May -- A Time to Plant

Well, Thomas is gone, planted in Orlando for four months of BMW STEP training.  Fernando surmised that Thomas would not be home again, that this was a finality.  That's as it should be, of course, but that was a hard thing for this mama to fathom--her baby in an apartment far away, not easily accessible, probably not coming home.

My thoughts now turned toward Fernando and his employment situation.  He has had three different companies express interest in him, three different phone interviews, and three time to wait answers.  I then turned toward the warmer weather and my garden outside.  As long as Fernando was home, we could both go out and plant something and watch it grow.

Fernando is such a generous worker; his heart gives of himself and he willingly works in my garden for me, especially at planting time, shoveling compost, doing the back-breaking work so that I can focus on getting little plants and seeds into the ground.

I scaled back this year, planting just a few tomatoes, a bed of green beans, another of carrots.  The garlic sprouted up from seeds planted last autumn, which I love because it's such a no-nonsense gonna-grow-no-matter-what kind of crop.

I planted two little cherry tomato plants, hoping they'd do well in this particular corner of the plot.

Herbs went in this bed below, with green beans in the middle, and carrots on the left side.  I am hoping like mad the carrots turn out well like they have in the past!

After letting this back bed rest last year, I planted my four tomato plants here.  My choice was Arkansas Traveler, an indeterminate variety that produced well for me last year.  Here's hoping for another good harvest this year!

In my front yard flower garden, I basically ignored the wild oregano growing like a bush in the front.  It's not the best herb in the kitchen.  But I planted a few more French sorrel plants, hoping to have a few harvests of sorrel for my delicious French sorrel soup.

French sorrel in the center.

The hardy English thyme was already a nice sized little bush (on the left in the image below).

Now it's time to wait, to nurture, to watch things grow, to hope.  I was hoping for more than vegetables, and herbs.  As I watched Fernando go through phone interviews, and one Skype interview with a company based on the East Coast, I hoped to watch seeds of change grow, to watch something new sprout, to see the Lord guide our path once again down a new road.


Back to life,
Christine

Visit my photography blog
Visit my photography website

Say Goodbye to the...

End of June.

We actually had an evening where we all sat down to eat a meal together!

That was an aside.  On to the real goodbye...

One last time, I climbed the stairs to the deck of our now completely destroyed pool, and looked down on what once was a sparkling blue sphere.  This was right before they guys took down the stairs to the deck, and it would be the last time I could stand at that vantage point.

If you've seen any "overview" garden photos of mine, you know that they're always taken from up there on that pool deck.  So, these last two photos are the last two I'll ever take like this.

I'm sure the neighbors will shake their heads when they see me lugging a ladder out to the back yard every few weeks so I can get a great shot of my raised beds.  *sigh*

Then, one last photo of our demolished pool, here below.  The memories of summer fun, cooling off, floating around with Fernando, having friends and family over for a dip, hosting big parties with the laughter of swimming dads holding on to their little ones--and having to take turns because there were so many wanting to swim--all the wonderful memories I have!

And this--this below--would be the last time I hang my cold-water washing out to dry on the pool railing.  Is that kind of like when you hang your clothes on your treadmill?  Maybe, sort of.

Maybe one day in the future we'll have a smaller one, but for now, it's goodbye pool; you served us well these past 13 or so years!


Back to life,
Christine

Visit my photography blog
Visit my photography website

In My Garden -- Early June 2016

Early June.

I'm playing "catch up" with my blog this week...  Since I've been working four days a week, my off-days are usually spent "recuperating" and rejuvenating--and doing my own laundry, cooking for the guys, running errands...  You see why my blog has been on the back burner?

I sweet-talked Fernando and Joseph into picking strawberries on this early June morning, which I believe was a homeschool convention day (meaning I had to be at the convention working all day).  They picked a nice amount to add to the strawberries I had already picked, so that meant we'd have not only strawberry preserves (which, to this day, I haven't made yet!!), we'd get to have a nice Strawberry Shortcake Night soon.

On another early June day, I confronted my two sage plants, which had flowered and gotten huge since last year.  I cut off all the flowers parts close to the base, and used the leaves to make fried sage--I simply chopped them up and fried them in a little butter, then used them as topping for everything from my ham chili to soup to salad.  Yum!

Pruned back and ready to grow nicely again.

I also weeded the pathway near the carrot/sage/garlic/tomato bed.

Also in early June, I tackled the front flower garden.  This oregano bush--it's not really a plant any more, I don't think--has taken over the front part of the garden and I'd really rather just dig it out.  For now, I trimmed it way back.

I also had Danny do a bunch of weeding for me.  Guys are so handy!

A second "companion" oregano plant.

Variegated beard tongue blooming pink.

I also picked my French sorrel before it bloomed this year.  I have wanted to make French sorrel soup, which (at this point) I've already made.  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  Amazing-ness!!  I'll share a recipe as I continue to catch up with blogging.

So, remember those strawberries?  Yep, hulled and washed and turned into yumminess.

Strawberry Shortcake Night was fantastic!


Back to life,
Christine

Visit my photography blog
Visit my photography website

The Garden God Provided

With me working full-time for the past few weeks, I didn't think I'd have a veggie garden this year.  But God thought differently!

The first ray of hope for plants in my back yard raised beds came in the form of an email from The Growing Place.  Their Aurora location was giving away compost, for free, one day only, the very next day.  I hadn't started working yet, but compost was an expense lifted off our shoulders, and Fernando was game to shovel the back of the Suburban for me the next morning.  In fact, after we got home and I left again to spend the day with Mom, he went back for a second load!  (I love my man!)

