Second Hand Yard

Fragile lace

2011-08-16T21:19:00.000-07:00

Saw these berries/grapes hanging from a vine near Harriet Island Park in St. Paul, MN on Aug 14, 2011. We enjoyed the day at the MN Irish Fair...and these were draped over fences behind large warehouses and parked cars. It's obvious they've been the choice of feeding insects like the Japanese Beetle.
The beetles have been quite a nuisance to homeowners and gardeners alike. I have been lucky so far and my roses don't seem to be hit by them at this point in time.
But, I'm watching out for these predators, and hoping they don't come near.

Don't look at my yard

2011-08-15T23:00:00.000-07:00

No, really. Don't look at it. Don't examine it, or wonder why there are large brown patches and extremely dry sections in such a higher than normal rainfall season. Don't tell me that no one else really notices the crabgrass except for me, because I know that's not true.

Last year the neighbors would walk by and say how nice my garden looked. This year I don't get to hear that much. I can barely step foot in my garden (which I haven't done much of this year anyhow) without a neighbor and their dog walking by on the sidewalk and saying "hello." Not only are my weeds overgrown, but so are the perennials that need trimming and flowers that need to be dead-headed.

We've barely fertilized the lawn - certainly NOT what the lawn care experts would tell us. Certainly not what my mother would tell me. My front lawn is almost completely covered in crab grass, and my back yard is crawling with the Creeping Charlie galore. So much so, the neighbors ares look at us funny when we show our faces on the deck.Yes, I sprayed them with an herbicide earlier in the year. It was obviously not enough to maintain it through the season. I'm just waiting for the second season of dandelions to show up and scream to all my neighbors to take just one more look.
Really, I mean, who has a garden blog and doesn't take care of their yard?

Ok, enough about how horrible it is. Let's see what I can do with this lawn now. I'm hoping to start watering, yes, I said start. I have watered the front lawn a little bit, but not enough aparently. I will also promise to get some fall fertilizer, and even rake the mulch out of the lawn to let the nutrients get down deep to the roots. We're hoping to get a little aeration done this fall, if our budget will allow.

There's a fine line between finding rest - and being lazy. My yard is beginning to call me on the carpet. Perhaps a little more attention to the watering and fertilizing is in order.

Gardening neighbors

2011-08-15T21:09:00.000-07:00

Last year was a thrill to bring in veggie for my co-workers and I really do miss that piece of gardening this year. Although I love to snip fresh basil from the herbs I've planted in a pot on the porch, I have had to rely solely on the neighborhood super center for groceries, or my mom's weekly visits to the Minneapolis Farmer's Market every Saturday. She brought me some tomatoes and sweet corn today.

My neighbor, Renee, has only been in her home for a year now, and this is her second year of veggie gardening.Under the shade of a towering cotton wood tree, her little 9x9 garden gets mostly sun during the daytime. And although she is not keen on eating tomatoes, she grows romas and some beefsteak tomatoes to make into sauces. She also has been very kind to hand out cucumbers as they spring forth from her garden.

The one dose of color that has come early is some hot red chili peppers. She's not sure how hot they'll be, or if they'll even eat it...but it's much more fun to watch these plants grow than it is to eat.

A gift for the lazy gardener.

2011-08-15T20:52:00.000-07:00

Wildflowers are one of the most loveliest things to a perennial gardener. I love my echinacea and black-eyed susans, and really love the bright pink flox that grows even without much care. They got a bit of fertilizer and weeding in the early spring, but I've really only kept a few thistles out of the way so they can soak up the sun.

Thank goodness we've gotten a good amount of rainfall this year. I've barely turned on a sprinkler to help these beauties along. They are indeed wild, and indeed a gift from God to the lazy gardener.

Photo backlog

2011-07-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a bunch of pictures when I get a glimpse of something colorful or beautiful that is sprouting in my yard. But, just ask my kids, I'm taking so many, and trying to enjoy my summer, I barely have time to upload them.

So...here are a few photos of the colorful perennials I shot a couple of weeks ago. Oh, how I wish these were still around and adorning my yard with color. But, new blooms will come.

Columbine

Siberian Iris

Korean Lilac

Tea roses (they're actually a deeper red than the screen shot.)

Not-so-veggie gardening

2011-07-04T10:01:00.000-07:00

I decided against planting veggies this year - and will partake in the local farmer's markets in the area for our summer veggies. Basically, it just got too late in the season, and my full time work and mom mode took over. My husband and I have plans to re-rock the area below the deck and get some other landscaping projects done this summer, so I really just chose an easier route.
I don't know about easier - but the fenced area I used to call a veggie garden needs some major weeding and I'm wondering how to prep it for next year's plantings. I guess I'll have to do some online research soon.

My mom goes into the Minneapolis Farmer's Market every Saturday morning with some girl friends, and lucky me, she brings over lots of delishiously fresh wax beans, sugar snap peas, corn on the cob, tomatoes, red & yellow bell peppers, and tomatoes. AWESOME!! So...I'm heading to the nursery now to pick up a few potted beauties to make me feel better, in hopes of bringing home some herbs as well.

Happy 4th of July everyone! Get out and enjoy the sunshine!

For a limited time...

2011-06-11T22:54:00.000-07:00

I realize that each of these lovely perennials only have blooms for a short season, and especially how quickly my tulips came and went, how the daffodils (narcissus) survived the cold rainy season, but couldn't stay long enough to hit the heat of last week.
I'm thrilled to have a few flowers to look at, and fellow gardeners have been bringing in their iris cuttings to the office in beautiful bouquets. So...I shot a few more pics, in hopes to make the first week of June last a little bit longer.

Newly blooming Columbine...

Vanilla Iris

Iris

Siberian Iris buds

Pruning

2011-06-06T14:47:00.000-07:00

Any good gardener knows that beautiful roses require careful pruning. Pieces of living plant have to die. It cannot just grow wild. We cannot simply “celebrate growth.” It is more than to be regretted, it is tragic that we seem to have lost the insight that growth in Christ requires careful pruning. Pieces of us by our intentional action need to die if we are to become that person that is in God’s vision. We are not cutting
away a cancerous growth, but making room for intended growth. Mortification refers to that intentional action of pruning of life that better life might grow by God’s grace—just as better roses grow by God’s grace.

--From Spirituality for Ministry by Urban T. Holmes III

Coral Bells 6.3.2011

2011-06-03T16:45:00.000-07:00

These images were taken with my Motorola Cliq2 Android device and edited with Picnik. Yes, it makes phone calls and surfs the web, too. :) But, loving the perennials in the garden so much this time of year. These particular plants are lovely additions to cuttings and add a sweet touch of color to the green that surrounds them.

Every day I get to slow down and enjoy the beauty that surrounds me.

Iris Blooms 6.3.2011

2011-06-03T15:58:00.000-07:00

Shade beauties at sunset

2011-05-24T22:44:00.000-07:00

I was able to weed the front garden this evening, just before sundown. Tugging away at the usual suspects, I removed the golden broadleaf villains, and straggling crab grass along with the many fallen branches from the towering river birch that provides ample shade to this west-facing garden. Here's just a sample of what I uncovered from the centerpiece that I call my front yard.

Ferns

Stonecrop

Purple Bugleweed

Pink Lamium

Japanese fern variety?

Happy Mother's Day Eve!

2011-05-07T21:49:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally got a weekend with some nice weather. It actually got up around 70 degrees today, and for a Minneapolis spring - that's right where we should be. I'm hoping there's more of that dry sunny warmth to come in the next few weekends.

This is the first Saturday when it's not cold or rainy and I think everyone and their dogs were out working in the yard today. I actually got to get my hands dirty and I've got some battle scars to prove it. No, literally, scars on my wrists and forearms where the reeds and thorns scratched deep into flesh.

We have some beautiful tall silver feather ornamental grass, and other ornamental grasses that looks lovely all winter long, until the snow clobbers them. And, then they don't look so good. Well, it was looking very sad - and so I cut it all down, cleaned out around the day lilies and roses, and broke off old brown and tan stems from the mums and echinacea on the outside of the fence. Trying hard not to break off pieces of that Korean lilac that's starting to bud. I only had a couple of hours, so I didn't get a chance to pull weeds or fill in mulch, but much of that grass that I removed will either make for some good mulch or the dry brown layers we need in the compost pile this summer.

I ran to work for a bit in the afternoon, and then came home to a relaxing dinner that was almost ready to eat as I pulled into the driveway. The weather was still so nice at 6:30pm, that I asked the kids if we could eat outside on the deck. We washed down the table and chairs, and relaxed with all the dishes and food coming from the kitchen to the table outside. There are no mosquito's or gnats at this time of year, a gentle minimal breeze was blowing, and we grabbed some sweatshirts to keep the chills away. It's also too early for crickets, so we listened to the sound of the traffic on the street, and some sweet music on the radio.

My hubby grilled pork ribs to perfection, my daughter made a beautiful salad, and my son gave me a homemade card and bookmark. My daughter was so excited to give me my Mother's Day gift of chocolate and a beautiful bracelet she picked out. I loved it! After dinner, my kids headed to the swing set in the backyard...and acoustic guitar music played from the CD player in the background. What a great night to relax and enjoy each other, and the simplicity of life in the suburbs.
I am so blessed!

Tulips..red blooms

2011-05-07T12:40:00.003-07:00

Spring is here...finally!

2011-05-07T12:40:00.001-07:00

A beautiful Mother's Day weekend in the 70's, and time to clean up the dry dead grasses and plants. But, a few nice colorful treats to make it worthwhile.

On the verge

2011-05-05T05:59:00.001-07:00

Tulips were planted on the south side of the house before we moved in. Such a nice surprise for us that spring...but there was one bunch of the three that hadn't bloomed all this time. Just greens, and looking sad. Now, there's a few. Blooms on all three bunches! So excited to see them almost ready to open.

Mini-Hyacinth variety unknown

2011-04-29T18:21:00.001-07:00

Narcissus in the rain

2011-04-29T15:13:00.001-07:00

Crocus

2011-04-29T15:09:00.001-07:00

Violet visions in the wild

2011-04-29T15:03:00.001-07:00

Been asleep

2011-03-30T19:28:00.000-07:00

Not just awakening to something warmer and fresher than the cold icy mounds of salt & dirt speckled snow...but actually breaking through the ground I saw a few sedums and daffodils yesterday at a friend's home. I don't see them in my yard yet - but I'm hopeful that they're there.
My son brought home a paper Dixie cup filled with dirt and seeds from his kindergarten Sunday school class. We promptly filled it with some water, and set it upon the window sill. It sits there today - but some shoots of green grass have sprouted, and I'm thrilled to be able to continue to water and nurture the little bit of green that it brings to my kitchen. This little bit of joy is just what I've needed since I've been asleep.
Each year in this house I've been surprised by the beautiful red tulips that still pop through the dry dirt on the side of the garage, but not surprised that some of them have lost their energy and simply cannot bloom. That's pretty much how I've felt about the winter. I caught a nasty bug from my kids a couple of weeks ago, and the illness has really taken a toll on my physical self. I don't have much energy to write, but felt I needed to jot down just a few words here. Perhaps the soil needs a little boost - some hearty rich compost or a change of pace like a new planting of something completely different.
Today marks the end of the fourth consecutive month of below average temps in the area. The melt-off is slow, and you have to check in on the ground and the perenniels pretty much every day. Most of the ground is still frozen, and we just got a huge amount of snow only one week ago. I hope I can keep up when the glories and bulbs decide to make an appearance. As for now, they are still asleep, as I should also be tonight. I'll wake again, and hope for more change tomorrow.

The homeowners constant dilemma

2011-01-01T07:23:00.000-08:00

When you own your own home, the view is almost always the same. From no matter where you sit in the house, you're always facing another project to work on.

The day after Thanksgiving, we had a little plumbing issue...and water was streaming from the upstairs tub down into the basement closet in my daughter's bedroom. Water in the closet walls, door, and carpet. I had planned a day of house cleaning and Christmas decorating anyhow...since I haven't been much for those crazy black Friday shopping days for many years now. And, my husband and I had a date planned that night to meet up with friends at a concert and actually begin a very busy month of traveling and touring with the band that I'm helping out. Something like this could totally derail my month-filled plans for December, or not. My dear husband, with the help of an old friend, totally took care of water clean up, carpet drying out and dry-wall removal over the course of that weekend. We still made the concert that night, and even made the other gigs I had committed to in December. Thank goodness we have a working shower downstairs, and all is well.

The closet in the master bedroom had collapsed some time earlier in the summer, and during the past month we've managed to re-install closet fixtures and stop living out of piles of clothes on the floor. The large amounts of snow we've received this past month have also led us to carefully removing the snow from the roof so to prevent ice dams...and constant melt-off this past week in December has our sump pump working at a frantic spring-like pace and we replaced an old battery for the sump back-up just to insure no wet basement from that.

And today...New Year's Day...we still sit facing a carpet that has been lifted from the floor with mats hanging in the utility room, no use of the upstairs tub or shower since that fateful day-after-Thanksgiving, and Christmas decorations that need to be brought down and tucked into storage.

I think as a working mom, I struggle between feeling like I have so much to do...and just wanting to sit still and write for a bit - and rest - and wait - and see what the next thing will be. I start stuff, but don't have time to finish the job the way I'd like to. Then, I run out of energy before the next urgent priority steps forward and takes its place. I did complete staining the deck this summer...and I was pretty proud of myself for completing the job. I do believe I'll complete a few other things that I should work on, like removing the wallpaper from the downstairs bathroom that I began last February...and finally choosing a color of paint that I'm satisfied with for that room.

Our house will always have something to repair...even after we get all these little things fixed - tub fixtures, carpet & drywall replacement, closet finished, exterior painted and stained, screened in porch cleaned and sealed, etc.

I'm okay with that...but it does leave me feeling like I can never really fully rest in my own home. Not to say I'm not comfortable, or satisfied with my home. Just to say that I know this dilemma will continue to bring me joy. So...do you know anyone who would trim my trees this year for a reasonable price?

Stay at home dad blogs about MN winter gardening

2010-12-13T08:04:00.001-08:00

My friend, Ben, is a winter gardener right here in Minneapolis. Check out his guest post on this blog:

http://www.sahdpdx.com/2010/12/10/guest-post-winter-gardening/

Now...what did I plant there again?

2010-10-06T20:54:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love about my garden in Minnesota, is that during the main growing seasons, there are such different things sprouting at different times of the year. Some plants have bright early spring blooms and then fade off, some come up in the spring, bloom in the heat of summer, and then fade as we move towards the fall. Some, like my rose bushes, continue to flower all season long, and surprise me with brilliant colors of magenta and pink during the cooler September and October temperatures. Still others have newly sprouted buds and are just about to bloom, like my perennial purple asters and the stonecrop in bright pink, waiting to turn to copper and then auburn... recently visited by bumblebees.

I have to hand it to the person who planned the perennials that sprout up for me now. What a treat to come outside and see color in bloom, not just in the changing colors of the leaves on the trees, but amongst the flowers in the front and corner gardens.

But what about those transplanted coralbells I mentioned back in July? http://secondhandyard.blogspot.com/2010/07/so-mulch-to-do.html
I hate to say it but I think they died. I just stopped watering them and I think they just shriveled up and died! Of course, I won't really know until I see if anything survived the winter and comes forth from beneath the mulch into the spring. I'm grateful for being able to check back on my posts to remember the progress I made last year, and even earlier this year.

I have completely neglected my garden this year...and these are the times that I am extremely grateful for good mulch techniques, wet rainy and hot summer weather, and sweet hardy perennials like hostas, ferns and hydrangea that simply continue to grow.

Hair cut

2010-10-05T21:34:00.000-07:00

The city was doing some tree trimming this week, and one tree in our front yard sits right on the boulevard. City workers made a whole lot of noise at 7am, buzzing saws and chippers blaring. The twisted, sideways and simply overgrown branches of the ash in our front yard was heavily cut and logs tumbled to the ground. My only son, in his dinosaur pajamas, looked out the front window at the men and their machines making all that noise. He waved to the man with the electric saw who moved around in a cherry picker bucket attached to a truck...and the man waved back before continuing to trim the dangling branches.
After a few minutes of just looking and viewing the sight, my son crumpled himself up into a ball on the couch and began to weep, sob, and then cry out with gigantic tears.
"What's the matter?" I said. "They're killing our tree! I love that tree!!" he screamed, as his cheeks became soaked in salty sadness.
"Honey, they're not killing it. They're just trimming it. You know, like when you get a haircut. The tree just needs a little off the sides, and then it will not only look better, but it will be healthier so it can grow better. "
A still (but not very long) pause, and he looked at me with disbelief.
He looked out the window once again, and was thrilled by the wood chipper that turned the discarded limbs into mulch and dribbled some leftover leaves along the ground. He smiled. This was so interesting to my boy that he barely wanted to get dressed for kindergarten this day.
The tree got a haircut.

