Back In The Saddle Again

...I hope! No, I have not abandoned my blog although you'd think so when noticing that I haven't had a new post in a month. Adding the extra steps of uploading my photos to Picasa, after first shrinking them so as not to take up too much space, then finally being able to put them on the blog has really put the brakes on my posting. But I am hoping to have finally overcome my resistance to the new regime.  My patient spouse, who is so much better at working with computers than I am, has helped me to learn to do these things and even helped me to finally customize the look of the blog a little bit. Probably not for the last time!
So, what have I been up to this past month? Seed starting! At last! Onions, shallots and leeks were planted on February 10 and are just beginning to pop up. After our big blizzard this past weekend, it is amazing how much seeing the little green sprouts has lifted my spirits!

HA! And after all the trouble of learning the new regime, I now find that Blogger is allowing me to add my pix the old way again. Shall I tear my hair out now do you think? Well, live and learn. Anyway, aren't those cute little onions a beautiful sight? I have all kinds this year, because I can never resist buying new seeds and I am trying to use up last year's too. I planted Prince, which did very well for me two years ago, Copra, Stuttgarter, Pontiac, a new- to- me variety called Varsity and Ailsa Craig. I have Redwing on back order, but if it doesn't come in soon it may be too late.
For shallots, I planted Prisma and Ambition. Last summer's onions didn't do too well for me, but the shallots sure did. And I planted Tadorna and Bleu de Solaize leeks. I'm sure you can see that I do like my alliums!

I bought some cheap dollar store storage boxes and used a wonderful hint from Annie's Granny, making drainage holes in the bottom using a hot glue gun. Thank's for the idea Granny! These are great for planting alliums in. I also planted two small containers with celery yesterday, Tango and Afina cutting. I started these last year too, but never got them into the garden. This year will be different. The celery takes about ten days to sprout.
Another thing I have been busy with is turning 60. While the actual birthday was last week, about a month ago D gifted me with a new ipad mini. It has been nearly impossible to get off of that tiny little portable computer since! I can check my e-mail, my facebook, read blogs, watch Netflix, get the weather, practise German, play mah jong games and read books all in the comfort of my lazy chair. Not necessarily good for my health or weight! Birthday week a group of close girlfriends took me to a ski resort in the Massachusetts Berkshires for the day and we soaked in hot tubs, ate and did what girls do best, talked, talked, talked. And on the weekend of the big blizzard my husband took me to Newport, Rhode Island to a lovely little inn downtown and we enjoyed the storm in the coziest way, until it was time to come home to a very snowy driveway and lots of shovelling.

Yup, that's me, looking very happy and comfortable. Wish my house looked so nice! Oh, and what's that in my lap? My little ipad companion!  I'm not sure how I feel about being 60 since it seems that only yesterday I was 40, but I have plenty to be thankful for, not least of which is friends, family and health. And starting those seeds! Blogger, it's good to be back!