tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37201037079547794752024-03-05T15:12:00.085-08:00little house in the desertDorithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16596738243891225053noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3720103707954779475.post-91070158117534698102011-09-11T21:49:00.001-07:002011-09-11T22:39:29.406-07:00What's New<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span>I have yet to take a picture of our new floors with the baseboards in, and the toe-kick in the kitchen. In the meantime, here's something else we've done. Remember the window we closed some 1.5 years ago? Well, it's finally serving its purpose now!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nRwuO2-6i5zwLsShLPDR0ROVAeRkMCdjNJPMgKyu0byx1pO0YF_VMJdoZA7aW59jrfSTmFRtxj42pC-yg8fQWPmrviUNuv5kUQ6Q2ugOnnSiXGx2orpJkyXVIVkHEc3X_Mar-RBU3JDd/s1600/niche.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nRwuO2-6i5zwLsShLPDR0ROVAeRkMCdjNJPMgKyu0byx1pO0YF_VMJdoZA7aW59jrfSTmFRtxj42pC-yg8fQWPmrviUNuv5kUQ6Q2ugOnnSiXGx2orpJkyXVIVkHEc3X_Mar-RBU3JDd/s400/niche.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651332496495587218" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Yes, it took a while to find shelf brackets that are small enough to fit a 4.5" deep shelves. We finally got them online. Now they can hold all of our ceramic creations, and a few other things.<br /><br />And then there's the squacumber:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnkAIFodzT6XcW192q83XdD-GsnoiDvyIuca6CLe3uwkkgeiCQ8bek1hUaiUJrvKyAxxB6J18DWVdmx4L1kBZ2W67bMLhXET-TMaAEyZDHPrO29pQ2rl32iGg3zzH4m8l-XwsEkSbjQh48/s1600/squacumberwhole.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnkAIFodzT6XcW192q83XdD-GsnoiDvyIuca6CLe3uwkkgeiCQ8bek1hUaiUJrvKyAxxB6J18DWVdmx4L1kBZ2W67bMLhXET-TMaAEyZDHPrO29pQ2rl32iGg3zzH4m8l-XwsEkSbjQh48/s400/squacumberwhole.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651332498098783458" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It was growing on the cucumber plants, that were right next to some acorn squash plants.<br /><br />When we opened it, it looked more like a melon:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMz2CvwPihXDhyao2qK4WYpqQWQ70Xu05r4Df56d_3JxTOBX-iBdLqX89IonAvvP_5OlKqAjlRSp5BpEPHzlKrIhI-nkY-ozwu3qg835uYKAEMT1unk91Z0KZJFLCWDk_T5_-BrbhbU8u/s1600/squacumbercut.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMz2CvwPihXDhyao2qK4WYpqQWQ70Xu05r4Df56d_3JxTOBX-iBdLqX89IonAvvP_5OlKqAjlRSp5BpEPHzlKrIhI-nkY-ozwu3qg835uYKAEMT1unk91Z0KZJFLCWDk_T5_-BrbhbU8u/s400/squacumbercut.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651332500689291218" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It tasted like a cucumber, but has much crispier bite.<br />I made a salad with some basil, also from our garden:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdYf-NDqaqAu0HEQjXp0CkRhpIOAmI42M4dXQwDLIdT39chi35Om6-zezusQZngB81qx-ROSkG6Ya0fXUdSBnS-V_bbLXDCgrmG_6e8c2BFKazOk1sKsVU0bpxjn2tR1MqPqWoeirEgOF/s1600/squacumbersalad.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdYf-NDqaqAu0HEQjXp0CkRhpIOAmI42M4dXQwDLIdT39chi35Om6-zezusQZngB81qx-ROSkG6Ya0fXUdSBnS-V_bbLXDCgrmG_6e8c2BFKazOk1sKsVU0bpxjn2tR1MqPqWoeirEgOF/s400/squacumbersalad.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651332503060878226" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It was good :)<br /><br />Almost forgot: the great gnome and plant invasion:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnw9kaSmFcr45G7hFwVThe1GlRiUUlZf8ooXZ4zni0GdVWcwAfE1MjIup_bvxbrKgQU1zHYv5FEiXEvn3WgOXkitlUFIIoPP02Akb3SwXTBYvsvke1xilo7m44nAUIgd1o8NSZGX1SPSRB/s1600/gnomes.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnw9kaSmFcr45G7hFwVThe1GlRiUUlZf8ooXZ4zni0GdVWcwAfE1MjIup_bvxbrKgQU1zHYv5FEiXEvn3WgOXkitlUFIIoPP02Akb3SwXTBYvsvke1xilo7m44nAUIgd1o8NSZGX1SPSRB/s400/gnomes.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651341539521392290" border="0" /></a><br /><br />They situated themselves near our front door, next to our new brick path. Here's a close-up:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKelrlCfZRKEVjeR4GLOS8jdjlH61Qicn_C5o7TGjM1qT8ESDcf3d6cQQoOuHaN5T8u-Q90T_JF-Gl3gCNPvH7WFhDHwtVjUpzlg21pGH0YZXwpMmPanqA99xNou-r6r1xqh33L54F6TA/s1600/gnomes2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 193px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKelrlCfZRKEVjeR4GLOS8jdjlH61Qicn_C5o7TGjM1qT8ESDcf3d6cQQoOuHaN5T8u-Q90T_JF-Gl3gCNPvH7WFhDHwtVjUpzlg21pGH0YZXwpMmPanqA99xNou-r6r1xqh33L54F6TA/s400/gnomes2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5651341543256549026" border="0" /></a>Dorithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16596738243891225053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3720103707954779475.post-77614786479946099902011-06-26T15:01:00.000-07:002011-06-26T15:18:21.822-07:00GroutWe are about half way through grouting. We started in the kitchen and dining hall, and then went into the hallway. We used an epoxy grout, so we don't have to seal it every year. But that means that the grout needs to be cleaned from the tiles immediately after applying it, otherwise the tiles will be covered with a shiny haze. The epoxy grout we use is Laticrete Spectralock in the sand beige color. It matches some of the shades in the tiles, and I'm very pleased with our choice.<br />Here's what it looks like in the hallway:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilM0QFdqSHFJgWy9bnJAaA6fI_aQsXRFZ3EcGlxrf7pDWEaIqW0MeFZIeNkfUld0n7Tl3jO87hjvVd217xatsLMpCIwyRCY58fhOtZvyvM7ITILuhrXAHUjQNQuU5heTeQ8-l-IiyM4JV5/s1600/hallway+with+grout.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilM0QFdqSHFJgWy9bnJAaA6fI_aQsXRFZ3EcGlxrf7pDWEaIqW0MeFZIeNkfUld0n7Tl3jO87hjvVd217xatsLMpCIwyRCY58fhOtZvyvM7ITILuhrXAHUjQNQuU5heTeQ8-l-IiyM4JV5/s400/hallway+with+grout.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622653855624952162" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The grout in the back of the hallway. Closer to you are non grouted tiles</span></span>Dorithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16596738243891225053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3720103707954779475.post-24775757270290479132011-06-12T22:32:00.000-07:002011-06-12T23:09:54.252-07:00Tiles!Since January we've been messing with the tiles. We already got the tiles we wanted before we started with the <a href="http://ourhouseinthedesert.blogspot.com/2010/12/destruction.html">destruction,</a> but we encountered a bunch of problems...<br />When we opened the tile packages we found out that the small tiles don't match in color with the bigger tiles. I guess the lighting at the store wasn't ideal, and we didn't think to look to hard into it, so we only found out later. That meant that we had to find small tiles that match the large tiles. We finally found some, after visiting a couple of Home Depots, and stared tiling. We knew that some of our larger tiles are also not of the same dye lot, but we thought they were close enough. Just in case, we thought we'd spread them around, so they'll blend in. Well, that didn't work so well... These tiles were too obvious. We tore them down. Destruction again. Ruining a couple of adjacent tiles while we were at it. Then we had to find 4 boxes to replace the different dye lot boxes. We found some that were of a different dye lot than what we were looking for, but thought they were close enough. We bought them, but still kept looking. We went to every single Home Depot in Tucson, and finally found 4 boxes of the exact dye lot at the farthest Home Depot in town. They were close to closing the store, and we couldn't take them right away, because we had to get a bigger car and return the old ones, but they agreed to keep them for us if we come early next morning. The next morning we had to bring the car to the body shop (to repair the damages of the accident Mark was involved in - at no fault of his own - in December). That meant that we had to take the van at night, put the tiles in it, drive it first thing the next morning to the other side of town, get the tiles, bring them home, return the minivan, and bring the car to the body shop by 8 am. BUT, finally we had all the tiles we needed!<br />So we continued tiling, a bit at a time, ripping some of the off when they weren't perfect, and about 3 weeks ago or so, we finally finished laying all of the tiles!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifOeOljeGdh1YTPP6kZPWIdsE1l7DVekjkKIXrCDrGyvkQtJr8c4FPuEiINeeJ9Jh5wwtj19QriftO4_8yME9Izbhd_ZHscrarSuKhx5-i-XR72o5XLWWys094jpf0XRng8r-FEixHrsN2/s1600/hallway+tiles+no+grout.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifOeOljeGdh1YTPP6kZPWIdsE1l7DVekjkKIXrCDrGyvkQtJr8c4FPuEiINeeJ9Jh5wwtj19QriftO4_8yME9Izbhd_ZHscrarSuKhx5-i-XR72o5XLWWys094jpf0XRng8r-FEixHrsN2/s400/hallway+tiles+no+grout.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617577402097103538" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">That's what the tiles in the hallway looked like before grouting.</span></span><br /><br />As you can see in the picture, we used a nice pattern - hopscotch - that combines 18" tiles with 12" tiles. Well, the small tiles are a tiny bit thinner than the larger tiles. That means that leveling them is not always easy. That's why they weren't always perfect, and sometimes we had to rip them off and put new ones... That also means that there's a lot of tile cutting to be done!