2 varieties this year: 'Cougar Red,' and 'Sun Sugar."

Not as prolific as some years--the summer was cool through July--but enough to make a few quarts of Roasted Garden Tomato Sauce to freeze, and some to eat fresh, too.

If I want to do salsa again, I'll probably need to plant twice as many.

Since the yellow beans are also pictured there above, I'll take a moment to talk about them.

I had grand plans to put them in anywhere I took out spring veggies, like I did last year.

Well, I got one patch planted and that was about it.

So our bean harvest was pretty minimal this year.

We enjoyed eating them fresh--I planted some each of 'Royal Burgundy,' 'Blue Lake Bush' (I think), and the Yellow Wax. We all liked the variety in colors, though I couldn't tell any difference in the flavor.

Yellow straight-neck squash.

One hill of squash was actually about right for how much we eat it--or don't, I suppose.

This little plant was prolific and didn't succumb to the powdery mildew problem of years past.

No real problems to speak of.

The 'Diva' cucumbers were great this year!

The kids and I couldn't get enough!

We ate them fresh nearly every day once they started coming on, sprinkled with salt and pepper.

Yum!

It's the simple things.

Bell peppers were a disappointment. Again.
[Why do I keep letting my kids talk me into planting them? I know better!]
If we get a greenhouse someday, then I will attempt bell peppers.
Out in the garden, they didn't grow much at all and the 2 or 3 tiny peppers that did grow didn't ripen.
Just need to be done with those in this climate.

Herbs

Pineapple sage grew like crazy!

I did not come close to using it up, though I did make some experimental Pineapple Sage Jelly.

As this one doesn't keep its flavor when dried or frozen, it will be an optional choice next year.

Fun for a child's garden, though, since the leaves really do smell and taste like pineapples.

This little oregano bush is the gift that keeps on giving.

I harvested it and dried it, but I still had so much from last year that I gave almost all of it away to friends. This picture shows it at the end of summer, fully recovered from harvesting and covered in blooms. Lately I've noticed that it looks pretty sticking up out of the snow, too.

Rosemary grew very well this year.

This picture shows it early on in the summer.

I did not get it harvested or dried like I had planned, but I did manage to use it fresh a few times.

The thyme at the bottom of the picture was from last year.

I did not get any of it dried, either.

Hmm...I'm noticing a theme here, sadly.

It flowered late spring, before I expected it to, and I did not get it harvested.

I supposed you could still dry it after it blooms, but I don't know.

I'll have to look that one up.

Particularly if it survives this cold, snowy winter this year.

* * * * * *

Overall, I was happy with the vegetable garden this year.

I didn't get an abundance of anything, really, but what we did get was eaten gladly.

Next year I may go crazy and devote an entire terrace to corn, or something.

My neighbor always planted corn and shared it with us, so I never saw a need to put in my own.

They moved this fall, though, (across town) so maybe 2017 will be the year of corn!

I'm thinking fewer varieties of spring veggies but greater quantities, as well.
For instance, garden onions are fine, but I don't love them.
That space could be used for peas!

The top terrace is wild and woolly, with strawberry runners going every which way, amongst herbs and even a volunteer tomato plant this year!
I will probably take the lazy way out and just let it do its thing again next summer, though I may pull out some of the parent strawberry plants if they're not producing much.

Even in a less stellar year, I still find the rewards of putting in a vegetable garden outweigh the effort and time it takes. As my son said, nothing beats homegrown for flavor!

Out With The Old in My "To-Read" List

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! We had a great time with extended family. Now that New Year's is coming up, I've started thinking about resolutions and goals and those types of things.

Something I've tried to do the past couple of years is to go through my "to-read" list on Goodreads about this time of year. I specifically look at the books that have been on there for 2 years. I used to have books on there for 3 or more years at a time, but I decided that was a little ridiculous.

I mean really, if I haven't cared enough about it to get around to reading it in 3 years, then obviously it is not a high priority. So it's got to go. Fish or cut bait, you know?  I mentally put it into the category of "If I run across this at the library someday I'll pick it up," hit that delete button, and move on with my life. In a strange way, it can be a relief--releasing myself from that obligation.

So after a few years of this plan, I'm now looking at the books that have been on the list since 2014. In a few short days they'll have been on there for 3 years. It's time. There are 14 of them. (Next year I will have my work cut out for me, as the bulk of my *cough* 190! *cough* "to-read" items are from 2015. Oh dear!) 

