Somewhere In The Middle

 It's such an odd time of year, isn't it?

We might have snow one day and sunny skies the next.

With that,

one day we want stew and the next something lighter and fresher.

I have actually enjoyed this winter for the most part.

I still am on those blustery days.

I am also planting seeds and enjoying watching them sprout.

Like those little seeds bursting to life,

I feel like the house is going to burst.

I think those winter projects come out into the living space

and take up room.

They can make the house feel cluttered.

Please tell me it's not just me (cringe).

(Still working on my Forever Quilt)

I've begun the spring cleaning.

Before you shoot, remember this is me.

By the time I get one spot clean, two more are in need.

It does feel good to know that it was done though.

Even if it doesn't last.

I'm not sure if it's the knowing it has been cleaned

or the sense of accomplishment at having done it,

but either way it's good.

On the rare days we have had warm skies,

I try to get out and do some small thing.

It's surprising what a difference they make.

Last weekend, I trimmed up the thyme plant.

I also got one small bed leveled out where the spuds will go.

Then pelt, pelt, pelt. . .

icy rain pellets were being lodged from the clouds

and the wind came along to rile things up.

All said, I was forced back inside.

I tried again yesterday.

I went out to prepare some more trays for planting seeds.

As I was out there,

Mother Nature began snarling and growling and huffing and puffing.

I did get the trays readied, but then went in once more.

The good news in that is that my kitchen is cleaned.

The dining table however, is strewn with seed packets,

calendars, almanac and the like.

The Mini-greenhouse is now in the house - oy!

It used to kinda bother me to have it in the house.

Now, for whatever reason, it doesn't bother me.

I remember that it is temporary and once I am knee deep 

in preserving the harvest, I will miss the days of new green sprouts.

(Cherry Tomato sprouted after 2-3 days!)

I am trying to reign it in this year.

Yeah, I probably say that every year.

I think I only planted 18 tomatoes rather than 82.

So you see, I'm getting better.

(It's okay to laugh.)

There are some specialty herbs I want to try again.

Last year, I struggled getting things going.

The herbs seemed to be the least hardy.

Well, that just means I should try again right?

But it's early yet.

And as tempting as it is to want to rush the season,

it will be gone all too soon.

It's easy to appreciate that springtime sunshine,

but we can also appreciate those growls and grumbles

that come from the sky.

They give us the opportunity to wrap up those indoor projects

and get ready for the upcoming outdoor season. 

Whatever your day holds,

I hope it is a good day and that you are enjoying it

to its fullest.

A Porch Swing

 Perhaps old age is creeping up on me.

Though I typically have enough energy

and am plenty healthy,

I've found that I'm okay with not rushing.

I've never been the Tigger of the group,

and as some of you know

have a preference of Eeyore~

so much more my speed even as a youngster.

We have been on the go a lot lately.

We've had multiple family events,

both joyous and grievous.

All serve as a reminder that life is circular,

and we should revel in each day we are given.

Time at home therefore, has been precious.

Last night as I was looking at the few things left

to be put in the ground,

Hubby asked where the broccoli was.

When I replied that I hadn't planted any,

I was met with that sorrowful expression,

"But I like broccoli."

This morning as I was running errands,

I picked up a six-pack of broccoli plants.

I'm not sure where I will put them,

but I will find a place.

My garden outlook is a little different this year.

I am usually rearing to go by garden season,

but not having a real winter break,

I've been a little slow starting.

As I dig and weed and plant, I also think.

We aren't meant to rush through just to finish,

for a garden is never really finished.

My little apple tree that is maybe 4' tall

has 9 apples on it so I've been watering it well.

The weeds I pulled last week seem to replace themselves

before I make it back through.

Just as we think we are to maintenance mode,

harvest will begin and canning season will ensue.

And this is where that porch swing comes in.

We can produce a masterpiece of a garden~

I said "We" like mine is part of that.

I'm a funny one, am I not?

Regardless of what we've created,

we need to take a moment here and there

to sit and absorb all that we've done.

There is health both in the creation of a garden

and in being emersed in it.

My mock oranges are blooming and smell so sweetly.

The honeysuckle is waning but the hummingbirds

have been enjoying it's blossoms.

