Nothing Soothes LIke a Cup of Tea

I don't get sick that often, but it seems like four times a year, right on cue with weather changes, I feel a bit under the weather. Well just in time for summer - Happy belated Solstice by the way - I've been feeling a bit blah. Really it's just sinus stuff. Weeks of dry weather do a number on my sinuses and my water bill. Fortunately last night we had a good rain, and we are expecting more. I'm not a fan of modern medicines except as a last resort (like when my daughter developed a bulls eye rash following a tick bite, I opted for the antibiotic cream prescribed by her doctor). For me, all I really need to get me through a couple of days of a summer cold is a nice blend of herbal tea. The tea I was drinking this time was a blend of elder flower, yarrow, peppermint and hyssop with a dab of honey to sweeten it up and sooth my throat. It tastes much better than regular medicines too!

How my Garden Grows

It's been awhile since I took any pictures of our garden. A few things have changed since the last time. The radishes have been harvested and eaten. They were yummy. And then potatoes were killed off by pests, but we were able to get about thirty total potatoes. That sucks since we had twelve plants, but you don't win them all when it comes to gardening. I've added cucumbers, which I've never grown until this year. They are doing amazing. I started them from seed, and they are growing so well. In fact while I was out taking pictures, I saw a few large cucumbers, so I picked them and am currently munching on one as I type. It's really good.  The tomatoes are full of blooms and several large tomatoes which are just starting to ripen. The plants looks like they are wilting some, though , so I will have to keep an eye on that. I didn't think we were going to have any apples this year, but to my surprise there are a few on the tree. I'm really excited about that. My bell peppers, which I also started from seed are doing really well . Bell peppers are about my favorite vegetable. Since they freeze well, I grow tons and store them for making things like chili in the winter. Bell peppers are so expensive to buy, so it makes it really worthwhile to grow them. The garlic and onions are both doing well also. They are pretty labor free crops. Just plants them and let them do their thing until they are ready. So that's what I have going on in the garden right now. 

Helping Daddy in the Garden

One of the most exciting and fun things for me about my garden this year is Isabelle being old enough to participate. Friday evening we dumped the other two potato containers and she had a great time helping us. We dumped them onto a big tarp, and then Andrew gently sifted through the dirt to find the potatoes. When he found one, he would point it out and Isabelle would run and grab it, squealing with delight. It was her job then to put them into the baskets. My job was to man the camera! Her curiosity and excitement is so contagious. Each potato found was a little treasure for her. I've always loved gardening, and now I have one more reason to love it even more!

In the Intrest of Frugality

When we started trying to live a simpler, more conscious life, being frugal just sort of happened. When you start growing and preserving your own foods, then most store bought things just don't satisfy, and so you stop buying. You discover that hand made items are infinitely better quality, and so you replace things less often. One area of our lives that has required a little more effort in the frugal department has been our energy bill. We have been making real efforts to reduce our consumption because while green energies, such a solar and wind power, are wonderful, the best thing anyone can do first and foremost in reduce the amount of energy consumed. We already turn off light when we are not in a room and unplug things when we aren't using them. We replaced our windows at the beginning of this year, which was a major improvement. We have a lot less gadgets that require electricity in the first place than most people. We hold off turning on the air or heater as long as possible, opening the windows to let in fresh air and natural light. And when we do have to use our central heat/air we keep them set on a lower/higher temp depending on the season. But most recently, I have taken one more step. No more dryer. The dryer is one of the most energy consumptive appliances a person uses. We are now air drying our clothes. Hopefully this will take a big bite out of our power bill. I have gotten a couple of racks, which I like better than using a clothes line, because I can set them up anywhere. When it's nice an sunny outside, I put the racks up out there to let our clothes dry, and when it threatens to rain, they are quickly and easily moved indoors. They also fold up neatly and can be put out of the way when I am not using them. The laundry involves a little more planning now, because I have to allow time for things to dry. Like my husbands work clothes. I can't wait until they are all dirty and then wash and dry them in one night. So far, though, everything has worked out smoothly, and everyone still always has something clean to wear.

New Knitting Project

I really enjoyed finishing the blanket the other day, and even more, enjoyed the satisfaction of having something pretty, hand made by me, draping over our couch. I am determined to spend more time with my knitting needles and crotchet hooks. I've been cleaning out the closet in our office/craft room and have been organizing all my yarns. I have so many leftover balls of yarn from other things, that I've decided not to buy anymore until I use up at least some of what I have. So, I will be making some small things for while. I really like this pretty green yarn and thought it would make a nice simple scarf to wear this winter. Hopefully I will actually finish it by then!

Pears

 I've mentioned this before, but when we bought our house, it came with a few fruit trees, pears being one of them. Since we have lived here though, about six years now, we've never gotten more than a handful of pears. Every year the tree put out loads of blossoms, and every year they are lost to a late freeze.This year they survived and I believe that tree is trying to make up for lost time. The tree is so loaded that we had to tie up the branches with rope so they wouldn't break. I went out and picked a basket full and preserved them in light syrup. The pears are still a little under ripe, but that is what you want, otherwise they won't withstand the canning process. Ripe pears are good for making pear sauce. I'm sure I will be making plenty of that too.

Finally Finished

I love to knit and crochet, but I am guilty of taking forever and ever on a single project. I just don't ever seem to have the time, or to make the time really, to sit down and work on my projects. There always seems like a million other things to do. I started this blanket a while ago, while it was still cold in fact. Well, yesterday a pulled a muscle in my abdomen lifting something too heavy (lift with your knees!), so I was forced to take it a little easy for the rest of the day. Since just sitting is not something I know how to do, I pulled out my blanket project and was finally able to finish it. Yea!