August 17, 2011

August 17, 2011 

To all of my followers and friends who read this blog; I started to write this as a regret to inform you statement, however, it is not regret that I feel today as I write this. In a way it is relief.  

So, while I understand some of you may wish to see it continue it can not.

My life-path is in the process of going around a bend into new and interesting territory and I am excited to begin this journey.

I am not giving up my connection to the earth in any way, more like increasing it, yet what I am about to do is a much more personal undertaking and I have decided not to share it.

I hope all of you continue to be safe, be well, and be happy

It’s been fun connecting with new friends and there may be another blog at some time….who knows, really where life’s path will lead?

Until next time

On a different path,

Deb~

Canning Salsa

Wow, today sure has been a busy one! I have been picking ripe or near ripe tomatos all week, along with some red, yellow and green peppers and loads of cucumbers. And, I do mean LOADS! (Does anyone have any good cucumber recipes or ideas of what or how to preserve them? I am running out of ideas)

 Anyway, I decided after looking at the garden and what was already inside on the counter and in baskets, I thought today would be the day to get started on putting some of the bounty of the garden up for winter since it wasn't as hot as it has been lately, but let me tell you, with the stove on all evening it heated up the living room and kitchen just as bad. I am so glad we have a pool now that we can go get into whenever we want or need to!

So eartly this afternoon my grandgirls and my son helped me gather the rest of the ripe veggies from the garden. (We brought in 4 filled, heavy plastic bags, like the ones you get at some stores.). Then I made a quick run to the store to get some onions and garlic along with some jalapeño peppers so some of the salsa will be spicy.

With help and encouragement from the 2 year old I stood at the counter and chopped, diced and sweat my way through about 4 hours, prepping the veggies for processing. I am sure glad I am through with that. Most days I don’t mind chopping veggies myself, but when I start canning sometimes I wish I had a good food processor to help. My fingers are sore and the one that guides the knife feels almost blistered! Ouch!

So anyway here is the recipe for the salsa I decided on this year, most of the veggies fresh from the garden:

My 2011 Salsa mix for canning:

20 cups diced home-grown red and yellow tomatos

2 cups each diced, red, green, yellow and orange peppers

2 cups diced celery

2 cups of diced onion

1 head of garlic crushed and diced

2 cups diced seeded and peeled cucumbers (because they are getting put into most everything since there are so many!)

jalapeños as desired (I make two batches out of this and the second smaller one is the one I put the jalapeños in)

I dip my tomato’s into boiling water for a couple of min and then peel, because it just pulls right off when hot. Then dice into small bits and toss skins and seeds.(warning: it is very messy and very hot work,  but very worth it in the end)

Dice all the other vegetables

Add everything to 2 large pots unless you have a gigantic one, salt, pepper and cumin, oh and 1 can of tomato paste if you wish to thicken it up a little, then bring to a boil for a few minutes and remove from heat,

Put mix into sterilized jars, leave about ½ head space, then wipe tops of jars clean and place seal onto jar with ring, just barely tighten ring

Place jars into canner rack and process in boiling water for 20 minutes. Then let the jars cool on towel away from drafts that could cause bottles to crack

Let sit until room temp. then check the lids for seal, mark remove ring and store

 

Note: I use this not just for a good salsa, but as a started for chili, soup, spaghetti sauce, enchiladas, and so on. It adds a flavor that you just can’t get in a can from the store!!

I’ll tell you what, as I sit here thinking about all those cukes out in the kitchen I am really perplexed as what to do with them. they aren’t pickling cukes so that is out, I have made plenty of my kimchi and lots of cucumber and onions but I am out of ideas  on what to do with the rest besides load up the neighbors!!

So blog friends, I will really try to post more often, forgive me for being so lax, however it has been a good year for the garden and between that and keeping my son educated. (I guess the new term for the way he learns is unschooled!) I also must find ways to keep him occupied along with training a puppy and watching the grandgirls (of course that ain’t really work, I love having them over on the weekends) I guess my days are pretty full and some days I don’t even get a chance to read let alone post. I am going to try to get a little caught up on reading tonight after this post if my eyes don’t slam shut on me. J

Until next time, Deb~

Vacation

Hello blog world!

I have been on a vacation of sorts to visit with my sister and my mother, and it has been one long hot week or so!

I know all families have issues..... BUT. REALLY?

Let's just say I am ever so glad to be home sweet home!

I found when we arrived yesterday that a storm while we were gone took out some of the things in the yard...like the gazebo thingy, it was all bent and blown over when we got back, and the pool cover was blown into the pool. (thank goodness for neighbors who checked up on things and retrieved the pool cover before it was lodged in the filter system) Some of the toys and such that were put inside the gazebo are tossed around in the yard but it can all be cleaned up and repaired or replaced. Not a big deal.

The garden grew a lot in just a short (okay very long and hot) week, my lucky neighbor (yup the same one who checked after the storm) got to get the first red tomato's off the vine while I was gone but there are plenty of them ripe or ripening as I type this (pics later in the week) and plenty of everything else as well. Even the few stalks of corn that did grow, have a few ears on them.

I went to see my granddaughters this morning (my daughter offered me a big breakfast that I didn't have to cook!) and they covered me with baby kisses! I missed them tremendously while I was away last weekend, and from what I was told they missed me just as much! I have big plans for them this weekend and it is the youngest's birthday, she will turn 3 so I think maybe a hot-dog and hamburger cook-out is in order, followed by some homemade ice cream!

I also picked up some material while I was away and have plans for two more gorgeous sundresses for my ggirls! I just love to spoil them so much, I mean that is a gramma's job is it not?

I sure hope all of you are staying cool in this unrelenting heat and finding ways to enjoy your days!



Until next time, Deb~

A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

Hello readers! I hope your day is as beautiful as mine. We here in the Ohio Valley have been suffering along with millions of others the past few days with very hot temperatures and really high humidity to go alone with it. UGH!

Although while I am toasty warm in my home on a frigid winters night wishing for summer to come early, I think that is what I want, here we are in the more than toasty summer time and I am hoping for a cool-down.

