Super Happy Color Time! Wow!

At press time, most of the apartment-painting is finished. It's taken the better part of a week and we've had lots of boxes and things to climb over and around while we did it, but thank goodness it's time to start putting life in order. Thank you to all the friends and family members that have helped and will continue to help. We owe you more beer and pizza. Wednesday night we had the painting help of the three Platte sisters: Lily, Rose and Lovena . Three of the most funny and irreverent people I know. Who knew painting could actually be a good time?

Lily Platte brandishing a guacamole roller.

I got it all over myself.

Lovena

Rose doing some champion edging

final touches on the kitchen walls

Roller girl!

Today Dad's helping me get the last of my stuff from the old apartment, and tomorrow I *actually* have the day off and my pal Susie is going to help me clean. Woohoo. I. never. want. to. move. again.

With this week being so wacky I haven't had a chance to go check on the garden, but I did see last Friday that the bell peppers are finally appearing. Though, since then the weather's been very very mild and I worry that it won't get hot enough to coax them into growing bigger. We'll see Thursday when I go check on them. Also, I'm worried that I haven't had enough studying hours to take the ACT/COMPASS test on the 3rd like I planned. I'm thinking about just seeing how I do, but I know that if you retake it it's $15 and...well, I'm cheap. So I might add another 2 weeks. We'll see, I'm very stressed about it all right now and it's not making me think clearly.

Til next time,

Hannah

Tale of the Swatch-Happy Kid

Last night my friends Matel and Robert were nice enough to help me move a bunch of bulky kitchen items (rack, shelves,appliances) over to Tony's to lessen the load later this month. (I'll have you know packing is going really well, can't believe how much stuff I'm getting rid of!) Afterwards the three of us went to Menards (poor T is still on crutches and couldn't really go) to get some paint for the apartment.

It was actually pretty inexpensive thanks to a sale they were having. $14.99 per gallon of semi-gloss. I'd been hemming and hawing over colors for weeks and still wasn't very excited about the ones I'd chosen so Matel and I went through swatches to pick better colors while Robert looked at manlier things.
Top left swatch= "blueberry morning" chosen to be the color for the bedroom and guestroom
Top right swatch="coral bay" will be the living-room color
Bottom left swatch="moose antler" which will be the drawing studio, bathroom and hallway
Bottom right swatch="guacamole" the soon to be color of the kitchen

Am thinking about a job naming color swatches...

I'm sorry this is a pretty uninteresting post, but it's mostly for mom's benefit so she can assure her friend Tim (my landlord) that I am not turning his beige world into "Crazy-Hannah's Magic Candyland" which is pretty much what he's worried about.

Raise your hand if you want to paint! Woo! Hoping to do this before moving in my furniture.

That's all for now.

Moving Project

So, I'm moving into Tony's apartment Sept.1 (which is quickly approaching!), and I think it's okay to post under the premise that this is a project I'm starting. I have only moved one time in my life thus far. From Mom and Dad's to the apartment I've lived in for the past 5 years--the apartment I have love love loved for so long now. You might be asking, "why are you moving out of your beautiful, well-located, cheaply rented apartment Hannah?" Other than the obvious: need for more space (Tony's workshop and dog my huge assorment of stuff/clothes). I can give you 2 reasons I have come up with in the last 18 hours. Indulge me and let me tell you about the night I had last night.

I bartended last night until about 1:30 this morning, got home a little after that. I was reading to fall asleep--suceeded. Around 4:00am I was woken up by a tapping on my window screen. Tap tap tap. I tried to scoot against the far wall and turn off the light (can't believe I fell asleep with it on). Tap tap tap.
"Ma'am?"
I froze.
"Ma'am? Can you see me?" The voice was right outside my window. I about crapped my pants.
"Ma'am??"
"WHAT?" I growled.
"Ma'am, I know you're there, I was just wondering if you wanted some company."
"I HAVE COMPANY, GO AWAY!"
I turned off the light and lay awake for the next 45 minutes horrified and afraid to move because actually, I was home alone.

