Ghetto Garden Update - wk 1 April

So this is just the weekly progress report on our Ghetto Garden (trademark - afroprepper and me Saucy Chef) - I said it before and we'll say it again: "we are new at this and this is our 2nd attempt- and we are just tickled about it." Someone told us "plant your plants deeper they will get bigger." Here's why we don't do it - we live in the desert - it's hot and windy. We plant them low so the roots go OUTWARD instead of downward which gives them more strength, then as they get taller we bury them to the neck to force MORE roots which give it more stability. It's a technique we saw and a technique we chose to employ. We appreciate your input - but the Wild Wild West gardening requires a different kind of love. Truth be told I trust people who have lived here and people who have been gardening a long time - because it's tried and tested. Our plants are also 'slower' because we water from the bottom since I have this urge to constantly water them and then that makes them lodge or drown.


This weekend we will be picking up some compost (ours is far too slow) and we will be putting the plants in their final locations (2.5 gal buckets). The cucumber is looking pretty promising...and if I just end up with 2 much then so be it.



The yellow longbeans are looking pretty good - they are flat in the morning then towards noon they reach up towards the sky.






I did lose one of the green beans - it burned off somehow :(



I put a lot of chard seeds in there and all i have is ONE to show for it. i wonder if I could put more seeds in there ? The red sweetpeppers look ok



The butternut squash is growing more leaves.



You can't see it but the tobacco is starting.



This is an old cherry tomato one I started and literally last night i noticed 2 seedlings peeping out




So i checked the cantaloupe one - and you can see 3 big leaves but there are also 7 or 8 more breaking the surface. I guess we will eat a lot of cantaloupe




And still I find time to make the brownies...
I just wanted to test this blue silicon Wilton pan i got for 70cents at the thrift store.
It worked just fine.

19 Mar 2008: Busy Bein' Bonkers...

I know I’ve been busy for a long minute...

Cakes Take My Time

Then you got Birthday Goodies

Julians:

Gya’s

Wendy...

Photo Missing of the Hello Kitty Cake that Grime conceptualized and I materialized...There are other random goodies coming forth soon.

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Moving Takes My Time...

I have moved and my sister has moved so we’ve done a LOT of moving in the last month. Those of you that know my new address are welcome to drop by. Fam doesn’t call they just come by and I always got stuff for Bomblettes - ask Tina. Hahahahha. We ditched the sofa and just went with chairs. So you surfin the floor rug.

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Airports Take My Time

We just went to NYC a month ago...a nice 4 day weekend in Manhattan.

Sometimes the Sky looks like Cotton Candy...

Airports Seem More Fun When You Are Happy

Vadeem is the craziest Russian Dude we ever partied with

The NY Trip was about meeting his favourite cousins...and relaxing...

Cousin Lloyd and I got along like 2 peas in a pod

Cousin Virgil was a little more reserved but by Day 2 he was giving me a hard time too...hahahha.

We were drinkin’ in a bar with Vadeem and Lloyd and I pointed out the snow and he said c’mon Bebe - our first snow together. ahahahha

Here’s Mama Rita’s favourite pic!

Amanda will always be one of my bad beeyotches...

It’s great to go away but it’s great to come home!

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This is a month of Mama’s...

Julians Mama will be here on the 1st of April...My Mama will be here in a few days. My godparents will be here on Sunday...My official birthday dinner will be Monday...Wooohooo.

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I’m going to voice an observation right now. Because I’ve been seeing people popped for their theft. If you eat stolen food you will get sick. If you steal money it will make you go broke. If you "steal" people they will happily kill you slowly. Either way you get what you deserve. But come near me no more.

Besides stealing is for the weak. If you are gonna try to get over on me come to my face with a gun and say,"Give me your shit" Don’t give me that weak ass pick my pocket in a business way shit coz I’m gonna crack your skull.

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I’m off to the bay for a week next month. And then We’ll see about Hawaii and Manila!

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15 Dec 2007: Grimey and the KRS-1 recap

sigh...'tis the season to go out over and over and over again...

Grime and Wendy are such good friends to us. Somehow we always find time to break bread together and just be NATURAL people. When I say natural I mean just being ourselves outside of a club or venue environment. Well on Thanksgiving whilst Julian was passed ot with "ITIS" Grime insisted that we come to see him perform...plus antedote...plus dead prez and later plus krs-one. Well when we went to the dead prez gig we missed Antedote and Grime...so we made it a point to come well before Grime went on.

Once we got there it's all goodz...

Funny thing about this signage...is that KRS actually worked it into his freestyle that he was takin' that sign home!

Wendy showed up shortly thereafter...

