My Sad Little Garden

Sad is an understatement when it comes to the state of my garden. It has been sooooo hot (triple digit temps for a week now) and dry that even with a daily dose from the water hose, things are in a permanent state of wilt. Just a couple of days ago we broke our all time heat record...it was hotter than it has ever been in recorded history reaching 108 degrees F. This is not only hard on our garden, and by extension water bill, it is torture for myself, being pregnant, my husband, who works outside all day long, and my daughter who is going a bit stir crazy because it's just too much to go outside. Andrew is supposed to be doing all of the weeding and physical maintenance of the garden, but after eight hours outside, when he comes home it's all he can do to drag the hose out, and really can you blame him? Supposedly this week will bring a cool down (down to the mid nineties..if you can call that cool), but what we really need is some significant rain. A good day long summer soaker. For most people a rainy summer day spoils poolside fun and trips to the lake, but I am desperate. Anyone know a good rain dance? Even in my state I will give it a go! By the way, we are having a boy!

Slugs Slugs Slugs

Slugs. They never used to bother me before. They also never used to eat my plants down to nothing in  a matter of days either. I knew we would have a bug problem this year, but my goodness!! Do slugs even count as bugs? This morning, just on opening the back door, I counted no less than twenty of the slimey little beasts just on the plastic deck chairs. For the past couple of days, while we researched what to do about them, Andrew and I have spent each morning and evening (I get a.m. he gets p.m., which seems to me like I got the worst end of the deal there) combing the garden picking them off the plants. They are particularly fond of the pepper plants. From the reading Andrew did this is what we've come up with: A circle of sand around the plants, supposedly they won't crawl over the sand...cornmeal...supposedly they will eat it and their stomachs will explode....and beer...supposedly they will drown themselves in booze....we'll see what works. At least this year, we are not alone in our misery. Chicken neighbor has them bad too. He doesn't treat his yard either.

Adding Corn

So Andrew has decided to take the summer off from school. (He is currently working on an engineering degree with concentration in solar energy). He went last summer and it was really hard on him, and since we have a lot to do this summer it made sense to take a break. The past couple of weekends were spent planting and mulching and fencing the beds. The fencing is a big hassle because our dog  really likes to dig in the gardens when we add fresh compost, and so we have to keep her out. The game is to come up with something different every year without spending a ton of money, because she always ends up figuring out how to get over/under/around by the end of the summer. Last weekend Andrew said, "how about corn?" I love fresh corn on the cob so I was agreeable to the idea. Apparently he meant right then, because within the hour he had me outside figuring out where to put the new bed, how big it needed to be, and researching different corn varieties to figure out what to plant. Before the night ended he had dug the bed and added compost. The next day corn was bought and planted. So, we have added corn, and assuming all seeds germinate (though by the squirrel party I witnessed out there yesterday we may be missing a few) and  all plants are healthy, we should end up with nearly a hundred ears of corn. Every year we add more and more to our garden. When I first started gardening, I was doing it all on my own, but now Andrew is as much a part of it as me, which has been great. Between the greenhouse and new corn bed, our garden space now takes up half of our yard. But that's just fine...less to mow!

Bad Year for Bugs

I foresee an epic battle with the insects this year. Our winter was extremely warm...I don't think it dropped below forty more than a couple of times, and it is already, before summer is even here, getting into the 90's. Not to mention that we have had a huge drop in the bat population, which are crucial to help controlling the insects that are already taking over. All over the city they have hung bat houses up in the trees for the bats, hopefully to help their population re-growth. The ticks have been insane. Everyday now before coming back in the house we have to check each other and the dogs, because they are crawling everywhere. And the gnats! I think I must eat a hundred a day just sitting on the back porch. Just opening your mouth to talk you can't help but swallow them! Of course we have wasps...we always have a problem with them making nests right at our front door...but I don't mind a few because the help control garden pests. Since we don't treat our yard (most of our neighbors do) with chemicals, we are researching some natural things we can do to help alleviate the problem. I know we are not going to wipe them out completely, but we have never seen such an invasion as this! Strangely, though, for the second year in a row we haven't seen ladybugs. Used to be they would be everywhere! Always crawling in the windows and if you sat still long enough outside one or two would be crawling on you. I don't mind bugs..(although I really could do without the huge black widow that was in the garden shed with a big egg sack)..they have a job to do that is important in the overall balance of things...but this is a little bit ridiculous.

Lot's of Pics and no Way to Share!!

