25 September

Currently........

two garden beds are cleaned out, bags of kale and carrots and pesto are in the freezer.  Even though I didn't get as much from the garden as in years past, I did a lot more preserving (and learning!). We signed up for our CSA Meat share...... and the pellet stove is cleaned out, cold weather and soups and stews and the crock pot are right around the corner.  Getting ready.

This girl is a rock star in Dance class.  She takes Ballet, and Hip Hop and Jazz.  The teacher is amazing, she teaches the girls the moves, and the performance just unfolds the way it does, no pressure to be perfect. She has so much patience and pride in these girls.  B has learned more in three weeks than she did in three years in her old class.  Just Awesome.

L is on his way to becoming an Author......his newest passion.  He is making copies of his books and selling them, a dollar for two books (any takers!)  Introducing Mr. Wedgie Pants, there are two books in the series so far.  He is a superhero, who wedgies people to catch robbers.  Just awesome. (AND FUNNY!)

He's doing amazing in school this year and is happy, and going to play dates after school....

.just awesome

He wrote this while on a walk in the woods with a clipboard.  Just awesome.

I started this little chalkboard in the kitchen last week.   It answers the constant asking about whats for dinner, and where we need to go that evening.  It helps keep me organized too, when I have to commit to a certain dinner, especially with picky eaters.  When kids know stuff ahead of time, there seems to be a lot less complaining.  just Awesome.

B at her open house, we saw her desk her classroom and school.  It was a total zoo, and hard to take it all in, this amazing new space.  I was sad to see that B was the only one that didn't have her "all about me" box on her desk (she had brought it home).   We have been struggling with school over the last few weeks.  We are meeting, making changes and consulting with experts, things will get better, they already ARE getting better.  I'm so proud of my girl.  School is so hard.

He calls his book making process a "factory". Just Awesome.

The Fall garden as weedy and untended as it was.....Just awesome.

30 July

The July garden.....

Most of what is growing......is weeds!  It took me several hours out there this week to clean it all up.  This is usually what happens this time of year as things get away from me. I do have some squash leeks, onions, and lots of green beans.

Sunflowers!

Even with the Blight, the tomato crop is going to be much better than last year.

Tons ans Tons of mint!  If only I had time to make something with it.

There is some drying in the kitchen.

Our First apples on our apple tree!  Three to be exact...

I love spending early mornings and evenings out here when time allows.  I have big dreams for this space (when I get more time....sigh....).  Working our here, gives such a peace to my long work days :)

15 October

The fall Garden....

SO they garden beds have been totally neglected (haven't even been out there in two months).  So the little boy and I put the beds to rest today for the winter, and found a few surprises out there! The raspberries, HUGE pumpkin and carrot, and a few straggly tomatoes and peppers.  Before we know it the snow will be again covering the frozen ground in this space and well be sledding down the hill right next to where our summer food grew..  Soon we'll be tucked inside next to our fire, thumbing trough catalogs and dreaming of next year, of doing it better.   Always doing it better.  To everything there is a season

21 July

Sunday in the garden.....
Some cooler temps....FINALLY!  Beets and greens still growing strong, peas are all done. Sunflowers are HUGE and blooming.  Weeds are under control (YAY!).  Squash, Pumpkin and Cucumber big and yellow flowers.  Tons of bees in said flowers.  Little tiny cumbers.  First tomato Harvest.  Like little drops of sweet golden sunshine in your mouth.  Love that.

25 May

Around the yard......

Peach, Plum, crab-apple and apple trees are blooming, lettuce and spinach is almost ready for picking (yum!), the peas are getting higher and the herb and cucumber seeds are sprouting.  The containers are planted, all seeds are in the ground (except corn, peppers, melons  and tomatoes).   Oh, how I love this hobby.  It's so amazing to see everything come to life again after the long winters we have.  It's a miracle actually. Happy weekend!

