Hello blog readers! Sorry we haven't posted in a while. We have not disappeared, fallen off the face of the earth or been pulled to the ever-after. No, we've just been really distracted lately. Several things are to blame.
The influx of seed catalogs and planning the vegetable garden, of course, have taken up quite a bit of our conscious waking hours. We've poured over the Seed Savers Exchange and Territorial Seed catalogs for hours. We've made lists, compared notes, highlighted our favorites, and tried to figure out what to order from whom. And then visited our favorite nurseries to see what we could buy locally.
Also, we agonized over whether or not to go to the (perhaps) last Northwest Flower and Garden Show here in Seattle. We decided not to go -- we both hate crowds -- and instead spent lots of money at Sky Nursery and some at Swanson's this weekend. We bought some very cool new tools, but I'm sure Curmudgeon will write about those soon.
The other major thing that distracted us from our blogging was something rather evil... and yes, demons are involved... our biggest distraction lately was Kim Harrison's latest book The Outlaw Demon Wails.
(cover photo from amazon.com)
If you're looking for a supernatural thrill-ride with action, drama, mystery, sexual tension, and wicked humor, give Harrison's books a try. Harrison's writing improves with each book in The Hollows series. The main characters are a bounty hunting trio of a witch, a vampire and a pixie who live together in a church. The characters and their relationships become more complex and multidimensional with each adventure. For an adrenaline rush in an alternate world, get seduced by the Inderlanders...
Just a note to MK and DB -- this is a repeat of the Harry Potter books!! Let me explain for everyone: Several years ago, DB and MK encouraged us to read the Harry Potter books. We held out and did not read them, thinking with all the hype, how good could they be? But then DB loaned us the first book. Curmudgeon read during the day while I was at work. I came home and tried to read in the evenings, IF I could pry the book out of her hands. We fought over it and ended up rushing out an buying the first 4 books all at once. Then it became a race. Curmudgeon was on summer break and started devouring a book a day. I had to wait until I got home and read what I could each night. We have all the books and have seen all the movies. I guess you could say we're hooked.
Well the same thing happened with Harrison's books. Thanks a lot MK! ;-) However, now that we've each finished reading The Outlaw Demon Wails, perhaps we can blog more again about our garden plans!
-- Wing Nut
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20 comments:
Everyone needs a break. Glad you're back, though. I always enjoy seeing what you two have going. I look forward to seeing that "Cherry Brandy" Rudbekia, also. I need to find some of those for around my garden.
Sounds like you've had a lot to keep you busy. I've never heard of this series of books, it sounds pretty interesting. Nothing better than a book that's so good you can't put it down!
Heh! The wenches lost in a book. But OF COURSE. What fun!
I have gone to the Seattle Garden Show a few times in the past. The big greenhouses have a contest to see who can make the most wonderful garden. Those are fun. Well they try really, really hard to create the impression that it's a real garden, not just a big exhibition hall, but there is something about the hum from the climate control and having to take escalators to get there that just blows the edge off the garden illusion.
The other highlight is some different things, small gardens or little educational things done by kids. Sometimes those are really a hoot. Beyond that, sometimes the vendor area is fun. I am sorry this might be the last year and I enjoyed seeing several firms on display in one place instead of having to travel all over the place, But overall, it's tough budgetwise and if I have a choice between the garden show and doing soemthing where I can get my own fingers into the dirt, guess which I will pick!
Glad to hear you are both alive and well. I emailed Curmudgeon a couple days ago and she didn't mention about the book. Imagine.
Such a weird year here too. Still COLD and just recently getting sunny. Sometimes by February, there are trees budding and early crocuses up. This year I have seen one tree budding and no crocuses yet. I have a couple pots of herbs I brought in from my balcony just before the Snowpocalypse. It's hovering really close to freezing every night and the herbs are still indoors.
Also trying to decide whether to attempt more tomatoes or just to stick to herbs. If I do tomatoes, I know I need more than one pot and I might have to be prepared to pollinate myself just due to living on the 6th floor. Stay tuned....
Take care.
RantWoman
Welcome back Wenches!
That book sounds like a lotta fun, what's not to like about a witch, a vampire and a pixie?
Your confession about the Harry Potters cracked me up as it sounded pretty familiar as yours truly is also allergic to hypes. Bought and read all the HP books but must admit to liking the books by Diana Wynn Jones better, much better.
Over the Christmas hols one of the Dutch tv stations was Harry Pottering about so I've seen all the HP movies they've made so far.
Hello WWs! I'm very glad to see that all is well with you both. I was becoming a little concerned!
Imagine being able to shop at a nursery already. Ha! Lucky you! Ours are still battened down, and will be until April.
I had to chuckle about the book mania story. It's very hard to put a good story down, once begun, isn't it?
