The New Hobbit Hole

[Overtaxed]

Not for flowers. But as long as I was there, I might as well plant a few flowers! Marigolds are supposed to repel some insects and they also attract pollinators.

[JenB]

Oh, well, then... I don't understand driving miles to work in a garden, since I wouldn't want to do it in my own backyard. Or maybe I would, but it's really too futile around here. The deer eat everything. They even eat the tulips...

[Overtaxed]

I guess I'm just too used to fresh vegetables from the garden and those home-grown tomatoes! :)

Last year the deer nibbled the tops of my peanuts only once - I had worse problems with the crows pulling up seedlings. The next door neighbor invested in some coyote urine to keep the deer away from his garden and bushes so I might have to get the stuff too. I'll have to say that I have the best stand of catnip in the neighborhood!

[JenB]

For the first time in two days, food sounds appealing. Wish I had some nice fresh green beans and corn on the cob - I'm not ready for meat products yet. Peanuts are one plant we can't even try to grow here. What do you do with them? Roast 'em, make peanut butter, feed them to animals?

[Overtaxed]

I grow green beans and corn (this year I'm trying Burpee's new blue sweet corn.) I roast the peanuts (just love the smell of roasting peanuts.) I've heard that you can boil them too but I've never done that (probably end up with a bunch of moldy peanuts.)

I'm off now! Talk to you in about an hour or so.

[Overtaxed]

Okay...I'm "there." Are there any hobbits about?

[JenB]

Hello! Welcome back... I survived my grandmother but was forced to sacrifice two small brothers and a portion of my sanity. Now it is raining - literally sheets - and there is thunder. Very nice now that I'm inside.

[Corin Stormhands]

I am curious enough to go see Spiderman.

Saw Spiderman last week. It's a fun movie. But it helps to remember it's based on a comic strip. In other words, the graphics and the action are cool, but it's not incredibly deep.

Go see it for fun, not inspiration.

[Corin Stormhands]

Congratulations htur_75. Best Wishes!

[JenB]

I thought about seeing it but decided against it - not quite up my alley, I guess. Next film I'm at all excited to see is MiB2, which is out in July. It'll help with the waiting for TT...

[Corin Stormhands]

Having a teenager in the house (who's not yet emancipated) drives a lot of what we see. We have a long list: The Attack of the Clones; MIBII, Scooby Doo, The Two Towers, The 2nd Harry Potter and the new Star Trek Movie.

Those are our MUST sees this year. We'll probably see more.

[JenB]

Yeah, I'll be seeing the new Harry Potter movie (it's got Kenneth Branagh in what I think will be a role that saves that movie from being as uninspired as the first HP movie) and I'll see the new Trek as well. SW... good question, no idea about that. Most likely not. Probably I'll end up taking my brothers to some of the summer kids' movies, but we'll see.

[SuziQ]

I've heard that you can boil them too but I've never done that

Oh man, boiled peanuts! Does that ever bring back memories!! You have to boil them in really salty water, then suck on the softened shell to get all the good juice out before you open it to get the peanut! You used to be able to stop anywhere along any highway in MS in the summer, and someone would be selling fresh veggies, peaches, watermelon and boiled peanuts!

[Corin Stormhands]

We liked the first Harry Potter. In fact it was a favorite until FOTR blew it out of the water.

Star Wars/Trek we see just because...

[Sam Cree]

"the graphics and the action are cool, but it's not incredibly deep"

Sort of like the artwork itself in the comics, it's very good, but after a few pages, it wears (though I loved it as a child).

Your list of teenager driven movies is pretty similar to what my wife and I will see (except for Scooby) and our kids are grown and gone...

[JenB]

Well, I preferred the book to the movie - most of the characters seemed very flat and the magic seemed, I don't know, too mechanical. Have you read the books? The part Kenneth Branagh is playing is that of "Gilderoy Lockhart" and I think he'll be perfect. Most of the adult actors in HP1 were so clearly acting; they didn't have that much heart. (The exceptions being Alan Rickman and whoever played Hagrid)

When you see LotR, you forget sometimes that those are just actors. They are so involved with the part, so immersed in it, that who they are in RL just doesn't matter at all.

[2Jedismom]

Happy Mother's Day, 2JM!

Thank you! It's be a wonderful day too! The boys got me a bottle of shower gel from Bath and Body Works and a PINK towel and washcloth because I'm always complaining that someone stole mine that I set out. Steve got me the Houghton Mifflin paperback LOTR set I wanted. Ahhh...such nice maps!

My dad pulled his back, so we went over and mowed and edged his whole yard...they are out of town so they'll be surprised. I came home afterward and bathed using my new soap and towels...heaven, I tell ya...heaven!

[JenB]

Awww, that's sweet! And so glad you got the proper LotR books - with the nice maps, yes? I have to pick up a card for my mom... she's on her way home now and I guess we should do something.

[Corin Stormhands]

Yeah, I was pretty annoyed by how cheesy Rocky and Bulwinkle was until I reminded myself how cheesy the show was.

[Overtaxed]

Very nice now that I'm inside.

Glad things are working out for you. :)