I fed the first ripe strawberries to Hubby last night.

They too share their sweet aroma with us,

but we must make that brief pause to appreciate it.

It doesn't take long~

but the benefit gained is remarkable.

I headed into this Monday much more at peace

having spent 2 days mostly barefoot digging in the dirt.

If you are unaware, 

being barefoot in the dirt has its own health benefits.

I will leave you to research that and

won't mention making mud in the bathtub in the evenings.

Whatever you have for a garden,

pour a cup of tea,

take your seat on that porch swing,

and enjoy the beauty of the day.

PS~

I don't have a porch or a swing,

but we have a couple chairs we drag around to the shade.

They serve quite well.

It All Went Away

 Not sure how things are going in your area,

but we have had the strangest year in the garden.

Everything is a full three weeks later than normal.

This basket is a good 20"-22" diameter.

As of writing this,

it is mid October.

Our beans and tomatoes are finally "coming on."

My eggplant has produced 2 fruit since spring.

At the moment it has 5 fruit on it.

We are expected to have mild temperatures for the next

week so I should be able to harvest them.

Typically, by the beginning of October,

I have already or am in the process of putting the garden

to bed for winter.

I currently have a couple tomato plants I will be pulling this weekend but the others are loaded both with ripe and green fruit.

We ran pretty low this year since we weren't getting much

in the way of fresh produce from our garden.

It's been a good lesson for me

to get as much as I can while I can.

The current prices at the grocery store are also 

pretty good incentive.

We also got a ton of delicious mild onions.

Well, not a full ton (heehee) but a lot!

I've been sorting them into boxes with brown paper

between layers to preserve some for fresh,

but I've had the dehydrator earning its keep, for sure.

 

In addition, we've been going full throttle at work

so extra time off hasn't been possible.

I could work full time at work and full time at home lately.

Thus the reason for so few posts.

Now to get to what the title is all about.

This year, Hubby put in for an elk hunting tag in Montana

with a long time friend of his who also enjoys bow hunting.

Bow season is earlier than rifle seasons so it's usually quieter.

FYI: MT hunting licenses and tags are expensive!

Well, two weeks before they were scheduled to leave,

his friend had a massive heart attack and flat-lined twice.

He has miraculously lived to tell it himself,

but needless to say, he wasn't able to go hunting.

Hubby went for two long weekends by himself

which neither of us were really wild about.

There is no phone service out there, and it's not an area

either of us is familiar with.

(His friend has hunted there for years.)

The third week of the season, 

he asked if I'd want to go if we took the trailer

and left on Tuesday and came back on Sunday.

For both of us to leave the business,

and for me to leave the garden and kitchen

right when everything was going nuts,

was a difficult decision to make.

I finally thought, you know what?

It's all going to be here when I get back.

I could work myself to the grave, or I could go

and take a break that was very much needed.

So we went~

The first day there, I took three, 3, III naps!

It was beautiful!

We camped right next to a creek off a very remote dirt road.

And for a few days,

it all went away.

No work.

No politics.

No banking or balancing books.

No urgency.

No food preservation.

No worries.

No people.

No noise.

It was so wonderful.

It was the longest vacation we've taken since we've been married, going on 12 years.

We somewhat reluctantly returned home Sunday night about 8PM, and the alarm went off at 4:30 Monday morning.

We've both been going non-stop since we returned,

but for just a couple days,

it all went away.

 

A Quiet Corner

 ~Hello Friends~

Wanted to pop in and say Hi.

I've had another post about ready to go for some time,

but there's something holding me back.

I don't really stress over this any more.

I just roll with it.

We are all aware there is a lot going on all around us.

Wherever you are,

make it someplace you enjoy.

When we moved into the cottage,

there was much to do as there always is when one moves.

I couldn't believe how much "garbage" there was around.

I've picked up so many pieces of plastic and glass, it's crazy.

There was/is this corner behind the summer kitchen 

to the side of the back yard.

It was a complete eye-sore.

Don't believe me?

Here, I'll show you.

(I had already begun picking up rocks.)

Once we got somewhat settled into the house,

I started in on the yard.

It's forever a work in progress, 

but it's now a usable space.

The extra asphalt from the drive was dumped here 

and not leveled.

There was a pile of river rock partially scattered.