<br /><br />Anyway, now we're in the process of grouting. It's very exciting to see the floor transform so much. first, it was nice to see how the concrete floor dresses itself up with tiles, then the cut tiles that filled in all the empty spaces by the wall came along, and made it look much nicer, and now, the grout just adds so much! Plus, it prevents little snakes from finding homes in the cracks in between the tiles (yes, we had a little <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbados_Threadsnake">threadsnake</a> invade our home)!<br /><br />[By the way, the tiles are porcelain Catalina Canyon by Daltile]Dorithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16596738243891225053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3720103707954779475.post-26801809069642580592011-01-06T20:07:00.000-08:002011-01-06T20:16:20.781-08:00Thinset RemovalAfter removing all the tile, we had to spend 2 whole days removing thinset. It was fairly easy to remove from the part of the floor that is covered with a vinyl sheet. Not so much (and that's an understatement) from the concrete.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnO4uwkWe_Tc2twsGpDCRGG3Av7RpOfTBD-blT9vrVnztyiR1PwmiF-lie-urqsgBRLib1oWMFYcfVKABvEkMWJfw-050PDYDXmwfnZBf5gorpdtksBaY-O8snpUe7a1AiWl5MQkStoyo/s1600/thinset.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnO4uwkWe_Tc2twsGpDCRGG3Av7RpOfTBD-blT9vrVnztyiR1PwmiF-lie-urqsgBRLib1oWMFYcfVKABvEkMWJfw-050PDYDXmwfnZBf5gorpdtksBaY-O8snpUe7a1AiWl5MQkStoyo/s400/thinset.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559291604998867538" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In the picture above you can see the part that we already scraped off (in the back) and the 16 ex-tiles we still have to scrape. It also shows some of the tools and protective gear we're using. You can imagine how sore we get after each day of doing this... I'm looking forward to start tiling soon!Dorithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16596738243891225053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3720103707954779475.post-31525312425689482892010-12-31T18:51:00.000-08:002010-12-31T19:06:51.412-08:00DestructionYesterday was arguably the coldest day of the year. Did we cuddle on the sofa with our Cuddlies and a nice cup of hot chocolate? No. The result of what we did you can see in the picture below.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4dOT3JZFATaRnDVylkOfJc2RT6k4rMt0455MNq8tu3J_U_GKoQv7-h9bpTD5CLj5VS_eSMD6iN1TYz078xe1v4RyyiIUqwe8paUmGYc13d4pxIhT5W-eJXCreGGk8S_oQpLL52rkiAnVt/s1600/tilesremoved.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4dOT3JZFATaRnDVylkOfJc2RT6k4rMt0455MNq8tu3J_U_GKoQv7-h9bpTD5CLj5VS_eSMD6iN1TYz078xe1v4RyyiIUqwe8paUmGYc13d4pxIhT5W-eJXCreGGk8S_oQpLL52rkiAnVt/s400/tilesremoved.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557045369628298466" border="0" /></a><br /><br />To be exact, that's actually the result of prior days of work. We started on Sunday, but it was kind of late, so we only got to remove 4 rows of tile, that is 48 tiles. Tuesday we removed a lot more: 140. Yesterday we removed everything else - that means another 184 tiles. As you can see in the picture, some of the tiles were laid on a vinyl sheet floor, which made it a lot easier to remove. There were some tiles that were almost impossible to remove, and instead we had to scrape them off, in a process not unlike carving in stone.<br />Needless to say, Mark did most of the work, but I also helped as much as I could. We got me a lighter drilling hammer (only 2.5 lb, as opposed to the 4 lb Mark was using) and I managed to remove with it quite a few tiles.<br />It was a long day of hard work, and it kept us warm. When we finally finished we were completely dusty and all of my muscles were exhausted. Just opening and closing my hand to a fist was painful. My left shoulder was crying for help. But after a good night sleep, all the pain was gone.<br />We now have a mountain of broken Saltillo tiles in the back yard. We'll see if we can do something with larger pieces - maybe use them as pavers.<br />We still have to scrape off all the thinset that was not removed completely with the tiles. Some of it is extremely stubborn. Hopefully we can finish that tomorrow, so our floor will be ready for some new tiles.Dorithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16596738243891225053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3720103707954779475.post-11408690299715806312010-12-19T08:32:00.000-08:002010-12-19T08:58:23.746-08:00Why So Quiet?It's been a long time since I last wrote about our work in the house. This is not because we haven't been working. Though we did slow down quite a bit, we also did accomplish a thing or two.<br />First, we finished the windows. After installing the windows, we needed to plaster around them, caulk inside and outside, prime and paint the plastered area. So we did that, and with the exception of the bedroom, where we still need to paint (the problem is the paint for the bedroom no longer exists! But we will paint it with a similar paint and pretend it was intended), we finished everything.<br />Outside, we needed to take care of the garden: remove summer plants and plant winter plants. We planted snow peas and sugar snap peas, spinach, kale, lettuce, artichokes, and maybe a few other things that I can't recall. The peas seem to be doing fine, but we'll see what else grows in the future.<br />We also bricked the path from the driveway to the house, where there used to be a large, dangerous blob of concrete.<br />In addition Mark did lots of relatively small projects, such as caulking around the roof to prevent crickets from getting into it, and adjusting the seat of the AC on the roof.<br />Back inside, we started painting the office, and we still have 1.5 walls left, but that can wait.<br />We are still in the process of deciding what to do with the floor.<br />First we decided to get rid of the Saltillo tiles and put something else. Then we realized that it will be a lot of work. So we thought maybe we can clean them. However, an expert tile cleaner came over and said the oil stains will not be removed. Well then, what's the point of cleaning? We decided again to rip them off. It's going to be a lot of work, but I don't think we have any other option at the moment. We have to decide what to put instead of Saltillo. One option was hardwood floor, leaning toward stranded bamboo. The other option is tile. At the moment we are seriously considering tile because it will probably be easier to install and be a lot cheaper. I also think it will befit the house better, because it already has lots of wood, and it's harder to match another one that will go along with the existing wood, without being exactly the same.<br />Hopefully the process will be done in a few weeks...<br />Now, about Saltillo tiles. These are non-glazed ceramic tiles that are intentionally uneven and non-leveled. They are supposed to be sealed every 6 months to a year, depending how used the area is, and how good the sealer is. Of course, our tiles were sealed with the worst sealer ever. It doesn't seal at all and is impossible to strip, which is what you're supposed to do if you want to remove the stains. If a peanut falls on the floor - it's stained for life. It is also easily chipped and cracked. Possibly the worst floor option one could ever make. It might look nice in the beginning - as all the visitors to our house indicated - but it's bound to look bad eventually - and eventually doesn't take long to arrive.Dorithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16596738243891225053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3720103707954779475.post-22650471521838626982010-09-20T22:49:00.000-07:002010-09-20T23:05:48.299-07:00Our first (and probably last) watermelonWe had many watermelon babies, but then, to our disappointment, they blackened and shrunk. Only one, probably due to the protection of the lettuce forest, grew to a significant size.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqhstLKFwV2TFn5tNF7YxPA5wSm_Od6dtMEv56f7FTzBqzL7BZLFyzh_j32qmtG9ClSu_CzVkR4goSJd9p28o0KYXTBEJKTil7AkEJRCjYyB6drQ7lPzbnNTcb5NLCjb51Nhm-yLvNktS/s1600/watermelon.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqhstLKFwV2TFn5tNF7YxPA5wSm_Od6dtMEv56f7FTzBqzL7BZLFyzh_j32qmtG9ClSu_CzVkR4goSJd9p28o0KYXTBEJKTil7AkEJRCjYyB6drQ7lPzbnNTcb5NLCjb51Nhm-yLvNktS/s400/watermelon.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519241704631977314" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It is very sweet, too.<br /><br />We are also enjoying the other veggies that manage to somehow survive the heat, though there aren't many of them...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wSbK8Ew0u-_C68I8gStIdoXG33YYTlbIC2a6vov-hFoTHdOHqmO2SaUJkxph8LOGMQCpEjaTdCd4mr_Br0IJC2yqlNbcJKFZ06_La4mqVMzoo-E8dz3ERdY3Um62eVQuTZQYvP9G6trQ/s1600/veggies.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wSbK8Ew0u-_C68I8gStIdoXG33YYTlbIC2a6vov-hFoTHdOHqmO2SaUJkxph8LOGMQCpEjaTdCd4mr_Br0IJC2yqlNbcJKFZ06_La4mqVMzoo-E8dz3ERdY3Um62eVQuTZQYvP9G6trQ/s400/veggies.