Update on the Vegie Garden...

The cukes and melons are growing...


The sunflowers are thriving...


The tomatoes are full of blooms...


There are 18 okra plants...


The corn is 3 feet tall...


The squash plants are huge...


The pole beans are off and running...pun intended...




The radish patch and the first radish picked...




It was the first of many...


All is alive and well. It is so exciting to have planted all of this and for it to be growing and producing...There are already plans for a bigger garden next year, and soil work in the off season...cannot wait!

Planting and Welcoming New Lives...

We love the spring and summer months so much...there is so much to do outside that the inside kind of gets neglected. I suppose that is the way it should be though. The need to get outdoors is a way bigger pull than to stay in and do laundry, or clean a nasty toilet...let's see toilet bowl-outside-toilet bowl-outside...duh! Outside wins hands down!

The little blue spruce had been named Elsie, but as of this morning its name has been changed to Alfrid. Yes, the little person in our household likes to name all the plants and trees and flowers..."They are living things, Momma!" (and I quote). We have Fern, Charlotte, and Emma. They are lambs ear stalks with flowers on them. There is also Abigail, Muriel, and Ingrid. They are Japanese Irises. Oh, and Gladys. She is the lone gladiola in the flower garden. So, it is Alfrid, for the baby blue spruce...with an emphasis on the "id". I love it!!!

Digging the hole...


Patting down the soil with Daddy...


Watering it in...


Done!


We also have a new member of the family...Snowflake better known as Prometheus (at least until I find out what that means exactly)...it is a white male betta fish. I never knew they came in white...but they do...he did! We have had a blue one named Finnegan and a red one named Kierkgard (not sure I spelled that right, my college age son named him...he is a philosophy major)LOL.

A Long Long Day...

Photos now...words tomorrow...long long day, and I have no energy left for writting

Always Be Kind...If You Can't Don't Say Anything...

People amaze me...the ones who get their feelings hurt, because they are not actually listening to what you may be saying. It's all about them all the time. You know the ones you regret having asked the question, "How are you today?" Because the answer is never positive like "good", or "fine", or "fantastic", or whatever positive feeling most people experience at least once in a while. Instead the answer is always something negative. The ones who say whatever they want, to whoever they want, regardless of whether it may hurt another persons feelings, or offend them in some way. Be it small or large it doesn't matter...it is still very rude.
You feel bad after being around them...you leave with this feeling of wanting to call the most positive people you know so you can be recharged with optimism. The longer I live the more I realize how important it is to be a person whom people leave feeling good...like they are better for having been around you...like they matter...they feel encouraged.

So, please always be the kind of person who inspires others to be kind but if you can't then don't say anything...silence is better than negativity...

A few things I feel good about...

Flowers for no reason except "just because" from my little guy...


Yummy and crunchy cinnamon toast hot from the oven...should really be called candy toast...


The busiest and most loving little fella I know...


The most intuitive and philosophical person I know...


And the best big brother ever...


The best husband and daddy around...bar none!



Now after all the gushing I just did all over my computer screen...I am off to prepare for a yard sale and lemonade stand here tomorrow...

Have a spectacular weekend...try to surround yourself with people who make you feel good about them (and yourself too of course)...

Almost Missed Posting Today...

15 minutes left to get a post in for today...just relaxing in the living room with a book and realized I had not written a post for today. It will be short and sweet as I am on my way to go to sleep.

A good day it was. Stayed within my calorie range for sure, but I need to work on my sugar and carb count...I am doing "The Fat Belly Cure". Well, a version of it and "Primal Eating", and a little bit my own common sense, all together. Made a great dinner of roasted sweet potato with olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, rosemary, and roasted sesame seeds...marinated onion in red wine vinegar, and smoked chicken. Very delicious...my own recipes.

I am off to sleep now...much like my little guy on the way home from "Stomp" back in March...

A Post a Day...

Okay, so I am not the most prolific blog posting person on the internet. I am going to conduct a little challenge with myself...I challenge me to post every day for the entire month of June 2011, with at least one photo. The photo may or may not have anything whatsoever (is that one word?) to do with the post...We will see what comes out...tee hee.

This week has been very busy so far. Nothing noteworthy, unless you count fertilizing the vegie garden (will have up to date pics after tomorrow), getting my statements in the mail in record time today at work, or starting a diet...well, not a diet but a life change in my eating habits with the goal being to get in shape and lose about 35 pounds. Whew! Run on sentence!

My boys are into summer full swing. My college age son and all his friends are home from school for the summer. Working, swimming, and playing music seem to be the main events on the agenda for them right now. We had a concert downstairs on Sunday evening. After feeding them tacos for dinner they proceeded to entertain us with awesome music...they are quite good together as a group. A little classic rock (AC DC "Back in Black") was played as well as a rather eclectic arrangement of song choices from different genres of music.

My little one is still in school until the 20th, but has started swim team practice as of yesterday. He is planning his birthday events, which is 4 weeks from today, and is about to drive us nuts. I think he has finally settled on Hershey Park for the day with family friends. I am sure whatever we end up doing will be fun for all involved.

I do have a little (read huge) before and after house/photo project going on right now...more on that later.

Off to do some housework now, and start a new knitting project I plan on having finished for vacation in 6 weeks.

School is almost out...Hurray!!!