…find its way into my heart, that is.

I never thought that I would actually think of owning a trailer but I think I would really consider the T@b.

They come in 4 different floor plans with a variety of accessories.

Look at these folks enjoying their own T@b trailers.

We are home from a trip to the Yakima Wine Country. I can’t believe that we’ve waited so long before visiting the wineries out there. The weather (and resulting landscape) out east is very different from Seattle and it was good to get away from the grey clouds on Sunday.

We visited a couple of wineries [bought several bottles], ate some good food and enjoyed lovely sunshine.

For dinner tonight, we broiled some bacon-wrapped asparagus that we bought at a roadside store. They were locally grown and very tender.

We have been looking for a water feature to place in our backyard and after considering various options, we are going to settle on the shishi odoshi [literally translated to "deer chaser"].

The reason for its name stems from it being used traditionally to scare deer and other animals away from rice and crop fields in Japan.

Here’s a good diagram of how it works [scroll down a little] and here’s a good diagram of how to build one.

You might have also noticed this bamboo contraption in the snow falling scene where Beatrix Kiddo [Uma] took on O-Ren Ishii [Lucy] in Tarantino’s Kill Bill.

I found this ornamental grass/aquatic plant when I was doing a search online for grasses to plant along the front walkway. I was intrigued by its name and the unique flower/seed heads on the grass.

Yesterday evening, as I was browsing the garden center at a local department store, I noticed the same flower/seed head. I was very excited to actually find them locally.

It is said that these would go well in a container with other companion plantings but I think that they would hold their own in a container by themselves.

I also learned that the FOG also enjoys soggy soil and can do well in lower light conditions, which makes it great for the wetter and shadier parts of my yard.

My audiophile Mike calls me an enabler in his techno-lusting psyche. I have no trouble with being called that because I want some of these gadgets as much as he does. Being the supportive spouse that he is, he seems happy to take on the guilt for the both of us.

In our bedroom yesterday afternoon:
Mike: I wish we had decent sounding music in our bedroom without me having to plug wires into my laptop.
Me: Hey, is there something we can stream music off our external HD and off the Internet (read: Pandora and Rhapsody etc) and play it here in our room?
Mike: *eyes widened* Yah, there is. (proceeds to explain options on his laptop
Me: Does it cost a bomb?
Mike: Not really.
Me: I want!

So, it’s now on the way – a Squeezebox v.3 that we can plug into a Super T-amp and for now, his older Mirage Omnisats. I can’t wait.

After years of living with mere computer speakers that plug into the iPod for bedroom audio, we will now have a cool sound system with millions of songs to choose from.

I love you, ma! Happy Mother’s Day!

And to all my friends out there who are mothers (especially K, K and J), I hope you have a good day and your little ones spoil you.

We made dinner for mum tonight – some Spanish dishes with seafood, which mum really enjoys.

In the picture, you’ll see 2 new recipes that I tried: Squid, Chorizo & Tomato Stew as well as Shrimp with Garlic Sauce (butter, olive oil and brandy – so good!). I also made Elise’s Mushroom Caviar and AB’s Tapenade. These were served with crostini.

Since sea scallops are also now in season, we bought some jumbo sea scallops and Mike seared them up in butter and oil. All very scrummy.

From top left, clockwise: Geum, Wallflowers, Succulents, Parrot Tulips

While Mike was grilling the burgers and making some happy mushrooms, I took out the camera and took advantage of the gorgeous sunshine to snap a few pictures of how the plants in my garden are fairing. So far, most of the plants are thriving and I’m so happy.

I love Friday evenings, there is a certain lightness about them. We are listening to Feist’s new album with Mike’s new Mirage speakers – he got new ones in preparation for a 6.1 sound system when we work on our living room project this summer.

Ok, a must-mention: look at this amazing office of the folks at Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters – love the wall art made out of buttons! via Decor8

It must be the sunshine and I must be solar-powered. I got home from work today, ate the sushi we bought from a nearby Japanese supermarket, and then pulled out the bucket, mop and Murphy. I cleaned the floors, the refrigerator and made sure all the waste bins in the house were emptied. I’m usually not so energetic after work.

For those of you who use wet-mop your floors, you will know that Murphy is a good option. I love the smell of citronella and how the wood floors feel after.

Also, some parts of our leather armchairs have been a little sticky. I found a good tip online: wipe down leather with a lukewarm, well-rinsed washcloth and let it dry. Repeat this washcloth step until tackiness is gone. Leather will apply to have lost its shine and that is supposed to be a good sign. Be careful not to use an overly hot towel that is too wet. Once it is dry, apply some Murphy oil soap and use it like a polish.

I tried this tip and it seems to have worked well. I will see how it looks tomorrow after it has had a chance to dry further.

For a while now, I’ve been looking for a good minty shampoo. I’ve tried both pricey as well as economical ones but the hunt is still on. Will this one by Avalon Organics bring an end to my hunt? I’ll let you know as soon as I try it out.

Do you know of a good minty shampoo?

UPDATE: I like the invigorating smell of this peppermint shampoo but I might need a conditioner (which I don’t typically use!) because it feels a little drying. We’ll see again after a week.