Then, on May 14, a Saturday and the only morning I had free (I had to go in to work that afternoon), I decided I could go and purchase plants.  Jake was ready to go with me and help carry, load, and unload.  I would purchase fewer this year, I decided.  Then I received an email--a friend of my neighbor Lorraine was offering me tomato plants--she would drop them off that morning!  Even more money saved!

First, though, I opened my three-ring Garden binder.  I had to plan the gardens--always a tricky task depending on what I wanted to plant and where I was in rotating those plants.  I frowned when I opened it to my blank planner.  There was already a planned-out garden with 2016 written in the square for the year.  I must've goofed last year and wrote the wrong year in.  But then I realized I had already planned this year's garden last year, when I started rotating my garlic beds with the rest of the garden.  It's the first year I've ever planned my garden a season in advance, and it couldn't have come at a better time, when I had no time!

I purchased plants and seeds, came home, set the plants inside (our last frost was that evening), and went to work.  Meanwhile, Jake spent some time digging up weeds for me.

Sunday afternoon was Planting Day.

The guys all pitched in to get the compost worked in to the soil in the open beds.

Danny took some time to attack the yucky prickle plants growing just outside the garden near the pool deck.

With the afternoon ticking away, I got the tomato plants planted, along with the herbs I purchased.  The seeds would have to wait until Monday.

Danny showing Joe how to water the tomato plants.

The garden is coming along!

The guys hosed off the tarp/cover that had been protecting the compost, and Thomas laid it out to dry.

Jake got innovative in getting the dirt off the table.

Finally, on Monday, Joe helped me get the seeds--green beans, peas (late, oh well), and carrots--into their respective beds.  We staked what needed to be staked, and the garden was complete.  Wow.

Back on Sunday, I bribed the guys into posing for a picture.  Totally bribed, no guilt about doing that, with Andy's frozen custard.  I partook as well, so it really wasn't much of a bribe.  But it got Joe back outside and standing with his brothers, even smiling for me!

The Fearsome Foursome!

And through free compost and tomato plants, a hardworking and generous husband, thoughtful neighbors, and hardworking sons, God provided my garden.


Back to life,
Christine

Visit my photography blog
Visit my photography website

The Last Days of March in Photos

As March marched toward its last day (couldn't resist that), I waved goodbye to Fernando, who headed west to South Dakota, and I began a week full of activity.  It was good to be home for a solid length of time, to stay in one place, to be there, all there, as my guys came in and out and lived their lives and shared them with me.

Fernando left for South Dakota.

Right off the bat, in a raid on my freezer to figure out what to cook, I found the carcass from our Thanksgiving turkey--my mom had given it to me to throw in the freezer since we were leaving the next day for California to be with Fernando's family at his aunt's death.  The carcass came out, along with fixings for that day's meal.

Thanksgiving turkey carcass, simmering on the stove overnight.

I cut up the turkey and strained the broth, to be turned into turkey and gravy for Hawaiian haystacks (I think I'll post that recipe soon).

It has been invigorating to be in the kitchen cooking again, and I made another family favorite last week--Tortellini and Spinach Soup.

I spent a chilly, hand-numbing afternoon at the Morton Arboretum with a sweet young lady friend, walking, spotting signs of spring, stopping, taking pictures, talking.  I love that Miss S loves "going deep" in our conversations; we fall into it naturally, and even though we talk about lighthearted subjects too, we have some intense conversations--discussing, sharing opinions, being open and honest, affirming.

Soon this field will be covered with daffodils!

It snowed one afternoon.  I guess March is going out like a lion.

I tried taking a selfie to show off my new glasses.  I love my guys.

More baking ensued, with two new recipes to be blogged soon--Irish soda bread, and honey-cinnamon butter.  Comfort food, indeed!

Ice cream--eaten from the carton--was also on the end-of-March agenda; a Friday night, missing Fernando but still comfortable and at peace at home.  The carton called my name, and I answered.  There wasn't much left, anyway.

Danny made an "appointment" to get his hair cut; I hope he pays me!

Yet another new recipe, thanks to Miss S and her family--beef stroganoff.  Hoo-boy, those mushrooms!  I loved it.  Half the guys picked them out, so this will be a meal for Fernando and me; they'll have to fend for themselves the next time I make it.

Thomas took my picture on Easter Sunday, and I texted it to Fernando, who was still covering NCAA women's basketball in South Dakota.  We shared a casual Easter afternoon with Dad and Mom, minus Fernando and Jake, who had to work, plus my brother Jeff.

The end of March turned into New Recipe Month, with the addition of these lemon cheesecake crumb bars for Easter dessert.  If you love lemon half as much as I do, you'll love these.  Yeah, the recipe will come soon!

Random picture of a trip to Trader Joe's for fruit, veggies, and a few other items...

Another random picture, this time of my parents' family room as I waited for them to return so I could act as Computer Tech Girl for them.  I love knowing just enough to be able to solve computer problems for them.  It makes me feel smart.

Finally, Danny and I brought the Suburban in to the shop to see if they could fix the driver's seat.  I hadn't driven it in months, because the seat got stuck in the far back position and wouldn't move forward.  Thus, I couldn't reach the pedals, and couldn't drive it.  #shortpeopleproblems

I had to drive the BMW exclusively.  Woo-hoo!

Lo and behold, the technician removed "items" from the track of the seat, and it miraculously works again.  We elected not to have the passenger airbag serviced, since the car is so old.  We like to call that warning light in the photo the Don't drive with beachballs warning light.  It's still lit, and I think of sun, sand, and waves crashing on the shore whenever I turn on the ignition.

That's our end of March, and we now wait for warmer weather (still not happening yet--how about 50s even?) and look ahead to what God has in store for us for April.  But that's a post for tomorrow.


Back to life,
Christine

Visit my photography blog
Visit my photography website