Another look at a farm girl's life, one who loves living in the country and everything is has to offer, good or bad, how else do we grow...
Name: Sue Neitzel
I live a simple life in the Ozarks, where my hubby and I tend to 5 acres of country pleasure, from raising animals to gardens, and finding comfort in knowing we are giving back to the land, after all, it's only on loan to us....
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Is it just me or did March come and go way too fast? I swear we were just starting the month, everything began to green up and leaf out, the rain came, so did the storms...it must be due to getting older maybe? And to make matters worse, we turn the clocks ahead tomorrow night, earlier this year, so it will take me a week for my sleeping pattern to adjust! I don't know why someone had to mess with the time in the first place, isn't that like messing with Mother Nature? Now they want to keep it at one time all year around? I like the extra time after supper, we do get alot done, it's our time to weed the gardens or take the dog for a walk. Speaking of dogs, I entered ours in a radio contest for Pet of the week, and I just found out that our dog, Lou won! His mug will be featured on their website plus he wins a prize from the pet store who helps sponsor it, how exciting!! Well gang, i'ts too nice to be inside today, pass 75 already so this girl is off for the great outdoors and see what kind of trouble I can get into!
No, I don't hear dead people in my garden! But I did stumble onto this neat new service over at garden web called "Garden Voices" a home for all gardening blogs, they feature several each day and once I figure out how to add mine to the overwhelming list, mine too will be added. It's a great place to check out gardening blogs of all kinds, the photos are just wonderful and it's about time someone came up with a directory of sorts for gardeners who blog, so watch for mine there, still working on the techy stuff to make it happen, but I'm excited! For those of you who don't garden but like reading about it or just taking notes, check it out at http://voices.gardenweb.com and see what gardeners from all over are up too! And if you too have a gardening blog besure to get yours in, the more the merrier!
In May's issue of Country Living there is a article on making memory boxes that brought back memories from my childhood, you know the one, where every little girl had a secret box tucked under her bed with special tokens kept inside, I would hide my diary there so my sisters wouldn't find it. So now my creative cap is on with another project in mind, making memory boxes for the girls in the family. I think this would be such a neat idea for Mothers Day too! Any kind of box will do, anything you can decorate to your liking and taste. Themes are another option, like one for photos, jewery, buttons, etc. It's so nice to see some of the crafts from ages ago come back, sorta like fashion, then again, maybe not! Check it out, buy this magazine if you don't get it, it's one of my favorites and the price has come down ALOT and it's getting better, go figure!
After putting it off for months, I went in and had my eyes checked for new glasses, I thought for sure I would be told that I needed bi focals, since the last 6 months or so, I have to hold everything at arms distanse to read or take off my glasses to read up close, so I hestitated for that reason. But to my surprise, I don't need bi focals but could have them if I wanted to read in comfort, but taking off my glassses now that then won't hurt my eyes at all, in fact the doctor explained my nearsightness is normal for my age and that lined or no line bi focals are hard to get used too, with the no line being the hardest because you have less range of vision compared to lined or single vision for sure. So, I opted for single vision for now, and can go a few more years before the bi focal debate, and maybe by then they will have another opition?
Since I had a 2 hour wait for my new glasses, I combed through a flea market and found a very old bread box. I've been hunting for one a sometime now, this one was only $7.50 so I grabbed it! It's black and crome and has to date back to the 30's or 40's. It will match my kitchen like it was made for it!
I got my popcorn seed order in today, now to do the reserch on growing it and harvesting. I choose a heirloom so I can save the seeds to grow next year, plus this one is rate the best, so we will see. I welcome any advice on growing popcorn from those of you who have, so fill me in, any tips you care to share?
I finally found some black jelly beans in the Easter dept. at Walmart, they had been out for ages so I stocked up! I just love the black licorice ones, so does my two oldest sons, so I will have to save a bag for them. Such a simple pleasure and treat, my dog even likes them! I'm thinking ahead, like I usually do, but am in the mood to make some jams and jellies, I want to try to come up with some new ones this year. We got the pototoes in yesterday and of course it turns cold on us again, but they should be fine. The rest of the garden will have to wait for warmer days, but the planning stage is underway now. I plan to plant and harvest our own popcorn, should be interesting and fun to give out as gifts. Garlic is another biggie this year, I want to plant enough so I can braid it and sell it. Plus, we feed it to our chickens which keeps them healthy and happy, they love it too! More herbs of course, they make nice jellies and gifts too. I got some rhubarb to plant, that makes a yummy jam too esp. mixed with strawberries. My canning days are far off yet, but a girl can dream can't she?