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519241710328553250" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This picture is from a while ago, and it features some of our biggest veggies. The more recent tomatoes were the size of blueberries, as the plants withered, and by now they have completely succumbed to the heat.Dorithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16596738243891225053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3720103707954779475.post-5814920379171940932010-07-24T09:55:00.001-07:002010-07-24T10:39:15.388-07:00WindowsIn the last couple of weekends we've been working on installing the new windows got. We started on the weekend of the 4th of July - exactly one year after we moved in. Boy, do these things take time!<br />We wanted to install the windows much earlier. During the cold nights of winter (it does get cold here in the desert, you know) we could feel the coldness getting through single pane glass sheets of our metal windows. Zero insulation. Mark looked up dozens of window makers, and finally chose Clear Choice. On the day removed the window that used to open to the garage, the window person came and took final measurements and half the payment. Yes, it was on the 2nd day of January! He said it would take a couple of weeks. Then, when Mark called to inquire about it 3 weeks later, they said it would take another week or two. Then he called again, and they said "next week". Then he called again, and only got an answering machine. When he tried to file a complaint he found out that the Tucson office closed. We still wanted the windows, so we tried contacting the main office - no answer! Damn!<br />All of a sudden, dozens of complaints appeared on the BBB regarding Clear Choice. They weren't there before - all unhappy customers that didn't get their windows. We decided to file a claim on the credit card to reverse the charge for the windows. It took 60 buisness days, but we finally got our money back, since they didn't hear a word back from the window company.<br />Well, then we had to look for another window company. This time we went with Window World. It took longer than they said for the windows to arrive (about 4 weeks) than the time they said they would (2 weeks), but they finally arrived, as I said, in the beginning of July. Yeepee!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittRlI__4-AhhYMnxZ8VtWmugYyPfLdBOE6cZmkZ6asb8pyfvNFGjwyn1MCekU0Vth91HmJO2XWSP-s8uowlj-2MGS-yDIbIzyT7qxm2lYroXKeF8Hk2Cy8iFqQr_4vsJrlCQ7McgbAicv/s1600/windows.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittRlI__4-AhhYMnxZ8VtWmugYyPfLdBOE6cZmkZ6asb8pyfvNFGjwyn1MCekU0Vth91HmJO2XWSP-s8uowlj-2MGS-yDIbIzyT7qxm2lYroXKeF8Hk2Cy8iFqQr_4vsJrlCQ7McgbAicv/s400/windows.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497523578870317938" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Our new windows in the garage - waiting to be installed</span></span><br /><br />So every day on the first weekend we worked on one window. It's a lot of work: First you have to removed the old window, which is never easy - it is attached with nails that are not always in their designated holes. Sometimes there's more than one nail per hole. You have to scrape all the caulk and paint and other gunk that makes the window really stick to the brick. Then you have to carefully, without hurting yourself, remove the window (they're heavy!) and carry it away. The most time consuming part, though, is leveling the openning - scraping all the plaster, cutting the metal sheath under it in the upper part of the openning, and scraping off the bulging parts of the bricks. Next, you fit the window, make sure it's level, drill some holes, put some anchors, and screw it in.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ldFW5ZvwPA_OfG8T-diy8_qRxrWmhbg-Fc_-Lc7lLDZvheRM8avU338pCcZDxpW2lcW_b1kE2IGv8LXqOdt71xGDMoDAugupJ0NUp-SQxMkKQjZ5fGc2VzXKckiIB2bVhP90X86BEYp2/s1600/officewindow.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ldFW5ZvwPA_OfG8T-diy8_qRxrWmhbg-Fc_-Lc7lLDZvheRM8avU338pCcZDxpW2lcW_b1kE2IGv8LXqOdt71xGDMoDAugupJ0NUp-SQxMkKQjZ5fGc2VzXKckiIB2bVhP90X86BEYp2/s400/officewindow.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497523586782928610" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I didn't mention the ceiling fans we installed, ha? That was quite an achievement in itself, including permit requirements, running cables through walls, etc...</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmRSNzTbHRxiWDo-185yFzkPe_cmJ7sh-AgJxHCTwelz9yXUPWMXUYODZvKkRytZ-EeGNJZQQWNrRmrTp5GfHEW7aaLBWLtuOqM2N6X0XFU7P-FPBt6Eiq5GE7sO5LL_54B9AwGYweVnI/s1600/officewindowinside.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbmRSNzTbHRxiWDo-185yFzkPe_cmJ7sh-AgJxHCTwelz9yXUPWMXUYODZvKkRytZ-EeGNJZQQWNrRmrTp5GfHEW7aaLBWLtuOqM2N6X0XFU7P-FPBt6Eiq5GE7sO5LL_54B9AwGYweVnI/s400/officewindowinside.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497526648025899442" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Same window, from the inside - a lot better at keeping the heat outside!</span><br /></span><br />Finally, insulation and caulking. We finished 8 out of 9 windows in 2 weekends! The last one is a tiny bathroom window, so it doesn't count :)<br />Oh, but we still have to plaster. Again! Will this ever end???Dorithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16596738243891225053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3720103707954779475.post-31640165920461460612010-05-23T21:50:00.000-07:002010-05-23T21:56:29.358-07:00The Enchanted Lettuce Forest<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Hd-rFW08CWY4RMl8wdY1mZy_KwtxxwhZki0o-v7KgGKTDorySvRVUXLaG3engOTfJbrhAzVLrMgFH56vNxG9E86fKEmHXF_iSzcE4z_Q_uaOKJTTymxYxeAuCaH4iu70Ahz8msrEU7Cy/s1600/lettuceforest.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 377px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Hd-rFW08CWY4RMl8wdY1mZy_KwtxxwhZki0o-v7KgGKTDorySvRVUXLaG3engOTfJbrhAzVLrMgFH56vNxG9E86fKEmHXF_iSzcE4z_Q_uaOKJTTymxYxeAuCaH4iu70Ahz8msrEU7Cy/s400/lettuceforest.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474694815507393458" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This picture was taken a week ago. Since then a major deforestation event took place (the fennel forest was uprooted as well, and basil was planted instead). We still don't know what will come instead of the lettuces and the spinach.<br /><br />Cilantro is next on our uprooting agenda.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiXFgagROsAQ-mpo4_G5kqRIxwFf_FOUJpkf0WLuHveKASdojzFpMx0YlOpm5MpQg0JY4Wy7aVaz7Gik6zlgdU5eWpWUhiExWngxjdCwpfNcxnxeyJoDz5u2OgmTNPPnuRfxvvQps_du0J/s1600/cilantrointhedark.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiXFgagROsAQ-mpo4_G5kqRIxwFf_FOUJpkf0WLuHveKASdojzFpMx0YlOpm5MpQg0JY4Wy7aVaz7Gik6zlgdU5eWpWUhiExWngxjdCwpfNcxnxeyJoDz5u2OgmTNPPnuRfxvvQps_du0J/s400/cilantrointhedark.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474695016512500098" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It seeded and is now dead. The seeds were collected, and we will plant a few of them soon.Dorithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16596738243891225053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3720103707954779475.post-60475402994123408422010-05-02T10:35:00.000-07:002010-05-02T11:10:24.683-07:00Small Projects in the KitchenOur kitchen is mostly done by now (as you'd expect!!), but it's still not completely done. That will only happen years from now, when we've replaced the tiles (well, I hope it'll be sooner than that, actually, and more about the tiles some other time - it's a LONG story!). But in the meantime we've managed to do some things, like install all the cabinet doors, install the cabinet hardware (you know, drawer pulls and little knobs. Other projects took more time, like the AC vent that comes out of the over-the-range cabinet. Last time you saw it, it probably looked like this:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqWGiPvf6xOZZwThCW4grTXNOi-Ach0v7doSIAd39mc6IQsyGlw1X3OKVKEYzbtw050w99rpopsboW38ZoMpAR5GEWKPZ7Bo9KPgry5kxslfVlzt3ovxzumd8xjTUQKEwJEZqieh78W67/s1600/microwave.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqWGiPvf6xOZZwThCW4grTXNOi-Ach0v7doSIAd39mc6IQsyGlw1X3OKVKEYzbtw050w99rpopsboW38ZoMpAR5GEWKPZ7Bo9KPgry5kxslfVlzt3ovxzumd8xjTUQKEwJEZqieh78W67/s400/microwave.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466730070864823954" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We had to cut the door on the right side to fit under the shaft. We also put some boards around the shaft, so we can later attach the grill onto them:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9QCQPlWNHHCIY6b6IVH1ts0Z2nU6NRBAhjETggjDfxTijUuOax2Sj_qn8kVZAw12mYMQAIZy-4Pr66Zm7NOr-5ELgFQI1krp2W9CJxDOKmc-rzGHsJvFCQEr3YHDjZYFo732uU9fs6mlK/s1600/acventbefore.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9QCQPlWNHHCIY6b6IVH1ts0Z2nU6NRBAhjETggjDfxTijUuOax2Sj_qn8kVZAw12mYMQAIZy-4Pr66Zm7NOr-5ELgFQI1krp2W9CJxDOKmc-rzGHsJvFCQEr3YHDjZYFo732uU9fs6mlK/s400/acventbefore.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466730079026290434" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >You can see the doors and knobs here, too!</span><br /><br />Then we had to paint the grill, because, for some reason, they only come in white! (or some ugly brown, but not for the size we needed). Spray-painting is much harder than I thought. You have to apply just the right amount to cover everything, but not too much to make it run. I can't say I succeeded, but since it's hanging up above the microwave, it looks mostly fine:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjGhsAFiflB2iQnxSN-grG3qjhb6_S9tF8nACibbYZnC08op25DNxbKlK6Yxmb7PtFoMMtlz5q6UkL-8tbS1IJp7u2t9hFxjCXDLs_Tc6QvDyhbO-rnnFSl6wW2J3HFNBXIahdWCfz19g/s1600/acventafter.