What does it mean to me to be sustainable? I ask myself this question at an hr when coffee is my best friend. Yes, I'm a coffee drinker. Love the smell, love the taste. Have tried the route of teas which do a great job of putting zing in your step; love those, too. But that initial smell wandering through the house before the sun comes up....mmmmmm.....
I talk about sustainability on Thursdays, or at least I try to stay committed to this topic on this day of the week. Sometimes, the life and times of a SAHM pop up and demand audience, so I write about those moments, too. But what it means to be sustainable, some days it feels like a far reach until I realize I'm doing what I can at this moment. Everyone seems to have the "s" word on their lips these days, along with the terms "eco" and "green." Now, my personal opinion is that too many people may be treating the movement of getting back to simplicity as a trend that will fade and resurface much like other trends (fashion comes to mind). To me, this is not a trend. Its a way of life. Daily living, putting sustainable facets on your unpolished stone; consider the gem you just might have under the surface.
My topics on sustainability has been focused upon edible landscaping and urban/suburban gardening/farming. I'm in the middle of it right now, along with establishing colonial cottage style gardens here at our home. I almost don't want to talk about it, even though I talk quite frequently about it all. I'd rather be elbow deep in the soil, letting my soul connect to the earth. My other thoughts on sustainable practices? The immediate thought comes to mind-recycled textile products.
I'm working toward my goal of not falling asleep with the kids when they go to bed so that I can stay up and work my ideas into manifestation. Once I'm there, I can start making my market bags again. I made two prototypes to work with, taking them with me whenever I need to shop. Is my reader looking for pictures? Yeah, me too. As I start talking more in-depth about recycled textile creations, photos will be included in my posts. For today, I just want to talk. Anyway, back to my thread. Shopping today is quite an adventure. Food prices are going up, the potential for e. Coli is greater than it was 20 years ago, and stores are starting to charge customers for every roadside daisy, aka plastic bag, that is used to pack up the purchase. Customers start bringing their own bags. Companies start marketing reusable bags. This hippie is making her own bags, as well as picking up the occasional bag while in the checkout line. My ultimate goal is to be able to walk in the door, armed with my bags, as well as produce bags so I don't have to pull from the roll attached to the wall or produce tables, and feel good when the cashier credits towards the bill the number of bags I brought in with me. Yes, you can get between 3 & 5 cents per bag towards your purchase for every bag you bring in. You help reduce the number of roadside daisies, you get a little change carved off your bill, and you leave feeling good.
I may not drive a hybrid vehicle, my kids' car seats don't have mp3 holders that resemble ashtrays hanging off the side, and I don't buy everything that screams organic on the plastic package the item comes in but I'm proud to say I do what I can to make a difference. I buy local, we eat seasonally. I very rarely buy anything full price, and I'm not a follower of the masses to buy the newest and hottest stuff on the market. I keep it simple. I can only hope my choices are good influence on my boys to realize you don't need what everyone else has. You only need what truly sustains you. Everything else is just stuff. There's a saying, "The one who dies with the most toys wins." I disagree. All you have is debt and stuff. And you can't take it with you.
~Momma
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Another Wild Wednesday in the Green Mountain State
You know you live in New England when the weather forecast is the same for three days straight but Mother Nature follows her own rules. "If ya don't like the weatha, wait five minutes; it'll change." Today was designated for rain all day. Well, I can tell ya, when 6 am rolled around today and the sun was streaming through the bedroom curtains (no, to me they are not window treatments), I sensed that Wednesday and Thursday swapped forecasts. Watching the local news and catching the "new" forecast for the week, big changes. Well, all I can say is this. When I wake up in the morning, look out the window and see what I see for weather, that's how I plan my day-unless I have appointments and errands to run. Otherwise, making huge plans to stand by just don't jive with me. And when you have young children, you always make room for head spinning changes.