I have taken lots of pictures that I would like to share...the plants, the greenhouse, and some pillow covers that I am making and hope to post about when they are done, but I can't seem to find the cord that connects the camera to the computer!!! It's probably in some really obvious place too.

Searching for Land

After much discussion over the past few weeks, Andrew and I have agreed it's time to seriously start looking for more space. By more space I mean more land. We have a pretty good size yard now, and it has amazing possibilties, but it is still surrounded by neighbors and doesn't really work well for our personal goals. Just what are those goals? Well, ultimately we'd like to be as self suffiecent as possible. Being able to live with what have, and maybe producing just enough income for things that are unavoidable like property taxes. Right now we garden and preserve to help supplament our food....which has been invaluable as the cost of food has skyrocketed, while our salary has not. Not to mention the food industry in this country leaves much to be desired. We do our best to buy other foods directly from thier sources (love the farmers market!), and make staples like bread from scratch. But we'd really love to have some animals of our own. Goats and chickens mostly. I would love to have not only milk goats, but goats for fiber too! Now we have enough space in our yard for some miniatures, and this was something we seriously considered, but then the new neighbors and their chickens came. Now when they first arrived, as you can tell from the post I wrote about it, I was thrilled! And really, they still don't bother me that much. But the rest of the neighbors...well they are not too pleased. Not only are there chickens, but they have turkeys too, and these birds are loud. All day long the turkeys gobble and the roosters crow like they are in a competition for who is king bird around the yard. Not to mention that everyone else around the neighborhood has dogs, including us, and dogs really send those birds into a frenzy! The roosters start crowing well before the sun is up. It doesn't wake me up, but I've heard other people complain, and it can make it hard to fall back asleep if I've woken up for another reason. The point is, while goats don't crow, I'm sure they must make noises of their own, and obviously we are just too populated for farm animals. It's okay to not care if the neighbors think your crazy for talking to your tomato plants, or shake their heads because you grass is knee high before you mow, but you still need to consider them when your choices will affect them too. So we search. We would like at least five acres, and something more rural than where we are. Truth be told if we are going to afford five acres with a house on it it's going to have to be way out in the boonies anyway, but that's just fine with us. The only complication is the house we have now. What to do with it? It's in a very desirable location, close to the best schools and only ten minutes from the most popular shopping areas, but still outside city limits, but that is the best it has going for it. Our neighborhood is one that was built in the 70's, when the lot sizes were big and houses were small. (As opposed to the current trend of building three thousand squre foot houses that are ten feet from the property line so all you see is a good view of your neighbors bathroom). Our house has only 1027 squre feet and one bathroom, and by today's standards, that's a closet. I think it will be hard to sell. We are toying with the idea of renting it, but that's a scary venture in it's own as I know nothing about being a landlord. Either way, it needs a few things like new carpet and kitchen cabinets, all of which cost money. So we figure this whole buying land and moving on thing is probably going to take us a while, but we are ready!

Changes

              It has been quite a while since I posted anything, and so much has happened since!! I had intended to get right back into regular postings with the arrival of spring, and all the activities that usually go with it. A couple of months ago we started preparing the garden beds and Andrew even spent several weekends building me a greenhouse. (Pictures to come soon!) The garlic I planted last fall has come up and is growing strong as are the onions. Again we decided on doing potatoes in the containers like last year, except this year we added a purple variety. I started from seed bell peppers and tomatoes as well as hot peppers this year, and all are doing really well. I have started the hardening off process and they should be ready for planting in the first weeks of May. With the virtually non-existent winter and really warm march, it was so tempting to doing things too early, and I am glad I didn't, because last night we had a late freeze....well, not really late as it is not unusual in April, just out of sync with what the weather has been like this year.
          The biggest thing in our lives right now, is that we are expecting another baby, and this pregnancy has brought the most changes to our lives. Last July I had a chemical pregnancy, and so when in march the test was positive I was anxious to get to the doctor and have it confirmed. Then, a week before my scheduled doctor's appointment I started have heaving bleeding and spent the night in the hospital. The baby was fine, and I was sent home and told I may still miscarry. A few days later the bleeding returned, and this time on an ultrasound they saw that I have a tear in the placenta. This means that I have been on virtual bed rest as to keep any more damage from happening, and to allow the tear to heal itself, I've been restricted from anything strenuous at all. This means no picking up Isabelle, who at two and a half doesn't quite understand why I can't hold her, no doing household chores (except I still wash dishes) and to my horror, no gardening. No digging out that new bed I wanted, no pulling weeds (okay really I'm not that sad bout that), nothing. This has been really hard for me. Andrew is doing his best to keep up with everything, and really his is superman. He works full time, plus does side work on weekends, and he's still going to school. What has really amazed me about him through this whole thing is even with all that, and having to do laundry and carpets and scrubbing the tub, and pulling the weeds and mowing the lawn, he still finds time every night to spend with Isabelle. Those two are inseparable. Maybe it's the pregnancy hormones, but sometimes when I see them playing together I get a little teary eyed. But, it's been a couple of weeks and I haven't had any bleeding, and I have an ultra sound later today. Hopefully some of these restrictions will be lifted and maybe I will be able to do more, otherwise it's going to be a long nine months. By the way, baby is due November 11th!

