"Getting rid of everything that doesn’t matter allows you to remember who you are. Simplicity doesn’t change who you are, it brings you back to who you are."

Sunday, September 26, 2010

At Last...

I think we've finally turned the corner into fall today. 



Yesterday was 95...hot...the grass was crispy, crunchy under my feet.  SM and I sat in the shade of the maple last evening and remarked how this was likely the last day of over 90 degrees for this year.




A cold front bringing badly needed rain and cooler temps was due to push through today and tomorrow.

SM and I cleaned out the gutters and raked up the loose leaves from the front yard this morning before it was due to rain.  We have a tall birch tree close to the house which starts to drop leaves in late summer and inevitably clogs up the front gutters.  (SM will have to manage that particular chore thru October.)



SM ran the mower over them a few times and I raked them up and "wheelbarrowed" them back to the garden.  I'm putting in all the fall leaves/grass into the empty "dugout" beds to compost over winter.  I'll be adding more soil/manure on top of those beds as our $funds$ allow.



Once we got cleaned up SM asked for some chocolate chip walnut cookies.  

Sure!  



I noticed these were "fluffier" than I usually make.  Ah... the mystery of baking.  Never the same cookie twice. 



Hey...I figured it out!  I used the recipe from the back of the Nestle Semi-Sweet chip bag.

I usually use the Alton Brown Chewy CC Recipe.  I like them chewy.  But to get a chewy cookie you need to use the really dark brown sugar, the darkest you can buy. 

Since SM has a sweet tooth and is diabetic...I use splenda products as much as I can.

Hey...I can't eat em anyway...(no fat or gluten or chocolate in my life.)

SM says he'll eat them quick so I can make them correctly next time.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Sunrise, Sunset

Yesterday we hit 93 degrees.  But we had a pretty sunset!



The next 4 day forecast is for 95,96,94 and 93.  I sure hope those babies out there can handle it.  I've been soaking the beds in the morning everyday but when I come home from work you can see the heat has just dried up all the moisture.



The peas are popping and the carrots are starting to come up.  Yeah me!  (Fingers crossing that I can get through this last heat wave.)



The bunnies have found the winter squash I planted in the old pumpkin patch.  (Note to self: Bunnies will eat first and ask questions later.)  I assumed that since they left the pumpkins alone this spring that they would ignore the squash. Ha!  



Ninja puppy.  Sometimes I have no idea where she is.  Her brindle coat blends in so well... If that red blanket wasn't there, she'd blend in completely



Isn't she sweet?  When she was a pup, her tongue would stick our a bit and sometimes she would dream she was still sucking.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

A Simple Day


We hit 90 degrees again today.  The saving grace has been that the nights have been cool with lows in the 60's.



All the seeds I direct sowed last week are up. Yeah!




All except the carrots.  It's funny...just about every east coast blog I hit has issues growing carrots.  I expect I will too, but it's worth a shot considering that I always have carrots in the veggie bin.

We're experiencing a dry spell here in the Piedmont.  No measureable rain in a month.  Mother Nature really knows how to turn off the tap.



SM mowed the yard today.  It's been several weeks since we last mowed and even though "It's a dust bowl out there" Sm said that it needed it.



We're also noticing that the maple is starting to turn.  We think this has more to do with the lack of rain than the assumption of cooler fall weather.



I've spent most of this afternoon reading Farmama.  She's got me considering mixing up my gardening styles. 

As I read through her archives, I noted that she has raised beds for the family garden, tilled acreage for their local organic vegetable business and, just this year, they are trying the "no-till" / sheet mulching methods that I've also heard about.

The nice thing about being a "beginner" in all this is that I can experiment as I enlarge the garden space.  See what works.  Mix it up so something works.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

It's Good to be the King

In a home that is dominated by dogs, I like to think that I'm the alpha dog.  The Big Cheese.  The Queen Bee.

I feed them, scratch them, nap with them, walk with them, worry about them and when I walk in the door after a hard day, they are there with airplane propellar tails, adoration in their eyes.  (Oh Yeah, they love me but do they respect me?)

I may think I'm the head honcho but I'm really under no illusion at all...

When SM speaks we all listen. 

The dogs line up to do his bidding with a softly spoken word.  (I have to use food as bribes.)

SM snaps his fingers and puppies fall all over themselves...."What can I do for you, Sir?"  (Not only does the "snapping" not work for me, I often get the "Huh, what do you want" look from the pups after yelling my fool head off.)

When I try to explain to SM that I've come to realize just who the Boss is around here and "It ain't me"...He laughs and says...

"No, it ain't you...It's Him."  Pointing at the cat.




KiKi? 

