An interesting link for container gardeners: Earth Box
I have wanted to try these for quite some time but never got around to it. The concept is very interesting but the cost was a bit high for my budget at the time when most of my veggies lived in containers. If anyone decides to try these I would love a product review from you. These are still something that I am considering because my DH REALLY wants me to grow corn but I would have serious space and soil issues if I planted it traditionally.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Why should I grow my own veggies...
when I can just buy organic from the store?
Do you really save money growing your own veggies?
How do you grow enough for your family when you have a small garden?
These are just some of the questions that I get from my friends who have not yet discovered the joy of small space gardening.
Let's start the first two questions, especially "Why should I grow my own when I can just buy organic from the store, co-op, farmer's market, etc.?" There are many answers to this question but the most basic answer is CO$T! Yes, you really do save money in the long run when you grow your own veggies. Last year, I spent just under $25.00 dollars for seeds, supplies, and soil/peat moss. My costs now are low because I am an established gardener. It was higher when I was collecting supplies over the years. Last year was my most abundant year but also the year that I lost the largest percentage of my harvest to frost, floods, etc. BUT despite my losses I still have NOT purchased frozen broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas, or onions since JUNE. Yes, my friends, I typed that correctly. My family of four has not had a store bought vegetable (with the exception of corn and brussell sprouts and veggies for Thanksgiving and Christmas because the holidays would have been hard on my stash) since JUNE. If I keep using at the pace that I estimate that I will not have to buy the veggies that I grew in my garden until March. In March, my carrots and peas will be scheduled to come in by May along with my radishes, lettuce, and spinach. So, if (and with gardening it is always a big IF) everything goes well, there will only be about a 2 or three month span where I will not have my family eating something that I have grown with my own hands. That is a great feeling!!! I have saved so much money!
I have two separate gardens that combined equals a garden much smaller that what most folks consider big enough to feed a family. I have one small garden along the side of my house that depending on the season and crop rotation grows strawberries, lettuce, spinach, onions, green peppers and jalapeno peppers. This garden is approximately 3 ft wide by about 10 ft long. Tiny. My "big" garden is really two squares corner to corner joined together by a triangle. It is stuck in the corner of our yard where our fence juts in around a utility box, that is why it is an odd shape. But it is still small. In there, I grow my broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers (vertically), peas, onions, cilantro, and mint (in a container otherwise I would have a garden filled with mint).
So, what is my secret for growing so much in a small space? Crop rotation, companion planting, and a "small space" mind set where I plant crops close together in a more "French gardening" stagger method vs. the traditional row planting. I also use "bonus spaces" such as the areas along my paths to grow things like extra carrots or green onions because they grow almost straight up or underground and don't take up a great deal of space. Creativity, determination, and a willingness to experiment and perhaps fail are important if you are going to get the most out of your small space garden.
Over the next few weeks/months I plan to chronicle EXACTLY how I set up and care for my beloved garden so that those who are interested can keep tabs on what I am doing. Please keep in mind that gardening is based on region and I am in zone 5a so your results, plants, etc. may be different. If you would like to know what grows well in your area, I recommend that you contact your local gardening extension or just leave me a comment and I can help you figure out what will work in your area. (Unless you live in, let's say, Florida or Arizona. I have no idea how to grow things in those states. LOL!!)
Gardening is easy and fun. You will learn more about your region and it's weather and ecosystem than you ever imagined you would. You will learn to love bees (we would run out of food without them to pollinate everything!), butterflies, spiders and snakes. Your children may just eat things that you never thought they would. You will learn to be patient and wait for a natural predator to come and begin eating whatever is bugging your plants. I am still amazed when I see the wasps come year after year to clean up the cabbage worms from my broccoli and cauliflower. You will know the satisfaction of growing something yourself and not relying on the store. You learn to see the hand of God in nature. Gardening is GREAT and I hope that you will feel inspired and confident to do it in whatever method you can, be it in 5 gallon buckets on your patio or on your very own path of land somewhere in your yard.
Have a wonderful weekend!! :)
Do you really save money growing your own veggies?
How do you grow enough for your family when you have a small garden?
These are just some of the questions that I get from my friends who have not yet discovered the joy of small space gardening.
Let's start the first two questions, especially "Why should I grow my own when I can just buy organic from the store, co-op, farmer's market, etc.?" There are many answers to this question but the most basic answer is CO$T! Yes, you really do save money in the long run when you grow your own veggies. Last year, I spent just under $25.00 dollars for seeds, supplies, and soil/peat moss. My costs now are low because I am an established gardener. It was higher when I was collecting supplies over the years. Last year was my most abundant year but also the year that I lost the largest percentage of my harvest to frost, floods, etc. BUT despite my losses I still have NOT purchased frozen broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas, or onions since JUNE. Yes, my friends, I typed that correctly. My family of four has not had a store bought vegetable (with the exception of corn and brussell sprouts and veggies for Thanksgiving and Christmas because the holidays would have been hard on my stash) since JUNE. If I keep using at the pace that I estimate that I will not have to buy the veggies that I grew in my garden until March. In March, my carrots and peas will be scheduled to come in by May along with my radishes, lettuce, and spinach. So, if (and with gardening it is always a big IF) everything goes well, there will only be about a 2 or three month span where I will not have my family eating something that I have grown with my own hands. That is a great feeling!!! I have saved so much money!
