things around my house

1. a flying saucer

My newly purchased steamer. Recently dubbed, "flying saucer."
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2. gaping holes in the street

They could be coffins though. See the flowers?
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3. our love fern

Once upon a time DH bought me a beautiful Fuchsia plant (about two years ago). I lived at Melville then, and hung it on the porch. (Actually, he only bought them as replacement flowers because he killed the mums he was babysitting for me while I was on vacation. The same mums that my lovely roommates had given me the night DH and I patched up our bumpy relationship.) I adore hanging plants. I called it our love fern. After I left Melville in August '07 (while sick with Mono), I had no place to hang it outside, so hung it in the kitchen of my new apartment. Right over the garbage (which was necessary, since the flowers were constantly falling off). Eventually I had to give up because it had died from lack of light. I told DH that our love could last though. Then after we were married he bought me a new flowering plant, which I planted in the dirt. It died very quickly and sadly. I told DH not to worry, that our love could last. Then, one month ago, the flowers came back!!! My neighbor transplanted them into the pot in the above photo (so he could plant something in its place--it's his house afterall!), and it is now on my front steps. I forget what flower it is. Mom? The love fern will live on. And so will our love.

As an aside, DH and I went to a county fair 1 or 2 years ago and there was an area that had fuchsias everywhere--the biggest and most beautiful ever. It turns out there is such thing as the American Fuchsia Society. They had set it up for the fair. Someday I'll have a porch where I can hang a fuchsia again. Hurray!

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4. cilantro

My father-in-law gave me an herb kit for Christmas. I planted cilantro, basil, chives, and parsley. I started them in tiny pots that came in the kit, and eventually moved them outside. But then they all died (mostly). So I transplanted them to my pink pot and added more dirt. Amazingly enough, the cilantro had lived. And recently, a tiny bit of parsley has peeked out. I'm pretty sure the basil and chives are totally dead.

In case you ever try to make an Indian dish that calls for fresh coriander, don't wander around the store looking for it (as I did)! It is the same thing as cilantro. I adore cilantro. Too bad DH isn't as fanatical as I am.

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5. really long sausage dog

What is that weird yellow pipe thing blocking the driveway?