Yesterday, I took my boys downtown to the ECHO center. Check out my HOP category; there's a link to their site. Great place, down on the waterfront. We have a family membership, so all I have to do when I walk in the door is have our card scanned, and in we go to explore. We took the bus to get there, so parking was not an issue for me; just waiting for the right bus to go back home was interesting. We checked out the current exhibit, which focuses on nature that glows. Fireflies, sea life, etc...pretty cool. Then off to the lake room. Different fish that live in the lake (that would be Lake Champlain), the history of the sitings of Champ, our lake monster; and some of the boats/ships that have sunk in the depths of the lake. Upstairs to see the frogs. Frogs from around the world. A water table to show waterways, cultural displays, and a grand bee line to the upper deck to watch the boats and feel the breeze coming off the lake. Nice. A snack in the park, which is a stone's throw from the center, my boys had to watch the boats while walking on the boardwalk before it was time to walk up the hill to wait for the right bus home. What seemed like what could be an easy venture to get home turned into a bit longer on the waiting and changing buses. Ok, so the next time we go downtown, we'll be making it a day. Time @ the ECHO, lunch and play in the park, watch the boats while on the boardwalk, and then go home. Priceless.
Today, I feel a bit more settled about what we're going to do. I have gardening to keep going with, the boys will have their pool, and we can make the most of what we have. One more week, and my gardening will become maintenance and harvesting-finally. What's good about the work done this year is that next year it will be so much more easy to put stuff in and what it grow. Its only taken me three years to pull this together but all good things come in the time they were meant to arrive.
Tomorrow is potentially my sustainable living topic. I want to talk about.....
~Momma
Yesterday, I took my boys downtown to the ECHO center. Check out my HOP category; there's a link to their site. Great place, down on the waterfront. We have a family membership, so all I have to do when I walk in the door is have our card scanned, and in we go to explore. We took the bus to get there, so parking was not an issue for me; just waiting for the right bus to go back home was interesting. We checked out the current exhibit, which focuses on nature that glows. Fireflies, sea life, etc...pretty cool. Then off to the lake room. Different fish that live in the lake (that would be Lake Champlain), the history of the sitings of Champ, our lake monster; and some of the boats/ships that have sunk in the depths of the lake. Upstairs to see the frogs. Frogs from around the world. A water table to show waterways, cultural displays, and a grand bee line to the upper deck to watch the boats and feel the breeze coming off the lake. Nice. A snack in the park, which is a stone's throw from the center, my boys had to watch the boats while walking on the boardwalk before it was time to walk up the hill to wait for the right bus home. What seemed like what could be an easy venture to get home turned into a bit longer on the waiting and changing buses. Ok, so the next time we go downtown, we'll be making it a day. Time @ the ECHO, lunch and play in the park, watch the boats while on the boardwalk, and then go home. Priceless.
Today, I feel a bit more settled about what we're going to do. I have gardening to keep going with, the boys will have their pool, and we can make the most of what we have. One more week, and my gardening will become maintenance and harvesting-finally. What's good about the work done this year is that next year it will be so much more easy to put stuff in and what it grow. Its only taken me three years to pull this together but all good things come in the time they were meant to arrive.
Tomorrow is potentially my sustainable living topic. I want to talk about.....
~Momma
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Where will Tuesday go?
Another sunny morning wakes us to come alive and be a part of the world. There's a part of me wanting to garden, another that wants to play in the pool, go to the park, take a trip downtown to the aquarium/nature place; lots to do and only one body to make it all happen. I also have school schedules for my preschooler to crank out. So, I ask myself where will Tuesday go?
Natural Home and Garden magazine open, and I'm looking at the page about cleaning with essential oils. Mmmmm....I've added some to mop water, and this past spring, I mixed a blend in with baking soda and water to scrub & wipe down my kitchen counters and wipe down my cabinet shelves. It was such an amazing scent! My mate didn't care for it, as he's more the "I gotta smell bleach to know its clean" type of guy. Yes, we are quite opposite on things. Tea Tree is a good antimicrobial essential oil, typically used on cuts, scrapes, bites and mild burns. Makes for a great cleaner, too. These days, I'm adding it to the mop bucket for a fresh scent that drifts throughout the house.