I have two separate gardens that combined equals a garden much smaller that what most folks consider big enough to feed a family. I have one small garden along the side of my house that depending on the season and crop rotation grows strawberries, lettuce, spinach, onions, green peppers and jalapeno peppers. This garden is approximately 3 ft wide by about 10 ft long. Tiny. My "big" garden is really two squares corner to corner joined together by a triangle. It is stuck in the corner of our yard where our fence juts in around a utility box, that is why it is an odd shape. But it is still small. In there, I grow my broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers (vertically), peas, onions, cilantro, and mint (in a container otherwise I would have a garden filled with mint).
So, what is my secret for growing so much in a small space? Crop rotation, companion planting, and a "small space" mind set where I plant crops close together in a more "French gardening" stagger method vs. the traditional row planting. I also use "bonus spaces" such as the areas along my paths to grow things like extra carrots or green onions because they grow almost straight up or underground and don't take up a great deal of space. Creativity, determination, and a willingness to experiment and perhaps fail are important if you are going to get the most out of your small space garden.
Over the next few weeks/months I plan to chronicle EXACTLY how I set up and care for my beloved garden so that those who are interested can keep tabs on what I am doing. Please keep in mind that gardening is based on region and I am in zone 5a so your results, plants, etc. may be different. If you would like to know what grows well in your area, I recommend that you contact your local gardening extension or just leave me a comment and I can help you figure out what will work in your area. (Unless you live in, let's say, Florida or Arizona. I have no idea how to grow things in those states. LOL!!)
Gardening is easy and fun. You will learn more about your region and it's weather and ecosystem than you ever imagined you would. You will learn to love bees (we would run out of food without them to pollinate everything!), butterflies, spiders and snakes. Your children may just eat things that you never thought they would. You will learn to be patient and wait for a natural predator to come and begin eating whatever is bugging your plants. I am still amazed when I see the wasps come year after year to clean up the cabbage worms from my broccoli and cauliflower. You will know the satisfaction of growing something yourself and not relying on the store. You learn to see the hand of God in nature. Gardening is GREAT and I hope that you will feel inspired and confident to do it in whatever method you can, be it in 5 gallon buckets on your patio or on your very own path of land somewhere in your yard.
Have a wonderful weekend!! :)
Friday, January 04, 2008
A New Favorite "Big Blog"
I consider any blog authored by a person who may be remotely widely known to be a "Big Blog". I don't know of a better word or the correct term for it, so that's what I call 'em. (If you know the right term, please let me know!!) Anyway, I LOVE Relevant Radio (see the link on my sidebar) and the author of this blog (Sheila L. ~ I can't remember how to spell her last name.) used to have a wonderful afternoon show on Relevant Radio. This is a blog that focuses on ISSUES relevant to, I believe, people of ALL Christian denominations even though Sheila herself is passionately Catholic with a son currently in Seminary. Sheila is very very logical, an attribute that I appreciate greatly. I usually try not to get "all political" on my blog, but I feel confident enough that Sheila discusses the many issues that we are facing in our society with a fair, balanced,and logical view to be able to recommend her blog to those who may be interested. I hope you enjoy what you see if you take a peek at this informative blog.
Here is her website: Inforumblog
Here is her website: Inforumblog
Gardeners, Start Your Ordering!!!
Attention all gardeners: If you have not already done so and are planning on ordering seeds for the 2008 gardening season, DO IT NOW. It can take 6 - 8 weeks for you seeds to arrive depending on where you order them from. I personally am recommending Veseys this year.
A few seed tips:
* Make sure that your choices match your hardiness zone. If you try to grow something that has a longer growing season than what you have, it won't work well. Trust me. Luckily, You can grow lots of veggies in most climates! Just check the maturity time. But if those flowers catch your eye, be sure they will work in your area.
* Read the description carefully. Make sure that it will match ALL of your gardening needs including space, time, water, feeding, etc. If you are going to be container gardening, be sure to try out the "patio" or "dwarf" varieties as these are usually hybrids that will do well in containers or small spaces. Some good small space or container plants are certain varieties of tomatoes and cucumbers, all herbs, lettuce, and even green onions. All of these are a great way to get started if you have never done container gardening before. (I will have a longer post on container gardening in the near future)
* If you do not have one, consider purchasing a windowsill greenhouse seed starter. They work great!! Also, consider purchasing some peat pots to transplant your larger plants into once they outgrow the windowsill greenhouse. You can just pop the peat pot into the ground once it is time to plant. Works GREAT!!
* Have fun!! I get such a thrill when I am ordering. I hate to wait for the seeds to arrive, but it just makes my day when they do. I get started right away. This year, I don't have to order. Veseys sent me plenty last year and I have seeds left over that will still germinate. So you guys have fun and let me know what you ordered. ;) Or you can just wait a bit and buy some nice seeds at the store. Sometimes that is easier.
Well, I am off to go grocery shopping. YAY!! (Note heavy sarcasm) Have a great day!
A few seed tips:
* Make sure that your choices match your hardiness zone. If you try to grow something that has a longer growing season than what you have, it won't work well. Trust me. Luckily, You can grow lots of veggies in most climates! Just check the maturity time. But if those flowers catch your eye, be sure they will work in your area.
* Read the description carefully. Make sure that it will match ALL of your gardening needs including space, time, water, feeding, etc. If you are going to be container gardening, be sure to try out the "patio" or "dwarf" varieties as these are usually hybrids that will do well in containers or small spaces. Some good small space or container plants are certain varieties of tomatoes and cucumbers, all herbs, lettuce, and even green onions. All of these are a great way to get started if you have never done container gardening before. (I will have a longer post on container gardening in the near future)
* If you do not have one, consider purchasing a windowsill greenhouse seed starter. They work great!! Also, consider purchasing some peat pots to transplant your larger plants into once they outgrow the windowsill greenhouse. You can just pop the peat pot into the ground once it is time to plant. Works GREAT!!