The tale by Ms. Potter comes true, well, almost

2010-09-27T00:50:00.000-07:00

In the story of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter, he disobeys his mother and eats veggies out of Mr. McGregor's garden. Just before heading out to my favorite home and garden store, I stopped by my mostly neglected veggie garden to see what might be left of my yummy items to harvest this week. As I stepped into the zucchini patch, noticing a good size zucchini for dinner, I heard a soft rustle of weeds which I thought was coming out from under the pine tree near my garden. I moved towards the cucumber to find a small one sprouting from the mostly withered vine, but chose to leave it to grow a bit more. And, the grass beneath me moved. I thought I had startled a frog or something...which I really prefer to have around since they eat the nasty bugs that pervade my edibles.
But, sure enough, only as large as the zucchini in my hand - was a soft brown - very camouflaged rabbit. Small and cute, with long ears, and just a quick to scurry around my fenced in garden faster than I could chase it out towards the gate. Apparently, it must have jumped into the garden from the ill-fitted gate of my mesh fence - which normally sits two feet high...but the gate had been toppled and left open only a few inches from the ground.
As its fluffy white tail hopped or ran as fast as it could in circles around the inside perimeter...I tried to fully open the gate so it would hop out and around and be fully removed from anywhere near my lovely tomatoes.
And...sure enough, it worked. Thank goodness.
I don't know how long it had been there...but rabbits have no place in my garden. Especially since I planted nine tomato vines with barely anything to show for it in terms of actual fruit produced. Everyone said I'd have more than my fill to can and preserve, give away to neighbors, make salsa and spaghetti sauce, and toss with my salads. But, I've just had enough to keep a few on the counter each day, as my family devours the few red beauties I gather.

Hmmm...I'm planning on using home grown compost and additional soil amendments next planting season...but wondering how much time that will take to maintain it then next season. As this season is just about over...I reflect and have somewhat enjoyed not spending too much time in the garden this year.

shocking...no, not really

2010-09-26T22:48:00.000-07:00

My husband is just not your stereotypical guy. He is a first born - like me - and is obedient, loyal, and cautious about just about everything. He hates using jumper cables to start a dead car battery...he hates starting the propane grill...and he especially hates any electrical or mechanical work in our home. Perhaps he's seen too many action movies where those things explode or cause severe pain.

When a strange buzzing sound was coming from the light over the stairs - and the light was flickering even after installing a new lightbulb - he asked..."Who do we know that works with electrical stuff?" Which I responded off the top of my head two very well trained and experienced electricians who we know from church.

He just happened to see one of them last week, and as quickly as that conversation happened, this friend stopped over after church on Sunday to help us out. He checked the light, and replaced a switch. He looked at our outlet in the back of the garage that had been giving us trouble...only to find out it was connected to the GFI cut-off in the upstairs bathroom. He taught us how to remove and reinstall new light fixtures in the front of the garage...and then only charged us half of a normal service call. What a great deal!

So...after lunch, my husband proceeds to go back to the bargain light fixtures we bought from Menards, and evaluate how to install them in the front of the garage - and hems and haws - and continues to stare at it, and read installation instructions - and hesitates to the point where I just couldn't stand it. I, who he will admit is much more mechanically inclined, jumped in to help twist the wires together and screw in the fixture. I needed his help, like a surgeon needs an operating room tech - to hand me the tools and pieces, and to stand by in case I would get electrocuted. HA! Don't send my husband to do a job I should have done in the first place.

It's really okay...he's good at so many other things around the house - like filling the holes in the cedar siding left by woodpeckers - and setting out bait to kill rodents - and climbing on the roof to clean the gutters and check the roof for lifted shingles. I refuse to mow the lawn, or fertilize it, or clean the gutters. And, I insist he put up Christmas lights as we get closer to Thanksgiving... but since that includes electricity...I suppose I'll be helping with that as well. (smile)

My husband is not stereotypical...but his goofy fear of legitimately scary things is actually one of the things I love about him. He'll actually do the dishes and fold some laundry if he sees it needs to be done. He's not fond of house cleaning, but he'll run a vacuum if I ask him to. It's not shocking...but neither was the electrical work today.

Not yet ripe...

2010-07-31T10:23:00.000-07:00

I have been feeling a bit anxious lately - having a hard time waiting and being patient for much. I've already been getting handfuls of ripe cherry tomatoes daily, and a couple of zucchini and cucumber. But, looking at the clouded sky, a sense of rain in the air, and a very long and emotional day at work behind me...I wandered around the yard with a hose in hand to add liquid life to the things that need it to grow. My roses and other perennials were parched but still budding. I wanted to cut a few branches for a vase, but the buds were so tightly closed that I just need to let them relax and open on their own time. Again, I hate waiting.

My veggie garden has continued to be completely neglected. Perhaps I'll get out and weed them today. Thistle, crab grass and clover have taken over the veggie patch, and is hiding the climbing cucumber vines and zucchini...and providing ample cover for the amphibians and insects that have created new homes in this protected space. Yup, time to move them out.

As I watered the potted herbs and the little perennials I have yet to put into the ground, I took another look at my veggies, and half the soil was sloppy and damp, and the other half was thirsty and dry. How is that? I water them the same? Perhaps the soil is different in that area? Anyhow...as the clouds continued to cover the sunset that evening...I battled the blood-sucking itch provoking insects that find my skin attractive, and pulled off the vines what I thought were 20 or so very ripe sweet olive & sweet 100's tomatoes, 3 tennis ball sized early girls, 2 green peppers, a jalapeno pepper and and a cucumber. A couple of little zucchini looked ready to pick, and so I began to imagine how they would taste with our dinner.

A quiet evening with my husband, kids over at grandma's house for a few hours, and I brought in the veggies to wash and prepare with our meal. I looked again. Are these the same tomatoes that I pulled from the garden just now? They don't look ripe at all! They're actually more orange than red, and a bit of yellow still on the tops! Really!?! I could have sworn they were so ripe that they'd taste like sugar going down! Man...what a disappointment. These lovely beautiful things sitting here, and they're not quite ready to eat. Boo. Even the zucchini was very firm as I sliced it up for the grill. It still tasted good, but perhaps I can wait for them to get a bit bigger next time. Not too big...but wait for enough to feed more than just me.

Last summer the tomatoes that came from my organic garden were the best things I've ever tasted! Even my mom complimented on how sweet and full of flavor they were, because we left them to ripen on the vine in the hot sun, and they really were better than anything I've ever grown before. Okay, I had never grown anything before - but they were better than anything we bought at the store or the farmer's market. So...I was pretty proud of my tomatoes. Having 6 plants last year, we thought they'd make plenty of sauce for the winter...but I wasn't able to can anything, because we ate them all - just at the peak of flavor, right from the vine. So I planted 9 this season. And yet, it's the end of July and the tomatoes are still green. [...sigh...]

It seems to me that so many things in my life are this way lately. I think it's ready to pick, but it's not ready to eat! It think it's waited long enough for the sun, water, and soil to do the trick...and yet I have to wait a little while longer. I think I'm ready to move on toward something new, to get started already, but the job is not ready, the people around me are not ready. It's not like I don't have anything else to do...because I have a long list of things to do...but I'm more interested in getting the fun part started! Let's eat already! I'm starving! No - I don't want to eat that - I want dessert! Red, ripe, tomato dessert! [...sigh...]

Timing is everything, I know.

Lightning

2010-07-28T07:37:00.000-07:00

Lightning - www.eplorefaith.org

We've had a few storms in this area the past couple of weeks, that have brought with them intense light shows of fire and electricity. The stirring up in the clouds, caused by heat on one side of a front, and cold dry air on the back side of the front...is similar to some things that feel unsettled about my house and garden - well - okay - about my life. Unsettled is definitely how I would put it. Stirred up, mucky, diverse, mixed together, floating debris, all of life converging together in one place.

Hmm...and then the lightning strikes and clears the air - and brings more lightning, and energy to whatever is moving around. Frightening to imagine the power of that lightning. And yet, reassuring that it will come and the end of the storm will come, and the stuff that was stirred will once again become settled.

So mulch to do...

2010-07-21T22:28:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday...yes I'm just getting around to blogging about it today (Thurday morning just after midnight)...I had a little time to work in my garden. I haven't touched it in about four weeks other than to grab a few little ripe tomatoes occasionally and set the sprinkler so they don't dry out completely. I also haven't added any new fertilizer to the soil, other than the original Miracle Grow organic garden soil that I used when I planted the veggies back in late May. I planted a couple of cucumber plants, and only one has survived. Actually, it's climbing up the side of the fence. I wish I would have purchased a cage for it.

I really want to get on some seed catalog websites this winter and consider starting from seeds. I've never done that - well, except for the Jack in the Beanstalk green bean plant that came home from Kindergarten orientation this spring. That's actually still producing beans...and my son is pretty excited to eat the beans raw from his plant.

I barely remember what my veggies looked like last year - thank goodness for this blog that I can remember electronically. I took intense care to the garden last year, barely allowing weeds to surface, much less take deep root. But, this year, the weeds in my veggies tower over the zucchini and reach halfway up the side of the tomatoes. My green peppers and beans were buried...but I found them anyways.

I spent a good 3-4 hours on Sunday afternoon in the garden. (We took a Sabbath rest on Saturday at the lake) I weeded the completely untouched perennials that line my veggie garden - moved and split a beautiful bright pink coral bell plant, pulled amazing amounts of crab grass, foxtail, and thistle, and laid down some Preen, and several 2 cu ft bags of brown mulch. I was so proud of my work, as this is something I wanted to get done the previous year, but time constraints and choosing family priorities prevented it. I still have about 3 bags of mulch left - and most of my garden is completely covered. But, I know I will just add additional mulch to the same area after the next rain when it settles into the spots that didn't really have enough top soil. I didn't addend to the soil, as the flowers (siberian iris, and daisies) are still doing so well. Maybe next year if it continues to sink deeper. I even mulched around the rhubarb that I have in the front corner of the same section. I did NOT lay down any black fabric to cover the ground before we mulched...and perhaps I should have. But, I'm hoping that the minimum 3 inches deep mulch will just do the trick and keep me from needed to weed much in the next couple of weeks. Besides, the green peeking through is so easy to grab and tear out now - so much more visible.

I did pull most of the surface weeds from around the tomatoes and peppers, and that cute little orphaned green bean plant. I even laid down some newspaper to hopefully keep a few weeds at bay around the path between my tomatoes. Who knows if it will work. The newspaper was originally going to be shredded and go into the compost pile - as "brown" stuff we really need to blend. But, since it's biodegradable, and the inks are soy based...I thought I'd see how it does in the pathway of my veggies. I'll let you know if it works or not as a basis for mulch - not covered in mulch and not blowing away in the wind so far. The other half of the large veggie garden is still completely covered in weeds at least a foot or foot-and-a-half tall. I really need to cut down all the onions and chives before they spread again, and before insects continue to choose that area for a home.

But, oh my aching hamstrings and inner thighs from bending, swooping, and squatting to pull weeds and lay down mulch. I need to get out there and do it way more often...not only for the benefit of the garden, but for the benefit of the body as well.

P.S. - handfuls of Sweet 100's and another variety of mini tomatoes have been ripe pretty much every day. So far, only one Early Girl sits on my counter awaiting its turn to be sliced. Last night we ate 3 small zucchini from the garden, which we coated with olive oil and cooked on the grill. :) YUM!!

THE PROJECT

2010-07-06T01:34:00.000-07:00

We moved into our home last year, and although fell in love with the porch and deck...knew that something would eventually need to be done. It's much too big - yes, I said too big - 20 ft by 24 ft finished with some inexpensive lumber and scrap end lattice. The previous owners removed their above ground pool, which had a deck around it, and then finished off the deck to complete what we now call the monster of a project.

Last summer, my husband spent a little time trying to figure out how to secure the railings onto the deck a bit tighter - as the original (or should I say "fixed") construction was damaged and not done with the best of practices. How it passed city inspection is beyond me...but it did. It's three-toned job of finished wood and unfinished wood was hard to look at, and we knew it would take some time to refinish the deck. We set a goal for the next summer, and the time has finally come to dig in.

I really do love the size of this deck, but there is much to be desired about the quality of wood. We started by asking my brother to borrow the power washer. He gave us some instructions, we set aside a week of vacation when the kids would be at daycare and summer program so we didn't have to worry about them underfoot. We planned to take it one step at a time. And, I think we also decided we'd learn a lot from doing it ourselves. We will only do the main large deck this year. Perhaps we'll be able to refinish the screened in porch next summer if we have energy to do it. Much less square footage, but probably just as much work as it's completely enclosed with screens that will need to be cleaned, and furniture that will need to be removed.

A visit to Home Depot, Lowes, and Menards...all of the "experts" told us NOT to use the power washer. Because of our particular project...they said it could damage the wood, embed debris and unwanted particles into the wood, and also may not remove all the stain we wanted to remove with the variety of wood that we were sure we had. The best bet for a quality job that would help the stain we choose to stay on longer and cleaner, and remove the old color stain would be to use a stain stripper. With the desire to use a semi-transparent stain so we could still see the beauty of the wood grain beneath it...we chose a couple of bottles of stain stripper and began to spray it on with a deck sprayer, brush it with a stiff bristled brush, and rinse it off with water. After both my husband and myself sustained chemical burns to our bodies, we decided to try a different route, and perhaps we'd have to settle for using a solid color stain that would cover the imperfections. We then chose a less caustic deck prep solution that could be diluted with water and spent the next few days scrubbing, rinsing, and massaging kinks out of each others' necks and backs. But...the results were well worth all the effort and the negative messages between us.
BEFORE:

DURING:
In preparation for laying down chemicals, we set a tarp out over my hostas - which didn't survive the heat under the tarp by the way...and as I looked under the deck a blue piece of yarn was hanging there. One tug and I realized it was attached to this...which unfortunately had to be moved. The momma robin definitely didn't like us, as she was dive bombing my husband most of the first day of this project.

AFTER:

I couldn't visualize what the deck would look like with a stain on it, especially since we were originally hoping for something somewhat transparent...so we purchased four different color samples. I eventually chose the top one - the russet color - a dark brown.

We were able to purchase a beautiful solid stain from Behr at the Home Depot with a military discount and a paint/stain rebate for the 4th of July sale...and the next few weeks - whenever it's dry and not too hot - we'll be putting our brushes into brown weatherproof wood stain and hoping our cleaning efforts don't need to be repeated as we move into the weather of a Minnesota summer. More photos to come when it's completely ready to reveal. :)

Green hope for July harvest

2010-07-06T00:23:00.000-07:00

I'm almost a little embarrased to show photos with so much overweeding in my veggie garden...but we've been working on "THE PROJECT" that has obviously taken a lot of my time. Besides...I'm enjoying my family and my work, and my new fun job more this year so as not to fret about crabgrass in my veggie plants.

Photos of "THE PROJECT" will appear here soon, I promise, just as soon as I can get some stain out from under my fingernails.

Waiting on the storm...

2010-06-18T01:30:00.000-07:00

All around the radar was lit, and my NOAA weather radio was signaling a severe thunderstorm warning for Hennepin county. With the threat of 60 mile per hour wind gusts and golf ball sized hail - I scurried to pull the hanging plants off their hooks, bring the lawn chairs closer to the house, cover the grill, and bring in the watering can. I texted and called family to be sure everyone was aware and ready, and we waited for the weather to reach us. In the warm breezes before the storm I found neighbors out looking at the grey overcast sky just waiting for it to turn green - which actually it just got darker and more intense.

My husband was arriving home from work when I got the final alarm on the weather radio. I sat in the livingroom across from the front window watching the news and radar on tv and he mentioned "Isn't that a bad place to sit right now?" I moved a little so I could see out the window better. He headed for the basement with my son. I just hung out. I don't know why, but somehow I have always loved storms and strange changes in the weather. I would have gone outside, normally, but with the winds beginning to pick up a bit, it felt like rain was actually coming.

When I arrived home from work this evening - many large branches from our front birch tree were already strewn across the garden on top of hostas, coral bells, hydrangea, and rose bushes. The winds earlier in the day were quite strong. Usually when small branches fall, I break them apart and leave them in the mulch. But, these were entire limbs with no leaves on them. Old, brittle pieces that were going to come off anyways. I'm concerned that the root system to this birch has been compromised, and someday it'll come toppling down on my bedroom roof or come crashing through the window in a storm. But, today just these branches.

