Life Lately: May 2023

Oh, how I love the month of May! Not only is it my birthday month, but it is the first month of the year when the weather starts getting really nice which is perfect for my garden! It was full on this month and I am a bit sad that the month is almost over. Some exciting things happened and there are tons of garden developments so, let’s get right into life lately in May 2023!

My Birthday

On May 5th, I turned 36! I feel like the years are flying by but I am feeling so grateful for the life I have and the people who I surround myself with. I like to sit down before my birthday and plan the year ahead, kind of like what I do at the New Year. This year I am choosing joy. As a type of roadmap, I have listed habits for weekly and daily life that I want to cultivate that will bring me joy. I have also made a list of things I want to do more of, most of which center around connection, creativity, and taking care of myself.

My mom brought me a funfetti cake and a card on my birthday! And, my Dad and Aunt Theresa hosted a birthday dinner for me over at my dad’s on Sunday the 7th. My Aunt Becky, Uncle Tom, Aunt Teresa, and Uncle Dan all came to celebrate. It was a wonderful evening!

Paid off my student loans

So, to kick off my year of choosing joy, I decided to make my last student load payment early. The feeling of hitting submit and receiving the payoff emails left me feeling instantly lighter. I have been paying my student loans since 2009 and they have always felt like a raincloud over my life. But, the clouds have finally lifted and it makes me feel so proud of myself!

Mother’s Day get together

On Mother’s Day, we had my mom, brother, and my mom’s friend Lou and her son Jeff over for an early dinner. It was a beautiful day and we were able to eat al fresco on our patio! Jake made steaks on our charcoal bbq and I made a salad with a homemade shallot vinaigrette and some roasted asparagus. It was a delicious meal and a nice afternoon spent together!

Catching up in person with a friend

My friend Nicole, who I have known since high school, moved down to Olympia last year with her husband. Jake and I went to their Halloween/housewarming party back in October but we had not seen each other in person since then. So, we were able to plan a nice afternoon together this month and it was just what I needed. I made the trip down to see her and we spent the afternoon sipping wine, touring the garden next door that belongs to her husband’s aunt Judy, and her husband made us dinner. It was so great to catch up with her!

Hosting a birthday get-together at my house for my brother

My brother’s birthday is May 26th. On Saturday, the 27th, we hosted a birthday get-together to celebrate him! Some of his old friends came and both of my parents were there and my Aunt and niece and nephew too! I decided on a Taco Bar for food and we made virgin strawberry margaritas!

Folklife Festival

On Memorial Day, Jake and I decided to go meet up with some friends at Northwest Folklife Festival. It was such a nice afternoon. We watched a traditional Asian Indian dance troupe and listened to music from Zimbabwe, and watched a few acts on another mainstage. I believe this is the first time I had been to Folklife and is definitely something I would like to attend again in the future!

In the Garden

So many updates this month!

Harvesting

Sadly, we harvested the last of the broccoli this month. We had about a week of hotter than normal temps and they started to bolt so I decided to harvest what was left and then I ripped the rest of the plants out. I was comforted though with the incoming of delicious radishes and lettuce! Our chives have started to bloom and I am looking forward to trying out a few new recipes this year with them. We also have our first kale harvested and excitingly, our first snap peas!

Planting

May is the month of planting out for us PNW gardeners! I spent May 13th planting out all of my Summer vegetable seedlings that I cultivated from seed earlier this year! At the end of the day, I had planted out tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, and pole beans! I planted my basil starts out the following week along with the last of my zinnia starts and a few marigold starts!

I also made time early in the month to plant out my chamomille, dill, and cilantro starts. The chamomille seems to be thriving but the cilantro and dill aren’t doing as well as the plants that I direct sowed at the end of March.

I want more flowers this Summer! So, I direct sowed several types around the growing spaces in the front and backyard! Hopefully, we will have more beautiful zinnias, cosmos, pansies, nasturtium, calendula, and marigolds!