Not that I want it to snow or anything, that would not be good. I would just like temps like we have today... (80) along with low humidity and a sunny breeze....all. year. long.

How's that for todays rant? haha, really I am enjoying the beautiful day we have today. It's not as hot and the humidity is a lil lower so I am much more comfortable. So on to other news.

In the garden yesterday I picked a huge bowl (the one I make cookie dough in) full of green beans! (when I took the pictures I just took pics of the tops of the plant, silly me, when I looked under the leaves I found gads of beans just waiting to be found and harvested.) I also found 6 nice sized cucumbers to go alone with the beans.

First harvest! YuMmY! I put the beans (after snapping the ends off and breaking them in two) into my crock pot along with about 1/2 lb. bacon, and a little water and set it on low, put the lid on and walked away for about 4 hours. Then when it started to smell really good I cut up some med. red taters into chunks and peeled and cut a good sized turnip and placed them in with the beans, of course I had to taste test them and they were wonderful, not quite done yet but very good! I let the whole mess cook for another couple of hours and wow! I have not had green beans that good in a long time! (truth be told probably not since my last garden).

I know that food is best just after being picked, even meat is best just after it is processed, and I don't mean by a commercial processor either. I love the taste of fresh fruits and veggies. I used to drive a truck pulling a refriderated trailer (reefer) cross country with produce and I loved to buy cases direct from the farmer, because they tasted and looked sooo much better than what I could get at my grocery. I know first hand how long it takes to get foods grown in California to the east coast, and how long they sit at the distribution center, how long they travel to the local grocery and then how long they sit there before being bought! If you figure up all the transit time and sitting time for produce it is no wonder people have forgotten what "real" food tastes like. The grower in California is only worried about growing modified foods that will travel and sit well so they arrive at the grocery where you shop looking like they came from the farm but having not worried at all about the taste, that has been modified right out of it!

I also made my own twisted version of cucumber kimchi by stripping some of the peel off of the cucumbers (they look striped when I am done) cutting off the ends, then dicing them into moderate sized chunks and stuffing them all into an old, washed and dried pickle jar, leaving just a small amount of room at the top to add a few more things.

 Then I cut up some green onion and toss them into the jar as well, add some roasted garlic and a dash of sugar and red pepper flakes to taste, then pour in about 1/4 cup of soy sauce. Place the lid tightly on the jar and shake it to stir the contents well. Place it into the fridge and try to leave it alone for a couple of days.

When it is ready the contents will have shrunk and your jar will only be about 2/3 full, but the flavor is out of this world. Crunchy, yet soft and a lil spicy. It is the ONLY spicy food I can eat. I have Crohns and most spicy food is not allowed because of what it does to me. For some reason the kimchi doesn't bother me and for that I am greatful.

I also am making a cucumber, onion and tomato salad for dinner tonight, sadly although I have gads of tomato's growing none of mine are ripe yet so the tomatos will have to come  from the farmers market, not my garden.

Other than taking care of the garden, and of course the house, not much is happening around here other than enjoying the day and trying to stay cool. I hope those of you still suffering in the blistering heat will catch a break soon, and everyone else I hope you're enjoying your day wherever you are!


Until next time,
 Deb~

How My Garden Grows

Hello blog world, it's a fine afternoon here in my little spot on the planet and I thought it would be a great day for a garden update with pictures!
I am having a great gardening year so far, even if the weather has been somewhat unpredictable. The garden is doing well, there are things growing everywhere....
There are tomato's by the dozens:

tomato's growing very well, these will be yellow when ripe

lots of little maters here

and here we have the peppers getting off to a great start:

tiny little Green peppers, yum

And the cucumbers are starting to show up, I'm sure there will be more than enough to make some pickles and add to other things as well as slice for our salads.

kinda hard to pick out at first, look between the bloom and the flower

And the bush beans are bloomed out all over, should be lots and lots of beans soon!

Blue Lake Bush Beans

Overall I would say everything is growing great. We are into the hot summer months now and have been having daytime temps in the mid to upper 80's with little to no rain for the last several days, kind of funny when I think back to the late spring and early summer when it felt like it would rain forever! So now every evening after the sun begins to set I go out and water the garden so all those good growing things get what they need to continue developing and become food for our table and pantry!

view towards the neighbors place

view towards our place, complete with my new (used) truck!

As you can see things are looking pretty good around here! I am happy to have the garden doing so well and have lots and lots of canning jars just waiting to be filled, and of course we will be eating a lot straight from the garden. I have already picked the first two small green tomato's (I just couldn't wait any longer) and fried them up, they were delicious. I am anxious for the first red and yellow tomato's to get ripe, I can just taste them sliced with a dab of salt and pepper, oh goodness, I must stop thinking about them!

Also in the last pic is my new (used) red pick-up truck, it has some rust and needs a lil TLC but it runs great and I have decided it is my new project vehicle, I can spend the coming months Bondo-ing it and getting all the misc. repairs done, and someday I would love to take off  the rusty bed that is on it now and install a wooden flat bed, maybe it's just me but I think it would look pretty good.

How is your garden doing? The weather all over has been a little odd this year, so some have more of a challenge than others. I hope all of you are having a great summer and begining to enjoy the fruits of your labors in the garden!

Until next time,
Deb~

Tree Frogs and Other Things

Good Morning World!

That is how I feel this morning, it is a bright, sunny beautiful morning where I am and the birds are singing and chirping, the crickets are making their noises along with tree frogs and the like, I don't know about where you live but out here in my yard, you can literally watch the grass jump with baby tree frogs. They are everywhere, the kiddies don't usually have to go far or look very hard to catch one for a minute to check it out.

They have been watching them grow for a few weeks now, first they were just teeny little baby frogs, not much bigger than say maybe a fingernail (and not a long one either), now they are about an inch long and 3/4 inch high. They are so cute!! I am sure they will be the source of many noisy nights to come!

It seems the only time it is truly quiet around here is the dead of winter, not many birds then, mostly woodpeckers, nuthatches and a couple of cardinals,... all the bugs and frogs are gone or sleeping thru the cold. .then it is really quiet at night.

