A Mash Up of Time Lost

As my readers may have figured out, when there are no posts it's because I'm under the weather.  In this case the antibiotic treatment was ten times worse than the infection.  I have emails to catch up on as well as a million things (figuratively!) I had planned for the blog.  This post will be a mash up of things I've wanted to post.

I'd like to begin with asking if anyone is keeping up with the situation in Venezuela?  My heart is heavy with the suffering currently going on in that country.  The breakdown in the food chain appears to be the end result of socialism.  I'm no expert, thought, so if you have information to contribute to this statement, please feel free to offer it in the comment section.  Politics is not my forte, to say the least.  I have two lady friends that answer all my questions when it comes to me unable to see things clearly in this arena.  Then I think the input over without emotion.  I'm afraid emotion is clouding any judgment to be made in this area.  I hate to see anyone without food.  It was not intended for us to be without sustenance.

Things accomplished before I fell ill:

The vehicle was registered for two years.
Cleaned out the toys in the loft
Vacuumed and cleaned the loft and the office
 Did a minor cleaning of the pantry
Cleaned the master bathtub and shower using my 'swif' type mop.  Beats getting in that monster tub and cleaning it.
Picked a number of beans and ate them all!
Made a stuffed artichoke and enjoyed it to no end
Went to the grocery that carries my favorite water and bought three cases.  They also had lemons on sale for 99 cents so they jumped into my cart right next to the Italian olives and bananas.

Also accomplished was a small dollar store haul.  They now have coupons on the shelves that can only be used at the Dollar Tree stores.  I took advantage of the new large cans of Campbell's pork and beans with the 1.00 off two.  This turned out to be buy one get one free (BOGO) with an expiration date of well into 2017.  Also in the cart was national brand instant coffee, wet floor cleaning pads, and national brand dried cranberries, tissue,

The ibotta * account is up to 56.25 with the addition of butter, mayonnaise, a green pepper, bread, and cheese.

I also bought a pool towel to use in my daughter's new pool.  Pool Party!!!!  yea!

I came up with an idea for a post.  Let me know what you think.  If you are interested in learning the steps in canning with a water bath, I can post a step by step blog for you.  Which brings me to the purchase of the new Ball canning book, " The All New Ball Book of Canning and Preserving'.  I purchased it to learn about alternative ways of preserving foods such as fermenting, curing and smoking.  The only disappointing information I found was the list of thirteen items they say is needed for water bath canning.  The items are nice to have but not necessary for the novice.

An exciting (to me) thing that happened was I was able to visit a friend's chickens and see the beautiful blue and green eggs they provided.  A bonus for me was I went home with six of those eggs.  What a nice surprise.

I have two last things to talk about.  I went to the mailboxes that are located at the front of our small condo community to grab the mail.  What a gift to smell the beautiful scent of the jasmine growing nearby.  That scent represented all that the South is.

Another thankful moment was on Sunday when I hung clothes in the yard.  I felt a sense of pride to see that even though my yard is tiny it was being utilized in a number of ways.  Basil given to me from my daughter's garden was drying in the hot sun, the wash balls were being revitalized in the sunshine, the plants were growing strong and tall and the clothes were drying in the fresh air.  I was strangely satisfied with the scene.

The pickling cucumber plants now
have male and female flowers.  I
pollinated the three females I have,
hoping the results will be good.

What have you been doing this past week or so?  Inquiring minds want to know. 

Stay safe!

The Garden AND Dollar Tree?

The week flew by quickly as there was a lot going on.  I went to the dollar store to pick up a few items that I needed.  I did come across a couple of wants, but the stock has not been refreshed even though the spring line is in.  Moth balls are a must for spring and summer for the area around the garden.  I use them to keep creepies at bay.  There was two choices of Dawn dish soap, but one of them appeared watered down even though the bottle was larger.  The caulk is for the master bathroom where the counter meets the wall.  Caulking was one thing my husband taught me how to do, so I will fix the small problem this morning.



Moth balls, caulk, and Dawn dish
soap

I ran out of bubbles for the little ones so this time I picked up two large bottles, one with an orange top and the other with a pink top.  These colors are their favorites.  The tape was a want rather than a need and the teeth picks - well - I need to stay clean.  LOL

I already used the yellow starfish tape to cover
a magnet I made from recycled advertising
magnets.  I clipped the magnet in two,
then covered it, then folded it over to
mark the current week in my planner.
I saw the small project on yoo toob, but can't
find the video to share with you.
 