* Have fun!! I get such a thrill when I am ordering. I hate to wait for the seeds to arrive, but it just makes my day when they do. I get started right away. This year, I don't have to order. Veseys sent me plenty last year and I have seeds left over that will still germinate. So you guys have fun and let me know what you ordered. ;) Or you can just wait a bit and buy some nice seeds at the store. Sometimes that is easier.
Well, I am off to go grocery shopping. YAY!! (Note heavy sarcasm) Have a great day!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Happy New Year!!
Happy New Year, everyone!! Here's to an even better 2008!
And because we all know that blog quizzes are so incredibly accurate:
Ok, I admit that I rigged this quiz. I mean, who really wants to admit that you had a bad year? Or even a normal year? For our Family, it was just a nice, regular year. Filled with Ups, Downs, Highs, Lows, Struggles, and Triumphs. The stuff that life is made of. I wouldn't have traded my regular year for anything in the world. But it sure is fun to pretend that it was fantastic. ;)
"See" you all next year. Oh, I have just been dying to say that! Cheesy, aren't I? ;)
And because we all know that blog quizzes are so incredibly accurate:
| You Had a Fantastic Year! |
 Compared to most years, last year was definitely great. Overall, you're living a much better life than you were twelve months ago. And nothing is a better mark of a good year. Here's to hoping next year is even better! |
Ok, I admit that I rigged this quiz. I mean, who really wants to admit that you had a bad year? Or even a normal year? For our Family, it was just a nice, regular year. Filled with Ups, Downs, Highs, Lows, Struggles, and Triumphs. The stuff that life is made of. I wouldn't have traded my regular year for anything in the world. But it sure is fun to pretend that it was fantastic. ;)
"See" you all next year. Oh, I have just been dying to say that! Cheesy, aren't I? ;)
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Whew!!
Ok, is it just me or do you find yourself wondering how Christmas could POSSIBLY be over already and yet slightly thankful that it is? Wow!! That is all that I can say about Christmas right now. Of course it was a WONDERFUL celebration in remembrance of Christ's birth. :) But it was also a huge family gathering!! At my house!!! AHHHHH!!!
This was our menu:
Crown Roast of Pork (Yummy! Stuffed with carrots, onions and celery)
Stuffing
Slow Cooker Broccoli Casserole (No, I didn't use my stash of homegrown broccoli)
Chive and Herb Corn
Cranberry Relish
Applesauce
Cream Cheese Bacon Crescents
Irish Cream Cheesecake
If you would like to know my menu for the rest of the week, please refer to the menu listed above. :) Yep. Lots of Leftovers!! There is so much food in this house right now that I am just plain embarrassed. We will be eating good for the rest of the week.
My youngest DD just celebrated her 6th Christmas here on this earth. This was also, by far, the most excited she has ever been about Christmas. We have ALWAYS stressed that we give presents in honor of Jesus' Birthday and that it's not about the presents, but this year she was just TOO excited about the presents and the festivities and such. Starting at 4:00 AM (!?!?!?) on Christmas morning all I heard about every thirty minutes was "Momma, can I wake up now?" I am still recovering from the lack of sleep brought on by her enthusiasm. We really try each year to limit the number of presents that our kids get. But this year they got WAY TOO much stuff. (Overzealous Grandparents!!) All in all, it was a good Christmas for them and I am sure that they will remember it for a long time.
I was lucky enough to get some nifty presents myself. My favorite by far: The Chia Herb Garden given to me by my parents. My dad knows me so well. He knows that if I didn't start growing my own food again soon I would go stir crazy by the end of January. At least now I have something to keep me busy until March. :)
Well, I must go clean my house after yesterday's festivities. Hope that all 2 of my readers had a Wonderful and Joyful Christmas Day!!
This was our menu:
Crown Roast of Pork (Yummy! Stuffed with carrots, onions and celery)
Stuffing
Slow Cooker Broccoli Casserole (No, I didn't use my stash of homegrown broccoli)
Chive and Herb Corn
Cranberry Relish
Applesauce
Cream Cheese Bacon Crescents
Irish Cream Cheesecake
If you would like to know my menu for the rest of the week, please refer to the menu listed above. :) Yep. Lots of Leftovers!! There is so much food in this house right now that I am just plain embarrassed. We will be eating good for the rest of the week.
My youngest DD just celebrated her 6th Christmas here on this earth. This was also, by far, the most excited she has ever been about Christmas. We have ALWAYS stressed that we give presents in honor of Jesus' Birthday and that it's not about the presents, but this year she was just TOO excited about the presents and the festivities and such. Starting at 4:00 AM (!?!?!?) on Christmas morning all I heard about every thirty minutes was "Momma, can I wake up now?" I am still recovering from the lack of sleep brought on by her enthusiasm. We really try each year to limit the number of presents that our kids get. But this year they got WAY TOO much stuff. (Overzealous Grandparents!!) All in all, it was a good Christmas for them and I am sure that they will remember it for a long time.