Happy seed planting!
Hi Gardeness, I thought we were shopping for veggie seeds, but somehow those rudbeckia and sunflower seeds ended up in the shopping cart! I wonder if Curmudgeon knows how they got there? I think we bought them at Sky.
Hi Catherine, yes, isn't it wonderful when a book can totally captivate you? Of course other things suffer - like gardening, housework, time with loved ones - but it's only temporary! :-)
Hey Rant Woman! We're still alive and kicking. No worries there. We did go to the F&G Show last year and did enjoy it. We agree though - the trips up the escalators do diminish the being outdoors feeling.
Hi Yolanda, Did I mention the werewolves, elves, and gargoyles too? The books are a fun romp! Now I'm really curious about the author you mention - Diana Wynn Jones. I sense a trip to the used book store between trips to the garden stores! ;-)
Hello Kerri! Long time no see! I hope all is well in your area. Are you still blanketed with lots of snow? We are fortunate here - garden shops are open year round. Things slow down in the winter, but we can still go and dream.
- Wing Nut
Hello there WWWs ! .. Thanks for the heads up on this book .. I'm a fan of fun reads likes this : )
You must have read Anne Rice's books on her witches .. a much different take than on the vampire series .. if you haven't you HAVE to !! Enjoy the read .. it is a great get-a-way : )
You better get yourselves in gear ladies. We ordered our seeds from Territorial and planted kale, arugula and meslin mix on Jan 24th, came up out of the ground weeks ago.
Eh, I think you made the right call for nursery shopping, seed catalog poring, and actual work in the yard, in addition to a good book, over the garden show. It was not that fabulous, in my opinion.
I can SO totally relate to that sentiment. I've been extremely busy too with planning future garden sites. Cheesehead is somewhat skeptical of my plans so that doensn't help me make any firm decisions.
I've been waiting for the latest Kim Harrison. I've got the earlier ones. Such a fun read - even better than seed catalogues!
Not into the vampire scene but loved the pix of the numerous seed catalogs and the possibility they invoke. The most challenging part for me is the scaling back, the knowing I can't have or afford everything on my wish list. What has to go? Anyway, nice to hear from you all.
Loved the photos of seed packets;) They always cheer me up!
Have you heard of The Outlaw Josie Wales...that's a Clint Eastwood film. Interesting the title is so similar...(Obviously NOT the same genre though)!
Thanks for the book recommendation. It sounds like my kind of read. I'll have to check if my library has this series. (I love a good series.)
Hi GardenJoy, I have not read the Anne Rice witch books yet. Might be a nice change of pace from nonfiction books on gardening and cooking. Another author in this fantasy/mystery/horror?/humor genre is Charlaine Harris. Her character Sookie Stackhouse is quite something and she too gets into all sorts of adventures with other creatures.
Hi Randy, normally we try to plant our peas by President's Day, but we're off schedule this year. We also had some pretty hard frosts lately, so maybe we're not that far off. If I can get the cloche fixed and set up, then we can put in our lettuce and spinach and such. Enjoy your jump start.
Hey Karen, someone else I talked to said this year's show was a bit lacking compared to others. That's too bad. Who knows - maybe someone else will take it over and rejuvenate it.
Hi Cinj, we keep eyeing up the yard and thinking about making additional raised beds. I guess we'll see how much time, energy and money we have to do that!
- Wing Nut
Hi EasyGardener, I believe Harrison's next book in the series comes out in March! I'm going to try and wait for the paperback, but we'll see... You too might like Charlaine Harris' books.
Hi Grace, I talked to my mother the other day. She was reading a book about the Amish community. She asked me what I was reading. I sheepishly and hesitantly told her about this book. I'm not into really scary horror stuff. These books are more fun and adventure and a refreshing change of pace.
Hi Jan, Thanks for the movie title! I knew the book title was tickling a memory of something else, but I couldn't quite remember what! I'm now wondering if her other titles are plays on other things too?
Hello Daughter, Harrison's books really are a series, so it's best to read them in order. Things make more sense that way. Also, the writing gets better with each book. Curmudgeon found the first book frustrating to read, but zoomed through the second and third and so on.
Welcome back and thanks for the book recommendation.
Greetings from London.
So, I guess this would be a bad time to mention Kim Harrison has a NEW book out, 'White Witch, Black Curse'. So forget I said anything. I'm sure you wouldn't enjoy it much, anyway.
Mine is an evil laugh.:-)
--MK
Hola Cubanito! You're back! Do you still have sand between your toes? Can't wait to read your posts--there will be pics, n'est-ce pas?
Thanks a lot MK! Actually, I've already got us on the library's waiting list--we're only #68! Not as bad as it sounds since they've ordered 17 copies.
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