I gathered the branches and set them in the garage so they wouldn't blow all over the place and cause damage in the storm. I set them in a bundle together and got some creative decorating ideas floating through my head. A beautiful rich dark brown, they scream of nature and simplicity. Hmmmm...wonder what they would look like as border to my bathroom downstairs? What would I need to treat them with so they can withstand the moisture and set clearly? Would I use entire branches for the wall, or just cut up pieces for a border? I'm going to have to try a few things and get back to you.

So...I waited for the storm to come. Watched reports on the news of multitudes of tornadoes around our area and across the state. And here in my little suburb...we barely got rain.Short lived hard rain and only for a few moments, it felt like it was a whole lot of nothing. And, as quickly as it came through, it was over. Hoping that the storm would bring cooler sleeping temps...unfortunately it brought steamy humidity and a chance for more storms tomorrow. One more opportunity to watch and wait for a green sky.

The Building of an Apple Brand: The SweeTango

2010-06-16T21:42:00.000-07:00

Check out this story about the amazing favorite fruit of many of us in the midwest.
The Building of an Apple Brand: The SweeTango

Rain, rain, go away

2010-06-15T21:50:00.000-07:00

Basic needs of a plant = sun and water. Water we got! Sun, I guess we could use a little more. Earlier this season - April actually - we had lots of warm humid weather and gentle rains. May brought amazing blooms and now June is promising to bring..... what? mushrooms? all over the yard?

Yes...toadstools, mushrooms, fungi, fairy stumps, whatever you want to call them, they are in every section of my very green grass. It's amazing how going over them with a lawn mower doesn't seem to phase them at all...they just pop right up again. Along the root lines of my river birch tree in the front yard, in the dip of the property line in the backyard, to the clover sprinkled grass outside the veggie garden. It's hard to know what to do about it.

Actually, I believe this area is just about even with the average rainfall for the year up to this point. Better than being so far behind like last year. It's definitely saving me some money that I would normally be putting into the city water, sewer and utilities bill. We've talked about getting a rain barrel, but I wonder just how much water I could capture coming out of my sump pump hose! Several gallons are coming out every day.

Tomorrow's forecast is for sunny or partly sunny skies, and we're expecting more thunderstorms and hot steamy weather for Minneapolis later this week.

Oh boy. This website tells me that the food sources for these toadstools are rotting plants and animal matter, so does it mean that my birch tree roots are rotting and it's feeding off of them? Also, all the grass mulch we've left earlier in the season is not good for this problem right about now. So...we bag the grass clippings and move them to the compost pile - which still needs walls built around it, by the way. I wonder if I could move the mushrooms to the compost pile and let them turn our pile into dirt. Hmmm....I wonder how many more we'll have after the next rain.

Photo and info about lawn mushrooms courtesy of www.lawncare-business.com.

The veggies are in the ground

2010-06-06T22:38:00.000-07:00

On Memorial weekend, I planted tomatoes - 9 plants - about 7 varieties - a couple plants are the same kind. I also planted two sweet pepper plants and one jalapeno plant.

This past week (June 9), in went two Ball Zucchini and two different kinds of cucumber also went into the ground with a new portion of garden soil mixed with peat to help break up the clay that lies beneath. The
rain was here on Tues, planted on Wed, and rains came again Thurs night into Friday.

I really want to tell you about my favorite "tool" in my garden. I found them last year and didn't buy enough. This year I went back for more, and realized I needed one more to get to 9. So...this investment in my future tomato plants is what I'm hoping will pay off.
It's called the Ultomato - ultimate tomato cage. They are not cheap ($6-10 each) but because they are adjustable and plastic, I believe they are an amazing product. I love them. They held up very well last year - they will hopefully hold up the tomatoes with grace again this year. I bought mine at Home Depot...but I hear you can find them in pretty much any garden store in the spring.

What a bargain!

2010-06-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

I bought some hanging plants and a gift card to Lynde's nursery from a boyscout fundraiser this spring. I bought my tomatoes and peppers and still had a bit left on the card to go back again.
Today in the rain, my mom and I stopped by Lynde's for a peek to see if we could find zucchini and cucumber. I lost out on the cucumber - I'll have to check elsewhere. But, the Ball's Zucchini looked so nice, I bought 2 pint sized plants for $1.89. I actually made it out of the store with only that.
Had the rain not been coming down so steadily, I would have checked out more perennials or flowers - and I was so tempted to bring home some Coleus for the porch...but resisted. Of course...I still have a little left on the gift card, so I'll go back when it's sunny out, and see what else I can find.
Gardening is fun, but I think shopping at the nursery/garden stores is just as much fun - especially seeing the beauty, the fragrances, the variety. Who would have thought - not me - that I would love gardening and growing things. Life is so funny. I just never know where it's going to take me.

So much color in early June

2010-06-04T23:47:00.000-07:00

The ants go marching 2-by-2...

2010-06-04T12:39:00.000-07:00

hurrah - hurrah.
Now that I've got that song in your head for the rest of the day - or longer - let me tell you about the little critters in our yard.
We have recurring, regenerating, reanimated, reawakened, reconstructed, reestablishing, renewing, renovated, and often reproduced ant structures around our home, garden and lawn.
As much as I hate chemical pesticides, for fear of them leaching into our drinking water supply - I just have to use them or we'll be infested again and again! Thank goodness most of our issues are outside the home - but once a year in the spring we get a few culprits scouting for goodies from our kitchen window.
I've sprayed Ortho Home Defense around the perimeter of the outside of the home two years in a row, and it's working wonders! A little of the same inside around the kitchen window, and that's all it's taken.
But...outside is an entirely different matter. There appear to be two main types of ants, but there could be a variety of them.
I've now put down some liquid ant bait by Terro near the front pine tree where there appears to be a very large (about a foot in diameter) colony of them...and in the veggie garden where the ants were ready to bite me as I was preparing the ground for planting. Earlier in the spring there was another large mound in our front yard, right in the middle of the grass.
This morning going out to the car, the cracks inside the garage floor are now covered in ant hills. I set another bait just outside the garage, hoping they'll take it back with them to the main nest.
Oh...hurrah...hurrah...
Does anyone have any organic methods for getting rid of ants and other insects?

New arrivals at the end of May

2010-05-26T14:43:00.000-07:00

Last year, a friend of mine gave me some iris plants as well as lovely rhubard, hostas, and lilies. After letting them simply grow and establish without blooms last year...the blossoms of my iris plants are beginning to arrive.

The birds and the bees

2010-05-20T17:50:00.000-07:00

When I was introduced to sex education in 5th grade public school, I now realize how I really didn't pay much attention to the "birds and the bees" but must have been more interested in human reproduction at the time. I think science class enlightened us to the idea that flowers need to be pollinated to reproduce, and that butterflies and other insects often carry pollen and seeds on their legs to other plants so that they can mix and multiply.

I also found as I moved into this home (and yard) that I didn't know much about plants and really didn't know much about insects and critters that inhabit the outdoors in the Minneapolis suburbs.

We are the proud hosts of a colony of bumble bees under our backyard shed. I understand from some websites that they are most likely bumble bees not honey bees. They are not wasps...as we rid the back of our garage of a wasp nest not too long ago. Those things are scary with the kids playing in the back yard. The ones we see coming and going from the shed are bumbly thick furry creatures who move from one flower to another and carry with them an insatiable thirst for nectar. Aparently the Queen Bee is the only one that overwinters in the nest, and the others all die off. She lays eggs in the springtime, and they become the worker bees who go off to find food for the colony. Amazing culture if you really think about it. How can this process of only one queen continue a breed of insects for such a long period of time?
Well...that's may be just one reason the honey bees are endangered and crops all over the world are suffering. I need to do more research about the differences in honey bees and bumble bees. When I find out more, I'll let you know.

A few more sites to visit

2010-05-11T22:15:00.000-07:00

I've added a few more websites to my links. Way funny - Garden Humor, and Garden Web both came from Wiseacre Gardens, which I found doing a Google search for photos of some of my perennials. I love it when that kind of thing happens.
I don't know much about plants - other than they need sun, soil, water, and tlc. But, many other bloggers and websites do know about gardening, and so I go hunting for more info on plants and garden learning that quenches my thirst for knowledge about all things alive, growing, and full of wonder and beauty.

I'll keep looking for more...and will try to write more when I have some new nuggets to share.
Photos of our tilling adventure didn't turn out so great, but I'll try to post within the week. It was a strange weather weekend, but at least my veggies have a nice bed to lie down in.

Ground cover

2010-05-07T15:04:00.000-07:00

May in Minnesota leaves much to the imagination. One day it's 70degrees and sunny - the weeds are in full bloom and the bugs are beginning to emerge. The next week, we are faced with a forecast that shows temps below freezing and much precipitation. This means snow - which by itself wouldn't be much to worry about as it easily melts by mid-day at this angle to the sun's rays...and actually provides much needed moisture to the ground. However, it's the frost in the forecast for Saturday night that has me wanting to protect my perennials that are already in bloom.

The groundcovers - Bugleweed, Coral bells, lamium, etc are loaded with gorgeous blossoms that have painted my front yard such a lovely shade of happy. Roses, daylillies and sedum are just waiting to open in another month or two, and I have a huge desire to see color as I pull into the driveway upon returning home at the end of the day.

And so...I am putting together a pile of sheets, tarp and towels that I can stake down on top of my beauties so the frost won't bite the delicate petals and leaves. (sigh) Gotta love MN weather!

Cheese please

2010-05-05T11:33:00.000-07:00

We have rodents in the garage and in the shed. Or, should I say, we've seen remnants of where they've been. I've even purchased small poisonous paste packs that I have scattered in the corners of the garage and shed and they have eaten through them. Then...a few nights ago, a noise was heard from the rooftop...and we had no idea what it was.

When we had some additional insulation installed last fall they found a dead bird in the attic. We wondered if it could be another bird...but how did it get in there in the first place?

Well...the nice guy at North Country Wildlife Control came out to look in the attic and check out the roof yesterday afternoon. No bats, no squirrels, and certainly no birds. Thank goodness! He said maybe it's just paranormal activity...and I said, "Don't you think we would have noticed that sooner than now?" I mean, we're not experiencing anything like Ghostbusters type stuff going on. Just the normal lively kids in the house. That would be enough to scare any ghost away. I digress.

Basically he said they're coming in through a space where the garage door meets the ground, and that they get into the cinderblock foundation and climb up through the walls to the attic. Nice visual. NOT!
It doesn't sound like a bunch of them, so we're having another guy come out this weekend to bait and help us rid the house of this nuisance.

We live on former farmland. There's highway construction just 5 miles north of us, and as MN DOT builds a spiffy new freeway - the homes of the critters in that area are being destroyed, and the mice, raccoons, and other wildlife are looking to take up residence in someplace nearby. I don't blame them. It's crazy what we're doing to them. But, I don't want them in my house. Outside - I don't mind so much. That's where they belong - outside. Maybe they'll become roommates with the rabbit who has taken up residence under our deck...or the bumble bees under the shed. I'm fine with that. Just don't eat my grass seed or leave the toilet seat up.

Dirt - the movie

2010-04-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

Taking in a rainy day on the couch, I was watching my favorite MLB team lose to their opponent for the day. They've beat them in the previous series against them, so no worries for me. I fell asleeep in the seventh inning, and didn't even get to stretch or sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." The gentle rain helped to facilitate a gentle nap.

As I awoke to kids running through the livingroom with voices at full volume - I noticed that the noise of the tv had changed. Indeed...my spouse had turned to PBS - and we watched a few new shows that intrigued me. But, the one that got my garden mind working once again was this...Dirt - the movie. It was a documentary on the show Independent Lens on PBS. See local listings for show times. But, here's a sneak peek if you want to take a look. http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/dirt-the-movie/

I'm being called back to digging in the rock, soil, earth, ground, land, terra, DIRT.

Just a little paint

2010-04-22T18:25:00.000-07:00

We have bare off-white walls in every room of the house. That is, every room except the lower level bathroom which I recently stripped wallpaper from during the big football game in early February. This one room has been my biggest irritation with my house, and yet I have done nothing in it for 12 months. This wallpaper is really been a sore spot for me - and so it's finally coming down. My daughter's room is right next to it, and she refuses to use it as her bathroom. Not sure why. It's clean, it has running water and a nice shower. The fan is broken - so we'll need to fix or replace it eventually - especially if we'll be taking showers down there.

This section of wallpaper is all that is left - and I'm just about ready to paint the walls and remove the wood trim to paint that white or install tile with river rock patterns in it. If I find any, I'll post a photo.

Teal is the color I'm dreaming for this room. I'll let you know what actually lands on the walls in the next month or so. Hopeing that this working mom can find some time to make this project a completed reality. Hmmm...started the project in February...forgot about it for 2 months...now will I get to through the next month and be able to do anything with it?

If God is in the dirt...

2010-04-20T22:19:00.000-07:00

I heard someone say recently that God is in the dirt, from which all our prayers grow. Hmmm...God in the dirt? The dirt that I dig in is dry, dusty, and tends to get splattered all over my face and clothes when I dig in it. Sometimes, the pliable soil that I finally settle my veggies in needs some work - some additional nutrients, some water, some sun. In fact, if my prayers come from the dirt - are they as strong as the weeds that find themselves a bit of sun and go straight towards it? Or...are my prayers the ones that feed back to it like compost breaks down into fertile soil when I rip them from the ground and pile them up to be reprocessed?

Okay...too many thoughts and metaphors. Sorry if you're a garden follower, and really couldn't care less about my spiritual rantings. More info about my house and garden to come soon, I hope.

Working full time doesn't lend me to as much time tending the garden as I would like. Yesterday I just crashed on the couch, and today I spent time in good conversation with a neighbor friend. Tomorrow night is church night and volunteering, and Thursday night might bring me to pull a few weeds if I'm lucky. End of the week forcast says rain...and I really hope we get some. The front gardens are blooming, but look very dry. I have yet to open up the sprinkler and get the hose flowing. That will come soon...but until then...praying for lots and lots of rain.

Digging in the dirt

2010-04-19T17:11:00.000-07:00

I tend to spend several hours at a time pulling weeds and pruning rose bushes...in fact, I'm usually out there from the time I get home from my full time day job until the sun goes down - or until my family screams that they're starving.

Today is Saturday, and it's no different. Although I did get a few house things done this morning before heading out to rid the garden of crabgrass, dandelions, thistle, and clover. I only got 3/4 of the corner garden completed today. And, it's that kind of back-breaking work that is so rewarding. Here are some shots I took today of the growing things I enjoy.

Yup...wild strawberries growing under the pine trees.

Purple corabells - framed with daffodils.

A new bush? I don't remember it being more than a twig in the ground last year. Amazing new find!

Ground cover - tinges of purple in a sea of green.

I love being outside on a sunny spring day. The weed removal is not easy, and I'm not so gung-ho over it as I was last year. But, it's so rewarding to see the clean lines and beautiful perennials bursting forth after the long cold winter.

Grandma loved flowers

2010-04-12T15:27:00.000-07:00

I've been awaiting the bright colors of my flowering plants & bulbs to brighten up an otherwise difficult season of grief. I have two dear gals that I work with who have both lost their mothers in the past two weeks, and my husband's 93-yr-old grandmother also died and went to heaven this past week as well. We said goodbye to her today in a beautiful service remembering her life and faith.

She loved flowers, and we were priveledged that she was able to stop over and see our home last summer.I didn't really have a grandmother like that...so in a way, she was my grandmother as well. We named our daughter and gave her Bernadette as a middle name, in tribute to this wonderful woman who loved God and shared her faith with much love.

The daffodils are her favorite yellow, and she loved bright things and flowers were a special favorite. The few tulips on the south side of the garage are up now, and the first two blooms have opened. It's really fun to see something new each day. I need that. Grandma is very much missed. The splash of red is like a sure sign of good things to come.

The porch

2010-04-08T20:31:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's April 8, and yes these daffodils came from my garden. The same daffodils that came up last year continue to bloom for a short season, and I didn't have to do anything to enjoy these. My daughter wanted to cut them...and there're plenty more where they came from.

My days as a working mom are very full. I spend my 9-5 Monday through Friday (and some weekends) job in a church doing ministry, which I love...but it's a lot of work. I actually manage the administrative support team for the pastors in the Adult area of our church and it's a 45+ hour a week job.

