My Maters

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

It was a long process but I'm quite proud.

(The lavender didn't make it.)

Cultivating The Earth

I must take the next few moments to do a little bragging on myself and I apologize in advance for it.  But I am so stinkin' proud of myself that my garden is actually flourishing!  Look at how beautiful it is!

This is my first garden and, I must say, my botany reputation up to this point has been less than stellar.  These are my house plants.

I know, pitiful.  I have even struggled keeping a hanging potted plant on my porch.  It's not rocket science, people!  All you have to do is water potted plants.  It's pure laziness on my part.

So when I decided to plant a garden, I was determined not to fail.  I started all the tomato plants from seed!  That's what impresses me the most.  It also helped me save A LOT of money by not buying tomato plants.  I have about $2.75 in tomatoes.  The garden soil was the most expensive part.  And that must be why my plants are doing so well.  Yesterday, I finally got around to staking and tying the tomatoes.  I waited a tad long to do it as some of the plants were already growing on the ground.  I broke a few trying to force them into an upright position.

I finally realized, weeding and tending to a garden can actually be enjoyable when it's not 95 degrees outside!  We had a beautiful day yesterday so I spent all day weeding and tending.  I loved every minute of it!  And it's a great excuse to get my kids outside with me.  And listen to this:  I counted a whopping 22 green tomatoes!  Boo-yah!  Anyone up for tomato salad in a week or two???


"Gardening is the purest of human pleasures." -- Francis Bacon

Niagara Falls

I had the wonderful privilege this week to travel via train to Niagara Falls with the kids group from my church.  How awesome is a church that rewards their students with a trip like that?  I am very blessed to be a part of it!   There were 53 of us in all and we had a fantastic time!

The day started at 3:45 AM when we all met at the church to drive to the Amtrak station.  A wonderful gentleman from our church and my sweet Hubby drove all of us up there.  Then Hubby headed straight to work, returning home at 8:30 PM.  He was just in time to pick us back up at the church and have his dinner at 9:00.  What a trooper!

We were only able to view the Falls from the American side since the kids didn't have passports.  I had only been to Niagara Falls, Canada before so seeing it from this side was like being there for the first time.  It's much less commercialized in New York and there are beautiful parks to enjoy.  There isn't a good view of the Horseshoe Falls from there but you are able to get much closer to the action.  We walked up the steps right next to the Falls, getting blasted by the spray the entire climb.  It was a refreshing break from the 80+ degree day.

We walked on trails, rode the trolley, went onto the observation deck, had a picnic in the park, and paid $10 for 2 ice creams and a Coke.  We boarded a charter bus back home where all the kids powered down and slept.  We stopped at a souvenir shop and then Cracker Barrel on the way home.  It was a perfect day with no injuries, no sickness, no fights, and no problems.  We were very fortunate!

Lazy Days of Summer

Linda said it must have been a man who coined the phrase Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer.  That made me laugh!  My summer has been anything but!

First of all, we planted our very first garden!  I've planted tomatoes before but never an entire (small) garden.  I needed to move my tomatoes to a sunnier location anyway so decided to just make a full-blown garden.  My other grandma lives across the street and she's a natural green thumb.  So with her supervision, we started gardening full force. 



A "Before" shot - Hubby was kind enough to dig the entire
garden by hand.  (The smile is sarcastic.)

I planted about 20 tomato plants of two different varieties.  I started them all by seed!  What in the world I'm going to do with all those tomatoes is beyond me!  I don't can so it looks like I may be travelling the neighborhood with the little red wagon delivering plump, red tomatoes to everyone I see!  My Grandma planted cucumbers, hot peppers, lettuce, and broccoli.  She also taught me how to plant strawberries.

After

Then, I got the bright idea to clean out the basement.  I was serious this time!  Over the years, I've cleaned the basement many times.  It's a yucky, nasty basement but I've always made it bearable.  That included stuffing things on shelves and scooting boxes full of junk to the corners of the room.  Son #2 has his Lego Land down there.  I've always felt guilty that he has to play in those horrid conditions.  Lately, my basement has looked like it almost fit into an episode of Hoarders!

OK, it didn't look this bad, but you get this idea.  I thought of taking some before & after pictures, but I wasn't sure you all would still love me if you saw what it really looked like.

