Gee...Thanks...I Think. (Stylish Blogger Award)

Lynda at Cortina Creek Farm has awarded me with the ever popular "Stylish Blogger Award". 

(*Now Lynda, you know I love ya...and after reading your "list" of "What You Don't Know About Me's" (we have more in common than you might think)...I truly believe your second post deserves it own award.)

The "Holy Crap! What Did You Do To Me?" Award.

It appears that the "Stylish Blogger Award" is making the "rounds" around the blogosphere the way a bad rash runs through a ....."  (Well, you get the idea.)

The rules for accepting this award are:

#1.  For me to divulge 7 things that you don't know about me.

(Gee...I would have gotten around to telling you guys everything anyway.  SM already feels I blab way too much on my blog.)

#2.  I'm supposed to forward this to 15 more blogs and award them too.

FIFTEEN !!!!  Holy Crap!  Are you freakin kidding me?  Just about every blog I follow has "coughed" up unknown secrets about themselves with this award!

Hmmmm....   Well, lets give it a shot, shall we?  (*If anything is too disturbing, you have my permission to turn away.)

Ooooo.  Deep dark secret # 1. 

My pinkie finger is crooked.

See...I told ya so!  (Got the nasty, disturbing stuff out of the way first.) 

My mom had no idea that my pinkie finger was bent out like that until I was a teenager.  She took me to a Dr who said he could fix it but then it would be permanently stiff.  No bend at all.  We decided to leave it alone.  But after a botched attempt at piano lessons, I've realized that I'm permanently disfigured. (Sob)  *BTW, SM took this picture and said "Freaky Alien Fingers!"

#2.  I'm a closet Sci-Fi Geek. 

SM knows how much I love anything in the Sci Fi genre but to admit it to the world makes me feel very exposed.  So if any of you "frackers" try anything I'll send a "toaster" after you.  (BSG ROCKS!!!)  Battle Star Galactica fan here.  (The 2000 edition not the 1970's version)

#3.  I'm allergic to Kiwi. 

Seriously.  How obscure is that!  I discovered this "allergy" after SM was talking about how good Kiwi's were.  I went out and bought some and while we were eating them I said "Well, no wonder people like them, they make your face tingle."  SM says "Ummmm,  No...they're not supposed to do that."  Fortunately, all I ever got out of it was swollen eyelids and a numb face.  Still, it's amazing how often they include Kiwi (and Kiwi Juice) in fruit plates.

#4.  Speaking of foods, I like peanuts but hate peanut butter.  Hate cream cheese, but love cheesecake.  Won't drink milk, but love ice cream.  The list goes on and on.  (*And I hate tomatoes...Ironic considering my blog is 500 Dollar Tomato.)

#5.  Two years ago I was diagnosed with Panic Disorder. 

Not to be confused with a single panic attack or anxiety attacks.  Those are easy to deal with and fairly common.  Most people have experienced those at least once.

Think of a computer short-circuiting.  My body's electrical system was in revolt.  All of my senses were under attack, hearing, vision, touch.  Quite unbearable.  Rolling, cycling episodes.  This was my second attack and it was explained to me that if it happened again I'd be on medication for life.

Coincidentally, my brother had been diagnosed Celiac and I, having suffered from digestive issues for years, took myself of gluten.  Astonishingly, I've never felt better in my life.  I can't even begin to feel anxious about anything.  Is it a "fluke".  Maybe.  But food allergies can create an inflamation in your body that attack your nervous system.  Even SM's car crash last week didn't get an anxious response from me.  I hope it's as simple as that.  A freakin food allergy.

#6.  I say "freakin" alot. 

Now you might think I'm implying the "F-Bomb" here, but I was raised a good girl and I only rarely (usually around people who are using the word freely) drop the F-Bomb.  That's not to say I don't swear.  Of course I do.  Sh*t, Damn, Hell and Crap are some of my favorites.  But "freakin" is still on the top of my list.

#7.  When I was a little kid I had a re-occuring dream that I still think of today.

I'm going up, up, UP to heaven and I've taken the sugar bowl with me.  I would lick my finger and swirl it around in the sugar bowl as I floated high above the little house with the swingset in the backyard.  I can see it still.  I wonder what it means?  (I do have a sweet tooth.)

All right then...Who to torture next?  (Waa Ha Haaa!)

My Mom and Bob at Parker Rver (what secrets will my Mom divulge?)

Emma and Joseph at City Roots, Country Life (I sense a good love story here...)

Heather at Heather's Homemaking (Currently fighting a seed addition.  Oh Yeah She's hooked!)

Carolyn Renee at Krazo Acres (Currently stalking egg laying chickens.)

Robin at The Gardener of Eden (Who has the monster project of clearing a community gardening plot.)

City and Country (I don't even know their names) at City Sister, Country Sister

Red at Red Woman Blog (Come on Red.  I know you're gonna love this award too!)

Well, that's it!  Everybody else I know has already been nailed...ugh... "awarded".

Congratulations.  Now take Lynda's advise and go have a drink!

Why Raised Beds Are A Must For Me

I saw many signs of Spring yesterday.  Besides the random ant roaming for who knows what across my floor.

Weeds.

Red Maples are some of the first trees to pop around here.

A mysterious yellow flower.

And this.

SM told me once that when developers build houses they strip away any topsoil on the lot and resell it.  (Makes my life so much more difficult that they do this.) Sigh.

I am NOT kidding when I tell you all that my ground is concrete. 

And since it's concrete, I've felt that I've had no other choice but to stick with raised beds.  But in reality, this can't be my only choice.  We've got farmers around here growing crops.  I may not have expensive tractors and combines but surely if they can stick something in the ground and get it to grow than I can.