I found the most delicious food item this week.  Made in the USA.  Dried peach slices with nothing added.  I told the three year old it was peach candy and she loved them, eating close to half the bag in one sitting.  Pictured is also a pack of plastic utensils to use during summer picnics with the kiddos, as well as ice cream spoons.

The peach slices are a great addition
to the snack bin.
 

The exciting thing that happened this week happened in the garden.  While shopping for rubber mulch at Lowe's I found huge ferns at the back of the garden center for $5.00.  I purchased two, one for the front porch and one for the back yard.  There was also a large pot of geraniums for the same price that I hung on the Shepard's hook with the pot that I paid full price for.

The fern will go in a holder my
daughter bought for me that sits
on the ground.  Right now it sits
on the glass table to acclimate to
the surroundings.

The back yards plans have been
altered this year.  It's getting difficult
to garden so I decided I would buy food
at the farm market and go for a bit
of color that was easily reached.

 

The biggest and best thing is S and her husband finished the areas that I wanted covered with rubber mulch.  Recycled rubber mulch that has a life time guarantee of seven years.  If a wind comes by, I'll just sweep it back in place.

  

I love the clean lines that the rubber mulch
offers.  No more grass to worry about.
I need about six more bags to cover the
blackberry section.  This area took
12 bag at a cost of a bit over $75.00.
minus military discount of  $7.50.

An over view of the garden so
far.  The blackberries and strawberries
look to be plentiful this year.





I feel the week has been productive.  The yard couldn't have been coming together so nicely if it weren't for my family.  Three stages with three families working on it.  What would I do without you guys.  Love from Mom!

The Dog Treats Are a Bomb!

I watched a video that demonstrated how to make healthy treats for the pup.  It was simple enough -

slice up a sweet potato sprinkle garlic on it and dehydrate it.  Her dogs loved the treat.

Slices of sweet potato in the dehydrator before the
drying process.  I got  32 slices from a medium size
potato.

I had one sweet potato in the fridge and followed the directions, thinking Marley would love these as a treat.  No, she does not.  So I'll be adding sweet potato to my dehydrated veggies I use to make soup.

The finished product, sprinkled with garlic powder.

The sun was shining through the clouds Saturday morning so I took the opportunity to sweep all the leaves and debris from the patio to put on the soil in the garden.  It looked so neat and clean.  The feeling of pride came over me as I stood back to witness the result of my efforts.  An hour later, a strong wind and pouring rain slid in.  My patio again needs cleaning.  I guess that is the meaning of pride before the fall.

This is quite a pile for the small space I have in my yard.

The last of the blackberries trying to ripen before the frost.

The pile of leaves went into the garden to nourish the soil
over the winter.

I did a small grocery shop at the beginning of the week.   Other than that, I've stayed home the week nursing a cold.  I'm not a true germaphobe, but when I'm sick I make sure the bedding is washed often and the kitchen is free of as many germs as possible.  Re - infecting myself - or others - would not be wise.

The store visit was short as I only picked up tomato soup, bananas, and protein bars.  I chose the bars that were on sale, but I won't be choosing that flavor again.

I like the brand of protein bars, just prefer other flavors.  The
soup is yummy and holds four servings that are very filling.

 

I also made a loaf of bread which I would show you in a picture, but it's all gone!  So good and cheap, cheap, cheap.

As you know, I have a list of yoo toob videos I watch.  This morning I watched a rather crude one that depicted the evils of processed foods. Although I tend to agree with the concept, a video needs to be encouraging to young families and presented in a way that gets them thinking, not feeling inadequate.  There are lots of families in this country that can't afford to purchase all the best foods for their families.  It would be ideal, but this is real life.  These families try to do the best for their children, but can't always buy the best of foods.  It's a balancing act, to say the least.

This is a comment made by a mother that I could feel the pain in her heart when she saw the video.

(Comment removed to delete video)

          

            

I don't often offer the name of my blog on other sites, but I felt like this mom belongs here with us.  I hope she takes me up on my offer.  Even more so, I hope the blog helps her.

Stay safe.