I'm Still Here

I just wanted to say to anyone who may still be reading that even though I haven't posted in quite some time I am still here. Winter is in full swing, officially we had our first snow last night, though it was minimal and gone by mid-day. My days are filled with the usual routine of taking care of house, husband, and child and nothing spectacularly interesting and blog-worthy. When spring rolls back around and our days once again are seemingly stretched out with more sunlight hours, I will resume blogging more frequently, with hopefully lots of interesting garden pictures. Until then, I am still enjoying reading all of your interesting blogs.

No Time - Not Even for Blogging

Some may have noticed that my posts have become few and far between recently. I used to take time to write a little something and catch up on the blogs I enjoy reading while Isabelle was taking her naps. Well in the past few weeks, she has really quit taking her naps. (sniff sniff). Occasionally if we've been having a really busy day or she got up really early (like this morning) than she will fall asleep and I jump on the computer for a few, but other than that, blogging has been bumped to the bottom of my priority list. Fall is finally in full swing and every second possible we are outside enjoying the wonderful weather. We've been getting the garden prepared for winter, and doing a few other minor projects around the house. We've cleaned out one section of the basement and hopefully by this time next year it will be our root cellar. Our neighbor with the chickens got himself a couple of turkeys and one interesting evening was spent chasing the thing around our yard. It had gotten out of their coop and over the fence to our side. Our dog was going crazy trying to escape out the back door to help us chase it. I think the whole scene would have made a good cartoon. But I expect things will start winding down a bit soon, as it starts getting colder, and then hopefully I will have more time to blog.

Duhhh! I had a Moment.

So this time of year sometimes presents a conundrum at our house. First off let me explain that in my not too distant past before I knew better, I was the type of person who always either ran the heat or air. I loathe being hot. That is when I am my crankiest, and so I often set the thermostat really low. Now over the years I have really worked at acclimating myself to being comfortable in warmer temperatures. Each year we are able to put off turning the air on longer and longer. Other than being environmental conscious, with the rising cost of electricity, I haven't really had a choice. But I have to admit that this is hardest for me at night. Ever since I had my daughter two years ago, I have found that I sweat horrible at night. Maybe from hormonal changes? I don't know, but I do know it makes me miserable! This time of year is usually great because It's really cool at night and I can leave the windows open and I sleep great. Last night, however, we had torrential rains, strong winds, and thunder and lighting. (So of course Andrew slept like a rock). On nights like this I can't leave the window open and it gets really really stuffy in our house if the windows are closed and the air is off. And I was laying there in be, staring up at the ceiling fan, thinking about how it stays so much cooler in my daughters room, and seriously considering going to sleep on her floor when it happened. Duh! In the entire time we have lived in our house we have never switched the direction of the ceiling fans. If they turn clockwise, they push warm air down (so this is the direction they should go in the winter) and when they turn counterclockwise, they keep the warm air up at the ceiling ( for summer). I've know all this for a while, but for some reason never actually put my knowledge into practice. So I climbed on top of the bed and when I still couldn't reach, woke up Andrew and had him switch the fan. Let me tell you the cool down was immediate. I finally fell asleep and didn't wake up hot once.