I love my family. I tend to details for my mom who lives about a 15 minute drive away in the next suburb over. So, I squeeze in some appointments and time to do a little paperwork for her. I manage my family's bills, doctors appointments, and of course, am finishing up our rather simple taxes. Not to mention I'm the one who does 98% of the cooking, laundry, house keeping, and did I say laundry? I get the kids to daycare and school and pick them up again at the end of the day. I try to get a few chores in after work, but my kids hate grocery shopping.

This is my sanctuary! My screened-in-porch was a HUGE selling point of this house. During the summer months, I find time to wake up just as the sun is rising on Saturdays so I can sneak out here and grab a book and a blanket and feel the dewy air and listen to the songbirds in the neighborhood. In the evenings when it's warm, the kids bring out the telescope and we watch the moon and planets circle the earth. We live too close to the city to really see many stars...but it's fun anyhow. The afternoons in the spring and summer lend to wonderful conversations with neighbors, friends and family over a cold glass of mango lemonade.

I washed off the furniture we purchased last summer and rinsed off the dust and debris from the porch last week when the temps reached 75 degrees. It was officially April 1st when we actually sat outside in 60 degree weather with a couple of blankets, a glass of wine and chatted with our neighbor until way too late that evening. So glad we were on spring break. So...we realized we should have generally six full months of the year when we can really enjoy this porch. I just remember the wonderful memories this porch gave us last summer.

I have really missed this porch over the cold and snowy winter. Funny how you don't really know what you have until it's gone. So grateful this season is back, and I can rest my garden-achy bones and put my feet up and listen to the birds once again.

A walk in the woods

2010-04-08T14:45:00.000-07:00

My mother-in-law lives in a quiet residential area with natural wooded wetlands in her backyard. Oftentimes she tells tales of the deer, raccoons, squirrels, woodpeckers, hummingbirds and various other birds that frequent the feeders in the backyard. The wetlands also bring much of an insect population in the heat of the summer...but during the spring thaw it's quite nice.

I've never noticed this kind of wild-flower in the forest by her home before. On Easter Sunday we had a lovely lunch at a restaurant - new to us this year - and then made our way back to her home for some dessert and a walk down to the neighborhood playground with the kids and back again.

The delicate little blossoms are white, blue, purple or pink, and are sprouting under the trees and around the wooded area. Does anyone know what they are?

Hocus pocus Crocus!

2010-03-31T13:11:00.000-07:00

Just like magic...crocus have begun popping up on the south side of the garage. I don't remember seeing these last year...well maybe just a little one...but there are several there right now. Tulips are coming up, same as last year...but hopefully we'll get some additional blooms. Last year red blossoms came up only on the west most clusters of tulips.
Yellow daffodils will no doubt pop, too. Finding that the waiting is different this year. Perhaps it's because I know what I'm waiting for...but these little surprises are fun.

Today is the last day of March, and it's the first March on record in Minneapolis when we didn't have ANY measurable snowfall. Crazy! March in Minnesota with out snow...I wonder if that means April will be especially rainy - or cold. Or, if spring has officially sprung and the sandals are coming out of hibernation.

Car trouble

2010-03-13T18:00:00.000-08:00

Driving home from picking up a redbox movie, my husband noticed a loud tick, tick, tick, tick...coming from the engine of our 2000 Suzuki Grand Vitara. We've had this car for over 7 years, and it's been terrific, with very few major repairs. We spent good money a few years ago to get all the regular maintenance up to date, prior to a 300+ mile trip up to the north shore.

Smart man, he picked up a couple quarts of oil on his way home tonight. How can the engine not have any oil in it? Really? I'm finding out all kinds of answers on About.com auto repair pages. I love the internet.
Hopefully the oil addition will fix it, and the next regularly scheduled visit to the mechanic will be more educational and hold us over for a while longer. If it turns out to be lots more, you know I'll keep my Facebook friends posted.

Tired old wood

2010-03-13T08:52:00.001-08:00

Now that most of the snow has melted, I see the damp wood with uneven stain staring back at me from our beautiful 12 x 12 deck. The screened in porch above it has been our summer sanctuary for last summer in the warm season, and it's looking like I will be cherishing my time there again. The winter has brought with it dust, dirt, ice and cold weather. Looks like the wood on that porch has seen it's share of nasty weather, and the wood is so dry and dirty. The porch looks like an old woman who has been in the sun too long smoking a pack a day and guzzling coffee by the gallon. The structure is beautiful, and the wood is solid and secure since my husband tied up some loose boards last summer. The railing was coming loose from the base, and he checked with some experts, and some friends who know decks. Now, we're not afraid to lean on the hand rail and worry about the whole thing collapsing.

Some of the trouble with the wood on the deck is that this home used to have an above ground pool. They removed the pool and finished the deck before we bought the home. And, when they finished the deck, the new wood was left unstained, and the old stain remained on the previous parts of the deck. The screened in porch is the same colored stain as the deck. And because we let the new deck wood settle for a year, it's totally time to get 'er done!

Planning and scheming...I love to see that snow melt and reveal so much that is left to be done. One more "to do" on the honey-do list. Man, that list is growing fast as the temps are going up.

Being present to the melt off

2010-03-06T14:38:00.001-08:00

There's a huge ice rink building under my deck where the sump pump is emptying out to my backyard. I keep wondering if all that water could be saved or captured in the springtime when there's little chance of freezing. Thinking about a rain barrel, and wondering if the sump pump could be hooked up to it as well. We live on a steep hill only a block away from the pond where the water eventually ends up - or moved down into the water table.
I keep thinking about getting my garden going and how could I harvest the water to use for the garden? Hmmm...hydro pump, rain barrel, hoses, whatever. Gotta be good for the environment and good for a smaller utility bill from the city.

The deck was shoveled today, for the first time this winter, and we're able to grill again already. 45degrees and all is well. Gotta love MN springtime. Rain is expected tonight, but mostly just drizzle - so not enough to wash away the grey/brown sand and salt from the winter road spray.

I'm thinking about friends and family in far away places today. Hoping they are being kept safe and strong. My Google page has weather and world clocks that show me how different it is in their part of the globe.

I'm grateful for this day, here, where I am right now. I'm trying to stay present to the moment, which is not easy for me. I'm grateful for my friends and family here, and for hope of a new tomororw. It's the hope for tomorrow that gets in the way of my todays.
So today, as the sun sets on this day, I am present to the mild temps, slight breeze in the air, icy crystals of melting snow, smooth glossy water covered frozen puddles, and the smell of the bbq grill warming up. Brrr...time to grab a sweater and a glass of wine and stay present to right where I am.

Being present to the monsters

2010-03-01T23:35:00.000-08:00

Patience is hard. This post is an attempt to recall the moments last week when I lost my mind with my children. I really thought I'd do some damage to something...but alas...I was able to control my temper - and take a short walk across the street to the mailbox.

I'm a full-time wife and mother who also works outside the home full time. After picking up my kids from school and daycare, I wanted to make a quick stop to pick up some items for dinner. I guess I first noticed the raging inside me after 2 time-outs for my 5-yr-old son on the bank-sponsored bench in the front of the grocery store. I mean, really! What should have taken 30 minutes turned out to be an hour - with several strangers looking on at how I was going to handle discipline with my children in public. I mean, I couldn't just holler at them and expect them to listen. Okay, I did expect them to listen when I hollered, let's be real! But, they didn't...and it just made me even more upset. Dare I say angry? What's up with the short temper? It was a nice day at work...just pretty normal. Just because my daughter had started out in the car with "What's for dinner?" And, no matter what I would say, she'd say a majority of the time..."Ew, I didn't want that!" Then she was egging on her brother, and being a little bossy sprocket! Just because mom was hungry after work and needed to pick up just a couple of things for dinner - as well as a few things for the rest of the week's menu. What!?! Did low blood sugar have anything to do with my mood? Are you kidding? Of course it did!

So, after several attempts to settle children into obedience, my son finally understood that I wasn't kidding, and that mom was rather ready to leave him there in the store. When summoned, he chose to come to my side and hug me, look up at my face, and tell me that I wasn't very nice. I told him I loved him, but that he wasn't very nice, either. Maybe he was right. Maybe I wasn't very nice to him when I said "No, don't touch that!" as he wanted everything in sight that was within his reach and had "touch me" spelled out on it in a language only a 5-yr-old could understand. My husband called my cell phone during the craziness of the store episode, and was sorely set aback by my unwillingness to talk through stuff with him on the phone.

We made it through the checkout line, bagged the groceries, and he asked why he had to sit on the bench near the front of the store when he wasn't in time-out anymore. Seriously - the oldest one understands not to ask mom any questions when she's not happy. Just sit quietly - and ask questions later.

So...when we got into the car, big sister was good enough to help get him buckled up, and I loaded the 3 bags of veggies, tortillas, rice, salsa, and chips into the back of our SUV. Yeah, I know!! It took an hour to come away with 3 bags! Can you feel the frustration building? Yes, I said building. The feeling of anxiety and pressure like a steaming kettle just wouldn't go away. No matter how quiet they were in the car on the short drive to our home, and no matter how quickly they exited the car and carried groceries into the house without a sound, I was still so amazingly stressed! What was that about? No, not hormonal. Trust me.

I set down my purse, cell phone, car keys, and headed back outside to see a glorious pink and orange sunset just over the houses to the west. I felt the ground beneath my feet as I stormed down the driveway and across the icy puddle at the bottom. Afraid to slip on the ice in my heels, I stepped carefully over the icy patch, and watched as several cars passed by on this busy street this time of day. The smell of exhaust fumes and cigarette smoke from the last car was lifted by a very frigid bitter wind that bit my cheeks as I turned to look both ways. Crossing the street, I was grateful for a warm coat, gloves, and a mailbox full of ads and magazines. Also appeared a letter from the city that later would tell us that they are going to charge us assessments for the repair and construction that they will no doubt inconvenience us with this summer as they fix the road I just walked across. Nice. I needed that.

I headed back across the street - clicking my heels up the driveway to my door...paying no attention to the neighbors who walk their dogs on the sidewalk in front of my house. I sometimes nod or wave, and a smile and "hello" even comes on good days. But, today was not one of those. I entered the house - expecting to hear loud cries and WWIII beginning in the living room. I sent the oldest down to finish her homework, and the youngest to his room to play. I brought the youngest into the bathroom to wash our hands after being at the store where who knows what was lingering on the handles of the shopping cart, the bench, the food items, the car door handle, whatever! He looked up at me with such big brown eyes and said, "Mom, why do I have to play in my room?" Good question. So, I calmly explained to him that I wasn't happy with the behavior expressed at the store, and that I needed some time to unpack bags and start making dinner. He understood, and quietly played with the millions of toys to choose from in his small and simple bedroom.
I shut his door, turned on some quiet music, and began to unpack.

As I began chopping veggies and chicken for my stir-fry that night, my husband arrived home off the city bus from a long day at work. After the phone call to a stressed mommy was apparent, he was cautious coming home knowing that he may have to do some refereeing. But, wait...it was quiet..."What happened to the children?" he asked with all sincerity. "I killed them," I said plainly. (A long pause.) "How did you do that? Poison?" "No, I shot them." With a smirk and a whoa-nelly look, he continued carefully..."Which one did you kill first?" I answered thoughtfully..."The little one...I didn't want him to see his sister suffer." We smiled, and hugged, and upon hearing daddy's voice, our little monster came wandering out of his room with some space ship toy hanging from his tiny little hands. Guess who poured the wine? He's a very good man.

I finished cooking dinner, and we sat together at the table. All of us. And, it was relatively pleasant. Aside from the moment a familiar and sad song played from an otherwise comforting CD by a dear friend. It hit me. Memories of a friend who had passed 2 years ago. She loved American Idol, and this night was the first night of the season for voting. She even used to post a top Idol poll, and we'd take free change bets to see who could predict which guy and which gal would last the longest. I ran to my room and broke down in huge sobs...my chest heaving and my throat closing up. The tears were as big as water balloons on a summer day at the lake. And, my blanket and sheets on the bed were soaked in a matter of seconds. I cried like this when she died. I cried like this all the way through the funeral and reception. I cried like this when visiting her gravesite a month later for her birthday. I cried like this months after she was gone. But, it had been several months now since I had cried like this. I was really wrapped in a deep emotion that had been screaming to come to the surface. I had denied it too long, and now it was as present to me as the sensation of wine in my head.

That night was a tough night. My husband was a good consoler - even though seeing a woman in such a difficult place was hard for him to know what to do. My kids were well cared for, and hugged, and kissed, and teeth were brushed. I stayed put in my room. Wondering if my eyes would swell as big as grapefruit the next morning...which they did.

Each day after this, the little monsters continued to fight with each other. I continued to notice my reaction to them, and tried to find a way to love them in my stress. With the emotion of that day behind me, I was able to see more clearly each new step I could take. They continued to push my buttons the rest of the week...but each day as I walked to the mailbox, felt the cold air on my cheeks, and smelled the suburban streets, I felt alive like never before. I am walking to that mailbox still each day. I wonder what it will hold for me the next time I open it. I wonder how long the bitter cold air will last. I wonder how many times I'll need to escape just to be able to tolerate behavior of monster. I'm so grateful for them, really I am! I am really grateful for an understanding husband who is also a very good father.

Today, the little monster was less of a monster. He sat on my lap as we watched the news tonight. Not very long...but for a few moments -and a hug that felt like forever - I forgot he was a monster. I could be present, and calm, and so could he. And, my girl chose to cuddle a little too. Although, not at the same time as her brother. Dinner was good tonight. I hope it stays this way a few days longer. Just long enough to give me strength to be present to them in their craziness once again.

Plant anyways

2010-02-25T00:14:00.000-08:00

I met with a long time friend tonight for dinner and some wine. We haven't seen each other in a few months, yet we seem to pick up right where we left off. Once we get caught up with each other's life, we find out deeper reasons we care about each other. She has known me for many years, and has been very close to me and my family. I cherish our friendship, and her youthful wisdom from such a rich life of experience and intentionality. I shared with her my journey and the kinds of things I'm hoping for in the coming months. I have some thoughts - that I'll reserve for now - and some dreams that may allow me to travel during time off this summer. I have an opportunity to take 2 weeks in a row off from work, and I haven't done that since my son was born 5 years ago and I was on maternity leave. I am hoping to make myself available to opportunities and open to options that I would not have considered before. It's a facinating time of waiting and wondering...much like we do in this winter to spring season.

I was just about to give up on my time in the garden this year - terribly unsure of where my time will be spent this spring and summer. And so, I wonder if I'll have time to weed and cultivate a garden that may just get neglected. Remembering the joy I held last summer as the veggies began to sprout, and then to blossom into amazing gifts for me and my family. The sweet smell of tomatoes and cucumbers is still in my senses, and I can almost taste them now.

She recommends to me...plant anyways. You really don't know what the time ahead will hold, and because you enjoyed the garden so much last year - why not invest a little time, energy, and a little money to put together some things that you'll know your family will be able to reap, even if you don't. Perhaps someone else would weed that garden, or come to pick veggies, or remember to water it. Perhaps, you'll be able to dig in the dirt and plan out the structure. Perhaps...or not. What's the worst that can happen? The garden dries up and fails, but that means your hopes for a fulfilling future are being experienced.

If you choose not to plant, and your hopes for the future are not ready for you yet...and you miss out on both of them. It's like all the trips she's got planned for this summer, even in the midst of wanting to try to have a baby. So what? So, your plans get a little messed up, but what if you hold off on travel, and you still don't have a baby? Then what? How long do you wait for those missed opportunities? And, how do you know that doing what you truely enjoy is not what it's all about anyways? Why not make contingency plans instead of holding out for something that may not happen? This is what being open to possibilities is all about.

I will heed her advice...in many ways. I will play with my children, love my husband, enjoy sensual and amazing music, go deeper with relationships between friends, seek Christ more fully, buy paint for the house and plant anyways.