 Now in the summer it is noisy 24 hours a day, what kinds of noises depends on which bug, bird or frog is awake. We like listening to them, my son and I. We try to figure out which direction and what animal or insect is making the loudest noises.

If you know how to listen, you can tell when rain or storms are coming too, the birds and bugs along with a few other signs from our animal friends will tell you. Most of them get really quiet when a storm is coming, even the birds seem to all find a place to go. And if they don't and they stay at the feeders and such during a rain shower, it usually means the rain will be around a while. I guess they figure if the rain is going to hang around they will just go on with their usual business.

Usual business, that brings me to blogging and writing, I believe I have the blogging regular thing figured out now, I need to post in the morning, before things get going and get busy around here. If I don't then most of the time I don't get back to the computer until late at night and by then I just don't feel like writing.

 One of my short term goals is to blog daily. Maybe nothing but a few lines and or a picture, but getting it done daily. I have found that when I blog it really gets me in the mood, so to speak, to write and I need to get better disiplined about writing if I ever want to get my book finished!

 I don't really know what the problem is, I have the outline written, I have a good idea how the story will progress but when I think about sitting down to write... well it's like sometimes my brain just refuses to think about it. I sit there staring at the story and I wind up going back over what I have already written and doing a little revising and editing but little additional writing.

I am hoping that by blogging more regular, that I will also write more for the book. I have also joined a writing "club" online at http://www.writing.com/. They have loads of advice for newbie writers (how can I be a newbie, I ask, when I have been writing all my life!), writing prompts to have fun with, as well as other peoples work to read and review. All things designed to help build strength and knowledge in writers. I see how others are just shooting out loads and loads of stuff out and have massive portfolio's and I wonder where they find the time to do it all. I love to write, but I do have to be in the proper mood, I guess to dig the stories out of my brain and get them on paper.....well okay, not paper yet just a computer screen.....but you know what I mean.

And speaking of writing, I think I have done enough for now, I don't want to get long and boring, it seems I have lost one follower :( and I don't want to lose anymore!! I was quite disappointed this morning when I logged on to find that I had lost that follower. I don't know really how I had 11 different people interested in what was happening in my little corner of the world but I did, and now I only have 10, so I hope that I don't run off anyone else! Haha, that includes you!!

I hope everyone is having a fun filled summer!
Until next time,
Deb~

Whew

Whew, it's been a very busy and exciting week around here! My son turned 12, I bought a new pool for him, a new (used) pickup for me and also a few odd's and end's that make the summer more fun!

The most fun and excitement of the week came when the local volunteer fire department came out to fill my son's pool. I decided to have it filled due to our well water being very hard and quite brownish looking even after chemicals and time (in the neighbors pool) so I called the local fire department and asked if they filled pools and found that indeed they would (for a fee of course) When they came out my son was pretty excited, and rushed out to the tanker and asked if he could help.

One of the firemen who came out said sure and proceeded to show him how to throw the hose to unroll it:

Unrolling the hose

Then once they got the hose unrolled one of the firemen held the end of the hose, while Bubba held it behind him, then the other fireman operated the pump and turned on the water to fill the pool;



Getting ready for the water...

Every boy's dream, to be a fireman...

Of course it wasn't long before all the excitement spread and the little fella that visits nearby had to come see what was going on, he got to help to!

the boys had a blast

It didn't take long to fill the pool, and the tanker held just enough at 2100 gal. Plus the firemen filled the tanker that morning so the water was already up to about 75 degrees! It was fun for all I think, the excitement of the boys spreading to all around. After the pool was full, the firemen showed Bubba how to roll the hose back up properly to put back on the truck;

this is how you roll it up....

A little more work than unrolling...

but in no time the job is done!

after the hose was back on the truck it was time for the firemen to leave, the boys, especialy my son, had a very exciting hour that will produce memories to last a lifetime, so a I want to mention a huge THANKS to the Albany, Indiana Volunteer Fire Department! They didn't have to do the things they did with the boys, but they did, and in doing so made one very special little fella a very happy kid (with a pretty happy Momma too).

Then later in the week, I found a old pickup in my price range, (not the one in the picture, mine is red) so we aren't transportaionless anymore! I have had lots of help for the last few months in that regard (the one in the picture! lol) and am glad now to be able to accomplish this task. It is an old truck, but it runs good. I don't need a beautiful truck, just a functional one, a work truck. One that can haul what we need hauled.

My project for the weekend is to build a sandbox for my son and my granddaughters to play in. I am going to get some 2x12's and a sheet of OSB board, a couple of hinges and a hook type clasp to hold it open and just build the frame on the ground and use the sheet of wood for the lid, luckily there is a quarry about 2 or 3 miles away where I can go and get a load of sand for them and I think it will wind up costing about as much as one of those tiny green turtles they sell at the big stores as sand boxes, but this one will have tons more room for the kids to play. My son is also requesting tonka type trucks for the sand box so he can build roads and places for his army men to play! I am sure the girls will have other interests!

Well, friends, what started out as a quick post while the kids were napping has turned out to be very long. I hope all of you are having a wonderful weekend, be careful and enjoy the festivities!

Until next time, Deb~

Lazy Sundays and Survival

Hello blog world, happy Sunday to ya!

 I am enjoying a lazy Sunday here with my son and my grandbabies all happily playing on the Wii in the other room.

 I am catching up on blog reading today and reading The Land of Painted Caves: A Novel (Earth's Children) by Jean Auel, my all time favorite author. Her stories are so well researched and written that it isn't hard to find myself drawn into a life before modern convenience.
The people she writes about become real and I find myself becoming very involved in the story line, rooting for the heroine and feeling tense when she is in a dangerous situation.
Since I am trying to live a more self-sufficient lifestyle I find the descriptions of the ways the characters are doing things informative, and when I am in the garden or especially when foraging for wild plants I think I know a little of how people back then must have felt. but alas only a little of what they felt, because nowadays we all know, even if we do grow some of our own food, and forage a little for food and medicinal plants, if we can't find what we are looking for it is only as far as the nearest store.

