Where We Are

Esme's yum-yum service

Our photo program is still out of commission, so I bring to you today another older photo. The story behind it is current, though. As soon as we started our spring work in the back yard, we discovered worms. Worms, worms, everywhere! I first found them under the past year's worth of chicken bedding that I had been tossing into a corner. When I scooped it into our "new" compost bin (i.e. first chicken coop turned upside down) , we found hundreds of them. Esme' decided to feed them to the chickens and we then came up with the title for her business: Esme's yum-yum service! Yes, this is a nod to the film "Kiki's Delivery Service", which we are very much in love with. I thought it would only last a couple of days, but when she said "Mom, this is the funnest thing I have ever done!! It's even better than my birthday!!!", I thought I could come up with more excuses to dig around in the yard. Now, we find worms as we're getting the garden beds prepared and as we're aerating the soil for planting grass seed. Yes, we even dig holes in a corner of the yard just to find worms. Just for the pure joy of it. Now, when Esme's starts to drift off at night she says, "I am starting to see worms in my dream".

Newspaper seed pots

Hello everyone! Sorry for the hiatus. Our lives have been rather centered on the back yard recently, with not much exciting news to share. The newspaper pots in the above photo were fun, though (I love that there is no transplanting involved, since the newspaper biodegrades in the garden), so I thought I'd share the link from Bonzai Aphrodite. We are also having technical difficulties here as far as photos go; even though we have a recent photo of actual seedlings growing in these pots, my iphoto program has decided to no longer import. So bear with me as I try to use older photos for an interesting post or skip the posts altogether until the computer is fixed!

Happy Spring everyone!!

 

Lately

Spring is nearing...our first-year tulips tell me it is so! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw these beauties today. Somehow they just seem so magical. All gardening and growth seems magical to me, I guess.

I realize I haven't been posting very much lately. I haven't been using my camera as much (partially because I feel that I still have so much to learn, partially because my lens was dirty and I was getting spots in all my photos, and partially because it has been so gorgeous outside that I have just wanted to be and enjoy it), and we haven't been doing anything particularly noteworthy. Our days have been filled with marker drawings, cutting paper and taping, building with legos, knitting, cleaning, packing bags and bags to take to Goodwill, playing in the mud, blowing bubbles and watching the chickens. Oh, and daydreaming!

On the upper right side of this photo, you can see the cloudy spot that I was referring to. I had to include it anyway, because Esme' and her friend were having such fun!

Everything feels lighter right now. I am a rare kind of person who actually enjoys cleaning my home, and in the spring I enjoy it even more. I love the natural scents of the homemade cleaners I make (as of now, I am making my own all-purpose spray and mopping cleanser... any other recipes would be appreciated), I love getting rid of things that feel weighty or unnecessary, I love the serenity that comes with having most things in their place, and I love the sense of creativity that arises out of that serenity.

Here is the playroom after a clean-up. Don't get me wrong; I am no stranger to extreme messes. Nor do I get angry about them. I have a little boy who dumps chocolate milk on the bed and empties jars of jam on the countertop. I do have to take a big breath during moments like this, but I know that messes are a child's work. I like for my children to get messy and to fully explore their surroundings. I just also like to have it cleaned up afterwards; to be able to start fresh every day (no, not every room in the house is clean every day!!!).

Playing with toys that held new interest after a clean-up.

This is getting lengthy, and although I did have more to share I will just leave you with one of my favorite images with a quote by Rumi. I framed this many years ago and it still inspires me every single day.

 

Garden Chronicles #1

Our garden is not beautiful to look at. In true accordance with the name of my blog, I want to share this piece of information. I have always known I would have a garden as an adult. I am proud that I have gotten something started. But I must repeat: our garden is not beautiful to look at. Take a look at our broccoli.

I bet this photo doesn't make you want to come to dinner at my house. 

And here is the full list of what we grew this year:

- about 7 strawberries

- about 5 blueberries

- 20 or so cucumbers

- 1 summer squash

- 10 or so peppers

- no peas

- no beets

- no kohlrabi

So, why do I share a story about what seems to be a failed and pathetic garden? Because I believe it is important to be thankful for, and honest about, where we are in life. Of course my family wants a better garden next year. But we did what we could with the money and time (and knowledge) that we had, and honestly I am quite happy with the results. 

Our kids could care less about how many fruits and vegetables they pick. They are just so happy to see them grow. Here are some decent (and I say decent because my camera is not great... any camera recommendations?) photos of our harvest.

5 tiny zucchinis!

The only summer squash along with a cucumber

The first year of the blueberry bush.

Next year can only be better, right?