Regina...You Talked Me into It

Okay, so someone named Regina left a comment on my post Radishes Again. I don't get very many comments, and so anytime someone leaves one I go check out their blog if they have one. Well, upon visiting Regina at her blog, Regina's Cottage, I saw she was the proud owner of a new dehydrator. And she had dehydrated some carrots and they looked lovely. And I really really wanted one. Andrew and I have been discussing this purchase for about a year now, but we always decide to wait. I especially wish for one when I am drying something in my oven like apple rings that takes several hours. I know that it is a big part of my energy usage. Well, after seeing Regina's post I went out (not immediately, but a few days later) and purchased one of my own. I don't have too many kitchen gadgets, but this is one that I really have enjoyed. My dehydrator uses 500 watts, which in comparison most electric ovens use between 2000 and 4000. Also, it doesn't heat up the house like drying with the oven does. It came with this tray to make fruit rolls with. I am really excited about this, because that is a great way to preserve fruits and you can use overripe and damaged fruits you usually wouldn't can with. As I type I have my first batch going. I mixed up some organic raspberries, overripe organic strawberries, and one soft pear. I will report back on how it turned out.

Radishes Again

Radishes are such a quick crop, and we really like them, so we grow them twice a year. In the early spring and late summer/early fall. This weekend we harvested them along with some other garden goodies. The weather was so so beautiful. Also good for attacking some weeds and mowing the yard (obviously done after the pics were taken.) The best part was seeing what fun Isabelle had helping. Each Radish I pulled was handed to her and gently placed in the basket. Then she carried the basket to the back porch. She also halped me gather a bunch of collard greens to have with dinner that night. I was also really surprised to see how many peppers we had still growing. They quit for a while, probably because it was so hot, but have recently started cranking them out again. Isabelle had fun carrying them one at at time and placing them in a chair we have sitting on the back porch. It is such a pleasure having her help, even if it is a little slow going. I can't wait to let her help me in the spring!

Happy Equinox

Fall is finally here. I'm not alone in naming this season as my favorite. There is something about a cool breezy fall day, with the leaves swirling and the smell of pumpkin and spice that just puts a smile on your face. I am so fortunate to live in a part of the country that has very pronounced seasons. When the summer conditions haven't been too dry (which they haven't for us thankfully) the leaves all around turn brilliant shades of reds, oranges, and yellows. It makes me feel like I am living in a painting.

Bamboo Needles

Aren't they a dream to knit with? I only have two pair because they are really expensive, and I already have every size needle in metal, but when I do allow myself to splurge on luxuries, these are the types of things I buy for myself. For my birthday I bought myself this set and they were just under nine dollars after tax. I know nine dollars is not a lot of money, but compared to the couple of bucks metal needles cost, I think it is. My husband asked me to knit him a scarf for this winter. As long as we've been together, I've never known him to wear a scarf, but I was more than thrilled to make one for him. I used two different chunky yarns, mohair and wool. It's really soft and warm, and hopefully manly enough for him.

Fall Garden

So for the fall I didn't plant as much as I would have liked to. I never got around to digging out another bed. But I did get some collards planted. Andrew is a picky eater when it comes to leafy greens. He doesn't eat salad. His problem is he doesn't like condiments of any kind. he doesn't eat mustard or salad dressing. No BBQ or even homemade ketchup. He has a really strong aversion to vinegar. When I clean with it I have to do it when he's not around, because the smell of vinegar really bothers him. I love vinegar, but that's another topic. But he does really like collard greens. They are very easy to prepare. I tear them up and saute them just briefly with some olive oil and garlic. I also put it another round of radishes. I grew them quite successfully in early spring. They are a quick crop - about four days to germinate and about twenty two to harvest. I actually planted them almost two weeks ago, and they didn't germinate right away. I had a few seeds left so I was going to try again, but then we had days of rain from Lee, so I had to wait. Then, when I went out yesterday, low and behold, little baby radishes! Maybe it was all the rain, or the drop in temperatures? I'm not sure, but I don't think radishes do well in really hot weather. I'm still getting peppers, though they are much smaller than the ones I was getting. I've frozen about thirty green peppers, not to mention the fresh ones we've been eating weekly. The rest I will let turn red before I pick them. I harvest the onions and garlic, both having turned out great, although some of the garlic was small. Also, it got so hot my beans died, but I was able to dry a bunch of the pods for next year. We got a grand total of five apples from the apple tree, which truth be told is five more than I thought we would get. And oh the cucumbers! I finally just quit watering them. I have never eaten so many cucumbers in my life! I was not sad when they died. I've been canning and freezing like crazy, and this will be our first winter eating  mostly our own preserved foods. I'm already dreaming about next spring, making grandiose plans that are probably way to big to handle. I look forward to having even more next year.