We lingered around and said hello to everyone. I saw my wifey Gya...but only momentarily - she grabbed her cam and folded into the crowd...

Then Mr. T came on with Mr. Konradio...

Let me say first and foremost...That my friend has been on a non stop multi city duplocoast grind and has also been in and out of the recording studio and still manages to hand out linguistic lava. I say that without prejudice as I do have a crush on the new GUNS joint.

You cannot mistake the eyes of someone who loves what they do.

This is my favorite pic though...see below...

Grime wrapped up his set...pausing only to let everyone know that his cd and single were available FREE. Talk about payin' Hip Hop to have you. Let me tell you that show was 10 days ago and Julian has played it at least every day sayin' Grime's gonna make it. I said, "I know this." Julian says,"He has something to say and I like what he's sayin'..." I said,"I know that too"

During the lull in between sets...Julian had a few beers and I had a diet red bull. Empress Lee introduced me to the Fabulous Amy...

Then KRS One came on...

I stayed near Wendy because I'd had 10 hours on my feet already and didn't feel like being pressed into the crowd. Then Julian ran off and said I HAVE TO GET PICTURES. Wendy laughed and said,"He was Asian in his last life..." I laughed even harder and said,"Who you tellin?"

That man can wake up a crowd. No hypeman. No bullshit. No hooks or gimmicks. Just with his voice.

He said,"History is happening...right now..."

He spoke how years and years and years from now...history was already being taken with our camera's and phones and our minds. Decades of material and he was willing to freestyle til Dawn. Then he did this crazy thing where he put his KRS-1 tag on white tees and threw them to the crowd...all while freestyling - WUT! Then he called the other performers and bkids to the stage...

He advised the menfolk to repect women. Word.

He advised us all to respect what we do and do what we love while loving what we do...Yanno!

I guess the real hip hop is...oooover here.

Another great night.

Thank you to our friends...who encouraged us to participate in kinship...friendship and hiphopship...To enjoy a little night life because we work so very hard and love so very much. Seeing people who love what they do and work with deep dedication reminds me that my grind is proper.

Thank You...

02 Dec 2007: Humid Ass Venues

The other night we went to The Old Brickhouse to see Dead Prez, Grime and Antedote. Julian and I ended up longer than we planned to and completely missed Grime and Antedote...however, we heard that they were on FIRE (as usual). I haven't been going out much except the occasional quickie with Wendy Lee but on Thanksgiving Wendy and Grimey insisted that we come out.

So we did.

A night ain't a night unless I get a picture with both my wifey's...Ahhhh you boys wish you could but the three of us are in LOVE. Bwaa hahahhaa.

Of course there are the three I love to love

And oh My Konradio - I miss you so! And guns up - he still popped that fool that tried to smack on a girl outside the venue...Wuttadawut.

Can we just continue stunting in 3 shades of denim?

He gwanna buy her a draaaank. I insist.

He still makes me laugh a year later. It's still big fun to go out and circulate...

And so the little Hummingbird has blossomed and we cracked up over all things big and small...Ah yes...we will go Korean food soon enough.

Pinay Point!!! Holla @ my Ani...I'mma bring her lumpia and pancit and Ube...oh my...My fabulous girl...I will always have a plate for you TOO.

This one is for April...

I think Crash is getting excited about his Crashwarming party...

The show is a show is a show...those 16 bars seem really short and the bass seems muffled in such a humid venue. Wendy could barely stand the humidity and the whack. Bwaa hahahha. It's always the bestussest to be around my Gya.I saw Gizmo for a quick moment and before I could stalk her spicy ass she disappeared into the throng. I also ran into the wonderful V and B...kisses kisses kisses. V's face lit up and smiled as she said,"it's great to see you out and not cooking for a change." Then she looked at Julian and said,"your girl makes the best brunch - you better start showin' up to bomblettes!" Bwaa hahhaha - I just adore Vee. A happy surprise was running into Ohm and catching up with him. He told Julian,"I've known this girl since she first went into culinary school and I've never seen her smile like THIS...good job and blessings man..." We're all going to meet up to trade Manila stories and plot some land acquisitions.

We ran off into the night and the rain finally stopped and went home to eat favourite and lumpia.

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The next day I did my long overdue drive by on Empress Lee and the Bearded one to make them a quick and dirty feast...We did much catching up in a short time and I had to decline a treasure hunt with Wendy and Mamastrosity because a gelato date was in order with Gya. I brought Gya a plate of adobo and stir fry veggies with oyster sauce and the gelato and we sat to visit for hours and hours. Discussing the single life and dating and capoeira and the deliscious edible seductions of men when they catch our scent!

All the days rainy or not are blessed with love and friends and family.

i AM too blessed to be stressed!