Pest Control

Well, I’m about ready to pull up my garden. Despite my frustrations this morning, I was able to restrain myself after uprooting only one pathetic withering zucchini plant.  There have been scenes of mass destruction out in that garden & the zucchini plant has not been the only casualty. I may be single-handedly responsible for some sort of entomological imbalance in the Florida panhandle this fall.

First the peppers, leaves chewed up & falling off. With the help of a local nursery store lady, caterpillars were ID’d as the culprits. But as much as I searched, I could never find the guilty party(ies). Next, the squash: holes bored into blossoms, stalks & the 2 wee squash that were actually developing. Thanks to the trusty Internets, I was able to match the destruction in the garden to the handy work of Squash Vine Borers. Very dishearteningly I also learned that sprays were of no use against these enemies & that once these little devils laid their eggs, you better work fast. So out I dashed with my garden gloves & kitchen scissors (which have now become garden scissors). Meticulously I combed through each plant looking for holes, snipping off blooms & stalks as I found them. At first I was excited to find the culprits munching away in the stalks or blooms & take them out, but as the chore wore on, my thirst for blood dwindled. Just in time my hero (Chad) arrived on scene to finish the squashing for me — with his bare hands!! Then the strawberries. Oh not the strawberries! Caterpillars again. Which is why I think I probably put a dent in the ecosystem. I have killed more caterpillars in the last few days than I ever thought possible. This morning I found a doozy. About as thick as a pencil & a couple inches long…sucking the life out of one of my tomato plants. That’s crossing the line. Chad was on base & I knew my stomach couldn’t handle the crunch between my fingers, the juicy sound of taking its life. I’m actually a little queasy thinking about it. So I threw it over the neighbors fence. Maybe I should have let Basil eat it.

For now, it seems as if I have eradicated most of the problem. Destruction is slowing down. I’m trying not to get my hopes up too much that I will actually reap any produce from the garden. Most of the blooms from the squash & zucchini were destroyed. The peppers look like they are trying to make a comeback & the tomatoes & strawberries are putting out surprising amounts of new growth. Until then, I will remain vigilant & continue to take out the pests. One by one.

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It’s Already September!

September means lots of things. To me it’s a hope that this hot, sticky weather won’t hold out much longer. I have noticed it feeling a little cooler in the mornings (or maybe I just want to sit on the back porch with some coffee in the mornings so bad that I’m imagining it) but it still gets disgustingly hot & humid by 8.

I don’t have a super recent picture of the garden – the squash & pumpkins are loving this weather & have completely gone crazy. The squash are starting to bloom, maybe we will have some fruit here soon. I have been tempted on several occasions to pull them out of the ground….they take up so much space. But now that it seems they are on the verge of doing something I guess I can stick it out! Everything else is growing nicely as well, except for my spinach. But I think I have time to plant again before it’s too late.

Yesterday I tried my hand at baking bread. Something I’ve always wanted to do & be good at! I think I got my yeast too hot because my dough was super sticky (kinda like when you make pizza crust) and flat as a pancake! Needless to say, there was no rising action. I knew the loaf wouldn’t turn out, but I went ahead & baked it just to finish. That was the heaviest loaf of bread…ever! It was supposed to be cinnamon raisin. Planning to try again today, hopefully with better results!

I think a lot of y’all know we’ve been church hunting for about the last two months now. Putting on your best smile & meeting new people each week & listening to a new pastor can definitely take a toll. Several Sunday’s I would cry in the car on the way back to the house. Nothing compares to Veritas out here. Veritas felt/feels like home. It’s the first church Chad & I attended together after we were married, where each week we knew we would hear the truth of the Gospel & see again how big our need for the Lord is and we were brought together with an amazing group of people in fellowship throughout the week. It was deep, it was heavy, it was convicting. We haven’t found anything like that in FL. In his book Radical Reformission Pastor Mark Driscoll talks a lot about how important it is for churches to be culturally relevant. Christian cultural commentator Ken Myers says there are 3 forms of Christian culture in the church: High culture (compared to a gourmet meal, connected to tradition & referred to as an art), folk (compared to a home cooked meal from a family recipe, emerges from a community as outpouring of lives lived together, highly personal, endearing & enduring) & pop culture (compared to a fast food meal, easily accessible, less requirement to engage, experience before patience & difficult to distinguish from advertising). Veritas was definitely a folk church. Lots of people living openly in front of each other – sharing struggles & triumphs, grounded in the Truth. We have yet to find a folky church here – all we have seen so far are churches comparable to high culture. Where are the people to connect with? Where is the genuineness? Walking with the Holy Spirit is no easy task, I need a community of someones to do it with me.

