Guest Blogger - Mel Olney / Dad!

When we moved here in November 2000 we found a nice little bush in the back yard next to a space for a small garden that had been worked over but not planted. At that time the bush was just a bit higher than the fence. This then is about that little bush that by last year, 2009 had grown up into utility wires.

Last fall I started cutting it down so it would take less space in the back yard and not go any higher into the wires. I finished the project this spring cutting down to a little above the fence. It was quite an ugly looking thing, and we sort of wondered if it would even survive, though past experiences led us to believe it would.

The accompanying picture is proof that it did.

NITBY

Planted these about 5 years ago and they finally blossomed this year!

Wyatt made National Honor Society!

Wyatt with proud Mom and Sister!

And you were complaining about getting your AARP card?

At least it is no good for another 3 months!

Grandpa & CJ

The eternal fascination with Grandpa's hat !

More mechanicals coming soon! I think I've worked out a double movement piece.... one element moving up and down, and one side to side - all in a business card sized piece -- watch here for developments!

Backyard Water Park

Getting it ready!

Enjoying the results!

New

My latest moving mechanical piece.

My friend Bert!

The title says it all except to say that he just turned 70,
and the party was great!

Maya's new toilet seat!

Ran into Maya at Babies R Us yesterday.
This was NOT posed!
She was just having a great time!
This was Grandpa Don's first, and probably only trip to Babies R Us ever.

I'm officially related to someone who was on the Mayflower!

Just got information that reveals that I'm directly related to George Soule
born : 1563 in Eckington, Worcestershire, , England
died: 22 Jan 1679 in Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts,

George Soule is my 9th great grandfather! He was on the Mayflower!

To quote William Bradford --

"The names of those which came over first, in the year 1620, and were by the blessing of God the first beginners and in a sort the foundation of all the Plantations and Colonies in New England; and their families ... Mr. Edward Winslow, Elizabeth his wife and two men-servants called George Soule and Elias Story; also a little girl was put to him called Ellen, the sister of Richard More."

William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation 1620-1647.

Click here to see the genealogy back to my great great grandfather Henry Cadmus Olney whose 1886 diary I posted last year in blog format - Here.

Kim - he is your 9th great grandfather too!

Maeve and Wyatt - he is your 10th great grandfather!

I love the fact that 3 great (whatever) grandmothers are included in the line!

Much thanks to cousin Dave Olney for sending along the above information!

Nice reflection on me?

That's me - just below center - reflected in a skylight at a friend/customer's house while delivering some of our work. Picture of the piece will appear later? Previous reflection!

Click picture to embiggen!

Petrocosmea begoniifolia

Related to African Violets, Gesneriads are very interesting. Most of them are not high on my list of favorites, but at the African Violet show recently, I sort of fell in love with the Pestrocosmeas. The Violet Barn web site describes them as follows --- "Nearly all have very well behaved foliage that grows in a perfect rosette. Most have soft, velvety, leaves. All will bloom easily. Same care as for violets. Try to avoid extreme heat (they love it cool)--though they'e tough, tolerant plants." Another variety below ---- I bought three of them, so I may be in trouble?

Sign in Mom's Dentist office the other day!

Duh!
(click picture to embiggen and read last line!)

With the help of my niece Maeve, I have figured out how to get the pictures out of my cell phone and onto my computer so I can use them.... still working on the videos - I got them onto my computer, but I'm not sure if I can upload them to the blog - so I'll try below.

Video of Maya spinning - Note that she says "I am OK" at the end!

That's CJ unhappy about his nap in the background!

Maya & CJ Tuesday

Cheryl and CJ - below ---------- Maya and Ginger - above

Click pictures to embiggen!

Guest Artist - Maya Louise Sams

Age 2 years and 10 months! Another artist is developing!

Working on a new design, but Maya will cover for now?

Some things don't change much over a year? Other things do - check out the video at the end of this link!

Maya in Grandpa's Hat!

Mother's Day at South City Garden!

Mother's Day!

Click on picture to Embiggen!

Spring

When we bought our two houses in 2000 -- one for Mom and Dad, and one for us - one of the first things Dad and I did the next spring was to plant rhubarb. Rhubarb is one of those signs of spring things.... maybe not the best tasting thing out of the garden, but always the first one of spring. Before it is even warm enough to plant anything but maybe some peas, the rhubarb is up and going, and available to harvest. Just cut up the stems into short lengths, add quite a bit of sugar, and cook it down. (actual recipe - 1/4 cup of sugar per cup of cut up rhubarb stems) That slightly odd taste and feeling in the mouth - sort of like concentrated spinach feeling - is from oxalic acid. You should not eat the leaves because there is enough oxalic acid in the leaves to be toxic, but the stems are a harbinger of spring - free food, and a great feeling. I skipped the rhubarb last year since it is on the list of things that help build kidney stones , and I was just recovering from one! I'm not sure what variety of rhubarb we planted back in the spring of 2001, but every year we get the reddest and tastiest rhubarb imaginable! And as you can see from the picture above, the stems are huge!

Maya takes the slow way home!

Fortunately she got distracted after about 50 yards, and walked the rest of the way home!