Hi,

Happy May Day!  It is the anniversary of Berlin surrendered (1945), the King James bible was first published (1611), Osama Bin Laden was killed (2011), the birth anniversary of Henry Roberts (the author of Roberts Rules of Order, a standard parliamentary guide and the death anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci (1519).

Anyone that knows me would never accuse me of being a slave to fashion.  In fact, most would say that word wasn’t even in my vocabulary (clothing wise at least).  Leeann Marie Golish of Cecil was named by national mall owner and developer Simon named her one of 40 style bloggers out of 700 applications.  You can follow her blog by following this link.

LMS Greenhouse and Nursery in Allison Park (just past Hartwood Acres) are sponsoring Fairy Gardening 101 in four sessions.  Fairy Gardening is a miniature garden complete with structures like gazebos, trellises and live plants.  First debuted in America, this Japanese art form at the Chicago world’s fair of 1893.  The four classes will be held on May 9 at 6:30 pm, May 11 at 10:30 am, June 4 also at 6:30 pm and June 8 also at 10:30.  This kid friendly class encourages children to wear fairy wings and wizard hats (I suggest adults also wear them).  🙂  Let’s set the tone.  Please, I shop at LMS, if you are an adult and wear fairy wings and wizard hats, tell them I sent you that way (they may not realize who blogger ed is, but they may ban me from buying plants in the future).  🙂  More info at their web site or by calling 412-767-7020.

I hate the Center for Post-Natural History, they get a Google ranking of 5 out of 10 and I can’t seem to get above 4 out of 10.  Just kidding.  This Penn Avenue, Garfield museum created by CMU professor Richard Pell should not surprise me that a CMU graduate has a web site that beats mine.  🙂  He has created the only museum in the world dedicated to “lifeforms that have been intentionally altered by humans”.  One of the exhibits in his museum is the famous sea monkeys invented in 1957 by motorcycle racer Harold Von Braunhut.  Through slick advertising, Braunhut made a fortune selling “sea monkeys” that he had scientists deliberately create by extending a long dormant cycle in the egg stage of brine shrimp.  Pell has chicken eggs used to incubate influenza viruses to create flu vaccines, glowing fish made from zebra fish with genes from bio luminescent jellyfish and coral.  His biggest coupe is a stuffed goat he’s hoping to receive within the next few months.  The goat is a BioSteel goat developed by Nexia Corporation in Canada that were genetically altered to produce spider silk.  Very interesting story.  Admission is free, hours that the museum is open are very limited.  Currently it’s open from noon until 4 pm Sundays and from  5 until 8 pm Fridays.  Pell’s looking for donations and or volunteers to be able to have the museum open more.

Spring markets are just around the corner.  One of the oldest and largest is on the lawn in front of Phipps from 9:30 am until 7 pm May 10 and from 9:30 am until 5 pm on May 11.  The market is free and they’re offering half price admission to the Phipps.  Various local garden clubs, nurseries, farms and other vendors will be on hand selling flora, giving advise and more.  More info at Phipps website or by calling412-622-6914.  Greensburg Garden Center’s annual May Mart will be held from 3 to 7 pm on May 3 and from 9 am to 1 pm on May 4 behind the Center on 951 Old Salem Road.  They will be featuring specialty woody ornamentals, heirloom plants, annuals, perennials and other plant related items.  They also will have the Shred-A-Thon where you can bring documents you want shredded to be shredded.  More info at their website or by calling 724-837-0245.  Also in Westmoreland County the Penn State Master Gardener program will hold their annual plant sale from 8 am to 1 pm on May 11 at 214 Donohoe Road in Greensburg.  More info by calling 724-837-1402 (I’ve included a link to all the PS Master Gardner sales).  On May 4 at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve the Audubon Society will be holding their Spring Native Plant Sale from 9 am until 1 pm.  They will explain characteristics of the individual plants and their benefits.  More information for this sale at 614 Dorseyville Road is at their website or by calling 412-963-6100.  In Swickley, the 49th Annual May Mart will be held on May 11 on Broad Street from 9 am until 1 pm.   Garden plants, accessories, heirlooms, advise will all abound.  More info at their website.  The Indiana Garden Club’s 38th annual May Mart will be held from 10 am to 7 pm on May 17 and from 9 am to 5 pm May 18 at 495 East Pike.  Local nurseries, 100 craft vendors and food items will be there.  More info at their web site or by calling 724-349-8763.  The West Overton Garden Club will hold it’s 9th Annual May Mart on May 11 from 9 am until 1 pm at 109 West Overton Road Scottdale.  They will have a plethora of plants, hybrids, food and a swap table.  More info at their web site or by calling 724-640-4180.  Finally, the 9th annual Butler Spring Garden Market and Home Show on May 18 in Alameda Park from 9 am until 4 pm.  They will be featuring specialty foods, craft vendors, landscaping materials, plants and more.  More info at their web site or by calling 724-283-2222.