I will say this – the lack of what we are looking for has pushed Chad & me even more to become that. We spoke to Matt, the leader of our community group from Veritas, & he told us to be the church that we are looking for. Such simple advice, but so true. Spiritually, Chad & I have grown so much (individually & together) since we have been in FL. Digging out the truth in the Word and taking hold of the things we believe – striving to be ready with Scripture based doctrine if someone asks. Speaking the Gospel to ourselves & each other daily. Extending grace. Striving for humility. We also listen to podcasts from other churches to get the meat that is missing on Sundays. Veritas just started a study of Judges, which we got to skype into for the sermon & it was such a blessing! I can’t say that I wouldn’t jump at the chance to be back at Veritas, but I know right now we are right where God wants us. Laying foundations in our marriage and for whatever is ahead of us.

It’s been hard and frustrating and disappointing and the start of a new adventure. But we are learning and striving to live more Gospel centered lives.

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How To Tell It’s Hot Outside

Your weimaraner turned on her AC to try to cool off and then collapsed on the porch when it didn’t help.  Speaking of AC, the one in the house went out around midnight last night. Let me tell you, it was miserable sleeping from then on. We had our ceiling fan on high & two other fans blowing on us. I dreamed about taking a dip in a vat of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Don’t worry, it’s fixed now & has been running full blast for the last 2 hours…can’t wait to see the next bill. But I digress…

Here’s another way you can tell it’s hot outside: your garden is going CRAZY! Now, it’s probably a combination of the heat & lots of rain we’ve been getting, whatever the combo (I like to think it has something to do with my Master Gardener skills…:) my seeds have popped up in droves & the ‘maters are getting taller by the day. I even pinched back the tomatoes to make them prettier & produce more fruit – thanks for the advice Tommy! Here’s some pictures of what’s happening out there: Pumpkins are sending out tendrils and squash are about to burst into bloom!

Broccoli & lettuce are sprouting up in abundance! My Better Boy tomato is starting to bloom & the strawberries are happy and getting bushy in their long window beds.

Not to mention the basil & thyme are shooting up, the  cilantro is perky, the watermelon are spreading out & the spinach is starting to sprout. It’s starting to look like we are going to have a cornucopia of produce – which I’m excited about…the closest farmers market is over an hour away vs being within walking distance down the street from the apartment in CA. I’m also starting to look for peas or beans and some other cool weather stuff… any suggestions? I’ve got a mix of warm & cool weather growing now but can start planting more cool in the next couple of weeks. I can’t wait until time to plant potatoes!

Enjoying the bounties of the heat for now…especially when I can escape into an air conditioned house :)

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The Plants are Dead

Remember this from a couple of months ago? Well, here’s what it looks like now. I’d like to blame Basil because admitting to my gardening shortcomings is a disgrace to the Miller name. My thumb is not green after all…

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Go Ahead & Say It…

I know you are thinking it – I’ve neglected my blog. Well let me see if I can make it up to you. Let’s get started!

First – We got our wedding pictures! Here’s a couple of my faves:

Our friend Nate did such a great job!