Last Week's Accomplishments

Greetings to all this very warm and close to sticky morning. I don't know about you, but I'm close to ready to see fall begin.  The leaves here do not change color until later in the season, but cooler weather is a blessing after the heat (100s) and humidity melt everything in contact with it, including humans.  If there are any errand's to run, make sure they are completed before10 AM or after 6PM.

Despite the weather I did accomplish a bit this past week  besides the normal house work.

My daughter and I went to a garage sale early Saturday morning.  She picked up quite a few things for her new house and has begun to restore them to fit her needs.  Her home has a screened in back porch which will house a wicker couch and chair that she found on the side of the road and a cute wrought iron table she found at a garage sale for 10.00.  Painted white, they match perfectly.

I found a small Corning Ware bowl that fits my needs perfectly, a set of girly pillow cases, and a pair of 84", cream colored drapes from Pottery Barn with a price tag of 5.50 for all. 

This container holds  one cup which is perfect for my needs.

The blackberries have given me another quart bag with so many more to come.  The red ones look as if they are all the same shade so when they're ready, they will all come in at the same time. The green ones will take a couple weeks to ripen.

A friend gave me seeds for an heirloom melon plant that is said to go back as far as the sixteenth century.  The melons look something like a modern day watermelon on the out side, but the flesh is more like what we recognize as cantaloupe.  The plant is sprawling and has three tiny melons on it so far with multiple yellow flowers.  Hopefully I will get a few more melons that will grow to fruition for us to enjoy.  I weeded around it to give it all of the room it wants.

Can you see that little guy laying on the concrete block?
I'm hoping he grows up nicely so I can feast on him.
What a treat that would be.

One of the marigold plants was transplanted in the empty pot in the front that I pulled the sick tomato plant from.  So far it appears to like it's new home, but no flower heads have shown up yet.

After getting discouraged with the other tomato plant I figured trimming it couldn't hurt as it looks unhappy anyway.  All of the flowers died off except one that I saw was a small tomato.  I kept watering it and feeding it.  To my surprise I woke up on Thursday to an additional LARGE pink tomato that - somehow - I missed.  So -at this point - I have two tomatoes that I can hopefully enjoy.

More squash got dried.

Mushrooms followed in the dehydrator.  I will crushed the stems into powder and store the tops in a sealed canning jar.

Garlic was also dried and crushed into powder.

I made three jars of dill refrigerator pickles on Wednesday which will be ready on this Wednesday to eat.  When I ran to the grocery store to grab some dill last Wednesday I couldn't resist a bit of junk food.  Somehow a box of Hostess Snowballs ended up in my bag.  Sometimes a girl has to do what she has to do!

This recipe was a no hassle one.  Plop the ingredients in clean
jars and store in a dark place for seven days.  If they come out,
I'll leave the recipe in a post.

I found out because of an egg shortage my favorite custard stand will not be using eggs any more in their custard.  Sorry, but custard is custard because eggs are included in the recipe.  Eggs have protein so this was an acceptable food for me.  It no longer qualifies and I must admit I'm a tad bit sad over that treat being altered.  My relationship with it has just ended.

What did you accomplish this week?  I love hearing from my readers.  Speaking of readers the portion of the blog page that shows those who have liked this blog is gone.  I have no idea where it went.

Stay safe.

The Week in Review

The garden is growing and will soon be considered lush.  I've picked all of the strawberries that were intended to be used to make jam.  This won't happen because they've all been eaten - one by one!  The strawberry plants are now putting out feelers and creating new plants.  The miraculous cycle of life is in progress.

The weather has been conducive to growing healthy plants and fruit.  I had to trim the blackberry bush because it was going wild with it's tallest branch reaching well over the six foot fence.  I noticed quite a few berries on the back of the plant when I hopped in to the garden to prune the bush.  Until then I noticed all of the berries growing in the front.

I'm hoping for enough berries to make a batch of jelly this year.

The bay plant has quite a bit of new growth on it and the olive tree is forming flowers which, hopefully, will be olives.  Excitement plus!

If you can see the tiny white flowers growing in the center
of the leaves, then you may see - if all goes well - olives
in a few weeks.
 

The bay plant has doubled in size since I re potted it a while back. 
Maybe 2 months ago.