There were several railroad ties around the place.

And did you notice the weeds?

It took a ton of work, but it's paying off.

This is as it was this morning 

with projects in process and all (no staging, haha.)

It's not yet all I envision,

but it's getting closer.

My beans are beginning to run up the bean wall

which is to the right in the picture.

By the time we get the really hot weather,

they should be up and providing shade from the west.

If someone stops by, this is often where we end up.

It's been a lesson really.

There are sooo many things I have no control over.

There are so many things I can neither change or even influence.

What I can do is take care of what I do have influence over.

I can make little changes that effect us

and those close to us.

It's a little safe-haven from the rest of the world.

It doesn't mean I'm not aware of what's going on.

It means I am aware and am doing something right here

where it matters.

That's what I can do so I'm doing it.

Is it perfect?

Nope.

Is it more than or better than doing nothing?

You betchya!

If the world is making you feel helpless,

make a change you can see and feel even if it's a small one.

Then do so again tomorrow.

Soon instead of a pile of asphalt, rocks, and weeds,

you'll have a little oasis to retreat to when you need a break.

You'll make a change.

Take heart and be well dear friends~

But It's a Good Tired

 You can find me in the garden ~

Well, this is a garden too, heehee.

Where to start?

I guess by sitting down for a moment.

I've been on the go.

Between work and regular home activities like

cooking and cleaning, etc. in addition to

getting the garden in and trying to clean up after winter,

it's been fun.

The summer kitchen is a hot mess.

I've somehow amassed a collection of items that require repair.

How does that happen?

I have just about everything planted.

I think there is one cuke waiting for me.

We've been eating radishes, and the lettuce is looking promising.

We have new planter boxes this year.

They are now all planted, but you wouldn't believe 

what it takes to fill each of those things.

Photo bomb curtesy of Ness as well 

as wood chips from filling the bottom half of each one.

I have a huge pile of pots to scrub but that's another story.

This past weekend,

we hiked 9 miles and equivalent of 74 flights of stairs.

We went back to our old hunting ground

which is where the first photo was taken.

We were looking for morels.

We didn't find any, but found 7-8 lbs. of calf-brain mushrooms

which are Hubby's favorite so he's happy.

We've been fortunate so far this year.

It's been a mild spring, and we've enjoyed occasional rains.

Last year, it seemed like the sun came out from its winter's nap and turned to triple digits immediately.

So, we are thankful everyday of this real spring.

This isn't a long post, but I wanted to let you all know

what was going on around here.

I need to snap some real pictures with or without 

feline assistance and share what's growing.

*Also*

I am having troubles leaving comments on blogs.

It says I need to sign into Google

which I am already signed into.

If I click on the button to sign in, 

it takes me back to the home page of my blog.

For some there is a drop down, and I can type my name and url.

Others won't let me at all.

I might try unfollowing and re-following 

to see if that does anything.

It really is discouraging.

If any of you know of a fix, please share in the comments.

It seems like there is something in privacy settings

that needs to be switched on,

but I can't remember what.

Something or Nothing Important

 Hello Friends~

It's nearly the end of March.

That seems a little unreal since we just celebrated

the arrival of the New Year.

The days are getting longer no matter which time

they choose to call it.

It certainly is a true spring.

One day it's freezing and the next is sunny.

For the past two years, I've had very few blossoms

on my lilac bush which is directly out the kitchen

window as it should be.

I figured out a little too late last year

that it was due to being so dry.

I've been keeping my eye on it this year.

And of course so far we've had decent precipitation.

I'm not complaining about that as I'm looking forward

to seeing and smelling those amazing clumps of beauty.

This past weekend, we ended up getting a new rototiller.

We meaning Hubby.

Then he "played" with it most of the day Sunday.

We had so many weeds after last year's heat dome.

Our grounds that we till are all nice and clean now.

Now, we'll just have to keep them weed free.

Then of course it will be planting time.

It's always so exciting when things go in the ground.

It's a true season of hope and expectation.

As we place that tender little green in the dirt,

we can almost taste the delicious fruits and veggies.

Isn't that how it should be?

We should see promise in more things.

Last year, on a whim (shame on me)

I bought a little greenhouse on clearance.

I am now glad I did.

