Summer projects

So a few different projects have been going on at the Malecek home. Some landscaping in the back of the house is the latest and greatest project. It is still a work in progress, but it is coming along.
So this unfinished area which looked like this...

Then turned into this...

And then this...

Hopefully the next step will be rocks...

There is something that makes a person feel good about working in the dirt and planting bushes and moving rocks... makes you feel hard-working and purposeful and that sense of accomplishment... ah, what a great feeling to have.

More summer fun.

An evening at Ramsey Park is just what the doctor had ordered. A couple of weekends ago after the gnats had all left and the mosquito's had not yet sprung we ventured to the park for some playtime and some grilling. Marty did the grilling, the kids did the playing, and I watched it all! It was a absolutely lovely late afternoon and evening. Gracie is getting quite brave on this playground equipment with all her climbing. And of course, whatever the big sister does, the little brother has to try too.

So playing first, the came the eating.

More hot dogs and juice boxes and again improvised eating areas for the kids. I think it worked out nice and was glad I brought their little chairs.

More playing and then a walk to the overlook and to the damn.

Gosh, there is just something so precious about a Daddy holding his little boy's hand and walking along with him.

Lucky Willie

So if you were a dog, what would make you the happiest dog in the world?

I think it would be Zachy feeding you with the food off of his fork.

And not only does Willie get feed, Zachy goes around looking for him to feed him.
This was a night we had a bonfire and dear Willie was scared of the fire (what a wierd dog!). So anyways he sits inside the garage. I put a piece of watermelon on Zach's fork. And how silly am I to think Zach has been eating all the piece's I have been putting on his fork. Why wouldn't I think that? He keeps coming back with and empty fork, and I keep putting on more watermelon chunks.

Finally we (Marty and I) smarten up and figure out what is going on. Then thinking this is so adorable we keep encouraging it so we can take pictures!

Willie is sure to be Zachy's friend for life if this continues.

Summer Fun.

The summer has started and we had our first bonfire. It is so nice now that both kids are a little older and can both walk... this means we can do a few different activities, like bonfires. I think they understand enough the meaning of fire and to not get to close. We did a little wienie roast on our fire and improvised a picnic table.

I think Zachy enjoyed his hot dog and ketchup! Then came marshmellows. Gracie didn't want to eat the roasted ones though. They were "too dirty." Both she and Zachy would rather indulge in the white marshmellow straight from the bag! They don't know what they are missing.

Hopefully the summer will bring about more bonfires.

Anybody want to come for a visit and roast marshmellows with us is sure welcome!

GARDEN 2010

The joy of having a garden. It is always such joyous feeling when the little seeds that were dead and lifeless not to long ago now come to life and start to show there beauty.

Each one unique and ready to bear fruit. It is the sure sign summer is here and life is abundant.

The gentle rains we have gotten has been welcomed and assisted in the rich green shadowing our black soil.

A garden can be bring such a feeling of accomplishment. You feel like you are contributing to the world as these carbon dioxide ingesting, oxygen producing plants are helping to keep the planet cleaner and fresher and make it survive just a little bit longer.

Do you care to take a tour of the Malecek Garden?

We have the lovely TOMATO plant just above. Such good spaghetti sauce he will make.

Just below we have MR. POTATO and to the right we have the CABBAGE plant starting to make it's many layers. Below is our delicious BROCCOLI, with a strong head already forming.

Gosh he looks good.

And to the right we have our

potent ONIONS, who will add

nicely to the tomato spaghetti sauce.



Below is our leaf LETTUCE starting to stretch out.

We have SPINACH to the right starting to produce it's leaves

Oh, can't wait for that big salad.

And here above we have the oh, so abundant producing GREEN BEAN plants. We freeze those and eat them all winter long.






Ahhh, a Minnesota favorite. The treasured SWEET CORN.


Also known as by the Sohre family as "Cornie, Corn"

Hey babies, we are waiting for you too.

We will be having SWEET CORN for a month straight!

Oh the welcoming of this plant for the festive fall. A large, bright PUMPKIN.

I liked this picture, as you can see what happens when you involve the kids with planting. They think it is fun to pull those stakes out and move them after the person that does the planting (me) tries to mark the spot. Oh, well it was all fun.

Again when 3 year old hands and 20 month old hands try to help plant seeds... they might get a little out of the area... again more fun!

Our dear ASPARAGUS that was planted last year so we are not able to cut him yet... and sorry buddy if think you are always going to keep growing and escaping the torture of the knife, I think we have one more year and then we can start enjoying your flavor as well.


This is a pretty good portion of our plants. We have more that I didn't make the cut for this online tour. Things like watermelon, cantaloupe, zucchini, yellow squash, acorn squash, cucumbers, cauliflower, rhubarb, carrots, beats, kohlrabi, and radishes. (I think that is it). I tried some basal and parsely too, but I don't think they are going to make it.

I also must confess that this is a joint garden with my dear Mother-in-law, Betty. All of us make a pretty good team. When one of us isn't out there planting and weeding the other is. I think it is a great method to the madness of the overbearing weeds that seem to grow 2 inches overnight sometimes. Marty tilled it the other night, I went through and got a few weeds, and Betty did the same the next day... Gracie and Zach, well they provide moral support and ask the constant questions/make comments of "What are you doing? What is this? Oh, Cornie Corn? I like Cornie Corn? Oh, weeds. I help pull weeds."

Give us a good crop dear garden... our taste buds and freezers and canning jars are a-waiting!

Need some advise...

Ok, I have lived in my house for over 3 years and still need to put on window treatments in my bedroom. I have shades. Very nice, room-darkening, honeycomb, with no cords, expensive shades. But no fancy, fluffy, puffy, boarder around my windows. The kids have nice shades and nice curtains, but I have neglected to do Marty's and I's bedroom. There are a few reasons for this.

1. I spent a lot of money on the shades and didn't want to spend more.
2. We had already made so many decisions with building the house I didn't want to make any more.
3. We had Gracie 6 days after we moved into our new house.
4. We had Zachy 18 months after moving into our new house.
5. I was in grad school (lots of thinking there), started a new job, got laid off from that job, started another new job.
6. And the real reason is mainly I just can decide what type of "treatment" I want for my bedroom... there are just so many things to choose from.

Thus this is where anyone looking at this blog can help me.

I figure I now have had a stable job for 18 months, I have been done with grad school for 2 years, and Zach is 21 months old. No more excuses. I can make this decision, so PLEASE HELP ME!

First the existing windows:

we have one of these -->

We have two of these -->
Now the options. We have already put up the rods, so that decision was miraculously made but for curtains:

OPTION # 1:
Chocolate brown with little flower imprints, swoosh to the side look so please imagine a metal tie back attached on the wall (not a hair clippy thing)


OPTION #2:
Swag scarf look on top in a light tan color. Again use your imagination that the swags look a little better... I didn't want to spend lots of time making these look perfect, as they may not stay.

To see what the room decor looks like and compare the two here is this photo. The bedspread is quilted, country looking. Our walls are a sage green color.
Ok, help me out here. I need some good advice. Either comment, call or email. What do you think with the color? style? maybe something completely different than what I have come up with?

Thanks so much!

We have other projects that are underway also that hopefully I can share soon. Stay posted! Oh are you loving this weather? Gosh we are!