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjGhsAFiflB2iQnxSN-grG3qjhb6_S9tF8nACibbYZnC08op25DNxbKlK6Yxmb7PtFoMMtlz5q6UkL-8tbS1IJp7u2t9hFxjCXDLs_Tc6QvDyhbO-rnnFSl6wW2J3HFNBXIahdWCfz19g/s400/acventafter.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466730079381268770" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Besides that, we also installed lights, and now our kitchen is a lot better lit! We replaced the little fluorescent light in the kitchen that was hanging perpendicular to the kitchen layout, thereby not lighting a lot of the counter space. Instead we got a much longer fluorescent light that hangs parallel to the kitchen layout, and lights up most of the kitchen without much help from any other light.<br /><br />We also removed the old '50s-style chandelier that was hanging in the dining hall:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLn8kfnW_MdoKi1v7dVdZnHHEI-huTmKYyZ8CyevagOEzECqQKpPnJjLAijxsl-U2DKPEbCVYA0TysSJ9STqza4H3H16P39UREqbhyphenhyphenRHr-o1gHEbnVU5oIiUyK6LXKPtK60vOru2ikO4l2/s1600/dininghalllightold.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 294px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLn8kfnW_MdoKi1v7dVdZnHHEI-huTmKYyZ8CyevagOEzECqQKpPnJjLAijxsl-U2DKPEbCVYA0TysSJ9STqza4H3H16P39UREqbhyphenhyphenRHr-o1gHEbnVU5oIiUyK6LXKPtK60vOru2ikO4l2/s400/dininghalllightold.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466736428070425298" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And instead put an oil-rubbed bronze chandelier, that goes nicely with the ceiling and our kitchen faucet and cabinet hardware:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgEokSZodmXpnf3TnDEcf9U_vlF62SrYcT7UxHG7xenqi5V5gbDI3IsptdGp9m7G95dsULaPXHGje8YQclm9YgDyTj0oxNhNmzpZYXMOm_wpUkWrUvrP_33Expo7xhPKMREQziwJ7nDjj/s1600/dininghallight.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgEokSZodmXpnf3TnDEcf9U_vlF62SrYcT7UxHG7xenqi5V5gbDI3IsptdGp9m7G95dsULaPXHGje8YQclm9YgDyTj0oxNhNmzpZYXMOm_wpUkWrUvrP_33Expo7xhPKMREQziwJ7nDjj/s400/dininghallight.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466730088653834354" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">With fluorescent light bulbs, of course!</span></span>Dorithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16596738243891225053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3720103707954779475.post-80484765593632150522010-04-19T19:59:00.001-07:002010-04-19T20:09:54.740-07:00Garden SnippitsLast weekend we had our first fennel! It was ginormous!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7e0tn1mba0Il2_8VSTP6UR1ESfLUrU_q1FOTrnVFHWcx9OP8CNRf_GFRIqdo34zpFudrvjw_hG9zz-igSX-ma-3v8OC_iBmZtE9H6H4UEXe5bbJQBLQsr0wo1SzUkK_KtkdCZ_mEPvR0/s1600/fennel041010.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7e0tn1mba0Il2_8VSTP6UR1ESfLUrU_q1FOTrnVFHWcx9OP8CNRf_GFRIqdo34zpFudrvjw_hG9zz-igSX-ma-3v8OC_iBmZtE9H6H4UEXe5bbJQBLQsr0wo1SzUkK_KtkdCZ_mEPvR0/s400/fennel041010.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462049363419615986" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I roasted it with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It was good, but a bit on the dry side. Next time I will try roasting it covered up.<br /><br />This weekend we noticed that the persimmon has flowers! Lots of them, too! They are very pretty:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPud9IvePVPH1DvL-nWdrp04_s_wM7ljSao9s8tQCJ2UteW5X5FcC8JkATXklNkO-eJU6OFXRFnkCnjAT4VOI8hA0aj0WAcZ2mhMIwAn6s6JIm8VJgCaZ5jjGqul8Ys55l0NqEoccrR1Zp/s1600/persimmonflower.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPud9IvePVPH1DvL-nWdrp04_s_wM7ljSao9s8tQCJ2UteW5X5FcC8JkATXklNkO-eJU6OFXRFnkCnjAT4VOI8hA0aj0WAcZ2mhMIwAn6s6JIm8VJgCaZ5jjGqul8Ys55l0NqEoccrR1Zp/s400/persimmonflower.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462049368916413634" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In addition, we transplanted the plants in the greenhouse. Unfortunately the artichokes did not survive the heat when we left the greenhouse closed during the day we went to Tempe about a month and a half ago. Some of the tomatoes were affected as well, as were the eggplants, but most of them seem to have recovered. Especially recovered are the tomato plants that got transplanted on the weekend of April 2nd.<br />We also planted some herbs (lemon verbena, mint in the backyard, rosemary in the front yard), cucumber seeds, melon seeds, and some sunflower seeds. The melons were planted where the peas used to be - I can't believe we still have some fresh peas! They don't taste quite as good as the earlier ones, and they are the last ones, but we have more that we froze.Dorithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16596738243891225053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3720103707954779475.post-32557263816708814002010-03-23T19:40:00.000-07:002010-03-23T19:49:11.970-07:00Spring!You can tell Spring is really here:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEaEavdMSMOsP_w312X8oxenBB1JdRu-mUD0mNBXpXCQDYzvAKcfv-2lP9p-W7S_Y7OpEr353fByIp_kp-8lt_-XIGyesQkEvqcujSl206PJZNIEyo_wkeovMycbl9IOJa7GdaS7-Y5rG/s1600-h/figleaves.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEaEavdMSMOsP_w312X8oxenBB1JdRu-mUD0mNBXpXCQDYzvAKcfv-2lP9p-W7S_Y7OpEr353fByIp_kp-8lt_-XIGyesQkEvqcujSl206PJZNIEyo_wkeovMycbl9IOJa7GdaS7-Y5rG/s400/figleaves.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452025540691044594" border="0" /></a><br />New leaves on the fig tree!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnraynnQ9CC2mV-rJfNxazGzr0EeC9qn4o6BfKl8uHUY6kfP2jZZysNGtRciry9zN_hza3QoUK6yivchIAyPZlOXkTykI7PbdnkWcaoMkakf1JhhA0M4EaUvOGyju5MOih3pjqFoSte2zk/s1600-h/firstfig.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnraynnQ9CC2mV-rJfNxazGzr0EeC9qn4o6BfKl8uHUY6kfP2jZZysNGtRciry9zN_hza3QoUK6yivchIAyPZlOXkTykI7PbdnkWcaoMkakf1JhhA0M4EaUvOGyju5MOih3pjqFoSte2zk/s400/firstfig.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452025541768429202" border="0" /></a><br />Our first fig!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjqbwD8pD0H-7UtGPxZoldhKLGulD2ZyCcq4Ef607Kqfe9GMvaRd6wLA0VcfXEUQb9VueHlYne8-Ux57x1sF_MdSYeiTlVVo6FsAQ7T8k1f8YIA0U5ChuzzemkGN9z4u6KNItE4rXD-7-/s1600-h/grapefruit032210.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjqbwD8pD0H-7UtGPxZoldhKLGulD2ZyCcq4Ef607Kqfe9GMvaRd6wLA0VcfXEUQb9VueHlYne8-Ux57x1sF_MdSYeiTlVVo6FsAQ7T8k1f8YIA0U5ChuzzemkGN9z4u6KNItE4rXD-7-/s400/grapefruit032210.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452025557868949122" border="0" /></a><br />New growth on the grapefruit tree!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSO88sx3SZvYlvqo205Nhfi_87wckty-gwSA0TWS1pI6lCqnNzktrVQAoMgFRU5pn3TRe2W2YNDxteyaaI6LfFgYQDCy3qY6QiFLhN8yR0ttxyplWyKIwSvL8h9s8zLH-PrpijtwUDjSu/s1600-h/perssimon+032210.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSO88sx3SZvYlvqo205Nhfi_87wckty-gwSA0TWS1pI6lCqnNzktrVQAoMgFRU5pn3TRe2W2YNDxteyaaI6LfFgYQDCy3qY6QiFLhN8yR0ttxyplWyKIwSvL8h9s8zLH-PrpijtwUDjSu/s400/perssimon+032210.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452025558729607122" border="0" /></a><br />Leaf buds on the persimmon tree!<br /><br />This past weekend we almost finished preparing the summer garden for planting: dug another bed, for a total of three, and installed part of the irrigation. We also planted the thyme in a smaller bed, to which mint and lemon verbena will be added at a later date.<br /><br />Finally, we planted some summer wildflower seeds in the front yard. Hopefully, we'll have a colorful summer!Dorithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16596738243891225053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3720103707954779475.post-38044477887362529142010-03-14T19:14:00.000-07:002010-03-14T19:45:14.621-07:00Greenhouse Plants, Etc.Last week, when I took these pictures (I know, I'm lazy), our garden turned 4 months old. It has provided us with many peas, arugula, mustard, and spinach. Actually, it was a lot more arugula and mustard than we could handle, so we took them out. Plus, they had tons of aphids. It was neat to see some biological control agents coming to the rescue - ladybugs, parasitoid wasps - but I took them all out. We really didn't know what to do with all that mustard, and the arugula, when not young and tender, is too strong for my taste. We also had arugula and mustard, as well as endive in the mesclun salad mix, so we took them all out, finding little lettuce plants struggling for some air and light. Well, they have plenty of both now!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXBcHdEzaVx5r8CVrDf_vjluoVEmZJd2sswhyphenhyphen5-CUD-1OUivOBwYvgvEq7-Su-FcbHb35p254sADtLSAmIoFvSkIipq9ASgOIT3viZD2-ON4HgmLfskddJcNtOptJElAN3JDr7WwhtANj/s1600-h/garden4months.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXBcHdEzaVx5r8CVrDf_vjluoVEmZJd2sswhyphenhyphen5-CUD-1OUivOBwYvgvEq7-Su-FcbHb35p254sADtLSAmIoFvSkIipq9ASgOIT3viZD2-ON4HgmLfskddJcNtOptJElAN3JDr7WwhtANj/s400/garden4months.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448680416519807730" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The area between the struggling lettuce and the green onions, where the arugula and mustard were, now features little lettuce babies, planted 2 weeks earlier:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1FP47Iq_DWKt_vfCX4R1qTiMBYT1ikgfRIcH3ILwm18zb9FkmBCL3QfmS3g4bfU-q-u6UZdbXVn2lY1Jr1fA2tWGS9AdQQ0bdv-vNU1eK9ui8pemArDwBa-K6AaNFJMRIkg9iyEmsBle/s1600-h/lettuce.