Feb 2010, transition and planning

2010-02-16T23:49:00.000-08:00

Last year at this time, I had absolutely no idea what I had - much less begin to plan for my garden. This year, I have a bit more knowledge, a few things I've learned about composition, color, perennials, annuals, grass, veggies, and mulch. But, for some reason, I'm in a funk as to what to do about anything that I know.
Some friends have suggested I plant seeds in the window to being sprouting green things to transplant once the sun warms the ground enough to insure no more frost. However, I'm just not sure I want to put that much energy into my lovely garden this year.
I've been very pleased with the lovely perennial flowers - many of them native to this area of MN. I've also been pleased with the beautiful variety that my roses and seedums have offered in the front garden.
Last spring I purchased already sprouting veggies from a Boy Scout fundraiser, and I am pleased to say that they did remarkably well. I need more veggies this year, but will I have time to weed and dig like I did last year?
My life feels like I'm in a place of waiting, a transition of some kind. I have some hopes of what that might be, but don't want to get too excited about something so risky, daring, and downright "unsafe." You see, I have been known as a responsible type. The first born child who always does what is "good" and "right" and totally stayed within the safe confines of my makebelieve walls.
Buying a house in a difficult economy was one risk I was not comfortable making, but it has really paid off this past year. I love the creative juices that have been flowing...and going back to read some of my blog posts has been rewarding. I've found a new love for plants, dirt and other natural things that I thought this city girl would never find. I've found the responsibility of owning a home to be not more than I can handle, but instead just what I can handle. It's actually been fun.
Of course, my husband would say, and has said on a number of occasions, how he hates the house. Now, I'm sure he doesn't mean it, and I've been sure to correct him. He just hates the work and some normal stuff that goes wrong in a house - he feels he needs to be responsible for. So, we have a slight mold problem in the ceiling of our main level bathroom. It's only there...and we've contributed it to poor ventilation of the bathroom fan, and really hot showers. The roof is good, no leaks that we could see in the fall, but just to be safe, had a contractor help us put in additional insulation in our roof and increase air flow to that part of the house. It's tough to say now, since there's so much snow on the roof, if there is still a problem or if we're good to go for the rest of the season. Needless to say, we may not be good to go, so my husband gets irritated that we're still dealing with this issue after 6 months. I would just rather paint over everything once it's dry and call it a day. It is dry, for now. He's now waiting for ice dams and leaks to appear. I hate worrying about it, so I don't. If we notice a problem, we move to fix it. If we don't notice a problem, why go looking for trouble?
Anyhow...this house has been such a good thing for both of us. It's stretching us and helping us to grow up a bit, I think.
I still wonder if this summer will let me be in the garden, or if I'm going to be busy with something else that will take up all my time. Do I dare consider planting veggies, if I won't have much time to weed them?
However, from previous posts, you know that there is where I meet God...in the quiet, in the physical work, in nature. I mean, I meet him every day in my life, too. I just realized how deep that time with Him was when I was in the garden alone. I long for that time again. Perhaps that's why I stay up late reading other blogs and writing here or in my other blog. Lord, speak to me here. Help me to hear what you would have me hear.

13 weeks

2010-01-29T14:00:00.000-08:00

It's the end of January...and only approximately 13 more weeks until I can plant some fun things outside again with less chance of frost.

Oh...the waiting is so hard!
Hmmm...are there things I can do inside? I think I need to buy some paint.

Christmas Snow

2009-12-22T12:22:00.001-08:00

When it's December in Minnesota, we expect the weather forcast to include some snow. We actually got the first snowfall in October, but it didn't last long. Warmer November temps helped us feel comfortable, and hopeful as we decorated the house with lights for the coming end of year holidays.
Now, it's Christmas week, and we've shoveled the drive about 3-4 times with significant (over an inch) snowfall.
There's a new couple of storms brewing for the week, and the news is forcasting travel and shopping hassels with hazardous driving and traveling condiitons. I'm still not done with my shopping - as part of it is that we just don't have a lot of money to spend, and the other is that I've been looking for just the right gift for each of my nephews and neice.
You see, I'm trying to be an Advent Consipiritor - see www.adventconspiracy.com for ideas. Not that you can't buy gifts for people, but that you make them meaningful...not just out of obligation. My idea for a great gift for my daughter is a bucket of paint and a brush and time to paint her room the color she's always wanted. That gift may happen for her birthday in March instead, as we found a couple of CD boomboxes for the kids rooms on SALE! Having time with my kids at bedtime with soft relaxing music is what I'm hoping will happen...but I know the loud Black Eyed Peas will be shaking the house, too. And, that'll be plenty of fun. Now to put the finishing touches on the gift wrapping.
I'm looking forward to spending time with family - heading to mom's house for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with the in-laws. That is...as long as the 8-14 inches of snow that is predicted lets up enough so we can still drive in it. I hope the city plows are just as prepared as the rest of us.
The kids will love getting out and playing in the white stuff as it falls from the sky...even watching their breath steam up scarves and making icicles on their noses. The joy of the snow is quite interesting. How is it that as adults we have much less wonder about the icy wet snow as these innocent hearts? My son is sure to reach out without gloves or mittens and touch the cold wet crisp as it melts in his bare hands. The pain of the cold will cause a grimace, but there's an internal joy that can't be contained. It's contagious, and reminds me to seek wonder in the world around me.
I'm so grateful for the snow - the wonder of the season - the magic in the air - the quiet hush that comes over the house in the early morning when there are no cars on the road.
Travel safely, my friends. Get out and do a little exercise in the fun of the winter. Shovel a little snow if you have it. Or just breathe in the winter air...and just think, once the New Year hits...we're just that much closer to springtime and buds bursting forth from the ground. :)

Christmas Tree memories

2009-12-07T23:12:00.001-08:00

The Christmas Tree is up. It's the same artificial tree I've had since I was a kid. A beautiful 7.5 ft tree with a good shape. It's not prelit...I have to string the lights on it by hand each year. One string of white adjustable speed sparking ones, one solid green string and one solid blue strand. I have put other solid white lights on it in the past, but I'm going simple this year. I would love a real tree in our home, the smell of a fresh evergreen in amazing...but as a working mom, one more thing for me to take care of would not be good for my efforts to simplify. And, purchasing a new tree would not be frugal.
Ornaments are from our history together - and apart. Some are from childhood, some bring back memories of when we were first married, when our children were born or went to school. Some are hand made, some are very fragile. Some are earthy, wooden, made from pinecones. Some are delicate and lacey, and yet others are crystaline, shiny and breakable. Most are gold, silver, blue, purple, green...but some are red, and many have angels, Santas, little Irish images, some military and toy soldier references, cuddly teddy bears, and a few characters from tv when the kids were little. Heck, my kids are still little, but those days when they were in diapers feel so long ago.
In fact, we also have a ton of collectible Star Trek ornaments from Hallmark. They would bring in a good return on our investment if we chose to sell them, but we'll hang onto them for sentimental reasons. Some I gave to my husband when we were first married. Some came as gifts from other family. Funny...I banned them from the tree decor a couple of years ago as they basically took over the whole thing. Well, our son has found them to be quite interesting. Like putting toys on the tree. But, I found another way around it. We strung lights in his room, and attached the Star Trek ships - from Enterprise 1501A to a Romulan WarBird to Voyager, to a Klingon Bird of Prey. They light up in a dim glow in his room, and lull him to relax and dream. Of course, it wouldn't be fair to put up lights in his room and not in his big sister's room. So...I proceeded to find another string with working lights, and set them around the recessed ceiling in her room. What a fun time we're having this season.

Last year we didn't put up the tree, because we were packing up our apartment in hopes of closing on this house shortly after Christmas. I set up a simple nativity scene on a side table and we set our gifts under the nativity - like setting gifts before the feet of the King.
This is the first Christmas in our home, and it's so sweet. The kids are enjoying their home, and so are we. Making this house a home and remembering where we'Ive been and how far we've come has been humbling.
In so many instances, I don't ever feel like we deserve the imense goodness that has been poured out on us. Gratitude bubbles over.
Memories of the years gone by, of the life we've lived together, of the love we share now, all bring tears to my eyes. What a joyous gift this Christmas season - to be able to remember and be grateful.

Entertaining every day

2009-12-03T23:09:00.001-08:00

I love Christmastime. I love entertaining, but don't have much time to have people over in the winter, as I'm usually exhausted by the time I'm home from work and have helped my daughter with homework and gotten my son to put his toys back into his room for the 15th time today. But, here's a little something I can enjoy this season, that I've never been able to do so before.

When we lived in our apartment, there was really no room for storage, but what we did have stored away...made no sense to drag out because it would take so much to get it put away again. My kids were little and breakable stuff was tucked away so there were no temptations to get into heartache.

Each Christmas since we've been married, my mother-in-law started giving us one place setting per year of a lovely Pfatzgraff stoneware with a Christmas Tree and toy train on it. What a lovely gift that this practical gal could cherish...but really couldn't even try to use. I love practical gifts, stuff I need and will use. These sat dormant for the past 14 years, perhaps only to be used once or twice in that entire time.

You guessed it, now that we are enjoying our first Christmas in our new home, I pulled out the entire set (10 place settings so far) and several serving dishes, tiered, oblong, deep bowl, tree shaped, and even a Cookies for Santa plate. There's even a cute little tea pot and cup that nests beneath it that is so darling. I just love it. Why wait for company to come over to enjoy it?

I feel like I'm entertaining guests when my family sits down to left-overs together. These festive dishes make all the difference. Good thing I have a whole month to enjoy them until they go back down into our much-easier-to-store-away storage area.

Quick, give me a call and come over to have dinner with us, so I can say I actually did entertain with the set this year. We'd love to have you.

I really need a new camera

2009-12-03T23:09:00.000-08:00

I know it's bad when there are 3 posts sitting in my draft folder just waiting for photos to be uploaded. YUCK! I have a simple Coolpix point and shoot, and it was fine when we were just taking casual shots around town. But, with a blog and the desire to print some really good photos - I'm hugely desiring a new Digital SLR camera. I have several friends who are professional photographers, and because they get paid for portrait sessions - I have a very hard time asking any of them to take photos for me for free. I mean, I'd most likely trade them for something they feel is valuable...but when your craft/art is your business, too...how can I ask that?
If you get paid, you get paid. So, I really have to get my own camera so I can take better shots of my lovely kids and beautiful gardens.
I'll go ahead and put up a few posts now, without photos - or poorly created photos that are either blurry or have too much or too little flash washing out the images.
I'm going to keep practicing with my point and shoot, try to use more natural light - and hope my subjects stay put for a little while so I can get several shots and find at least one that will work.
[sigh]

Thanksgiving weekend activities

2009-11-29T22:16:00.000-08:00

The long Thanksgiving weekend from Thursday on has been filled with "to dos" and "to don'ts." Thursday was rather a lazy moring, as I didn't have to cook. We gathered the kids for blueberry pancakes and fresh clementines and sat at the computer with a cup of Peace Coffee. I am still enjoying the one pound that I purchased at the MN State Fair in late August. I'm the only coffee drinker in the household, and I get good coffee at work during the week, so I only brew coffee on stay-at-home days. We got bundled up with computer and game gear for a day at my mom's place and got there around 1pm. My brother deep fried a turkey for the first time this year, and it was a little dry. But, tasty dark meat and crispy edges were fun for a change. Mom also baked a ham "just in case." Unfortunately, no left over turkey or carcass to make soup stock. Mom actually baked a turkey on Saturday to do just that - make soup. Yum. Usually, we head over to my husband's side of the family for dessert, but the night got late, and we decided to hang out and watch Charlie Brown at home.

Friday was another lovely sleep-in kind of day. We got up and had eggs benedict with the left-over ham and some yummy holandaise sauce. I love late morning breakfast with my family. We don't get the paper, so I usually am scouring the internet blogospere for something interesting from my friends, or checking out the news on Google or Yahoo. We had a plan for the day. Relax and enjoy each other, play with the neighbors, and make a quick trip to Home Depot for some Christmas lights for the house. No Black Friday madness for me. It wasn't too crazy by 2pm when we got there. Got a few lights, cords, and a timer and went home.

Then we gathered around to go downtown Minneapolis for the Holidazzle parade and a MN Timberwolves game. We got some free tickets to the game when we signed up to walk for the Minnesotans' Military Appreciation Fund 2-mile walk and 5K race on Father's Day. We walked, raised money for a good cause, and got to go to the Twins game at the Metrodome that day. Part of the package was tickets for the Timberwolves game sometime in November. We will totally do this again! Make a plan to join us.

So...my husband went down to Target Center earlier in the month, and we decided to take the kids to a game. Should be fun, we thought. Great weather that night for the parade...photos and video at http://www.wcco.com/. The game was long, and although some fun highlights happened, I wasn't terribly thrilled with the level of game play by the home team. After all, they get paid to play a game and have fun, but didn't seem to be having fun at all. The dance team and cheerleaders did a great job of entertaining all - without too much skin - and a great enthusiasm. They should be proud of the job they do.

Saturday found me up and at 'em early. Our normal garbage collection is Friday, but pushed back with the holiday I awoke to the sound of garbage trucks out my window and a terrible feeling in my stomach that reminded me we'd be stuck with a whole week's worth of garbage if I didn't get my butt out of bed right then and there. Thank goodness it wasn't my pick up yet. Mom was supposed to call, but overslept. After several unanswered calls to her, I got some jeans on, got in the car and drove 15 minutes to her home. Just a low blood sugar morning, but nothing to worry about. Once I got her up and some breakfast in her, I was able to get home and get some cinnamon rolls started. Yes, the canned Pilsbury ones. They're so great, and so convenient...but the fragrance is enough to wake even the loudest snoring husband. One of these days I get ambitious and start creating one of those million dollar recipies they offer every year.
He headed off to get an oil change on the car, and I started on putting the lights up on the outside of the house. I was about half way through, and he returned. We finished the second section together, but not without a fight. I stormed off - realizing I obviously was not listening to him, as he was feeling very unheard. I felt the same, so a little "time out" was a good thing. I headed over to the Home Depot to pick up a couple more boxes of clear icicle lights to complete the front of the house. Then, stopped over at Target to get some shorter extension cords and something for dinner. Thank goodness for cell phones, because just as my daughter was wondering where I was, she called and I was able to ask her to start water on the boil for pasta. My husband finished making spaghetti, and we actually had a very nice meal.

Sunday morning I awoke with a killer headache. The kind that throbs and pounds so painfully that you can't move. I forced myself to get up, mostly because my bladder insisted I get up. Cereal and milk this morning, and no energy to make coffee. I went back to bed and we skipped going to church. When my husband came in to check on me, it was already 2:30pm and I felt like a Mack Truck ran me over. He needed some help with the rest of the lights on the house, and wanted me to hold the ladder. I reluctantly got up and cried so hard because it hurt. He felt so bad...but got me some water and ibuprofen and I figured a little fresh air might make me feel better. Getting outside didn't really make me feel better, but the ibuprofen helped to take away the throbbing.

We finished the front of the house, and put some colored lights on one of the large evergreen trees in the front corner garden by the street. Not ready to deck out the entire yard this year. We'll pace ourselves and our pocketbook. Even after some food, lots of water and a Diet Coke for the caffeine, by 8pm the pain is still in my head. Hope it's not some virus. Or, if it is, that it goes away quickly.

Tomorrow is Monday, the start of another work week. I love my job, but somehow am really not looking forward to it. I have really enjoyed this time with my kids, my husband, and doing stuff around the house. Much more Christmas decorating to do this season. Having a house is a lovely thing, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to own it, work on it, make it our own, and enjoy our family in it.

The beginning and end to my work days

2009-11-29T21:43:00.000-08:00

PBS [tpt2 KTCA] is becoming a great spot for me to land. I mentioned last post how I love the Saturday morning cooking shows. You see, we don't have cable tv. I just simply refuse to pay money for something I really shouldn't be spending too much time on anyhow. We bought digital converters and "made the switch" last fall. I may miss a few things, like Food network and History and Discovery - but I can get a few peeks at that by going over to Mom's place. I have really found much of that with PBS.

Our weekday mornings are typical of many families with only one car. My husband is up early and out the door to catch the bus into downtown Minneapolis, while I get into the shower and then get the kids up. Sometimes my daughter will beat me to the couch, but only if she has set her alarm so she can say good morning and good bye to her daddy. Once it hits a bit past 7, the rest of our routine is usually timed between the 30minute shows of Arthur and Martha Speaks. "Get up, Arthur is almost over." "Martha is almost on, better be sure and be dressed before it's starts and have breakfast before it's over and then the tv is off." "But Mom, I want to watch Curious George." But, it's time to grab some breakfast and get out the door." If they change the lineup during a new season, it really causes some confusion in our household for the first few days.

I leave work at 5pm, and pick up the kids from daycare and an afterschool program. My 4 yr old anxiously awaits the time to get home..."Is it 5:30 yet?" No honey, we have to pick up your sister first, then we'll get home in time for your show." "HEY YOU GUYS!!!"

I used to watch The Electric Company as a kid growing up in the 70's, and learned to read by putting sounds together like "ch + at = chat." Watching Morgan Freeman and Rita Moreno on a recent DVD we picked up from the library brought back tons of memories just flooding in. The new version is just as amazing with a story twist between the Electric Company kids who hang out at the Electric Diner, and the Pranksters who change words and make like difficult for the heroes. Not to mention a great beat-box hip hop style and songs about letters that make you want to get up and dance...which is exactly what my 4 yr old son does while his 10 yr old sister joins in to help him sound out words. It's quite a treat as we head home on a week day afternoon...just as I'm once again trying to find something for dinner...at least they're occupied with something valuable.

