Christine at Idora Design bestowed us with the ‘Honest Scrap’ award a while ago, as did Karyl recently at Native Wildlife Gardening. I’ve been very remiss in not yet acknowledging this honor, being rather distracted by our new seedlings, orchard trees, and devastating deer. As I can’t be in the garden at the moment, I wanted to finally sit down and recognize this award.
Honest Scrap
The Honest Scrap award’s roots are bit nebulous, but it is primarily a tool to help fellow bloggers to get to know you…and encourage networking within the blogging community. As a recipient of the Honest Scrap Award, I’m supposed to divulge 10 honest things about myself to help you get to know me, and then nominate 7 other bloggers for the award. I considered skipping the ’10 things’ part, as I’m not all that interesting, and the point really is to direct you toward some other garden blogs I enjoy…but I’ve decided not to be a party-pooper.
You may want to grab some coffee though…ready?
Here goes…
1) Curbstone Valley is run by…a Doctor and an Engineer. “Dammit, Jim I’m a Doctor…not a…” Oh wait…sorry, I digress. Really, except for the occasional help from friends, it’s just the two of us plotting, scheming and planning around here.
And yes, we’re both Trekkies (not to mention rabid Joss Whedon fans).
2) My best friend is my husband…and I’ve lived with him for more than half my life…somehow he’s survived living with me – and my hair-brained ideas – and believe it or not, we’re BOTH redheads (well, we used to be), so that’s no easy feat! If it wasn’t for his moderating influence, I think I’d scare myself most days. Really, for all I’ve put him through, I should nominate him for sainthood.
It takes two...
3) I’m a transplant. My roots once grew in foreign soil. As a seedling I grew up in the south of England, and spent my summers around Yorkshire and Lancashire with my grandparents, but more than two decades ago, I re-potted myself in California, and I sooo love it here…for one, the growing season is MUCH MUCH longer here…not to mention I found the subject of #2 above!
I lived in England as a sprout (Public Domain Image: NASA)
4) I hate lawns. Actually, that would have been news to me about 4 years ago, but really, living here, I just can’t fathom why any of my last gardens even had them. I know, how can I be a true Brit, and loathe the sight of a manicured green?
Manicured lawns are fine for cricket...(Public Domain Image)
Well, it’s fine for cricket, but I’ve come to realize that I personally loathe mowing lawns, poisoning the environment with chemical fertilizers, or battling moss, just to grow a green carpet, so I can mow it all over again. Does anyone see something really wrong with this picture? And fake grass? Don’t even get me started on plastic lawns. I challenge ye lawn lubbers to stand out in a fallow field in mid-spring, and count the variety and number of birds you see. Then stand in the middle of your lawn (real or plastic), repeat the exercise, and weigh the difference…you get the picture. Don’t worry, I won’t lobby to ban your lawn, I just hope to someday encourage at least one other gardening lawn-slave to see the virtue of replacing their lawn with native, water-wise, wildlife friendly plants.
5) I’m a caffeine-o-holic. Who invented freeze-dried coffee in a can? Ugh! I have standards you know! Must be fresh-ground recently roasted beans, and filtered water. Three to four cups of coffee, every day, MINIMUM…and I’ve been known to consume the entire 12 cup pot, solo. Antioxidants really are good for you…aren’t they? (see #9 below).
Illustration of COFFEA arabica L. 106 (Coffea arabica L., Arabian coffee) Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte : Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica 1883-1914 (Public Domain Image)
6) I hate to read fiction. Can’t stand it…ever since I was knee high to a hedgehog, and drooling all over (a rather young) David Attenborough on the TV. People laugh, but there are so many wonderful things written about the fascinating world around us…nature, science, and gardening books to name a few…why on EARTH would I want to read about something that’s make-believe? So what is my favorite book? Hmmm, tough to pick just one, but a book that’s always been close to my heart, since it was first published, is Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams. My favorite chapter was when Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine were tracking the then highly elusive Kakapo Parrots of New Zealand. Next time you’re reaching for the Malathion…read it…you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll gasp, and you’ll be in awe, just beware of the Komodo Dragon (YES, there are dragons in NON-fiction too!).