I'm having so much fun with it.

Now I want a bigger one (oy!).

I have my peppers: jalapenos and Anaheim,

tomatoes: three varieties, sweetpeas, hollyhocks,

balsam, cabbage, broccoli, and some herbs.

I've enjoyed watching the little seeds emerge and spring to life.

It seems almost silly that one can be excited over

such a little event.

Then again, it seems silly that one wouldn't be excited

for such a happening.

It's the silly little things like a sprouting seed 

or a bulging bud about to burst open 

that bring so much joy to life.

The big events are going to happen.

They refuse to be ignored.

But the little things that cost nothing and happen quietly

can lift a spirit if only they are noticed.

Those little unimportant things are really significant.

As we progress into spring,

I'm trying to take my own advice 

and minimize screen time.

In winter with the long evenings,

it's easy to justify when it's dark and not much is happening.

There are things I want to do now with longer days.

Also, there is a lot that I don't think is healthy right now

or maybe just not healthy for me.

There are so many living in fear, in anger, or in naïve bliss.

Just because the weather is stormy in one area of life,

doesn't mean it can't be sunny in another.

Just as a blizzard is blowing in one place and

in another the warm rays are tanning bare feet.

I feel like I need to find peace in those sunny spots of life.

So if I'm not around making lots of comments,

please forgive me.

Sometimes, I need to listen more than speak

which is the opposite of much online interaction.

I'm here.

I'm living.

I just have to catch my breath

and find some peace in nature.

Doing simple tasks with no interference or interruption

has become a rarity.

That's part of what I'm seeking - 

that completion of thought.

That's the peace I'm looking for right now.

I hope that makes sense.

Until next time~

enjoy this beautiful spring.

*Sandy: thank you for your messages.  You have no reply.

 

September~

 It's September~

Can you believe it?

September is that nondescript month without a season.

It makes up for it with all its activities.

For me, it's a time to preserve.

The gardens are growing in full force since the Heat Dome dispersed.

I've done pretty well this year so far.

The heat made things a little wonky, but it all somehow works out.

Now I'm down to tomatoes.

I was completely out of sauce and down to 5 jars of diced.

That's only 2-3 meals of diced for us depending upon what's cookin'.

I did not photoshop this pix.  They really look like that 😂

So I am trying to get them canned up while I can.

I have reusable lids so am getting used to those on things 

that only require water bath canning just in case of operator error.

During the 2 months of triple digit weather,

anything outside wilted about as quickly as the sun rose.

By the time the weather broke, most flowers at the markets 

were marked down for quick sale.

I happened upon some of them and rescued them from their

garbage bin destiny.

They have thanked me in the most generous way.

Their blooms are beautiful and though my little area

is still a work in progress, it is a welcome spot.

And I am thankful I was able to have a few flowers

to brighten the area even if a little later than usual.

My bean wall took forever to get going but now is going crazy.

The bean blossoms are usually white and some have been, 

but we are also seeing these beautiful spice colored flowers.

I think I have 3 different kinds of beans in here due to

them being eaten in the spring.

I have potatoes to dig and will be rearranging the raised beds 

before next year.

I have another idea for next year (heehee, go ahead and shake your head.)

And lastly, I started this post the beginning of the month,

but we've been hoppin'.

Hubby had a goal of 60 gallons of salsa this year.

We have currently made 99 quarts.

I had to chime in and tell him he can't hog all the tomatoes.

I still need more sauce.

Our pepper plants are going like gang-busters also,

and he doesn't want them "to go to waste."

I told him we could freeze some poppers to use some up.

I will get this posted and hopefully be able to put together

a more reasonable post soon.

Hope each of you is enjoying the turning of the leaves.

We Do What We Do

To carry on.

That's what we do~

It's the end of March.

Around here, it didn't come in roaring like it does some years.

It kinda came in the back door

then surprised us with mid-month snow.

So what do we usually do in March?

Well, in our house, we plan and we plant.

The weather is still a bit fickle

so we dance with it.

Inside, outside, inside, 2, 3, 4.

Outside, inside, outside, 6, 7, 8.

The birds and the breeze provide us with music

as we move about.

(It needs to get back to this orderly state:-))

My summer kitchen has served as a sorting area

for the oddball things left to go through after moving.