It feels a little crazy that my kids spend so much of their time around the tv, especially when everyone will tell me that tv watching is not good for them. I think limited tv time is good. The Sesame Workshop has made reading fun, and hip...and put a new spin on educational tv. My kids don't get to have it on continuously...we monitor its use just like we do for video games, which don't come out more than once every other weekend. So this half hour every afternoon is becoming a treat for the kids that they look forward to. I will admit that that time after work is hugely beneficial to me, and to their reading skills. I will also admit that I've used the tv as a babysitter on occasion to keep them occupied while I take a shower, cook, clean, or just find some time to check Facebook. Ha.That is, if you can peel me off the couch when it's on.
Really, though. I appreciate good programming on tv. I appreciated the shows that the Sesame Workshop put work into, and aided in my educational development. The new shows appear to be doing just that for my kids.

Saturdays, PBS, and my kitchen

2009-11-21T10:17:00.000-08:00

Not only do I love the green earth-friendly programming and garden how-tos, but The Victory Garden and other fabulous cooking shows on PBS on Saturday mornings really get my taste buds going and my foodie senses stirring. Friends are posting stuff on Facebook about great recipies, fresh food ideas, and a link to steamykitchen.com. I'm sitting here with Rick Bayless cooking amazing tacos in my livingroom. I need to make a trip to the market - since the goodies from the garden are now gone.

America's Test Kitchen always has fool proof recipies for Thanksgiving, not to mention ideas about cool kitchen gadgets. My brother will try deep frying a turkey for the first time this year...usually mom bakes a turkey in the oven. We'll try a new sweet potato & fresh orange casserole from Joy Philbin's recipie box, and the favorite traditional wild rice casserole and green bean casserole with cream of mushroom soup. We'll have a full house at my mom's this year. I'm expecting some fun and good food, and if the weather cooperates, we'll either take a nice long walk or play a little catch in the yard after dinner.

I'm looking to compost next spring...and wondering if I should start something now in the fall...but really I just don't have another weekend of time to do it the way I'd like to. So...I'll start researching off season rain barrels, compost bins and consider which seed catalogs to begin looking at in January. We'll haul the 11 bags of mulched leaves to the community compost site today, and string lights outside the house on this 55degree day in late November. So grateful for the weird weather flip of Oct & Nov...but wondering if the winter will provide us with snow, good moisture for the garden next spring.

2009 was the first year of gardening for me. Previously planted chives and green onions, salvia and lavender, framed the sprouts of tomatoes, peppers, cukes, eggplant and squash. Herbs on the patio, and a few additions from the farmer's market...and our table was often full of Italian, Greek, Asian, and Mexican dishes. Next year dare I start from seed? I'm no Martha Stewart, but in an effort to be good to myself, my family, and the earth...my desire is to use green principles, cook good food - fresh from the garden, and get my hands dirty and find quiet time with God while I work side by side with the worms.

There's something so natural about fresh veggies, food, gardening...and Sat mornings simply inspire me. The Good Housekeeping Gardening & Canning magazine from 1977 that I found in my mom's cupboard has been a new inspiration. Good info just never dies, it just gets reposted electronically...and I love Googling for garden, cooking, and video guides of how to cook. But, smelling and tasting the real thing is far more fun. Guess what's cooking today.

Approaching the end of the growing season

2009-11-13T17:48:00.000-08:00

...but we're always growing. And the seasons of the year play strong especially in MN as we get to experience buds opening in springtime, deep greens showing in summer, vibrant color and crisp air in autumn, and cold snowy winters. The growing season in MN is just about over, and the leaves have turned to brown and have fallen off the trees. Just barren branches and lots of hard work of raking and mulching is now mostly done.

And, during the summer months - the time of Pentecost - the growing season, there are no holy days scheduled in the church calendar from May to November until we approach Advent and Christmas.

I'll link to the page on explorefaith.org and give them credit. But, I just have to print it here so I am reminded of the amazing process that is in the everyday life - the journey of that growing season - the season of no special holidays - where we need to find our spirituality in the everyday living.

Practicing Holiness on Ordinary Days

Introduction

Leon Bloy once said, “There is only one sadness. The sadness of not being a saint.” You might think that you don't have what it takes to become a saint, that you don't know how to become holy. You might think you don't have enough time to add yet one more thing to your plethora of obligations. You might think that holiness would require what you are not prepared to give. There is a cost to holiness. There is a cost to anything that is of any worth, any value. But the cost is not what you think.

Holiness is not something you tack on to the other responsibilities of life. You don't make a habit of holiness like you make a habit of brushing your teeth. You don't read about how to do it, and then practice it routinely every day. Holiness occurs in the lived life. Daily living is the arena, the environment, where holiness takes root and flowers.

Living the spiritual life is being spiritual in every situation in which we find ourselves. For example, if you come home tired and you don't feel like cooking, and you suggest to your spouse that you go out to eat and your spouse doesn't think you should spend the money, what is your reaction? Do you sulk, pout, fix dinner angrily, and become silent during dinner? Your immediate reaction is the barometer of your spiritual life.

What if you're at work trying to meet a deadline, feeling pressured, stressed and somewhat put upon, and your boss brings in a new project that is important and asks that you begin working on it today. What is your response? Do you smile sweetly and feel anger rising in your throat or lower back? Do you begin a litany of the things that you are already involved in that are taking time and energy and grumble that you just can't do one more thing without falling apart? Your immediate reaction is the barometer of your spiritual life.

Pentecost celebrates the gift of the Holy Spirit and is the longest season of the Church Year. It begins 50 days after Easter, as the pastels of spring deepen into the dark rich green that blankets the landscape throughout the summer. It carries with it a sense of growth, of slow and deliberate movement, of journey.

You can begin the journey of holiness during this Pentecost season by examining your reactions and attitudes to the daily doses of life you are given. If you cannot find your spirituality there, it is unlikely you would find it if you were free of all responsibilities and had the luxury of thinking of no one but yourself and God. It is the day to day, the minute to minute, the joy and the sorrow, the bitter and the sweet that is the training ground for holiness. So pay attention to your life this Pentecost.

Raking and playing

2009-11-13T09:20:00.000-08:00

Rain, rain, go away

2009-10-25T19:30:00.001-07:00

We stayed in the house Sat and chose not to rake leaves on a perfectly sunny day. It was a bit windy, but generally dry. As quickly as the sun went down, so did the temperature and up came the forcast for more rain.
We had one of the dryest summers on record in Minneapolis, but somehow we've almost caught up to the average rainfall totals for the season, and it all came in October.
I love the soft cool rains we've been having, but it's not terribly conducive to raking leaves and winterizing the flower gardens. Do I need to cover the roses with leaves...or will that lead to additional rodents hibernating beneath the grass and leaves? I just want to get the slippery wet muck off the lawn before the white fluffy stuff falls, and then it's too late to do anything with it. When spring comes, I'd hate to see what black muddy muck is laying on the grass.
"Oh rainy days and Mondays always get me down."

Ragedy Ann - by Mindy Smith

2009-10-23T13:05:00.001-07:00

Humming and feeling the words of this song in so many ways. Thank you, Jesus, for holding me together when the world feels so far away from you.
Putting my hope in eternity is so much deeper than just pretending and feeling like everything is okay. I pray my faith continues to be strengthened - and that yours would be, too, as you read this.

"Raggedy Ann"

These hand me downs I am wearing
Are worn at the knees, color faded...yeah
All the little children are laughing.
I'm trying to find a reason to keep from cryin'...yeah

I'm just a little girl,
I'm Rageddy Ann
Making Believe I'm happy, hey...Rageddy Ann
Falling apart at the seams.

The tears that I covered with patches
Red yellow paterns left in old matches, yeah
Where I have them sewn with black stiches
are made exposed to be soiled and tattered, hey.

I'm just a little girl
I'm Rageddy Ann
Making believe I'm happy, hey...Rageddy Ann
Falling apart at the seams...

So when did I get so broken?
I wouldn't notice...
Everything just breaks away from me.
Hey! When did I get so broken?
I wouldn't notice...
Everything important leaving me.
Falling apart at the seams.

All the busy people keep walking away
Cause they can't see me...anything...yeah.
Everyday it gets a little harder to believe in magic people, yeah.

I'm just a little girl
I'm Rageddy Ann
Making believe I'm happy, yeah...Rageddy Ann.
Falling apart at the seams.

The last edibles of the season

2009-10-20T20:22:00.000-07:00

So I made some potato soup in the crockpot today - added a little ham and strolled over to the garden before the rain came and grabbed some very large green onions from the garden. They smelled so good, and chives and green onions are really the only thing still awake in that section. When I mentioned to a co-worker that I was going to pick onions, she quizzically said "Didn't you say you pulled everything from your garden?" Yup, I did, but these continue to survive the crazy fall weather.

So is my parsley. I had the herbs in a rectangular pot on the deck and the basil and cilantro are long gone. Wish I would have thought to bring them in before the first snowfall. But, the fresh parsley that was planted side by side to the basil is still a vibrant bright green and thicker than ever. It smells lovely and what a wonderful addition to make a garnish for othewise boring meals. It'll soon be time to let them go as well, and retire the pot to the shed for the winter.

Mmmmmm...warm potato soup on a cold rainy October night. Toasty baguette, a little olive oil and the family is happy. I'm so greatful for the earth and being able to harvest some goodies still.

Landscaping dreams

2009-10-18T21:59:00.000-07:00

So we finally got the yard mowed today after 3 weeks of neglect. Last weekend we raked leaves, branches and miscellaneous debris from the front lawn, and I believe we put winterizing fertilizer down right after we mowed the last time. Our yard looks lush and green now, funny, mostly because our autumn has been so wet. The sump pump continues to push the ground water out of our basement and right into the back yard. I'm grateful that the system is working as it is meant to...but our back yard is really mushy and wet. The grass was hard to mow back there. My hubby even had the nerve to ask me if it was okay to mow over my hostas. I reminded him that he did that last time anyways, so what's the difference? We laughed. I have landscaping dreams for the backyard. These two little hosta plants are just starters anyhow. I got them from a friend, so not a big deal if they don't survive. I planted them beneath the back patio deck and I figured the shade would be a good place, but I didn't give them any special soil or put them in a place all their own. I simply dug a couple of holes in the yard and planted them.

I love our home, and the wonderful screened in porch and enormous patio deck that is attached to it. We live outside on that screened in porch all summer long, that now since it's been a bit cooler, I feel like my living space has shrunk...and in all practicality, it has. Maybe I'll now get motivated to clean up the lower level - naw - I'll wait a little longer.

Anyhow, I have dreams of making the space in the back yard even more suited to entertain in/on. I want to add paving blocks and create a terrace section off of the stairs from the deck, and down into the sand pit. You see, the sand was left when the previous owners removed the above ground pool. The large deck that we now enjoy is where the deck of the pool was, and they just finished it off to complete the rectangle. So, we get to enjoy the adjustments, and dream about what the area could be. All this summer, my kids played in that giant kitty litter box and really enjoyed digging, planting weeds and maple seedlings, and making sandy mud pies. The wood retaining wall that holds up the section that surrounded the pool and sand is slowly giving way. Eventually it will need to be replaced, and it's already becoming a hazard to whoever steps near it. I am dreaming of a beautiful stone or brick retaining wall surrounding a paved patio with a possible bonfire pit. I'm looking forward to actually creating something to hide what's under the deck, and bring it up to the bottom of the deck, and plant those hostas and some annuals right across the top of the wall. Hmmm...I wonder how some vines would look crawling up a retaining wall. Maybe some morning glories? The wall would also lead to ease in mowing, and no questions on whether or not to mow right up to the edge of the brick or stone wall.

A friend of mine has a beautiful home in Minneapolis that he had put in a large stone retaining wall in his front yard next to the sidewalk. The pictures are gorgeous, and I would love something like that. The rocks are about 24-36 inches across and stacked like the side of a huge cliff on the north shore of Lake Superior. Rocks are symbolically meaningful to me, and there's a huge one in our back yard and one in the front yard garden. They were signs to me to purchase this house. Signs that God was present, and that he would provide for us. So far, 10 months in, we're feeling settled, safe, and comfortable. If He is present in my dreams for this backyard like He is for me in so many things...then I'd better take it seriously. I mean, really, I love to dream. But, finances have always gotten in the way. We make a modest income and enough to pay the bills each month and put away a little money for emergencies. We need to budget for a project like paving blocks and retaining walls. This is going to require a large sum of cash. And since cash is the only way we pay for stuff now, I'd better get started. It may take us a few years, but if I can just consider doing one section at a time, and building on it little by little, perhaps I'll have enough time to really get educated and learn how to do it ourselves.

I'm also wondering about that wet, soggy spot in the grass. I wonder if we could manage a rock water run-off and a lower spot for another garden section for native plants that thrive on soggy conditions. Next year's budget may include money for a rain barrel as well. If we get any rain early in the season, it may help to off set the city water bill we pay. I'm planning a spot for a compost pile next spring, and if our neighbors stick around, it may be for 2 families. Grass clippings, dry leaves, branches, etc. I'm so intrigued by greener, more self-sufficient ways to live in the suburbs. It's not easy, nor is it cheap. But, theoretically, it will save money and be healthier for my family and the planet. That rock water run-off sounds pretty, but maybe difficult to mow around, too. We'll have to sketch it out before we make any real plans.

Speaking of which, I'll purchase some graph paper and get started on these dreams this winter. It should be fun to wonder about the spring while watching the white cover the world around us.

I'm almost ready for it now. A week ago it was too early. But, after having some Indian Summer this weekend, I guess I'm okay with letting the cold temps come. Maybe lots of snow would lend to better soil options for my gardens next spring. Oh, the possibilities.

So...what do I do now?

2009-10-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

The first snow of winter has come only days after the autumnal equinox. MN is a crazy place to grow outdoor plants. And the wet, rainy, snowy, cold, yucky weather has not helped the end of the vegetable garden season. I did manage to gather the remaining (although small) green tomatoes, jalapenos, one green pepper and the only actual egg sized eggplant prior to any frost or freeze warning hit. They sit on my kitchen counter, buzzed often by fruit flies that I can't seem to get rid of, and they are dwindling in numbers as we continue to endulge in fresh produce from our own land.

I work at a full time job that I love, but it's keeping me from getting outside and even keeping me from staying inside to blog. The reality has been that I've not been electronically connected outside of work hours for a while, and I have neglected my own sense of writing. Yes, my sense of writing. I don't even know how to be creative anymore. I'm stuck in details and spreadsheets, room reservations and financial deposits. I'm troubleshooting and strategizing, looking at systems and wondering about possibilities and outside the box thinking all the while having to work within the box like a fence with no gate. It's not a big plastic bubble or a cage by any means...just a large fenced in box. Similar to the fence I keep around the veggie garden. It's not big, and it doesn't keep a lot of the pests out, but it contains the organized chaos of weeds, plants, and stuff that's been growing there for a long time but no one has had the guts to prune and replant in another place.

Yards and yards - (I haven't relaly measured the perimeter) of two foot tall green plastic mesh surrounds the space where I settled my vegetable plants with a large salvia momma and lavendar bush right in the middle of all the edibles. Although looking back at my first endeavor at growing my own food for our family has been interesting, I think I learned a lot about climate, soil, water, insects, pollination, organic and non organic gardening, tools, budget, seeds vs. seedlings, and types of food and herbs. Yes, I did have pests...ants, grasshoppers, and my least favorite rodents who actually chomped down on only the ripest of tomatoes while still on the vine. I have photos, but somehow they're just so painful to look at. I lost more tomatoes per day than I could count on one hand...and right at the peak of harvest. Bummer. Bummer. Bummer. They looked like they tasted good. I'll bet they did, and that's why the little buggers kept coming back for more.

So...where do I go? What do I do now? There is still so much gardening to be done...so I'm praying that the weather will be close to average this weekend so I can pull the rest of the dead brush and clean up wet leaves that have fallen in their green state only to be soggy brown or black on the lawn. Funny, but our gorgeous maple tree in the backyard still has most of its leaves, and they are, too, still greenish yellow.