Basil is growing like a weed – everyday I swear she is taller!! Earlier this week she had her “big girl” surgery (she got spayed) and she also had a gastroplexy to help prevent gastric torsion. Oh our baby is spoiled! She has been on two different pain pills since she came home. The vet said she woke up from the anesthesia with a wagging tail. Which is pretty much how she is all the time! The vet tech carried her out to us like you would hold a baby & as soon as she put Basi in my arms she opened her eyes & started wagging her tail again. Ha! It kinda made me a little emotional!! Basil has also been everywhere with us & meeting everyone along the way. She is going to be a well adjusted doggie when she’s grown up! We took her to the coast with us & up to see the Redwoods. She has also met some horsies that she was so excited to play with! And we took her to Lake Tahoe with us & got to experience snow for the first time – it was hilarious! She definitely did not know what to think of it!!

I’ve also been working to perfect my ice cream making skills! I got the ice cream maker attachment for my Kitchen Aid for the wedding. And the weather is finally getting warm enough to use it! I made Strawberry ice cream a couple of weeks ago for our Cinco de Mayo party. It may have been beginner’s luck that it turned out so perfect!! Earlier this week I tried to make cookies ‘n cream…that did not go so well. I think I added the cookies too soon & the ice cream never solidified! I tried again this morning & it worked much better. But I am having to freeze the ice cream in two batches because it made so much! So I did half already & added the cookies in the last couple of minutes & am on break now because I had to pop the bucket back into the freezer!

Chad and I have realized how quickly the little bit of time we have left in NorCal is flying by! We are wanting to take advantage of as much as we can before we go. About a month ago I did something I’ve never done before, nor thought I was capable of doing! We participated in our first Duathalon!! Which is running/bike/run. Chad did the full 4mi/13mi/4mi and I did the Sprint which was 2/6.5/2. And….not to brag – but I came in third in my age division… haha! There were only 3 participants in my division too ;) But I did keep close to a 9:30 pace on the runs which was good for me – and I realized I definitely need to be riding my bike more – I think I could have shaved quite a bit of time off if I was better on Vega!!

Here I am finishing the first run & Chad finishing his second run. I was SO nervous on the way to the race & kept asking Chad to turn the car around, but it was SUCH a fun event! I felt like I was just running on adrenaline the whole time – I think I got a rush before each run & the bike section! Definitely looking forward to doing another with my husband!

Ok, obviously I’m having trouble getting the text & pictures lined up together. But I’m too frustrated/lazy to keep messing with it. But these are the highlights of the past couple of months. Of course, there has been tons of great food along the way too. But I’ve done a poor job of documenting the dinners we have had.

Last, but definitely not least – I need to say Happy Birthday to my BFF Jill. My life would not be the same without you! I am so thankful we met that summer at Kanakuk! I have been completely blessed by your humor, creativity, honesty & support & love! I love you!!

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Fried Things, Adventure Dog, Indoor Tornadoes & Other Random Happenings

Buckle up – this is looking like it will be another long post! Every day I think “I need to blog!” and then Basil poops on the back porch or there is another load of laundry to fold or something else to be done. I finally realized the other day that maybe spending time with my family & up keep of the house is more important than a new blog post everyday. Before Basil, it was possible, but now, it’s not. And that’s fine.

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, and at Chad’s instance, I started my day off with a huge bowl of Lucky Charms. Very fitting. I don’t think I’ve ever had Lucky Charms. Chad requested some “sugar” cereal the other day & I came home with Frosted Mini Wheats – that was my idea of sugary! We didn’t eat Lucky Charms or Cinnamon Toast Crunch growing up. We ate Cheerios, granola & Honey Bunches of Oats. And on special occasions, Life. I can really attribute my love for healthy food to my mom – I don’t think I ever ate any frozen lunches while she made my lunch or anything overly processed. Not eating Lucky Charms as a kid is probably why I have a stomach ache now – not to mention how creepy those “marshmellows” are – they were crunchy! I’m more of a faux fried egg (a squirt of Pam) and 1/2 english muffin in the morning kind of girl. Anyways, enough of that – but on to other unhealthy eatings!

