Progress amidst the rain

After a weekend of rain – steady, persistent rain – we were finally able to get out and mow a portion of the lawn yesterday evening. Two thick ribeyes were waiting in the fridge for dinner, so Gina handled the large portions with the riding mower while I followed with the trim mower. As I was trimming around the garden, I noticed an explosion of broccoli rabe in one of the plots -- a perfect complement to a steak grilled medium-rare! After mowing, I went out and clipped off a good bunch and then sautéed them with some garlic for dinner. There's nothing like fresh produce for dinner.

Speaking of the garden, I've been remiss in posting pics of our progress, which has been coming along nicely. There are seven plots, each about 4' x 8'. What started off as somewhat tenuous – we had a run of dry, hot weather in early spring – has developed into a nice spread of goods. We have six tomato plants, a few rows of broccoli rabe, two cabbage plants, six kale plants, a row of onions, some thyme and basil, a bunch of newly-sprouted beans, and some beets. Oh, there's some cauliflower in there, too.

This weekend we got 4 yards of compost delivered and I intended to work on the flower beds around the house. But since the rain sidelined any outdoor projects, I was able to paint the ceiling in the bedroom – something that has bugged me for months. The ceiling is rather low, and an astute reader (thanks, Laurie!) advised us to paint the ceiling the same color as the walls to give it a bit more height. Man, did that work wonders (again, pictures to come). Not only does the ceiling look better, but it gives the appearance of space around the tops of the windows. I rearranged the furniture in the room, too, since most of it was out the hallway while I painted. The new setup takes great advantage of the long, narrow room.

And yes, I still have heaps of exterior painting to start.