Kakapo Parrot (Public Domain Image)
7) For some it’s chocolate…but I have a weakness for…potatoes. Yes, good ol’ Solanum tuberosum. HA! You thought I was going to say wine didn’t you? Really, potatoes. So much so, it’s a bit of a running joke around here. Boiled, mashed, scalloped, baked, roasted, grilled, or fried I love them all! Not that I don’t enjoy occasional haute cuisine, but I have confronted a plate of mashed potatoes, with nothing else on the plate, and called it…divine!
Mmmmm...Mashed Potatoes (Public Domain Image: United States Department of Health and Human Services)
8 ) I have a secret disdain for self-absorbed inconsiderate tourists that insist on visiting BEAUTIFUL, WILD, NATURAL, QUIET places, with their car stereos blaring at 90 decibels, or pulling up in their RV’s topped with giant satellite dishes. Really, it actually makes me angry. If you’re going to travel to visit the beautiful, peaceful, QUIET, wilds of nature…leave the dang TV and stereo AT HOME, and STOP spoiling it for the rest of us! Open your eyes, open your ears, and be in awe of what nature has put before you…or GO HOME! The only things I want to hear in a campground…are the sounds of nature! Hmmm…I suppose it’s not so secret a disdain now…oh well. Did I mention I’m opinionated?
Half Dome, Yosemite National Park (Photographer: Mila Zinkova - Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0)
9) Sauvingnon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, heck even Grenache…but NEVER Chardonnay, if it’s oaked. Yes, well, there did have to be wine in here somewhere, especially as there’s a conspicuous absence of chocolate. If it’s red wine, I’ll try anything once, but in the whites I’m much more picky, I despise heavily oaked-chardonnays. If I want syrupy and buttery, I’ll eat pancakes or waffles. Thankfully I’m not alone, and a number of wineries around here are starting to see sense and are no longer trying to out-oak the other guy’s chard! Hallelujah…and cheers!
Curbstone Valley's Wine Fridge - no oaked chardonnay in here!
10) Lastly, I’m a young breast cancer survivor. Well, I think being cancer free for 12 months counts as survivor, don’t you? I was diagnosed in 2009. Less than 6% of breast cancer patients are under 40 at diagnosis, but I suppose someone has to make up part of that 6%. I’m lucky, it’s just a pothole in the road, life’s too short to dwell on that kind of crap. Maybe I can rename this to be the ‘Honest Crap’ award? I’m now recovering from (what I hope is) my last surgery with ‘Dr. Frankenstein’, and it’s part of why we’ve been a bit slow getting things off the ground here at the farm. Hence, I’m not in the garden for a couple of weeks, right in the middle of prime-planting season, but can’t wait to get my hands back in the dirt. As gardening is my escape though, that’s the first, and likely the LAST mention of it here on our blog.
Don't worry weeds...I'll be back in the garden soon!
On that note, we now return you to our regularly scheduled programming…
And now the most important part…7 blogs that I’m following and enjoying immensely (nine if you count the two excellent blog writers who nominated us Christine at Idora Design, AND Karyl at Native Wildife Gardening).
Our Happy Acres – Excellent practical gardening tips, recipes, photos, even soap making! Just the right dash of humor too! The recipes are awesome…really, try the rosemary roasted sweet potatoes! Oh, there I go again…
Town Mouse & Country Mouse – the Town and Country Meeces are like-minded native gardeners close to us here, and I so love reading their blog. We share a climate, and many similar plants and goals with our gardens, and I’m taking notes on their greenhouse plans…shhhhhhh…don’t tell Mr. Rat!
A Year in a Gippsland Garden – A wonderful blog from down under (does that make me up-an’-over?) I have rose envy…really…really I do, and I love learning about weird and wonderful plants we don’t have here!
Bush Bernie’s Garden Blog – Another ‘down under’ blog…but here I have mega wildlife envy. Just once…ONCE…I’d love to see a Wallaby on my patio, or find a tree frog in my loo. Now you’re intrigued, huh?
Rooted in California – Wonderful posts, and makes me realize all the things I should have grown in our last garden, instead of TWO wretched lawns…I’m now trying to redeem myself by reading and learning as much as I can from Brad’s blog.
