Friday Coffee & Garden Update

There are a couple things that I'd like to start doing regularly... let's see if I can stick with it. I assume I'll probably be about as regular with this as I am with Tiny Talk Tuesday. Anyway, they are Company Girl Coffee and my Seed to Seed Challenge / garden update. When I combined those posts before I got good feedback, so it seems to be a good combination. Of course, since my garden log is also here on the blog, there could be gardening posts on any day.

So, come on in and enjoy a cup of Swiss Mocha. I just mixed up a new batch for Dad. And I'll take you on a walk through my garden as it begins to grow...

Inside, the seedlings are still growing. Not much has changed with them since my last post, except that the tallest Asparagus is now over 9" and is all lacy & pretty! Two more Hollyhocks have sprouted.

I believe I counted 27 assorted Pepper Plants, 3 of which are starting to grow their first true leaves! Not sure where I'm going to plant them all, but I'm sure we'll find someplace! The Tomato Plants should arrive in the first week or two of March. I'm saving room for them in the raised beds.

Outside, I have completed Raised Bed #2 and planted 2 of the Container Roses I've had for a while. I put them beside the well house to help the view! They were both Knock Out Roses & I am eager to see how they'll do.

No more raised beds will be constructed this year as I am far too pregnant to continue that project!

Dad finally put out the grass seed and watered it in. I'll have to get him to remind me what he planted. He is now finished with the front gutters, so he also smoothed out the dirt under the front porch covering and filled in where the roof line drip had washed away the soil. Since this area is a shade area, we've got Elephant Ears, Caladiums, and Scarlet Sage seeds (from GrandpaH's house) waiting to go in there.

Cows got into the back yard this week & ate my daffodils. I think they should have been blooming already anyway... They also ate the tops off Grandpa's onions in the garden.

Today I heard & saw a very happy Mockingbird (and am already thinking I'm going to have to net my tomatoes) and noticed a beautiful flock of Red Winged Blackbirds in one of the trees! I love having the song birds here & wish I could identify them all by sound. Fluff caught a lizard, but Dad got it from him before he seriously damaged it.

This week, the growing challenge posted the question Why Are You Growing Food?

I’m curious, and I think it might be helpful to others: how and why you decide to grow from seed to seed this year? Are you growing food for the first time? Are you feeling more of an economic crunch, or want to take the next step in living a simple/sustainable life? Are you doing it for the joy of slowing down? Why, why, why?

First of all, I choose to garden because I love to garden. I find it relaxing to be outside, scratching in the dirt... even in my current very pregnant state. This is my first large vegetable garden and first year growing them from seed.

I choose heirloom seeds for the flavor and the possibility of saving money for next year's garden by saving some of the seeds. I also like the idea of having the best tasting tomatoes without having to find a farmer's market to buy them, because you know the ones from the grocery store do not taste that good. I like having the produce right in my own front yard. I like knowing that I'll have enough peppers to stock my freezer & that I won't have to pay an arm & a leg for a red bell pepper next winter. I like the idea of being able to feed my family without depending on someone in another state, a refrigerated truck, and a super store.

And I hope to have a bounty that I can share with others. There is joy when someone gives you fresh tomatoes, peppers & squash in the summer, and I'd like to be a giver of that joy this year. Plus, my husband's job is secure, but I know others who can't say that this year. If I can help a friend in need with produce from my garden, what an honor it would be to do so!

Any other questions about my garden?

Garden Log

Yesterday was such a beautiful day that we spent several hours out in the garden area. I started working on raised bed #2. And I am determined that by the time I am old and gray, I will have a beautiful garden with no Bermuda grass!!!

Anyway... I got the box 3/4 built and the ground inside the box 1/3 worked over. Then Elizabeth told me she was hungry and I realized that it was almost 6pm!

There are several things to note on the seedlings. First of all, we have the first sets of true leaves appearing!
Catnip
Hollyhock
Marigold and
PEPPERS!!!!!

The Asparagus is sky-rocketing! The tallest one is now over 7" tall! And it's got lacy little foliage up & down it. Does that count as true leaves also?