Still unsure about where this day is going, so a shower, water the gardens, time with my boys; these should loosen the death grip I have on my mind and what it is we're going to adventure into for today. Yes, this Task Master is leaving a short post for a Tuesday but this is what life does sometimes. Go with the flow. ~Momma
Natural Home and Garden magazine open, and I'm looking at the page about cleaning with essential oils. Mmmmm....I've added some to mop water, and this past spring, I mixed a blend in with baking soda and water to scrub & wipe down my kitchen counters and wipe down my cabinet shelves. It was such an amazing scent! My mate didn't care for it, as he's more the "I gotta smell bleach to know its clean" type of guy. Yes, we are quite opposite on things. Tea Tree is a good antimicrobial essential oil, typically used on cuts, scrapes, bites and mild burns. Makes for a great cleaner, too. These days, I'm adding it to the mop bucket for a fresh scent that drifts throughout the house.
Still unsure about where this day is going, so a shower, water the gardens, time with my boys; these should loosen the death grip I have on my mind and what it is we're going to adventure into for today. Yes, this Task Master is leaving a short post for a Tuesday but this is what life does sometimes. Go with the flow. ~Momma
Monday, June 27, 2011
Changes on the Horizon
There is always change taking place here on the (sub)urbran homestead. Changes in plans, changes in how daily functions flow along, you name it. I believe it to be the norm for any household but especially one with small kids in it. Afterall, if every day were the same, wouldn't we be bored by now? The change I speak of today started a couple of months ago.
We've lived here in our home for three years now. This spring, we experienced ground water seeping into our basement. Something we thought we would only experience for a few days went into weeks. We took turns making time to pump water out to keep ahead of any mold issues. Everything that was stored in the basement had to come out, including walls, a cedar storage closet, and a workbench. Suddenly, I found myself staring at everything I own, of which I wasn't heavily using, piled in the garage and on our back porch. I felt disheveled, misplaced. As time was spent to keep ahead of the water and sorting through boxes and piles to account for water damage and what needed to be thrown away, it ate away at me. It made me question my level of possession. Why did I have all this stuff? What was I going to do with it all? My time was so chopped up during the day, my kids picked up on my stress level. Suddenly, we were all stressed to the max. My boys wouldn't sleep on their own; one bed gets pretty crowded real quick. Tantrums, clinginess and crying, lack of sleep; we were spent.
It is almost July, and we are now dry basement status. We've put in a sump pump, which has helped immensely. For the past month, the focus has been the gardens, being outside to enjoy the weather as each nice day graces us with its presence. Things have calmed down considerably. Yet, the basement incident looms in the back on my mind. And that's why and what I write about today. I'm at a point right now where I could care less about using the basement. I go down there to do laundry, which is about all I can do down there right now. I dread going down there at times. Yet, the incident itself has brought change for us.
I had used a portion of the basement as a pantry. Convenient, cool in temperature and easy to access. With the water, it changed how we shop. We have gone from shopping in bulk for the larger portion of our trip to borderline extreme couponing. Now, for those of you who've watched the show on TLC, we are not there. OMG....I can't imagine shopping like that. Yes, we do stock up on what we do use but within reason. So far, yes it has saved us money. Saving money is important yet, I keep in mind: Life isn't about money. I keep to the simple life, even when I have my doubts about how to take care of those things that require that green stuff. This has prompted a double diet. A doubt diet and a 28 day detox; I'll post more about these later on. So, stay tuned.
Monday is beautiful. The sun is shining, the day calls for 80's and we have the day to play with. Gardening, schedules for July, August, & September for homeschool projects (yes, I school year round but not with the rigidity of public school), time in the pool, if naps happen (I can get caught up with some stuff), and just going with the flow of the day. Ladies, change is a double edged sword. It is good and it is revealing to the bone. It will test you and it will temper you to become what you are meant to be.