The Enchanted Earth – Meredith is a witty, reflective and insightful gardener, FOCUSing this year on our Enchanted Earth…
GreenForks – A beautiful blog from Britain, that reminds me of the plants and animals from home. I’m really hoping Mr. Pigeon is flyin’ straight now…(you’ll have to read the blog to find out who Mr. Pigeon is!)
Now, if you’re done checking out these wonderful blogs…what are you sitting in front of the computer for? Don’t you have some seeding or planting to do? It’s spring!!!
Congratulations on the award! And no, you are not boring at all. Thank you for sharing with us. BTW, I TOTALLY agree with you about lawns.
.-= Rachel´s last blog ..Monday’s Guest Blog – Why is Food Storage Important? =-.
What fun! I’m amazed, I thought for sure you’re gardening full time… Anyway, thanks for the scrapt but we’ve been scrapped before and the post is here: http://tmousecmouse.blogspot.com/2010/02/i-duncan-honest-scrap-award.html
And I’ve done the Ten-Things-About-Me meme, the post is here:
http://tmousecmouse.blogspot.com/2009/09/memememe-tmouse-garden-speaks.html
If you want to know even more, come to the goingnativegardentour on Sunday (Ms. C. Mouse will be there in the afternoon, I’ll be there all day) ;->
Claire – thanks for sharing, and I think maybe I won’t duck the purpose of the honest scrap award this time because it is good to know each other more. I lived in Lancashire too for many years, and am a brit. All the best with the cancer treatments – you’ll soon be able to put it all behind you. My younger daughter – one of the squirrels from boulder creek 😉 was diagnosed at 21, and went through a year of surgery, chemo, radiation, and then 5 years of hormone suppressants and all that. It’s almost 10 years ago now and, as you can see from the post ‘an unexpected gift’ she is happy and strong and in a loving marriage. We joke now about going through menopause together. Thankfully hers was reversible. Thankfully mine is NOT reversible! Thanks indeed for honoring us meese with a the honest scrap award. The pleasure is mutual, indeed.
.-= Country Mouse´s last blog ..Those Golden – er – Green – California Hills =-.
So glad the younger squirrel has done so well. It is rather disturbing how common this cancer is…
Dear CV, How absolutely fascinating all of this is and I have so enjoyed reading the honest little snippets about you, the person, with your husband, behind Curbstone Valley Farm.
With you I share a love of proper coffee and, in my book, the inventor of ‘Instant’ should be locked up for life, key thrown away, etc. etc. And as for mashed potatoes – absolutely delicious. T [my cook housekeeper in Budapest] always adds a touch of sour cream – do try it for it adds just a little je ne sais quoi.
Sadly, over fiction I cannot agree – life blood – but tourists, as opposed to travellers, then we are at one.
But what makes this posting so special is the way in which the warmth of your personality shines through with every word, your unshakeable optimism in the face of any set back, and your deeply felt love of your husband, your home, and your country. My warmest and best wishes to you both.
.-= Edith Hope´s last blog ..Partying the Spring Away =-.
Ah, Edith…I agree, sour cream is wonderful. We’ve lately taken to adding an egg yolk (we do have chickens after all) as it does lend a certain richness of flavor, without being overtly egg-flavored. But that’s also what I love about potatoes…they’re so versatile!
Thanks for nominating my blog for the award. Though I’m very pleased I won’t take part if that’s ok with you. I truly am not interesting 🙂
I did enjoy reading about you though (oops…double standards). I’m with you on coffee, lawns and noisy tourists. Disagree on fiction vs non fiction though!
I am also fairly open minded on Chardonnay!
Mr Pigeon is flying straight again and Mr Limpy is still limping 🙂
.-= easygardener´s last blog ..My April Flower: Fritillaria meleagris =-.
That’s ok, writing about oneself does feel a little strange. Glad to hear Mr. P is doing well!
You’ve chosen excellent folks…and I can’t wait to read their HS posts. Thank you for a thoroughly enjoyable read…Congrats on your one year cancer free status! Hot dang that is wonderful news!
Gail
.-= gail´s last blog ..Container Hope =-.
Why fiction? For one of the reasons I read blogs – to step into someone else’s life for a moment.
My sister was 24, over 40 years ago, and then I was diagnosed 10 years ago. We are both survivors, with you.
Congratulations to both you and your sister! I know…I find very few people who agree on the fiction front. Part of my trouble is, there’s not enough time to read everything.