Part of the reason I haven't read many of them is because I'm a cheapskate, basically. My library doesn't have them and I haven't wanted to fork over the cash to buy a copy--especially since I don't know how much I'll like any of them. I'm weird that way. If I'm going to pay full price for something, I want it to be a book I already know I like and will re-read.

All right, here are my decisions--since I am certain you are dying to know!


1. The Lincoln Hypothesis: A Modern-day Abolitionist Investigates the Possible Connection between Joseph Smith, The Book of Mormon, and Abraham Lincoln, by Timothy Ballard

Available at the library? Sadly, no. Not that I expected it to be, since it is pretty Mormon-specific.
Amazon price: $12.99 (Kindle), $14.04 (Paperback)
Deseret Book Price: $11.99 (ebook) or both of Ballard's for $19.99

Decision: Off the list. While this title still sounds fascinating, there's a good chance that either my parents or in-laws already have it (or plan to purchase it), or one of my siblings. I'm all about borrowing books from family when I can! Or I may be able to find it on sale at some point on one of our Utah trips. I'm not going to forget I wanted to read this one. I'll pick up a copy when I get a chance.


2. Hope Springs (Longing for Home #2), by Sarah Eden

Okay, this one should really not have been on here for 2 years! I own an ebook copy! I just haven't gotten around to reading it, partly because the subject matter sounds heavy--feuding violence, among other things--and I have not been in the right frame of mind....or something.

Decision: Off the list already! I'll get to it when I get to it.


3. Babylon's Ark: The Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo, by Lawrence Anthony

Available at the library? Nope.
Amazon Price: $9.99 (Kindle), $12.77 (Paperback)

Decision: Tempting! What to do?

* * *
Okay, in the end, I'm taking it off the list. I'm sure I would enjoy it, but it's one I'll pick up if I run across it. I mean, 3 years on the list. That's a long time.


4. Rounding the Horn: Being the Story of Williwaws and Windjammers, Drake, Darwin, Murdered Missionaries and Naked Natives--a Deck's Eye View of Cape Horn, by Dallas Murphy

Available at the library? No.
Amazon Price: $11.99 (Kindle), $12.47 (New Paperback), $4.98 (Used Paperback with Prime free shipping)

Decision: Off the list. Seeing that used copy really made it clear to me. Five dollars is well within my risk profile for purchasing an unknown book. When I still hesitated, I realized that while this sounds like it would right up my alley, I can certainly live without it for now. Done! Off it goes!


5. As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride, by Cary Elwes

Available at the library? Yes! Wait, what?! They have an ebook copy? Since when?

Decision: I have now placed a hold on the ebook copy, so I'm going to delete it off my Goodreads list. Another one down!


6. Voyage of the Turtle: In Pursuit of the Earth's Last Dinosaur, by Carl Safina

Available at the library? No such luck.
Amazon Price: $9.99 (Kindle), $14.16 (Paperback)

Decision: I thought I remembered my sister-in-law had read this one. When I checked on Goodreads, she had, and she only gave it one star. I'm not going to pay $10 for a possible 1-star read. Off the list!


7. Twice Upon a Time (Half Upon a Time #2), by James Riley

Available at the library? Nope.
Amazon Price: $6.99 (Kindle), $7.99 (Paperback)

Decision: I read the first in this trilogy and really enjoyed it, then I actually found it at the thrift store! Score! So now do I get #2 (or 2 & 3--they're both the same price)?

* * *
Okay. I added them to my Amazon "Home Library Wishlist." Is that a copout? Yes, in a way.
I haven't given up hope of finding the other 2 more cheaply, but if I don't find them, I will suck it up and buy them at some point. Off the Goodreads list.


8. Kraken: The Curious, Exciting and Slightly Disturbing Science of Squid, by Wendy Williams

Available at the library? [Yawn.] No.
Amazon Price: $12.99 (Kindle), $17.28 (Hardcover)

Decision: Off the list. This is a book I would happily read for free, and it does still sound interesting, but I just can't bring myself to shell out $12 for a book about squid. So long, Kraken!


9. Dragon's Bait, by Vivian Vande Velde

Available at the library? No. (They only have 1 of her books! One! It's a disappointment.)
Amazon Price: $9.99 (Kindle), $13.95 (Paperback)

Decision: Off the list. I know that I like her books and this one looks good, but I'm not dying to read it. (Obviously! Since we're coming up on the 3-year mark!) I'll just keep an eye out for it. I'm sure I will snatch it up the next time I come across a cheap or free copy.


