In The Garden

"Earth is here so kind, that just tickle her with a hoe and she laughs with a harvest." ~Douglas William Jerrold, about Australia, A Land of Plenty

My garden is so small and bound to containers and a small patch of ground.  However, I still find it full of wonder and surprise.  Each warm week brings more fruit.  We have dined on our strawberries, squash, and herbs.  There is more in the works out there in that sun.  It makes me wonder why I never did this before when I had so much lawn?  I will put it on my youth and laziness, I suppose.   Now that I am bound to such a small and little plot, I am full of thoughts and ideas of green things and the smells of dirt and flora. 

Whenever I get the chance to expand my garden plans again, I cannot imagine the ways in which I will learn.  Gardening is one of the greatest teachers.  It teaches me most about our Creator.  He takes my efforts and His power and puts together quite a masterpiece. Sometimes I learn harder lessons.  I might find a plant covered in hungry crawling things, or find a flower struggling to survive.  I think then how true this is of life.  There is a certain mystery of life that requires a trust in The Great Creator that He can work it all out.  He gives the life, He gives the growth, and through that we find fruit.  I find God often in the garden.

Today, I am setting about a plan to shew the ants that are dining on my beans.  I used marigold blooms that had faded and placed them all around my strawberries.  That seemed to work beautifully for that.  However, they are not being deterred in the beans and tomatoes.  My kitchen, turned apothecary, produced some potions that I hope will aid my efforts. 

 

 

I did an oil and soap mixture, and I am steeping an onion and jalapeno pepper tea that I will try tomorrow.  I am trying to avoid chemicals.  I'd like to think they might do the trick simply and efficiently. 

Oh, the garden.  I couldn't resist the urge to add a few more things.  Being in the south, I still have time to get a few last minute things going...if I am lucky.

We shall see if God grants them to grow.  I surely hope He does.  I could play in the green and dirt for hours.  Strangely therapeutic. 

As a gardener, I'm among those who believe that much of the evidence of God's existence has been planted. ~Robert Brault

 

 

 

 

 

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Southern Charm

There is something distinctly southern about white picket fences and hydrangea bushes. I admit, I find myself full of warmth when I stroll the streets of a nearby town. Neighbors will chat and offer a sit on the porch. Garden shades offer a respite from June's rising temperatures. There is much gazing and conspiring to add this flower and perhaps plant another dogwood. A little storybook, for sure, but a walk down the lanes of a Carolina town is full of all things charming. Come walk with me.

 

 

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Beautiful People

Inside and out, they are so lovely to me.  They are my parents.  I am so grateful.

A sweet family member captured this moment of them on the beach, and I think it is priceless. 

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How Does Your Garden Grow?

A few, little shots of some garden growth.  Despite the torrential rains, the plants are doing overall pretty well.  We have been eating tomatoes and have several strawberries growing quite well.  My  watermelon vine seems to grow six inches everyday.  We have the promise of our purple bell peppers growing well.  The squash and cucumbers are multiplying.  Overall, the garden is doing quite well.  My neighbors probably think I am the kooky woman on the block with my makeshift vegetable garden.  I don't mind.  I enjoy my time with my plants.  I am wanting to add some more things and colors soon.  Maybe this weekend will afford me a trip to the nursery.

Gardening is quite therapeutic.  Those that dig in the dirt seem to share those sentiments.  It is nothing short of amazing watching plants take off and bear fruit.  I feel I have to wage war on the pests and make friends with the lizards.  I find myself frequently tending to my plants both on my patio and out in my courtyard space.  I enjoy it so very much.  Right now, the ants and the water are my biggest concerns.  I have been battling ants quite a bit.  I am going to try a natural pesticide made from jalapeno pepper, garlic, onion, and a bit of dish soap.  I hope that does the trick.

With the tropical storm, water has been in abundance.  Usually that is a very good thing for the hot south.  However, it can be too much.  It has been too much.  I fear I have lost one flowering plant.  I have done everything I can to rescue it from it's overload of water.  Still, I am not seeing signs of life.  Last night I dug it up to help bring air to the root ball in hopes that might be a last ditch effort.  I read and read, and this was the final thing to try.  So, we shall see.  It isn't anything too terribly important, but I hate to see it die.

I can't wait to piddle more with plants through the summer months.  It does my little heart good.

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Time To De-Fluff

Oh,Gee.  Do you know what can happen to your muscle tone when you go from singing and dancing with children all day long to sitting at a desk all day long?  It is not a nice thing.  When I left the classroom, exercising outside of work wasn't all that necessary.  I choreographed, sang, stomped, danced, twirled, and moved children all day long.  I left work quite worn, but happy and decently fit.  I would have probably been stick-thin if I could have managed to drop my love for chocolate and pizza.  But, I didn't and that was pretty OK with me.  Outside of pregnancy, I had only managed to have ten extra pounds since my college days and I thought that wasn't so bad. 

Oh, but now this desk job is killing my fitness.  I am not sure I could exercise enough in the evening to make up for the 10+ hours I spend sitting working at a computer and sitting in traffic.  How do others do it?  I can't for sure.  While my weight has only gone up a small percentage, my tone is just disintegrating.  It is quite sad.  Even Jackson told me the other day that I was nice and fluffy.  Fluffy?  Really?  He said, "Mom, you really aren't fat.  You are just soft." I am pretty sure that is not how I want to be described, at least not quite yet. 

This week is my last week of work.  Whew...to say I am thrilled would be an understatement!  Because of the timing of things, the boys have gone to spend the week with their grandparents so that I could finish the week and they both would not have to be in daycare.  Much love and thankfulness to them for loving on my babies.  The boys were beyond excited, and I barely got a "see ya later, mom" on my way out the door last night.  I am thrilled they love spending time there, but I will miss them like crazy.  So, in their absence, I thought this was the perfect time to start loosing the fluff.  Surely, I will loose the grump in a week over pulling in the reigns on my "survival" diet I have been enjoying for the past year. 

I followed a pretty cut and dry plan when I was working on loosing baby weight.  It worked quite well.  I am hoping that it will do the trick again, but the first few days are always the hardest.  It is a French diet that attacks the fluff pretty quickly, but it takes a good amount of determination.  I am determined.  I will be spending far too much time in the pool this summer to be fluffy.  SC summers can be quite the scorcher.  Our community pool is the happening place, and I am determined that I will not avoid spending time splashing and playing with my boys just because I am self-conscious. 

So, with bated breath and high hopes I am pulling out my old friend, Dukan.  If you think you would like to join me, let me know and we can be buddies in the process.  So here's to thinner, less fluffy days ahead!

If you are curious, and want to see what your true weight is....check out their free calculator.  I have the book, and that is all I go by.  It really did the trick before....except I never completely stuck with the final phase when I stared this ole desk job.  Maybe, this time I will. Come join me and we can Dukan together!

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