I am not a plant person.

 I can't keep plants alive. 

I am the uninterested friend in this scenario. 

I'm not a gardener. 

I'm terrible at it actually. 

But everyone is super duper into their houseplants right now so...I feel out of place.

Since January 2019, I've had two orchids. I moved them across the country last summer, even. This past fall, they went dormant (like they normally do every few months) and they've not come back. The stems turned brown and shriveled. I water them once a week, without fail, just like I did when they were healthy and when they were blooming. They get indirect sunlight just fine. One still has very green and healthy leaves. The other has...no leaves. Those fell off awhile ago. I keep hoping they'll come back but it's not really a winning situation for me. 

And before you think I'm insane, this happened over a period of months and I just kept hoping they'd get better. I don't think they're getting better. 

Plant advice? 

I'm not a plant collector. I have a loose (loose) plan to get another orchid or a few plants when we settle into a new place this summer. I can take care of flowers for a few days here or there but not in the long-term, so plants have never been a draw for me. 

Botanic Gardens and such

If you're ever in Denver,  check out the botanic gardens. This was my third trip there and I really do like the place. I'm not naturally a flower person because I do not have a green thumb, but it's just an all-around pleasant place to be. We even went once in January and they still had plenty to see. It's normally about $12 a person for admission, but the military discount was pretty significant. 

And after I took the pictures of the ducks/goose, I sent them to Scott. 

Grilled Zucchini

Recipe challenge, week thirty-six.

Since I cheated with week thirty-four (and thirty-five), I got back on the wagon immediately for this past week, even if the post is showing up late.

But first, let's do a recap...

1. Baked Crab Dip
2. Mint Oreo Ice Cream Cake
3. 30 Minute Leek and Potato Soup
4. Company Chili
5. Cookie Dough Ice Cream
6. Scott's Salmon
7. Homemade Marinara Sauce
8. Homemade Naan Pizza
9. Crockpot Chicken Curry
10.  Steak Fries
11. Sort of Homemade Chicken Stock
12. Carrot Cake Blondies
13. Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork
14. Mint Oreo Rice Krispy Treats
15. Basil-Oregano Pesto
16. Italian Couscous
17. Limeaide Margaritas
18. Burrito Bowls
19. Sausage Breakfast Bake
20. Maple Donut Muffins
21. Pumpkin Pupcakes
22. Maple Scones
23. Fajita Quinoa
24. Pineapple-Ginger Smoothie
25. Blender Guacamole
26. Caramel Rice Krispy Treats
27. Birthday Cake S'mores
28. S'mores Popcorn
29. Roasted Garlic
30. Peach Crisp
31. Lemon-Lime Bars
32. Honey Sunbutter
33. 3-Ingredient Mango Salsa 
34. Mexican Stuffed Shells (not mine but I had to share because it was new to me and really good)
35. Jalapeno Popper Dip

Hey, maybe this grilled zucchini recipe is cheating too because the neighbor told me how to make it.  We've been spending more time with the neighbors lately and they all have gigantic gardens because they're not me and actually have the mental ability to garden.  I am so so bad at it. And I'll probably never try again because this year was an utter failure.

However, I will just buy my zucchini at the store so I can keep making this as an easy summer/fall side dish.  Cold weather doesn't set in here in southern Colorado until the end of October, so I've got plenty of time.

Grilled Zucchini

1 medium-sized zucchini, thinly sliced (about 20 slices)
1 cup Zesty Italian salad dressing

In a large bowl, toss the zucchini slices with the dressing and let marinate for about 30 minutes.

When your grill is hot, spread the slices onto it and watch them closely. After about 4 minutes flip them. Cook for 2-3 more minutes and remove from the grill.  That's it!

Stuff and Things 6/25

+Here is an article that Jana posted last week and I think all of us would agree with just about all of it.
27 Normal Things kids can't do in school anymore.  Some of the things are still allowed.  We still play dodgeball.  We just use soft foam balls that won't leave welts.  They're kind of hard to throw.  However, I think it needs to be mentioned that the reason why these things aren't allowed in school anymore is because parents have insisted, over the last 20 years, that these things not be allowed in school.  Some parent got upset because their kid got hit with a dodgeball (while playing dodgeball) and so now we use soft foam balls that can hardly be thrown because they weigh less than air.