10. And There Was Light: The Extraordinary Memoir of a Blind Hero of the French Resistance in World War II, by Jacques Lusseyran

Available at the library? No.
Amazon Price: $9.23 (Kindle), $9.72 (Paperback)

Decision: Okay, I still really want to read this one! According to Amazon, this was chosen as one of the 100 Best Spiritual Books of the Twentieth Century. Oh, the choices!

* * *
I'm doing it. Paperback copy headed my way. Woohoo! (And hence, off the list!)


11. While Beauty Slept, by Elizabeth Blackwell

Available at the library? No, no it isn't.
Amazon Price: $7.99 (Kindle), $11.30 (Paperback)

Decision: Tough one! I enjoy fairy tale retellings and the price isn't bad. Thinking...

* * *
After reading several more reviews of this one, I'm going to pass. There's enough people who thought it was just mediocre that I'm not willing to buy it.


12. The Unhappening of Genesis Lee, by Shallee McArthur

Available at the library? No.
Amazon Price: $9.99 (Kindle), $9.48 (Hardcover), $9.99 (Paperback)

Decision: Off the list. Interesting premise, but I've read a lot of dystopian teen novels lately. I'm not ready to pay $10 for another that could be just run-of-the-mill.


13. The Deadly Dinner Party: and Other Medical Detective Stories, by Jonathan A. Edlow

Available at the library? No.
Amazon Price: $9.99 (Kindle), $16.00 (Paperback)

Decision: Off the list. I would read this for free in a heartbeat, but to pay $10 for it? Um, no thanks. I'll live without it, I guess. (We have discussed how I'm a cheapskate, right?) Besides, there's always #14 to decide on, too!


14. The Medical Detectives, by Berton Roueche

Available at the library? No.
Amazon Price: $11.98 (New), $6.77 (Used but with Amazon Prime shipping)

Decision: This looks so good! Can I justify the purchase?

* * *
Yep, I guess so, because I just bought this! (Last one, off the list. Yes!)


* * * * *

So, in the end, I purchased #10: And There Was Light, and #14: The Medical Detectives. Amazon had a promotion running to take $5 off a $15 book purchase. I also had a $10 Amazon gift card. Using both of those, my total was a little over $7 for 2 books I have wanted to read for 3 years now.
YES! I feel like a winner! :) 

* * * * *

What is your process for clearing out the old books on your "to-read" list? Do you even think about it? For some reason it helps my sanity to not have too many lingering on there forever and ever.

Cutting Garden Awards

It's time once again to look back at the growing season and figure out the best, the worst, what I would change and how I got lucky.

In other words, it's time to hand out some awards!

Most Prolific:

Cosmos

For the flowers that exceeded my every expectation: popping up in every part of the garden, and blooming like crazy. Thanks to the cosmos, I never had to worry if I would have enough blooms for a bouquet. There were always more than enough, with even more waiting in the wings.
Way to go, cosmos! You earned this.

The Royal Imposter Award:
Blooming Carrot

(that I first thought was Queen Anne's lace)

They are related and look a lot alike, but this one was still attached to the carrot.

Ha! Gotcha!

Barely There Award:

Bachelor's Buttons

If you parted the sea of cosmos and got down on your hands and knees, you might find a bachelor button...or two. If you looked in just the right spot.

Empty Vase Award:

California Poppies

These little poppies were so pretty, but somehow, I never cut them to put in a vase.

They were all that was blooming in the cutting garden at the time and I was enjoying the splash of color every time I looked up there. Also, their stems were very short!

No-Show Award

Here's looking at you, bunny tails grass, scarlet flax, and cut flower seed mix!

(Probably others I've forgotten about, too. I kept trying to fill in the empty spots, to no avail.)

That about wraps it up for the official cutting garden.

Of course, we cut flowers from the perennial beds, too, but they don't get special recognition.

Not a spectacular year (except for the cosmos), but a good learning experience. :)

What I've Learned for Next Year

I'm finding--once again--that I need an abundance of blooms to overcome my reluctance to cut them from the garden. When I know they'll last maybe 4 or 5 days inside, but possibly weeks outside, it's hard to mentally justify making the snip if there are just a few.

So, next year I plan to plant fewer varieties, but a greater quantity of each one.

Also, must not stop thinning those cosmos!!

* * * * *

Have you been successful growing a cutting garden?
Any tips for me?