I made my weekly trek to the dollar store which netted me a pack of three exacto knives.  I'm not concerned with hauls, just the little things that are needed to perform life tasks.

 Time was spent with the two eldest grandchildren yesterday until their mom got home from work.  When she got home we sat and talked for a few minutes before I left for home.  By the time she arrived home the grands had enough and were rather quiet and resting.  Until then we had a good time playing and talking, as well as snacking.

Daughter number three is cutting my hair this morning which is in need - big time.  That will be a relief and cooler in this summer heat.  In addition to looking quite a bit better than it does right now.

I think peanut butter toast sounds like a winner for breakfast.  I have some strawberries left that I'll mix with bananas for lunch and green beans that are cooked and cold.  Dinner will be steamed clams and corn on the cob.  Most likely GMO corn, but I do eat corn on the cob a couple times during the summer anyway.

The bathrooms are clean for the week and the kitchen has been scrubbed down and sprayed with peppermint spray so bugs don't feel they can take up residence in my home.  I thought peppermint deterred bugs, but I found out yesterday it actually kills them.  So peppermint spray it is, and often.  My major task today will be cleaning the floors.  I also have to put moth balls out in the yard and call the plumber to fix two leaking faucets.  Also on the agenda this week is going to Home Depot for one more shelving unit for the garage.  Of course, the sheets and clothes need to be washed.  I'll most likely tackle that in the morning.  I'd also like to climb onto a chair to reach the high garage door windows to clean them.  I'm tired of looking through foggy windows!

 I hope your week is going well.  Let me know what you have been doing in the comment section.

Stay safe.

The Lettuce is Pulled and the Week Was Lazy!

Today is a hot and humid day in the South.  I got ready to go to the grocery, but I'm waiting until a little latter when the sun is not so glaring.

The week has been quiet, The lettuce has been pulled from the garden and washed a few times to make it sparkling clean.  Dinner will have a salad of lettuce and chick peas along with some barbeque pork that has been in the freezer.  A small piece of the French bread I made on Friday will be an addition so I can sop up the salad dressing.  Earlier this week I made some tuna salad which netted
three sandwiches.  The first one was a grilled tuna with cheese and tomato while the other two went into the refrigerator for later meals.  I ate from the cupboards this week to use up some items.  The refrigerator is mostly bare now, as well.

I forgot that I lined the refrigerator door tray the milk goes in
so the glass bottles wouldn't slide around when the door was opened
or closed.

I used a shelf liner from the dollar store in the refrigerator.
This has been working well because I don't hear the bottles
shifting around when I open the door.
 

The lettuce needed to get pulled because the temperature
has gotten too high.  I didn't let it bolt this time because
I think I will take a readers suggestion and use the space for
something else next year.


 

I live on the Inter Coastal Waterways which separates my house from the eldest daughter's house.  When vessels need to pass through, the bridge is raised.  On the way home last night the bridge was up so I took a detour and went to the dollar store to see if they had sunglasses that would fit over my glasses.  In a few minutes I was back in the car with sun glasses on.  I don't know how much I saved by going to the dollar store, but I'm sure it was over 10.00. ( a conservative estimate)

My accomplishments were few this week.  The grass was clipped, the lettuce pulled and the soil turned.  Two loads of wash plus sheets along with the small things I do every day to keep order in the house. (dishes, make the bed, etc.) 

Not much is going on which makes me content.  The days of running around like a chicken without a head are over for me.  Thankfully I have the pleasure of choosing what I want to do now.  It has not always been like that.  Now my days start when I choose while in the past they started at five in the morning and went non stop until at least ten in the evening.  I think I would drop over if I still had to live like that.

What have you been up to this week?

Memories of A Sailor and Current Things

The weekend was so active that I haven't gone out this week with the exception of a dollar store trip with my daughter.  Morning wake up time has been normal, but I fall back to sleep an hour or so after I wake up.

Pretty pup basked in the sun as I planted a few seeds.  I added to the parsley pot, planted some marigold seeds at the edge of the garden, and planted a few heirloom melon seeds in the bare spot that was created when I pulled the radishes.