Most of us don't think about what ifs, how we would get by if what we wanted wasn't available but by our own hands.
What would you do if suddenly you weren't able to find shelter? Find food? Find help if injured or sick? Would you and your family be able to survive?
Lot's of folks have websites and blogs about survival topics, herbal medicine and food storage, this isn't one of them. This is just a blog about my trying to live a better, more fulfilling life without depending completely on someone else or the nearest store as much as I can.

I haven't been doing this long, only a few months really, since I started paying attention to the world economy more and wondering how long any of us really have before we are forced to take action to insure our own comfort and safety. I have found there are gads of people who are living the kind of lifestyle I am striving for. I have found so much information and help from their websites and blogs. I will be posting a separate page with lots of links to some of my favorite pages for learning survival skills and homesteading, my two favorite topics.

I hope all of you are thinking enough about the what ifs that if you find yourself in a situation like a natural disaster, economic failure, or other life-threatening situation that you know enough and have planned enough to survive.

Until next time, Deb~

Hello blog world, how are you today? Me, oh I am fine. At least that’s what I tell people. Truth is I am somewhere between fine and OMG but I know I will get through today and that’s what counts. I went out last night after the rain shower and took some pics of the garden for all to enjoy. Here are the first of the seasons tomato’s;

doesn't this look great!

gonna be fried green tomato's soon!

In fact, the whole tomato patch is looking very good, I can see lots and lots of jars of tomato’s and salsa being put up this summer and fall!

lots and lots of mater's

It won’t be long and I will have to do something more about staking them up a lil!

The other parts of the garden are doing well also, the pepper’s are growing and the beans are taking over their area. The cucumbers are getting big as well. I am hoping the rain will let up long enough for me to get out and do some weeding without slogging through mud to get the job done.

In other news, Bubba and I are going to try to make it down to the river for a day of paddling soon, we so miss being out around or in the water. It has been raining a lot again and since the early hot spell, it has been rather cool. I love it, no need for air conditioning just open the windows and maybe run a fan! I would much rather listen to the frogs, crickets and other creatures at night than have to listen to the loud hum of the AC wouldn’t you?

I am thinking about starting some “homemade tutorials” depicting some of the things my son and I create from natural found items, but with all the other things I have gotten into on the web lately I have to be somewhat choosy for now so I don’t wind up overdoing things. We are pretty crafty around here and love to find new materials when we are out, such as the driftwood and shells we find at the river. They are mostly different kinds of snails and mussels. I have also found interesting old mushrooms that dry out well and vines of all kinds.

I have found many new ideas from looking at pages like:

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/4cqXlt/craftgawker.com/popular/favorites/7-days/page/2/

I like crafts that use natural materials the best, but will use anything I can to upcycle or find a new use for many item around the house or found while roaming garage sales and rummages. What kinds of things do you like to make or do?

I hope you find time to have fun to many of us have so much going on we forget to take care of ourselves along with those we love. So make a date with yourself to do something fun today!

Until next time, Deb~

Learning to Walk

Hello blog friends, today has been an interesting day so far. I am learning all about setting up advertising and affiliate programs on my blog and am considering setting up a web store at some point. Like learning to walk, I am taking baby steps and learning as I go. I am hoping this will help me with a small income stream since I am unable to work outside the home due to my son's disability and our lack of transportation (I detest looking for used vehicles....) I am taking baby steps as I learn about ways to make an income from my home. There seem to me to be hundreds of possibilities with a web store, and I am only learning a few of them, I would be interested in hearing from any of you that have done this, I have no idea really what I am doing yet but I am enjoying learning a lot of new things.

In the garden today there are lots of little green tomato's popping up all over the plants, I will have some pics up soon! The pepper plants are showing signs of peppers soon to come. Our other plants are doing pretty well, all the extra stuff I planted is coming up and I think for the one end of the garden anyway, I will get lots of things to put up, tomato's, beans, pickles, salsa and such.

Bubba is working on anatomy in science this summer, I let him chose something he was interested in to learn about for science and that is what he picked. It has been a challenge to write lessons on his level about a subject that is so intense but we are learning and he is loving it!
I hope all of you are doing well and enjoying the summer, while keeping in mind that winter is coming soon enough and there are lots of things to get done to be ready.
Have a wonderful day!

Until next time, Deb~

A Question

Just a short post this morning to vent a lil frustration, I can't comment on blogs I follow or others because no matter how many times I log on it says I must be logged on to comment!?! Or it puts an anonymous heading on my comment!?! Do any others have this problem? Or know how to solve it??

So, until I get this figured out.....
@Cary Ann.. I am so happy to see that you are able to post again, I have missed the happenings around your place, hope your garden is getting some water and the chicks are doing well....

@Kalupe... I wish I had the kind of place you write about, it is such an inspiration to me to know that others are living the kind of life I am working towards.

@Leigh... I hope someday I will be able to purchase a couple of goats, I am enjoying reading about yours and learning a few tips and problems along the way...I do believe I am going to have to think about the whole horns or no horns issue as I am not sure which way I want to go, I am much more a "natural" leaning person, yet with no purpose on domestic goats and so many issues with them getting caught with them or hurting others both animal and human............. it is something to think about

@Muffy... I agree about the laundry its just not the same as doing things at home, however it does give you the opportunity to block time for doing your internet chores. lol

To all of my other readers and blog friends I haven't mentioned, I hope you are having a wonderful summer, and I hope I get my sign on issues figured out soon! Sorry if I missed anyone....

Until next time, Deb~

Garden Things

Hello blog world, sorry it has been a while since I sat down long enough to blog about anything. I have been working on the garden:

the tomatos are looking very good, I have a few different varieties some red some yellow, I will know better after this season which ones I want to grow again. I took the stakes out yesterday and will be staking a few of them that are leaning. you can also see the peppers, green, orange and yellow that are doing okay, there are buds everywhere. Then we move on to the cucumbers, some of them didn't come up so I planted some more seeds last week.

as you can see here only about six cucumber plants came up, but most of the whole row of bush beans came up, yay!! Like I said I did replant some seed so hopefuly more will come up, and even if it doesn't sprout, the six that did come up should produce enough cucumbers for my needs. Now we move onto the sad part of my garden......

