Thursday, June 17, 2010

There Is A Sun!

What a climate. Working in long sleeves and a vest one day, sweating in a tank top the next. After days and days of no sunshine, we were blessed today with lots of it. The temp must have gone over 80 in the garden. (Hey, all you southerners, stop laughing. That's HOT for northern Minnesota!)

Remember when I was fretting about my volunteer California Poppies being too crowded in their raised bed?

I should have had no fear. But, duh, when I think about it, if they are a perennial that reseeds itself each year, of course they're not going to be too crowded to bloom. (You'd think I laid around all day conjuring up dumb things to worry about.)

I had a bare spot on one side of my rhubarb plant that I wanted to fill so I transplanted some of the poppies early in the season. Kind of curious that it's plain to see transplanting set them back a bit. And the couple of blooms this batch does have are quite yellow in color compared to the bright (almost glow-in-the-dark) orange of the original bed.

So what are we doing this summer for fun and recreation?

Doing some major remodeling of our house. Today we got the final nailing of the sheathing done, the window hole cut, and some insulation inside of what will be my new pantry. It's an 8' x 16' add-on that will come off the new kitchen and I am so excited! I've always wanted a real, honest-to-goodness walk-in pantry and now I'm getting it.

I have such fond memories of the pantry room off the back of my grandma's old-fashioned kitchen. It was a long, narrow room with counter-high cabinets on either side, shelves above going up to the high ceiling and a tall, narrow window at the opposite end that looked out on my grandpa's garden and tool shed. My pantry is going to be so handy! I can hardly keep from doing a little happy dance every time I think about it.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

The flowers look fabulous Mama Pea! And a pantry!!! Whooohooo!!! Congrats:) I have a back room in my apartment that I am using as a pantry, but need to get more shelving. Can't wait to see the finished project

Erin said...

Oooh I am so jealous of that pantry! Can't wait to see it get finished and stocked! The pic of the poppies made me laugh... I planted these cosmos last year that were supposed to be 4-5 ft high, they got 9 ft high and reseeded themselves all over my yard! They shoot up like tree trunks in the lawn and have to get mowed over, I left a few of them along the fenceline but they are crazy!

fiona@fionacampbell.ca said...

Those poppies are so lovely and cherrful! And that pantry -- fabulous! I'm looking forward to seeing how that progresses :)

Unknown said...

Almost sounds like New England weather! We've been alternating between weeks of unseasonably cool with weeks of unseasonably warm here. Starting today we're back on "warm."

I'm completely jealous of your pantry! The house I grew up in had one, and it was such an adjustment when I moved out and had to adjust to kitchens where you kept all your food in the cabinets over the counters!

Mama Pea said...

Hi, Stephanie - I've currently got a very small kitchen with not nearly enough cabinet space so use a space 3 feet wide by 6 feet tall as my "pantry." Only problem is that it's not close to my kitchen. When I actually have my walk-in pantry right off my new kitchen, I'll probably gain lots of weight because I'll no longer have to walk that distance 1,674 times each day!

Hey, Erin - I can't quite imagine cosmos 9' high but have no doubt you could grow them!

Hi, Fiona - Yupper, the more we get done on the pantry, the easier I can envision just what it's going to look like!

Hi, Alison - Thanks so much for commenting! You'd be surprised at all the places I've kept kitchen/food supplies over the years for lack of a pantry (and always too small kitchens!). Oh, to be able to have my mixer, griddle, ice cream maker, sprouter, bread bowl, roaster, etc. right there on a handy shelf rather than under the bed and other totally inconvenient places!

Erin said...

maybe the cosmos took on a life of their own since I planted them all around the compost?!!

Claire said...

I say, do that happy dance! I'm so envious and I can easily imagine all your canned goods from your garden, just waiting to be opened and consumed!

Mama Pea said...

Hi, Claire - Feel the floor shaking? I'm doing my happy dance. ;o)

You know how small my present kitchen is. Well, when I designed it 14 years ago, I even gave up the wish for an automatic dishwasher because I couldn't sacrifice the space needed for a cabinet. Now to think of having a dishwasher AND a whole, big pantry just one step out of the kitchen proper . . . wa-hoo!!

MaineCelt said...

Oh my Gosh. Does your mother know you're out here in public, showing everyone your pantries?!?

;-) (I think it's great!)

Katidids said...

I miss poppies those look wonderful.
I'm in serious envy mode with your pantry, thats going to be awesome. I just read a series of articles concerning modern home design. Pantries went out in the 50'S with porches when the suburban era set in. We're lucky enough to have a large closet pantry and plenty of storrage in the basement but its a pain in the rear or knees going up and down those stairs. I cant wait to see more progress photos!

Mama Pea said...

Hi, MaineCelt - Oh, you are such a wit with words!!

Hi, Katie - Yes, adequate storage DOES have to be convenient or it's nothing but a pain . . . and I find I don't use it! Like all building/remodeling (as you well know) our project here is going along but . . . oh, it seems so slow when you work all day and it looks like so little progress has been made! I guess the secret is to just keep at it steadily and it will get done.