I decided that the boys and I would tackle it together.  They weren't as gung-ho as I.  Then I remembered that Son #1 had basketball camp all week.  I couldn't let this go another week.  If I didn't jump in while I was inspired, I wouldn't ever do it.  Basketball camp started at 1:00 so the boys and I worked each day from after breakfast until lunchtime.  We filled the side of our house with so many bags of trash; I can't imagine what the neighbors thought.

I vacuumed up cobwebs, scrubbed walls, swept, and organized like no one's business!  I am so happy to say it's a place I don't mind walking through now.  Laundry is going to be less of a horrid chore now.  In the meantime, the rest of the house is hit.  I now have to clean up from the results of my cleaning project...which is another one of the many ways that life isn't fair.  Right?

What crazy things has your "Lazy" Summer included so far?

A Colorful Post

We finally got a long enough break from the rain for me to get outside with my camera.  As I was taking my last shot, it began sprinkling.  So I timed it perfectly.  I had mud on my toes when I was done, which was pure bliss.  The smells outside are so fresh and clean...I'm so happy Spring is here in all its glory!

Here are some of the beautiful sights around my home.



She is totally in her pajamas with messy hair...but still precious!

A Glimmer of Hope?

Dare I say it?  Could this be the first sign of Spring in my garden?  Reaching barely an inch off the ground, recently covered by snow and ice, stands this lone green life source - a glimpse into the warm Spring days that lie ahead. 

We were teased by Mother Nature these past couple of days.  The thick sheets of ice and crunchy snow yielded to the warm rays of the sun as the wet, brownish grass awoke from a long winter slumber.  But one must not get their hopes set too high; Winter will be back in full force to finish out February, March, and perhaps April.

Seeing a landscape made up of colors other than white has given me the itch to move on to things like seed packets and potting soil, Spring cleaning with fresh-smelling products, and outdoor running with iPod in tote.  I was able to spend time outdoors yesterday watching Baby Girl throw balls, ride scooters, and play with leaves and twigs.  She didn't want to ever go back inside.  But a mishap in a mud puddle made her declare, "I all wet."  She's going to be disappointed tomorrow when her desire to go back outside is met with disapproval from her again depressed mother who has a severe case of Spring Fever.

I located these seed packets on a shelf in the garage.  They are the seeds I lost last year.  And I started wondering if it's time to begin planting yet?  Last year was my first attempt at starting plants from seeds.  I was late in my efforts but got descent results anyway.  So I flipped over the packets and began reading.  6 to 8 weeks and 8 to 10 weeks before planting outdoors is when I should start my indoor greenhouse.  I live in the fickle Midwest but I figure that time is right about now!  I may do a bit more research online about my geographic area but I think I have my Saturday plans all set!  Where are all my gardener friends?  Have you begun yet?

Out My Window

I hope these birds are happy in their summer home with no plans to return to this one for a while. Three inches of snow on top of your home just are not welcoming.

Wordless Wednesday

Marigolds

I am so proud of the marigolds I started from seed this year! This picture shows only one patch. As I've stated many times in this blog, I do not have a green thumb. So the fact that one of the plantings the kids & I started has done well pleases me! I might get even more adventurous next Spring!

Windows Open

It's a Windows Open day here. Hope you're having a beautiful Thursday wherever you may be.

Harvest Time

My sweet children spent the day with their Great Aunt yesterday. They brought home this bountiful basket of garden vegetables for me! Now if I could just figure out what to do with all that healthy food. They love to pick it but certainly won't taste it!

My First Tomato

I ate my first tomato today. Not my first tomato ever, but the my first homegrown tomato of the season. Yes, I know I'm quite a bit behind others but I have never claimed to have a green thumb. I didn't get my plants in the ground early enough (it kept frosting here!) and they're not in a fully sunny location. But I picked a ripe one a couple days ago and finally indulged today. The flavor was outstanding and so unlike anything from the grocery store! I sadly did not photograph it before devouring it so I took a picture of the next few to ripen and consume. Yum!

What a Weather Day!

What a weather day it has been here in the Midwest US! Tornadoes, thunderstorms, rain....and even an earthquake! Earthquake? I wouldn't know because I didn't feel it, but many friends and neighbors claim they felt the 5.5 Canadian earthquake all the way here. I'm just glad it didn't cause a Great Lakes tsunami!

Are earthquakes even considered weather? Weather, nature -- all the same category, I guess. Here is a picture of my beautiful hydrangeas I shot while taking rain pictures. I loved the color contrast with the dark stormy skies overhead.