For some time now I've been interested in the double dig method of gardening.  The book that I've been reading (How to Grow More Vegetables*...) discusses a process called Grow Biointensive which is a combination of the French Intensive or "Double Dig" method and Biodynamic techniques of agriculture.

Tomato, Tamato...

The book has a nice introduction that discusses the how's and why's and the history of it all but what I'm really interested in is how do I do it? 

Chapter one goes into bed prep.  The big double dig.  They talk about going into the soil 12 inches.  Ha.  (Not my soil I'm thinking in my head.)

But wait.  Last March, after a week of soaking rains, I did manage to dig out all those little "swimming pools" that I called a garden.  At the time I threw all the clods of clay up against the fence line and beside the shed. 

Time for a little investigative reporting. 

I went out to the area beside the garden where I hope to "double dig" and plant some sweet corn this year.  I stick my spade into the ground.  Hard.  Both feet and 165 pound of me on the end of that shovel.

Just as I thought. 

I maybe could get into the ground about 2"-3" tops.  If I tried to run a rototiller across this stuff I'd have sparks flying.  (We haven't had much rain this month though so the ground is dry.)

I then went over and stuck my spade into the clods I had tossed beside the shed last year.

Well, lookie there!  The spade went in quite easily.

Thanks to Mother Nature, the decomposing roots in the clods, a years worth of rain and air had beat down these impossible clay bricks into something that could actually be amended with sand and composts.  Just like the book said it would!

Huh.  Maybe this could work!

Another take away from the first chapter is that it takes 5-10 years to build up good soil.  It may also take that long for me to become a competent gardener. (grin)

We all have to start somewhere.  So while raised beds are a must for me right now, I am excited by the prospect that with a little time, a little sweat and a whole lot of patience, I might one day be able to stick a seed in my ground and watch it grow and provide me with food.

One day.  But not yet.  A girls gotta eat.  Thank God for Mels Mix.

I'm Gonna Take That Back...

I am not a wuss.  I'm just unmotivated. 

After SM left and the winds were blowing warm, I thought to myself "Am I going to waste this great day sitting on my butt reading?"

Very tempting.

But I've been looking at this for the past 2 weeks and I'm getting tired of looking at it.

Besides, if these warmer temperatures continue, we'll need to start mowing the lawn in a few weeks.  Maybe.  If we get rain.  But that's another post.

So out I went, gloves, WD-40 and the bow saw in hand.  Mama didn't raise no sissy.  But I can be an unmotivated slacker when the mood hits &;)

So I attacked the pile.  Having the old willow stump gave me something to support the branches on as I sawed.

When I got hot & sweaty I stopped and went in and did some of the laundry.  I also went ahead and started the peppers.

I soaked the peat pellets.  And every Spring I steal these plastic drawers from out of the garage.  They work really well.

Color coded toothpicks so I know whats what.

I moved the black hutch back up against the big window. 

This worked really well for me last year.  During the day, I slant the blinds so the sunlight hits the pots and warms them and the hutch also.  I don't need a heating pad.  At night I put them on the kitchen counter under a florescent.  If it gets really cold, I stick everything in the laundry room which I can close up and it gets warm quite quickly being such a small space.

This is the part I hate.  How much should I plant?  I am ALWAYS tempted to plant way more than I should.  But that's a waste and I can still save these seeds for next year too.

So I tried to hold myself back a little.  I planted:

4 Jalapeno's
4 Hungarian Wax (Hot Banana)
14 Carolina Wonder (Sweet Bells)
14 Californina Wonder (Sweet Bells)

I'm not into the hot peppers that much but I'd really like to have enough sweet peppers to freeze some.  What do you think? 

Back outside to finish up the pile.

Looks small doesn't it?

Some of us live the life around here...

And now I'm going to go turn into a slacker.  I've got a good book and some warm sunshine on my skin. 

A Little Light Reading

With SM gone this weekend, my time is best spent doing the little things.  In other words...I'm the brains, he's the brawn.

I am mostly a wimp, physically speaking I mean.  Not much upper body strength.  Never had it, never will.  Oh...I can muscle around a lot of stuff but it's like asking a Shetland pony to plow the field.  Why bother when you've got the big ol' draft horse hanging out looking at you with his big ole brown eyes.  It's a "snap" for him.

So when it comes to making raised beds and hauling around dirt, I like to have me a big strong handsome man around to help with the heavy lifting.  If he can't be around...Well, that just means I get to do more of a "cerebral heavy lifting".

"Whenever I give you to much time to think about things, it always means more work for me!"  SM has noted this countless times.  (Sorry Honey!)

I just picked up 2 new books yesterday. These have been on my "hit list" for awhile now and I thought I'd best get moving in the "Education of Tami" department.

John Jeavons How to Grow More Vegetables* (and Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains and Other Crops) Than You Ever Thought Possible On Less Land Than You Can Imagine

I found out about this book from Mr H and his video link to Marjorie Wildcraft at his blog Subsistence Pattern 

The video didn't really offer up all that much new information for me...(I'm already sold on the idea of the "Homesteading" idea).  When Marjorie suggested this book as the "Bible" for beginning gardeners, I took note.  Hey, I need all the help I can get.  Why do you think I'm pestering all of YOUR blogs.  (grin)

And if I'm going to do more than "fresh eating" than I'd better learn how to preserve all this goodness.  So I went ahead and also bought Putting Food By (5th Edition)

Last week I also got my catalog from Gardens Alive  They have a really good catalog.  I don't have a "pest and disease" reference guide yet but this has a nice section on it.  It's a keeper until I have this stuff down pat.