13 April

Yesterday:  Spring Vacation Day 1: I worked over a 12 hour day at two jobs.  J stayed home with the kids and worked.  All I heard about was that they were fighting some and they made a fort in L's bed and formed a "secret" reading society.  I was so tired by bedtime I literally felt sick.  That was That.
Today: Spring vacation Day 2:  Getting a late start to the day.......getting outside and assessing the gardens and the outdoor to do lists (overwhelming!)  It's just amazing to me how fast everything starts growing again after the LONG winter.  I can't wait!  We're sprucing up the raised beds, adding some new trellises and new dirt.  L and B helped but fought over tools, T played basketball in the driveway and pretended he wasn't part of the family in that pre-teen fashion.  Tomorrow (and the next weekend after that and the next weekend after that) will be more of the same.  Good Times.   

26 March

Oh, and by the way, we got surprisingly tons more sap to boil and accidentally boiled it all away b/c we weren't paying attention (UGH!), and its just super crazy week but we still managed to get our indoor seeds planted.  Peppers and tomatoes.  And just 'cause one little boy is really so into it, We will still grow from seeds (and buys some plants later...)

1 November

Hello November. Your gray skies,bare trees and warm thoughts of the holiday season ahead. So much to look forward to and we welcome you.

Notes from another season of growing:

The last of the harvest has been brought inside.  Lettuce and celery this week.  Winter Rye was planted and raked into all the beds (they say it helps the soil and controls weeds for the next year.) This Year the tomatoes didn't do great (maybe buy plants next year instead of trying to start seeds indoors....as fun as it was).  We got no peppers and pumpkins or watermelons again (even though the plants were huge).  We got lots of cucumbers even though we planted late (fine to plant from seeds). Potatoes were fun, but not really worth it (since we got tons from the farm).  Next year I'll do beets, celery root (It's so yummy!) We have to start over on our strawberry patch and we're hoping to get a little fruit from our newly planted apple, peach and pear trees.  the CSA definitely helped my gardening vision to see what grows when (and we just signed up for the winter share---YAY!), so yes another year of learning and growing, failing, starting over and succeeding  is on the books and such goes life.

13 October

Thoughts on the CSA.....

All I have to say is that this year, our weekly 1/2 a share (MORE than enough for our family of five) was AMAZING.
For less than 10 dollars a week, we got a full bag of farm fresh veggies every week from Early June through October (and when I say fresh, I mean picked that morning fresh)..
We got to try different things, and discovered how good eating simply really is.
I hope the kids always remember the trips for the farm and important lessons about good food and where it comes from.
it took a little more work and planning than my regular grocery shopping and meal planning, but like anything in life, doing the right thing takes more work and planning.
The smell if rosemary and celery root on my hands today just reminded me how much I love fall(and the smell if fall)
We had Fresh farm tomatoes every week from July through October.
We saved anywhere from 25-75 dollars a week on our grocery bill.
If I could sign up for next year right now, I would (sign ups are in February).
We loved it and we're sad to see our weekly pick up come to an end in two weeks, can't wait for next year:)

21 August

How it's growing......
The pumpkin and cucumber plants are HUGE.  We have corn (Trevor's corn).  Two plants fell over and broke (never heard of corn falling over, but it's our first year trying it).  We have lots of green tomatoes.  WE replanted lettuce and beets for fall harvest.  Thinking about planting a cover crop this year for winter.  Had a bees nest in the corner (but got rid of it.....hate those things!)  No matter how well it grows or doesn't grow....it just makes me happy:)

31 July

In the Garden.....(PS, the top left is from the farm)

As the years go by and my garden grows and my little people grow I find myself just pausing and noticing how I feel about this little hobby of mine.  You see, I never aspired to be a gardener.  It just felt right at the time, felt like something I wanted to do and teach the kids (and usually they are learning right a long with me).   I find myself out here a lot in the evenings, just before dinner, as the sum is dipping lower, the light is just right and the sea breezes are kicking in.  I pull a weed or two, kill off a few japanese beetles, and see what I can scrounge up to add to our plates.  No matter how many years I'll be at it, I think I'll always feel new at this.  I have noticed, however, that while I'm a perfectionist about so many other things in my life, when it comes to gardening, I'm just not.    If things don't work, I just rip them out and replant (as I did with the pumpkins this year and man they are HUGE!).  There are always bugs, and fungus.  The strawberries never made it.  But, it's ok, there are just so many things out of my control.  Usually, I just leave it alone and come out in a few more days and I'm surprised by what I see. Mother nature is an awesome thing.

