GARDEN ATTEMPT...GARDEN ATTEMPT!

This morning I did some planting - lots more to do - must be done this weekend.  It seems like I'm behind but, with the weather we've had this year I think I'm finally safe.  We had a couple evenings where the lows were down in the low 40's!

Our property is CLAY.  I never do well gardening (except in containers) but I'm trying a new spot this year.  This year I'm planting where our swimming pool used to be.  There's a heavy layer of sand and I added soil to it.

I'm also trying something else new.  I saw an article online about adding a whole, un-cracked egg into the hole before planting the tomato plant.  I think you do this with peppers too.  I'll read more and see what all it covers.  Anyway, cool thing is, I store up all the small and pee-wee eggs I get from some of my chickens then I use them up all at once.  Planting them just sounded like a perfect idea!

All I got in today was two rows of Silver Queen Sweetcorn, two rows of Mammoth Sunflowers (I planted the sunflower rows between the corn rows....never did that before, let's see how it goes!), also four plants each of Marglobe tomatoes and Long Keeper tomatoes.  Still have lots to go in.

Here's a lovely picture of the egg, tomato plant, and....MY FINGER!!  *rolling my eyes* - LOL!  The sun was so bright I couldn't tell what I was taking a picture of.  At least you get the point ;)

WHAT the DEER TEACHES

This morning, while feeding the chickens and watching over mama hen (Luna) and her four little chicks, Luna got close to the fence and stood particularly still, just watching.  I thought maybe she saw a mouse, a snake, or some other creature.  Oh she definitely sensed something, but it was far off. 

Across the lake, from out of the woods, there came a single deer, just walking down the neighbor's driveway.  That was what Luna sensed.  This was particularly thrilling for me because, in the 14 years we've lived here, this is only the third time I've seen a deer.  I thanked the Creator for this special gift of grace and beauty, for a sign to me that the gentleness of our Lord surrounds us always, even when our thoughts have strayed; in the calm quiet we are certain to gain a glimpse of the heart which loves ALL.  

This evening I will be at our monthly Medicine Wheel Gathering.  We will be learning from the teachings of The Cornplanting Moon (May 21-June 20), and the animal associated with this moon is the Deer.  What a blessed day it will be!

"Deer calls to us from the Otherworld.. and invites us to look beyond the material, beyond the superficialities of life, toward the heart of things, toward the realm of causes rather than effects. Poised in moon- or sunlight, Deer invites us to begin an exploration of the Otherworld, the spiritual dimension of life."  - Philip & Stephanie Carr-Gomm

THE GARDENING HAS BEGUN!

How are your gardens growing?  Well, I held myself back this year.  Every year I start my seeds indoors in.....February!!  I usually wind up losing nearly everything when it's actually time for them to go outside.  I was told, long ago, "no planting till after Memorial Day!"  So....I totally waited till April to start seeds.  You have no idea how difficult it was for me to wait ;) .

Here's the website I really want to credit:  www.sproutrobot.com

An absolutely easy, perfect little site that lets you know, for your area, what week to start seeds and/or plant outside.  Just put in your zip code and voilà!  I highly recommend this site!

I've had a good windowsill garden all winter.  At the first snow I brought in some Thyme, Mint (by default because it was in with the Thyme - LOL), Rosemary, and some little Mums that I'd rescued from the "dying" clearance rack at the Walmart last Fall.  It's been such a treasure to watch these little plants thrive all winter (I've NEVER been able to keep Rosemary - but she's doing wonderfully!)  The biggest surprise was last month when I noticed my Mums were blooming!  Will wonders never cease?

Lastly, I saw it come across Facebook and I did it....I started growing celery from the bottoms of some organic celery that we'd eaten the stalks from.  AWESOME!!

Be sure to check out Heirloom Organics as well!  That's all for now.  Anxiously awaiting the appearance of the little sprouts!

NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS

I just made a New Year Resolution.  I generally don't do that because it's, essentially, meaningless.  You know, "this year I'm going to...." then you make it through maybe the first 30 days.  Ugh.  

My chest, back, shoulders, hips, etc. are aching today.  I know what it is, I've been there before - it's couch potato syndrome.  After the holidays I spent the past few days just vegging.  Sometimes finding myself twisted into the corner of the sofa and nearly folded in half - LOL!  Today I'm back to work and, at least here, if I notice I'm slouching I correct that...most times immediately.  I need to constantly remind myself to reposition my neck and back.  Posture, posture, posture...