~Momma
We've lived here in our home for three years now. This spring, we experienced ground water seeping into our basement. Something we thought we would only experience for a few days went into weeks. We took turns making time to pump water out to keep ahead of any mold issues. Everything that was stored in the basement had to come out, including walls, a cedar storage closet, and a workbench. Suddenly, I found myself staring at everything I own, of which I wasn't heavily using, piled in the garage and on our back porch. I felt disheveled, misplaced. As time was spent to keep ahead of the water and sorting through boxes and piles to account for water damage and what needed to be thrown away, it ate away at me. It made me question my level of possession. Why did I have all this stuff? What was I going to do with it all? My time was so chopped up during the day, my kids picked up on my stress level. Suddenly, we were all stressed to the max. My boys wouldn't sleep on their own; one bed gets pretty crowded real quick. Tantrums, clinginess and crying, lack of sleep; we were spent.
It is almost July, and we are now dry basement status. We've put in a sump pump, which has helped immensely. For the past month, the focus has been the gardens, being outside to enjoy the weather as each nice day graces us with its presence. Things have calmed down considerably. Yet, the basement incident looms in the back on my mind. And that's why and what I write about today. I'm at a point right now where I could care less about using the basement. I go down there to do laundry, which is about all I can do down there right now. I dread going down there at times. Yet, the incident itself has brought change for us.
I had used a portion of the basement as a pantry. Convenient, cool in temperature and easy to access. With the water, it changed how we shop. We have gone from shopping in bulk for the larger portion of our trip to borderline extreme couponing. Now, for those of you who've watched the show on TLC, we are not there. OMG....I can't imagine shopping like that. Yes, we do stock up on what we do use but within reason. So far, yes it has saved us money. Saving money is important yet, I keep in mind: Life isn't about money. I keep to the simple life, even when I have my doubts about how to take care of those things that require that green stuff. This has prompted a double diet. A doubt diet and a 28 day detox; I'll post more about these later on. So, stay tuned.
Monday is beautiful. The sun is shining, the day calls for 80's and we have the day to play with. Gardening, schedules for July, August, & September for homeschool projects (yes, I school year round but not with the rigidity of public school), time in the pool, if naps happen (I can get caught up with some stuff), and just going with the flow of the day. Ladies, change is a double edged sword. It is good and it is revealing to the bone. It will test you and it will temper you to become what you are meant to be.
~Momma
Friday, June 24, 2011
TGIF
Not sure why I'd be thankful its finally Friday; not like I have a out of the home job with banker's hours. Maybe its just in my system after all the years I have worked out of the home for someone else. Now my employers are about knee to waist high, change the rules constantly, and give me the look of "Whatta ya mean you didn't know?" My title is Mom. Demands all day; no smoke breaks-not that I smoke but I figured to throw that in there-plenty of overtime. Vacation doesn't exist. The last time I had a actual vacation from work was back in 2002 just before I started my undergrad adventure. Ten beautiful days of sun, relaxing by the creek, hanging with friends who now travel up and down the east coast as a gift of retirement, and letting all the things needed to be taken care of go for the time being. Oh, the days.....
Today, I write about books and wine. Being the hour it is, I'm not going to sip wine and talk about books. Coffee is my iv. Wine. I love wine. I was never one for it while in my 20's but when I reached the threshold of 30, along with a change in the view on my life, my taste changed a bit. I still love a good beer now and then, especially if its a microbrew. Locally made, makes for the perfect moment of knowing just where your beverage came from. Wine. Years ago, I picked up a book about wine tasting. How it works, how to do it, etc....read it, loved it. I've tasted wines from around the world. Some good, some to pass over. I've had cheap wines, and some middle of the road types. Don't believe I've done the top shelf stuff but there's always room to do so, if its meant to be. I personally love looking for discontinued wines. If it didn't do well for sales in a market, they discount and practically throw it out the door. That's when I make my move. Recently, I found two great flavors that I absolutely love. Discontinued. One white, one red. Romeo-the red, and Juliet-the white. Juliet is gone; great wine to add to recipes and to sip slowly. Romeo is open; also a good pairing for meals and a real slow sipper. Reds are my favorite-personally a Merlot girl but it stains my lips. If it comes in a unique bottle, I save it to clean and reuse for homemade vinegars, etc...The company's link for R & J is @ the end of this post for those curious about these yummy discontinued wines.
