* Right now, even as I write this, the Atlanta Local Food Initiative’s (ALFI) 2012 Fruit Tree Sale is accepting pre-orders for pick-up in late January.  According to ALFI, featured tree varieties have high production yields, disease resistance, low chill hours and perform well in hot climates.  These would be the perfect addition to small orchards and gardens. A select number of trees were grown using organic techniques.  Last year, I purchased two pomegranate trees from this sale, so this year, to kick off the final two weeks of 2011 (and this blog, by the way), I’m ordering a pear tree in honor of the season.  Should I go with the Moon Glow, the Asian, the Pineapple or the Kieffer? Oh, you know me enough by now.  The Kieffer is self-fertile.  Requires little.  Easy as pie.  Sounds busy-mom perfect, and speaking of pie, I can practically smell it already.  Want your own pear tree (and a whole bunch of other types as well)?  Click here and place your order.  See more about planting fruit trees here.

* Talk of pears at this time of year, of course, leads to mention of the famous “partridge in a pear tree.”  If you’re my age, of course, mere mention of the word “partridge” makes you think of one thing and one thing only.  Sing along with me (and I’m not talking about 12 Days of Christmas, which you most likely just heard at some school concert):  Five of us, and mom working all day; we really came together when we started to play.  Yes, it’s the ole Patridge Family theme song! And all these years later, I still love that show (we watched it with the kids on DVD recently) and I still love that bus.  And I still want splashes of color all over my house, like in this Partridge Family bus-inspired bathroom (or you can just tell folks it was Mondrian-inspired, if you want.)

* I had such a crush on Jeremy Gelbwaks.  Are any of you totally cracking up out there, or am I the only one in the world who even remembers that Jeremy Gelbwaks was the short-lived first drummer in the Partridge Family? I used to drum along with him with a metal nutcracker that looked like the one pictured.  The grandparents just got my younger daughter a set of drums for Christmas (shhhhh–don’t tell her) so this is all flooding back to me (don’t worry–she’ll hear how I had to make do with a nutcracker).  Of course, not having a basement means the burning question (the one that my husband and I haven’t asked out loud of each other yet) is where on earth are we putting those drums?  I guess there’s always the garage, like in this photo.  (I found this on this blog post about “Man Caves,” but may I remind you that the Partridge Family was led by a mom?  We need Mom Caves!)  See real Man Caves here.

Want help planting fruit trees or creating Man (or Mom) Caves?  Find landscapers, remodelers, and handymen on Kudzu.  You can even find music lessons!  You’re on your own regarding the partridge.