Oh, yes my friends...Kiki.  (Jersery Shore may have "The Situation" but we have "The Wee".  And SM is right.  He is the Boss.) 

We all jump to do his bidding.  "Meow" I'm hungry. "Meow" as he softly pads across the floor inviting his own personal escort of dogs to come running and help him out the door.

At the window? Come on in.  Want some water out of the bathroom sink? Here ya go.  Oh!  You don't like the water in that sink?  Lets try another.

And what is with his butt?  With his tail held high he strolls along with puppies attached to his rear end sniffing like he's got sirlon steak in there!

It smells that good? 

Last night was a good reminder of "why" he's the Boss.  For whatever reason, 3am was my wake up call.

"Meow!" 

I shoot up out of a dead sleep. 

"Meow!"...

"Bastard..." I think, hustling to get up before SM wakes up.  I stumble to the bedroom door.

There he his, laying on his side like he's bored. I take one more step closer...and he's off jogging down the hallway...And now the dogs hear him...12 little feet come running through the house like it's the Kentucky Derby.

"BASTARDS!!!"  I whisper at the whole crew.  Now tails are whipping and pups are jumping up and down.  I've lost sight of the freaking cat. 

"Ok...Ok!  Lets get a snacky."  Everyone troops off to the kitchen for a treat.  Then a potty break...I step outside... beautiful stars, cool breeze.  "Uh, Oh" They see a bunny!  Puppy run!

By the time everyone gets back into the house, I'm wide awake.  And as I sit down to do some computer blogging/reading, I realize that I've completely
forgotten about the cat.  And he's gone.  Nowhere in the house at all.  I don't see him again for another 4 hours.

Are you kidding me?  What kind of sick perverted game is this?  He's the one who started all this!!

Yep...SM is right.  KiKi's the boss around here alright.  Who is the "King" in your house?

(I had to include in this post the "Cat Diary/Manifesto".  It's an oldie but a goodie and if you don't own a cat, please understand that every word of this is true.  This is how they think...)

DAY 659 My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild satisfaction I get from ruining the occasional piece of furniture. Tomorrow I may eat another houseplant.

DAY 662 Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet while they were walking almost succeeded, must try this at the top of the stairs. In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair... must try this on their bed.

DAY 669 Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body, in attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little cat I was... Hmmm Not working according to plan.

DAY 681 Slept all day so that I could annoy my captors with sleep depriving, incessant pleas for food at ungodly hours of the night.

DAY 688 I am finally aware of how sadistic they are. For no good reason I was chosen for the water torture. This time however it included a burning foamy chemical called "shampoo." What sick minds could invent such a liquid? My only consolation is the piece of thumb still stuck between my teeth.

DAY 690 There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in solitary throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell the foul odor of the glass tubes they call "beer." More importantly I overheard that my confinement was due to MY power of "allergies." Must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage.

DAY 699 I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and may be snitches. The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously a half-wit. The Bird on the other hand has got to be an informant. He has mastered their frightful tongue something akin to mole speak) and speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal room his safety is assured. But I can wait, it is only a matter of time.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Exploring the Blog-o-sphere

I came across a website Blotanical . Stop by... I've been spending quite a bit of time there this week reading and exploring some of the blogs.  (I think I know what I'll be doing on cold rainy nasty winter days.) 

One blog that I found through Blotanical that I really enjoy is Idaho Small Goat Garden .  I like the way she writes.  I spent several hours the other day reading through her archives.  (I'm so jealous of her nice black Idaho dirt.)
I also noticed that she only has a few entries for 2010.  I guess life gets in the way.  Too bad.

Another site that I've just begun to explore is Farmama.  I found this one through the blog Down to Earth that's on my sidebar.  I've read through about 5 or so entries and I'm really enjoying her perspective.

I find it interesting how some blogs appeal to me and some don't.  I feel that I'm "shopping" for good blogs.  I know that the style of writing is critically important...I'm mean if you can't express yourself and tell a good story you're lost.  And even though it's our lives and experiences and opinions that we're putting out there, we're still telling a story. 

Sometimes I'll hit a site and I'm turned off instantly.  Is anybody else like that?

I'm noticing how quickly I get turned off by sites with bad color combinations.  Mostly in the text area.  Why on earth would anyone use a black background with hot pink or yellow text?  It makes my eyes water!

Text too small or too big bugs me.  Text that runs on and on continuously...It looks like a big block of "blah" on the screen.  And it always surprises me if there's no pictures.  No pics?  (Hey... I'm not seeing a picture in this entry yet.  Here's one!)