Only 5 corn stalks came up and just a few squash, like the cuces the squash will wind up producing enough but the corn is my biggest disappointment! I did plant some more seeds but have for the most part given up on this end of the garden. (I suppose youcan see that)

I have also been pretty busy on other projects, including my book, I have written a few more chapters and am trying not to think about editing at the present time. I also have been working on ways to make a lil income from the house. Sadly with my son being disabled I can't work outside the home and our truck has decided to die a horrible death so I am pretty much stuck for the moment. I am trying to think of ways to generate an income from here and I am sure something will come along, it always seems to work out so I try not to worry to much about things.

Sooo.....what have you been working on? Do you have any ideas on income generation from home? Let me know what you have been doing, and I will try to be more regular about posting.

Until next time, Deb~

Paddling at the Reservoir

Today was a awesome day. I woke up this morning, saw what a great day it was going to be and decided to head out to the reservoir, taking my son, the canoe and paddles to have a good time for a couple of hours. It has been so hot here this week we really wanted to be on or in the water, however swimming was out as although the air temps have been in the upper 80's to low 90's this week the water has not warmed up to swimming temp yet.

Bubba mostly wound up sitting in the canoe with his paddle cross ways in front of him, resting on the spray cover in the front of the canoe. I wish he liked it more, but he was for the most part afraid that the boat would tip over and he would wind up in the drink! He still doesn't have a good sense of balance but I am hoping that will improve as he becomes more comfortable being on the water.

The water was very choppy today as we had a decent wind blowing, it kicked up some rather rough waves, and there were others out testing their boats and equipment, so occasionally we had to watch out for the wake of passing motor boats as well.

This is what our inflatable canoe looks like out of the box

It is a great little inflatable canoe/kayak that I purchased online a couple of years ago, we have had out several times a summer with no damage or needed repairs. I like the convience of being able to carry it in a tote almost everywhere. It inflates in a couple of minutes with a battery operated air pump and deflates in seconds. A regular canoe would be much to heavy for me to handle and I wound not be able to enjoy the convience of keeping it and all the accessories (life preservers, paddles, air pump, etc..) in the truck and ready to go all the time.

We spent about 2 hours on the water and I enjoyed every minute of it, including believe it or not, listening to Bubb complain, He was being a good sport about it even when I told him I was going to paddle him out to the middle of the lake and dump him in! Hahaha..  at least I was in a pretty spot and having a good time paddling, which has the side benefit of being good exercise. (Boy are my arms and shoulders going to be sore in the morning) and he just enjoyed being at the reservoir, he even managed to get in a lil swimming at the boat launch as I got things ready and as I was packing them back up!

I hope to spend many more hours in the coming months, either on the water at the nearby reservoir, or making our way, in segments, down the east fork of the White River.

I have always wanted to paddle down the river from Muncie, IN where it becomes navigable, to the end where it joins the Wabash before merging with the Ohio. I even have a guidebook that shows the recommended segments along with all the information we need to complete the journey, (Dam’s, bridges, unadvisable spots, and the like)

I am hoping that my son will come around and enjoy himself more, he does like being outdoors enough to be willing to be my prisoner in the boat for a little while…. J

I am hoping that as his paddling skill increases, so will his enjoyment.

In other news, the garden is progressing well, almost everything has sprouted except my corn. I am quite disappointed about that but, if there is nothing poking through the soil after a few more days I am going to hoe those 3 rows and replant more corn, hoping that the problem is with the seeds…

And finally, I know I haven't been posting as regular as I would like to, there is a reason and all will be explained in a future post, suffice to say I am not as healthy as I would like to be and it is going to take more that just a little exercise to feel better.

I hope all of you who read my blog regularly, and you stalkers too, will stay tuned and keep on reading, it WILL get better, and more regular as I am able, and I hope you will add your thoughts as well, as they help me make these pages better along with being encouraging for me!

What kinds of things do you do for fun and relaxation in your part of the world? Don't forget that along with becoming more self- sufficent we need to take care of the kid inside us all by having some fun!
Besides the fun we have in and on the water my son and I also like to have a good time with our friends. We are having our first "bonfire party" of the year in a couple of weeks and they are wonderful. A night spent outdoors with family and friends around a blazing fire with good food and good music we always have a good time and usually wind up sleeping in one of the tents we set up for those who do not wish to drive home late or come from out of town. I hope to post about that and have good pics to share when the time arrives.

Until next time
Deb~

Thoughts

When I read in the news that the Chancellor of Germany had announced plans today for Germany to abandon atomic power by 2022, I felt very proud of my German ancestors. I mean really, they are taking the steps necessary to fix some of what is wrong with the world. Now understand, I do not mean wrong with the world as in they way folks act or the economy or anything like that. I mean fix what is wrong with the WORLD, our planet, our mother, our place to exist.

Whether or not you personally believe in global warming or climate change or whatever you want to call it. {I am trying to make a point, not argue about words used or language} You cannot look around without seeing damage we, as humans, have done to our planet in the name of convenience or even survival. We have damaged our home. In addition, unlike our homes we live inside of, we cannot just up and move because we damaged this home beyond repair! We have no choice but to stay here and do what we can as individuals and as countries to try to change, to fix some of the damage, to do what we have to do to prevent more damage whenever we can.

Sadly I am not in a position to live the way I would like to, some call it “off the grid”, others “green living”. Again, pick the words that work for you, I do the best that I can, and I am learning more and adding each day sometimes to the changes made to be able to live as close to the way I would like as I can. I read about many other who feel the same way and are doing their parts as well, along with those who have been able to buy some land, and live in harmony with nature while not giving up modern things like the internet… :)  I see what changes they have made and are making and I applaud them as I envy them. Someday, I tell myself, I am determined.

So  before this turns into a long rant on how I feel about the environment and nature I will just say that I think the steps Germany is taking are the steps we all need to be taking and soon to ensure our children and their children will have a home to build a house on!