Have any of you used their products? Lots of preventative products and fertilizer options.  They even offer a soil sampling service called Perfect Balance where they custom make fertilizer based on your soils deficiencies.  Intriguing.  But very expensive.  Holy Cow!

(*Well, maybe if I had a "holy cow" I'd have me some "holy manure" and this might not be a topic of conversation.)

Last but not least I thought I'd annoy ya'll a bit more.  It's supposed to be 81 degress here today and tomorrow.  I ants are marching across my floor (always a sure sign of Spring) and the dogs are doing the "puppy run" thing. 

Yep, it's Spring!

Silly Love Songs

SM is out of town this weekend.  He's doing a home show over in Fayetteville hoping to drum up some business.  Fayetteville is about 2 1/2 - 3 hours away from where we live.  SM gets a fair amount if business there, so even though it's a haul, he still goes over at least once a week.  Hopefully, the home show will give him some more opportunities.

Most Saturday mornings we run errands together.  Since SM hit the road about 7:30 this morning I was running solo all day.  (We discussed his getting a hotel room for the weekend, but SM says he's rather sleep in his own bed, so he wants to drive home each night.  It makes for a long day.)

Over the years we've both had job opportunities that could have taken us away from each other during the week.  I told SM early on in our marriage that I didn't want either one of us to be away from each other just to make a buck.  Not if there was any other way around it.  I was greedy enough to want it all.  Every day to be able come home and sleep with him under the same roof. 

Now that's not to say that we don't spend time apart.  Of course we do.  But I really didn't want to be on my own for the majority of my marriage.

As I was saying, I was on my own today, so as I was out running errands, I turned on the radio.  Usually SM and I are gabbing about "whatever" so the radio rarely gets turned on, but when you're alone inside the car and the only voice you hear is the one inside your head...Well, drastic measures are called for. 

(*Will you shut up already?) Me.  To myself. (grin)

The radio station was playing an "Anything Goes" weekend.  You ask for it, you get it. 

Funny how many songs I listened to today were about love. And since I came really close to losing SM this week, I guess I was a bit more introspective than I might normally be.

As a girl, I "love" love songs.  (I wonder if guys do?)

This got me to thinking about all the different kinds of love.  And what songs are out there about those different kinds of love.

I heard Paul McCartney talk about losing his wife Linda to breast cancer many years ago.  Here's some of what he said:

  She was his best friend, his wife, his lover, in 30 years of marriage, Paul McCartney barely spent a night away from Linda. 

"If I had the option to stay away the night or travel back, I’d travel back home.  It wasn’t out of a sense of duty,” he says. “I just thought, what’s the point of spending the night in this hotel, in this cold bed, when she’s back there?" 

“We just fancied each other. That was the whole root, the whole essence of our love. It wasn’t always idyllic.  It was a marriage and we had rows. It was nearly always my insecurities that caused the rows between us which has left me with quite a bit of guilt. The guilt’s a real bugger."

"Whenever anyone dies you do think, oh I wish I’d been an angel for the whole of my life. But I wasn’t, so I was getting into heavy guilt when she died."

“Then I thought, hang on a minute.  We were just human.  We weren’t king or queen someone or other, we were just a boyfriend and girlfriend having babies.”


At the time I heard that interview, I thought "Wow...how lucky they are to be able to spend so much time together, to be that much in love."

Well, life gets in the way for all of us.  Sh*t happens and usually happens when you're least expecting it.

So as I flipped on the radio and listened to love songs as I buzzed about town, I sang along (I can't sing) and I thought about each song I heard today and what kind of love there is out there.  The different "stages" of love.  And even though I don't have an IPod, I can still put together a list of some of my favorite "love songs."

So here so goes...(You-Tube Links attachments.  That way you can sing along too.)

And if you want to, tell me about (or post on your blog) your own list of "love songs".


Best "Newly Infatuated" Love Songs  "Ill Be" and "Slide"

Best "Pissed Off" Love Song (Still...Seriously!  This girl is really pissed off!) "You Oughta Know"

Best "I'm In Therapy and Learning To Love Myself Again" Love Song
"You Learn"

Best "Comfortable in Love" Love Song "Sunday Morning"

Best "It's Over" Love Song "If Love Is A Red Dress (Hang Me In Rags)

Best "Sexy Dance" Love Song "Mondo Bongo" 

Best "Pick Up a Guy" Love Song "Brass in Pocket"

Best "I'm Bored" Love Song "The Pina Colada Song"

I'll told you mine.  Why don't you tell me yours?

The "Pinch"

On the way home from work I listen to some of the "drive time" radio stations.

One is an AM talk radio show.  She discusses national and local issues so I flip back and forth to her if she's discussing something interesting.  She often poses questions that make me say ("Well...Duh?").  Like the one she asked yesterday. 

"At what point will Americans feel that gas prices are too high and "revolt".  (IE: demand change in our government policies.)  Does anyone else notice how the word "revolt" has suddenly become a popular lexicon in the mainstream media?

I listened to a few of the callers throw out actual numbers like "$5.00 dollars a gallon".  (Don't people understand that there's not a magic number?)

What I mean to say is this.  The point when something begins to hurt is different for everyone.  I think about it as "The Pinch". 

Get "Pinched" long enough and then you start to say "Ouch".  Guess what?  "This actually hurts!"  I need to change my habits so the "Ouch" is less.

There are people out there who are wealthy enough that nothing that's happened in that last few years has affected them in the slightest.  It's mostly just a curiosity. 

