Photo: Great grandparents at their farm in Blandinsville, IL, with five of their six children .. my grandpa was yet a twinkle in grandma's eye. Stable boy and governess also pictured. Hodges farm, circa 1903-4

Monday, March 30, 2015

Getting Back to the ....

Garden of Eden.

If you'd like to be more water wise with your garden, pour a cup of tea and watch this movie on managing your garden the way God intended.

Back to Eden

Day Three ~ The past several years we have added fine wood chips between the raised beds which have rotted down to a good rich mixture.  Today it was raked up and used as rich mulch on top of the beds.  Will try the methods used in this video to cut down on watering by 95%.

What's up in your garden?


Thursday, March 12, 2015

Garden Journey ~ Day Two

Another sunny spring-like day to work in the yard.

Perfect temp for yard work!

Remainder of winter mulch removed from raised beds.

In ground garden area raked.

Many wheel barrels later ..... 

Just a smidgen of green grass.

Fruit trees still dormant.

We usually have snow covered mountains until early May.

A little yard art in anticipation of summer!

Next up will be to amend soil and give it a light tilling.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

2015 Garden Journey ~ Day 1

Raspberry canes thinned, topped and tied.

Fenced off raised beds tidied.

Back patio pressure washed and furniture uncovered.

Burning raspberry canes & yard stubble.
Although not out of the woods for frost, we are having a mild winter with little snow so got a jump start on spring yard cleanup.  Is your garden/landscape awakening or going to bed?

Monday, March 09, 2015

A Full Life




"Just help me make it to my rocking chair" ~ the words I spoke to my husband over thirty-four years ago when we said "I do."  Walk with me in the valleys and on the mountain tops.  With God beside us, who could be against us? Well, we've been to Holland when we wanted to go to Italy, and that was OK ~ we still were blessed.  When one door closed .... three more opened.  And so it went for his career span, while I tended the home fires.

We were slaves for a period of time with a mortgage, two car payments, private school tuition, etc.  Those were the years hubby missed many family milestones.  My plate was full juggling four kids and one summer from hell.  

Fast forward to present ~ at the moment we are on the mountain top.  Now we may not stay up here, but having traveled through so many valleys the Lord has given us the strength to weather life's storms.  All I can say is:  It's been a good ride!  

Today we went RV shopping.  Not to buy one, but to just peek at them as we've never been 'RV people' .... being debt free, we plan on staying that way.  Yes, we could have purchased one, even without a loan ... but the thought of maintenance, winterizing, GAS prices, storage fees, insurance, etc., we walked out of the dealership thinking for the price of a not so fancy rig, we could go on two or three luxury vacations and have money left over.  The other drawback for us is traveling with Nathan!  He's portable, but not totally pot-able (100% night time toilet trained) due to colon surgeries.  That alone put a STOP to any thoughts of driving off into the sunset!  

Well, before we sit for any long spell in our rocking chairs, we've got a bit of life and living to do while we still have some get up and go.