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1FP47Iq_DWKt_vfCX4R1qTiMBYT1ikgfRIcH3ILwm18zb9FkmBCL3QfmS3g4bfU-q-u6UZdbXVn2lY1Jr1fA2tWGS9AdQQ0bdv-vNU1eK9ui8pemArDwBa-K6AaNFJMRIkg9iyEmsBle/s400/lettuce.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448680890533002002" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The greenhouse plants are doing pretty well too:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY1uNze8GjV8I6jITQGh8tbVbNnBcIblBrSaeoVuiQFrNmd8SXlogW8MDfABDO5vnBREYLnZULLZV7yh_uAy3B3ul5TvJKMv-zTBIqqD7MCHgw1RcbiPiHUCxim68wXb3ONuuKogjnv2gk/s1600-h/greenhouseplants.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY1uNze8GjV8I6jITQGh8tbVbNnBcIblBrSaeoVuiQFrNmd8SXlogW8MDfABDO5vnBREYLnZULLZV7yh_uAy3B3ul5TvJKMv-zTBIqqD7MCHgw1RcbiPiHUCxim68wXb3ONuuKogjnv2gk/s400/greenhouseplants.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448680898258944034" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Four artichokes, 8 bell peppers, 2 eggplants, and the rest are various varieties of heirloom tomatoes. </span></span><br /><br /><br />Even though we didn't really have any below-freezing days since I built the greenhouse, I like to believe that the greenhouse helped these plants grow. As I mentioned before, these pictures were taken last week, and now they are even bigger. Plus, we also purchased another pepper plant and a thyme plant from the Tucson Organic Gardeners Sale last Sunday. As you can see, some of the seeds didn't sprout - 2 of our Taos tomatoes and 3 of the bell peppers. We resowed them yesterday. We also removed most of the doubles and triples to leave a single seedling. The recommendation is to transplant them sometime between mid to end March. I think we will wait until they're a bit bigger to do that, though 2 of their beds have been ready months ago.<br /><br />Yesterday we dug another little bed for some more herbs we are planning to grow: mint, thyme, lemon verbena, and anything else that will strike out fancy.<br /><br />If you are interested in spinach, parsley or cilantro, let me know - we have way too much!Dorithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16596738243891225053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3720103707954779475.post-13472703065232034672010-02-07T20:53:00.000-08:002010-02-07T21:10:31.717-08:00GreenhousetteYesterday, while Mark was fixing the skylights, I finished building - all by myself! - the little greenhouse we're going to use to grow seeds. I started last Sunday, when I built the frame, and yesterday I painted and attached the plastic sheet and the hinges:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP0VOwQLl0HtOhNhpbN6vcUBuo2dQSaMRrRYmZG35EaK2nIKTouCsy9F0GYkB7eeappfWjrbVZUrFjOGOgofux3BUvyr4sthfKGiyOlnCFXlwT5Ujn1-YNQuZezps2LnyV8x9gkRhNn_7y/s1600-h/greenhouse.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP0VOwQLl0HtOhNhpbN6vcUBuo2dQSaMRrRYmZG35EaK2nIKTouCsy9F0GYkB7eeappfWjrbVZUrFjOGOgofux3BUvyr4sthfKGiyOlnCFXlwT5Ujn1-YNQuZezps2LnyV8x9gkRhNn_7y/s400/greenhouse.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435732446092959314" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I'm happy to report that the greenhousette passed its first rain test - it rained a lot this morning, and yet the greenhouse was unharmed (albeit very misty).</span></span><br /><br />The longest dimension is about 2', and it's only meant for holding small pots with seedlings. I planted some today - artichokes and bell peppers. We're also supposed to get seeds of seven heirloom tomato varieties in the mail. I can't wait to taste them!<br /><br />This is what it looks like open:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_oUqHK72TtAmdtAnzxLvEk-izkOqcFIWqCvw9VO9axiwW0WQpXDqAT1NF8W_forhgkKBTKj5hFyZryivFilkFopDNikjFjqvCP_QLloYpUXrn_Kyyw-trZ1AIS7GKT6ki-D3F5rwgngMl/s1600-h/greenhouseopen.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_oUqHK72TtAmdtAnzxLvEk-izkOqcFIWqCvw9VO9axiwW0WQpXDqAT1NF8W_forhgkKBTKj5hFyZryivFilkFopDNikjFjqvCP_QLloYpUXrn_Kyyw-trZ1AIS7GKT6ki-D3F5rwgngMl/s400/greenhouseopen.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435732457681987026" border="0" /></a><br /><br />You can see how the sugar snap peas are going wild. Here's a picture of the main winter garden as it reaches the ripe old age of three months:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaqIdR1zKJ-i8X0UoPmKLcX-ffYvc9BAbfjBHO7climY-emNWxf-GgeLhjdBzaBToyQgQ9x5DYJbNK1lzFNriWQYxJewqIE7g5gBJZ7GNpl0sNX8SvElqdz5pqZtHSe6AtS4FzHOHPMur/s1600-h/garden3months.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaqIdR1zKJ-i8X0UoPmKLcX-ffYvc9BAbfjBHO7climY-emNWxf-GgeLhjdBzaBToyQgQ9x5DYJbNK1lzFNriWQYxJewqIE7g5gBJZ7GNpl0sNX8SvElqdz5pqZtHSe6AtS4FzHOHPMur/s400/garden3months.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435732466742365362" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The empty-looking part in between the mustard greens and the fennels occupies the green onions and leeks. I sure hope they will grow some more...</span></span><br /><br />And this is not all of the peas I could have picked (it was getting dark):<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG8sqcTmF-aVe6iMN_Aj8Js7osjy46e5l-zv9Y8_8ygRr8Z-yrq-ZnfEQ_gUIwVKpZjMhRLwXFtEqvi1c9sJ5-S3xKHZ1zPHAzpPUHH-IR0g7i43A3_RYPyYxqfck33AKUaQDGuZnzNwx2/s1600-h/peas.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG8sqcTmF-aVe6iMN_Aj8Js7osjy46e5l-zv9Y8_8ygRr8Z-yrq-ZnfEQ_gUIwVKpZjMhRLwXFtEqvi1c9sJ5-S3xKHZ1zPHAzpPUHH-IR0g7i43A3_RYPyYxqfck33AKUaQDGuZnzNwx2/s400/peas.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435732467823853490" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Peas Now! [snow peas on the left, sugar snap peas on the right]</span></span>Dorithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16596738243891225053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3720103707954779475.post-22531415144894062792010-01-31T20:39:00.000-08:002010-01-31T21:06:41.976-08:00Lots of Diggin' and A Compost BinThe past week we spent the evenings digging till our backs broke and our arms would put Marge Simpson to shame.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxTB0WFa052UORgZ_zhvdilwN8AzABmSwgnfjUl_aJqyOSbXBZ4JAluGYvFuWAx3hRBtHSIo0obiLDSlvbxgsYKR97V8mvdv_-B7rCj1FIZa-yh8cM3A5_Tz1lpeMdieQpZAp9FAinZBZ/s1600-h/margestrongarms.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 109px; height: 301px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxTB0WFa052UORgZ_zhvdilwN8AzABmSwgnfjUl_aJqyOSbXBZ4JAluGYvFuWAx3hRBtHSIo0obiLDSlvbxgsYKR97V8mvdv_-B7rCj1FIZa-yh8cM3A5_Tz1lpeMdieQpZAp9FAinZBZ/s400/margestrongarms.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433131840920749602" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Apparently, Marge was into body-building at some point (more specifically, during an episode called "Strong Arms of Ma"</span><span style="font-style: italic;">)</span></span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyYcAcjFqijaui9RnB6_GuDg4V8PmY8LLA4ue6Pd3afKN95CAZjiC4Tj1ErxdJQ944_qLK28cLoz_pGDWh1n34bbDwI3z7PStPxKubLRA0oRV1aD4Y0X1aLPrRfAdlHaUZ-FZhc6q8EP5/s1600-h/mainwaterline.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyYcAcjFqijaui9RnB6_GuDg4V8PmY8LLA4ue6Pd3afKN95CAZjiC4Tj1ErxdJQ944_qLK28cLoz_pGDWh1n34bbDwI3z7PStPxKubLRA0oRV1aD4Y0X1aLPrRfAdlHaUZ-FZhc6q8EP5/s400/mainwaterline.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433131858999738322" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">This is not a WWI battlefield... it's our front yard, with the main water line exposed.</span></span><br /><br />The reason we were digging so much is that our drain clogged. Since we'd have to bring a plumber to unclog it, we figured we might as well also prepare for the replacement of our old, rusty main water line.<br />We're having some trouble with the permit issuance for that, so we'll have to wait with this project a couple of days, but we did get our drain fixed. Lloyd came Thursday morning, in the pouring rain, and put his snakey machine through the hole in the drain, that we exposed the night before:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPaW0oSLcT2xQlsQbsEKV5yYfRpQRMsnBf3APYzCbIDCzWUID_cSjSGcl6jLpN9owfjxXwUJEJuLfQxjm6trE2ZUfB182XcYSk-nlaBpNgndxwipYJs-HU0QZGQIWl7CO0lD4otNY9hMfG/s1600-h/drainhole.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPaW0oSLcT2xQlsQbsEKV5yYfRpQRMsnBf3APYzCbIDCzWUID_cSjSGcl6jLpN9owfjxXwUJEJuLfQxjm6trE2ZUfB182XcYSk-nlaBpNgndxwipYJs-HU0QZGQIWl7CO0lD4otNY9hMfG/s400/drainhole.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433131854200936194" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Unfortunately, the hole is right under our herb garden. Poor chives, they suffered the most, and they're still so young and tender, you can barely even see the ones that were spared. Yes, they're in between the parsley and cilantro (coriander).<br /><br />And now for something completely different:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3cDg577BzhUkD0FXprw9-nx4sR7oUzXAi0Tf1r8_l5iEyUmYy3jMprW0Fm5hCBajvJTPXsZ0DXb_z_WjqncckbIED3WeqA6eLsmCPwGuSgXYqzbi3EEFb6l3icXnz4QTc8dy7_R4XIPHc/s1600-h/compostbin.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3cDg577BzhUkD0FXprw9-nx4sR7oUzXAi0Tf1r8_l5iEyUmYy3jMprW0Fm5hCBajvJTPXsZ0DXb_z_WjqncckbIED3WeqA6eLsmCPwGuSgXYqzbi3EEFb6l3icXnz4QTc8dy7_R4XIPHc/s400/compostbin.