Browsing Archives for April, 2008
The women in my life occupy the forefront of my mind this time of year. My mother-in-law's birthday was last week. Mother's Day is nearly a week away, and my own mom's birthday follows one week later. Perhaps most importantly- at least from a gift-giving perspective- is my wife's birthday, which happens to be today.
Men who care to give thoughtful gifts might regard such a flurry of gifting as a bewildering venture into the female psyche. Surely there's no easy, catch-all gift that could please all the women in our lives. Or is there?
At the risk of generalizing, I boldly claim that there is such a gift. Well, sort of. This gift comes in many forms, but as long as it pampers and delivers some well-deserved indulgence, it will achieve the desired result. The women in our lives work tirelessly, which is why gifts that relax, refresh, and rejuvenate receive universal appreciation. NetShops is the premier place to find these gifts.
OnlySlippers.com had slippers for both my mother and mother-in-law - women whose tastes lie in opposite hemispheres. For my wife's birthday, I sent her to a day spa. I included a robe and spa gift basket to make sure her relaxation continues at home.
As for the women in your life, you know them best. Find gifts that appeal to their unique tastes and interests. Check out the wide variety of original Mother's Day Gifts at GiftBaskets.com and you'll see what I mean. Here you'll discover that there truly is something for every woman in your life. And every one of them deserves it.
For the first time in many months, I sought shade. It was by no means an oppressive 80-degree heat that settled over Omaha yesterday. The sun shone brilliantly, but a south breeze brought steady relief. Still, my squinting eyes, warming skin, and panting beagles, fresh from an early-evening run, advised refuge. And so I knew it was time.
To the cool damp of my basement I descended. Casting aside the half-full cans of paint and abandoned hobbies that quietly accumulate in cellars, I found what I sought. My patio umbrella, sealed from the musty air in its protective cover, lay waiting to be put to use.
Setup was complete in minutes. I secured my umbrella stand with paving stones and slid the pole into its sleeve. As anxious beagles looked on with curious eyes, I cranked open the canopy for a quick inspection. After nearly six months of storage, over one of the longest Nebraska winters in memory, not a speck of mildew had soiled my umbrella shade.
Without a doubt, this offset patio umbrella has been one of the best purchases I've made for my home. It has transformed my deck into additional living space for the better part of the year. Over three seasons, countless alfresco meals and conversations have been shared with friends and family beneath the umbrella's inviting shade. And it appears I can expect it to provide relief for several seasons more. My shaded, smiling beagles, for two, appear deeply pleased.
Let the sprouting begin. My seeds and sprouts went into the ground this past weekend and now require only a bit of watering and light weeding while nature takes care of the rest. Succession planting should allow my veggies to mature at different times over the warm months ahead, resulting in a steady yield of nutritious edibles from nothing more than a box of dirt in my backyard.
When I moved into my house three years ago, the decision to tear up part of my lawn (my first lawn!) to make way for a vegetable garden was not an easy one. This was valuable bocce ball space I was encroaching upon - a bare patch of brown in favor of lush green turf. But the rewards reaped have far outweighed the minor sacrifices.
I've got planter boxes in my backyard now, so gardening no longer demands an aesthetic compromise. Besides, any cultivator can tell you that nothing is more becoming for a landscape than a garden in bloom.
Beyond the remarkable good looks of my vegetable patch, I find myself deeply satisfied when I can bypass the produce section at the grocery store or skip the trip altogether since I've got what I need and then some just outside my door. What I don't grow out back I can acquire at the office or from neighbors. I can buy basil with mint and trade tomatoes for cilantro. Truly, the most unexpected result of planting a garden has been the growth of my connection to community.
Maybe getting back to some of the old ways of doing things is what Earth Day is all about.
"Something there is that doesn't love a wall," wrote poet Robert Frost. Don't mind if I apply that famous line to outdoor cooking. No walls, no roof- it's far and away my favorite way to prepare food.
It's been said that the universal desire to cook over an open flame appeals to a survival instinct dating back to the early-human mastery of fire. I like to think it's just the smoke-tinged flavor of a perfectly grilled burger or the fiery char taken on by a roasted eggplant or bell pepper that fuels my obsession with the grill.
The forecast for this weekend calls for optimal grilling weather, and I suspect that all over the country good people will be burning propane or firing charcoal and hickory chips. Grilling season, that most wonderful time of year, is finally upon us.