I was lucky enough to get some nifty presents myself. My favorite by far: The Chia Herb Garden given to me by my parents. My dad knows me so well. He knows that if I didn't start growing my own food again soon I would go stir crazy by the end of January. At least now I have something to keep me busy until March. :)
Well, I must go clean my house after yesterday's festivities. Hope that all 2 of my readers had a Wonderful and Joyful Christmas Day!!
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Merry Christmas!
Isn't it amazing how the time just flies when you are getting ready for Christmas? My To-Do list isn't shrinking as rapidly as I would like, so I have to focus on all of the things that I need to do for the next few days. I hope that everyone has a Blessed and Merry Christmas! "See" you all after the 25th! :)
Monday, December 17, 2007
Just a quick post....
I am trying hard to live up to my promise that I would not wait three weeks to put up another post. To be quite honest, I am just not in a good mood today. I always try to have a sunny disposition, but some days it is just SO HARD. You see, it has been such a Monday. My donut order for "Breakfast with Santa" has to be cancelled because someone decided that Krispy Kremes would be better and cheaper. The school kitchen was FILTHY this morning because nobody cleaned up after the Our Lady of Guadalupe Taco Fiesta Dinner so I spent all morning and afternoon cleaning it. The folks preparing the tacos used our Hot Lunch aprons while they were preparing raw meat and nobody washed them afterward so they smelled bad and were contaminated. I pulled my sliding oven rack out of the oven only to discover that someone had broken one of the wheels off so it was completely useless to me. I spent all morning pulling scalding hot oven racks out of the oven by hand rather than being able to simply slide them out like normal. Then I called our Lunch supplier to report the broken sliding oven rack and they told me they would TRY to send someone out tomorrow but it may be more like the end of the week. I could go on and on and on, but just trust me when I say that it was definitely a MONDAY.
So I opened my advent Book of Devotions when I had a few moments to myself after I returned home from school. Surely, I thought, my little advent book would give me a little bit of joy to chew on. Today's devotion talked about John the Baptist and how he prepared the way for Jesus. It spoke of how he was part of something bigger that he never really got to see the end result of. It also told the story of a woman living alone and putting up her Christmas tree. She was arguing with herself about putting it the tree up because no one would see it or appreciate it but her. Kinda how I felt today alone in the kitchen cleaning up a mess that no one would know I cleaned, I guess. The passages in that little devotional book didn't have anything listed for today that I could directly apply to my wretched day. But just spending time with the Word of God did help me begin to stop having my little pity party and remember that I am pretty darn lucky no matter what kind of day that I have. I found it reassuring, in an odd sort of way, that just spending time reflecting on this time of preparation (Advent) was able to bring me out of my funk. Sometimes it's easy to want God and his Word to give us immediate answers or solutions to whatever it is that is bugging us. And sometimes he does just that. But sometimes he simply gives us peace and a nice way to cool our heels. I have learned to appreciate either kind of answer. :)
So I opened my advent Book of Devotions when I had a few moments to myself after I returned home from school. Surely, I thought, my little advent book would give me a little bit of joy to chew on. Today's devotion talked about John the Baptist and how he prepared the way for Jesus. It spoke of how he was part of something bigger that he never really got to see the end result of. It also told the story of a woman living alone and putting up her Christmas tree. She was arguing with herself about putting it the tree up because no one would see it or appreciate it but her. Kinda how I felt today alone in the kitchen cleaning up a mess that no one would know I cleaned, I guess. The passages in that little devotional book didn't have anything listed for today that I could directly apply to my wretched day. But just spending time with the Word of God did help me begin to stop having my little pity party and remember that I am pretty darn lucky no matter what kind of day that I have. I found it reassuring, in an odd sort of way, that just spending time reflecting on this time of preparation (Advent) was able to bring me out of my funk. Sometimes it's easy to want God and his Word to give us immediate answers or solutions to whatever it is that is bugging us. And sometimes he does just that. But sometimes he simply gives us peace and a nice way to cool our heels. I have learned to appreciate either kind of answer. :)
Friday, December 14, 2007
Oh, I am such a bad blogger!
Gone for weeks with hardly a peep. That sure wasn't responsible blogging, huh? :) I have still been reading all of my favorite blogs but haven't been commenting much. I kept sitting down at my computer saying to myself "Ok, I am going to put up a new post today." Needless to say, I never got around to it. But today is the day!! There's no turning back now. ;)
Where to begin, though? I guess since my last post was right around Thanksgiving I should probably start there. Anyone remember me mentioning the great Thanksgiving Feast at my children's school? Yeah, me neither. ;) It seems like it was so long ago. But it did go wonderfully. We had a few snags here and there, like how we kept tripping the circuit breaker in the kitchen with all of the roaster ovens that we had going to keep the turkey hot. (It is an old building.) And the stuffing that some dear sweet mom brought in. She was SO proud that she was bringing in her homemade stuffing. But when we opened her pan up we discovered that it was more like stuffing soup. I didn't have heart to tell her. How do you tell someone that their "Famous Stuffing" didn't turn out? It seemed so cruel to do that. So we did our best to mix it with rest of the stuffing and told her that it was wonderful. Is that a little white lie? And is that as bad as an outright nasty lie? I just don't know. But stuffing and electrical issues aside, everything really did work out. I got lots of compliments from event workers and staff on how well it ran and how good everything was. I can't take any credit. To me, everything tasted as good as it was last year and I was lucky enough to have a great team of hard working volunteers who made everything fantastic. I simply oversaw everything. No big deal. But don't let me do it again next year!! LOL!! It was a lot of hard work and planning.