I had been disappointed with the germination of the Hollyhocks, but they are still sprouting. Perhaps germination would take place faster if I soaked the seeds before planting them. Maybe I'll try that with the next round I seed. I would love to have a hollyhock & larkspur bed like Georgia O'Keefe painted! That was my whole reason for growing hollyhocks this year.

Overall (and so far), I am very pleased with the heirloom seeds. The germination rate has been almost 100%. I think I would definitely order from Heirloom Seeds again if things keep going this good.

Tiny Talk Tuesday Updates

Together for Aunt Jana - HA!

Now that both kids are talking, sometimes so many things are said in a week's time that I can't remember anything that was said! I think I'm doing good to remember one thing from each kid...

Mom: Do you want to pray tonight?
David: Yes, my darling!
Thank you, God, for every future in my world. Amen. Your turn!

Someone made a noise... er, a gaseous noise.
Elizabeth: gasps & looks around
Dad: What was that?
Elizabeth: A frog!
And it actually did sound like a frog! (and it wasn't me, either!)

Rebekah can't talk yet, but here's what's going on with her - I had another check-up today. We are 33 weeks & 1 day, according to the nurse's little calculator wheel. I gained no weight in the last 2 weeks, which was good. My blood pressure was good. The heartbeat sounded good. And she's turned head-down now.

Upon asking if I had any questions, I complained to the doctor about my legs - swelling, cramps during the night, and the pain behind my knee last week (which has gotten better, thankfully). Not much to do for swelling but elevate them when I can and getting into a pool could help if I have access to a pool. He gave me a calcium supplement for the cramps and reiterated that superficial clots in the legs are not that serious.

My next visit was to be in 2 weeks, but he'll be gone that week, so I go back in 3 weeks. At that time I will get tested for Strep B. I hope he gets all his traveling over & done with so he'll be here to deliver Rebekah when it's time!

The Wedding

I'll add more photos later, but I just wanted to give you a quick peek into the reception! Perhaps you'll recognize the dancers: Ike & his sister, Janie!

Garden Log: Seed to Seed, Week 3

This week brought some exciting changes to some of my seedlings... and no changes to others.

One exciting change was the appearance of some first true leaves. Unfortunately, these were on flowers and not veggies, but it lets me know that more will be coming.

The Marigold (left) was the first to show some true leaves, followed by one of the Hollyhocks (below).

Perhaps the most exciting event of the week was that our Asparagus seeds sprouted! They actually sprouted last Saturday (2/14/09). And throughout the week they grew... and grew...

By today, the tallest Asparagus is almost 5 inches tall! Wow! That's amazing! Now I need to read up on what to do with them next. I know I've got to let the plants establish outside & I'll not be able to harvest from these plants for three years. Provided they live, we should get about 20 years of harvest from them (they are perennial).

In other pots, the seedlings are growing slowly, but surely. It's hard to photograph the tiniest plants. My automatic camera doesn't want to focus on the right thing! Pictured below are Peppermint and Sweet Basil.

Seed to Seed Challenge

The Dress...

Belly Shot, 33 Weeks

When we went to find bridesmaids' dresses for Curt & Suzanne's wedding, we found out that we were running short on time to order them... and they had no maternity bridesmaids' dresses!

So we decided to make them. Grana made one bridesmaid's dress and the flower girl dress (Rachel & Sidney). MawMaw made another bridesmaid's dress (Aunt Jana). And I guess I was feeling like I could tackle the world when I said I could make my own... I've never sewn clothing before.

After 3 or 4 weeks of sewing (I lost track of time... and sleep), I finally finished the dress. And if I do say so myself, I think it turned out pretty well!

It's a little wrinkled in this photo because we had to drive from the church to the reception.

I now think making some little dresses for Elizabeth will be a piece of cake! Maybe I'll even make some matching dresses for her & Rebekah!

Oh, and the wedding was beautiful!

Anybody know anyone who needs a size large maternity formal? I've got one I'd like to sell...