A few minutes to watch some videos and I was sleeping again.  I have favorite videos I watch that include ideas about decorating, cooking, and organizing.  The last few days, however, I have been watching dollar store haul videos.  I'm ashamed to call my finds 'hauls'.  These women really haul. I thought I had an addiction to nice paper, but I'm a novice compared to these ladies. They purchase multiple stickers, tape and paper items.  One girl had three large bins filled with pads of paper.  I'm not sure there would be enough years to use it all.  The dollar stores are a great resource for keeping life frugal, but These hauls bring a new meaning to the word frugal.. 

The Dollar Tree has some great food finds, such as the frozen fruits and veggies that contain no additives or preservatives, brand name breads, and even pure and organic foods.  Most of the gift wrap is made in the USA and the tape is a national brand.  I love the washi tape they have as well as the seeds and garden hand tools.  I try to remember to visit the store before I shop for anything else on my list because there is a chance the store has an item on my list.  This week I picked up a pair of small wire cutters and a box of Cow Tails.  This is where I buy bubble gum to have when the sugar cravings hit, too.  I can't say I've never bought labels there because I have.  A total of three packs to use in various projects is enough.  I love to look at everything, but for the most part I go to a dollar store with items in mind.  Most of the time I am successful.

As the saying goes in this part of the country, 'Bless their little hearts' for loving that store.


This is Bob with our son many years ago when Jr. first learned 
to ride his bike.
 

Cooking hasn't been on the agenda this week so far as I brought food home from a picnic we had on Monday.  Memorial Day and Veteran's Day have a deep meaning for my family.  It is because of the service my husband did for our country that he is no longer with us.  This fact is in the back of our minds and each of us is reminded through the weekend of our great loss.  To us, it is a great loss.  My husband was the best dad and a great husband.  To us he was perfect, even his faults were perfect. We remember those faults with a combination of laughter and quiet tears.  He will never be forgotten by his family.  The pain and suffering he endured most of his adult life will always be remembered with sadness, yet his infectious smile will be remembered with love.





Bob with one of our new born grandchildren a couple of months before he passed.
He loved children and felt honored to protect and care for them.

Bob was a man's man.  So when a fellow staffer was astonished when he found out Bob believed in God, Bob's reply was he wanted to err on the safe side.  The man was puzzled by this response.  Bob went on to explain his philosophy - If there was a God and he didn't believe, there would be hell to pay.(literally) If there wasn't a God and he believed there was, there was no consequence.  LOL!  Only Bob could get someone thinking about such a subject.

The tomato plants are doing so well that I gave one to my daughter and I transplanted one into another large pot.  I have a total of four in two pots.  They seem to like their home in the front yard.  I hope they continue to grow and produce lots of fruit.  This will be the last year I plant them if these plants fail.

I haven't really accomplished much this week.  One of the bigger projects was to clean the garage.  I swept it and sprayed home made bug spray.  Videos were also a big part of my week.

What did you do this week?  I bet it was more than I did! LOL


Stay safe.

A Little of This, A Little of That

I may have found a way to grab pictures and post them on the blog.  It's rather time consuming, but for now, it works.  Here's a picture of my cucumber plant all tucked into a mix of compost, soil, egg shells, and coffee grounds.

 

 

 

The first red strawberry of the season.  There's lots more green ones. 
I may have enough for a batch of jam, if I don't eat them all!

There's five small tomato plants in a very large pot.  I'm thinking the
strong shall survive.  If my experiment does not work this year,
I'll turn to local growers to provide tomatoes.  This variety is
an heirloom one so it's not as resistant to predators and disease
as hybrids are.

A big shout out to my son in law today.  It's his birthday.  I'm proud of the man he has become.  A good dad (spoils the girl), an encouraging husband, and he likes his mother in law to be around!  Both he and my daughter, S, work hard to provide a good life for their family.  Happy birthday, JJ.

 

 

I have a short list this week for shopping.  I need more moth balls as the rain has been heavy.  They were just dispersed around the outside of the house a few days ago, but are close to being gone already.  The other two items on the list are Cliff protein bars and allergy medicine.  I take one pill a day to prevent a build up of fluid that turns into a continual sinus infection.  One before bed and the infection only appears at the change of the seasons in the spring and the fall.

 

Here's some news.  I'm getting use to it - I got a cell phone.  One of those track phones for 18.88 for 160 minutes of talk time, 160 of text time, and 160 minutes of internet time.  I have to renew minutes every three months, but the ones I don't use stay so I can accumulate them.  Now all I have to do is remember to charge it and carry it with me.