Still amazed by how much we collect over the years

and how long it takes to go through it all.

Item by item, it's all being dealt with.

In the interim though, it appears a bit disheveled.

It doesn't help that during the coldest months, 

I let things be as they happened 

so I could get back in where it was warm.

Oh what will I ever do with me?

I've begun straightening here and there as I have a few minutes.

It is getting better, but I still have a ways to go.

I got the last of the lavender cleaned which was a task,

a lovely scented task, but a task nonetheless.

I've finally been hanging laundry back out here

rather then the clothes trees in the house.

That helps the house to seem cleaner.

I know that sounds odd,

but racks of drying clothes appear as clutter in a small home.

It's that time of year when not only can we hang our laundry out to dry,

but we can open our windows and doors

here and there even for a few minutes.

That fresh air is as good for our soul as it is for our system.

It's important that we find our center.

That's a dancing term for our springtime dance we are doing.

I think a good portion of my fine readers have faith.

It's remarkable that in the mignst of chaos,

we can hold our centers,

keep our homes,

comfort our kin,

and carry on.

Faith is the opposite of fear.

So it's reasonable that if we have faith,

we are without fear.

What?

We all have fear, you say?

Perhaps, just perhaps, those are the areas 

in which we need to find our faith.

It sure is a relief to know that we have the most powerful weapon

for combating those fears.

So we can continue to do as we do

and dance as we do with Mother Nature 

while the weather if fickle.

The birds and the breeze still sing.

Let's plan and plant, shall we?

2, 3, 4.

6, 7, 8.

Learning the Old Ways

Have you ever thought about

just spending a week in history?

Or even a day for that matter?

Over the past several years, I have had a garden,

canned , made soap and lotion,

learned to spin - well...sorta,

tanned hides, and used a loom.
Some of these things were "once 'round",
but I tried them out and learned something.

Growing up on a ranch and living out of town,

we did plenty of make do or do without

which is a saying that seems to have come back into fashion.

I've put up hay,

had my arm up the south end of various critters,

fed, fattened, and butchered others,

made feeders with nothing more than scrap wood,

a few previously used nails and a skill saw. 

(no trip to the hardware store, YouTube, or lumber yard)

However,

there was/is something missing.
And so I digress~

Growing up,

we always looked forward to Grammy's 

home-canned green olives.

(Good Italian family!)

Grammy is my only grandparent left - 95yrs. young.

In talking with her a while back,

I asked her how she made her olives.

Her reply...

"Well, I just do it how Grandma did it."

Meaning her mother, my great-gma.

Of course she did.

My aunt still has the giant crocks she used for curing them.

That knowledge wasn't passed down,

because along came a generation or two

of those who found it easier to buy a can of olives and such things.
As Grammy told me the process, I took notes.

I don't think I am alone

in wanting to restore and preserve the knowledge

not only of the 'how-to'

but also the why and to what end.

Grammy said when she picked olives,

she was very careful with them and

set them in the bucket or they would bruise.

If you just drop them in you would

end up with brown spots on your olives.

That's what I'm talking about.

Those little details of life

that had meaning and reason

that were passed from one generation

to the next seamlessly without even realizing it.

I have a tendency to love talking with

let's say 'well-aged' folks.

My mom says even when I was little 

and other kids shyed away from the old,

I was right there.

Maybe this is part of the reason.

There's something I connect to,

a wisdom I crave,

and a knowledge I may never realize.

I am in a continual state of learning.

Bless my dear husband.

He is so patient as I try out a garden idea,

bring home an antique tool of some sort,

and share tid-bits of facts like

"If you pick green beans with the dew still on,
 they will get rust spots."

We found that out the first year we planted them - 

now we know why.

It would have been so much easier to

learn that from someone

before

we picked them in the early morning dew.
Multiple generations of a family used to live together or
at least within close proximity to one another (generally speaking.)
We are so distant now - in so many ways.

I'm not certain if there is a real point to all this,

or if it's just the sharing of a feeling,

but if it keeps you from picking green beans in the morning, or

encourages you to call and visit your grandma or grandpa

well then,
that is enough.
If you are a g-ma or g-pa, please share.
We need you.

PS Thanks Grams:)