Saturday, July 24, 2010

A most delightful day


Oh I often wish I had my camera, today was no exception. I spent the afternoon on the Tangletown Garden tour with my friend Arlys. We traipsed about by car from one private garden to the next enjoying what other gardeners have done with their space. I loved the variety.

One garden was blended with a neighbors and the north/south side of their houses was called "rusty alley". They had taken found objects otherwise left for disposal and used them in their space. Sewage and man holes as steppers, a old bed spring against the house crawling with clematis, used and left for forgotten pipes covered in vines, and other rusty pieces exploding with annuals. Sorry no pic, this was unbelievably cool.

At another location (one of Tangletown's owners) the garden was brimming with palms, annuals, exotic plants, a "moat" surrounding the back patio swimming with the LARGEST koi I have ever seen, fountains, and pots galore, and even a popcorn plant. I so want one of these, when you rub your hands through the foliage and then touch your nose it smells like buttered popcorn. No lie! (Blaise this is an annual here but I would see if you can grow it year round in Tx, it is so fun).

Another beautiful space evoked a sense of peace and well being Japanese style, beautiful paths, rocks, and Japanese inspired fountains. I was happy to have a chance to talk with the owner at this location when I noticed her overgrown lavender (I planted some this year and am hoping beyond hope that it returns next year). She planted it 4 years ago and has moved it three times since as it keeps getting bigger. YAH!

It was such a fun afternoon finished with a beautiful dinner on Arlys's patio. Her patio is another find and a great way to end the tour, it is filled with containers overflowing with succulents, flowering annuals, herbs, and other gorgeous rare finds (most of which were procured at Tangletown).

We grilled some amazing salmon and made this recipe from The Barefoot Contessa. A pic I found online is below but again, oh I wish I had my camera, our version looked much brighter and yummier than this(I think because we cooked the salmon rare and on the grill before we broke it up).



Bummer about the camera I wish I could share pics, suffice to share with you the beautiful time I had with my dear friend!

“A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are.”

Thursday, July 22, 2010

No affiliation to gardening whatsoever.



Just an opportunity to pedal tickets!
I am fighting again, did you know this? If you read this blog the answer is yes. Do you want to come and watch? If you love me the answer is yes! I am selling tickets, tell your friends, tell anyone that would love a fun night out at the Hilton downtown. (Blaise, the awesome community of friends has already purchased a table, bummed you and Bess can't be there though!)

Bring one, bring all, but buy your tickets through me, it makes a difference.
And revel in this poster that would not at all make you believe that I love my garden as much as I do!

I am training hard and that is why you haven't seen so much of my garden lately, those weeds are loving the opportunity to grow.

The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights. Muhammad Ali-

Monday, July 19, 2010

The gratitude garden- Thank you for the small stuff

This month the focus of my IntenSati series has been Acceptance. One of the things I have been teaching in class is that in order to move from judgment to acceptance we must focus on gratitude. The expression of gratitude always lifts our spirits and shifts us from whining and complaining, to...well...appreciation.

Sometimes I get wrapped up in how "big" the gratitude must be, but was gently reminded tonight when I read my mom's post that something so small as appreciation for warm, running water after a weekend of camping, can shift your perspective.

I tried this. I was exhausted when I arrived home tonight, easy to complain of my long day, my achy body, so on and so forth.

My hubby cleaned the house tonight.
My hubby got my chicken cooking on the grill so I could eat as soon as I got home.
My hubby watered the garden for me so that I could eat without rushing.

And appreciation is overflowing, so much so that I have the energy to share this.

Thank you Matt, I love you, you are awesome!


Who does not thank for little will not thank for much. ~Estonian Proverb

Share it all the big and the small, happier you will be, just you see.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

What a surprise

Ok I love Donna (aka Blaise) she offered this to me

Now, I find it interesting that you have not – at all- equated you fighting to your garden. I think there is something there??

She is right the thing that is most occupying my mind right now is my upcoming kickboxing fight August 7th (I have tickets so let me know if you want to come).
And it is curious that since it is taking up so much room in my schedule and my head, what a wonder that I haven't posted on it.