On Saturday morning, my barbecue smoker will send a steady plume skyward - an applewood smoke signal to my neighbors beckoning them to stop by and see what's cooking. I foresee a leisurely day outdoors, idly raking the winter detritus from my fast-greening lawn. The neighborhood will be bustling with friendly smiles and hellos as folks get reacquainted after so many months spent holed up indoors. Food will be shared and compliments swapped in a timeless exchange of friendly gestures. This atmosphere, I imagine, won't be so unlike those enjoyed around the very first campfires.
Frost was certainly onto something with his "Mending Wall." But allow me to take one more liberty to wrap things up. Good grilling makes good neighbors.
I had the chance to play spaceball over the weekend. To those unfamiliar with this enormously satisfying activity, spaceball is played in an enclosed trampoline system. Players bounce on either side of a divider, taking turns throwing a ball through one of two connecting tubes in an attempt to have the ball land on the opposing player's side. But this blog entry is not about the intricacies of spaceball- it is about the simple joy of bouncing.
My spaceball experience helped me understand the growing popularity of trampolines and bounce houses, particularly among kids and their parents. Many of today's trampolines feature enclosures around the perimeter for enhanced safety. Bounce houses are bordered with netting and air-cushioned walls, making them an even safer, accessible option for small children. Both of these backyard-fun products provide a safe, fun way for kids to exert energy and develop overall fitness. Trust me, 20 minutes of continuous bouncing is a very real workout.
The best part is that bounce houses and trampolines are available in several affordable options. BounceSuperstore.com offers bounce houses priced under $250, and several more under $500. When you consider the price of renting a bounce house for a birthday party or other event, it makes economical sense to spend a little more for one that your kids can use anytime.
BounceSuperstore.com has plenty of options for kids-at-heart as well, including water inflatables and inflatable slides For parents who feel their bouncing days are behind them, you'll find plenty of inflatable rafts and islands for lounging in the pool or lake. But if you're willing and able, I highly recommend some joyful bouncing before you take five. If anything, it will make your time in the water well deserved.
I don't know what to think of snow in April. With temperatures plummeting, winds gusting, and flurries flying, I suppose I'll enjoy one more weekend of hibernation before Saturdays are once again filled with yard work and barbecues.
The plan for tonight is to celebrate my good friend Jim's birthday by breaking in his new poker table. I can't think of a better way to conquer the cold than in a warm basement outfitted with game tables. My poker skills are feeble at best, but as soon as my last bluff is called I'll seek refuge at the foosball table where I might have better luck.
Jim's basement is the envy of his male acquaintances. It is a veritable man cave, and man caves were designed for weekends with weather like this. With an array of games, a kegerator serving fresh homebrew at the home bar, sports highlights on the big screen, and good company, one begins to hope that the weather could always be like this.
Yet when the sun finally takes hold and the earth springs to life, it might be worth poking my head outside to take a look. Like they say, no May roses without April snowses.
I've got some big decisions to make. The regional last-frost date is a month away, which means it’s time to get my hands dirty if I want to make garden bruschetta on the 4th of July. Today, I shop for seeds.
This task comes with more than its fair share of pressure and second-guessing. Tomatoes, pickling cucumbers, basil, and spinach are staples I can't see myself going without. But what else do I use to fill up precious garden space?
Do I opt for hearty space-gobblers like zucchini and rhubarb, or valuable-but-seldom-used herbs like dill and rosemary? Arugula and mint are tempting, and hot peppers are a must. At this rate I'll have to find planters for my tomatoes and trellises for my cucumbers to make way for sweet corn and snap peas.
Let it be known that I'm no green thumb. I am a tinkering digger who enjoys the occasional salad with dinner. I'm in it for the pickles and fresh salsa. So if I'm laboring over whether to plant pumpkins or potatoes, I can only imagine the difficulty my avid gardener friends must endure when making final selections for their backyard patches.
If you're anything like me and can't decide, you don't need to run out and buy that acreage just yet. SimplyPlanters.com has plenty of planter box options to expand your planting space. If you're looking for more, PottingBenches.com offers a selection of greenhouses for serious cultivators. Whatever the size of your plot, these sites have all the gardening tools and accessories you need to get your seeds in the ground and the homegrown results on your table.