I wish I could say I slept in-I had set my alarm for 10:30 (much later than I usually sleep anyway), but instead I woke up before 9am to the sounds of a domestic squabble (from a usually quiet couple) across the courtyard. Doors slamming "f**k you, f**ker! Don't come back!" Blah blah blah. So I got dressed, grabbed my mathbooks (studying everyday I'll have you know) and went to the Meadowlark coffee house for a latte and slice of quiche.

There you have it. Two reasons to move out of my neighborhood before breakfast. I've been enjoying packing because I can get rid of a huge amount of stuff at the same time. Simplify is the word. I'm also excited to paint Tony's apartment and see if we can make it a colorful, uncluttered, happy living space. I will continue to update you on the progress we make, and look out for an invite to our house-warming. I'll talk about the garden in a couple days once I've seen where it's at. (Bell peppers are still a no-show! Can you believe it? How rude.)

Hannah

Everything's Growing Well

HOUSTON, WE HAVE TOMATOES! I can't believe it, but after picking off all the tomatoes with blossom-end-rot, things started to grow sans buttspot. I can barely relate my joy in words. Picture me doing a little dance around the yard because that is what I did.

Pictured above are a few ripe Green Zebras, and ohmygod let me tell you, they taste incredible. Justin Jones, if you are reading this ever, you are a liar. Green Zebras taste just like any other absolutely delicious garden tomato. Also, I think they are prettier and have the benefits of being organic heirlooms. Not to say that my red tomatoes aren't just as delicious. they are slightly thicker-skinned and are growing pretty nicely now.
We also have squash now. One day we didn't, the next...bingo. I haven't checked in a day and a half so I bet these suckers are even bigger now. I was just told yesterday that squash blossoms make for some good eatin' and that I ought look up some recipes online for them. Only like, 4 minutes later as I was reading in Plenty-Eating Locally on the 100 Mile Diet the authors gave a recipe for Squash Blossom Soup that sounded pretty good. They said they're good dipped in egg batter and fried as well (but what isn't good fried?). This all happened while I was working the door shift yesterday at the Zoo Bar FAC (Friday Afternoon Club 5-7pm) and it seemed everyone had some input. Willie said I could pull the blossoms off once there was any sign of squash and it'd still grow just fine. Dianne and Sherri were skeptical. So, perhaps if there are still any blossoms when I go garden tomorrow I shall gather them and give them a try.

Squash Fower Soup

(Alisa Smith and J.B. Mackinnon--authors of Plenty

1 TBSP Butter
1 Onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 Squash Flowers
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Hot Chilies, ground
5 Cups Seasonal Vegetable Stock
1 Egg, beaten

Chop squash flowers, including any attached stems. Melt butter in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft and turning golden. Add garlic and flowers and cook 2 minutes more. Stir in salt and chilies. Add soup stock and bring to a low boil. Slowly pour in beaten egg. Remove from heat and cover until egg is cooked. A recipe from Mexico City to the world.

I am thinking I'm going to give it a try provided I have the neccessary squash blossoms. Will report back on whether or not squash grow once you pluck the flower. And, nothing to report on bell peppers...yet. They are (and have been) flowering, but little more.

Another note of note, I had a good haul from the farmers market today and am making a lovely salad for lunch...and dinner...and possibly lunch and dinner again tomorrow. It is nearly all local (my favorite salad dressing is Annie's Sesame Shitake not from hereabouts). Bell peppers and salad mix from Shadowbrook farms (near Denton), red onion from a lady that lives right outside Lincoln, eggs (hardboiled) from near Lincoln too, Tomatoes I grew, and cucumber from a friend's garden. Very exciting and incredibly good.

That's all I got for today. Tomorrow morning I am weeding...which is unexciting and sweaty. And then I am studying math for my ACT retesting (which is infuriating and I don't want to talk about it.)

Take care everyone,
Hannah