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433131849340393522" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We started piling our kitchen and garden scraps back in December or late November. But the pile was getting so big, we had to do something to contain it. So we built this 3-faced compost bin out of wood and chicken wire. The extra green is from our mustard bed - it's been going wild, and so have the aphids, so thinning was unavoidable. Encouragingly enough, I did see a ladybug too, so there is at least some measure of biological control.Dorithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16596738243891225053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3720103707954779475.post-30481594029025195632010-01-29T21:43:00.001-08:002010-01-29T22:02:03.964-08:00Plastering and EatingTwo weeks ago we started plastering the bricks on the closed window. Then we ran out of plaster. We had enough for 3 layers of plaster mixed with sand, but not enough for the last layer of pure plaster, for a smooth finish. So we finished that a week later. Now all we have to do is prime, paint, and put some shelves. We'll see how long that'll take...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZq5L8RNSKvF6UVFyjoMs9a-k1nYCXYSHqXTXff_oQe1eLeuf5IUmqlxlujXyCdEXZI4hP0xb-sytRS8wFOAYSG9OpOi1Ffp3OzhY59JEZqQpkG-zpLVEYaQOA6GZr8DlIP6q2o3G5ZZj/s1600-h/plasteronclosedwindow.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyZq5L8RNSKvF6UVFyjoMs9a-k1nYCXYSHqXTXff_oQe1eLeuf5IUmqlxlujXyCdEXZI4hP0xb-sytRS8wFOAYSG9OpOi1Ffp3OzhY59JEZqQpkG-zpLVEYaQOA6GZr8DlIP6q2o3G5ZZj/s400/plasteronclosedwindow.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432406370697026370" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The same day we finished the first few layers of plaster, Mark made this pizza:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisf8KFJ715TP3ncaXMA72DduFYhvb1OIFg1lc7ft2f9CYRgvHwFUQQvZHdYJzXJYkB_uLeITwj73nCw7Ac-ZOWpF9qvRBqg9uR8r3uEMQna6h0qaNadpGgqF567_oK_iA1IwDa1pDOjvSk/s1600-h/spinachfromgardenpizza.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisf8KFJ715TP3ncaXMA72DduFYhvb1OIFg1lc7ft2f9CYRgvHwFUQQvZHdYJzXJYkB_uLeITwj73nCw7Ac-ZOWpF9qvRBqg9uR8r3uEMQna6h0qaNadpGgqF567_oK_iA1IwDa1pDOjvSk/s400/spinachfromgardenpizza.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432406375434478242" border="0" /></a><br /><br />He made <a href="http://dorit-mostlybreads.blogspot.com/2009/03/greek-pizza.html">this pizza</a> many times before, and it's always delicious. But this time it was extra special, because he used spinach from our garden! And homemade yogurt! Yum!<br /><br />And last week we had our first crop of snowpeas!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilGwg45ERQxzHaVh7uBVir-jc0FF61Vgt3G7FUiC_qp5w1P0u0vzT0AcEchhvTxvJlkOsl1sjBr1DI7gn7Usg8s09Lb0cO5Ry8x9KKJD7Y3fGQqmLgCES7mBxwewHOgwby0LDhkS_MuaBk/s1600-h/snowpeas.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 290px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilGwg45ERQxzHaVh7uBVir-jc0FF61Vgt3G7FUiC_qp5w1P0u0vzT0AcEchhvTxvJlkOsl1sjBr1DI7gn7Usg8s09Lb0cO5Ry8x9KKJD7Y3fGQqmLgCES7mBxwewHOgwby0LDhkS_MuaBk/s400/snowpeas.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432406381182874450" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The yummy green pods went straight into our <a href="http://besidesbreads.blogspot.com/2008/09/not-yucky-and-no-soba.html">yakisoba</a>! Yum!Dorithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16596738243891225053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3720103707954779475.post-63415529320547210372010-01-06T21:52:00.000-08:002010-01-07T21:38:50.036-08:00Windows XP Removed(XP stands for Extra-Professionally)<br /><br />Our house didn't use to have a garage, but a carport. Sometime along the way the carport was converted to a garage, but the windows to the dining area and the bathroom remained. This is not up to code, according to our inspector, so we have to remove the windows and brick them up. We decided to do it now, because we are also getting new windows, and they will cost $450 less if we remove the old windows ourselves. The window that needs to be bricked, is therefore, the practice window -we can see how it goes, and decide whether we would like to pay someone else $450 for the pleasure or not. Turns out it's not so difficult! Sunday Mark removed the window in about 1 hour, and that included finding hidden nails, and dealing with the fact that the window didn't open all the way, because of the garage door tracks that run across it. Now that we know there are nails on both sides of the window, and as all other windows open all the way, it should take less time per window, we hope. The window person, who came to measure the windows, was very impressed!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWcGvAoLImcoVzzxObGeLRW7shyXe_JB3xHgyn8dTdGKhcBAWpAu-pTMoXZEnHHc47sekADNX9nT3An4UNlYOI8q1PZWuxA6_jL1MHSDyc5cBvswueMEIKkDpY5TZLq05eNfOsJpe9JdZ/s1600-h/window1.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWcGvAoLImcoVzzxObGeLRW7shyXe_JB3xHgyn8dTdGKhcBAWpAu-pTMoXZEnHHc47sekADNX9nT3An4UNlYOI8q1PZWuxA6_jL1MHSDyc5cBvswueMEIKkDpY5TZLq05eNfOsJpe9JdZ/s400/window1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423889641849804914" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Mark bangs on the sides of the window to loosen it up.</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6hUo4-6yghD_6kkO8sa5FU4U2wNFHkVhOnhDzu6FdqVP0nDj8_qDI1qEbS1Tk2TAXRTOPr9zQWkBLXNDL6SweoXohE5Uq2uOKXIwpm5VJR4N6R6G_Scc3zPYbOHA0-pVxi2dM_pL0uGSB/s1600-h/window2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6hUo4-6yghD_6kkO8sa5FU4U2wNFHkVhOnhDzu6FdqVP0nDj8_qDI1qEbS1Tk2TAXRTOPr9zQWkBLXNDL6SweoXohE5Uq2uOKXIwpm5VJR4N6R6G_Scc3zPYbOHA0-pVxi2dM_pL0uGSB/s400/window2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423889645409502002" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">All the nails are out, and the window can finally be pulled out.</span></span><br /><br />Next, we had to brick it up. But first we had to find bricks. We wanted to use burnt adobe bricks, to match the rest of the house. You'd think it would be easy to find in Tucson, but no. The new adobe bricks are made differently - they're more stable - and the one place that sells them, although they said they have bricks with a color that matches - was too busy to help us. We finally found a place that sells burnt adobe way out west - Walter's Wholesale Mesquite. They mostly sell firewood, but they also have adobe bricks of various sizes. We wanted 4" wide bricks, so that we can have a little niche for built-in shelves -- the house bricks are 8" wide. We got 50 of them and started laying them. Six hours later:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy-HWFr7M-Wa3ITdQx8_2zN30XtCSI7BDT6kiy7ZbzJO8DuE7A4WFwUKm9Lr1JxYvY_gjyvOcxFl3tvyjCXm6ZMiiiJnLQGFODHoj2uhGpZm5jxWgkuCNNkBfYubGqpNnV59XW-Fq18Krg/s1600-h/window3.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy-HWFr7M-Wa3ITdQx8_2zN30XtCSI7BDT6kiy7ZbzJO8DuE7A4WFwUKm9Lr1JxYvY_gjyvOcxFl3tvyjCXm6ZMiiiJnLQGFODHoj2uhGpZm5jxWgkuCNNkBfYubGqpNnV59XW-Fq18Krg/s400/window3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423889657417801426" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Mark reinforced the bricks with reinforcement bars drilled into the bordering walls. It was already 11 pm and we ran out of sand, so we had to close the rest of the window with some cardboard and continue the next day.<br /><br />Monday, 8:30 pm, after acquiring more sand and cement, we started again. Five and half hours later (yes, it was 2 am when we were finally done!):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkmspS1frcL-FB6kkm2Lht9TppVOpIDA1pyhrZxjax71teEfHe1AEzR5GgnA8qWKzwBwzNK0q71wx5h-cCL13Ki1WPu5_l9SGEPbKIfTTJNtPCwSu316eak7CM3Q8T7qoJi7a89dNTUYg/s1600-h/window4.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkmspS1frcL-FB6kkm2Lht9TppVOpIDA1pyhrZxjax71teEfHe1AEzR5GgnA8qWKzwBwzNK0q71wx5h-cCL13Ki1WPu5_l9SGEPbKIfTTJNtPCwSu316eak7CM3Q8T7qoJi7a89dNTUYg/s400/window4.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423889664819205186" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">From the inside: the bricks will be painted, and shelves will be hung to show our smaller ceramic creations.</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ7echDYQ3S9MoOdY-QCB0-VDPTMLXAB5U3obbRQC88A7Ukvjtx-5VgrkixeLCwpAieBUEPi5ENXiRRQELqX-kMsYZ7kodxDywFWgAlSsJlAOUFx4qgd1zjLYedr2xsKCsATsnuPHPmw9V/s1600-h/window5.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ7echDYQ3S9MoOdY-QCB0-VDPTMLXAB5U3obbRQC88A7Ukvjtx-5VgrkixeLCwpAieBUEPi5ENXiRRQELqX-kMsYZ7kodxDywFWgAlSsJlAOUFx4qgd1zjLYedr2xsKCsATsnuPHPmw9V/s400/window5.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423889673493991250" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">From the garage side: as you can see, the garage door tracks didn't make it any easier laying the bricks in the last couple of rows. Also, not that the new brick sizes are different - they are shorter both in length and height than the original bricks. </span></span><br /><br />And on a different note: On Sunday our garden veggies turned 2 months old:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjqLzoqagP9AsDAztDMTUFByihfc5kJFgrxxd5uw2MJ9nNRnEz7odY8kuS_xixhNjs_PHhzkOFC-08Jz5xeqnAuOCrtRiEmcTKbU8cuxSfZ703mOQng0zqsqp-4Y158rK_mQISSN7Pwqaj/s1600-h/veggies2months.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjqLzoqagP9AsDAztDMTUFByihfc5kJFgrxxd5uw2MJ9nNRnEz7odY8kuS_xixhNjs_PHhzkOFC-08Jz5xeqnAuOCrtRiEmcTKbU8cuxSfZ703mOQng0zqsqp-4Y158rK_mQISSN7Pwqaj/s400/veggies2months.