There She Blows...

The storm came last night, just as predicted. 

I sadly watched as my driveway washed out, again,

and thinking of the work that laid ahead of me. 

 Although, I am thankful for the rain and the fact that

I had already had a semi-established garden before the rain started to fall.

Remembering how last year all we did is pray for just a few drops.

 I am thankful for the flower bulbs (thanks Diane!) that I planted yesterday

when it was still nice out.

 I am thankful that I don't have to water my grass plugs in the back yard

because of all of the rain we have gotten.

 There are so many things to be thankful for in this life!

My Little Princess came home from a play date

last night in the calm part of the storm.

She came back as a butterfly...what fun.

Make it a great day!



Thank you...

Gratitude and prayers are sent to all of our service men and women

and their families. We appreciate your daily sacrifice!

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!  

My brother-in-law dropped off a surprise this weekend,

which was a bag full of morels. 

What else could a girl ask for? 

This was the first time I prepared it myself and

I basically just fried them in butter.

Even my Big Girl who usually shy away from cooked mushrooms,

kept asking for more!

Thanks Henry.

I love how this next picture came about.

It all started with everyone from My little Princess' class

all going camping this weekend and her disappointment that we weren't.

The conversation went a little like this:

"Why can't we go camping this weekend like everyone else?"

"Because we live in the woods so we get to experience 'camping' everyday."

"But I want to be like everyone else, mom"

"Well, I think being yourself is much more important than being like everyone else."

"But I really want to sleep in a tent!"

"OK. Let's see what we can do about that."

I set up the tent right outside the screen door that goes into the house.

Zach and I stayed up talking and waiting to see who would be the

first one to come in. 

Well, the kiddos won because they made it the whole night!

I think I got less sleep than everyone

 because every time I heard a noise,

 I got up to make sure the kids were safe.

They had a great time and wanted to sleep in the tent the following night too...

I think I know what we'll be doing this summer:)

Good news with my chicks and hens...

they are multiplying!

The little tiny balls are babies!

I planted some of the babies in the other openings that didn't have any.

Maybe I won't have to wait until I'm 90 to fill the wall:)

It's starting...

I was walking by my garden boxes when I noticed a

little something peaking out...

my cucumbers,

 

 flowers on my strawberries,

 

sunflowers,

 

 and my spinach!

Oh, how I love spring/summer!

Side Tracked...

This was my little diversion this week. 

Whenever I seem to have lots on my plate,

I do tend to add one more unnecessary task.

It is usually a feel good sewing project for myself or

for someone as a gift so how could that be bad, right?

 I have wanted a cute summer apron for a while now

and am getting to it just in time.

 

I made the tail extra long so I can also tie it in the front. 

I added the ruffle because who doesn't look a little frill once in a while?

 

My apologies for the picture:

I couldn't help myself.

This is a scene I found after I got done in the garden that the

girls had been working diligently on. 

They made a little house for deceased bumble bee they found. 

RIP Mr. Bumble!

Garden Oasis

"What do you think of this, honey?", asks Zach.

"I'm sure I will love it, but it looks like more work then just putting down mulch." I said.

"But it will look better," said Zach.

"Yes, it will," said this eye-rolling mama.

 

 

Well, two weeks later we went to work.

These are the before pictures...

 

We started with a edging around our back yard.



 

The kiddos, of course, helped.

Especially, Our Big Girl serenading us as we worked.

 

Zach and I worked at the littlest part first,

then worked toward the garden boxes.





 

Then we went up to picked up the concrete to use as pavers

to use around the garden boxes.

 

Zach did all the digging and I did the placing.

 

Here is the after pictures with the edging and mulch...

 

(Hopefully our grass plugs work and our sand turns to grass)

It turned out great and

I told Zach he built me a 'garden oasis'.

We sat down on the porch and enjoyed the view.

 



Meanwhile, the kids de-clothed and

My Big Girl had a sack race with herself.

Life doesn't get any better than this! 

 



They're here...

 

While my Big Girl and I were playing outside the other day,

a long awaited package got delivered...

my tomato and pepper plants from Seed Savers!

 

This year I am planting some new varieties

 in addition to the tried and true.

 

After gathering my essentials,

my garden layout, seeds and plants,

helping hands, and my Vegetable gardener's bible,

I was ready.

We mixed up our compost and bone meal and

went to work on the plants.

I'm hoping my layout this year is more conducive to raised bed planting...

I'm looking for bigger/better yields than last year.

My onions had already been planted two weeks ago,

but I saved space for my tomatoes.

 

Here is my little orchard starting to blossom,

which is wonderful because last year the frost got to them

and they didn't yield any fruit.

I was a little worried, but this year they look great.

Last year we got multiple dwarf cherry trees

and they seem to be doing wonderfully this year. 

See the difference in blossoms with this tree.