Coupon Savings

Aunt Sissy suggested blogging my exciting coupon shopping trips, so I figured why not? I had a small shopping trip this week, but did have some noticeable savings that I was proud of! (Is it strange that coupons make me so excited?) How about you?

Wal-Mart Coupons
Most of these coupons were printed coupons from coupons.com or manufacturers' websites. The Suave coupon I got in the mail by doing a survey or something.

Toaster Scrambles: $1.88 - $1 coupon = $.88
8 Yoplait Yogurt Cups: $.60/each - $1/8 coupon = $.48/each
(Elizabeth & I have been eating a lot of yogurt lately)
2 Yoplait Kids Yogurt Drinks with DHA: $2.58/each - $1/2 = $1.58/each
Suave 2-n-1 Shampoo/Cond, large bottle: $3.00 - $3 coupon = FREE!
Aveeno Baby Wash/Shampoo: $2.97 - $2 coupon = $.97
18 gal Rubbermaid Storage Tote: $8.94 - $1 coupon = $7.94
(for storing outgrown girl's clothes)
Total savings through coupons (some of these were done more than once) = $14.00

Kroger Deals
Most of these coupons were from Sunday paper coupon inserts. Some printed coupons from coupons.com or manufacturers' websites. The e-coupons I used were from cellfire.com.

Pillsbury Cake Mix: Sale Price $0.94 - .40 coupon, doubled = $0.14/each
(got 2 for upcoming birthdays)
Red Seedless Grapes: Sale Price $.99/lb = $1.08
Viva Big Roll Paper Towel: $2.39 - .35 coupon, tripled = $1.34
Frito's: Sale Price $2
Cottonelle 4-pk: $1.19 - .25 e-coupon - $1.00 coupon = $0.06 OVERAGE
Cottonelle 4-pk: $1.19 - .50 coupon, doubled = $0.19
Cottonelle 4-pk: $1.19 - .50 coupon, doubled = $0.19
Kleenex with Lotion, large box: $2.09 - .40 coupon, doubled = $1.29
Kroger Milk: reduced for quick sale to $1.89/gal
Kroger Milk: reduced to $1.89/gal
Kroger Milk: reduced to $1.89/gal
(the sell by date on the milk was Feb 19, so I put it into the freezer until I need to pull it out)
Mr. Bubble Bubble Bath: $2.89 - .50 coupon, doubled = $1.89
Eggland's Best Large Eggs: $2.59 - .35 coupon, tripled = $1.54
Eggland's Best Large Eggs: $2.59 - .35 coupon, tripled = $1.54
6 Yoplait Light Yogurt Cups: $.60/each - .50 e-coupon - .50 coupon, doubled = $.35/each
Total savings through sale prices, coupons, and doubles/triples = $14.11

Total savings on this small trip = $28.11 !!!

The one that got away...

I find it's easiest for me to get away to do shopping by myself on Monday or Tuesday. Our Kroger sales run Wednesday-Tuesday. So on the last day of this week's sale, one biggie got away from me. They had the small boxes of Totino's Pizza Rolls on sale for 4/$5. Then I had 4 coupons for $.35 off, which would have been tripled, making each box $.20! I normally don't buy these, but at $.20/box I thought it would be something different for the kids or a quick snack for Dad. Apparently, this had been a popular sale, because they were completely out of the small boxes! Oh, well...

And nothing I've tried has helped, but I still can not print coupons from my computer from smartsource.com or eversave.com. : ( It's really annoying me, too, because I missed some more Cottonelle coupons and Tidy Cat!

Coupon shopping takes some prep-work, but it works for me!

Sorry about that massive banner for coupons.com. I put in the code for the smaller banner & this big one keeps showing up. If you're seeing a small one, never mind.

Tiny Talk: Genius Edition

This settles it. My children are geniuses. Though I have never doubted it.

