List Lovers Thursday

So it's my favorite time of year - in case I hadn't already mentioned that. Even though the daylight comes a little later and goes a little sooner every day, I must, must, MUST get outside everyday. We have enjoyed some time each evening after work on the back patio. I get home, kick off my shoes, grab a big glass of water and the day's mail, and retreat to the loveseat out back. Hubby is usually there already enjoying a cold drink on the glider. On Tuesday I moved my little TV (that's also very old) out there and we sometimes have our dinner there. I think I even caught a cat nap on Monday evening. It's become our little oasis.

I have a few palms, a couple of cacti and succulents, some ferns and spider plants, and even a little lemon tree in pots on the patio. Out in the yard I've planted a few herbs in a small bed, trimmed up some fountaingrass in a couple of beds and borders, and still need to clean up a couple of other beds to get ready for some new plants. And here's where I always get into trouble.

I always plant tomatoes - it's a given. After that, anything goes. I'll prepare the spot for the tomatoes and dig out the tomato cages. I make my trip to the store to buy a tomato plant or two, but usually come home with much, much more. I just can't resist the happy little faces of a pansy, or the texture of a lamb's ear, or the way a little succulent seems to grow in a spiral, or even the idea of cutting a bunch of kale and digging up a couple of beets to cook for supper.

So here is my list - a list of things I'd like to plant this year. Some are practical and do-able, and some are just pie-in-the-sky, but fun to dream about nonetheless.

• lettuce (red oak leaf, deer tongue, Simpson black-seeded)
• radishes (German Giant and Pink Beauty)
• chocolate mint
• lavender
• society garlic
• Baja Fairy Duster
• violas
• Mexican Primrose
• shallots
• millet and purple millet
• lamb's ear
• yarrow
• Mexican Red Hat
• butterfly bush
• popcorn bush
• catnip
• zucchini
• beets
• yellow beets
• swiss chard
• kale
• basil
• nasturtiums
• salvia
• flame tree
• alyssum
• hollyhocks
• sweet peas
• morning glories

Here's to playing in the dirt!

List Lovers' Thursday

Way back when, when I was very much a newbie blogger, my Thursdays for a while were devoted to lists, and, in fact, I called them List Lovers Thursdays (even though once I did it on a Friday, and once it was about a Friday).

So, today being Thursday and all, I am in the mood for a list. (Besides, Liz did a list today and now I want to too!) Tomorrow is my every-other-Friday-off Friday, (YAY!) and there are some things I should do and some things I could do.

Could do:

** make (or find) templates for envelopes for mailing tags and ATC's, and then make a couple envelopes so I can mail a tag to Mari.

** send some snail mail to Diva Kreszl and Jeanette. I don't know yet what it'll be, but must be something special!

** and i must come up with something wonderful to send the The Fragrant Muse as it's her birthday tomorrow!

** hunt for treasure (aka taking a trip to the second hand store). Did I tell you that the last time I went I bought a poker chip holder? It's a nice wooden one that spins, and it's perfect for holding my small bottles of craft paints on my craft desk.

** I found some turkey meatballs at the grocery store last weekend and I'm in the mood for some spaghetti.

** Find a Michael's coupon and buy another ink pad.

** Take a new photo of my front porch with my scarecrow on the front door and a pumpkin and marigolds out front and replace the photo currently in my sidebar.

** Nap. (one of my personal favorites)

Should do:

** make hotel reservations for our trip to see Phantom of the Opera in two weeks.

** send haiku to a postcrossing friend that I sent a postcard to earlier this week.

** pull up the bermuda grass and bird seed that's sprouted to get ready to plant tomatoes and radishes and nasturtiums.

** clean out some old magazines to make room for my new Craft Spinner.

Of course there will be coffee in the morning on the patio while I contemplate the possibilities that the day holds. And maybe even a cup in the afternoon (after the nap of course).

I hope your Friday is beautiful.

List Lovers Thursday (on Friday)

This week's list:
My favorite words
I fully intended to do this post last night (since yesterday was Thursday). But I had the wonderful surprise of finding out that I'd received the Morning Coffee Award from The Fragrant Muse, and had to write about that instead.

My list this week is of some of my favorite words. I like these words mostly for how they sound, or how it feels to say them. I'm sure the meaning of some of the words contributes to some extent to their appeal.

• synchronicity
• mélange
• plume
• beatific
• lovestruck
• serendipitous
• evermore
• collusion
• forlorn
• fluid
• Djbouti (I know this is a proper noun - the name of a country - but it's so much fun! pronunciation)
• nonpareil
• proclivity
• ethereal
• enamor
• philanthropist
• rapt

There are also words I detest -- words that are just yucky (in fact anything that rhymes with yuck, really). They are just too hard, or rough, or blunt. For example, cacophony. While it's an interesting enough word, I mean you get a definite image in your mind when you hear the word, the word is just too choppy. It's almost like it has too many sharp corners or edges to it.

My list of favorite words is ever fluctuating (ooh! another great word!). I mean, I don't know every single word yet, and I probably haven't heard every word yet, and without a doubt I have not yet spoken every word. So I'm sure there will be additions at some point. But in the meantime, I do have a new one to add: Blogosphere. Sigh . . . that's a lovely, lovely word.