And there are also people out there who are now riding bikes, motorcycles, scooters and I'm sure, taking public transportation for the first time in their lives.

I drive through an affluent section of town on my way into work.  BMW's,  Jaguar's,  Lexus...they're everywhere.  I always note the price at the pumps as I drive through.  At least 10-15 cents per gallon more than in my hometown.  And you know that people who own cars like that, they aren't filling up with regular gasoline!  The gas stations are always full of cars pumping away.  Convenience.  Money is not an issue for folks like that.  (Good for them!  This isn't a criticism, just observation).

I also drive through a more "poor" section too.  I'm always astonished how the prices are also higher than what I pay.  (And "Yes" people are filling up there too.) 

I hit Gasbuddy when I'm due to fill up.  To me, it's important that I make an effort to save a few pennies if I can.  Gasbuddy was telling me (again) that in NC the best local prices were in my town.  Since I was below a half a tank, I thought I'd fill up on the way home. 

Gosh, they were busy.  Seems like everybody else checked out Gasbuddy too.  There were cars waiting in line to fill up.  Not long lines, (a car "waiting" behind a car "pumping" kind of thing), but still...it gave me a shiver.

I was a kid in the 70's.  The only thing I knew during the recession of the 70's was that our plates were "even" and Dad could only go to the pumps on certain days.  We ate alot of rice and pasta dishes and Dad got a big huge book called The Victory Garden that I loved to thumb through.  Dad took a portion of our sideyard and turned it into a garden for a few years. 

What comes around goes around.

We've felt "The Pinch" since 2008.  Both SM's and my income have dropped dramatically.  I got my W-2 a few weeks ago and I made more money ten years ago than I did last year.

"Ouch"

With oil prices going up, impacting food and services, what new levels of "ouch" are out there and coming up that we haven't planned for?

Will my future offer more cutbacks at work?  Unemployment?  Will we see rationing of food and gasoline? 

I'm not a kid anymore "thumbing" through my Dads picture book.  I'm an adult responsible for my family.  But I care about others too.  My neighbors, my coworkers.

I notice people seem to be just plodding along.  Am I the only one putting in a new garden?  Outside of the few that have been gardening all along, I don't see anyone new doing this in my neighborhood.

Obviously "The Pinch" can't be very bad yet because, while I do see and hear some people responding to some of their "Ouches", I get the overall feeling that people are in denial.

The New Normal...(God, I hate that phrase)...but it's true.  The gravy days of the last 20-30 years are gone.  For me anyway.  I have a new standard of living.  A new reality.

Do You?

Light of Day

It's a good thing I saw the damage in the dark last night.  I might not have slept at all.

The car still drives well according to SM. 

He'll be calling the insurance company's today to make arrangements for repairs and a loaner vehicle.  Since he travels both North and South Carolina, he needs to make sure that the loaner allows both states.  If not, I get the rental car.

Not Yet

Last night SM got home around 7:30.  He went into Greenville SC for business and it's not uncommon that he gets in a bit late.

We all greeted him.  Puppies jumping up and down whinning, a quick hug and a kiss from the Mrs.  "Blah, blah, blah...(about my day)."  I sat down.  SM's still standing.

"I need to switch cars with you for a few days."  SM says.

"Oh?  What's up."  I said...Expecting to hear about a new engine issue.

"Well...I got bumped by a semi."  SM

He was heading south on I-85 heading into Greenville.  He was in the first lane slightly ahead of an 18 wheeler in the second lane.  He felt a bump. 

Then he felt a second bump and confused, saw the front end of the Buick turning into the lane where the semi was.  He looks up and out of his drivers side window and sees nothing but grill.

(By this time I'm on my feet and heading out the door.  SM grabs a flashlight.  He shows me where the first bump hit.  A black smudge inches (and I mean inches) forward from his back bumper.)

Third bump and his whole drivers side comes into contact with the semi's front end.  He's now sideways...no control.

Somehow this third contact...(and with the semi driver no doubt braking hard)... bumps him hard enough away and spins him into the highways concrete divider. 

The semi goes on past him and stops a few more yards down the way.

(SM's flashlight travels up the side of the Buick.  Tons of scratches and dents but no major indentions into his side panels.)

SM is now facing north in southbound traffic.  Luckily, there was no vehicle behind the semi in that lane.

Cars stop.  Everyone's OK.  

(By this time we're back in the house.)

"When did this happen?"  I ask.

"About 3:00.  I didn't want to tell you over the phone.  All the ice cream in the house would've been gone."  He smiles.

You see SM's been in 2 other serious accidents and has walked away from them all.  ("I swear you have 9 lives.")

Interestingly they've all been on I-85.  One time he was in stopped traffic on the highway and the truck behind him wasn't paying attention and rear ended him.  Totaled the car.  Squished both  the front and back ends like an accordion.  

I get the phone call from him and (I was home at the time) ate my way through most of a 1/2 gallon of ice cream before snapping out of it.

A few years later SM hydroplaned his car about an hour north of where we live.  Flipped the car over onto it's roof and spun him upside down into the greenway of bushes and trees.  SM had to kick the windows out on that one.  Again, not a scratch. 

Another phone call, another totaled car and another 1/2 gallon of ice cream bit the dust.

"You OK?"  He asks.

I stand up and hold him tight.  I pulled back a bit and put my hands on either side of his face and looked into his eyes.

"Not yet."  I said.  "Did you think that might be it?"

"I wondered.  I don't know what angels were looking out for me but..." 

He nodded...

"Not yet."