So here's the thing...I want to toss out a great big Thank You to all the blogs out there.  I might love your blog instantly or I might spin away so quickly from your site you'll never know I was there...but one thing that they all give me is an opportunity to learn from them.

It's a great big wide wonderful world out there.  Thanks again for sharing.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Into Every Life a Little "Whine" Must Fall

The fall garden is IN.  3 beds were barely enough.  Yeah!  Here's the spinach, broccoli and cauliflower bed.  The other two are direct seeded.



Ok! Now onto the important stuff. 

Update on my health:  You can stop reading this now if you like. 

I'm mean really!  Stop now! 

I'm just going to whine a little here...it is my blog after all.  And as sympathetic as SM has been to my "pain" I expect he's going to fall into the "Suck It Up" camp real quick.  I mean everybody has issues.  Who was I to think I'd avoid them forever.  I should be damn glad that it's not all that big a deal.

Lower GI is fine/normal.  Yeah me!

Here's the scoop on my upper GI.  I have a small Hiatal Hernia (which is not uncommon) and that is likely contributing to the reflux.  I also have a "patch" of inflamation (gastritis hopefully) that he biopsed along with some of my small intestinal tissue (celiac biopsy...no thank you, please). 

Pending the results of those biopsies...(always remember kids that it's good to be a boring patient)...I should be able to find some resolution.

He's put me on a medication to "speed up" my digestion.  Bethanechol.  (The side effects list looks interesting...)

He's also rx'ing me Zegarid which is a "souped-up" version of the Prilosec that has slowly stopped working over this past week.  I didn't let on but last week was no fun...24-7 heartburn.  Yick.

Zegarid must be an expensive drug because my insurance company needs a letter from the Dr (prior authorization) stating that it's necessary. 

(He wants me on an 8 week course of this stuff and then we re-evaluate.)  So I'm on the Prilosec until the approval (or disapproval) comes through.

When I was given the Dx of GERD, what 3 months ago (?) it came as a pretty big suprise since I've never had heartburn.  This all came on quite suddenly.  I was pretty sure it was an ulcer.  I actually hoped it was an ulcer since ulcers have the promise of a cure.  Whereas GERD...nope. 

Oh...don't get me wrong, when I say no cure I mean that there is no easy fix.  And who doesn't love the easy fix?

The reality is, like so many other conditions, you need the magic M word. 

Management.

Just like gluten sensitivity/Celiac you need to make lifestyle changes.  Some are easy...no coffee, caffeine, soda pop, spicy foods, alcohol...Yes I can give up alcohol pretty easily.  Some I never started ie: smoking.

Some are a little tougher.  "Don't eat 3-4 hours before going to bed."  Hey...I don't get home from work most nights before 6pm.  Eat real quick cause I'm usually passed out by 9:30pm.

And some fall into the waaaaa category.  Don't want to do it, "No Sir" I just don't want to do it.

Avoid fats.  What?  But I love butter.  I love ice cream.  I love chocolate.  And they love me!  This isn't like giving up gluten!  I really could care less about pasta and breads and cookies.  (Well, maybe I care a little bit)

But giving up fats?  Those wonderfull little molecules that make life taste so good?  It would be like giving up sugar!  Wait, I'm supposed to cut back on that too? 

Cut back...not give up.  I'm getting way too dramatic here.  Cutting back does not mean never ever!  Maybe just don't eat those things 3 squares daily. 

Moderation.   Hey, it's another magic M word!

Isn't getting older fun?

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Prep


Preparation:

1. The action of making ready or being made ready for use.


2. Something done to get ready for an event or undertaking.
 
Both of these definitions are true for me today.
 
 
 
Garden prep:  I took action this morning in getting the 3 beds ready to plant for my fall garden. 
 
I noted the other day that the Mel's Mix is DRY AS A BONE.  A better visual is that it has the consistancy of flour. 
 
We got some rain yesterday...as in very little.  And I noticed NO worms, they're long gone, but tons of spiders. I applied a fresh bag of cow compost to each bed and...on my hands and knees...mixed that in with the existing soil. 
 
 
 
Turned the hose on...one bed at a time...and started "soaking" the bed while on worked on the next one. 
 
I then mixed the "dry and wet" together the same as if I were baking.  Similar folding motions.  By the time I was done, all the beds were nice and wet, a lumpy consistancy, but not soaking wet...as in mud.
 
 
 
I plan on hitting it again this afternoon with water and then tonight I'll direct sow my seeds and transplants (hopefully).
 
The reason I say hopefully is because of the second definition of "preparation". 
 
Something done to get ready for an event or undertaking.
 
Uh... Yeah.  I'll be having my upper and lower GI tomorrow and we all know what that means. 
 