+26 Signs You're a Teacher on Summer Break. I haven't been able to remember what day it is lately.  During the school year, I usually get up at 5am and lately I've been letting the dogs out around 6:30am and then getting up around 7-7:30am.  Usually with a headache and general feeling of being exhausted.  I go to bed any time between 9pm and midnight, depending. I am definitely out of a routine.
But I am already unpacking my new classroom and brainstorming ideas.  My goal is to have the heavy-lifting/time-consuming work done by mid-July.

+I think I love my dogs more and more every day.  Tell me I'm not the first one to come up with "Paw-ther's Day".

+Speaking of Scott, I complained to him about how I need a desk because I know the second he gets back from his deployment/TDY thing, he will turn things into a construction zone again and my argument was that I need my own space.  Meaning, the kitchen table doesn't cut it anymore and I used to have a desk that I bought in college and we got rid of it when we moved here last year because it was only a $70 fake wood thing from Target and we never used it in Alaska but he used it in Missouri, but this house had a built-in desk in the bedroom in the basement, so now he uses that as his desk for his computer and whatnot and I STILL DON'T HAVE A DESK.

I ran all over town on Sunday looking for something cheap (yet sturdy and cute) at Homegoods, Target, and even Wal-Mart (because we have a Better Homes and Gardens bench from there that we love and I thought that brand might have a desk).  And then I realized that I don't have the functional capacity to to put a desk together because, hey, I'm no engineer and I could barely put together the filing racks for the filing cabinet in my classroom this week.  And I considered, for a brief second, a trip to Ikea in Denver and then I laughed about that for awhile and then I bit the bullet and looked at World Market's website and sent a link to Scott to show him what I was looking for...and then he bought me the desk.  Thank goodness I didn't have to make that decision on my own.  What do you think the chances are that it'll just arrive like this, already put together?

He also bought himself a wine rack.

April Challenge: Begin a Garden

I do not have a green thumb.  I don't even have a green thumbnail because I bite my nails and I've recently accepted this and won't be painting them in the immediate future anyway...mostly because I'll be digging in this garden and messing up my cuticles.

Scott is the gardener.  This is last summer's garden.

That is before it really started producing vegetables, but his careful planning and plotting was evident.  In the middle of gutting the living room last June, he suddenly came home from Lowe's with 40 bags of top soil and those railroad tie things.  He dug up the yard and put in a foundation of soil and sectioned off these raised beds.  He installed a sprinkler system.  He meticulously planted seeds he had germinated in little trays in the unicorn room, back when it was still the unicorn room.  He tended to that garden every single evening, the second he got home from work.

He left instructions with me, on how to harvest stuff, water stuff, etc, when he had to leave for days or weeks for trainings.  And, before he'd even come in the house when he got home from those trips...he'd check the garden.

Here's the potato barrel that didn't really produce a lot of potatoes, but he had fun with it anyway.

This year, if I want a garden, I have to make the garden myself.  I've never done this.  This is brand new territory. My dad loves his garden.  My grandparents always had huge gardens too.  I...well, I planted some flowers one year in Alaska and they were pretty fabulous.  That was the only year flowers ever worked out for me though.

This is what our garden looked like a few weeks ago.

I know. It's going to be a long summer.

Last week, I started cleaning it out.  Now it looks like this.

The next step is to add a few bags of Miracle-Gro top soil and then put the fencing back into place. Then I'll probably put in some tomatoes, peas, zucchini, and peppers.  Any suggestions on vegetables?  We tried corn last year and it didn't work.

Oh, and the sprinkler system is disconnected, so I have to figure out how engineer that or actually water it with just the hose.  Effort and all.

Hopefully things will be planted by the end of the month.  If not, I'll have to follow up in May, but my intention is to begin consciously planning this out in April.

Also, I have some pots for flowers.  Try, try again.

Do you (attempt to) garden?  Any tips?