I was really looking forward to doing a post about the INCREDIBLE concert that my Dear Hubby and I went to see on December 2nd. I'm finally getting around to the post almost 3 weeks later. Let's hear it for my friend procrastination!!! ;) Anyway, we went to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra! The show was absolutely incredible!! Our seats were so close to the stage that you felt like you could just reach out and touch the performers AND we were in the section where it fake-snowed on us. (That's a big deal. If you have ever been to a TSO concert, you know what I mean.) My hubby got to high five the female lead singer (She has such a beautiful voice!) and Paul O'Niell (one of the founders and composers) was there. (Again, a big deal if you are a TSO fan.) He came out into the audience during the show and he walked right past me while he was autographing folk's programs. Of course, we were late getting to the concert so it was the one year that we DIDN'T buy our program before the show. Murphy's Luck. But he did say 'Hi' to me. And he was just an all around cool guy. One family had about six kids with them and he gave ALL of the kids T-shirts and autographed stuff. It was just so cool of him. If you like your Christmas music with a little electric guitar and you have never heard of TSO, I strongly encourage you to go to their website, check them out, buy a CD, and go to a concert. You won't be disappointed. But then again, I am a big TSO fan so I may be a bit biased.
Now I working on putting the finishing touches on our school's "Breakfast with Santa" show on December 21. The kids get donuts, a magic/juggling show, and a special appearance by Santa. I know, I know: some folks don't like the whole "Santa" thing. I totally understand. But the kids just love it and most kids know that it is NOT really Santa up there on that stage. Our school Children have the benefit of learning about St. Nicholas and his feast Day. (December 6th. I had to plan something for that, too. All the kids left their shoes out by the classroom doors and we room moms stuffed 'em with goodies.) But it is good fun and the kids just love it so I have a hard time making a stink about the whole "Santa Thing". I'm a sap for tradition, I guess.
I hope that you all are having a wonderful Advent & Christmas season. I have to try to clean the house now before I go pick up my kiddos from school. But I really don't plan on having another 3 week break anytime soon. No more procrastination! :)
Where to begin, though? I guess since my last post was right around Thanksgiving I should probably start there. Anyone remember me mentioning the great Thanksgiving Feast at my children's school? Yeah, me neither. ;) It seems like it was so long ago. But it did go wonderfully. We had a few snags here and there, like how we kept tripping the circuit breaker in the kitchen with all of the roaster ovens that we had going to keep the turkey hot. (It is an old building.) And the stuffing that some dear sweet mom brought in. She was SO proud that she was bringing in her homemade stuffing. But when we opened her pan up we discovered that it was more like stuffing soup. I didn't have heart to tell her. How do you tell someone that their "Famous Stuffing" didn't turn out? It seemed so cruel to do that. So we did our best to mix it with rest of the stuffing and told her that it was wonderful. Is that a little white lie? And is that as bad as an outright nasty lie? I just don't know. But stuffing and electrical issues aside, everything really did work out. I got lots of compliments from event workers and staff on how well it ran and how good everything was. I can't take any credit. To me, everything tasted as good as it was last year and I was lucky enough to have a great team of hard working volunteers who made everything fantastic. I simply oversaw everything. No big deal. But don't let me do it again next year!! LOL!! It was a lot of hard work and planning.
I was really looking forward to doing a post about the INCREDIBLE concert that my Dear Hubby and I went to see on December 2nd. I'm finally getting around to the post almost 3 weeks later. Let's hear it for my friend procrastination!!! ;) Anyway, we went to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra! The show was absolutely incredible!! Our seats were so close to the stage that you felt like you could just reach out and touch the performers AND we were in the section where it fake-snowed on us. (That's a big deal. If you have ever been to a TSO concert, you know what I mean.) My hubby got to high five the female lead singer (She has such a beautiful voice!) and Paul O'Niell (one of the founders and composers) was there. (Again, a big deal if you are a TSO fan.) He came out into the audience during the show and he walked right past me while he was autographing folk's programs. Of course, we were late getting to the concert so it was the one year that we DIDN'T buy our program before the show. Murphy's Luck. But he did say 'Hi' to me. And he was just an all around cool guy. One family had about six kids with them and he gave ALL of the kids T-shirts and autographed stuff. It was just so cool of him. If you like your Christmas music with a little electric guitar and you have never heard of TSO, I strongly encourage you to go to their website, check them out, buy a CD, and go to a concert. You won't be disappointed. But then again, I am a big TSO fan so I may be a bit biased.
Now I working on putting the finishing touches on our school's "Breakfast with Santa" show on December 21. The kids get donuts, a magic/juggling show, and a special appearance by Santa. I know, I know: some folks don't like the whole "Santa" thing. I totally understand. But the kids just love it and most kids know that it is NOT really Santa up there on that stage. Our school Children have the benefit of learning about St. Nicholas and his feast Day. (December 6th. I had to plan something for that, too. All the kids left their shoes out by the classroom doors and we room moms stuffed 'em with goodies.) But it is good fun and the kids just love it so I have a hard time making a stink about the whole "Santa Thing". I'm a sap for tradition, I guess.
I hope that you all are having a wonderful Advent & Christmas season. I have to try to clean the house now before I go pick up my kiddos from school. But I really don't plan on having another 3 week break anytime soon. No more procrastination! :)
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving!