Well, two of our cherry trees I got a steal on last year,

turned out not being dwarf trees....oops:) 

 They blossom differently as well- more in clumps rather than spread out.

The kiddos and I planted some sunflowers this year

by my garden shed and compost pile.

My eldest was very anxious to lend a hand tilling and planting

along with my Big Girl planting.

 

My little princess had planted the sunflowers she started at school.

She's hoping hers will be the tallest because they have a head start.

Only time will tell...

 

 

Oh the spring weather...

brings out the Greek in me.

Freshly prepared dishes with spinach and olives and feta cheese...yes, please!

My mouth is watering already.

Here is a recipe for Spanakopita that the whole family adores:

 

1 tube of Athens Fillo Dough(in the frozen dessert section)

1 stick melted butter

 

For Filling:

2 pounds of fresh spinach, washed and roughly chopped

8 green onions, chopped

4 tbl. chopped dill

12 oz. feta cheese

2 eggs, beaten

1 tbl. olive oil

 

To Prepare Filling:

Blanch spinach in boiling water, drain thoroughly, and move to a plate to cool.

 

 

 

Mix onions, dill, eggs, and half of the cheese in a bowl.

 

 When the spinach is cool, add the spinach to the mix.

Preheat oven to 350F.

 

 Meanwhile prepare your thawed fillo dough by spraying a 9 X 13 pan with olive oil.

Put down your first sheet of dough(make sure to cover with a damp towel or the dough will break)

Brush on the melted butter between sheets.

Put about 1/3of the sheets on the bottom of the pan.

 

Then add 1/2 of the filling mixture on the fillo sheets.

Crumble more feta cheese on top of the filling.

Put down another 1/3 fillo sheets on top of filling making sure to brush butter between each addition.

Top with other half of filling and then the remaining 1/3 of fillo dough.

Sprinkle a little water on top fillo sheet to prevent browning.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve hot or cold (we prefer hot)

Enjoy!

 



Mother's Day

Being a mom for me is something I feel I'm been called to do.

This in no means that I'm anything close to perfect.

Everyday I'm tested and don't always choose correctly

or I let the frustrations get the better of me.

All I can do is try my best.
I don't think children realize this until they too become parents.
 

Thinking of this makes me smile recalling my childhood:

-Thinking it's so embarrassing when your mother sings along to the radio

and now my children are the ones complaining of MY singing:)

-Feeling it was so unfair that I didn't get a baby book that had anything written in it

and now I'm rushing to complete my Big Girl's scrapbook of her first two years

(she's turning 4 this summer):) 

-My mother being able to make me roll my eyes because of how she said something

and now I catch myself talking or acting just like my mother. 

-When I threw a gum wrapper out the window and

my mom pulled the car over so I could pick it up and dispose of it properly...

yesterday, we picked up a piece of trash that just mysteriously "flew out the window"

The list could go on and on...

 

Thank you mom for everything you have done for me:

-loving my father

-changing diapers

-spending time with me(instead of filling baby books) 

-teaching me kindness and love

-sending me to the schools you did

-always showing your support of me

-loving me

-doing your best

Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful mom...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



A Garden of love and friends...

The best thing about my flower gardens

is when I look over them and be reminded of all  

people who gave me the plants and flowers.

It makes me so happy to think some of the plants traveled

from Tampa, Irma, French Island,

Washington Island, and Sparta.

I'm usually not a annual flowers type of person.

I tend to get the no fuss perennials

to keep down extra work that could be given to my vegetables.

But how can you resist two pairs of eyes looking up at you,

"Please mom, can we plant some pretty flowers?"

"Of course" was the answer.

But I think the girls were right.

And there is a smile every time we look at them.

Because I'm frugal,

I decided to pot my own hanging basket.

It turned out great and I only spent $5 on the flowers.

 

The kids were loving the pollinating that they got to see up close.

Here is a picture of the some of my flowers that are up...

daffodils (from Irma) and tulips.

My wonderful sister-in-law brought me a present yesterday. 

Becky brought me four rhubarb plants! 

The special part of this for me is she was the first one to 

get me started planting rhubarb...she bought me 2 rhubarb roots for my birthday

a couple of years ago. 

 Besides two more plants that I got at a farmers market, 

this whole rhubarb patch is from her:)

Just above the rhubarb is some asparagus that I just started this year.

And above that is my strawberry patch,

which I am hoping gets filled in with the new strawberry roots I just planted.

We will see if they grow,

I've planted strawberry roots before, but to no avail.

Strawberry roots are touchy when it comes to the

exact right height the crown needs to be in reference to soil level. 

Plus, it's on a hill so level is kind of tricky anyway:)

 

Here are my chicks and hens that I am excited came back this year.

My goal over my lifetime is to fill in all the spaces of my retaining wall

with chicks and hens.  Thanks to Becky's Aunt Sharon,

I think this goal my be a reality before die:)