In the car last week, Dad said he wanted some Asian food. I suggested a buffet, so that we could also find things for the kids to eat (and myself). As we discussed what would be on the buffet that David would eat (yeast rolls with butter... not exactly Chinese!), I said, "And if there's nothing else, they always have C-A-K-E," half teasing... half not. And I spelled it out so I wouldn't put any thoughts into the little minds in the back seat. THEN, from that back seat, David said, "Hey, cake is for dessert!"

"WHAT?!?!?! No! He's too young for me to have to stop spelling things," I thought. Then in an instant it changed to, "Wait a minute, he just figured out what I spelled!!!!!" To test out this theory, I asked him what I was spelling: C-A-T. I heard him whispering the sound of each letter then he asked, "Cat?" I like to have passed out. He's 4!!!


Elizabeth was watching Super Why while I feverishly sewed on my bridesmaids dress yesterday. Pig is going through the alphabet and stops at J. He asks, "What letter comes after J?" From her little ladybug chair, Elizabeth calls out, "K!" Pig says, "K, that's right," and he continues on to stop at P. He asks, "What letter comes after P?" Again, she calls out, "Q!" I am in total awe. And she just turned 2!!!

I must be a good teacher after all, huh? Either that or I let them watch too much PBS. But if this is what they're learning, then I'd say it's ok! : ) See more Tiny Talk over at Not Before 7.

Stuff on my Cat

It's been a while since I stacked anything on Tort. I think he's missed it. : )

Valentine's Cookies

Our first ever cut out cookies. And they taste good, too!

Seed to Seed, Week 2

This completes week 2 of my seed growing challenge! As a refresher, the challenge was to grow something from seed that I've never grown from seed before, use heirloom seeds (open pollinated), and save the seeds to replant next year.

It has been really exciting for me because I've never grown vegetables from seeds before, so it was all new! Most things have been started inside at this point. When it's time to transplant, some will move into the garden area, some into other beds around the house.

Veggies & Herbs:
Catnip - all cells sprouted
Sweet Basil - all cells sprouted
Peppermint - each pot sprouted
Greek Oregano - some cells sprouted, they're so tiny that they're hard to see
Jalapeno Peppers - each pot sprouted
Firecracker Peppers - each pot sprouted
California Wonder Bell Peppers - each pot sprouted
Anaheim Peppers - each pot sprouted
Sunbright Peppers - each pot sprouted
Swiss Chard - planted outside, some sprouts showing

Flowers:
Hollyhocks - 2 of 5 pots sprouted
Johnny Jump-Ups - 9 of 10 cells sprouted
Marigolds - all cells sprouted

David's wheat grass is still growing in it's jar inside and is still providing a distraction for the cats. I'm gonna try to keep that going as long as possible to keep them away from my seedlings!

I've also started some Non-Seeds in the garden area:
Red Potatoes
Red & White Onions
Horseradish

I think Grandpa's onions in the garden area have grown. Some were stepped on or pulled up by Mr. Nick's cows. The cows also destroyed my compost box by rubbing on it. I knew it wasn't that sturdy, but I hadn't thought about the cows messing with it. We're trying to keep the electric fence up to keep Mr. Nick's cows out of the garden area now.

Fluff, the big outside cat, is doing his part to control the field rats and I haven't seen sign of mice/rats around the compost box any more. The little stray kitten that appeared a few weeks ago hasn't been seen in almost a week now.

I can't identify them all by sound (except the cardinal), but I have started noticing a lot more bird songs when I'm outside. I hope this is a sign that spring is on it's way!

To see photos of the progress of my seedlings and garden, check my Garden Log posts.

Garden Log: Sprouting, Planting & Pruning

Not all of the outside seedlings washed away in the downpour last night! Here are a couple of Rainbow Swiss Chard seedlings which have now sprouted. There are a few of these little guys peeking up. Don't know if the spinach survived the drip line or not. I haven't seen it.

There are the Cannas starting to emerge. And some grass I need to pull. Is it canna or cana?

Since I've never grown potatoes before, I can't say I tried something new with them, so I'll say I tried something non-traditional with the potatoes - caging them. We'll see how it works. I put up 2 potato cages today and planted red potatoes in them.