We are having Thanksgiving at our house this year, as we do every year. Hubby and I are both only children and our parents are kind of spread out all over the area, so we are a neutral location. I am going to be extremely busy this week! I keep saying that phrase, don't I? ;) But it is a good kind of busy, one that I never complain about. However, blogging time for me will be a bit hard to come by, so I just wanted to send out a big "Happy Thanksgiving" to everyone!! May it be filled with love and joy, no matter where you are or how you celebrate it. :)
And just for fun:
And just for fun:
| You Are The Stuffing |
 You're complicated and complex, yet all your pieces fit together. People miss you if you're gone - but they're not sure why. |
Thursday, November 15, 2007
I Passed!
When I came home this afternoon from a frenzied day of grocery shopping for the upcoming Thanksgiving Feast I found the most exciting little letter in my mailbox. I actually passed my Food Service and Sanitation test. With a 95%. Woo hoo!!! Now I can be absolutely certain that my food for the Thanksgiving Feast at school tomorrow will be safe. Who knows if it will taste good, but it will definitely be safe. ;)
I must return to my turkey and stuffing now. If you ever need to know how to make an entire catering size tray of stuffing (apx. 90 servings), just drop me an email and I'll tell you all about it. I've never made this much stuffing before, but I sure know how to do it now!
I must return to my turkey and stuffing now. If you ever need to know how to make an entire catering size tray of stuffing (apx. 90 servings), just drop me an email and I'll tell you all about it. I've never made this much stuffing before, but I sure know how to do it now!
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Thanksgiving Feast
I have been doing entirely too much at my kiddos school this year. Seriously. I have had folks come out and ask me if I have moved into the building. It's been crazy, and I did it to myself so I have no one else to blame. This Friday, I am the "General Overseer" of the Kdg - 4th grade Thanksgiving Feast. And this is not just a small little lunch. We are feeding about 215 kids and adults a real Thanksgiving Meal: turkey, corn, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pies, rolls, etc. I have been busy all week shopping and trying to find people to help cook and serve. I am not complaining. As I said, I did this to myself. But it has been keeping me very busy. So if I am a bit scarce over the next few days, you know why. And if you wouldn't mind, please say a prayer that I have planned enough food for everyone and that everything goes well. I'm running on a wing and a prayer this week. ;)
Monday, November 12, 2007
PLEASE REMEMBER
to Thank a Veteran!!!
* Sorry that I am a day late :( I chose the link above because they have some great pics, educational materials and info about our Veterans.
* Sorry that I am a day late :( I chose the link above because they have some great pics, educational materials and info about our Veterans.
For the record.........
I was in grade school in 1983. ;)
You Belong in 1983 |
 Wild, over the top, and just a little bit cheesy. You're colorful at night - and successful during the day. |
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Unexpected Little Blessings
I still need to clean up my garden for the winter. It's been a bit of a wacky gardening year and I have been very busy since my kiddos started school, so I just keep putting off my garden cleaning. It got to the point where looking at my grungy garden was reminding me of all of my failures this past garden season. Sure, I had a nice harvest, but it was nothing like *I* had planned. I wanted a full three seasons overflowing with vegetables. I wanted to walk into church and loving donate all of the extra perfect vegetables that my family couldn't eat because we had such a great harvest. I wanted to stock my freezer with 30 containers of homemade marinara. I still had a wonderful harvest. I still have a freezer full of fresh veggies to help feed my family over the long winter. But it just wasn't ENOUGH for me. I wanted more!! I wanted no powdery mildew to kill my pumpkins and peas. I wanted no standing water in my garden make my tomatoes burst on the vine. And I wanted no unexpected frost to kill my tomato plants after they had FINALLY just started to recover and bring me more luscious fresh late season tomatoes. I felt defeated instead of victorious. So I let my precious garden sit and fester.
My cauliflower plants had a rough spring, too. I managed to eek out three heads of cauliflower before the weather got too hot. There were three more plants left in the garden before the hot weather hit, and I just couldn't bring myself to pull them. So they sat in my garden all summer long. I had hope for them. When the weather cools, I thought, they will finally wake up from dormancy and grow again. Then the cabbage worms came in early September. I was too busy at school to be able to hand pick my cabbage worms as I always do, so they feasted on my poor last cauliflower plants. There went my last hope of more fresh cauliflower!! But I still didn't pull my sad leafless plants.
This weekend I had a few spare moments while we were closing our pool for the winter. So I strolled out to my garden to get a peek at everything that still needs to be done. I found lettuce that needs to be pulled because we had 70 and 80 degree days during most of September and October that made it too hot for it to grow. Dead tomato plants that need to be pulled hung sadly from their stakes. My broccoli went to seed. And I found ONE beautiful, perfect head of cauliflower on a tall scraggly plant with barely any leaves. WOW!!! I could not believe my eyes. I had to call my hubby over and show him. I had given this plant nothing except my sympathy and it repaid me with one of the most beautiful heads of cauliflower that I have grown all year. And please understand, dear reader, that this was truly one UGLY plant! It defies all commonly understood laws of gardening that this plant produced a head. As I was standing there in my garden with the cool autumn sun shining on my face, I was reminded that it is GOD who is in control. Not me. Only GOD. He can perform miracles with things that we dismiss because they don't meet *our* standards and expectations. God made my garden give me plenty but I was upset because it didn't go my way. Then when I gave up and walked away in frustration, he took over and gave me a little reminder of who I should let be truly in control and who I should thank even when things don't go the way that I planned.
My blog header says "Just planting some seeds and waiting to see what pops up next". I try to live by that motto. Enjoy what I have, take life as it comes, trust God. But I fail, alot. Isn't it wonderful when God sends you unexpected little blessings to remind you how important it is to wait and see what pops up?