Ah, well, two mice, two answers ;->
So, let me tell you one thing about myself: One of my best friends is a lawyer specializing in privacy issues. And she thinks I’m much to self-revealing already…
Though I must say I’m quite charmed by your post. I’m with you on the potatoes and the husband — well, I’ve live with mine, not yours, for more than half of my life, not your life — am I getting too self revealing again?
I completely understand TM, and we’re wary too. This digital age is rather revealing enough. Although here I think all I really revealed is I’m an opinionated, red-headed Brit, with a passion for potatoes, pinot and parrots 😛 I’ve probably left the reverse-social-engineers more confused than before!
I think you are very interesting! These posts are always fun to read, things you’d mostly likely never learn about someone through a garden blog.
Now that I know there is a doctor and an engineer behind your projects I see why they are all so thorough!
So glad to hear you are doing well after your diagnosis and surgery.
.-= Catherine´s last blog ..Spring Cleaning the Pond. =-.
Thanks for sharing these things. And congratulations on the award!
great blog – enjoyed it. you forgot to mention your love for flan and unique cheescakes 🙂
and yeah, jon is defnitely a stabilizing influence when you get wound up – just like kev is for moi!
love you!
Congratulations on your award! I always learning more about my blogger friends. For example, I am a trekkie too and England is one of my favorite places to visit. I am glad you had your cancer detected and are now cancer free. I enjoy your blog very much and especially lately, the chickens 😉
.-= Noelle/azplantlady´s last blog ..Enjoying the Sun…..No Sunscreen Required =-.
I love the Honest Scrap award, it is fascinating to find out more about the person behind the blog.
Can’t agree with you about the fiction, lol.
.-= Deborah at Kilbourne Grove´s last blog ..A Birds Eye View =-.
such honesty is refreshing in today’s world, congrats on getting the award, well deserved I should say….
.-= Ena Ronayne´s last blog ..Orchid Fair: 10th – 11th April Botanic Gardens Glasnevin =-.
What can i say? You rock! Let’s hang out again sometime over a bowl of mashed potatoes and some yummy (non-oaked) wine!
.-= Christine´s last blog ..Random Acts of Art =-.
You’re on! 🙂
I have to agree totally with the mashed potatoes! I love them, too. I am right with you with your thoughts about the lawn! I would love to do away with ours.
It was good to learn more about you. I am enjoying watching your chickens grow up …. fast!
.-= Amy ´s last blog ..Lawn Care: Ready, Set … WoRk! =-.
It can be tough eliminate lawns, depending on family needs, or local regulations. We’re fortunate to live amidst woodland here, where a clipped lawn actually looks out of place. Our last house though, you could be fined if the grass was more than 4 inches tall, and xeriscaping was frowned on…but attitudes are changing…slowly.
Hi Clare, I’ve been scratching my head wondering what ‘Honest Scrap’ was all about. Now I see! I have certainly enjoyed a chance to get to know you a bit better through this post as I sit and drink my *instant* coffee :p The thought of you drooling over the young David Attenborough cracked me up! Certainly the ‘Thinking woman’s’ pin up boy!
Thank you for nominating my blog Clare…it blows me away that you enjoy reading it! I’ll be brave and give it a go, but I’m not sure what I’ll say now that you know my coffee drinking secrets!
I do hope your recuperation progresses speedily and you have your hands back in the dirt (but hopefully not building deer fences) very soon.
.-= Heidi (GippyGardener)´s last blog ..The case of Tommy Toes Vs GippyGardener =-.
Glad someone got a chuckle out of the David Attenborough reference. I thought he walked on water when I was a kid. He really had the best job in the world, and it’s probably part of why even as an adult I walk around staring at the ground, or up into the branches, scrutinizing the most minute detail.
I grew up on instant coffee…I liked it, until I had the ‘good stuff’ and realized the error of my ways 😛
Clare, It was great getting to know a little more about you. BTW, I don’t have to choose between chocolate and potatoes, do I??
.-= Jean´s last blog ..Spring Clean-Up =-.
Absolutely not…although I wouldn’t recommend mixing them…not sure potatoes are that versatile! However, you do have to have something for dessert!
