Are You Ready for January?

Are you there?

How are you doing?

Holding up okay?

(Mr. LB took this photo last weekend.)

The tree is down.

The lights and decorations are all boxed up.

Company has left.

The days are short, and nights are looming.

And the bills will begin arriving soon.

January is said to be the most depressing of months for several reasons.

We are experiencing the longest nights of the year.

So what can we do?

Here are just a few ideas.

*

SAD (seasonal affective disorder) is a very real thing - even among children.

The 'natural light' light bulbs are helpful.

I call them happy lights - to keep SAD away:)

Face the light ~ be it a window or lamp, get that light.

*

We have spent the last month on a sugar high 

from the cookies and cocoa to the wine with dinner.

What goes up must come down.

Be sure to eat your greens.

I'm talking green beans, dark leaf lettuces, brussels sprouts, chards, etc.

*

Move! Get outside.

Take a walk, shovel snow, go ice skating, whatever it takes

to get some of that fresh air in your lungs.

Exercise is one of the best mood lifters, boredom busters,

and health builders there is - and it's free.

*

Missing the family/friends?

Write them a letter.

I know, I hear you saying, "A what?"

Really though, not a novel or even a multi-pager.

Just write a note stating how much you enjoyed the visit,

the yams just the way you like them, seeing the kids, etc.

It appears to be for the recipient, but it's actually a very healthy

thing you can do for yourself.

It's win-win.

*

Bills.  Oh yea, those things.

Hopefully you were mindful and didn't go too wild.

Either way, look at your finances.

Plot, plan, and set goals.

This might sound like a funny thing to do, but 

I like to set 2 goals:

one is very realistic and attainable

the other is more of an 'if we can swing it' sort of number.

Usually, we hit somewhere between the two numbers

which is still better than the minimum.

Just having the knowledge of what is owed

and what your plan is will alleviate a great deal of stress,

thus the saying "fear of the unknown." 

*

And lastly,  the longer evenings allow me to stitch 

so I actually look forward to January.

Whether your hobby is reading, doing jig-saw puzzles, or checking your

dentures for cavities, consider this your retreat time.

It won't be long before we are starting seeds

and putting together our project lists for the warmer months ahead.

Remember all the times you uttered the words,

"if only I had a little more time to ____."

Here it is.

~Just trying to help keep us all healthy and happy~

*Happy New Year*

Note: I am not a doctor of any kind.  This is meant as information only.

You are responsible for yourself and your decisions. 

If you are in need of help either medical or mental, please seek it from a professional. 

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

A Long Winter's Nap

What a superb time to follow the lead

of Mother Nature~

everything is at rest.

Spring is waiting right around the corner

to com endear our daylight hours.

Today is yours.

Find peace and appreciate the stillness of the season.

Go ahead ~ indulge

A nap

The word itself sounds like bliss unexpectedly found.

Visions of the 6 year old boy or girl you once were

exhausted my frolicking in the snow,

and the extra weight of the clothes,

now in by the fire, fed and full,

nose and toes warming and red,

wrapped in a favorite comfort,

and lids become heavy and soon close.

The clock on the wall making it's rhythmic tock

until it's no longer heard by little ears.

A nap

January for some reason evokes the image of a soft light

in a dimly lit corner,

a book in a quilted lap,

a half cup of tea left, now barely tepid,

maybe a beloved pet curled up near by, 

and a head tipped to be supported by the edge of the chair.

Alas, a nap

Until next time,
Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

*~*~*My Design Tomato Trellis - Tutorial*~*~*

Well, I don't know how right on it I was,

but I did get most of my tomato trellis made.

Being very human,

I mis-calculated and ended up one stick short.

So tomorrow,

I will go get one more 1X2.

Requirements: 8 or 9 1X2s (at least 8:)

and 4-6 hinges
wood screws (about 1 inch)

You will end up with:

8 each = 5ft. 1X2s

4 each = 1ft. 1X2s

4 each = 2ft. 1X2s

4 each = 17inch 1X2 or scrap strip

4 each = 21inch 1X2 or scrap strip

Here's what I did.

I started by getting some boards cut to the right lengths.

This is not all of them,

just a sampling:)

<--------- i="">

You could seal your boards

before you assemble the project.

I will wait until

it is all put together,

because, I like to seal up

those screw holes.

After doing this the difficult way,

I drew a line 5 feet long then

on the top and bottom board,

I marked the center and lined the mark up

with the line so that there were no

'weird' angles, and it was square.