Last Friday was “date night” & I wanted to fix something wonderful & special for dinner before we went to the movies. Sidenote: {Yes, we saw Alice in 3D & YES we LOVED it!! It wasn’t the traditional Alice in Wonderland story – it still had all the same characters & same general idea, but I think it was a combination of Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass. We thought Tim Burton did a great job! Spend the extra $$ to see it in 3D – totally worth it!} Like I was saying – I wanted to fix something extra yummy for date night. We both love Marlboro Man’s Favorite Sandwich and it is SUPER quick & easy. Well, while I was perusing the Pioneer Woman website, I saw a recipe for Onion Strings which sounded perfect together. Oh Baby! But I’ve never “deep fried” anything in my life & I’m still not sure that’s what I did. But there was batter & oil & I smelled like oil after – not good for date night! Here is what we ended up with though: and man were they tasty!! I think that Chad thought he had died & gone to heaven – fried food in our home?! Now life is perfect ;) But this is why I will never be frying anything again: The oil turned dark brown & there was SLUDGE at the bottom. It made my tummy sick & my heart sad that I put that inside of me! Oh but those onion strings did melt in my mouth! And our apartment smelled like oil for the rest of the weekend. I probably won’t fry anything anymore…for a while!

Saturday morning we got up & got everything together to take our adventure dog out to enjoy this awesome weather! We headed up to the Auburn State Recreational Area. Basil had so much fun splashing through all the mud, eating sticks & meeting new people   & dogs. We guessed it was about 3-3.5 miles round trip. Basil was worn out at the end of the day. I’ve read a saying “A tired Wiem is a happy Weim.” I like that!

Sunday we just laid low in the morning. We had big plans to get up early & head up to Wright’s Lake, but we were all too tired! We took Basil to the dog park instead & then headed to church at Veritas that afternoon.

On Monday I realized that at some point during the weekend, a tornado had blown through our apartment. I hate it when that happens! And it stresses me out a bit when things are messy & strewn all over the place. It took me most of Monday morning to clean things up, do laundry & dishes, vacuum etc… Laundry is my arch nemesis – there were several piles of this nature throughout the apartment laying in wait for me! There is an episode of “How I Met Your Mother” where Lily & Marshall get into a fight bc Lily likes a clean sink and would rather do dishes right away & Marshall doesn’t like to do dishes. That’s me & Chad. I hate waking up to this in the morning! And Chad likes to take the “let it soak” approach overnight so all the gunk is extra gunky and now mushy & disgusting for me to deal with in the morning! The plus side to the “let it soak” approach – more time to spend with my honey :) Monday we also had quesadillas for dinner – per Chad’s request! I tried to load them with veg to undo some of the intestinal clogging properties that naturally  come along in quesadillas. They had onion, yellow bell pepper, zucchini & squash & then ground beef with taco seasoning & Monterey Jack cheese. SOOO good & oooey goooey warm & tasty! Not a great picture to show what’s inside – but use your imagination!

Chad and I had also recently watched a documentary we got on Netflix called Running on the Sun. It followed some of the runners of the Badwater 135mi race in Death Valley in July. It was so intense! These crazy people were running in 120 degree heat! And it made me realize that I hadn’t run in at least 2-3 weeks – these people had such drive & determination. And I was feeling guilty about the quesadilla so I decided I would run on Tuesday!

It’s been hard to find a balance between getting Basil the exercise she needs everyday & getting me the exercise I need/want. I like walking with her & I know it’s beneficial to my health – but it’s just such a lower intensity than what I’m used to doing. Chad encouraged me to incorporate her walk into my cool-down from a run. Which is what I did yesterday & it worked out great! I did ~3 miles yesterday – I called it Three to Lonetree. Lonetree is the name of a street close to where I live, so I figured if I made a big loop, it would be about 3 miles. The Map My Run website is a great tool for running. If I could change one thing, I would ask that they could add a thing to tell you pace. Maybe it’s on the app that you pay for. It took me a while to figure out the app for my phone – I would randomly manage to turn it off in the middle of a run & lose the workout, but I’m getting it now! Then I took Basil for a walk – it was probably about 1.5 miles. We stopped to play in the nature reserve again, but the water is all drying up – which is the fun stuff! So we didn’t stay long. This is probably one of my favorite faces that Basil makes – it’s the “I’ve got a mouth full of mud but let me smile at you”! She’s so big!! After we got back Basil got to nap in her crate – and by nap I mean bark – while I did some yoga. I realized while I was running that my hip flexors were SO tight! Yoga has done alot to help me loosen my hips & hamstrings, but I still have a long way to go & want to make sure to keep stretching lots while I’m running. I did the Yoga Today free video for this week – it was a great challenge – working on inversions & preparation for shoulder-stands. I’m so excited! And I can definitely feel that I got a good shoulder/upper back workout in :)