No brilliant vibrant fall colors on the trees - but the mix of perennials in the front yard are a joy to watch. Even beneath a light covering of white - the sedums, purple asters and yes, fushia colored tea roses are still reflecting the light of God's glorious splendour. What fun to drive up to the house and view the hard work I've put into the landscape this year. So, our lawn hasn't been mowed in almost 3 weeks due to wet weather...so what? It's interesting to see the deep green show up when it was so brown and dry all summer long. The snow has melted for today...but it's going to come back, as it always does. Maybe I can do something to prepare for next year in the end of this one. Maybe I can gather some leaves, pull some weeds, settle some soil so it will overwinter well. Preventing some of the issues I had this spring so they don't happen as fully next spring is what I'd like to do. That means work outside - where God speaks to me as my hands touch the soil, and smell the organic remains of my once fruitful plants. Oh, I can only hope that I get a chance to get out there soon. I miss being in the garden, pulling weeds, checking for fruit, looking for the hole in the fence where the rodents came in...and planning a bigger better fence next spring.

Perrenials on the fence

2009-08-06T10:58:00.001-07:00

More veggie photos - July 25, 2009

2009-07-28T08:58:00.000-07:00

First sign of ripening tomatoes

2009-07-27T12:50:00.000-07:00

My childhood garden

2009-07-07T14:02:00.000-07:00

My children haven't been very interested in the garden, and my mom really laughs at how enthusiastic I am about this green stuff. Not at me, so much, but just that I've never shown any interest in gardening before - as I didn't have my own space to try it out.

I have such fond memories of the garden as a kid and have grown to love this yard of mine...that I really want my husband and kids to feel the same way I do about it. I just don't know how to get them involved and teach them unless they want to be taught, and want to know about what's happening in the garden. Yesterday, my daughter wanted to look at the tomatoes growing, but didn't see any from outside the fence. I took her in and showed her to look under the leaves and see where they are. She says she's excited to be able to pick them right off the vine and eat them...but currently her fear of bugs (both flying and crawling) as well as aversion to getting hands dirty is keeping her from entering into the garden. At least she's beginning to ask about the veggies. She refuses to weed with me, but loves to spray water on the plants.

My son also has an aversion to bugs, but was willing to be with me as I work in the garden. Sunday as I dug through the deep weeds in the heat of the afternoon with long sleeves (I've learned a thing or two about my battle scars on my arms) and gloves...he sat on a blanket beside my work area and had a snack and played with Barbie (the little mermaid, Ariel, actually) and G.I. Joe. On another day in the sun, as I was pulling weeds from the veggie garden, he put on a pair of oversized gloves, grabbed a trowel shovel and helped me pull out crabgrass from around the Blushing Beauty Bell Peppers that we hope to have soon. This 4 1/2 yr old didn't really do that much weeding, but he was willing to dig in the dirt alongside me. That was sweet.

My kids love to eat vegetables - and probably love to eat them raw most of all. He'll be very excited to see peppers and tomatoes and cucumbers getting bigger and bigger. He'll be even more excited when I show him how to pick them and eat them.

When I was growing up in the Minneapolis suburbs, my parents tilled the back half of their rather large subdivision yard and planted a small farm - a very large garden. The backyard space was about 50 yards wide (yes, think half football field) and 12 yards deep. A little sod and trees stood between the house and the garden, but mostly it was garden. They grew everything from asparagus to zucchini, a small potato patch, small strawberry patch covered with cheesecloth, and even 4 stalks of corn. We had pumpkins, small watermelon, several varieties of beans, peppers, and tomatoes.
My dad would help mom in the garden, and then at harvest time, all three of us kids (elementary to jr high aged) would help pull the strings from the beans, clean the tomatoes and get them ready for canning, and pick dill for the cucumbers to be pickled.

My parents were frugal, and did a lot of their own things. My mom sewed clothes for all of us until I had to have brand-named items or be put to shame by my classmates. Oh, as I look back, how crazy that was - but how important it was to me then.

The massive garden was later sodded over as I went to high school and they grew tired of caring for as much as they did. My parents were having marital trouble, and getting wrapped up in themselves, it was hard to find time or energy for a garden.

So...my mom still owns several dozen mason jars for canning - both quart and pint sized. I pulled them out of the basement storage area and could obviously see they haven't been used in 30 years. (There are even a few jars with pickles still in them - so those few are getting tossed out.) I found a dozen of the jars were still in the original box. Another dozen had one nickle-sized spider in each jar - dead, intact, like some experiment from a long time ago. Lids are nowhere to be found (good) and the bands are rusted and tarnished. It's good to know that some things like glass jars are still useful so many years later.

But, again, my mom finds it amuzing that I'm interested in anything like canning my own tomatoes. She's got a few pointers for me, but most of this job I'm going to be researching on the internet. I don't have a lot of room in the freezer, but she's got a large upright freezer in her basement from garden times. Perhaps I'll find some good recipies and be able to freeze veggies and meals for the winter.

Thank you, Mom & Dad, for teaching me the value of being frugal. Although it's taken me many years to learn this lesson...I'm grateful for the memories to guide me and my family now.

A splash of purple

2009-07-01T09:10:00.001-07:00

About a week ago I pulled out of my driveway in the morning and saw this flash of color out of the corner of my eye. Just before the rain, this plant was barely even there - a touch of green that blended in with all the other green. The leaves are distinctive, so I knew it must be a perennial of some sort, but I had no idea the deep violet color that would spring forth from this otherwise verde'-like area of the front corner garden. I've been meaning to take a photo of it, but didn't get to it until now. What a joyous thing to look at every morning, and such a contrast to the pale hues of the rest of the area at this time. I wonder what else lies in wait...

It's such a joy to watch this, I may have to consider planting more of these around it. Anyone know what it is?

Daisies in July

2009-07-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

First sprouts and blossoms in veggie garden

2009-06-25T13:57:00.001-07:00

A pleasant surprise

2009-06-22T09:12:00.001-07:00

A friend stopped by for a short visit on Saturday and snapped this photo for me. Of course, I had never seen these flowers in my garden before, and it definitely was something fun to gaze at.

I'm just totally bummed...because the leaves of this Columbine flower are similar to clover, and I think I pulled a whole bunch of it out beneath my patio deck. I just kept pulling up "weeds" and didn't spend too much time examining it, since it wasn't in any designated spot that made sense to me.

I think I also pulled up some kind of vine - that looks a lot like ground cover that I have in the perennial garden in the front. So. I assumed it was spreading where it wasn't supposed to be. After all, it's all over the back yard in sections and around the large rock in our backyard. Because the lawn goes right up to it, I'm not sure if they intended the vine and ferns to be around the rock or if they just landed there from some birdfeeder or something.

Anyhow...what a treat to show my friend the gardens, and both of us got a lovely surprise. Now, I have to be a bit more careful as I survey the new sprouts that I've been too hastily pulling away.

Spittlebugs

2009-06-15T12:17:00.001-07:00

There’re some new tiny neighbors residing in my perennials, and even a little on the still unknown mamma plant in the center of my veggie garden. I haven’t seen them on the veggies yet, thank goodness, but watching closely. A little online research about a weird white foam that’s appearing on my plants is known as spittlebug – or leafhopper nymphs. http://www.hillgardens.com/spittlebugs.htm

Oh my, I need to spray for weeds again. The lawn looks green, but only because it needs to be cut, and the weeds (knotty weed, clover, and crabgrass) are so full and growing well that perhaps I should be proud of it. I mean, really, we’ve fertilized, watered, and it’s growing such beautiful yellow and white flowers all over the lawn. I’m not sure if I’m ready to cave in, or get out the weed-b-gone one more time. I hate to go too much more powerful, but maybe we can use fertilizer and weed killer all-in-one on the grass by end of June. Any suggestions, fellow gardeners?

My first compliment

2009-06-03T11:40:00.000-07:00

I came out to finish the last of the major weeding of the front garden the other night. I prepared a special solution of rose fertilizer/insect & disease protector for my rose bushes, and watered them deeply. We bought a weed edger/trimmer and I used it around the house and gardens. Then, I got down on my hands and knees and plucked the crabgrass and maple seedlings from around the perennials. Now that the plants are filling in, I can actually see what's supposed to be there and what's a weed. I did add a little bit of woodchips, but will purchase some more this evening and put the finishing touches on it.

We have a walking path right in front of my home, and neighbors from all over walk regularly up and down the path. As I came out of my garage with gloves on, bucket and shovel in hand...I made a comment to a passer-by that it was a nice evening for a walk. She said, "You've done a nice job with the garden." I said, "Well, I really didn't do much, all these plants were here when we moved in." She said, "Yes, but it was really overgrown with weeds, and you've done a lot of work. It looks really very nice." I said, "thank you," sheepishly - and was really surprized by her lovely comments. My thoughts took it in for about a moment, when I realized how she must think of the other corner garden that has 6" dandelions popping all over it. Yuck. I'm trying to appreciate the compliment for what it is, and feel some sense of accomplishment. It does feel good to be done with this section for now, and just maintain it weekly. I am really pleased with the way it's turning out.

In fact, the following afternoon - I noticed some tiny coral-pink rose buds popping up from the tips of my bushes in the front yard garden. I forgot the name of them...royal something, and they're very cute.

Can't wait to post photos.

Lavender

2009-06-03T11:12:00.000-07:00

Lavender? Very early May, 2009.

Veggie Garden Photos, April/May 2009

2009-06-03T11:11:00.000-07:00

In the beginning...there were weeds, and the garden was without form.
BEFORE:...(tons of overgrown weeds). Early May '09...2/3 tilled and planted.

AFTER:

See the container of veggies on the right in this last photo. Those are the tomatoes, squash, zucchini, and peppers yet to be planted.

P.S. - I got the section next to the lavender plant tilled last night and table lace squash and zucchini went into the ground with lots of water. I hope they survive.

Vine veggies - maybe not this year

2009-06-01T14:51:00.001-07:00

I weeded and spread wood chips over some of the front perennial garden yesterday while my husband mowed the back and sides of the yard. I hope I can finish that, and be excited about lower maintenance of that section of yard once it’s done. I mean, I’m okay with a little weeding…but hate the deep digging up of grasses that have invaded the rose bushes, corabells, hostas, stonecrop, hydrangeas, and lamium. Most of the maple seeds in the back yard were picked up, but I guess we’re bringing out the rake soon, or we’ll be weeding back there, too.

The midwest area of Minnesota is experiencing a dry spell in what is usually a very wet season. My veggies are doing okay, even though I haven’t spent much time in the garden in the past week. But, I still haven’t gotten those vine plants into the ground.

I turned on the sprinkler this morning for about an hour, but noticed the small pint-sized containers with the vine plants are looking pretty sad. I don’t know whether to try to plant them, start over with new ones, or let them go completely – since I’ll most likely be over my head in tomatoes anyhow. Oh, and I was so looking forward to grilled zucchini and letting the kids pick out some pumpkins and watermelon for themselves. I guess I’ll sleep on it and make a decision. Maybe I’ll get the zucchini into the ground tonight if it’s worth it. Bummer if it’s not.

The Mighty Maple Tree

2009-05-29T13:26:00.000-07:00

There is a beautiful maple tree in our back yard near the back of the fence that runs along the south side of the house. It’s up against a busy street. In fact, our town’s summer parade runs right along that street in the beginning of July. I’m excited to see what happens with traffic and neighbors with this old-fashioned community event that involves beauty queens, animals, large loud marching bands and public safety vehicles with sirens. My kids are hoping they’ll toss candy to them, but more about the parade when it happens.

The maple tree reaches to the sky, and I just marvel at the beauty of the spring green and smooth to rugged sections of bark. I know as a home owner we’d run into issues of having to rake all the leaves that are bound to fall as the temps dip lower, the sun retreats south, and the smell of autumn approaches. All the hard work will be worth it if the colors of fall are as spectacular as I imagine they might be.

But, somehow I forgot about what maple trees do in the spring time. They do indeed flow mercilessly a sweet and fragrant sap through their veins, and burst forth with a delicious sticky substance if tapped early just before the ground thaws. I forgot about the part where they sprout seeds and hurl them uncommitted to the air – letting the little twirly-whirls land where they will. My back yard is completely covered, littered, with these “helicopters” as my children so fondly call them, and as we called them as children. Raking in the seeds, and picking them out from around the veggies is quite a treat – not really. Sigh…the seasons of life are interesting – even to a tree.

Liberal or Conservative?

2009-05-29T12:33:00.001-07:00

As a child of the 60’s and 70’s, I was raised on news from the world around me (my parents, TV, radio, school) from marches and stands for civil-rights, against the Vietnam war, to news about Watergate and the Nixon era. My formative high school years were lived during the Regan presidency, and college in the late 80’s had me spray painting “Jesse Jackson ’88!” with Kool-Aid in the snow outside the apartment building in Duluth. I live in MN, which by most accounts is a liberal state with conservative Lutheran roots. I’ve ashamedly mostly voted Republican since leaving college, and consider myself a down-right independent. I was very undecided about the last presidential vote, up until the week before election day. I did my homework, I checked out the issues, and I voted my conscience.

I’m being drawn into the internet lately, by things that interest me, intrigue me, evoke emotion from me, and heal me. I am trying to discover who I am and why I think the way I do. I guess, I am being surprised by the crazy notion that I’m toggling between what in the past I’ve considered are polar opposites in thinking.

So, I guess I’m liberal because I grow my own veggies, live in community, care about the poor, homelessness, feeding the hungry, the environment, saving the whales, social justice, loving people, gay-rights, civil-rights, tolerance, acceptance, etc. See Takepart.com, social action. I visit with my neighbors, I spend time with elderly friends, I write a blog…need I say more? Ha.

I guess I’m conservative because I have political and religious beliefs about less spending, less taxing, less government, more bottom line truth. I’m pro-life, anti-embryonic stem-cell research, pro-military. I think it’s okay to own your own gun – although neither my husband (an army sharp-shooter) or myself do at this point in our lives. I would say that sex is only sanctified within a marriage between one man and one woman. I also have difficulty with prejudices against different races or sexual orientation. I also have strong opinions about sin in its simplest and ugliest forms. I believe in loving others, as Jesus loves us. But, how are we to know what He would do, say, act in our world today.

My life is lived as simply as I can. I’m a working mom. I have a full-time job in a church. I have 2 wonderful young children. I have a husband who also works full time, who loves me, and I’m madly in love with him. We live in the suburbs of Minneapolis, and just purchased our first home 6 months ago. I can honestly say, we have it made. We are blessed beyond anything I could have ever imagined. It’s in all of this abundance of blessings and love, that I can truly say that I am becoming more keenly aware of serving, loving, and being in community with others. Scary new territory, but somehow it feels really good. Even if no-one reads my stuff – I know I’m writing this blog for me, and maybe for my kids.

Killing the indoor plants

2009-05-27T08:36:00.001-07:00

So, I moved my potted palm tree from my living room to the outside deck…thinking it would benefit from some good energizing direct sunlight. After all, it’s a tropical plant. I’ve been watering it, but the outside leaves are turning brown and crispy – so maybe I’ve either sun-burned it, or frozen it with the cooler temps we’ve been having at night. I forgot to bring it in for several weeks. Bummer.

There are still new shoots coming up from the inside – but they don’t seem to be as dark brown as it has been in the past, either. I wonder if it’s got some disease, or I’ve drowned it or really killed it. <sigh>

songbirds nest

2009-05-26T09:39:00.001-07:00

There’s a birds’ nest under the soffit of the house in a corner in the gutter – right outside the screened in porch. I found out it’s a robin, after she barked (aka chirped loudly) at me while I was on the phone with my mom. She couldn’t get to the nest while I was watching her. She continued to dive directly at me and then make a sharp turn away from the screen. They are much larger than I remember as a child. Crazy momma bird!

Apparently whenever she goes in there, we can hear several little ones chirping away under there – hungry no doubt. Since it’s not like the swallows who burrowed into the front cedar siding, we’re letting this songbird stay for a little while. I figure, when they’re out of there, we can go up and clean it out. I’m sure she or another robin family will be back again next spring. She can have all the worms she wants from my garden, and there are a lot of them. I just don’t want her to touch any of my veggies as they start to get a bit bigger.

6 tomato plants are in the ground…and I still need to put the vine plants – squash, watermelon, zucchini, pumpkins, etc – into the ground this week. I was so hoping to get it all done by this past Memorial weekend…but with no luck. I did get a few of my rose bushes trimmed back and weeded around them in the front. It’s not complete, by any means, but every day a little bit feels like all I can do.

Maybe I can find a few hours each evening this week to do a little something. I’ve got to stop obsessing about these plants. I’ve been watering the lawn a bit, and I think that helps, to not see so many weeds and dry ground all over. Oh well…more patience is required.