So, in addition to maintaining good posture, I'm also back on the road to eating healthier; the holidays are always a struggle, I didn't do too bad but...yeah...mom's potato salad=YUM! 

OH!  I just read an article about "The Spleen".  Very interesting, check it out: http://www.chinesemedicineliving.com/blog/medicine/organs/the-spleen/  I actually had heard once that the Chinese drink hot tea with/after their meals to aid in digestion ~ now I know why!

RESOLUTIONS:

1. Maintain Good Posture
2. Be a Better Vegetarian

VEGETARIAN: On Again, Off Again

In the beginning the Creator said: 

"...Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;" (Genesis 1:29)

As a kid, I remember eating chicken legs and pork chops and ribs.  I remember sucking the bones clean and even chewing the pork chop bones to get all I could out of them.  Excuse me while I barf......

Ok, I'm back; didn't really get sick - but that's how I felt while going over those memories.  At some point in my childhood I noticed the chicken legs had these vein-like looking things in them...Lightbulb!!  "These are LEGS from a chicken!"  Ever since then, food had to be boneless.  Bones reminded me of what the "food" used to be and it made me feel very barbaric. Over the years it progressed from not only boneless but to either ground, shredded, or pounded thin.  It's hard to bite into a thick steak or chicken breast and not think about what it once was.

I still love my cheeseburgers though - I have to have one now and then, and I periodically eat chicken, turkey, fish and seafood as well (nothing with a shell on it though).

When the doctor told my husband he was on the cusp of high cholesterol and gave him some pills to take (forever), we were like "uhm...no".  Husband agreed to start eating foods that I preferred.  He actually likes fake chicken, fake bacon, and black bean burgers; he doesn't mind coconut oil over butter; and salads are good occasionally.  He realized he likes more than just peanuts, there are lots of good nuts to eat.  We each lost 8-10 lbs. until we broke and grabbed a burger.  Now we're steady at the weight we lost - haven't regained.  And vegetarian food has the most amazing flavors - it's not just a salad bar.

Here's my newest freak out about eating animals: I'm ok with animals hunted for food but animals raised for food, even in the most "humane" situation, bothers me now.  It seems to me animals which are hunted for food know the dangers in life, and if someone gets shot, they're like "damn, always knew this might happen".  But animals raised on a farm, kindly and lovingly taken care of, fed the best, allowed to roam grassy fields, and given shelter are like "damn, I thought you loved me".  I'm positive they feel fear in the end and probably even betrayal. Seems to me that farmed animals are being lied to.  And that is now breaking my heart.  I don't care if you laugh or roll your eyes.  This is just how I feel.

Don't hate me when I eat a cheeseburger - I guilt myself enough.  But I'm really getting better at being vegetarian, almost there.  I don't hate you for eating animals - we all make our own choices.  This is just my struggle currently.

I have no interest in being vegan.  I raise chickens, they are wonderful "children" and they don't care if I take their eggs and eat them - heck, they love to eat them too!  I also love cheeses and cream (not together); however, it does bother me not knowing how the cows are treated.   I may start finding a local source of happy cow or happy goat milk and start making my own cheese.  Who knows.  I don't own a lot of leather, but what I do own is old, I don't buy new - so that's a little better.

I just keep working on it.

BLOG RE-START

Here I go again.  I love the idea of blogging....I must, because I've had several over the years.  I have one blog still active: Creator's Grace.  I thought it would be about anything and everything but it has really turned into ALL ABOUT CHICKENS!  I love my pet chickens, I have 29 currently.  See, I just had to write about chickens, couldn't help myself...well, they are pretty awesome!  Doh!

So let's see how this goes.

I'm hoping that this blog will make me pick up my plain camera and start taking nature photos again.  Since my husband decided we needed "Smartphones", I've neglected my Canon because of the convenience of the camera on the phone (which, quite obviously, doesn't compare).  I've missed sooo many shots of songbirds because I didn't have my camera on me.  I really like birds....and chickens - LOL!

I'm hoping to review products and companies that I like.  Right now you'll see banners for EcoGlo Minerals, Moringa Source, and Mountain Rose Herbs; three of my very FAVORITE companies ~ I'm crazy about their products!  And could I say enough great things about #Gardein ?  Uhm...YUM!!  We'll talk about all that later.

I'm hoping these blogs will mean a world full of nostalgia for my sibling's descendants.  I'm hoping they'll enjoy reading and imagining what kind of wonderfully unique and looney person their X-times Great Grand Aunt was.  And love me through the ages.