I also got my container roses pruned & watered today - 2 Knock Outs, 1 Caldwell Pink, and 1 I can't remember what. Now I just need to decide where I want to plant them. I don't intend on moving them any more!

FINALLY - we have pepper seedlings!!! In every pot! These are Jalapeno Peppers. We also have Firecrackers, Bells, Anaheim, and Sunbright. The Peppermint finally sprouted also!

My Prayers for You, Week 3

Visit Faith Sisters to learn more about the My Prayers For You Challenge.

Tiny Talk Tuesday

David at bedtime prayers: Thank you God for every beautiful day I've had for my whole life!

Another night of David's bedtime prayers: Thank you God for my feet.

Elizabeth: Arm hurts, arm hurts!
Mom: Your arm hurts? Did you fall down?
Elizabeth: No. David.
Mom: What did David do to your arm?
Elizabeth: Hit.
Mom: David, did you hit Elizabeth?
David: No!
Mom: She said you did.
David: Oh. Sorry, Elizabeth!

I would like to point out here that David does not play Halo. But he thinks he does.

Visit Tiny Talk Tuesday at Mary's.

Garden Log: More Sprouting & Outside Stuff

Today we have more sprouting inside:

• Catnip continues to sprout & send up thin little towers.
• Another 2 Hollyhocks have emerged!
• The tiniest seeds ever, Greek Oregano, have sent up the tiniest sprouts ever! I have to strain to see them even, but they're there in every cell.
• Pepper seeds are slow going. They appear to have sent out a root, which is visible as it curves along the surface, but don't really have any vertical growth yet. Almost every pot has this visible sign that something is happening, though.
• Sweet Basil sprouts continue to grow & a couple of new sprouts have appeared as well.
• Marigolds are flourishing.

This week I am thinking about root crops - which ones to start and where I will put them! I have some red potatoes growing in the pantry already... : ) Full moon was last night, so I believe it's time to get them in the ground.

The wheat that David grew for a science project is still growing in his jar. At this point, it is keeping the cats preoccupied enough to keep them away from the sprouts. I had to get some more paper towels yesterday to clean up after the cats eating wheat... : (

Outside:

It rained yesterday, so the trough where I had planted Swiss Chard and Spinach got a good watering. I hope it wasn't too much. I can still see 2 Swiss Chard sprouts. They're bright red, and easy to identify! Still no sign of the spinach.

In other troughs, the Iris that I got from Grandmama's house last fall are all doing very well with some new plants coming up. The Cannas I got on Freecycle have started sending up things, too. (those rolled leaves they send up - do you call those sprouts?) The Artimesia from another Freecycle venture looks amazing and the Fall Obedient Plant from that same gardener is having lots of babies as well!

Does anybody know if Purple Wandering Jew that froze will come back or should I clean out that pot?

New Sprouts!

I'll try to take some pictures of the kids this evening so you're not over run with garden posts! : )

Anyway, new sprouts appeared today!!!!! I haven't photographed them yet.

• Swiss Chard (outside)
• Catnip
• Basil (continuing to sprout)
• Hollyhock
• Marigold (continues to grow taller)

There are also signs of sprouting in the Johnny Jump-Ups, Firecracker Pepper, Jalapeno, and Bell Pepper. Maybe in the next couple of days we'll actually see sprouts from them!

It's just amazing...

I am just amazed. This is the Basil by the end of today that just sprouted yesterday!

And if that's not enough... the Marigolds will be big enough for a cat to eat before I know it!

Nothing else yet... but I swear, on the one pepper seed that's peeking out of the dirt, that I can see the beginning fuzzies of roots forming....

And here's my first loaf of artisan bread. It was very tasty, as if I'd bought it at Central Market!


Used the "Master Recipe" from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. It was very easy and tasted fabulous! I'm only on page 31 of 242 of the book, so now I'm really anxious to see what other masterpieces can come from this book. Seriously, it was really good... Not an everyday sandwich bread for preschoolers, though, so I'll keep working on that one.