You’re so fortunate to have received this award! I’m happy to learn more about you…thanks so much for sharing! I completely agree with the fiction bit…I find it difficult to read a story when I can find out about REAL life. Some of my favorite books are about bird and elephant behaviors.
Great to learn about other blogs too. You’ve listed a few of my faves as well.
.-= kimberly´s last blog ..Rain Barrel – Just in Time! =-.
Yay! Someone who understands my penchant for non-fiction.
I love your blog Kim, thanks for stopping by, and I’m sooooo glad you successfully banished your oleander!
It’s so hard picking blogs to list, this seven is barely a drop in the bucket of the ones I enjoy reading, I hate to make anyone feel left out. Probably why I put off this post. The potatoes, parrots and pinot were easy compared to narrowing a list to just seven. I almost listed 14 as I was nominated twice, but figured everyone’s coffee had gone cold by the end of the post! 😛
so not boring! and i am with you re: the lawn…this has got to be the year to get rid of it…except a little for the dog. thanks for the encouragement to fulfill the obligations of the award: i have been very remiss myself!
.-= lynda andrews-barry´s last blog ..Common Good City Farm =-.
Pass the potatoes, please.
.-= MAYBELLINE´s last blog ..When the Wind Blows =-.
I’ll add my congrats to the list as well … I’ve only just caught up with your blog.
Thoroughly enjoyed all that honesty … just a few points:
never really understood the trekkie fascination myself,
I think you’re so lucky to have wound up with such a great friend for life,
I’m with you on the lawns!
and as for drooling over David … was that the only show you were allowed to watch then?
Thanks for mentioning my blog … I was surprised about the mention and pleased as punch to hear that an up-over enjoys the posts from downunder!
Well, to be honest, it wasn’t so much that I thought David was cute. I think I was drooling more over what he got to do for a living, and I was certainly in awe of him for that…and he just seemed so gosh darned smart. I was rather spoon-fed his ‘Life on Earth’ series in the 70’s that aired on the BBC…not the only program I was allowed to watch…but certainly one of the few 😛
Boring????? Yeah right, you guys get more done in a weekend then I can get done in a year!!!!! You serve as an inspiration for me as a budding gardener, as for the lawns…..well I’m just trying to keep up with the cutting and weeding, etc…..you guys rock!!!
Ah, see Tom…that’s where your problem is. Stop weeding, you’ll get more done 😛 I really should come clean and do a pictorial blog post entitled “Curbstone Valley Weeds”. Now there’s an idea…
Thanks for the honest scrap award. I’m glad you like my blog so much. Your blog is one of the few that if I don’t blog for a while I feel a need to go back and catch up on all the interesting posts. I usually don’t do these award things, but we’ll see.
.-= Brad´s last blog ..April Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day – Tax edition =-.
By the way, Clare, I’ve finally gotten around to accepting this award, and I want to thank you for the honor you’ve done me and the blog. I really do appreciate it! I could have sworn I left a comment when this first came out — but apparently not. 🙁 Oh, dear!
Let me try to reconstruct: I laughed out loud at the trekkie reference, and I was so glad to read that you’re a happy transplant (my F. has been here going on 5 years and this area is not a match, but it gives me hope that we’ll find one in this varied country).
It is just amazing all that one can do with a humble potato: we made green garlic mashed potatoes this week, and I have found a new favorite spring dish, I swear.
But no oak-barreled Chardonnay? Really?? When I returned from France (many years ago), I was so disappointed by the taste of the California whites. I complained that the little *zing* of dry bitterness at the end of a sip was missing, making the experience entirely too fruity for my taste, and a French friend explained that oak barrels hadn’t caught on in America yet. Now that’s no longer the case, of course… I guess somebody’s unhappy no matter what. 😛
.-= Meredith´s last blog ..rainy day sunshine & ten tidbits =-.
Completely agree on the Chardonay. Unfortunately, I’m the only one out of the entire extended family who can’t stand it. For everyone else, it’s their staple. Syrupy and buttery = butter and pancakes. I’m going to use that one.
And, I completely agree on the lawn, as well. I can’t wait to get rid of it. Now for what’s there, no fertilizer, no nothing, just water (and too little at that). It needs to toughen up.
.-= Turling´s last blog ..Around the Yard =-.