Minor muscles aches

2009-05-18T14:59:00.000-07:00

Picking up tools, digging, squatting, grabbing, shaking off the dirt, turning it over, pulling out the roots, moving it over, considering placement, stopping to chat with neighbor, bending, putting away tools, shaking weed control and fertilizer, raking, watering …

That was my Saturday. 5 hours of cold breezes and maybe a little sunshine left me with sore hamstrings, knees, and lower back. I stretched them out on Sunday and today, and hope my muscles will get stronger with each new day in the yard. I’m still so grateful for the time to be in the garden, for this house and property of ours, and for the glorious weather. Today is 81 degrees, and still a bit breezy. A little more rain would be nice, but I’ll take the sunshine for now in May. Soon enough it will be too hot and I’ll be complaining about that.

Just keep weeding...

2009-05-15T13:36:00.001-07:00

Join me won’t you? Eveybody sing to the tune of Dory’s theme (from the movie Finding Nemo) “Just keep weeding, weeding, weeding….just keep weeding.”

I decided to sit on the couch last night instead of getting outside. I laid down 7 rolls of sod on bare patches in our yard earlier in the day. Now, it’s watering time…and weeding time…and killing creepy crawlies time. Off to Home Depot tonight for a productive weekend in the yard tomorrow.

Preparing the soil

2009-05-14T08:14:00.001-07:00

It’s good to take inventory, to figure out what’s going on. Then, to take it one part at a time to examine what to keep, and what to dig up and toss away. I’ve waited a month to see what was going to come up in the yard, in this space, and simply find out what was there before tackling the job. But now, it’s time. It’s time to clear the brush, loosen the soil, nourish it with fertilizer and water, and carefully choose what things to plant and what things to move. I guess I didn’t think about it this way last night as I stooped, pulled, bent over, dug in, and cleared the ground…but it feels good to put this space to something that is “rightly ordered.”

Because I work full time days, I find that this new hobby of gardening is starting to become an obsession. My neighbor came over last night and mentioned that she sees me out in the yard every night. I explained that there are some nights when I’m not out there, but that I feel the summer is so short in MN, so I have to make the most of every moment I have. Besides, it’s really good for me to have the quiet time in the garden, pulling up weeds, preparing the soil, smelling the compost, and feeling the cold wind against my arms as a strong cold front came through yesterday.

I got 1/3 of the side vegetable garden prepared last night. I turned up the soil to find tangled webs of spaghetti like strands of crabgrass roots that reach deeper than I can dig. I shook out the dandelions’ carrot-like roots and was careful not to get hurt around the prickly stuff and thistle growing rampantly in that untamed wilderness I call a garden. Thank goodness for new tools and good gloves. I was out there in the cool air from the time I got home at 5:30 until the sun went down. I portioned off a third as a goal, and actually made some good progress. I dug up the onions that were spreading like weeds around the perimeter, and moved them to a more orderly place – so they frame that section of the garden nicely. I planted eggplant and cucumbers last night. The rest of the pint-sized containers of veggies will hopefully go into another cleared spot tonight.

We talk about how important it is to live rightly ordered with our finances, power, sexuality, and moral conduct. If it’s a parallel to this garden, then boy, it’s been a huge mess. I can see how hard it is to get it back “right” when it’s been left to go to weed and wild entanglement by itself. A parallel to the way I find myself – left to allow scattered seeds of negative thoughts and disappointment with others and self get planted in my soul. It’s time to dig and remove them before they bury themselves deeper and then the roots are more difficult to remove. I can pull the weeds out, but most times I’m really just breaking off the roots below the ground. Will they pop back up again? Will they find nourishment again to grow and take over the rightly order of this garden I call my soul? Not if I can help it. Of course, it will take daily monitoring…to weed, and check on the veggies, and to water. Do I choose to daily monitor how rightly ordered my own life is? Oh man…this time in the garden is really getting into me. I don’t know it that’s a good thing or not. I don’t want to get too introspective of me – but to look up and out instead – looking out to what others need. I’m hoping that regular maintenance will help me keep it in check.

I hope to get the tomatoes and rhubarb into the ground tonight…and when I clear enough space for the zucchini, squash and watermelon – those will be next. I hope I have energy to tackle this tonight.

patience and waiting...

2009-05-13T13:23:00.001-07:00

This weekend at church we sang a worship song called “Everlasting God.” My favorite lyrics are “Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord, wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord.” What?! I have to wait for His timing?! Seriously?! I’m not good at waiting for anything. I want it now, immediately after I put in the work, I expect things to happen, to change, so I notice there’s a change. This garden and yard are such an analogy for how I see my life and my journey with Christ. Although I’m not good at waiting, I do know that His timing has always been perfect in our lives. Our marriage, our children, our financial struggles, our new home, our jobs, etc.

So many websites to look at when I search “lawn care” on Google. I’m learning that the internet can be a handy resource for “weeding” through all the advice I’m getting from friends, neighbors, and family. My husband mowed the lawn on Mon night, bagged the back and mulched the front yard. As it was the first time, it was a bit short cut – the ground is terribly uneven in so many areas, and you’ve read about my dandelion obsession. I’m going to pick up another bottle of weed-b-gone. It’s helped a bit, but not like I had hoped. I must have missed all the ones that weren’t to the surface yet. Somehow the timing of the rain each week, the mowing on Monday, the fertilizing last week…all will have an effect on this yard. The slow progression is somehow a frustration for me. I want a beautiful weed-free yard today. Our church has free sod available this week. I’m hoping to pick up a few rolls to fill in the bare spots in the yard. I’m hoping to fill in those spots, and have instant gratification for a beautiful lawn. I know I have to water it – but it should be much faster to lay down roots of already established grass than to spread seed and wait for it to show up.

Now, new dilemma. We have ants beginning to show up in trails around the outside of the house, and more than a few spiders on the inside of the house. Next step is pest control.

I can’t wait to enjoy this yard, garden & porch. Patience is something I’m struggling with today. I pray for God’s patience with me as I learn to be patient with the yard, my life, and all things in it.

too much time

2009-05-08T12:00:00.001-07:00

I’m spending so much time trying to upload photos of my yard to my blog, it’s driving me crazy! I’m not up on html, so I’m struggling to figure out why the embedding link to put a shockwave flash slideshow from Picasa is not working on Blogger, especially when I access both of them through Google. AAARRRGGGGGHHHH…..

So…visit the photos HERE if you like.

Blisters & callouses

2009-05-06T09:48:00.001-07:00

What is it about digging up dandelions that brings about blisters on one’s hands?

I wore gloves. The ground was soft in most places. I still have this sore red spot on the palm of my right hand. The sky sprinkled a little rain on me yesterday afternoon as I tugged and dug down deep to get to the heart of the roots without pulling up the viable plants around them. It amazed me that those roots were so thick and long…most of them just got broken off. Some of the weeds were the size of dinner plates, and I had to get them before they go to seed. So, I’m sure I’ll still be spraying weed-b-gone on them soon. Just waiting for a warm sunny day to let it really soak down and get to them.

Our to-do list is getting longer. Company is coming this weekend, and we’d like time to entertain and enjoy their company. Actually, it’s family who’s coming over…and there’s always just a little hesitation when someone so close, but so far away comes to visit. I talk to my mom 2-3 times a day by phone, and then get to see her at least once or twice a week, sometimes more when she’s supervising the 10-yr-old on a day away from school. I’m not concerned about her. She’s the one who loves me no matter what. She has strong opinions, and I can usually never keep up with her expectations, but I don’t fret about it anymore, because of our relationship. We help each other out, and keep each other honest. We’ve talked through some difficult issues, and let each other into some tender places of hurt and joy. She’s not the family I’m concerned about.

I don’t get to see my dad that much. He and mom divorced just after I graduated from college. He lives on the road in an RV, and spends his winters in the southern states, mostly Texas. He’s coming north this week. I called him on his milestone birthday last week, and wondered when he’d stop by to see our new house. He said he was ready to start driving, and that it takes 5-7 days. He called this morning from Kansas and said he’s hoping to be to our place by Saturday sometime. It’ll be so good to see him. He doesn’t expect much, he’s pretty laid back in most ways, and understands how to love people in their mistakes. I’ve forgiven him for the pain he brought to the family, and I hope he’s forgiven me for my youth. In the past few years, I believe he’s beginning to understand how I feel about family, and how being a parent to my two kids has changed me. I’m not the little kid with the braces anymore, or the rebellious teenager of my youth. I think I know who I am. Our relationship in these few years is growing sweeter and deeper, although still not as regularly fed as my relationship with mom. It’s good to come to grips with my childhood.

I’m someone with a few more blisters now. The callouses are from hard work, and continuous work with tools that groom and shape the relationships that I have, and the person I want to be. They don’t go away as quickly as blisters, but they also aren’t as painful either. They are the hardened scars of skin that has been worked, used, and toughened up by intensely loving others. They still need care, so as not to cause discomfort or rub someone the wrong way. Salve or cream doesn’t heal a blister, but softens a callous, with tenderness and gentleness, and kindness. Only time heals blisters. And so, with more digging and working, that section of my hand where the blister currently lives may become a callous, or just find time to heal. It’ll be interesting to find out as I work some more in the yard.

A moment to enjoy the peace

2009-05-05T08:01:00.001-07:00

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” ~Anne Bradstreet

My weekends are so full of busyness. As a full time working mom, I feel that I only have limited amount of daylight to attend to matters outside. I live in Minnesota, so the winters are cold and sometimes harsh, and that’s the best time to do indoor projects. It’s at a time like this, in the fresh, not-too -hot spring air that I feel energized. So much of my evenings and weekends are spent on “doing” stuff. And yet, I value so highly just “being.”

“Be still, and know that I am God.” ~ Psalm 46:10

Last night I finished assembling the last pieces of my new patio furniture set. I then washed down the winter dust with a hose, and waited for the rain to come. I went inside and closed up all the windows for the night. This morning, I moved out to the porch to set a plant out to catch some drops of rain and sun. I chose to sit outside on a chair and listen. The birds were chirping something furious, but somehow peaceful. The hum of the traffic, the glistening dew on the grass, the crisp but not too cold air of spring – all helped me stay central to why I’m here. I am so blessed. This house, the screened in porch, the furniture, the quiet moment, my waking children, a steaming hot cup of coffee, is all such a dream come true. I feel as though my Heavenly Father has lavished amazing gifts upon me. And I feel so overwhelmingly blessed. It truly is about the moments in time that just stop everything around us and take our breath away.

So where do I begin?

2009-05-04T09:04:00.001-07:00

That’s the question that not only describes what I want to share here, but also how I feel about my yard. I feel so overwhelmed, and have a huge “to-do” list. I think I’m detail and organizationally gifted. After all, that’s part of my day job. I do it well, and I keep track of all kinds of things from planning calendars to making sure a follow up call gets made. I don’t know this new job of mine (as a homeowner and now gardener) was going to be so detailed as well. Perhaps it won’t feel that way in the growing season of summer. I’m hoping that maintenance will be easier than springtime, because I will have learned a few things about these plants and yard that I didn’t know before.

Saturday was a very full day for me. I had a baby shower for a friend, birthday party for my nephew, and we bought a lawnmower later that same afternoon. My husband chose one that was comfortable for him, and I think he was kind of excited about it. We had a nice dinner out with my mom, and then took a quick look over the lawn, gardens, and just settled in at dusk.

Sunday after church, we made the usual run to Walmart and Sam’s Club to get personal stuff and groceries. We went home for lunch, and then started in with chores. My husband made a trip back to the store to pick up a patio furniture set we liked, and he made two trips back and forth to the store to bring it all home in our small SUV. The kids played outside while I raked the yard – and I actually got ½ the backyard cleaned up. I transplanted 2 hostas and a Siberian Iris that Bob gave us last week. I watered them good, but the soil is very thick – clay mostly. I hope they survive. I may have to dig them up again and put in more fertile soil, but we’ll see how it goes for a couple of weeks.

Friends brought over a pot of flowers (geraniums, and something else?) that needs full sun, so I set it on the front step by the door facing west. I think it’s a pretty combination of purple, red, and green. They also brought over a tray of veggie plants – 2-3 types of tomatoes, peppers, onions, squash, pumpkin, zucchini, and watermelon. I purchased them from the boy-scout troop. I said they could keep the onions, because we already have so many growing in the weedy garden. In fact, I had my first harvest yesterday. Green onions were very large and beginning to bulb on top, but I dug up 3 sets anyhow. There’s a lot scattered throughout the whole area. I’m going to see if I can gather them together in one square box of the garden.

I stayed up a little later after dinner to put together the patio furniture, and I’m half-way done. My arms, neck, legs, and hands are sore and calloused…and ibuprofen is becoming my best friend at night. My eyes and nose are running a bit, and I need to remember to take some allergy meds to be able to enjoy the outdoor dust and pollen. I know this is just the beginning. I’m learning to pace myself. It’s supposed to rain tomorrow, but I didn’t pay attention to how much is expected. I’ll take each day as it comes, and start writing down that to-do list today.

Rain, rain, thanks for the rain...

2009-05-01T09:13:00.001-07:00

So much rain the last two weekends, and the grass is growing, and so are the dandelions! YIKES!

But, that means we need to buy a lawnmower this weekend. I suppose we’ll get some materials to build a compost heap, too. Hoping we keep it brown enough to not smell up the neighborhood with rotting greens. All of the lovely dried trimmings I had from cutting down the ornamental grasses got hauled away by our garbage collector last week, because they only pick up that stuff once a month, and I didn’t have a compost heap yet. Oh well…I’m sure there’s more where that stuff came from. Especially since we got so much rain that the grass is actually getting a bit long. It’ll be good to mow it, then fertilize with crab-grass controller, and then spray those ugly dandelions.

Did I tell you we have dandelions? I think there was too much time between the previous owners in the house and the end of the season, because they took such good care of the place, but the veggie garden is awfully weedy, and the dandelions are all over the place. I’m going to try that vinegar stuff on one small section of them, and see how many applications I’ll need to really kill them. Then, hopefully, I won’t kill the grass around them. I guess I’m buying Weed-B-Gone when we go to Home Depot for that lawn mower.

A promise is a promise...

2009-04-30T11:51:00.001-07:00

as my four-year-old son says. And, because I promised photos of the tulips, I am also including a couple of shots of my yard gardens. Anyone want to help me with them, let me know. I have some tools now. Thanks for sharing in my new found joy with these.

TULIPS ON SOUTH SIDE OF GARAGE:

FRONT YARD GARDEN: Northwest side of yard with lots of perennials.

FRONT SIDE GARDEN: Southwest side of yard facing busy intersection. Rose bushes, yellow daffodils beneath the roses, ornamental grasses including Silver Feathers that reach as tall as the wooden fence late in the season, and other misc. perennials. You can slightly see the tulips under the garage window.

VEGETABLE & HERB GARDEN: South side near fence, further back in the yard than the Front Side Garden. This one will need a lot of work, and the perimeter where you see the rocks has scattered perennials and green onions which have spread out from inside the fenced in area. I think the green grassy bush inside fenced in area is chives.

A dream to share the goodness

2009-04-29T08:47:00.000-07:00

The prospect of having my own vegetable garden is so exciting. I’ve decided not to start from seed this first year, because I have enough to do just identifying what I have and determining which ones are weeds. I hope to purchase already established veggie plants and move them into their respective spots in the raised bed in the next week or so. The start of something new is inspiring. My husband and I are looking forward to harvesting the fruits of our labor, and perhaps cutting down on our summer and fall grocery budget.

My dream the other night was that we will grow so much food we won’t be able to eat it all. I’ll be forced to share the bounty with neighbors, friends…and possibly the homeless in nearby downtown. I actually dreamed I was carrying a large platter or bowl in front of me filled with carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, zucchini and so many colorful, edible, fresh things. I didn’t see who I was bringing them to, but just the vision of color and plenty was overwhelming in my heart. Maybe the dream tonight will be about who is on the receiving end.

I’m sad I don’t have much to share now. But I believe that God is doing a work in me, that will grow as the plants grow…and that each time I get out the watering can or hose, that God will fill me with His desire to feed His children, the least and the lost among us, and fill me with His Holy Spirit in all things I need. I’m so thrilled to be able to share in the goodness with those around us. I wonder how this will play out, or if it will come to be.

“Nobody knows the shape of newness. That is what produces the uncertainty and anxiety. I believe that in all the great public, missional issues, we will live for a while between the times, until God’s spirit leads us into a freshly formed life together. That anticipation of God’s newness requires alert watching for glimpses of God’s work and God’s will.”

~ Walter Brueggemann, The Threat of Life