Until next time

Deb~

New Stuff

Just a quick post to let all of you know that in light of the severe weather we have experienced this spring I am redoing the severe weather page. Look for it later this weekend~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To all those touched by the horrible storms we as a nation have seen this spring, know that you are in the thoughts and prayers of many all over the world.
As a human community we can all find ways to reach out and help those who have suffered so much.
A simple smile can help in ways you can't imagine unless you have been through something similar.
WE can rebuild homes, schools, hospitals and businesses, we can not replace lives lost so let us all be aware of the dangers in the area we live in and make sure our neighbors and family are aware as well.
Have a plan, know where to go and what to do in the event of a weather emergency as well as any other kind of emergency.
Until next time
Deb~

Storms, Puppies and Little Boys

As I sit here tonight typing this post, my new puppy is sitting on the front deck looking at me all sad and puppy like after he was scolded and put out after his first "accident" in the house. It wouldn't have been so bad but really, Bubba had just come in the house from taking him for a walk, and I swear he came straight past me went in the other room and did his thing! I think he was maybe a little bit upset as we left him in the house alone a couple of times today as I had appointments in town, but that's no reason to take it out on me like that, ya know what I mean? Now that that's off my mind I can move on...

I also don't know where you are from, but where I live we have gotten a lot of rain. I know some of you have heard me yak about the amount of rain before so I will not dwell on it, but I do want to say that I am thinking a lot about the Hundreds of people that the severe weather has touched this year.
Thankfully here we have only had a few "bad" storms with mostly wind problems and a lot of rain. Unfortunately, way too many folks have lost family and friends and or every thing they owned in the terrible weather we have had this spring.
I hope all of you are taking steps to make sure you and yours are safe in this weather. No matter what kind of weather you have to deal with there is always a chance that severe things (think, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, tsunami and so on) can and do happen and you could be cut off from help or need to be able to take care of yourselves.

A lot of fun has been poked at the CDC recently for their publication in print and online titled Social Media: Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse  but really it is kind of funny to read and if you think about it we hear the same things a lot about what we need to have to take care of ourselves and our families. I have a "bug out bag" as well as food, water and medicine to make sure no matter what happens (I hope) I can be prepared. I hope that you are taking the necessary steps to make sure you can care for you and yours as well.

I have spent a lot of time writing and speaking about being prepared, in fact maybe too much recently as I am finding my little guy is starting to freak out if the storms are coming close, he wants to leave and go to his sisters house (she is currently living in a nice basement apartment about 5 miles away in town) and seeing him get so wound up about a dark sky has me thinking about ways to approach him with solid information that will help him understand when to be worried and when not too. Some times it is hard to know what to tell kids in general, let alone when they process information differently!

He has made a new friend who visits his grandparents nearby and like to come and play with him. I am hoping the kid comes to visit often as he and my son seem to get alone well so far. They were playing basketball (can't tell their Indiana boys huh?) and having a good time before the rain moved in today, I am glad there is finally someone around here he can play with sometimes.

Well, that's enough for today, don't want to ruin your eyes making you read too much....hahaha

Until next time....stay safe!
Deb~

Sunshine and Gardening

I woke up to this today.....after what seems like weeks of never-ending rain, finally a perfect day. I got started early but even though the day looks beautiful, the ground is still really wet

At least it is not muddy is what I tell myself, as I head out the door. I managed to get the tomato's, peppers  and two rows of corn in today. Here is a pic of the first two rows of tomato's. The corn is at the other end of the garden and the middle is yet to be planted but that is where the cucumbers, squash, bush beans and turnips will all go.

tomato's and peppers

It is still quite a job to get the wet soil raked and planted. I am pretty sore tonight but it is a "worth-it" sore. At least now I know the planting has begun and we will have wonderfully fresh veggies in a few short months.

I also took a walk down the tree line to check out an apple tree, a mulberry tree and to pick some fresh wildflowers to take inside.
 I took Chewy with me and he enjoyed sniffing all the new and strange odors in his world.
He is coming along nicely, we take him out every couple of hours and of course he is outside with us when we are out.
except, he doesn't like being on a rope while outdoors, nope, not one lil bit. He wants to run and chase the kids and chew on everything in sight.
But nope, he is confined until he learns to control himself a little more.
He hasn't made any messes in the house, he is confined to my bedroom at night, and he wakes me bright and early (ugh) to go outside.
Of course I oblige his early call, for I do not want to wake and step out of bed into a puppy puddle!

A very sleep Chewbacca

He is tired after his afternoon of watching me plant, and my son and the neighbors little girl play. He looks exhausted doesn't he?? You would think he was the one doing all the work.

Well bloggy friends, that's it for now, I have more pics coming this weekend as I get more accomplished. I have decided to plant my raspberry bush in an old knobby, cool looking tire off of a three wheeler that my friend was going to throw out. The place I picked to plant it by the deck has a lot of tree roots from a big maple nearby so I figure I will just grow it in a "container".  

How are you doing with your gardening and other projects, are you getting spring off to a good start?

Until next time

Deb~

Rain, Rain...You Know The Rest

Wow, ever since I got to work on the garden, every single day since it was tilled up, it has rained. Dang it, how am I supposed to get it planted? It has been a very wet week! It has also been another very busy week. Since last Thursday when my daughter helped me with getting the garden area tilled, it has rained. Ugh! The last few days of rain have been the kind of rain that is and isn't, you know the kind that doesn't show up on radar

Thanks so much sweetie

because it is so light, yet causes you do need windshield wipers when driving, (or Rain-X...best friend of those of us who had a wiper motor quit for no reason!) feel wet outside after a minute or so, causes everything to have a layer of water on it and of course prevents the ground from drying out AT ALL! I mean I have tried several times to go out to the garden and get something done, but, the whole yard is muddy, it is like trying to .... well work  with mud or clay! I finally just managed to get one small row raked and planted 5 of the tomato plants, if the ground doesn't dry up a little I won't have a back left by the time I get everything planted. Besides it isn't just me, the newspaper I read yesterday said that our farmers have already lost a lot because they can't get the corn in the ground any more than I can get my garden planted. Oh well, we will have to wait a day or two more I reckon and give ole Momma Nature a chance and then see where we are.