My cauliflower plants had a rough spring, too. I managed to eek out three heads of cauliflower before the weather got too hot. There were three more plants left in the garden before the hot weather hit, and I just couldn't bring myself to pull them. So they sat in my garden all summer long. I had hope for them. When the weather cools, I thought, they will finally wake up from dormancy and grow again. Then the cabbage worms came in early September. I was too busy at school to be able to hand pick my cabbage worms as I always do, so they feasted on my poor last cauliflower plants. There went my last hope of more fresh cauliflower!! But I still didn't pull my sad leafless plants.
This weekend I had a few spare moments while we were closing our pool for the winter. So I strolled out to my garden to get a peek at everything that still needs to be done. I found lettuce that needs to be pulled because we had 70 and 80 degree days during most of September and October that made it too hot for it to grow. Dead tomato plants that need to be pulled hung sadly from their stakes. My broccoli went to seed. And I found ONE beautiful, perfect head of cauliflower on a tall scraggly plant with barely any leaves. WOW!!! I could not believe my eyes. I had to call my hubby over and show him. I had given this plant nothing except my sympathy and it repaid me with one of the most beautiful heads of cauliflower that I have grown all year. And please understand, dear reader, that this was truly one UGLY plant! It defies all commonly understood laws of gardening that this plant produced a head. As I was standing there in my garden with the cool autumn sun shining on my face, I was reminded that it is GOD who is in control. Not me. Only GOD. He can perform miracles with things that we dismiss because they don't meet *our* standards and expectations. God made my garden give me plenty but I was upset because it didn't go my way. Then when I gave up and walked away in frustration, he took over and gave me a little reminder of who I should let be truly in control and who I should thank even when things don't go the way that I planned.
My blog header says "Just planting some seeds and waiting to see what pops up next". I try to live by that motto. Enjoy what I have, take life as it comes, trust God. But I fail, alot. Isn't it wonderful when God sends you unexpected little blessings to remind you how important it is to wait and see what pops up?
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Where's KitKat??
I wonder that myself sometimes...... (LOL!!)
But this time I know exactly where I am. I have been busy enjoying some type of stomach flu along with my whole family while my hubby has had the week off to celebrate our ten year anniversary. Nothing says romance like having hubby help you out when you are ill (and vice versa). :) Even after ten years I still hate when he sees me sick, but it is so sweet how he takes care of me and the kiddos when we are down.
Anyway, we are all feeling better now and I am off to try to enjoy that last few days of his vacation. I'll be back in a day or so.
Have a great weekend!!
But this time I know exactly where I am. I have been busy enjoying some type of stomach flu along with my whole family while my hubby has had the week off to celebrate our ten year anniversary. Nothing says romance like having hubby help you out when you are ill (and vice versa). :) Even after ten years I still hate when he sees me sick, but it is so sweet how he takes care of me and the kiddos when we are down.
Anyway, we are all feeling better now and I am off to try to enjoy that last few days of his vacation. I'll be back in a day or so.
Have a great weekend!!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
This is only a test
Well, I passed my test. I think. They have to send all of the tests from the class downstate to be graded and then send us the results in 4 to 6 weeks. (Grrrrrrr!! I hate to wait!) But I am pretty sure that I passed. The actual test was 80 questions and you could miss up to 20 and still pass. I really don't think that I missed 20, although there were 4 question that I wasn't super sure about. Anyway, I am really glad to have that over with. Now I just have to sit and wait patiently for 4 weeks to get my results. I think that is the REAL test. ;)
Friday, October 19, 2007
Back to School ~ for Mom!!
I really don't know why I haven't mentioned this sooner. I guess the days have just been getting away from me lately. But I do have some kinda sorta fun news! I am going back to college. Well, for two days totaling 16 hours anyway. I have to get my "Food Service and Sanitation" license so that I can continue to be the cool school lunch lady. I started last Saturday and go back again tomorrow so that we can finish the class and take the test. Wish me luck, because it is an incredible amount of information to memorize in literally one week. Most of it is common sense, but there are alot of government (as in FDA and my state public health department) terms and regulations to cram into my little cranium. I'm glad that it will be over tomorrow.
I also feel very blessed that the school is paying for me to take this course while I get to keep the license. It is always nice to be able to add another skill to my tool belt (as if wife and mother doesn't create enough skills!). I'm that crazy planner lady who always say "Expect the best but plan for the worst!". It give me comfort to know that I will have another marketable skill, "just in case". Yes, I am crazy, I know.
My husband was teasing me last Saturday, telling me that I was going to be the old lady in the class. It turned out to be just the opposite! With the exception of one other obviously young girl, I turned out to be one of the youngest. Lots of lunch ladies and day care workers there, and some folks who worked for nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Of course, I had to come home and tell my husband this. Needless to say, he was unimpressed. :)
Yep, going back to college was kinda weird but it brought back lots of fun memories. Too bad it didn't seem to bring back my actual working MEMORY! So now I really have to go study so that I don't have to tell my children's school that I flunked my exam. Wish me luck!!
I also feel very blessed that the school is paying for me to take this course while I get to keep the license. It is always nice to be able to add another skill to my tool belt (as if wife and mother doesn't create enough skills!). I'm that crazy planner lady who always say "Expect the best but plan for the worst!". It give me comfort to know that I will have another marketable skill, "just in case". Yes, I am crazy, I know.