"Go to the happy place...GO TO THE HAPPY PLACE!"
 
 
 
Ooooh look...more pretty pictures!  (grin)  *PS...disturbing comments will be deleted...this means you Mom!*
 
 

 

Saturday, September 11, 2010

And So It Begins

We're finally getting some rain today.



I went back and looked at our precipitation history (TWC)... the last time we had rain here was 8-19. 

A few weeks ago I pulled up the spring garden and I'm really missing the veggies.  Last weekend was too hot to do anything with, but this weekend and upcoming week look milder with lows in the 60's and highs in the mid to upper 80's.

I went ahead and bought some seeds today.  Since I'm new at this, I'm not "loyal" to any one particular brand of seed.  I'm sure that will come as I gain more experience.  The nursery I went to today had Burbee so that's what I bought.



So for direct seeding...

2 varieties of leaf lettuces and a "salad bowl" partial packet from this spring that did very well.  Early peas.  Carrots.  Winter squash. 

The latest harvest dates on what I'll direct sow are about 60-70 days which puts me about mid November.  We usually don't get really cold weather until December or later so I'll be keeping my fingers crossed.



I found broccoli, cauliflower and spinach plants so I went ahead and snagged those too. 



The nursery had lots of cabbage and collards but those aren't a mainstay in our diet yet, so I think I will buy them at the store for now and integrate them into our diet this winter so we develop a taste for them.  

I have a BIG backyard so we have time to grow into our tastes and enlarge the garden as those tastes develop.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Grow What You Know?...Maybe Not.

My childhood was spent in upper NY state and later in Ohio.  I have strong childhood memories of picking TONS of wild berries in both states.  Raspberries and blackberries..."Stop the car!" 

Berries grew everywhere... on the sides of country roads...in a patch of woods... beside a cultivated field...freaking everywhere!

I remember our family heading out across the street from our house in NY state and spending hours picking and (sometimes eating hand to mouth) all those ripe, luscious berries.  Free! Thank you Mother Nature! 

Mom would freeze them, jam and jelly them.  Me?  My hands were purple from the things but I remember smothering them in lots of sugar and just a little milk.  Then I'd smash them up with the back of my spoon making a yummy pinkish purple sludge that I could eat all day.  And I did while berries were in season.

As I got older and the country roads and lands between them became "suburbia" I noticed that wild berry patches were few and far between.

That was of the things I noticed when we moved down here.  No berries. Anywhere.



Yesterday I expressed my desire to create a berry patch here in my back yard. 

Well, not so fast.  According to the NC Cooperative Extension Service this berry is very difficult to grow here in the Piedmont. 

Can anyone tell me why?  Yep...too hot.  Sounds like the best berry for this region is Dormanred.  According to the NCCES:

The fruit of Dormanred does not have true red raspberry flavor and aroma, and it has an unpleasant aftertaste.
Hmmph.  Don't even bother then.

It's interesting that all the fruits and veggies that I want to grow are because these are what I grew up eating as a child.


Take apple trees.  SM and I decided to plant some apples this year.  McIntosh was my pick of the litter.  Great eating, sauce and pie apple.

We went to several nurseries.  "You're from up north aren't ya?"  "Only the northerners ask for Mac's."  Almost as good as the "Ya'll ain't from around here aren't ya?"  No Mac's.  They'll order them but they "ain't guarantee-n."

I've been told they grow real well in the mountains and foothills...(alongside the red raspberries I expect.) 

So SM and I planted a Gala and a Fuji.  Little sticks that the bunnies decided to try and eat after nibbling away all my sunflowers.


It'll take another 3-5 before we get any fruit on these puppies.

After raiding that vacant lot with the Granny Smiths' up in Ohio, I'm seriously wanting to add a GS apple to the back yard next year too.

Grow in Your Bioregion  has really got me thinking. 

I need to change my taste buds.  Unless I want to sell the house and move to the hills.  (You bet I would, if I could find a local job to help pay for all this)

Or we could move back up to Ohio.  (Uh, not so fast)

So lets rethink this.  I eat therefore I am.  Maybe if I change what I eat, I'll start craving it more.

Why eat little red potatoes...eat sweet potatoes instead.  Okra?  Ain't happening.  Mustard Greens? Collards?  Maybe.  Throw enough ham/bacon on it.


How about the fruits?  Maybe I should try that Asian Pear.  They do well here I'm told.  Peaches?  All over the place.  Use that patch in the backyard for blueberries instead of raspberries.

Good thing fall is just around the corner so I have time to reconsider next years garden.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Ya Gotta Start Somewhere

Theme song for today.

