This past weekend, we harvested the first veggies from our garden! Woot!! I was very excited as I picked the sweet, crisp pea pods from their gnarled vines. I also plucked some fresh basil leaves to put on our steaks. Mmm… There really isn’t anything more exciting than eating food that you have grown yourself. :)
Dan with the first veggies of the year
The rest of the garden is growing nicely. Check out the pictures below:
Our tomato plants are HUGE! One of them is already taller than me! Guess this means that the gardener’s trick I mentioned in my previous post really does work. :)
Here are our baby greenbeans!
The pepper plants are growing like mad. We already have a ton of chili peppers that are starting to ripen, and the jalapenos and bell peppers have lots of little baby peppers growing.
Ripening Chili Peppers
Baby Jalapenos
Baby Bell Pepper
Because of the crazy weather we have been having, we had to replant some seeds, and our cucumber and zucchini seeds would not grow at all. Since the seeds were being stubborn, my dad picked up some cucumbers and zucchini seedlings to give us a jump start.
Apart from the sunshine and visiting pools and beaches, one of the best things about summertime is the movie theater! Everyone knows that the best movies come out during the summer, when everyone is on vacation or wishing they were on vacation. Some years have been very disappointing, but 2012 has an impressive lineup.
Dan and I have already started working our way through the list of movies that we want to see in the upcoming months. Some of these movies come out after the summer months, but I am going to include them anyway. Here’s our list (as of May) of movies that we want to see:
Avengers – seen
Dark Shadows – (already out of theaters, so I’m going to catch this on DVD)
MIB3 – seen
Moonrise Kingdom – seen
Rock of Ages
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Ted
Brave
The Amazing Spider-Man - possibly
The Dark Knight Rises
The Bourne Legacy
Expendables 2
Skyfall
The Hobbit
Les Miserables – possibly
The Great Gatsby
I am sure this list will change as time and money permit. :) For the movies we have already seen, here are some quick reviews, in case you are still deciding whether to watch them or not.
Avengers:
Another superhero classic. We both enjoyed all the action scenes and comic book humor, and I think they did a good job bringing so many main characters into one movie. There are also lots of good-looking characters for both girls and guys to enjoy. :)
MIB3:
Dan is a huge MIB fan! This latest installment was well done and almost had me crying at one point. There were lots of laughs and comical/creepy creatures. I thought it was consistent with the previous movies and very enjoyable to watch.
Moonrise Kingdom:
This film is about two kids who run away together while everyone else on their hometown island is frantically searching for them. You may not have seen a preview for it, because it is only playing in select theaters. Do not let this discourage you from seeing it though! It is filled with hidden wit and humorous situations, as well as having an all-star cast (including Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Tilda Swinton, and Bill Murray!).
One of my favorite things about the film was the cinematography. Each setting was detailed and beautiful, and I seriously want to buy the house in which the runaway girl lives!!
Of all the movies that Dan and I have seen recently (both in theaters and at home), Moonrise Kingdom is defiantly our favorite! For anyone who is curious to learn more, I am imbedding the preview below:
Just outside of Leesburg town limits lies majestic Morven Park, home to Virginia’s 55th governor Westmoreland Davis. I first learned about the park at Leesburg’s monthly First Friday event, where a volunteer handed me a flyer and told me about some of the features the park offered. One important thing that I learned from the volunteer is that leashed dogs are allowed on the grounds – important knowledge for anyone who likes to bring their dogs on day trips.
A gorgeous tree I found in the gardens.
Covering 1000 acres of open and wooded property, Morven Park is a fantastic picnic location. The grounds contain numerous gardens, all of which are well maintained and great for pictures. The grounds of the park are free, and you can tour the governor’s mansion or take a ride in a horse drawn carriage for a small fee at different hours during the week and weekend.
One of the garden paths
I have visited the park on a few occasions and have always found it open and relaxing. Sometimes I see other visitors, but each time I have gone, it is never crowded. On my most recent trip, Dan and I brought the dogs with us. They LOVED running through the fields and playing fetch with fallen branches. :)
Puppies resting in the shade after playing fetch.
Whether you live around Leesburg, or are just passing through, Morven Park is a great location to visit. I would also recommend it to people who are planning an event, such as a wedding or party. The gardens and mansions are excellent settings for any event!