For dinner last night we had the same Chicken Cashew Lettuce Wraps from a couple of weeks ago that I thought were too dry, but Chad loved. So this time I doubled the stir-fry sauce & added a few things I thought it needed – like extra brown sugar, mirin, & extra sesame oil & it turned out quite nicely. We both enjoyed them this time. And I steamed some baby bok choy to go with – sooo good! A little butter, a little salt & pepper & red pepper flakes & some minced garlic & onion. And just put the lid on until tender. My friend Jen introduced me to bok choy – Yay! No pictures though, sorry. I was so hungry – I scarfed it down too quick!

This might be a record for me as far as length goes – so I’m going to wrap it up! We are planning to head to our community group tonight for what is seeming like will be quite a green food feast! What are your St Patrick’s Day plans?!

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Calm Before the Storm

Basil has been a bit under the weather lately. Which apart from trying to guess when she is going to barf next, has been nice. She has been really mellow & sleeping lots. Granted, we knew when we picked a weim that she wouldn’t be a “entertain yourself” kinda dog where she can play on her own all day, but it has been nice to have a little break. But it does make me really sad to see her not her usual peppy self.

Yesterday Chad came home from work a little early & we headed out to the dog park – hoping Basil’s buddy Trevor would be there to play. He wasn’t there so we didn’t stay long. We ended up at this nature conservatory by our house. So random but it is several acres of land that has been preserved from being developed to encourage bird migration… It has all sorts of fun things to explore – rocks, tall grass, a small stream. Basil loves it all. Probably because she gets let off her leash and can run around like a wild thing & splash in the water & chase birds! She perked up a bit then but once we got home slept for about 5 hours straight until it was time for bed. Poor old girl! I was afraid she would be super wound up today – and it’s raining, so no good outside exercise – but she’s still fairly mellow & content to snuggle & sleep. She doesn’t have much of an appetite & that’s what worries me – she’s usually a little vacuum cleaner! Hopefully with all this sleep – she’ll feel even better tomorrow.

We didn’t do anything super for dinner – but it is something we both love: Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup! The soup was homemade – leftovers courtesy of Marina, cooking her way through some Barefoot Contessa recipes. This soup had a perfect tangy kick to it – I loved it! And it warmed my heart & tummy, just the way soup is supposed to :) Sorry the picture is so dark, I was too lazy/hungry to get up and turn on the overhead light to take a picture – I just wanted to keep eating!

Yesterday morning I got to go out to the Flower Farm Inn in Loomis for a morning yoga class. Super cute! It’s a B&B with a citrus orchard, horses, chickens, a nursery to sell plants & veggies in the summer & a little coffee cafe. It was such a beautiful place to be able to go & relax for a bit & do some great yoga! They even have a truck with eyes painted on the windshield like the movie Cars!! I got a cup of hot tea (peppermint – my favorite!) after yoga and needless to say I was super relaxed & ready to tackle the rest of my day when I got back home. I think everyone should try yoga. There was an older man in the class – probably in his mid 60’s. If he can do yoga, so can you!

I think tonight is the night – Chad said we could go on a date to see Alice in Wonderland. I’m SOOOO excited! I haven’t read/heard any reviews. What do yall think if you’ve seen it? Did you love it?! Or hate it? But do you like other Tim Burton movies too? Don’t spoil anything for me, but I’d love to hear what you think!

Ok – I have to cut this off now, Basil is awake & running laps around the apartment. I think I need to intervene before she destroys something! Happy Friday :)

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The Last 5 Days in 1000 Words or Less!