In other news I took my son on a "road trip" on Tuesday this week, we went to see Pappy, he called and relayed info on my sisters trip up from near New Orleans and wanted us to come out and meet her there. This is what I got for the drive:

Chewbacca (Chewy)

Isn't he the cutest? My Sis called me and asked me if I wanted a puppy and after hearing her talk about him I said yes. My other dog Willow isn't so happy about the new member of the family and so far she has hidden and growled and barked a lot, but today she came out and sat with me for a little while and watched me play tug with Chewy. She didn't want anything to do with him, but at least she came out of hiding. I sure hope she warms up to him in the coming days! He is only 5 months old and although they had a different name for him, it was too close to the name of a very special dog I had that was killed so I decided we had to change it. Sooo, he finally wound up with Chewbacca, see Bubba is a super Star Wars fan and the little guy does kinds resemble ole chewy sorta in the face....... and man does he like to chew on things! Doesn't matter if it is only the rope leash he is walked on, his monster monkey, a sock, my toes, my pant leg, you get the idea right?! Oh yes, and the cat could care less, he seems to avoid the playful little guy but doesn't seem to care if he is in the house or not.

There, so that has been the bulk of my week, just busy, and of course rainy. We did however have a bright spot today, it was the team meeting for my son. His teacher, (the one that comes to the house) His wraparound case manager and I sat down and went over how things have been in the last month. We had had some problems with him for a little while but now it seems like he has calmed down a lot. We did go through a adjustment of medication doseage but other than that I think he is just doing better since he (we) can get outside more.

In one more week the teacher that comes here will stop coming for the summer and I will be doing all of the homeschooling. We will not be stopping for the summer, it is better for Bubba if we keep going over and over the things he has mastered and adding new things slowly. We have finally reached learning multiplication tables, and he is still having a lot of problems with reading but in science and geography he is doing amazingly well. So we are going to emphasize a lot of the stuff he likes this summer and incorperate some math and reading into them making it more fun for him I hope.

I guess thats about it for todays update, except I know I have promised pics of the plants and garden, please just bear with me a couple of more days and I will get them up! I hope you and yours are having a great spring and getting more done in the garden than I am!

Until next time

Deb~

Working In The Garden

I see the sun is peeking out from behind the clouds it has been hiding behind for the last couple of days, so I am planning to work in the garden today. It has been chilly and rainy and I am sure the ground is probably a lil on the wet side, but I can still start raking it and breaking up some of the bigger lumps left by the tilling and rain. I hope to plant either Wednesday or Thursday, under the "planting moon". I am going to wait and start my barrel of potato's under the new moon later this month.  I would plant the above ground stuff tomorrow but it is suppose to be another rainy, chilly day so I will wait one or two days for a lil more warmth, the moon will still be pretty full.

I also want to get my last window box set up today, I found a beautiful mint plant while shopping for plants last week and it is going on one end (I can't wait to try a fresh mojito) and I may try catnip on the other. (I am sure Chowder will approve). In the other two window boxes, the chives finally came up some and are doing okay, and the sage looks healthy, I will need to thin it soon. But my cilantro just doesn't seem to be fairing as well, it seems to get so big and then fall over like the plant isn't strong enough to support it's own growth rate. I am not sure what to do about that, after the first few fell over and perished I planted more so we will see.

So it is to be a Monday of cleaning, working in the garden to prepare the soil for planting and taking care of houseplants. I will try to get some pictures of all the plants for posting later this week.
Until next time,
Deb~

Tilling

Well, I have made a decision, or rather my body, specifically my knee, has made a decision; we will not remove the sod first but rather just use the tiller and till all the sod under in the big garden area. Sure, it will mean more weeding down the road but judging from the size of my knee, if I keep on trying to force it to work I will not be able to walk and that alone will be a big road block in my plans to get myself in better shape! I think I would rather do the weeding and save the knee!

It will be a little bit yet before I can till because we have had so much rain the ground is still pretty muddy here. I have been getting some flower seeds planted but not much more than that. The kids don't seem to mind the soggy ground, they are just happy to be able to go outside in shorts. One of my granddaughters eyes got huge today when I went to put shorts on her this morning, (they spent the night) gramma, she says, are those shorts? When I told her yes they were shorts and it was gonna get very warm today her little eyes got like saucers and then she started smiling and jumping up and down and singing...its summer time, its summer time... I was laughing so hard I had to wait a minute to finish dressing her.

We had a pretty decent storm move through today, a lot of places around us had some rather large hail but we were spared the worst here. I feel for so many folks that due to tornado's and floods have lost their homes and way of life this year. It is that very thing, that, and an ice storm a few years back that caused the loss of electricity for 5 days, that set me on the path of being self-reliant. Seeing how the government acted (or didn't act) during Katrina, the huge tsunami on Christmas Eve and even now the earthquake in Japan have shown the world the importance of being able to take care of ones self and family for at least a few days, and for me longer than that, if (when) something happens. Will you be ready??

I hope all of you are doing well, enjoying the beginning of spring, the colors and textures are just wonderful! Stay safe my friends, and have a great week!
Until next time
Deb~

Digging In the Garden

Hello blog friends, today has been a wonderful day to spend outside in the garden. Okay, really the garden-to-be area. I am removing sod by hand and so far it is exactly what you would think, back-breaking work! I am sore on top of sore and only got a few rows of sod off today! I am a little disappointed but, that's what it's all about for me, working. Working to get the garden ready for planting and working to get back into shape. I have let things go for too long really and of course now I am paying for it. Will I give up? Heck NO!

This kind of sore I like, I don't like the pains of aging, of disease or of inactivity. At least there is a GOOD reason for this pain .... it is the pain of accomplishment! I started the day off with my little man helping me but he all too soon tired and decided that the dirt was not something he was crazy about, I mean he is okay with the worms, heck he will even play with them but he is NOT crazy about bugs in general. He is now napping and I don't know if I am going to be able to convince him to help much with the rest and there is still a lot to do. I am sure once the hard stuff is done I will be able to get his help with the planting and harvesting and there is no doubt about the help with eating, he is an eating machine! (but what pre-teen boy isn't?)