Lets start at the very beginning
a very good place to start

When you read
you begin with A-B-C

When you sing
you begin with doe-ray-me

OK... I know that this little "song in my head" thing is getting a little annoying.  Hey... it's what I do. (I'm an expert at being annoying)

If you've been walking around with "Crack That Whip" in your head, you'd be hoping for a little relief too.  So go ahead... sing along now.

When you garden
you begin with great soil (none of that here)
temperate  weather (HA!)
A whole lotta hope in your heart!  (In abundance...grin)

I went out and worked in the garden a bit, today.  I've decided to use 2 (maybe 3) beds for my fall garden. 



I'm going to plant peas where the tomato's were and use the trellis already in place to help "ladder" the peas.  I also want to start a bed of lettuces and carrots. 

If I can find broccoli and cauliflower at the nursery, I'll go ahead and buy established plants and use the third bed for that.



I'll then concentrate on using the next few months to slowly build up the other 3 beds properly.  I think I'm going to backfill the "dugouts" with a sand/topsoil base and then build up the frames to raise the beds properly.  Once that's done, manure-compost-topsoil-Mel's mix to get a good 8-10 inches of raised bed along with the "dugout".

It's going to be too hot to plant or direct sow this week (90-95).  Rats.



I went through the beds with a rake and shovel.  Dry as a bone in there.  It's hard to believe these beds were swimming pools only a few months ago.

I also moved the compost pile to one of the beds.  It's closer to the house and I think I'll just keep the pile going in that one bed through winter and then fix that bed up this spring.



SM really liked the Asian Pears that we bought at the farmers market the other day.  We discussed putting in a Asian Pear tree next spring.  Considering that pears aren't an everyday food for us...(not like the apples trees) ...I think we'll pass for now.

I have a patch beside the shed that I want to grow raspberries in.  I need to do some more research (google and get out and talk to the nursery folks) and see if this is even a "doable" for this region.

There's an interesting post about "Embracing Your Bioregion" at Simple Green Frugal Co-op

Guess I need to consider planting sweet potatoes next year.  Peaches maybe?  "Throwback" you got me thinking...

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Crack That Whip

Yes, I'm a child of the 80's.  (Well...maybe not a child but a young adult of the 80's) 

Sometimes you just need a theme song.  Maybe I'm a freak but I often wake up in the mornings with a song playing in my head.  (Maybe I can pick up radio frequencies..:)

At 5am I was walking the dogs... and it was a cool, crisp 54 degree morning in beautiful North Carolina.  I started planning my day.

And a song popped into my head.  Anybody remember Devo?  (grin)  It's OK to sing along now...nobody's paying you any attention.
 

Crack that whip
Give the past the slip
Step on a crack
Break your momma's back

When a problem comes along
You must whip it
When somethings going wrong
You must whip it

Now whip it
into shape

Shape it up
Get straight

Go forward
Move ahead

Try to detect it
It's not to late
To whip it, whip it good.

And that's exactly what we did today.

We "whipped it"...we "whipped it" real good!

Back to the house by 6am...I started baking. 

Now I avoid gluten, but SM doesn't have to and since he's "Mr Variety"... I like to bake up batches and freeze half.  That way he can eat what he has a craving for and I don't have worry about wasting food that's gone stale.


Oatmeal "Craisins" (I use Craisins instead of raisins.  I like the Quaker Oats recipe in the inside of the lid.  Don't use instant!  Use Quaker Rolled Oats.  Since SM is diabetic I also substitute Splenda products when it calls for brown or white sugar.)

Marble Cake.  Not scratch.  The only cake I make from scratch is a carrot cake.  (killer)  I haven't made that one in a while.


I want to read up on baking "G-Free".  I'll get around to it this fall I'm sure.

Our annual clean & organize the garage and shed.

Before.




And after.




Oh!  These are some chairs that I "dumpster dived" from the street trash in my neighborhood a few weeks ago. 


They just need to be sanded off and re-stained.  (Somebody thought painting them was a good idea.  Blackish blue color...Yuck)

Tighten up some of the joints and they'll be a perfectly good addition to the back yard.

Yesterday SM had to work in the afternoon so we took the morning to run over to the farmers market together.


All this for $17. 
While he was at work I went ahead and mowed the yard.  Weed wacked too. 


Man... I have no upper body strength. After the wwack my arms were shaking so bad.
SM laughed when he got back.  I had made myself a salad for dinner and my arm would get only so high and then I'd get the "arm shakes" trying to put the food in my mouth. 

"Is this what it's going to be like when you're an old lady?"

Plop.  Half the salad falls onto the front of my shirt.

"Yep." Grinning  "You better get used to it!"