Well, I’ve done it again. I’m getting good at the blogging hiatuses. Hiatuses. Is that even a real word? I think I would say it as I karate chopped someone in the throat.

Life is moving so fast these days. I’ll try to hit all the high points. And try to do better at consistently blogging. Try being the key word. ;) Basil is snoring in my lap right now, so I may be able to get in a good long post.

Lets re-wind to the end of last week & and we’ll start with foods we’ve been eating in the Hogue apartmenthold. Haha. I know I made that word up. I made Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops & an easy torn lettuce salad with tomato & feta last week. Yum. I always forget how much I love pork choppies. These totally hit the spot. We really didn’t eat anything interesting this weekend. I was feeling a little under the weather so we didn’t have any food adventures. By Monday I was feeling better though & ready to tickle another pallet. Pot Roast was on the menu. Of course I turned to my favorite place for a recipe, The Pioneer Woman & she did not disappoint! I also blanched some green beans & made Easy Mashed Taters – I love it when they have skin in there! We enjoyed a glass of red wine with our feast & I totally SCARFED it down – it was perfect comfort food!

Last night I made a roast chicken that I don’t really want to talk about. So please don’t ask.

I do want to talk about Basil though. And for this we are going to re-wind again. Saturday. The REI garage sale. We got up early & got in line. Basil went with us. She made lots of new friends. She was a good sport & a good snuggle buddy. Chad & I both have been feeling a bit cooped up lately so we decided to head out after the garage sale & get outside. We packed up our lunch & took some rock climbing gear & headed north towards Placerville. We were in the car for about 90 minutes in Chad’s bumpy truck. Oh, this is after we notice that Basil has a weird bug-bite hard knot looking thing on her belly & we gave her heartworm medicine for the first time with breakfast that morning.

We find the trailhead & park on the side of the road & get all our gear & head out. Maaaaybe 5 or 10 minutes into our walk, Basil hops off to the edge of the trail, heaves once & then barfs up everything she ate that day. Poor girl. But she doesn’t act sick at all. And she was hungry later & managed to keep everything down for the rest of the day. Weird huh? But we were totally impressed with her problem solving ability – if she wasn’t able to go on the same route that we did, she would find her own little way to go. And she was able to climb up pretty steep rocks that neither of us thought she would be able to do! She is going to be a great hiking buddy! I can’t wait to get her trained off leash so we can let her run free while we are out hiking! And she was totally wiped out Saturday which was awesome!!

But when we got up Sunday morning I heard Chad say “Uh-oh.” She had projectile vomited out of her crate & all on the floor in front of her little house. Impressive, no? But she still wasn’t acting sick. We made a vet appointment Monday & she couldn’t find anything wrong with her. She said it could be a number of several small things – but not likely something to worry about since Basil isn’t lethargic or acting like she doesn’t feel well. She is such a daredevil – she jumped off the table in the exam room – a total nosedive. She has gained 5 pounds in the last 2 weeks! It’s amazing how fast she is growing!!

I’ll wrap this up with a really quick version of what happened yesterday morning. Basil LOVEs to sunbathe on the back porch in the morning. And I love to let her do this while I do the dishes. She also loves to dig in the pot of my lemon tree. I do not love this. I went outside to put a stop to this particular behavior & while I was walking across the backporch to put the tree in a higher place out of her reach, I stepped in something soft, warm & smelly. It was poop. Thankfully I was wearing Chacos. Or not thankfully. Because it was aaaalllllll mushed in the treads. And mushed into the hem of my long baggy sweats. While I was dealing with my poopie shoes & sweats in the bathroom, I heard a funny noise in the kitchen. Basil had knocked over the trashcan to get to the meat wrapper from our pot roast from the night before. It was barely 7:45 AM. I can see the humor in the situation now, but at the time, I completely lost it. I spanked her & put her in a time out in her crate. I was so disappointed in how I reacted – just so completely emotionally caught in the moment – I couldn’t step back & use my brain for a moment to say – this is a puppy, she is just doing what puppies do- digging & exploring & smelling.

I am so not ready for children.

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