Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Sproutlets!




My baby tomatoes have sprouted! I don't know much about the rest of the stuff I planted. I have to water my little garden from afar because we seeded the yard and I can't walk on it. I am just hoping that my veggies babies have not been et up by evil garden gnomes.



I also wanted to show off a semi-recent "dumpster find". Actually, I found this in the gutter near my church. It obviously used to have a hinged lid and it certainly was harboring some dead bugs and spider webs, but it cleaned up great! My new goal is to pair my kids toys down so that other than instruments and art supplies, their toys fit into one reasonably sized toy box per room that they play in. This is the box for the living room.

I can check read an autobiography off my list...

I read spent by Avis Cardella

This Slate review pretty much hits the nail on the head about how I felt reading this story:

Why try to improve on what someone said more eloquently than I could.

Whoopee! Summer is here.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

In the meantime....

Well, the camera issue remains unresolved, but I figured out a band-aid in the meantime. I will take pictures with my cell phone. Moving children and cell phone cameras are not a great match, but I can deal with it. I took a picture of my "new" curtains in the family room. I have had all this fabric for awhile, but I just finally got around to using it. I kept waiting to pull down the hideous vertical blinds and put up another curtain rod of some sort. Instead, I took down all the individual blinds (slats I guess) and pushed my fabric (a vintage embroidered bedspread) up into the clasps for the slats. Then I used painter's tape to secure a cut up vintage table cloth over the cornice thingee to make a valance. I like it. Don't get me wrong, this is very homey. But I am a homey gal. You can't act too precious if you are gonna hang a bedspread on your window.



What do you think?

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Blerg!

So we switched internet services and I am having trouble getting my wireless photo uploader thingee to work. And I tried to fix it on Sunday and now I have somehow lost the camera. Now it must be in the house somewhere (unless the camera rapture has happened) but I can't find it yet (let's blame the children- why blame myself?). So since I can't show you pictures of anything, you get book reviews.



Inner Simplicity- Elaine St. James

Ok, I don't like being negative but I didn't like this book. There is nothing inherently wrong with this book. It is well written and organized, but it just wasn't for me. The only way I can describe is is to say that it was too "patchouli " for me (codeword "spiritual hippy style). I value the concept of simplicity and I am trying to learn to be more simple, but I don't care to consult a psychic, use a ouija board, practice out of body experiences or join a group to dance and talk about my progress. For those who do embrace this kind of stuff, this could be your book. It wasn't mine.


Growing a Spiritually Strong Family- Dennis & Barbara Rainey

This book is short and sweet. I want my hubby to read it and it is perfect for the kind of person who doesn't love to read but likes to learn. This book is very succinct in discussing some ways to make your family strong and instill values and a love for God that will last your kids into adulthood. The book helps you get started by giving you ideas that are really doable at a variety of ages.


Animal, Vegetable, Miracle- Barbara Kingsolver

READ THIS BOOK. This is an incredible book about a year in the life of a family that decides to produce as much of their own food as possible and source the rest locally. First of all, the book is written beautifully. You WILL want to garden after reading such tantalizing stories of homegrown tomatoes and the like. But this book also has a lot to say about the way we raise our food and how as a society, we have moved ourselves into a very dangerous and tenuous place in terms of keeping ourselves fed. So inspiring. I am forever changed by her words.

I find that I am battling a fatigue that I have never experienced before. Life is the space between hard fought for naps these days. I hope this is just a phase and not a window into my future.

Love and blessings to all!

Friday, May 13, 2011

I am not lame...

My photos did not load as planned. Boh. Oh well. Hopefully I will figure this all out tonight and soon you will have a lovely update on my garden. We have garden babies!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

The Great Green Hope



I am attempting a summer garden again. Much weeding has been done. Seeds have been sown with love and while I know not what I am doing, I pray that divine intervention intercedes on my part and gifts us with a bounty of freshness.

Above you see the hope of promised purple and red carrots, cream peas, squash, melon and tomoatoes.

It can't possibly be as bad as the poor showing we had last year.....right?...I mean really....no...think positive.