Munichmaedchen

Weekend Project

One way to get me out of my herb garden in the backyard is to give me a project for the front entrance of our home where we have created a more southwestern feel using succulents and cacti. When I found the column with planter on sale for $ 69 at Johnson's in Morgan Hill, I immediately pictured it as the perfect home for some of my low maintenance cactus pubs and succulents who grow out of their small pots. It worked perfect and gives a focus point to the front door that stands out from the neighborhood. I love it.

Web Art

The UCSC Web Site
Originally uploaded by Munichmaedchen.

I got stuck in the web I found in the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum last weekend. Hot tip: Go there one of these days and get blown away by the colors, shapes, and fragrances of the plants blooming right now. Definitely one of my favorite hang-outs during garden season.

There is no dull moment when visiting the arboretum.

Breakfast Blues

What?? No Waffle House in Heaven?? The fact that I face surgery and either a partial or a total loss of my thyroid gland depending on what they find, sure reflects my choice of tunes for the morning commute. The below one made me cry, tears of laughter. Thank you to the fellow recovering food addict who shared it on the internet. It made my morning.

Memoirs of a Grandma

Memoirs of a Grandma
Originally uploaded by Munichmaedchen.

You may recognize the setting of this picture. It is where they filmed parts of the movie "Memoirs of a Geisha" at Hakone Garden which we paid a visit this weekend.

While we were there, we witnessed a very formal, traditional Chinese wedding in the tea house. In respect of the privacy of the wedding party, I did not take photos during the ceremony. However I did take this shot below after the formal part was over when I noticed the bride sneaking out through the backdoor where I was posted. I love this photo showing the relief on her face that the formal part is over and the party begins.

Angels and Demons

We just came back from watching Angels and Demons in the cinema with the most comfortable seats, the Cinelux in Morgan Hill. I love this place. Did I love the movie? The answer is definitely no. Angels and Demons moves along fast enough to be called entertaining. However, being spoiled by having read the book and having seen The Da Vinci Code, I simply expected a more twisted, more breathtaking storyline. The plot was too flat. Hanks alias Langdon walks from crime scene to crime scene, looks upwards to some Catholic statue and recognizes the next piece of the puzzle - boring. To portrait the Catholic church as a bunch of freaks is getting old too - although, I admit, I think they deserve it a little bit based on their role in history. There are no major revelations like in Da Vinci Code and although the end is kind of surprising, it is not worth to be called a "wow moment." This could have been done better. I did like the Rome pictures, bravo to the camera crew - they were awesome. All in all, it was a fun movie to watch without putting me into much excitement about it. I personally think that it is hard to follow into the footsteps of the brilliant Da Vinci Code and recommend to stay away from the "Catholic subject matter". Write something new instead, Hollywood, something unique and not the same old same because it was making money once or twice. Where is your creativity?

The Neverending Garden Story

Today I feel like I owe you an update of the place that gives me the most peace right now. Digging in dirt is a good way for me to stay grounded. I have a considerable amount of plants collected in my fenced-in part of the backyard - not only start vegetables and herbs to grow, but also help the blooming flowers to keeping the bugs away from the eatable crop with their scent. I call it a festival of the senses, this little aroma corner of our garden, when I inhale the different scents and observe the abundance of colors and shapes. It is my favorite part of the backyard, I admit. No wonder the hummingbirds, butterflies and ladybugs have moved in as well. I love to sit in my lawn chair and just look at it. Here are some shots of the plants I enjoy right now:

Foxglove is not only a beautiful color splash.
It is also the plant used to create the heart drug "Digitalis."
The Berggarten Sage is hard to find in the local nurseries. It is the kind that German highland farmers grow in their gardens in the Alps while its little sister, the golden leaf sage prefers a more milder, mediterranean climate. Here in California, I can grow them both for more variety. My yellow rose of Texas is the queen of the garden fence with her intense scent and the bright blossoms that turn pale once they are in full bloom. Every garden needs a high maintenance diva. The blue Borretsch grows next to the Cherry Tomators and the Basil in the back row of my high rise bed. Boretsch lures bugs away from the vegetable plants. So do Marygolds and the Nasturtium that is currently growing over the boards which lets the bed look like the one of the Sleeping Beauty in the fairytale.

The huge Zuchini plant behind the high riser produces one giant blossom after the other.

Passion adds the zing to the zen of life and garden Not last and not least, see below, the Echinacea which has not yet put out its hot pink purplish blossoms. This will hopefully happen during the next chapter of my neverending garden story when I show you pictures of this cough drop herb together with her neighbors, the Chamomille, Marjoram, Stevia, Coriander and many others we sometimes forget how pretty they are like the chives and society garlic with their cute blue blossoms.

Biopsy

Biopsy
Originally uploaded by Munichmaedchen.

It looks like a hickey but sure was less fun when it got created: the bruise from the biopsy on my thyroid gland. After I had lost a lot of weight recently, I started noticing this big lump on the left side of my thyroid gland. The blood test turned out normal. I went to get ultrasound last Monday and they found two more smaller lumps and decided to do a biopsy poking me in my throat three times. The poking was not too bad but afterwards, I had a hard time speaking and my whole neck was stiff and hurt - one Tylenol was my dinner on that evening. Now after 2 days, only the bruise is left, no pains or discomfort anymore - just fear that the results turn out malign. I guess there is not much I can do except of reading the serenity prayer maybe.

Note: I received the result of the biopsy Friday afternoon: the tissue taken did not give enough evidence whether or not the nodule is benign or malign. As the nodule is interfering with my breathing and swallowing anyway, the endocrinologist recommended surgery during which the nodule will be taken out and if malign, my entire thyroid will be taken out which scares the hell out of me but I am not there yet. I have a meeting with the surgeon on June 1 and will go from there - courage Munichmaedchen, you went through bigger shit in life than that.

Soap Opera

I am following up on my soap production idea by obtaining information on how to make soaps using fresh herbs as well as olive or avocado oil. There is a lot of stuff to read out there. However, only few soap recipes appeal to me as I don't want to use designer ingredients such as artificial color.  I probably have to use natural aroma concentrates besides homegrown herbs which is the only concession I am ready to make. Not sure if this goes somewhere but it's worth a try. Below is a more professional approach, I found on youtube:

Purple Pfeiffer Beach Swirl

No, it's not a cocktail I am referring to in my headline. It's the purple sand caused by Manganese at Pfeiffer Beach. Believe it or not, it was my first visit there - can't believe it myself because Big Sur is number one on my "love-to-go" list. To some reason I never made it down the narrow Sycamore Canyon Road to see this stunning purple-beige beach with it's picturesque rock formations and landscape. This is truly the most beautiful place on the Pacific Ocean I have seen so far. I have to go back to take a pic from the rocks at sunset. This time we did not last long enough. We got hungry and moved on to Nephente for a snack, coffee, and a French milled bar of Peppermint leave soap - made me think of producing my own soap bars with all the herbs and flowers I grow in my garden: Lavender, lemon balm, sage, peppermint, chocolate mint, roses, jasmin, I would even give basil, garden lovage and marjoram a shot and spearmint and rosemary. I've got them all planted organically in our garden and the Farmers Markets would be a place to sell it.

 I have to study the German soap production book in my shelf.

That Lil Ol Band From Texas

My budget is tight right now but sometimes you just gotta do what cha gotta have to do. When I heard that ZZ Top is performing in this year's Bone Bash X together with Aerosmith, I bought 2 tickets right away for me and the Highlander - dinner will be on him I guess, and the drive to Concord.