 

 

Now for the deal of the month.  Look what I found at a community garage sale for 5.00.  Slip cover and all.

 

 

 

When I moved in this home three years ago I purchased
a (fake) wicker chair on sale so I would have something
to use in the bedroom.  I knew it would someday be replaced with a comfortable one
and I was willing to wait for the right one.  I'm so glad I waited
for just the right one.  5.00!  Can't be beat. 

Whistle While We Work

Tuesday was one of the most productive days I've recently had.  My accomplishments truly astonished me.  I know I'll not remember everything, but here's to a good try.

I reorganized the pantry.  I know it was done a few months ago, but I'm also realizing that this will be an ongoing project.

I scrubbed down the kitchen counters, then polished them with Jubilee polish.  This is a product from the 1960's I was happy to find on amazon.com  Just a small dab on a clean cloth and the counter surface is protected from scratches and cuts.  Warning:  Lots of 'elbow grease' is needed to bring it to a shine.  To me, it's not only exercise, but worth the shine and good smell.

I washed the bedding and mattress pad.  Then I vacuumed the rug and the mattress.  With a damp cloth with tea tree oil on it, the mattress got a wipe down.  The decorative pillows were next to get a wipe down, then the kick boards.

Anything on the counters was washed in hot soapy water after the microwave was cleaned.

In the evening I cut the grass.  Three companies -so far - have said they'd fill in the grass with rocks so the ground would be level and I wouldn't have to worry about cutting grass.  No one has shown up to complete the project.  I guess when you want something done, a person must do it themselves.

When I look at my accomplishments on paper it doesn't look like much.  But, the efforts took most of the day.

This morning I weeded the carrots and pulled three radishes up along with more parsley and spinach.  What a feast I'll have for lunch.  I also sprayed weeds in the rock area with vinegar.

As a side note, I apologize for no pictures yet.  I'm having a difficult time finding where they went to on my new lap top.  I'll keep trying to find them.

Stay safe.

The Garden

I've been doing quite a bit of reflecting, mainly on the use of the computer.  The first thing I did was remove the Angie page on Facebook.  It got to the point it literally reached one person.  I could reach more if I 'boosted' my page by paying them 10.00 a day.  Although I appreciate 'ya'll' thinking of me, I'll decline and remove the page.  I don't like being strong armed, even with an inoculate word such as 'boost'.

I've even been thinking of leaving Facebook.  What holds me back is keeping in touch with family that live in other states.  My friend list consists of sixty eight friends, mostly family.  Not a lot compared to others.  I'm still thinking about that one.

I've taken a break from the blog because I really didn't think it was a help to anyone.  A friend told me she looked for a post every morning.  I told her I thought it was getting boring for readers because my life isn't too very exciting.  She relayed that's what she likes about it.  She went on to say my posts motivate her to do things.  I have since received a number of requests to blog.

Because of that one statement, I begin again.

THE GARDEN

It's gardening weather.  The cucumber and tomato plants have been transferred to the ground.  I enriched the soil with compost that brewed over the winter.  I now see why it's referred to as black gold.  It's beautiful. 

The moth balls are down around the perimeter of the house to discourage those little creepers from making their home in my territory.

Dill is planted in a pot because this is the first year I've planted it.  I don't know what it's suppose to look like.  I made the mistake of planting the asparagus in the ground without knowing what it looks like.  I don't think any seeded well.  Or, I pulled it out thinking it was a weed.

The spinach I planted last fall survived the winter.  It has already began to bolt.  I've had three salads with it with a couple more in my future.

The garlic is huge!  Well over a foot tall.  I counted thirty two growing which is less than I planted.  (I don't remember how many I planted.)

The blackberry bush has shot out three shoots.  It's so tall I had to clip off a few branches.  This year there are too many berries forming to be able to count them.  Since the birds are multiple this year, I shrouded the plants early.  Jelly, here we come.

Strawberries are huge, too.  I have green berries showing.  This area has a long strawberry season so I'm hoping to have quite a few more.

I've harvested and dried three batches of parsley and planted more in a pot.  They're slow to pop out of the soil, but produce quite a bit of product.

The lettuce, radishes and carrots are doing well, too.  I love this garden.