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423889807340228210" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The snap peas are blooming!</span><br /></span><br />Copious amounts of mustard, arugula and salad greens result in a lot of greenery ending up in our meals.Dorithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16596738243891225053noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3720103707954779475.post-63578515113952177942009-12-21T20:19:00.000-08:002009-12-21T20:38:42.276-08:00GroutWe finally grouted the new tiles in the kitchen. We first had to clean them and then soak them really well with water, so that they don't absorb all the moisture from the grout and make it dry too quickly, without letting it stick. The reason it took us so long to get to this stage, is that we first thought that we'd seal the tile before grouting. We thought that if the tile is not sealed, it will absorb the grout that would inevitably land on it, and so get stained. But we then realized that if the tiles are soaked, the grout can be cleared pretty easily off of them while it's still wet. So we finally did it, and it took us two nights. Last Tuesday we did the part under the oven and by the sink:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiluQqkprh2aSqfGuI9wItl3VT73lXWZ3jYeG7WEkylO4D4r74XR8cqAiNdyx-EASQDAb8BXRilTd2EBzOL4zZT-pMW_JIpN5jXq7iFOjhaFt4Yb5Tq9KksTPNbW20O8lGXkbzicLMaiwK/s1600-h/groutunderoven.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiluQqkprh2aSqfGuI9wItl3VT73lXWZ3jYeG7WEkylO4D4r74XR8cqAiNdyx-EASQDAb8BXRilTd2EBzOL4zZT-pMW_JIpN5jXq7iFOjhaFt4Yb5Tq9KksTPNbW20O8lGXkbzicLMaiwK/s400/groutunderoven.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417912264253358210" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And also the part under the fridge (on the right):<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMbvZJLdpZXsAGLg2rjDvysALR_R8n_3g1BfuONt217SWN1oTMB6UTOEfkz9ly4GVQBr0SyoH871W8YG4GQg2ITt9SkyZwMzYsE10xOl7fzUp4fQQIx7cY9aSWcCLh7z6DZMmQpnpE3AyW/s1600-h/groutunderfridge.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMbvZJLdpZXsAGLg2rjDvysALR_R8n_3g1BfuONt217SWN1oTMB6UTOEfkz9ly4GVQBr0SyoH871W8YG4GQg2ITt9SkyZwMzYsE10xOl7fzUp4fQQIx7cY9aSWcCLh7z6DZMmQpnpE3AyW/s400/groutunderfridge.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5417912260311050754" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We finished the rest on Wednesday night, including all along the cabinets.<br /><br />I'm glad we ended up not sealing the tiles before grouting. The grout does leave something on the tile, but it makes it match the old tiles, which were probably also not sealed before grouting. The difference between old and new tiles that was obvious before, all but disappeared after grouting. Of course, the old tiles are way dirtier... We'll need to scrub them with ammonia and then reseal them, but we'll do that only after we seal the new tiles under the oven and fridge, and then move the oven and fridge - finally - to where they're supposed to be. And we can only do that after the tiles and the grout are completely dry.<br /><br />Grouting was mostly done by Mark. My job was to get clean water and clean the buckets. This was not fun: I had to wash the bucket and sponges in the cold water outside, where the temperatures dropped to somewhere in the 40s, plus a chilly breeze... Brrrr... I'm glad it's done!Dorithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16596738243891225053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3720103707954779475.post-54469443859945748752009-12-05T17:48:00.000-08:002009-12-05T17:55:38.885-08:00Guess What! Our Oven is in the Middle of the Kitchen Again!Yes, we had to move it and now it's blocking the access to one of the cabinets, not to mention making our kitchen even smaller.<br />But we got the tiles laid out under where it's supposed to be:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKbObZBQwwujhoCAfNVyEzlsIZFc2C0fqQ3TPSUmZfIi9CGFxuHyezpflrpM51iydkAbAaC4G_XjsUN3D9Ku-oG1ON4fb3NATpvVs8xw-q-5q9T6y5kYKX25Rhy-YhmHc7wCuQHAIzOXsC/s1600-h/tileunderoven.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKbObZBQwwujhoCAfNVyEzlsIZFc2C0fqQ3TPSUmZfIi9CGFxuHyezpflrpM51iydkAbAaC4G_XjsUN3D9Ku-oG1ON4fb3NATpvVs8xw-q-5q9T6y5kYKX25Rhy-YhmHc7wCuQHAIzOXsC/s400/tileunderoven.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411935219780541954" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We also got a lot of little pieces laid out right next to the cabinets. Sometimes as narrow as less than an inch! We couldn't have done that without the wet saw that Mark's dad gave us! Here's a picture of it in action:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKN3zF-3RmkxCG12Di_ymbqKn7UMZTHXX6crXOGNu_YtPKQhTGH2D5B-0NGhqrj_1ROqVZXIrIZRYoI4GmGdJKgJ_Jx4HdBCbd4ocxXxFpCsiqFDoKCCE3-nGfyVqOHyhVQwNziBOagCH/s1600-h/tilecutting.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKN3zF-3RmkxCG12Di_ymbqKn7UMZTHXX6crXOGNu_YtPKQhTGH2D5B-0NGhqrj_1ROqVZXIrIZRYoI4GmGdJKgJ_Jx4HdBCbd4ocxXxFpCsiqFDoKCCE3-nGfyVqOHyhVQwNziBOagCH/s400/tilecutting.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411935223141145778" border="0" /></a>Dorithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16596738243891225053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3720103707954779475.post-13170367366725576232009-12-05T17:42:00.001-08:002009-12-05T17:48:18.170-08:00Our Veggies are 1-Month Old!They turned 1-month on Thursday, which is when I took these pictures:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9EVJmHlifT0Y8Fz1qF6uu0npVD_bhwXSFpVIz16i-pFxprSDH9PZXzpGI-QO53siDWFDaNtnJC4IMcFK6JsCzYDwn0Gs7awxgfQN3-TxS2dzlMsT59lYMwnsEnRXoRfYIkrKCmuUXXem/s1600-h/veggies1month.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9EVJmHlifT0Y8Fz1qF6uu0npVD_bhwXSFpVIz16i-pFxprSDH9PZXzpGI-QO53siDWFDaNtnJC4IMcFK6JsCzYDwn0Gs7awxgfQN3-TxS2dzlMsT59lYMwnsEnRXoRfYIkrKCmuUXXem/s400/veggies1month.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411932966004886386" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Don't they look great? On Sunday we put the first string for the peas to climb on.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSiIB-GbtuFbiOMynOORQt6psOtSu1VOQCxn0SWTg3dcXqVEe3GYF6Tb7IMXvmv36jS2cWiGXQ6_Gl3JrihIDKfKf2u5qNckvwXav2sKf0ffWWFXSY3TMrXtbVgOFkDtM5dPmdFPrfdK-R/s1600-h/mesclune1month.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSiIB-GbtuFbiOMynOORQt6psOtSu1VOQCxn0SWTg3dcXqVEe3GYF6Tb7IMXvmv36jS2cWiGXQ6_Gl3JrihIDKfKf2u5qNckvwXav2sKf0ffWWFXSY3TMrXtbVgOFkDtM5dPmdFPrfdK-R/s400/mesclune1month.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411932961674157026" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Our little mixed salad bed. Tomorrow we will thin them out and have a delicious salad!</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RRgEX0ZcUoAUeWwpiY7JSugIc0Vg-cUmBzaMmlqERAsICOslXCVzCflgfHdu-CXE4bi9u1N4bXdzpcEN5iTiIwey68E8WUO6qrwQ5CK3bSkNe-JfAj7tEA1dnniP2PWMWW1FSnhyphenhyphenXdy8/s1600-h/fennel1month.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RRgEX0ZcUoAUeWwpiY7JSugIc0Vg-cUmBzaMmlqERAsICOslXCVzCflgfHdu-CXE4bi9u1N4bXdzpcEN5iTiIwey68E8WUO6qrwQ5CK3bSkNe-JfAj7tEA1dnniP2PWMWW1FSnhyphenhyphenXdy8/s400/fennel1month.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411932954755371586" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The fennel is starting to look like fennel!</span><br /><br />Also, last night was freezing, so we had to cover the fig tree. Hopefully that helped.Dorithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16596738243891225053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3720103707954779475.post-75768388496400180202009-11-29T16:51:00.000-08:002009-11-29T16:56:12.034-08:00Tile RedoingToday we redid almost everything we did yesterday. Yes. It's sad, I know. But Mark found that the tile wasn't set very tightly on the floor, and decided to take all but 4 pieces off. Indeed, these 4 tiles were the only ones that didn't come off way too easily. So today we got some thin set and tried over. It seems to have worked better than the cement, but we'll see. Hopefully we won't have to do it yet again.Dorithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16596738243891225053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3720103707954779475.post-85551039242858333072009-11-28T19:34:00.000-08:002009-11-28T19:55:14.006-08:00Kitchen Floor Tiles!!We finally got to work on our kitchen floor. You see, until today, our floor looked like this:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE_cmpqvHNqJsJ6MbbOvd1X4IwWElQXmNkpD2mZurwcwR_IGfD1tNiSme-xEaNJ87GC3uIJLU23oq855jYte9-395b3XUOcK3CPkS7w0tTVAxRSgLoDL2ABeuJ0CaAfgPqbRnG6YX3aarM/s1600/tile1.