Lazybones

I had thought that I'd go get another load of topsoil yesterday but even though it was in the mid 70's it was very windy. 
  
I didn't feel like getting dirt up my nose and in my eyes.

I then thought I'd run around to some of the local nursery's to see what they might have in the way of fruit trees and bushes.  But it's early in the season yet and I know that SM loves going to the nursery to poke around as much as I do.  I'll wait.  Maybe next weekend.

Poor SM had left for Fayetteville on business so I had the house all to myself.  Me and the pups and the birds singing in the bushes.  Since SM is self employed, he's here at the house most of the time so it's kinda nice not having him here once in awhile.  I can be a slacker and no one is here to witness it.  (Grin)

Besides, for as much as it does feel good to get my muscles working again, I have to admit...I was pretty pooped.  My lower back was protesting just a bit and there is something about sitting in the sun on a February day reading a good book.  Just decadent.

But first, before I became a woman of leisure, I did go out and sow the peas and carrots.  I considered putting in the lettuces for a split second but they can wait until the 3rd bed is ready to go.  NC State says to sow lettuces between March 1st and 31st.

I've got time.

Speaking of time, I'm planning on taking a week off from work in March.  I usually wait and take off the last week of April (which I'm going to do also) but I discovered that my  "paid time off" or PTO accruals is upwards of 150 hours.  The company I work for only allows you to accrue 160 total.  You loose vacation hours after that so I'm planning on taking a week off in March, April and May.

Spring and Fall are my favorite seasons to take time off.  I just love the energy during those times of year.  Not too hot or too cold.  Just right! 

Hmmm...I sound like Goldilocks and The Three Bears.

More like Frizzylocks and the Three Dogs.

Part Duex

We started Sunday morning in the mid 30's, (too cold) so we piddled around the house until it warmed up.  (There's always household chores to do.)

By mid morning it had warmed up enough so we went outside and started to make the other 2 bed frames.  With all the exercise and the sun starting to peek through the clouds, I started to get a bit warm. 

Time for me to "shuck' my pullover.  I pulled it off and SM started laughing and said "I've got to take a picture of this".

Static electricity anyone?  Either than or it's "Cousin It" from the Adams Family.

(We had a good laugh!)  I then went inside and put it back into a ponytail and slapped a ballcap on it. 

Freaking Homesteader Hair!  (Inside joke.)

Back to business then.  SM and I built two more bed frames today.  (Do you see Ginny peeking up over the box?  She's better than "Where's Waldo".)

I can tell you that the garden plans have already changed from what I had proposed a few weeks ago.  I thought they might.  Sometimes you've got to see it to understand what you want to do. 

(*I'm very much that way.  A visual learner.  Tell me how to do it or ask me to read about it and I won't learn a thing.  But if you show me how to do it, I'm "locked and loaded".  It's in the archives forever!*)

We had the 4x4 dug-outs and I thought that we'd just frame each of those separately and build them up.  Well, that's just silly.  More work for ourselves really, so we decided to just make 3 long 12'x4' beds. 

The wood is 2 inches thick and 12" high.  We screwed in 3" long deck screws into the ends and then did good sized L brackets top and bottom where they meet. 

(**It's been pointed out to me that we should do a cross beam for support in the middle to prevent the wood from bowing out.  It's a good idea...but I read the comment after I finished back filling so I'll have to think about what to do now.  Any ideas?**)

SM then wiped linseed oil on the exposed wood while I laid down a cardboard base.  (Curious Casey)

I then started the transfer of more Mels Mix from the 3rd "dug-out" into the 2nd raised bed.

SM had to bug out and go finish up a job this afternoon...("Go make some money, Honey!")...so I was working solo for the transfer of the rest of the soil.

I'm really pleased with all the garden space so far.  Our square footage has really increased.  I'm thinking we may only put in 2 more raised beds over the next few months.  (Plus the corn-pumpkin patch back by the shed.  Double dig that.) 

I suspected my plans would change.  That's the thing about gardening...It's ever evolving, constantly changing.

SM pointed out that this is costing a "bloody fortune".  True enough. 

Hey!...That's why we call it 500 Dollar Tomato!

But although the initial investment is large, I feel the returns will be tremendous particularly during our retirement years with our "suspected" limited income.

Pay now or pay later.  But that's another topic.

Raising The Roof...er...Beds

The first order of business was to head to the big box store for lumber, angle joints and chicken wire (I guess voles can be an issue here in NC). 

I had a coupon that if we bought $250 of stuff then they'd take $25 off. We calculated carefully to buy just enough to go over the required amount.  After everything was said and done, the $25 pretty much paid for the taxes on the purchase. 

We are very fortunate to have a bulk landscaping business down the road from where we live.  Over the years we've been able to save money by getting the truck filled with loose mulch instead of buying the bagged stuff.  I've never bought dirt from them before, so after we unloaded the lumber we stopped by for a quick load of dirt. 

Ginny decided that going in the house not on her agenda so she hopped in the truck and came with us.  Funny girl!

They were busy!  I checked out their offerings while I waited to place my order.  Besides various mulches, (they even have that plastic playground stuff) they also offered topsoil, sand, compost and a "combination" blend of topsoil and compost.

Since we "dug-out" the beds last year, (turning them into little clay swimming pools), the first thing we needed to do was to "back fill" them with topsoil, making them level with the ground again. 

The compost they offer is a blend of mostly yard waste.  He did say there was "some" cow manure, and food stuff in there too.  (Hmmm,  I'll have to think about that.)