New to me this year:
Bay leaf that a friend sent me for my birthday.
Dill
Asparagus?
Sunflowers

How is your garden growing?  Please consider using the comment section on the blog if you would like to reply.  Comments are encouraging and helpful to other readers.

Stay safe.

Can You Guess What Today's Post is About?

Today's weather in my neck of the woods can simply be described as perfect.  Monday was perfect as well, prompting me to go out to the garden to clean the yard up a bit.  I raked out the leaves and pine needles from the larger portion of the garden yesterday, as well as cleaned up the patio furniture and put out the umbrella.  Then I went into the house and planted seeds in the K cups I saved.

It feels so nice to have the table and umbrella up again.  I
sprayed the umbrella with lavender to discourage bees from creating
nests on it.

The work station for planting seeds.  I have a section of
counter that is far from where I prepare food that is convenient
to use.  The sink is the barrier between the two sections.
Of course I will sterilize the area when the task is completed.
 

Cucumbers, tomatoes, and heirloom melon went into the small receptacles.  Three of each were planted and covered with plastic to create a little greenhouse effect.  I slipped on a large baggie over the seed cups not completely sealing it for air to circulate in it.

The task will be completed this morning so I left the planting equipment on the counter rather than putting it all away just to get it all out again.

This morning I turned the earth in the larger garden and put coffee grounds and egg shell powder in it.  Then raked it over to incorporate the organic material  and level the dirt.  After a short rest the seeds for spinach, lettuce, radishes, carrots, and beets will go in.  The crops will not go in the same areas they were planted in last year.

The garlic is growing nicely as is the strawberries, blackberry bush, and the small rose bush my daughter gave me for Mother's Day last year.  All of these plants have new growth on them.  How exciting it is that they all survived the rough winter we had this year.

This year I will add asparagus and tulips to the mix.  I think both of these plants will go along the fence.  It will be a couple of years before the asparagus comes up, but it's worth the wait to me.

The Swann's man just left.  He was a bit ornery this morning because I asked what ingredients were in the ice cream.  He didn't know each one so I could go online to check for myself.  Well if you don't know and did not offer to grab a carton of vanilla to show me, I can only conclude that there are additives and preservatives.  So, no, I have no need to go online.

I read an article yesterday that was specific about how food items are labeled.  The word 'natural' is often currently used as a draw for a public that is becoming well informed.  Wood pulp is natural.  Shredded cheese is all natural, including the wood pulp that is now used to prevent caking.  I guess the corn starch they use to use is too expensive.

I also came across a video that revealed what the numbers on those tiny stickers on fresh fruit and veggies means.  
1)  Four digits beginning with a 3 or 4 means conventionally grown.
2)  Five digits beginning with a 9 means organic
3)  Five digits beginning with 8 is code for a GMO product.

Please know I'm not pushing for any type of food item.  My goal is to only inform my readers of the information I come across.  Each of you will figure out what fits into your budget and lifestyle. 

Here are a few pictures to confirm that spring is welcomed in my home.

Isn't she a little cutie?  I purchased this last week - at full price. 
There were only two in the store which was an indicator that none
would be available in an after Easter sale.

I tweaked the center piece on the table to include only three items.
I like it better this way

My favorite flower.  They're so happy and care free looking!


 

Time to get back to planting.  How's your weather?  Are you able to clean out the yard and prepare for planting, if you plant?  If you plant, do you start from seed or purchase plants?  When readers share in the comment section, others have an opportunity to learn new things.  Don't be shy, you're among friends here. 

Stay safe!

Gardening, Family, and the Pup

Sunday in my part of the world reached 63 degrees (F).  This type of weather brings unexplained energy to this body of mine.  The immediate reaction is to go out to the garden to check on it's progress after all of the snow covered my plants.

The garlic looked a bit sad, but this morning is perked up a bit more.  The spinach is small, but still green, which is close to a miracle, while the parsley is holding it's own with a nice green color.  The carrots and beets never made it and the radishes are trying hard to stay alive.  Time will tell.  I now know not to plant a winter garden but rather wait until March to plant.  Something to write in my garden journal so I don't make the same mistake again.

One thing that is new to me is the long needles that fall
from the evergreen trees here.  The parks use them as
mulch.  If they do it, then I use them for the same
reason.  My poor garlic.  They need some TLC.  Winter
was hard on them.