I got on the waiting list at the big library to get this book. So far, I'm inclined to think it would be worth it's purchase price, though!

Growing Seeds

I'm taking the Seed to Seed Challenge this year, and I'd like to tell my girls about it! (I'd like to apologize if you came here looking for laundry detergent... I can't fix it! Here's my laundry detergent story if you still want to read it.)

That simply means that I've chosen to grow something from seed that I've never grown from seed before, and at the end of the season, I will attempt to save the seeds so that I can grow the plant from my own seeds next year. Cool, huh?!?!

This must be done with open pollinated seeds, also known as heirloom seeds, and not new hybrid varieties. Well, I had already ordered heirloom seeds when I stumbled across the challenge, and I have NEVER grown ANY vegetables from seed before, so I'm perfect for the challenge! (I've always just bought transplants from the garden center.) So let me tell you about my week....

Monday, Feb 2 - I got out a blank calendar and all my seed packets. I went through everything and counted backwards or forwards to figure out the recommended planting dates based on our last average frost. I compared the information from the seed packets to the information in some Texas gardening books I'd gotten at the library and came up with a planting calendar. That was the day I planted the Spinach and Swiss Chard outside. I decided (long ago) that I was going to try to start some seeds indoors to see how that worked.

Tuesday, Feb 3 - I had a somewhat flat box that I'd recently unpacked, cut it in half, lined it with black plastic in case of spills inside, set peat pots in, filled them with dirt, planted some seeds, watered them in, and then loosely covered them with plastic wrap. The flat above is mostly assorted peppers. We'll have peppers for salsa and for cooking & freezing (I use them in a lot of recipes), and hopefully we'll have enough to share!

This flat has some flowers & herbs in it.

Wednesday, Feb 4 - I added a heating pad under the flat with the peppers in it because I read that they germinate better in warm soil. We keep our house on the cool side and several sources recommended using a heat mat with pepper seeds. I found our heating pad and put it on low under the cardboard box. Gotta baby those peppers... I want to get a lot out of them!

Friday, Feb 6 - While watering the seeds this morning, I SAW IT!!! MY FIRST SPROUT!!!!

See it??? It's tiny! And there are 2 of them!!! (only one in the photo, click to enlarge) These are Sweet Basil!!!

Then I saw more...

Several of the Marigolds were also starting to sprout!!! I AM SO EXCITED!!!

So please excuse the dirt when you stop by for coffee this morning, but I'll have some peppers for you later! And when it warms up, I'll take you through a walk in the garden. I hope it will be as beautiful as I can imagine it.

#3 has a name!

OK, I can't wait any longer. We have finally agreed on a name AND a spelling! Drum roll, please...

Rebekah Leigh

My Homemade Laundry Detergent Story...

Several people have inquired about my homemade detergent, so I thought the easiest way to respond would be to blog it. First of all, I must say this is not my invention, but a recipe I've seen all over the blogosphere since I've been reading homemaking & sustainable living blogs. I think my interest in detergent came with our switch over to cloth diapers when Elizabeth was a few months old. You have to use additive-free detergent with diapers (and no fabric softener) or they develop a residue build-up... which leads to really stinky diapers.

I started out with some homemade detergent that I'd found on Etsy. I used it only for the diapers & everything seemed to be working with it. But then I ran out. I read that baking soda was good on diapers, so then I used that alone on the diapers for a while. Then I started seeing the recipe for detergent all over these blogs I was reading, so I decided that when I ran out of Cheer, I'd make a total switch over to homemade. That happened in December 2008.

Homemade Laundry Detergent Powder

1 c grated laundry soap bar (which is about 2/3 of a bar)
1/2 c washing soda
1/2 c borax

Grate the soap with a cheese grater or food processor. Add all ingredients into a bowl that has an airtight lid. Stir or shake to mix well. Store the air tight container. Use 2 Tablespoons per load.

Here's what mine looks like all mixed up. I store it in a plastic Ziplock storage container. I used a regular cheese grater for the soap. The next batch I made I used a finer cheese grater & I like the finer texture a bit better. That's just personal preference. I can't tell any difference when it's in use. My next batch will be a double batch.

