I hate to admit it, but I’ve never been much of a gardener. I’ve had an herb garden my entire adult life, so I can grow herbs, mostly cooking herbs. And I’ve always had fruit trees, but that’s not gardening.

I’ve tried to grow tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, radishes, peas, pumpkins, eggplant, okra, and even zucchini. I’ve had success with not a single one! Not even zucchini!

Everyone else I know in the gardening gig grows zucchini no problem, every harvest season I see them begging people to take their surplus. I’m so jealous! If that wasn’t bad enough, many of them even put my herb garden to shame.

This year it’s different. I don’t know if it’s the new house, a new garden, new dirt, or new attitude, but I’m a farmer now!

But it turns out I’m not really a farmer because I thought the photo above was a zucchini. I forgot what I’d planted. It’s a cucumber. Not a farmer.

Here is that same cucumber a few days later.

And here is my current harvest of cucumbers. Why is there Ketel One behind the cucumbers? Because my friend, Jen, told me about the new Ketel One Botanicals. I love the idea of them. They are lower in alcohol and calories. Botanical is vodka distilled with real botanicals and infused with natural fruit essences.

I made a delicious cucumber martini with the Cucumber Mint Botanical and my homegrown cucumber.

Back to the garden, I was also successful with cantaloupe and watermelon.

I’ve harvested that lovely perfectly round watermelon above and now I’m waiting for these weird-shaped ones to be ready.

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Happy Belated 100th Birthday to Tax Day! Woot!

Yes, today is April 15th – Tax Day, but the actual birthday was about 10 weeks ago, on February 3rd. That day marked the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 16th Amendment, which allowed for an income tax.

Since my husband is a CPA, it is both the bane and the livelihood of his existence. Congratulations, Dave, you made it through yet another tax season! What is this – your 33rd or 34th? Either way, you are my Man of Steel! My Superman!

I know I don’t tell you often enough, but it is true. I appreciate all you have done and all you continue to do for me and our family! xoxo

Yesterday, I woke up super early, before the sun, because a big ugly black bird, a grackle I believe, was sitting on the fireplace chimney of our master sitting room and he was yapping it up. The chimney creates a mega-horn effect that travels directly into our bedroom.

I went out front and threw rocks in his direction. I’m not very good at throwing rocks. I have no distance or aim, but he finally got tired of watching me try and flew off. If he returns tomorrow, I’m hauling out my Pellet Gun!

I normally reserve my prized pellet gun, given to me as a Mother’s Day gift many years ago, for pigeons. But if that bird starts up with me again…

I may not be good with rocks, but I am an excellent aim with that gun, just ask the loved ones of the pigeons who are no longer around. Enough said!

Anyhow, since I was wide awake and all riled up, I went out into my backyard and started checking out what was happening. It was a beautiful morning, so I took a bunch of photos and ended up posting them on Instagram.

Peaches, pomegranates, Cherokee Purple tomatoes, and the herb garden…

… which is being taken over by the oregano and mint at the moment! I need to get out there and do some serious cutting back!

Are you on Instagram? If so, I’d love to follow you. You can find me HERE.

I also made a big jar of sun tea. It is SO good, it’s already nearly gone… in only one day, with only one person drinking it… me!

Here’s the recipe – plus there are still a couple more garden shots at the end of the post.

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Tomorrow, the long-promised limoncello dessert recipe will appear! In the meantime, I thought you might enjoy a couple of limoncello cocktail recipes to tide you over and enhance the long holiday weekend.

As for me – I am still trying to catch up from the exceedingly relaxing and lazy vacation. After spending a week at an all-inclusive beach resort, where we had our own butler to fulfill our every wish, it’s been an adjustment getting back into the swing of things!

On top of that, summer kid’s class begins on Tuesday, so I’ve turned over the kitchen and been grocery shopping like crazy for the last couple of days. I really could use a few cocktails myself! Above is a picture from our magical week – dinner at the Teppanyaki-style Japanese restaurant.  Aw, good times!

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