Currently, I'm part of an online study. Women, books, and exploration of the past. Yikes. I wasn't looking to get into something like this but it came to me and I knew I had to undertake it. Eye opening, awakening. I'm also reading three other books while working on this 10 week study. Spiritual awakening. I'm on my EAT-PRAY-LOVE adventure. Ten spiritually inspiring books to discover and read. I've discovered my ten, composed my list, and working on them as they come to me. Not prioritizing what to read when; letting it come into place as it should. See my list posted below for reference; I'm posting my list as I read, so you won't see a complete list until later on.
Today I'm going with the flow. Not sure exactly what my boys and I will venture into but with a small list of possibilities, we will go where it takes us. Another day of rain keeps us from gardens and poolside fun but it doesn't stop us from enjoying what life has to offer. Afterall, I'm Mom.
"If we fear loss enough, in the end the things we possess will come to possess us."
-Rachel Naomi Remen, MD "Kitchen Table Wisdom"
~Momma
www.pazzione.com
Today, I write about books and wine. Being the hour it is, I'm not going to sip wine and talk about books. Coffee is my iv. Wine. I love wine. I was never one for it while in my 20's but when I reached the threshold of 30, along with a change in the view on my life, my taste changed a bit. I still love a good beer now and then, especially if its a microbrew. Locally made, makes for the perfect moment of knowing just where your beverage came from. Wine. Years ago, I picked up a book about wine tasting. How it works, how to do it, etc....read it, loved it. I've tasted wines from around the world. Some good, some to pass over. I've had cheap wines, and some middle of the road types. Don't believe I've done the top shelf stuff but there's always room to do so, if its meant to be. I personally love looking for discontinued wines. If it didn't do well for sales in a market, they discount and practically throw it out the door. That's when I make my move. Recently, I found two great flavors that I absolutely love. Discontinued. One white, one red. Romeo-the red, and Juliet-the white. Juliet is gone; great wine to add to recipes and to sip slowly. Romeo is open; also a good pairing for meals and a real slow sipper. Reds are my favorite-personally a Merlot girl but it stains my lips. If it comes in a unique bottle, I save it to clean and reuse for homemade vinegars, etc...The company's link for R & J is @ the end of this post for those curious about these yummy discontinued wines.
Currently, I'm part of an online study. Women, books, and exploration of the past. Yikes. I wasn't looking to get into something like this but it came to me and I knew I had to undertake it. Eye opening, awakening. I'm also reading three other books while working on this 10 week study. Spiritual awakening. I'm on my EAT-PRAY-LOVE adventure. Ten spiritually inspiring books to discover and read. I've discovered my ten, composed my list, and working on them as they come to me. Not prioritizing what to read when; letting it come into place as it should. See my list posted below for reference; I'm posting my list as I read, so you won't see a complete list until later on.
Today I'm going with the flow. Not sure exactly what my boys and I will venture into but with a small list of possibilities, we will go where it takes us. Another day of rain keeps us from gardens and poolside fun but it doesn't stop us from enjoying what life has to offer. Afterall, I'm Mom.
"If we fear loss enough, in the end the things we possess will come to possess us."