I bought 2 yards of topsoil.  The truck tires could only take the weight of 1 yard at a time so we quickly unloaded one load and then SM ran back for the second.  (They closed at noon so we had to hustle.)

When SM got back, we left the second load in the truck and started to "shuffle" the Mels Mix around.  Mels Mix is a blend of 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 vermiculite and 1/3 compost (cow, chicken, mushroom.)  You buy the ingredients and mix it together.  I call it black gold.  The stuff ain't cheap, let me tell you. I wasn't going to waste it by leaving it in the dugouts.

We managed to get 1 bed built...

And the dirt rearranged...

By that time we were spent. Quittin time!  

Gosh, it feels good to get those muscle working again! 

Open Door Policy

Ever since we moved to NC, I've noticed that the seasons change quickly...Like flipping on a light switch.  When we lived in Ohio, it just seemed like the seasonal changes were more gradual, softer, slower.

Last night when I got home it was 70 degrees.  This morning at 5am it was 61 outside.  The pups and I did our usual 2 miles and I noticed a lot more activity out and about.

There were 2 new people out exercising.  Lights on in many houses.  People going in and out (trash day in our neighborhood.)

Are we springing forward already?

I never fell back when we went through the time change last fall.  This is a first for me.  It usually takes about a month to adjust but eventually I get there.  Not this year. 

This year I've been falling asleep by 8pm and getting up anywhere from 3-4am.  Not necessarily a bad thing.  You can get a lot of things done at 4 in the morning.

One thing I've noticed is that most of the morning walkers are women.  I expect that, like me, they find that it's kinda nice having some quiet time for yourself.

There's a reason I like to walk the dogs early in the morning.  It allows me to listen to the voice in my head. 

Oh yeah...I talk to myself.  It's mostly planning my day, singing a song, sending a prayer.  I rarely think about the exercise aspect of it at all anymore.  I've been a walker for around 20+ years now.  And I can thank the dogs for that.

Dogs are great.  They need and enjoy the morning walks. I walk them early because, at a combined weight of 150 lbs, if my critters see a bunny, squirrel or other dogs, I quickly become 165 lbs of drag.  Trust me, if they want to go someplace, I'm going with them.  When it's dark outside, I've got more control.  But I'd never give up walking.  Even if I didn't have the dogs.  It's as natural as breathing for me now. 

I know it's spring when I can keep the back door open.

When the weather allows, the back door is always open whenever we're home.  The dogs need/should be outside, but as soon as I close that back door, I've got 3 faces glued to the window, scratching and whining to come inside.  "Whatcha doing in there?"

Pack mentality.  I know they want to be with SM and I but, geez...

So when the weather allows, we keep the back door open and they love it.  The dogs can come and go as they like.  If they have access to us they suddenly decide that they don't need to be right there with us underfoot and they hang out sniffing and romping the way dogs are supposed to.

If they hear the "click" of the door closing though, game over.

So we have an open door policy around here. 

Who would have thought that I could have my doors open in the middle of February?

Peas and Carrots

I went out yesterday and collected the last of the carrots that I had planted last fall. 

The ground protected them well.  I'm impressed.  Note to self:  Start carrots in August for better size/production and let them "over-winter" in the ground.  Harvest as needed.  Plant a lot of carrots.  (Love my carrots.)

Now what to do about a spring crop?  By mid to end May, anything that would be considered a cool weather crop can quickly turn into corn flakes around  here.  So my window is tight.  Very tight.

Last year I got my lettuce, snow peas, and shelling peas in by mid March.

The lettuces stuck around till June.  All loose leaf lettuces.  I love romaine but they take too long to mature.  So I'm sticking with the tried and true:

Salad Bowl- Did very well for us last year.
Red Leaf - Again, easy to grow and a good producer.

New varieties are Slo-Bolt and a bibb lettuce, Buttercrunch.

The NC State site suggests planting in March.  So I got that right last year.

On to peas.  I'm always surprised how many people turn their noses up at peas.  Brussel sprouts...sure.  But peas? I love peas.

Snow peas seem to do well around here.  I noticed them at the farmers market for a few weeks so that encourages me to try again.

Last year I got about 2 full weeks of snow peas before the heat got to them.  Good for "fresh" eating but I'd really like to freeze some this year.  So to increase my yield, plant earlier and plant more.

Shelling peas were a complete bust.  Both for spring and fall.  Zapped by the heat of summer, then zapped by frost in the fall.  Timing issues.

It's funny...I'm still eating like I'm growing in New York or Ohio.  It's a tough habit to break.  I'm going to try the peas again this year.  Perhaps I can make it work if I adjust my timing a bit.  So into the ground go:

Green Arrow and Wando. 

Both are dwarf varieties.  NC state says to plant in February so I need to get a move on.  Hopefully this weekend.  (Grin...Yeah, I know.  Planting in February?  Direct sow?  Weird huh?)

On to carrots.  Scarlet Nantes did well considering the timing issues and they have a good flavor.  Danvers Half Long seems to be another contender that I read a lot about.  Maybe I'll try those this fall.  NC State says to get those in the ground between February 15th and March 1st.

So, this weekend, peas and carrots it is! 

(*The 10 day forecast shows a nice warm up with highs in the 60's-70's and lows in the 30's to 40's.)

This Guy's Gal

I was once described as a "guy's gal." 

(I took it as a compliment.)

I always got along really well with men.  A sort of buddy.  A girl that was easy to understand and deal with from a man's point of view.  Guy's could talk to me as a friend or deal with me in a business atmosphere and know that they weren't likely to get much drama out of it.  I was all business.  Black and white.  Not much "pink" to deal with. 

