real simple & roses

I am in love with real simple magazine. Ever since my dearly beloved Aunt B first let me read one of her copies, I have been head over heels! Thanks to this same aunt, I am the thrilled recipient of a year's subscription, and I can not get enough of them. I received this month's edition, and began pouring over it the moment I got home from work this evening. My first delight? Their article "6 New Uses For a Coffee Can". I plan to use three of the suggested six options. Delight #2: "3 New Uses for Old Things". Who knew you could put your waterlogged cell phone in a bowl of rice over night to dry it out?! (Those of you that know exactly how many times I have drowned a perfectly respectable cell phone will realize just how useful this article was to me!:o) I can not WAIT to try the recipe on page 242 for Cheddar Chicken. It sounds delish. Oh! And the romaine salad with tomatoes and bacon on page 258. You get the picture. It's simply one of my guilty pleasures...but I don't have to feel very guilty since most of the articles involve saving money or healthy living. Or cleaning. So, it's good AND good for me. If you've never read one, CHECK IT OUT. You will not be sorry. Today I found some seeds I purchased in February, with the intention of creating a mini outdoor escape on our patio for this spring/summer. I have long been known as the "Black Thumb" in our family. Yes, I have managed to kill a cactus. Yes, I know how difficult that is supposed to be. Yes, I have managed to kill aloe vera. Again, yes, I know. HOWEVER, I hold high hopes for this year. I am hoping that I have not missed my planting window of opportunity, and I plan to do some container shopping this weekend so that I can begin my project. My hope is that posting about this goal will motivate me to take extreme care with my flowers and plants, knowing that you will expect to see pictures of my progress...or lack thereof. Any suggestions would be MORE than welcome. I am hoping that perhaps J possesses a little green in his thumb that will negate my knack for failure in this. :o) We shall see. My Granny has agreed to give me some starts from her beautiful back yard, which is basically a flower wonderland. How I hope that some of that will rub off on me! The folks at Ferry-Morse have made it easy for me, and fortunately the instructions on the back of the packets show that this is the prime time to plant my flowers! I chose Thumbelina Zinnias, Lilliput Zinnias(Pompon variety), Heavenly Blue Morning Glories, and a generic Annual Cut Flower Mixture. If all goes as planned, I will have some lovely flowers all throughout this season, and can use them in vases to liven up our home! And, ok, so I'm not about to undertake a rose bush, but I'm going for the alliteration thing and r and z didn't really work. :o) Think green thoughts for me! :o) m