Other than that there hasn't been much going on today. The weather has been great for a change, in the 70's and sunny as opposed to 50's and rainy! I will take it! So are you all able to get anything done in the garden yet?
Until next time
Deb~

Preparing Our Garden Spot

Today, in between the raindrops, my son and I are removing sod from the area that will become our garden in just a few weeks. We have had to work between the raindrops as it has rained here nearly every day for a while now. Okay well, not EVERY day, just most of them and for a little while the yard was too saturated to work in. 

It is still pretty moist (okay today it is almost muddy again) but it kinda makes it easier to cut the sod out. Bubba thinks it is too heavy since his job is to pull up the sod and put it in the wheelbarrow when I get it cut out. We do a little each day since I can't physically do the entire job at once, but a little a day is better than none and soon we will be able to add the compost and plant our garden.

I also have the raspberry and grape plants to get in the ground this week as it looks like winter has finally lost the battle with spring and I think we are past the last frost now. (keeping fingers crossed here) the herbs we started are doing well except for the chives, I finally gave up on the first batch last week since nothing sprouted after a month and replanted a new packet (maybe the first packet was a dud) so here's hoping the new batch will sprout soon!


In the sewing room, I have gather some material and am in the process of cutting out another dress for my granddaughters and I found a sheet with a nice pattern on it that I am cutting to make a new muu muu (I just love them, I could wear one all the time they are so comfy)

Soon, I will be getting the summer patterns I want for the kids and start on their summer clothes. I am looking forward to all the new things that will come from my sewing room.

I have also decided to continue through the summer with Bubba's schooling, we aren't going to take a summer break like the other kids do, since he only spends an hour a day on his studies we figured it wouldn't be a big deal to continue that through the summer and hopefully he will retain more this way instead of spending the first few months re-learning everything from the previous year!

And finally in fun stuff news I am planning my first bon fire party of the year for early June. By then it will be warm enough to be comfortable after dark. I have been having my bon fires for a few years now and they are great. We have a pitch-in dinner followed by loads of fun around the fire.

Since I live in a new place this time I have to start fresh beginning with a new fire pit. This time I am going to go up to the Rural King and buy a barrel to cut, then instead of using the bottom section, I am going to use the top and place it over a old stump in the yard, I figure after a while of having the bon fires the stump will be burned out! (besides the stump is in the perfect place in my yard for the fire pit.) I can't wait! The bon fires have always been so much fun for us, so much so that it played into my decision to move here last year. This place is very close to where I lived when I started having them and so far I have had friends asking when the first one of the year would be, so I don't think I could even get away with not having them!

So that's what is happening in my little corner of the world, how bout you? What kinds of things are you doing this spring??

Until next time,
Deb~

Chapter One Complete

Well, after reading a hundred times or so, (and I'm not kidding a bit either), and adding and editing I think I have the first chapter of something complete.

 I say the first chapter of something because I am almost afraid of the pressure and obligation of saying I am writing a book.

 I have written poetry and short stories a lot throughout my life although not anything recently. I like to think I am a pretty good writer although you really can't tell from most of the rambling posts on here. lol.

Anyway, I feel pretty good with the first chapter and I can't wait to find out where the story goes. Or for that matter what kind of story it turns out to be. I really have no idea.

It just started the other day, not the story but the process, with me cleaning out some old computer files and laughing over some stuff I had forgotten about. It is amazing after a couple of years to go back and look at stuff saved and forgotten about.

I came across an old file called decent story material. I remember a few years ago, I thought about writing but only scratched out what I thought were good ideas at the time and haven't looked at since. I also found one page of about 3 paragraphs that captured my attention when I read it. In fact when I first read it I thought someone else had written it! Then I remembered writing it a few years ago and when I read it one more time and thought about it for a few minutes the ideas just started flying and that hasn't happened for me like that in a really long time.

So I won't say I am writing a book, although I have always wanted to.I will just say I am writing chapters of a story that will be however long it turns out and maybe, just maybe someday I will write a book.

So how is your day going?
Until next time
Deb~

Life Without The Internet

Hello!
I have been away for a while I know, sorry blog friends, but see my internet connection is through the hotspot on my phone. (palm pre plus thru verizon) and my phone decided not to accept a charge anymore. (I was truely devastated) I took my phone in and found out that somehow the tiny pins that connect the charge port had gotten bent in. It was a funny yet sad moment in the verizon store when the guy asked me if I could see the difference between his charge port and mine and I had to laugh, see the difference? I asked him with a grin on my face "I can't see the darn port too good" ....now before you say anything I know I should have been wearing my glasses but about the only time I can convince myself to wear them is either driving at night or reading since I can do neither without so.
So anyway, back to the phone thingy. I had to wait for them to send me a replacement phone (the wait just about did me in I tell ya) and then get it activated and so on......
and finally ....ta da.... I am back.

To those affected by the unusually severe weather outbreak last week, know there are those of us who are praying for you.

Not a lot has been going on here except watching the rain just keep on coming. Luckily for me I do not live in a flood zone and unlike the storm back in February that flooded me due to frozen ground, since the rain has been steady it has been able to drain off and down to the little creek (lately a small river) and away. It has just been real soggy and muddy around here for days without end. YUCK. I am tired of it really and can't wait be able to get out and dig! Speaking of which, since the big garden this year is a new one here I had to call the "call before you dig" folks and get them out here to make sure I would not mess up any underground lines. They came out today in the rain and marked a couple of marks in the yard and told me I was good to go on the location of the garden and the trees I have planned for this spring.

In other news, things around here are quieter since the grandbabies are not here as much. They are now spending part of their week with their dad, since he is able to take them now. My daughter and him finally (a good thing) split but they are doing a good job so far with the girls.

I hope to be posting and reading more now, and boy am I glad to have the net and my phone back again.

Until next time
Deb~