Extra Padding

Okay, so I have to admit that my jeans are fitting a bit more snug these days. In fact, I fear that if I don't manage to loose a few pounds I might not fit into my winter clothes! And I guess with the temperatures flirting with fifty (thanks to TS Lee!) I better get a move on. I'm not a person who generally worries about weight. I probably weigh more than I should, but I feel healthy and have no trouble enjoying my life, so I don't really pay it much mind. You see I have a weakness, and it's name is bread. And ever since I starting making sourdough, I can't stop. I also am a non-believer in artificial things (butter, sweetener, etc.) so I guess some of the things I eat are probably higher in calories. When I had a full time job outside the house I was always moving and on my feet. Not that I sit around all day by any means, I just have more opportunities for a sneak of bread here, or some homemade cookies there. I love to bake. Ugh..getting hungry just writing this post! And I guess since Isabelle is two now, I can't really use the "just had a baby" thing anymore. Last fall I was walking routinely at the park. Isabelle has since decided she doesn't like to ride in her stroller, but maybe I can convince her. We'll see.

To the Market

http://about.chattanoogamarket.org/locations/sunday-market

Sunday around here is market day. Over the years the Chattanooga market has gotten bigger and bigger. This year it celebrates it's tenth anniversary! We love to go and buy fresh local produce usually picked just that morning or the day before. Our market also has an array of local crafts people selling everything from homemade clothes and hand spun wool to hand crafted pottery and jewelry. Also, there is usually some live entertainment. It has become the highlight of our weekend. On this morning trips we bought three large candy onions, a whole bag of spring mix lettuce, and another bag of cayenne and jalapeno peppers. We spent a grand total of six dollars. It really excites me to see the crowds getting larger and larger too. It shows that people really are interested in fresh local goods. I saw some peaches that looked very tempting. I think if they still have them next Sunday I'm going to load up.

Fun at the Park



picture taken by CGM member Lisa



A few months ago I joined a meet up grow called Chattanooga Green Moms. I really felt it was important to let Isabelle play with other kids her age, and for us day care is not an option. It's been a lot of fun and I re-connected with an old acquaintance who was also a member. Every other Wednesday we meet at a local park and let the kids play. Today we had lots of fun. Outside time is so so important for kids. It's so easy to just stick them in front of the TV, but the TV is not a good babysitter. Isabelle so loves to play outside, and if she doesn't get to I've noticed that is when she's her crankiest. In fact, I believe outside time is important for adults too!

My Favorite Pan

My sister called me recently because she had bought a cast iron skillet, and she knew it couldn't go in the dishwasher, but she wasn't sure exactly how to take care of it. She called me because I am always cooking with cast iron. My skillet is the most used thing in my kitchen. Cast iron pans are so great! They are versatile - you can use them on stove top, in the oven, or even over open flame - and just require a good wipe down when you are finished with them!. (If you must scrub it, NEVER use soap! Only use hot water and dry immediately with a towel!) Back in the day, people had to season their pans to make them non-stick, but these days I believe you buy them already seasoned. In fact the only remaining producer of cast iron cookwares (Lodgestone) in the US is right here in Tennessee. Mine, like so many things I have that I cherish, came from my Grandma. With her arthritis she can't lift them anymore, so I got her collection. This included two large skillets, one of which I gave to my dad, a small skillet, a big dutch oven, and one of those molds shaped like corn cobs for corn bread. I use the large skillets so much that it lives on my stove top. I have a glass top stove (I often lust after the gas stove at my parents house). I have heard that it is not recommended you use cast iron on those, but I have and haven't had a problem. I just have to be careful when I am moving it around not to slam it on the stove top. A good cast iron skillet, if cared for properly, can last for generations.  I wonder does anyone else prefer cast iron too?

Letting in the Fresh Air

This is a picture of the window above the kitchen sink. It looks out to part of the back yard. When I woke up this morning is was a wonderful 66 degrees outside. I switched off the AC which wasn't running anyway and opened all the windows. That is one of the things I'm most excited for this fall. Last fall we hadn't had then new windows put in yet and could only open the one in the bathroom and the one in the kitchen. When I went out to check the mail, the neighbor was checking his and he asked if our air was broken because he noticed all our windows were open (I'm sure he actually heard Isabelle screaming at the top of her lung. She thinks it's funny to scream as loud as she can. She giggles like crazy after each scream.) I thought that was funny. I told him no, I just really enjoyed letting the fresh air in. It's 84 degrees outside right now, but the humidity is very low and there is a breeze. I think it feels wonderful! And one of my favorite things in the world is to be working in the kitchen with the windows open, listing to all the outside noises and feeling the breeze blowing through the house. You just can't bottle that kind of fresh air.