Tuesday, April 30, 2013

A Plan B Kind of Weekend

 
 ~ Creating my own sunshine on a rainy weekend ~




 Sometimes when our best laid plans for spending time working in the garden are dashed due to Mother Nature's plans for rain, rain & more rain, it's time for Plan B.
Such was the case here this weekend.
We did get to the garden center to pick up a few plants on Saturday morning and even got them planted before the raindrops started to fall.
I do love it when it rains right after I get something planted.  It seems like such a good way to start the plant off in it's new home.
  As long as we had to halt our outdoor activities, we decided to visit Redbox and rent a movie.  We decided on this one:
 
Hubby thought it was funny.
I had high hopes, but thought it fell short of my expectations.  (a little lame).  Although I may have nodded off a few times so I might not be the best judge :).

When it was time to return the movie, the rain was still coming down so we thought maybe another movie was in order.

    One family's story of surviving the tsunami in Thailand.
We both thought it was sad, terrifying yet very well done.  I think I was sitting on the edge of my seat for the first half hour.  No chance of nodding off during this one.
The acting was superb. 

On Sunday it was a downpour ... all day long.
Both of the boys were coming home for dinner.
I assembled a french oven beef stew  which bubbled away in the oven all afternoon while we all watched a third movie.
This one was about a covert operation planned by the CIA and Hollywood during the Iran hostage crisis.  It was very interesting with many tense moments.  No nodding off during this one either. :D.

In between movie watching I finished this book:

My neighbor had loaned it to me awhile ago.
I wasn't sure I was going to like it at first, but it turned out to be an enjoyable read.
It's told from the point of view of a five year old boy named Jack.
Room is the eleven by eleven room where he was born and has lived with his mother.  It's the only world he has ever known.
To his mother room is the prison where she has been held captive for seven years.
That's all I'm going to say about that one.  Don't want to spoil it for anybody who might be planning to read it.

Once dinner was eaten, the rain was still falling so we raided the game cupboard

 Personally I would have chosen The Garden Game, but I was out- voted by Clue and Battleship.  I guess that's what happens in a house where females are in the minority.
All in all, the weekend was a good one.
It might not have turned out as planned, but there's nothing like a rainy weekend to make it seem perfectly acceptable to stay in and be a bit lazy.

    ***

With regards to my previous post, I guess I took for granted that everybody was familiar with pine needle deliveries.  I really shouldn't have because when I lived in Michigan I had never heard of such a thing either.  Sorry for that oversight.
By way of explanation, in these parts we mulch around our houses and yards with pine needles.  They are delivered in bundles.  Because termites can be a problem here it is recommended to use pine needles around the house instead of wood mulch as the wood mulch can attract termites.  It is a common sight to see trucks hauling trailers filled with pine needle bundles around here.  Once in a while someone rings the doorbell to ask if we are in need of any.
I kind of wish that person would ring my doorbell right about now since the delivery that was supposed to come last week never did.  The message left on the voice mail was never answered either.
So glad I sat home all day waiting :/.

Happy last day of April to you.

If it's true what they say about April showers, then May ought to be filled to the brim with flowers this year.       

 

14 comments:

  1. Your rainy weekend sounded wonderful and filled with good stuff. French beef stew sounds yummy, is there a recipe? I clicked but didn't see a link? I love the idea of pine needles as mulch, wonder if I can get them up here?? I have lots of questions today! lol xo

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  2. Oh, I wish we had pine needle delivery trucks around here. We've been doing spring garden clean up over the past three weeks and hope to be able to plant a few things soon. Mother's Day weekend is usually safe from frost. I think Argo was good, but I don't think it should have won best picture. Lincoln was better. I have not seen The Impossible yet, but it's on my list of movies to watch. Room sounds interesting... I'll have to add that one to my list of books to read.

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  3. PS- I've never heard of the Garden Game, but now you've got me curious.

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  4. It sounds like you made the best of your rainy weekend. Games, movies, books and probably some good eating, too. I'm looking forward to seeing both Argo and The Impossible.

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  5. Thanks for the movie reviews - I saw a couple of them. We had some rain too - I like that you made your own sunshine. sandie

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  6. I knew that you were going to mulch with the pine needles...some do that here...but didn't know why. That's good to know!

    The movie reviews were much appreciated, though I'm not sure that I could have handled any of them. The first maybe, but not when you said that you nodded off. Ha! After this weekend, I know what it's like to be outvoted. Well, I never! Three to one! Shocking.

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  7. Oh Kim, your rainy weekend sounds so wonderful!! Games, movies and delicious sounding food with the people you love most; can't ask for anything better!

    I always love your interesting and down to earth post..... thanks!

    Now I'm wanting to read the book.... you've sparked my interest.

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  8. Your bright mosaic is beautiful. I've never seen any of those movies but hubby watched Argo on the plane in February. I did know what the pine needle mulch was and I just remembered seeing people selling bundles of it along the highway in South Carolina or a truck stops. I didn't know that's why it was used though. We have earwigs here. Do you have them? They don't eat wood but they are gross and love damp dark places outside and in if they can find a way into a home. I was told the putting bark mulch around my flower beds encouraged them so we don't do that anymore. Last year was the best one without them in a while so I hope this one is too. I don't like them at all! There's always some sort of bug to discourage a gardener isn't there? I hope the sun shines soon for you. Your weekend actually sounded quite relaxing to me. :)

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  9. Sounds like you found a way to have a wonderful weekend after all with movies and games! I'll have to look into the Garden game, I haven't heard of that one. We love to play games when our children are both here.

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  10. You didn't let the rain keep you from enjoying the weekend. : )
    Room sounds interesting and I put that one on my list.
    I would have picked Sorry - I've always liked that game!
    Hope you day tomorrow is full of sunshine!!

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  11. Well, I sure never heard about pine needle deliveries and I lived for two dozen years in a pine forest.

    Loved the exciting movies you loved. I about tore the buttons off my husband's shirt when we watched Argo.

    Sunshine for you,

    Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green island

    P.S. I would've chosen the Garden Game too!

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  12. Well your weekend was certainly busy - full of interesting happenings - sounded quite nice despite the rain. We came in from PA in the afternoon and it was just drizzling a bit - but of course it's rained a lot all week until this morning.......and the sun is out, yippee!
    Our grass "is as high as an elephant's eye" - guess what the husband will be doing later today!

    Happy day dear - Mary

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  13. You certainly made the best of a rainy weekend. I smiled at the part that "you may have nodded off" during the first movie. I would like to see the second movie you watched.

    Hopefully, this weekend is a better with the weather. Your mailbox flowers are beautiful!

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  14. I love being at home- raindrops outside the window are soothing sounds...pine needles make me think of all the times in my youth my parents made us kids get out in the yard and rake up all the pine needles and cones. Back then people would have thought you were crazy if you paid money for that! If only I could have known, lol!

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