Sunday, a day of rest? Yeah right, not for any gardener I know of, unless it's in the dead of winter and too cold to get outside, not the case here, spring has sprung and we are taking advantage of the nice day at home to get some yard chores started. The list is endless of course, but we tackle one at a time, today it's tilling up the gardens and cleaning up the yard some. I got my fountain set up on the back porch which is enclosed with lattace that turns into a covered get away in the summer, we enjoy sitting out there as much as we can. I even fired up the chimmey pot, good excuse to burn limbs that scatter the lawn, oh how I love the smell of cedar burning!
I also managed to get my links here straighten out and fixed, I was told they weren't working, so I think and hope I fixed that problem, do check out the list of links off to the left here, most of them are friends blogs, so drop in and see what everyone is up too. Well, back to the chores, our goal for today is to get pototoes in and the big flower bed put back together after the chickens had a party in there the other day! No rest of this gardener, that is what winter is for!
As I write this take note of the pretty blue color I'm using, it's the same color of the first periennials I bought today, the season begins for me when I make that first purchase of flowers for the garden beds, I'm so anxious! I just couldn't pass up these dainty cobolt blue flowers on a trailing stem, they will catch the eye for sure, no matter where I put them. I just love blue, anything, especially flowers!! I also bought a fountain for the lattace porch, it's not too big, just the right size to add the sound of water, so peaceful and relaxing. I was looking for bird baths but haven't found one I liked that I could afford, the fountain was only $15. Off to set up my fountain, have a great weekend and be sure to get out and find your power of spring!
Funny how some weeks seem to take forever and others pass by so fast you feel like you forgot something. This week has been long, mainly because I worked everyday and the weather has been playing games with us again, not committing to spring time at all. Yesterday morning there were flurries in the air, over cast and chilly, by the afternoon it was sunny and mild, no wonder my head is stuffy! This friday will be a half day for us, I'll get done by noon and hubby is taking a half day off so we can escape across the border for the day, to the town where we used to live which is growing faster than our home town here. They have a Home Depot ( fave place anywhere) and getting a Lowes soon plus many more stores to shop and new places to eat. We like to go down there and roam through Home Depot and get ideas for our place. Today I am looking for fence ideas, I have to replace the section of fence in front of my herb garden, I don't think it will stand up another season. I want something organic, wood most likely but something different, something to help keep the grass from creeping in? I hate grass, if it were up to me, I'd turn the whole yard into flower beds with paths winding about, with sitting areas here and there along with a fountain and birdbaths all around! I can imagine it, do you think if I built it they will come? Birds that is, got to keep the birds coming in, they eat their share of bugs so they are a friend of mine! Enjoy your weekend too!
Finally the sun returns making it feel more like it should, spring time! The sun makes all the difference ! Now I can start filling the greenhouse with flats of seeds and such. Time to get serious about the gardens, and get those flower beds cleaned out and see what's coming back and what's not. I made a big pot of chicken soup last night, it was cold and windy plus a stuffy head convinced me to add lots of garlic and onions to help with the congestion. It worked, feel better today, but might have to have leftovers tonight for a extra dose of what ails me. Comfort foods work wonders, the old wives tale about chicken soup for a cold really does work, it's been proved. Chocolate is one of my favorite comfort foods, dark of course, which is better for you and allowed even in some diets. Homemade bread is another one, just the smell of bread baking is a pleasure anytime. Funny how certain foods lift our spirits and bring back fond memories of childhood. Even perfume triggers a long ago moment, a old flame or certain loved ones. When I was dating my hubby, I loved the mens cologone called " Polo", just one whiff sent my head a spinning, it was the best scent ever! So when he found this out, he had to buy some right away, it worked and now whenever I smell Polo, it takes me back to our early years and yes fond memories for sure! Think about it, what triggers your senses?
Finally this day arrives, only to be had! It's the first day of spring yet it feels and looks alot like winter, what is going on? It won't even make it to 40 today and we have a chance of snow tonight and tomorrow! Mother Nature is really confused this year! Usually by now, the greenhouse is full of seeds in flats, many early bloomers and warm enough weather where you can leave the windows open to air out the house. Here I sit, all bundled up, ready for a hot cup of coffee and thinking I might make a pot of potato soup for supper. It's been such a odd year for weather and finding balance might be just as hard. Makes you wonder what is going on with our planet? I hope someone, somewhere is enjoying a normal spring day, full of sunshine and hope!
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