Now the nitty-gritty - does it work? I haven't noticed any difference since I switched between how this works & how our store-bought detergent worked! The Fels Naptha is a stain remover, washing soda cuts grease and odors and borax cleans, deodorizes and softens the water.

So now we use this for all the laundry. If I've got stains, I'll still use some OxyClean or a pre-treater. For our family, the biggest benefit to homemade detergent is that it's cheaper and it's also safe for diapers & sensitive baby skin, so I don't have to have 2 detergents. Some of the other bloggers have done the math and figure this recipe comes out to about a penny per load. The initial cost was about the same price as the big box of detergent from WM, but these ingredients are going to last me a long time!

I did have a problem at first finding all 3 ingredients. I found Borax at every store I looked, but no washing soda. I finally found it at HEB Central Market. The box was all dusty like they didn't sell much of it. I found a laundry soap bar at WM called Pink Zote, but it was really soft & I couldn't grate it, plus it had added color & scent, so I didn't end up using it. I finally found all 3, including Fels Naptha at Kroger. They can be ordered online if you can't find them locally. I know Amazon.com has them and there's probably other sites that carry all 3 also.

If you're interested in other homemade cleaners, check out the homemade cleaners at Down to Earth, an Australian blog which I just love reading. That entry includes recipes for: laundry liquid, laundry powder (which is what I use), heavy duty laundry powder, laundry stain removers, fabric softener (use this also), diaper pre-soak, all purpose cleaner, skin cleaner, oven cleaner, silver cleaner, soft scrub, window cleaner, wood polish, assorted flooring cleaners, crayon mark remover, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, and deodorant!

Homemade cleaners... It Works for Me! (click to see more Works for Me Wednesday participants)

Tiny Talk Tuesday

David was sitting at the table working on his Legos when I heard him say, "I saw Obama on the news."

Strange thing is, I don't think we've seen the news since inauguration day! "You saw Obama," I asked with amazement.

"Yeah, Rock Obama."

I saw the potential for a good TTT post here, so I asked what Rock had said on the news. His reply:

"The weather."

Crack me up, that boy does.... Thanks to Mary at Not Before 7 for hosting Tiny Talk Tuesday each week!

I'm blogging my garden, too

So if you're only here to see the kids, you don't have to read this one. I've tried keeping more than one blog in the past & it's not my thing, so I'm going to mix my garden log in with my regular blog. This is mainly for my own keeping, but read it if you want...

January 2009 - the area we call "the garden" is located between the house & the old barn. It gets a lot of sun and used to be a cattle corral, so I think it ought to have pretty fertile soil after all those years of hay feeding & cows pooping there.

January 21, 2009 - We rented a tiller & tilled the whole area. It was too packed to shovel otherwise. OK, I rented a tiller and Dad did all the work... except for cutting the old hay twine off the tiller every few minutes, which was my job. I'm sure I could operated the tiller if I wasn't pregnant. (no comments, please!) It really didn't take long, but both Dad and the tiller put up a good fight. Did I mention we rented the cheaper, much harder to operate tiller?

After returning the tiller, I used some of the wood left over from construction to build a raised bed. Yep, so far that's it, one raised bed in all that space. That piece of wood with the blocks on it used to be the ramp we walked on to get into the house before the steps were built.

January 31 - I shoveled loose dirt from the garden area into Box 1. Grandpa came down & planted a row of 1015 onions on the opposite side of the garden area.

Some of the cattle trough planters in the back yard will also be used for vegetable gardening this year.

Today, February 2 - I planted 2 cool season crops in the back yard. Rainbow Swiss Chard was planted because Dad likes chard & I think the rainbow variety is prettiest. I think it will look nice in the beds. America Spinach was the other. I planted just a row of each in one trough. It still seems early to me, but I was going by what the seed packets said. I plan on planting more later, too.

Now the waiting... oh, the agony!

Happy Groundhog Day!

Photo by TheWorldThroughMyEyes