Oct. 7, 2009 What Was My Password Again???
Have you ever neglected blogging long enough to forget your password? My Wonderful Father informed me that I had not posted in some time. I did just get back from visiting him, so I think that was better than a blog post!
Here is a photo of the dress Darling Daughter Number One made for a Civil War reenactment. My Wonderful Mom helped her sew it together. She looked so grown up in the dress!
Here are a few sights from our trip:
I love barns! This is where I picked 15 pounds of blue crop blueberries (the sweetest EVER).
Enjoy!
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Jul. 23, 2009 My Crafty Crafters
My Darling Daughters have become quite the crafters. Darling Daughter Number One have been making re-usable shopping bags and quilted purses. She started with my birthday present and now is being asked by others to make them bags. I love these things. They will hold 2 gallons of milk or a whole watermelon. Not to mention they wash up wonderfully. I am quickly running out of plastic shopping bags, thanks to these!
Quilted Purse
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Jul. 23, 2009 What a Beautiful July!
This July has been one of the most comfortable that I can remember. I love having my windows open and enjoying a nice, crisp night's sleep.
My garden is a bit confused, though. I am still harvesting tomatoes, but not as many as some, I am sure. Still, I am quite happy because it is far more than I ever harvested before.
Here is my first brandywine:
and the first of two Arkansas Traveler:
We also harvested our black beans. It was quite exciting to pull up all the plants and sit around hulling them. They are not huge and I only harvested about 2 cups, but for the little bit I planted, I am happy. We are using them in different meals to "stretch" them. I still have a cup and a half left!!
Here are the acorn squash and the first ears of corn. I harvested a total of 6 squash and about 15 ears of corn this year.
Here is a photo my Darling Daughter Number Number Three took of her holly hock doll. She learned how to make it from her Nana a few weeks ago. Cute, don't you think?
I had a few friends ask me how my garden was doing. They said their gardens were not faring as well as mine. I feel like my garden was a success, but then I suppose I need to share my parameters for that success. My goals were:
- Harvest something from each plant that we can eat
- Learn
I was almost completely successful with the first. The only plants I have not harvested off of were brusssel sprouts and cauliflower. I am still waiting on the potatoes, so I will let you know.
I can tell you I was a 100% successful on the second point. I have learned so much from this years "walk through the garden". I have learned to start earlier, the best way to water my garden, what types of cages and trellises I need to use and so on.
Now, to be completely honest, I have had my share of "learning experiences". I have been completely overrun with squash bugs (but, my plants did not succumb until after they gave me lots of good things to eat). I know what a Mexican bean bug looks like (there is a difference between that and a ladybug). My corn was not perfect, but what I got was yummy.
Lots of things to improve on. I think my only failure would be in not trying at all.
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Jun. 7, 2009 Gardening and New "Little Ones"
Here is a recent shot of my garden:
And here is a shot of one of the new "little ones":
Had you wondering, didn't I? My Darling Daughter Number Three found 4 monarch caterpillars in some swamp milkweed. We cared for them and watched each of the stages from caterpillar to butterfly. Once she has created her slide show, I will share it.
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May. 27, 2009 I Love My New Dentist Office!
I have never been a "fan" of going to the dentist. As a matter of fact, I would rather labor for twelve hours than have a cleaning. From what "they" tell me (most dentists), that is a common feeling. Well, no more. I just got back from my first cleaning and it was the most relaxing experience...EVER!
I took my children for their cleanings a couple of weeks ago. Everyone came through with flying colors and left there quite happy. Three of my darlings even got to watch movies during their cleanings (how cool is that?).
Let me start by painting a picture for you, though. As anyone who has children knows, spending time in a waiting room can be...interesting. Add the fact that there are five children and only six seats and you can see how "interesting" it can be. Of course, I make a few sit on the floor by my feet. We need to be polite even if we seem a bit awkward.
So, I am sitting there, of course, doing some school (because what is the homeschool motto? have books, will travel) when a nicely dressed lady walks in and sits down. The receptionist asks her, "Would you like to go to the Relaxation Room?" and she leaves through the door. Do not think for a moment that I was not wondering if I may have driven her there...
Oh, and I need to spend a little time on the receptionist. She is so beautiful, inside and out. She is one of those women who sounds beautiful. When she answers the phone she says, "Thank you for calling, I CAN help you" (okay, it loses something in translation, but you have to trust me). You know those self-help tapes that have the soft, soothing voice of the lady telling you to relax and breath deeply and believe you are special? That must be her second job!
So, back to the waiting room which could be a form of natural birth control...I am sitting there, silently thinking that I MUST know about the Relaxation Room. I guess if I am the one driving people there, they are certainly not going to show me the way. Fast forward to today.....
I saw the relaxation room!
(in hushed tones for full affect)
I walked into the office and chatted it up with the receptionist, trying not to be obvious that I was wanting to see the Relaxation Room. She says (in her relaxing, soft and soothing voice), "Would you like some paraffin wax for your hands?" Never done it before, but YOU BETCHA! So, she took me back and I dipped my hands. She wrapped them in plastic wrap and put over-sized oven mitts on me and asked, "Would you like to sit in the Relaxation Room?" Another big YOU BETCHA on that one.
Now, the Relaxation Room is nothing spectacular. Just a dimly lit room with really comfy chairs, but I truly felt like I had "arrived". You know that feeling of longing being fulfilled? I was there. I have been to the other side and it was good. I have joined the group of "Relaxation Room Users". Compare that group to the "Are They All Yours...Bless Your Heart" group. It could be a real toss up to decide which group I would want to "live" in, but when it comes to seeing the dentist, I would rather the previous.
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May. 12, 2009 How to Cut Lettuce
My Dear Friend asked in a previous comment how to cut lettuce so that it will come again. I hope you will not mind my simple tutorial:
As you can see, this buttercrunch lettuce is a type that heads up (like romaine). 
I am not willing to wait for it to finish so I have been harvesting leaves. When harvesting leaves, you want to be careful not to clip them too short. If they are too short, they will stop growing. This way they continue to send up leaves for future harvest.
Here is the overgrown oakleaf lettuce. I cut it the same way, being sure to leave enough so it will grow again. 
And finally, the mesclun lettuce. This patch is probably coming to an end since I have been harvesting it since March. I still cut it at the same length, being sure not to trim it too short. You can see where I am trimming it and next to that leaf is a whole section I just recently "mowed down". It is starting to come back again.
I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial. Lettuce is the easiest and most rewarding thing to plant. Not to mention you can eat it for almost any meal! Ask my children...they go out in the garden and eat it for breakfast! |
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