My Mom and Dad had 3 girls right off the bat.  I was the second child.  They finally had my baby brother but until he came along I think I tried to fit the bill as the boy that my Dad had wanted. 

I wasn't into sports all that much but I think as a child I would have been considered a tomboy. 

I had developed a certain disdain for anything girly.  I don't wear dresses at all and can't be bothered with fashion except to applaud the creation of low cut jeans.  (Hey, they fit me better along the hips than all the way up at the waistline.)

When I was younger I didn't really like women all that well.  I think I had more guy friends than girl friends.  Now that I'm older, that's changed quite a bit.  I get along really well with women now and can offer up some good drama myself from time to time.  Just ask SM.

So why did it take so long for me to become a girl?

I blame Valentine's Day.

Generally speaking I think it's a silly reason to pick one day out of the year to make a fuss over someone you care about by giving them flowers, chocolates and a stupid card.

I'd rather plant the flowers, eat the chocolate when my hormones are screaming and you can stuff those overly expensive, gushy cards right up your.... Hmmm. 

Well, you get the drift.

Some people have really good memories of their early childhood years.  Me?  Not so much. 

But one of my first memories was of my excitement over Valentine's Day. 

I must have been in the first or second grade.  We all made "mailboxes" out of a shoe box and decorated it with everything you could think of.  Oh, the magic you can create with a little bit of glue, construction paper, glitter (loved the glitter) tissue paper, the works!

Mom took me to the store so I could carefully hand-select my own package of valentines to give.  I remember painstakingly going through them and selecting the best cards to give to the people I liked the most.  But I remember that everybody got one.  (Even the snotty nosed boys.)  Mom's rule.  Not mine.

Valentine's Day morning we were asked to put our cards into our "valentines" mailboxes.  Later, after lunch we could go and open up our mailboxes and see what was inside. 

I was a pretty shy kid, but boy was I excited.  I still remember the shock of opening up my box to find maybe 4-5 cards.  Out of a class of 20-25 kids, I just got a few.

I can't remember if I cried over that.  I just remember seeing some of the more popular kids with boxes that were absolutely stuffed with Valentines Day cards.

That was my first lesson in the pecking order of life.  Pretty and popular?  The world is your oyster.

I don't remember paying much attention to Valentines Day after that.  Except one other time.

My high school Valentines Day Dance.  I must have been 16 or 17 by then and had developed enough artistic skill that I was usually called on to assist in decorating for the big school events.  (No glitter this time...darn it)

Now you'd think by this time I'd be a popular hottie by now.  Nope.  Still kinda awkward, not quite a nerd.  I was on the fringe.  Never a cheerleader but good enough for the band's colorguard. 

Yep.  I twirled flags, rifles and eventually a sabre when I became Captain.  (*This was my first taste of power, bossing those girls around. Evil grin ;>

Anyway, for the Valentines Day Dance I got this bright idea to create a huge walking Valentine.  You know the heart shape boxes filled with candy?  Ruffles? Satin? Bright red color? 

I figured we could make a great big cardboard heart and decorate it and fit a person in it and they could walk around the dance.  How cool is that?

Of course, being 16-17 years old we all thought that the person inside should be a girl with sexy tights and high heels on.  You wouldn't be able to see the person inside, but the person could look out of the costume to move around. 

Since it was my bright idea and I didn't have a boyfriend to go to the dance with, I volunteered to be the "mascot".

Now picture this.  I'm 5'8". Add some heels and a huge Valentines Heart Box on top of you.  I must've cleared 6'5" at least.  Pretty awkward.

But you should have seen the excitement when I got into the dance.  I was a hit.  Everybody was talking and clapping and some of the guys wanted to dance with the Valentine.  I was thrilled. 

People would ask "Who's in there?" and I didn't respond at first.  After a few dances though, this thing got hot and heavy pretty quick.  I was tired and just wanted to wrap it up and when a group of girls asked who was inside, I let my ego over-ride my good sense.  I told them who it was.

Guess they didn't like the answer. 

They started shoving me and spinning me around and the next thing you know I've got bloody knees and ripped hose and a broken heel.  I got help getting out of there from a few of the girls who had helped create the heart.  

I was really frustrated and pissed off.  Sweaty too.

"Why did they do that?"  I asked my crew.

"Well, you do have really great legs and I guess they didn't like all the attention you were getting from the guys."

"Really?"  (I'm now thrilled that the guys thought that I was a hottie.)

I learned my second lesson that night.  If people don't know who you are than you can be just about anything you want to be.

When SM and I were dating, Valentine's Day would come up and he did his manly duty.

He got me the roses that died the next day.  ("I like daisy's just fine.") 

The expensive candy in the heart shaped box.  ("M&M's are fine by me.") 

And the cheesy Halmark card.  ("Just tell me you love me.")

Yep.  I'm a "guy's gal." 

This guys gal.

Happy VD to all!

They Went That-a-Way...

Lots of chores to squeeze in today.  SM went with me to do post-ops and then we went to Trader Joe's and Sam's Club.

This buying groceries once a month thing is way harder than it looks.  My hat is off to everyone who does it on a routine basis.  You must run your households like clockwork.  Understanding where all the food is going, input and output...Now that's talent.  I can understand how meal planning can really help you out when making the decision what to purchase and when. 

At 3 weeks into our experiment, we needed to go shopping again.  Not for everything but for many things that I just didn't plan well for.  I suspect that given several months of "bulk buying" we'll get much better at this.  Plus, we really need to get a stocked up pantry and this is not something you can do overnight. 

I used to think that I kept enough food on hand to keep us going for several weeks.  Ha!  I now know better.  