 

Drying in the oven on a cookie sheet were 22 pods from the coffee maker.  The grounds had to go in the garden soil so they were cleaned out.  While performing the task of cleaning the grounds out, I noticed there was a coffee filter inside each pod.  There's also a hole in the bottom of the pods.  Brainstorm!  The pods got washed when they were emptied and dried in the sun.  My seedlings will find a good home in them this year.  I only need to purchase one more spray bottle at the dollar store to spritz them for moisture.  The soil has been purchased (dollar store), so I'm good to go.

Twenty two planting pods recycled from coffee pods.

The coffee grounds were spread over the garden soil then turned in with the dried leaves that were already in there.  In the spring I'll rake up what's left of the leaves and add a bit more organic soil.  Some of the compost is read to use soon as well.  The patio was swept and pots that still had soil in them were cleaned out.  (The soil went into the garden.)  I also gathered the sticks that flew into the yard and dried them in the sun to use on the rocket stove when I can this year.

Preparing to use the rocket stove is an ongoing thing.  I've made fire  starters from toilet paper rolls, dryer lint, and left over wax from the Scency burners.  None of those items will go to the city dump, rather be used in a helpful manner.  I guess I reduced my 'carbon footprint' by making these. 

This is the first time I've made these fire starters to use in the rocket stove.
Time will tell if they will work.

The dog's blanket and bed went into the washer then hung in the sun on a drying rack to dry.  Don't you just love the clean smell of clothes dried in the sun?  Marley may not be too excited by it and will try to put her scent back into it.  This may take a while for her to accomplish.

The beautiful Miss Marley just waking up.  This is my bed, not hers.  She keeps me warm at night!

I found the rooting hormone I thought I lost.  It was right where it was suppose to be - in the garden bin in the garage.  I put some on the olive branch I cut off of the olive tree when it was transplanted in a larger pot.  The best place I could think of to plant it was in the same large pot as the olive tree is.

The day ended with dinner at my daughter's house and play time with the grandchildren.  The four year old likes to play a game I created when my kids were little.  It's called "Stay still pillow".  I lie down on a pillow that's on the child's lap.  Then the child moves his legs and I say, "Pillow, stay still, I'm trying to sleep'.  They laugh their little heart's out with this simple game.  The baby thought this was hilarious and got into the game, too.  I want as much play time as I can get with them when they're little because soon - time flies - they will want to go to movies and be with their friends.

What was the weather where you live?  What did you accomplish this week?  I'd like to hear from you.  It's a way of learning new frugal hacks or learning about a different culture.  Learning is one of my greatest joys.

Stay safe.

The Christmas Table Will See Food From My Garden

When I wake up in the morning my first line of business is getting cleaned up then sitting with my ISOTONIX vitamin drink ( http://www.shop.com/ )  and checking out the yoo toob videos of my favorite posters.  This morning was a bit different because I slept until after nine and the pup had to go out.  Can you imagine my surprise when the door opened and it was in the mid seventies?  The pup was so happy she's laying in the rocks soaking in the heat.

I was happy because my first thought was my winter garden plants and the question of their survival.  My happiness quickly turned into excitement as I raked the protective layer of leaves off the tiny seedlings.  Oh my God!  Thank you for protecting my efforts.  Every type of plant, including the garlic, survived the freezing temperatures.  Even the garlic has begun to break it's way through the soil.  The spinach, carrots, lettuce, beets, and radishes - along with the strawberries and even the rose bush - survived.

Radishes happily searching for sun light.

There are only three beets out so far.  This is encouraging to me to look for the rest of them each morning.

Not too many carrots are up yet.

The spinach has the largest yield so far.  Two nice rows of my favorite veggie.

The garlic is from the crop I grew last year.  This is the crop that is most exciting to me.  My efforts are being rewarded.

The parsley is also from seed from a plant I grew during the summer.

You may remember that the rose bush was from a small plant my daughter gave me for Mother's Day.  Oh baby, how you've grown.

The strawberries have quadrupled in size from the small five plants that went in the ground in the late spring.


Can you see why I'm so excited?  The food won't be ready for Thanksgiving, but I'm counting on some of it for Christmas dinner.  After four years of research and failure, I am growing a garden with a 100% success rate.   What a terrific Christmas gift this is.