So here it is, just for my hot (in Tx) and bothered (by the government lines) friend:

What a surprise:
1. The US national kickboxing team petitioned me to join with them
2. I am coming out of retirement after 6 years to fight again
3. I am 35 and think I can do this again (the last time I fought I was in my twenties)
4. I am willing to put myself through the physical aches and pains of training
5. I am willing to put myself through the arduous process of cutting weight for said fight which means no ice cream and cheese burgers
6. I am able to handle a full bootcamp, private training schedule WHILE training myself for this fight
7. I actually BELIEVE I will win this fight!

This from my garden...


What a surprise:
1. I found this peanut growing out of my window box
2. I have never put a peanut in my window box
3. A PEANUT IS GROWING OUT OF MY WINDOW BOX
4. Peanuts can actually grow in Minnesota
5. Peanuts grow out of peanuts (I didn't know this)
6. This peanut actually somehow (still no clue on how it happened) ended up in my window box
7. And it grew!


(I took the peanut off the top of what was growing and put it behind in this pic)

Always mystify, mislead and surprise the enemy if possible.
Thomas J. Jackson


Hoping the peanut doesn't consider me an enemy, but safe to say the girl from Canada that I am going to beat should. OR if not an enemy at least a rival, and I have many surprises up my sleeve! COME AND WATCH

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Ladies of the lake

Another day at the lake...how lucky am I? I spent the day at Marilyn's cabin on Sugar lake. She is one of my beautiful swim swans that I teach twice a week. We drove about an hour north and arrived at her sweet cabin and had hours of entertaining conversation, (I would tell you about what, but you would never believe it)laughs, great food, wine, and yes, more laughs. I was hoping perhaps to get some answers to life as these swans have been around a bit longer than I (ages 62-80), funny though, Jane said, "Lisa it is so nice to have you hear maybe we can get some answers from you". So I guess that no one had answers, but we had plenty to discuss, 5 hours flew by in no time. It was so fun, my life keeps getting better and better!



Marilyn's cabin (this one really is a cabin and so cute) is 30 feet off the lake, almost on the water. It does feel like you are on the lake while sitting on the deck. When they had it built years ago, there was no specification of how close you could build to the shore line. These days your foundation must be back 150feet. So this place is special, and I just love that they built the deck around this tree rather than cutting it down. So great!



The ladies of the lake



So many amazing and colorful birds were fluttering around Marilyn's gardens, bird houses, and feeders. I saw a yellow finch, a hummingbird, and even 2 loons on the water. I heard one of them sing their lovely and entrancing song. And me? Well I am so blessed I am singing as well. So many great days in a row, I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.






A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.
Lou Holtz

Sunday, July 4, 2010

The fun of nothing

My father-in-law has quite a thumb of his own... so fun to be here and enjoy other people's gardens, knowing that mine was in good care with my little sis Ash on watering duty. Enjoy the pics of the lake and please note that the Van Ahn boys and girl(Sarah) were greatly missed on this trip. Matt is getting older and is still a complete rock star on the wakeboard. I love this man SO much!










We really had 3 days of doing nothing other than enjoying the lake, sun, our family, food, sleep, and a Star Wars marathon on Spike. Ahhh, more of this please!

There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want. ~Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes

The voice of nature

Matt and I drove down to his parents lake home (check: home NOT cabin) for the 4th of July. It has been a beautiful and relaxing 3 days so far, I love it here!




Yesterday I was out on a training run (5 miles with intervals) when a deer crossed my path. She stopped to stare, I did too. Then from behind the trees out popped two little fawns. So sweet. They stopped too, and there the 4 of us were, staring at each other. I waited until they decided to turn and run off, about 2 minutes later. And then I had a moment; (before I began running again) I looked around at the trees, caught a few butterflies out of the corner of my eye, and watched the fluffy white cotton tails of the fawns head deeper into the woods, I understood that all the work I've done in my gardens is just for this, to be able to hear nature. In this space all is quiet, serene, perfectly in balance, and inspired. Since I began digging in the earth, planting veggies, growing different varieties of perennials, I've learned so much; I've begun to listen again.

And yet, so much of my time is still spent in my hunk of metal car, on my computer, phone, listening to my ipod, buying products from stores that destroyed some part of nature so that I could own them.

I must remember these moments, because when I listen to nature everything is...well indescribable...you have to listen to it yourself to understand it and to feel it. One thing I know; I do not feel this in the presence of technology, and industry, only nature.

Rivers and rocks and trees have always been talking to us, but we've forgotten how to listen.
- Michael Roads