It's truly weird filling up a whole cart full of groceries.  SM joked that the Buick was riding real low from the weight of all our stuff.  This time I took a notepad so I could keep track of current prices.  I did this about 3 years ago in 2008 and it really opened my eyes to how expensive the local groceries stores are.  Coupons and loss leaders can take you only so far.  If all I ate was processed pre-made crap than I suppose I could save alot.  But I like to cook and basic staples, fresh fruit, meats and veggies rarely come with a coupon. 

If you can make the room for storing all of your purchases than bulk buying is really the way to go.  We have come to the conclusion that we really need to buy a freezer for additional cold storage.

After we got home and tossed the food into the house, we went back outside to tackle the last of the tree trimming.  We only got a couple of limbs down and our neighbor James came over with a handy little chainsaw that was attached to his weed-wacker.  (Men and their toys!)  I let the boys take over and other than my colorful and annoying commentary (ie: screams, gasps and "look-outs") the job was safely completed to everyones satisfaction. 

Lollipop anyone?

(*Whew... Next time we'll pay somebody to do that.  Too nerve wracking.  I still hope the frickin thing just DIES from a severe case of pruning and then I won't have to worry about it anymore.)

Must remember to make some cookies tomorrow to say "Thanks" to our good neighbors for helping us out.

After picking up the tree limbs, I went back in and took a shower.  Stinky gasoline smell from that chainsaw.  Phew!

SM stayed outside and gave the Jeep an overdue spark-plug change.  He says it runs like a top now.  215,000 miles on it.  She'll stick around for another thousand if we're lucky.

I then attacked the housework, laundry and stuck another ham in the oven.  Pre-sliced sandwich meat is way too expensive anymore.  Buy the ham, cut the meat up for sammies and tomorrow I'll make soup with the bone and some dried beans I just put on to soak.

SM felt that a bonfire was in order tonight.  So about 4:30 he went out and started burning limbs from the pear tree.  We've got a bit of a breeze so, while there's plenty of smoke, it appears to be lifting up and out quickly.  None of the neighbors are yelling at us yet :)

At 5:45 he asked for a beer.

I expect he'll be lighting up a cigar before too long.

Ahhhh...the good life.

You're Such A Tease!

I paid my natural gas bill this week.  $179.  Ouch!  And that's with the thermostat being set at 65.  I've got no right to complain though.  (Consider this a whine.) 

I like the fact that the utility company shows you your year over year comparison on the bill.  It must be their way of saying "Don't call me and complain about your bill.   See what you spent last year?"

We're within 5 dollars of last year.  It just seems really high.  I expect it's cheap compared with what some folks are paying for heating oil.

SM was at his nephew's house and saw his bill. $270.  They have a toddler though so I expect their thermostat is NOT set at 65.  SM also points out that the house is more "open air", a great room style that's hard to heat.  I guess they're thinking of selling and moving to another home.  Good Luck!

Will this winter ever end?  These are my usual February thoughts as I walk the dogs this morning, my fingertips stinging, my thighs going numb through my jeans.

When I got back in, I pulled up the forecast for the next week.

Could it be?  Might we be turning the corner?

OK...I'll turn it over to you.  Anyone want to whine, b*tch or moan?  I'm listening.  I'm here for you.  Excuse me though...I need to put a T-shirt and shorts on.  It's getting too hot.

(Whaaaa Haaaaa Ha.....Evil Laughter.)

Thoughts on Marriage

SM's Brother Ron and his wife Connie stopped by for a few days on their way from Florida back up to their home in Ohio.

We sat around the table last night sharing stories and laughs about aging, marriage, state of the world as we see it. 

40 years of marriage for them and 25 for us.

We had a great time...we always do.  (I'd post a picture here but after several bottles of wine, we all that faintly stupid look on our faces that you get with a good buzz going on.)

I took a few moments this morning to catch up on some of your blogs.

Patrice over at Rural Revolution wrote a great post titled Marriage and Rush Hour Traffic  Patrice's daughter asked her the classic "How do you know he/she is the right one for you?"

You need to scroll down a bit to get to it, but stop by and read the whole post.

Here is a short snippet from her post that really struck home with me.

A great deal of what makes marriage successful is how a woman treats her husband. Since men are simple creatures and women are a whole lot more complicated, much of the nature of a marriage is up to the woman. If she treats her husband with love and respect and refrains from nagging or emasculating him, then the chances for a happy marriage are much higher.

What do you think?Truer words have never been spoken.  I never really thought about it, but it's a simple fact and I agree with her comment whole-heartedly.

Head Games

SM and I took Monday off to try and finish up the tree.  The never ending tree.  We decided to trim it up ourselves, salvage the best limbs for staking and trellising (for the garden) and then burn the rest.

About mid-day (halfway through the big clean-up) SM said  "I'm thinking that paying someone $400 to clean up this mess is starting to look pretty good.

When you're tired and beat, sometimes you just have to play a few head games with yourself.

"Ha!  $400 can buy you 8 rounds of golf this summer."  I say.

"$400 dollars can buy you a nice vacation at the beach."  SM retorts

"$400 dollars can help buy groceries!"  Me

"$400 dollars can buy dirt and lumber for the raised garden beds."  SM

"$400 dollars can help buy more fruit trees for the back."  Me

"More trees?"  SM

"The best kind of trees, baby.  Apples and pears!"  Me

Man...am I beat.  We're maybe halfway through.  Hopefully next weekend will give us decent weather and we can put this behind us.

I need to go back to work so I can relax and take it easy.  (grin)