18 May

It seems like just Yesterday we planted the seeds indoors (but it also seems like there was an awful lot of waiting and careful watching and watering too), and then, just like that, it is time to plant them outdoors!  There is nothing that gives me more joy than the anticipation of a new growing season (children included)......that is until the weeds start growing and the pests start appearing, but it's all a learning process this growing thing (children included.).  So much has gone into the yard this year, vegetables, heirloom tomatoes (even corn per Trevor's request), flowers, and fruit trees.  Oh,the dreams I have for the future....whats next?  maybe roses?

20 March

Happy Spring!

And you'll have to excuse me for just learning that the day and night are the same exact length on the first day of Spring.  Well for the first time, we are trying to start seedlings indoors.  I have no idea what I'm doing, and didn't really plan on anything to set these pots on except my jelly roll pans (they get wet).  I guess I'll just learn as I go along like I do with most things.   I'm so happy that the seeds (and the children!) will get to spend their first few days outside since we will be having temps in the 70s and 80s.  Lucas and Bre did a great job spooning the dirt putting in the tiny seeds and watering.  We have 4 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, cucumber, watermelon and pumpkin.  We really did baby them and just ever so gently misted them with the hose, covered them with plastic wrap, and placed them in the window. It's always good to bring a little dirt inside.  And I bet you didn't know that reading to seeds helps their growth.  It really does.

13 March

Around Here....

Were getting Spring Fever.  We're outside after dinner riding our bikes in mud puddles and racing around the loop until dark.  I got my seed catalog in the mail yesterday and promptly ordered up a whole garden's worth and then some.  We're going to start indoors this year.  And guess what is going to be delivered to my door this April?  Three trees!  An apple, pear and peach tree.  I can't wait to add them to our garden:)  Exciting stuff!  Oh and the piano lessons?  Well, Trevor has had five 30 minute lessons so far, and he's playing Beethoven (mostly b/c he practices while watching it being played on you tube!)  See below, Exciting Stuff!

25 June

Around the yard this June.....

Even with all this rain, flowers and vegetables are finally starting to bloom!

16 May

You were so excited to plant your very own pumpkins and Watermelons. I am excited too b/c the all the seeds are planted. We ordered some raspberry and strawberry plants online and can't WAIT to put those in the ground as well as the tomatoes. WE can't wait to see what this next season of "growing" brings.

365::221

Our garden is bursting with things to harvest! Today we harvested 15 cucumbers, 5 tomatoes (and we are on the brink of about 50 more), wildflowers and basil. Lucas helped me make some homemade pesto (I didn't use a recipe) and we froze that. I promised him to make some banana bread tomorrow morning (this little guy is REALLY into cooking). Also, Breanna had her first private tour of her new school, lunchroom, bathroom and Kindergarten classroom, courtesy of her wonderful teacher (LOVE HER!). We said goodbye to one of her teachers at Shooting Stars that she has had for three years :( WE love you Ruth, you are family to us and we'll miss you! It's her last week at shooting Stars. WE love it there but she is ready. Moving up, and Moving on....its a good thing.

getting ready...

to celebrate the weekend (and Josh's birthday) with some really good friends that we haven't seen in over a year (15 months to be exact). They are from out of town so we'll probably be out on the town enjoying all the touristy spots coastal Maine has to offer (including LOBSTER!). See you back here on Tuesday:)

365::196

In the garden......

Peas are ready

cucumbers are ready (and coming out my ears)

basil is ready (homemade pesto?!?)

lettuce is already picked and eaten

wildflowers are ready for picking (can't wait to make an arrangement for the table!)

The tomatoes plants are taller than me, crowded and there are many green ones

It's my best garden ever, but it's just a start, there are so many things I'm going to do differently next year.

365::141

.......And Another season of growing begins.