-Rachel Naomi Remen, MD "Kitchen Table Wisdom"
~Momma
www.pazzione.com
Thursday, June 23, 2011
A Break in the Cycle
Thursday with showers-I'll take it. After three consecutive days of gardening, I'm ready to shift gears and put my focus elsewhere. I love to be outside, as do my boys; I'm grateful for having children who are versatile with life. Of course, there are those times when they give a shout that they're not willing to follow but I have to remember: they are under the age of 5 and to expect adult-sized adventures out of them at this time is like asking for the Old Man in New Hampshire to jump back up on the mountain. Anyone familiar with this last statement, you know what I'm talking about.
Today is a day for organizing, purging, and preparing. Right now, breakfast, play, catching the news, and writing this post prepares me for the day. I've jotted down my short list of things to cover today, with the knowledge that it could all change in a heartbeat. Last week, I touched on the topic of a quick clean sweep in a room of the home. For me, it was a drive by in the kitchen. It worked out well, to say. No more microwave, more organized counter space, a little bead on the junk drawer, and my kitchen table still begs for clearance. Ok, not everything runs smoothly but this is reality. Don't flake out; just push forward. I think we all go through those times when mail, projects, etc find their way to the kitchen table and somehow think that's a permanent home. My house doesn't resemble an episode from Hoarders but is not a picture in a magazine. My house is lived in. There are days when I look around and wonder where all the kids went after destroying a room; I then remember that I have two kids and no, we didn't invite five of their friends over for a house wrecking party.
Today, my garage calls out to me; I also have designs on the master & kids' bedrooms. For the time being, after my final cup of coffee, I'll start in the bedrooms. The garage can wait for a couple of hours yet. Purging, cleaning, organizing; something once foreign to me has now become a sort of obsession. Why do I have all this stuff? What am I going to do with it? Who can benefit from it other than myself? Am I really benefiting from possessing? Donation, give aways, tag sale possibly in August when the college students come in for the new semester; these are the ideas I have in mind. Some things are benefit to my kids for education purposes, some focused on my sleeping business, and others for the benefit of sustainable living. Its just a matter of discovering what is of true purpose to myself and others.
So, here's to Thursday's possibilities and what the day could become. Ladies, stay vigilent to your goals today; and remember, there is always room for last minute changes. ~Momma
Today is a day for organizing, purging, and preparing. Right now, breakfast, play, catching the news, and writing this post prepares me for the day. I've jotted down my short list of things to cover today, with the knowledge that it could all change in a heartbeat. Last week, I touched on the topic of a quick clean sweep in a room of the home. For me, it was a drive by in the kitchen. It worked out well, to say. No more microwave, more organized counter space, a little bead on the junk drawer, and my kitchen table still begs for clearance. Ok, not everything runs smoothly but this is reality. Don't flake out; just push forward. I think we all go through those times when mail, projects, etc find their way to the kitchen table and somehow think that's a permanent home. My house doesn't resemble an episode from Hoarders but is not a picture in a magazine. My house is lived in. There are days when I look around and wonder where all the kids went after destroying a room; I then remember that I have two kids and no, we didn't invite five of their friends over for a house wrecking party.
Today, my garage calls out to me; I also have designs on the master & kids' bedrooms. For the time being, after my final cup of coffee, I'll start in the bedrooms. The garage can wait for a couple of hours yet. Purging, cleaning, organizing; something once foreign to me has now become a sort of obsession. Why do I have all this stuff? What am I going to do with it? Who can benefit from it other than myself? Am I really benefiting from possessing? Donation, give aways, tag sale possibly in August when the college students come in for the new semester; these are the ideas I have in mind. Some things are benefit to my kids for education purposes, some focused on my sleeping business, and others for the benefit of sustainable living. Its just a matter of discovering what is of true purpose to myself and others.
