Spring Clean-Up Report Monday

I cleaned out the beds this weekend. As I did, the Goodyear blimp was flying overhead as my dear K- kept jumping up and down yelling, "IT'S THE BLIMP!!! IT'S THE BLIMP!!!" And yes, it is the blimp. It's a regular sight around NE Ohio 3 seasons a year.
So, I found this curled up thing as I was cleaning the herb garden out. I thought it was a dried up carcass until I gave it a nudge with a stick. It was still smooshy. Guess what? It's alive! That's amazing considering how stinkin' cold it was this winter! We don't quite know what it is. Hubs is going to take him to work and do some research. He isn't in any of our books! (If you know, let us know!) K- and I are banking on it being a moth. He's enjoying our Romaine lettuce, though!
Here is one part of my herb garden. (Up and green are chives, onions, sage, oregano, volunteer mint and some chamomile in the drive, but not in the bed.) It is adjacent to the gravel driveway, so you will see bits of gravel in there. Also, spring clean-up to me does not mean to take every blasted leaf out of the bed. Some stray leaves here or there will get pulled out or will just decay naturally. I'm good with that. Today the aim was to deal with the bulk of it and the fine details will come at a later date. It was threatening to rain all day, so I kept a move at a pretty good clip.
The other half of the herb garden. (Up and green are yarrow and onions right now.) I gave the thyme plants a good shearing. I have a few plants of regular thyme and lemon thyme. They just needed a good topping to give them a great start this year. That blank spot right up front? That's where my parsley will go. Again, ignore the leaves caught up in the plants.
Here is the butterfly garden. (Up and green are day lilies, Asiatic lilies, myrtle and tulips.) I have a lot of lilies and tulips coming up in there. The Asiatic lilies were all of 1.01 from Breck's. (I had a coupon.) Over the years, they have multiplied and now the plants are big and beautiful. The tulip bulbs came free from my parents. My dad works at a mom and pop hardware and they were getting rid of the balance of the bulbs left one year. My mom gave me 50 bulbs! I have some planted up front, but in the butterfly bed, I just did a nice naturalization. I tossed them up in the air and planted them where they landed in the bed. Works for me! This is my perennial bed. (Up and green are day lilies, Shasta daisies, several varieties of sedum and Obedient plant.) The vine arbor, just built in September, will be covered in vines before we know it.
Here is one of the many piles of deadness sitting out back. I crammed our garbage can so full that they are just going to have to wait to go out next week. I'll put some in the neighbors garbage tomorrow night, but only after he has put his can out. And yes, he gave me permission to fill his can the rest of the way. See? It can't decide if it is going to say "Parkay" or "Butter." :)

But, while I was out, I trimmed up all the ivy on the one side of the house. I pulled it out from underneath the siding and trimmed the rose bush way back. I trimmed the branches on the Purple Plum that were beginning to grow towards, but not touch, the utility lines. While I had the ladder out, I cleaned the garden window. I also raked up all of the leftover leaves from the fall. I cleaned them out in the fall, but always end up with a yard full to clean up in Spring. Well, that and the pieces of garbage here and there that got caught up in our plants all the while the winter winds blew. All the while doing this, K- and her friend E- were running between houses. The girls decided to watch a movie and Michelle decided to give me some free Mommy work time! :) Hooray!

After all of that work, I was bushed. Hubs worked late Saturday night, so K- and I were left on our own. We bought a cheese pizza at Little Caesars for a whole 5.00, had it for lunch and dinner, then got our baths and decided to observe Earth Hour. She went to bed with only a little night light. I went to my bed to watch some TV, but turned everything off and didn't turn on our outside lights. But then, I fell asleep before 10 PM. When Hubs got home, it was a completely dark house, which left him fumbling in the dark just to get in. Yikes. I normally leave a light on for him. He understood when I told him that we were in observance and trying to save the Earth. :)

Day 10: Love is unconditional. God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. -- Romans 5:8

Do something out of the ordinary today for your spouse -- something that proves (to you and to them) that your love is based on your choice and nothing else. Wash her car. Clean the kitchen. Buy his favorite dessert. Fold the laundry. Demonstrate love to them for the sheer joy of being their partner in marriage.