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE_cmpqvHNqJsJ6MbbOvd1X4IwWElQXmNkpD2mZurwcwR_IGfD1tNiSme-xEaNJ87GC3uIJLU23oq855jYte9-395b3XUOcK3CPkS7w0tTVAxRSgLoDL2ABeuJ0CaAfgPqbRnG6YX3aarM/s400/tile1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409364379866388290" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This is because there used to be cabinets over there. Now the corner will house the refrigerator, which awaits patiently in the dining area. Some of the other tiles we had to remove because they got damaged. It's very easy to get them damaged - you don't have to even touch them. But don't get me started on Saltillo tiles - which is what these tiles are. Suffice to say that if you ever consider installing new floors in your house, do yourself a favor and do NOT install Saltillo tiles. Any other floor would be better, I assure you. Anyway, we prepared the floor by removing the tiles and parts of the grout, and now they're ready to accept the new tiles. First, set them up, to see if they look okay:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDlHhfyJDAe8j3pUcMZRfecQuMBTb756_2TQa7pFZ7B8VPy-xhWhjcayi2NmkBSjMSn-8sp_a-BR5Mfdh_mXb158XQm8ODLjiNjpz5SDN78TdHG26rtVsfxnXghQ8wmi29wOYoRz3-RjpN/s1600/tile2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDlHhfyJDAe8j3pUcMZRfecQuMBTb756_2TQa7pFZ7B8VPy-xhWhjcayi2NmkBSjMSn-8sp_a-BR5Mfdh_mXb158XQm8ODLjiNjpz5SDN78TdHG26rtVsfxnXghQ8wmi29wOYoRz3-RjpN/s400/tile2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409364382796794162" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Now, attach with mortar. We got some cement, and at first tried to use it mixed with sand. Didn't work - it dried out too quickly, and was too tough to squeeze out from under the tile. Since the tile is not flat - neither at the underside nor at the top - you have to make adjustments with the mortar, so soft mortar works better. This is why we had to remove what we started, and do it over, this time without any sand, just straight cement. We found that the tile also needs to be completely soaked, otherwise it would suck up all the water from the cement and dry it out really quickly. Well, this is what it looks like now:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qCB3LPZJSqU55gEbxKDKYydMFfISvU6EFBA38H8QfBed8A6UYzMp2INsYQOBb-_MveiIoICGjMG6fL3Kpw33caT8bIWMQHCW4s4t9CW51-xufNyQoepUYnvD9enxezup0ncQNqdbrHB3/s1600/tile3.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qCB3LPZJSqU55gEbxKDKYydMFfISvU6EFBA38H8QfBed8A6UYzMp2INsYQOBb-_MveiIoICGjMG6fL3Kpw33caT8bIWMQHCW4s4t9CW51-xufNyQoepUYnvD9enxezup0ncQNqdbrHB3/s400/tile3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409364389052948114" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Now we need to wait for it to dry, which should take 1-2 weeks or so, seal it - since it's unglazed tile - and grout it. We also have to do the part under the stove, because the stove is now standing were there used to be cabinets.<br /><br />When we were done with the tile, we went to the garden and thinned our mustard greens. From the thinning, I made these open sandwiches:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Q0p15EZKP0HVYJYsTbtZGBrBUsrzupmUwTQT0ToYnIryJHStUVAcUtCKGsp-Ytl5bs4Udd8N2kPnts14vZ7qApAiWtG-fJOJJn1z7KQO5HoYNawoJCX0VyKY3EsEbFP7TEhs8MTyx3i_/s1600/mustardleafsammies.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Q0p15EZKP0HVYJYsTbtZGBrBUsrzupmUwTQT0ToYnIryJHStUVAcUtCKGsp-Ytl5bs4Udd8N2kPnts14vZ7qApAiWtG-fJOJJn1z7KQO5HoYNawoJCX0VyKY3EsEbFP7TEhs8MTyx3i_/s400/mustardleafsammies.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5409364393551839234" border="0" /></a><br /><br />They were good! Mustard greens have a distinct flavor that I like. I tossed them with some balsamic vinaigrette and put them on some lightly toasted bread, topped them with some avocado salad (avocado, diced tomato, toasted walnuts, lime juice, garlic powder, salt), and finished with some crumbled feta. Our first garden crop was delicious!Dorithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16596738243891225053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3720103707954779475.post-75287261162180785022009-11-22T18:14:00.000-08:002009-11-22T18:26:05.992-08:00Growing Veggies IIHere's how much our veggies have grown in a week! Cool or what?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3He9bP-r36ZbNg8UuU7KxdwUx_m2WtO6FiOuZGiXCfZmMb4LRUwpmPEeKqAm9onyPOZ8v1OIddg3iPzYN_wpHAyEOfA9-LCHDsMLpLet3gLEEA_gDDd294twhrCe3yBVOfBnChcZqGuYE/s1600/veggies112209.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3He9bP-r36ZbNg8UuU7KxdwUx_m2WtO6FiOuZGiXCfZmMb4LRUwpmPEeKqAm9onyPOZ8v1OIddg3iPzYN_wpHAyEOfA9-LCHDsMLpLet3gLEEA_gDDd294twhrCe3yBVOfBnChcZqGuYE/s400/veggies112209.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407119219148570626" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And the mesclune leafy greens are starting to look like a salad mix!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1YQNXs0NQGlKlxris1o-UAbdrh98qlhVrONPaHgSP6E1uL7p77AfVvxeE2pTdHl2W_RqjPpTBYhnErDZINIsxTUElCbqOBBQbXp6HcKCsrh_xZU4HEWnh_Z1erCHXMSs0wq4l_fA6gI7B/s1600/lettuces112209.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1YQNXs0NQGlKlxris1o-UAbdrh98qlhVrONPaHgSP6E1uL7p77AfVvxeE2pTdHl2W_RqjPpTBYhnErDZINIsxTUElCbqOBBQbXp6HcKCsrh_xZU4HEWnh_Z1erCHXMSs0wq4l_fA6gI7B/s400/lettuces112209.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407119225653408098" border="0" /></a>Dorithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16596738243891225053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3720103707954779475.post-67930786941062783022009-11-22T10:14:00.000-08:002009-11-22T10:33:00.253-08:00Growing VeggiesWhile visiting in Israel I heard that our peas came out, and also some of our lettuces. I couldn't wait to see them! It was so much fun to see green in our little veggie beds!<br />The following pictures are from last Sunday.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUHQEXYWCHIESYtakSd9T3svMRUaBSkegY13-hIuC6OGSASwZTTOD7zPXax1yivuAz3Hsp6pb6hDkoePb4IrMuiyZhPb2ZMLRtAtDmTJUGs7Iw1iOnhUJ1_ZezhXu5WppE0aWDwa5ZuvNb/s1600/peas111509.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUHQEXYWCHIESYtakSd9T3svMRUaBSkegY13-hIuC6OGSASwZTTOD7zPXax1yivuAz3Hsp6pb6hDkoePb4IrMuiyZhPb2ZMLRtAtDmTJUGs7Iw1iOnhUJ1_ZezhXu5WppE0aWDwa5ZuvNb/s400/peas111509.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406996610820157714" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Our peas</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_W5mQYx_wob7Q2QKaCp8vl6qjBRsTQXyIrHwxmeH8e-8F4tVk5QpMZyjkua9RGo3U0m3_tTmx12PeS4s9JMVP1DpOpkCcxOvhTj6pSIa8UHrewLo_thyphenhyphen62tmB8bQUuHRxbFCscxgqDOx/s1600/peacloseup111509.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_W5mQYx_wob7Q2QKaCp8vl6qjBRsTQXyIrHwxmeH8e-8F4tVk5QpMZyjkua9RGo3U0m3_tTmx12PeS4s9JMVP1DpOpkCcxOvhTj6pSIa8UHrewLo_thyphenhyphen62tmB8bQUuHRxbFCscxgqDOx/s400/peacloseup111509.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406996606456381826" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Pea close-up</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95ftvpjN25vHIyfr-n8iI03kONz7hX78QcY4y9Xk9YwQTnMBQswPMaA3oSPUQpUW_cRSVSixLSK7Xa6XEeCcPbD0UQH0TB1sHpup26Bho1WKPO5NZiOBxWRdtt0O_JtsDEGgdSK6XBz09/s1600/lettuces111509.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95ftvpjN25vHIyfr-n8iI03kONz7hX78QcY4y9Xk9YwQTnMBQswPMaA3oSPUQpUW_cRSVSixLSK7Xa6XEeCcPbD0UQH0TB1sHpup26Bho1WKPO5NZiOBxWRdtt0O_JtsDEGgdSK6XBz09/s400/lettuces111509.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406996616866764066" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Leafy greens</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWERVUGaw5LcLNRJMsut4NAPdp0zgy54GFMGV9pvCAlkDO6KXRzFs_lDML7ASppeJqPxrgiewAnF85trZ5YA-Xx4-jKpQcrKNaS4NezSL1lD6FnPIkZ9BDtkDhAxFbeox1pImeWLM5ibb/s1600/fig+mantid.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWERVUGaw5LcLNRJMsut4NAPdp0zgy54GFMGV9pvCAlkDO6KXRzFs_lDML7ASppeJqPxrgiewAnF85trZ5YA-Xx4-jKpQcrKNaS4NezSL1lD6FnPIkZ9BDtkDhAxFbeox1pImeWLM5ibb/s400/fig+mantid.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406996622876888658" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The mantid lives on the fig</span></span><br /><br />The next post will be of pictures from today, so you can see how much more they've all grown!<br /><br />While I was gone Mark also made another bed for the herbs, and planted oregano, parsley, chives, and cilantro. The picture I took of that is very blurry, so I'll wait till we get some seedlings to show you.Dorithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16596738243891225053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3720103707954779475.post-4507527515428071562009-11-04T17:44:00.000-08:002009-11-04T17:52:25.217-08:00Veggies!The last couple of nights we spent preparing the beds for the vegetable garden, setting the irrigation, and, finally, planting. Monday night was for the peas - we planted sugar snap peas and snow peas - and Tuesday night was for the leafy greens - mesclun mix, spinach, mustard, arugula, leeks, green onions, and fennel.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSpDpTf2i4jmsL1RJsQp7BioZ9stekOXs3jtN7kC1Fxxxia8m00F04XKhjVzKdfotQ9aA_SKxf7pfAYRCzl7zTT0Q-kLh-jZa56l8-ar1DExwah6FrdME35Hc2n49Jl_ZEJsy5Ft_QYpi/s1600-h/veggiegarden.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSpDpTf2i4jmsL1RJsQp7BioZ9stekOXs3jtN7kC1Fxxxia8m00F04XKhjVzKdfotQ9aA_SKxf7pfAYRCzl7zTT0Q-kLh-jZa56l8-ar1DExwah6FrdME35Hc2n49Jl_ZEJsy5Ft_QYpi/s400/veggiegarden.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400430248808731538" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Do you think they'll be green by the time I get back from Israel (in 10 days)?</span></span><br /><br />To prepare the beds we basically repeated what we did with the trees: gypsum at the bottom to loosen up the soil, then mixed layers of compost, peat moss and soil.<br />As for the irrigation, the peas have a dripping hose, and the greens have sprinklers. Note that when the label on the sprinklers package reads "1' to 6'" it means that it actually can barely reach 1.5 feet. Lame!Dorithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16596738243891225053noreply@blogger.com0