My husband was teasing me last Saturday, telling me that I was going to be the old lady in the class. It turned out to be just the opposite! With the exception of one other obviously young girl, I turned out to be one of the youngest. Lots of lunch ladies and day care workers there, and some folks who worked for nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Of course, I had to come home and tell my husband this. Needless to say, he was unimpressed. :)
Yep, going back to college was kinda weird but it brought back lots of fun memories. Too bad it didn't seem to bring back my actual working MEMORY! So now I really have to go study so that I don't have to tell my children's school that I flunked my exam. Wish me luck!!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
In the Garden
I really do have a love/hate relationship with Fall. I love the cool, crisp air and the changing colors. I HATE the fact that it is officially time for me to start wrapping up my garden for the winter. I have not had much of a chance to care for it since school started and I faced a MAJOR flood at the end of August, but I will still have a fairly good harvest to help get me through the winter.
My dreams of having a complete 3 season garden have been dashed. But that is the life of the gardener. You learn to handle these things in stride, thanking God for all of the good things that you were given and reminding yourself that the bad things really could have been much worse. My gardening season started in the spring with a horrible late frost that wiped out my strawberries and set back a good deal of my other seedlings. The Everbearing strawberries came back with a VERY modest crop in June and NOTHING in September. I really wasn't surprised. (As an aside, my hydrangeas did not bloom this year either. Late frosts are a nasty way to start a garden season.) My peas were set back a bit by the frost, but they bounced back eventually and gave me a nice harvest until my sworn enemy Powdery Mildew arrived in the summer and killed them. Ol' Powdery came back to visit my peas again this fall when we had a LONG string of hot and humid summer like days. :( My carrots were fantastic all 3 seasons. My freezer runneth over with bright orange coins of carrot goodness. My green peppers were tasty and plentiful. My Jalapenos were HOT but oh so fresh and tasty. It was a great year for my tomatoes until the flood of late August left them to sit in water that made most of the fruit just burst on the vine. This was the fist year that that ever happened to me. It was a learning experience. My beautiful tomatoes, once so plump and red, were just hanging from the plant like deflated balloons. Neat. The spinach and lettuce were GREAT! The broccoli was FANTASTIC. It grew all summer long but kept going to seed by the end of summer. I had to pull the spring plants and put in the fall to keep the harvest growing. This was the very first year that I have done cauliflower. I manged to successfully grow three heads of this finicky plant. It was truly the best cauliflower that I have ever eaten. I think that I have refined my technique enough to have more luck next year. My onions just grew and grew. Plenty to freeze and enjoy. And my cucumbers were incredible! I enjoyed mint all season long, and my fresh cilantro was the perfect finishing touch for my all organic salsa.
It was a challenging year. The odds were kinda stacked against gardeners in my area. Some of us won, and some of us lost. I won. It was not my best victory, but I loved every minute of it. (Well, not every minute. Have I mentioned how much I hate powdery mildew??) Now I have to pull the last of my harvest before the first frost and clean the garden so that it can sit and rest all winter long.
Any other gardeners out there? How was your season(s)?
My dreams of having a complete 3 season garden have been dashed. But that is the life of the gardener. You learn to handle these things in stride, thanking God for all of the good things that you were given and reminding yourself that the bad things really could have been much worse. My gardening season started in the spring with a horrible late frost that wiped out my strawberries and set back a good deal of my other seedlings. The Everbearing strawberries came back with a VERY modest crop in June and NOTHING in September. I really wasn't surprised. (As an aside, my hydrangeas did not bloom this year either. Late frosts are a nasty way to start a garden season.) My peas were set back a bit by the frost, but they bounced back eventually and gave me a nice harvest until my sworn enemy Powdery Mildew arrived in the summer and killed them. Ol' Powdery came back to visit my peas again this fall when we had a LONG string of hot and humid summer like days. :( My carrots were fantastic all 3 seasons. My freezer runneth over with bright orange coins of carrot goodness. My green peppers were tasty and plentiful. My Jalapenos were HOT but oh so fresh and tasty. It was a great year for my tomatoes until the flood of late August left them to sit in water that made most of the fruit just burst on the vine. This was the fist year that that ever happened to me. It was a learning experience. My beautiful tomatoes, once so plump and red, were just hanging from the plant like deflated balloons. Neat. The spinach and lettuce were GREAT! The broccoli was FANTASTIC. It grew all summer long but kept going to seed by the end of summer. I had to pull the spring plants and put in the fall to keep the harvest growing. This was the very first year that I have done cauliflower. I manged to successfully grow three heads of this finicky plant. It was truly the best cauliflower that I have ever eaten. I think that I have refined my technique enough to have more luck next year. My onions just grew and grew. Plenty to freeze and enjoy. And my cucumbers were incredible! I enjoyed mint all season long, and my fresh cilantro was the perfect finishing touch for my all organic salsa.
It was a challenging year. The odds were kinda stacked against gardeners in my area. Some of us won, and some of us lost. I won. It was not my best victory, but I loved every minute of it. (Well, not every minute. Have I mentioned how much I hate powdery mildew??) Now I have to pull the last of my harvest before the first frost and clean the garden so that it can sit and rest all winter long.
Any other gardeners out there? How was your season(s)?
Saturday, October 13, 2007
New Colors for Fall
I changed my template in an attempt to create a more Autumn-like feel. Maybe some day I will be able to understand why I can grow an entire garden from seed but can't seem to figure out how to use a different template than the one that blogger provides! Or maybe I'll just stick with the gardening.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