Working with finer pieces of wood like this,

it's very important to pre-drill your holes.

At the corners, it is also important to put 2 screws

so that the piece is sturdy and 

does not rock.

I then used some scrap pieces I had

left over from another project to add rungs.

These were only about 1X1s so I only used

one screw on them.

You will need to repeat this 3 more times

so that you have 4 pieces like this. (ladders)

Once you have all of your 'ladder' pieces,

flip them so they are rung side down

and the long 5 ft pieces are on top.

I will be using 3 hinges but only had 2 on hand.

Place hinges appropriately.

(top, middle, and bottom)

Screw them in place making sure

that they fold up as they are laying this way.

-otherwise the rungs will be in the way-

Then you can stand them up.

They should be pretty sturdy.

This is only 2 of the 4 sides.

As I said earlier,

I was 1 board short.

I will just use jute to tie

two of these sections together

in order to use them.

At these deminsions,

5 feet tall

1 foot across at top,

and 2 feet across at bottom,

it is sound

and should not tip over.

If needed, I can use

tent stakes as tie downs

-if the tomatoes get that big.-

I plan on prunning them 

if they get over 5 feet tall

so that their energy

will go into making fruit

rather than leaves.

If the plant needs more support,

I can use jute to string

across from one side to the other.

I didn't want so much wood

that it blocked the light.

The reason I am making them

with only two sections

is that they fold flat

for winter time storage.

Those round metal ones

drive me crazy.  They are never

strong enough, and 

always seem to be in the way.

By using scraps for the 

middle supports,

I ended up with some

3 foot drops.

I am hoping to make

something similar

but 3 feet tall for

my cucumbers.

The other thing I took into

consideration was

access to the tomatoes.

Maybe I'm a little lazy,

but I like to be able to

get to those ripe ones

without having to do too 

much digging.

Our seed order arrived yesterday.

Now we just have to have

patience for a couple more months.

Having a project helps point my

focus somewhere other than

just the growing part of gardening

as it snows outside!

You don't need a lot of room

to grow some of your own food.  

You could even set this over a potted plant.

Keep warm and safe, and I hope this inspires you.  

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

January

It's January.  Hasn't been above freezing since who knows when.  We have a couple inches of icy snow on the ground that won't go away.

And, we ordered our seeds.  Yep, it's that time of year.  For multiple reasons, I haven't planted a garden for the past year or two.  Usually, I say my house is where plants come to die.  I think it has something to do with water.  I heard once that they grow a little better if they have some once in a while.  I might have to try that.

In all honesty, last time I planted a garden, though small, it was great.  

I like herbs, mmmm.  The best spaghetti I ever made was when I just went out and snipped all fresh herbs for the sauce.

I keep hearing about a fresh start and New Year's Resolutions or about the horrific things to come (we just experienced the end of the world, remember.)  I try to see things from a pretty realistic view.  2013, I have no doubt, will have it's own challenges just as certain years through history have. The thing is, none of those historical events were really just one day or even one year.  To recover from the effects took some time.  And so it will be - we can focus on the miserable, or we can try to be prepared and take it in stride the best way we know how.

How does all this relate to planting a garden you ask.  Yes, I can hear you asking.  It's one of my superhero powers:)  Without getting political, I am uncertain about the upcoming year and what it might bring.  What I am certain about is that I know how to plant a seed.  And if I can do that and nourish it into a productive plant - and maybe even add a little H2O, it will help take care of me.  That's something we can all do.  Plant a seed of kindness, nourish it, and  watch it grow.  You might find a friendship growing someplace you would have never thought possible.

I am so grateful for my family and friends, I want them to know that and continue to know.  So, if I can scatter a little kindness in their general direction, fabulous.  If we plant a seed and forget about it, usually there is nothing to show.  It takes care.  Even if we plant the seed and get it started, it still takes care to continue to grow and bear flowers &/or produce.

That said, I would like to share a little portion of my garden with some folks. My hollyhocks were about 6-7 feet tall this past year and the most beautiful deep fuchsia color.  You would think I would have taken a picture, but alas, I did not.  If you would like a packet of seeds to plant and tend to, just be sure to be a follower of the site (so your picture shows:) and leave me a comment.  I have 6-7 packets to give away so if there are more of you wanting seeds than that, I will draw names.  This is just a little bit of sharing so will keep it short.  I will draw the names January 9th (next Wed.)

Happy digging.