So, here's to Thursday's possibilities and what the day could become. Ladies, stay vigilent to your goals today; and remember, there is always room for last minute changes. ~Momma
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Day Three on Gardening
Wednesday is here again, and with the sunshine already peeking through the curtains, I'm ready to take on the day. Laundry to start, and then outside to garden like a mad woman for the day. My boys will have the joy of the pool, which is parked right next to the bed I'm currently working on. According to the forecast, we are to anticipate 4 days of rain and clouds, starting late tonight until sometime Sunday. If that helps all the efforts I've put in since early Monday morning, good. Garden like crazy, let Mother Nature take care of the rest. Today is my day to write about homeschool ventures and womanly thoughts but with the gardening buzz I'm on, my sustainable living hat seems to be glued to my head. So, my days are a little out of order but hey, when you have good weather, a ton of gardening to get done before the end of the month, you go with it. Why stress?
Speaking of gardening ventures, nurseries, markets, and whatever stores are carrying seeds and plants are practically throwing things out. This is my time to buy. When I can get plants for half price or less, seeds for 75% off the retail price, I'm a happy camper. Bulbs are now on sale, so whatever catches my eye is going in the cart. I picked up seed potatoes for a drop in the bucket price, and they are blue potatoes at that. I usually work my own seed potatoes with the reds and whites but now to have blue in my garden landscape is so cool. Hope they do well, as I'm putting them in to be "new" potatoes next spring. I'm not much of an annual plant or seed buyer but have learned they make nice color pop when waiting for my more permanent plants to come forth and after some bulbs have shown their glory. A nice in-between addition. Petunias, fushia, and begonias are hanging from the back porch, adding color pop to the back yard. So, color is just popping all over this little 1/4 acre piece of land. I believe in making the most of the space you have, and I know I'm doing just that.
Went through my seed box yesterday, and have seeds set aside for next year already. Going through all of my seeds, both saved from last year and whatever we've picked up along the way, I sorted so that I know what needs to go in now and what can go in late August. There are some that can seed all season, so I put those in a spot as well. This is part of my organizing insanity I've ventured on because of the flooding in the basement we experienced this past spring. Mother Nature at work to scream at you to treat her right-no problem.
So, here's to another day of gardening. Digging in the dirt, pulling weeds and extra wild violets I don't need in that particular spot but knowing somehow they will appear again. That's fine. Yarrow, iris, and day lilies are staying in the garden bed I'm working today, and I'm ok with that. Sometimes, you need to leave what you find to let there be harmony in the garden.
~Momma
Speaking of gardening ventures, nurseries, markets, and whatever stores are carrying seeds and plants are practically throwing things out. This is my time to buy. When I can get plants for half price or less, seeds for 75% off the retail price, I'm a happy camper. Bulbs are now on sale, so whatever catches my eye is going in the cart. I picked up seed potatoes for a drop in the bucket price, and they are blue potatoes at that. I usually work my own seed potatoes with the reds and whites but now to have blue in my garden landscape is so cool. Hope they do well, as I'm putting them in to be "new" potatoes next spring. I'm not much of an annual plant or seed buyer but have learned they make nice color pop when waiting for my more permanent plants to come forth and after some bulbs have shown their glory. A nice in-between addition. Petunias, fushia, and begonias are hanging from the back porch, adding color pop to the back yard. So, color is just popping all over this little 1/4 acre piece of land. I believe in making the most of the space you have, and I know I'm doing just that.
Went through my seed box yesterday, and have seeds set aside for next year already. Going through all of my seeds, both saved from last year and whatever we've picked up along the way, I sorted so that I know what needs to go in now and what can go in late August. There are some that can seed all season, so I put those in a spot as well. This is part of my organizing insanity I've ventured on because of the flooding in the basement we experienced this past spring. Mother Nature at work to scream at you to treat her right-no problem.
So, here's to another day of gardening. Digging in the dirt, pulling weeds and extra wild violets I don't need in that particular spot but knowing somehow they will appear again. That's fine. Yarrow, iris, and day lilies are staying in the garden bed I'm working today, and I'm ok with that. Sometimes, you need to leave what you find to let there be harmony in the garden.
~Momma
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