Hen23's Journal~Goodbye

[Beekissed]

THAT CAR!!!!!! My one weakness.........

Well, ONE of my weaknesses.......

 

[Henrietta23]

Isn't it gorgeous???? It was the first time I've ever gotten to ride in it. My husband had as a kid. Now that our friend has inherited from his father it I hope to more often. The seats are like marshmallows, they're so soft!
We took it to a local restaurant that is on the whacky divey side. We got some looks alright!

 

[Henrietta23]

Ugh, my garden has me so sad. I know I'm not the only one. I was just so excited to get out there and plant some FOOD this year. I've slacked on my gardening since I became a mom. This is the first year I've felt like I could really get back into it. So I found this book and started to get my son interested in it too:
http://www.amazon.com/Family-Kitche...sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247535149&sr=8-3#
Too bad the spring and summer here in New England haven't cooperated!
So, I've revised the goal for this year a little. If we do nothing more than get the bed behind the garage fenced in I will be content. My husband got two of the raised beds reframed and will do another soon. In all I should end up with 7 raised beds fenced in and safe from dogs and ducks. The chickens are penned still, due to our stawking hawk. The ducks stay with for now. This also keeps the puppy from cleaning up after the birds.
I guess I will be frequenting the farmers' markets for my fresh local veggies again this year. I should be going blueberry picking this week with a friend or two. I hope to get enough to freeze some, dry some, and eat some! I want to find some good pickling cukes too. I haven't made pickles in years. (I know, I have a whole thread on here for ideas! Believe me I've been lurking there! )
Plans for this week: finish the kitchen cleanup (I'm close-my feet started to hurt from standing and cleaning all day.) Reorganize freezer contents-move some stuff upstairs and other stuff downstairs-goal- to get the items used nearly everyday upstairs where they're more convenient.
Choose fabric for new window valances for the kitchen. Design pattern for quilted table runner for kitchen table.
So, some practical organizational and housekeeping chores and some fun colorful chores too! We don't have any big plans other than the puppy's next visit to the vet on Thursday and the blueberry picking adventure. I should be able to get a lot done, especially if the weather stays cool and dry like it has been.

 

[Farmfresh]

Make a new garden goal. Try to get some garlic and if possible onions planted this fall! I live in zone 6 (sometimes 5) and if I can get onions planted fairly early in the fall they will live well through winter with a little mulch and I can have early spring onions and really big summer ones! Also start a big pot of chives on the deck. They take forever to "get going", but go forever once they are well established. I have had the same pot full for about 5 years and it overwinters outside!

Garlic is the same way. I killed it for years until I started planting it in the fall! You can just separate cloves you by at the grocery store for starters.

Last year my garden was the same as yours - so depressing. I got some few things started late then had to just watch while it died under weeds since my arthritis was so bad. Just get that fence done and be ready for 'taters and peas in the early spring!

I still end up buying some things at the farmers market every year. No shame in that.
I always buy leeks - I try to grow some but there is a German couple at out market that grow simply HUGE delicious leeks. Mine can in no way compare. I usually buy sweet corn. No way I can grow enough of that to feed MY hubby for a year! I buy apples - squirrels always eat mine (but this year I may talk to a neighbor about their un-used apple tree). I always by my melons - just can't grow them try though I might. And, depending on price, I buy extra tomatoes. Occasionally I have bought 20 POUNDS of "canners" at our market for $5.00! Can NOT beat that price. I just turn it into extra red sauce or salsa.

 

[Henrietta23]

Garlic and onions are a great idea! I do have gorgeous pot of thyme on the deck and I just got a globe basil plant which is there too now. And my barrel of mint is growing like crazy so I do have some green stuff out there. Next time I get to Agway for animal food of some sort I'll see what they've got for onions etc. The fence has to be the priority though. And once that's done it's done for years so that's a big goal! We bought a share in a CSA and just got huge bunches of spinach along with a fresh chicken (thing was big as a small turkey!! and tasted great too.) We'll get some stuff that way and she always gives me extra veggies because I don't take eggs. Unless more of my girls go on strike that is!
May be off to the vet this morning. Puppy is squinting. I think he got into it with the cat when we came in from our morning walk. They'll be open any minute so I can call. Haven't even taken a shower yet. Ugh.

 

[Henrietta23]

Oops, forgot the brown sugar in the beans in the crockpot. I'm off!!

 

[Henrietta23]

Back from errands. Got some more quilting and gardening books at the library for inspiration. I really need to make use of not working in the summer to get Christmas presents made! I love making things instead of buying and 95% of the family prefer homemade things anyway. We're in that annoying time period when I've gotten my last (half) paycheck for the school year, but DH hasn't gotten his first check for his summer job. It isn't disastrous, just inconvenient. He has money taken out of his teaching paychecks so that he gets checks straight through the summer. It's just the second income that gets affected. By next week things will be back to "normal".
I also went into the quilt shop in town. Didn't have a lot of time since DS was with me. He was pretty patient so I did get to look around. I got some cute fabric to make my kitchen table runner. I'm looking forward to going back with more of a plan. We're so lucky that's right in town! I need to inventory my quilting tools too. My birthday is next week. I keep getting asked, "What do you want?" and I never know what to answer.
Connected with a high school friend on Facebook today. We lost touch about 2 years into college. That would have been 1984 or so! Wow, 25 years! Should be cool to reconnect.
The puppy's eye seems okay now. But it got better earlier too, then squinty again. It's weird.
DS got a butterfly hatching kit for Easter. We finally sent away for the caterpillars and they've been emerging! We've got 4 out of 5 out now. He decided to release them this afternoon once Dad is home. We'll photograph and video tape the event. It's really very neat!

 

[lorihadams]

Your pics are fantastic! I love the lego pic....my brother and I used to make little lego towns, we made houses and cars and boats and even jet skis! I love legos, good stuff!

 

[Henrietta23]

Thanks, I need to get more of my Lego pictures up. This layout was amazing. Now, Lego is based here in CT but this group is independent. The entire set up is over 1,000,000 Legos, nothing but Legos. The motors are all Lego motors. It's beyond description really!

 

[punkin]

My garden is a little depressing, too. I'll probably have to buy melons this year, cause mine are just beginning to run. Beans were a first for me this year since Daddy always does them. But, mine look pretty good even in this dry year.

Just don't be discouraged. Each year is a new opportunity to learn, grow, try and to plant something different. It's all a learning process.