The Three Rivers Arts Festival is coming up soon, June 7 through 17.  They are scheduling the unveiling of the totally renovated fountain on the Point complete with new lighting and water features and even a laser show from the top of PPG place to the top of the fountain for the first few days.  Here’s the musical line up for the Festival:

June 7: Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros.

June 8: Bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley.

June 9: WYEP Regional Showcase with Cello Fury, Joy Ike and Scott Blasey of the Clarks.

June 10: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Pittsburgh Opera resident artists Jasmine Muhammed and Kyle Oliver in a concert that kicks off the Pittsburgh Opera’s 75th anniversary.

June 11: Grupo Fantasma, Grammy award-winning Latin funk band.

June 12: Glen Hansard, songwriter from The Swell Season and The Frames.

June 13: Lucius, Indie-Pop band.

June 14: World Music Day with Red Baraat.

June 15: The Airborne Toxic Event, Indie-Rock band.

June 16: Gospel legends Blind Boys of Alabama.

Since we’re talking music, I thought I’d included the Allegheny County Concerts in the Park schedule for this hear.  Here’s the musical line up:

Hartwood Acres

June 2: Pittsburgh Opera

June 9: Bob Mould

June 16: Father’s Day car cruise featuring The Vogues

June 23: Langhorne Slim & The Law

June 30: Sarah Watkins

July 7: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, 8 p.m.

July 14: Great Big Sea

July 19-21: Pittsburgh Blues Festival, times vary

July 28: Joy Ike with Johnny MillerAug. 4: The Yellowjackets

Aug. 11: Galactic

Aug. 18: Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre

Aug. 25: Rickie Lee Jones

Sept. 1: Allegheny County Music Festival with Rusted Root and Joel Plaskett

And the line up for South Park follows:

May 31: “A Gleeful Evening, Vol. 3,” with Gene Kelly Award winners

June 7: “Italian Night,” with We Three, Vito DiSalvo and Giorgia Fumanti

June 14: Tommy Castro & the Painkillers

June 21: The Wailers

June 28: Monty Alexander

July 6: Pittsburgh Symphony, 8:15 p.m.

July 12: David Cassidy

July 19: The Stickers

July 26: Sixpence None the Richer

Aug. 2: August Wilson Center Dance Ensemble

Aug. 9.: Los Amigos Invisibles

Aug. 16: James Hunter

Aug. 23: Duquesne University Tamburitzans

Aug. 30: Hometown Music Fest

I hired a new housekeeper, Savanah, to compliment Dee and a guy to paint the Carriage House, Kevin.  Unfortunately, Kevin has very limited experience painting, but a great attitude and he’s doing a nice job prepping (prepping is 3/4 of the painting job.  If the prep is done right,the actual painting’s a breeze and the paint job lasts twice as long).   So I’m showing him how to paint and he did a nice job today priming a section of eave.

 Have a great evening and enjoy this wonderful weather.

ed