Extra Snippets from the Week

 It's been a week of discovering a new love and appreciation for gardening. I fill the basket with what we need to carry outside each morning. 

Lovely bouquet from Benny. 

It's FANTASTIC to have this space for transplanting. I also love the feel of the tropics - it's always humid and hot in the greenhouse. 

The boys had another great playdate. 

📷by Arielle

Our sweet daughter in laws on Memorial Day. 

Larissa and Carrie 📷by Carrie

Jojo at 18 months - BreZaak's youngest - his favorite toy - the broom. 

📷by Bre

This girl with the dirt on her face - I think she's got the gardening gene. She's a girl after my heart..."I don't need a shower, Mommie." 

📷by Bre - Annie at 3

One never knows what will come down the street. A good lesson for our student driver, Stacia, to learn. 

I bought this organizer for $15 - usually $41 - on our foray to Micahel's. It excites me to organize. I have just been taping seed packets shut and throwing them in the junk drawer, then buying more. I've lost seeds a couple of times this season. No more. 

The southeast side of our yard smells like lilacs...

We have had 2 1/2 full weeks of FANTASTIC weather. High 70's which is amazing for this time of year in Alaska. Many are saying it may be another hot summer. This next week has rain in the forecast. I'm looking forward to a bit of rain. 

Gideon is FIVE!

We celebrated this little astronaut turning five today! He's come a long way from the NICU.  We were slated to be at BreZaak's when Gideon was born. At that time, we knew the family was going to migrate to Alaska over the summer.  JaRissa were already up here. Michael and I came up to buy a home we could all land in while we found jobs etc. While up here we got a call and Bre was in labor - early. Gideon is full of surprises!  And this means we have LIVED here for nearly FIVE years! 

I didn't take many pictures, but the cookie Bre made and decorated was cute AND yummy!  ACK - Mom has the camera in my face. LOL 

Annie and Uncle Nolan 

We are still so excited and blessed to live close enough to attend birthday parties for the grands! GG got up and came with us. I was excited to get him out of the house - the first time in 3 weeks. 

Yes, Stacia and I did spend time in the garden before the party. Michael came out too and hacked away at a tree/bush in the middle of the west side of the garden space. 

Today's essentials

We planted 7 hills of Delicata squash, 4 hill of yellow summer squash, and 6 hills of Kabocha squash (Japanese pumpkin I love).  

Millie had to be chained up today. She simply couldn't behave. 90% was accident - but we've put in a lot of hard work, and I didn't want her leaping through beds. The only places left to tackle in the garden are the wilds of the west side...next week. 

The chickens love the watermelon rinds...I'm still amazed how Pietro stands watch over the hens while they eat all the treats. 

Something is getting into the Bok Choy. I turned the leaf over and don't see any bugs or slugs. Most of the little holes are in the middle of the leaves. Any ideas what is causing it and what I can do about it? 

It's been another beautiful day up here. It was 81* in our yard.  We watched a Hallmark mystery and called it a day...or will shortly. 

Friday! Again. Just in time.

Just when one thinks they cannot survive another day...Friday arrives, the week is over, rests is in sight. 

Happy Birthday to Krista! 

Stacia and I were discussing one of those very raw and difficult passages in Genesis when something new took place. Keep in mind twice a week I am in this cafe having Breakfast and Bible study. Our waitress told us she'd like to join our study. She went on to say she was going to talk to her mom about the two of them doing what we do. She said our study seemed interesting. I told her NO, start with something other than the Old Testament. LOL  I told her we'd done the New Testament in 2021. 

We stopped at Freddies on the way home to rectify my repeated error of buying fabric conditioner instead of detergent. LOL  We also stopped at BreZaak's. I picked out some summer outfits out a week ago for them and they have been riding in my car waiting for a chance to drop in. It all started with the cute overalls for Annie...and I couldn't get Annie something without getting the others something. I did skip JoJo as I didn't think he'd care. 

📷by Bre Mission Accomplished - they liked them. 

Look - apple blossoms have joined the cherry blossoms! Maybe we'll get a few apples this year. 

The wild roses are blooming, too! 

About a month ago I made the comment I disliked gardening, and Allie questioned me. She was sure I loved it because I did it, because Michael keeps making and buying greenhouses....When we moved here five years ago I'd not often had a garden - we moved before the habit could take root in those years. I discovered gardens are a LOT of work and there were other things I'd rather do in the summer.  But we have a big space...and if we don't do something with it, it reverts back to a wild jungle of invasive weeds.  Two years ago Dad had surgery and when he came home he needed much more supervision. I discovered having a garden allows me to get outside daily...even when I can't get out for hikes, water play etc.  We've been using Stacia's suggestion of an hour a day together in the garden for a month...and I must say I LOVE gardening when we do it together. I'm not sure if I love gardening or if I love the hour in the garden with Stacia and Allie as her schedule allows. I told Stacia I may be starting to love gardening or maybe it's just the time together. She agreed.  

Today we began to tackle the parts of the garden that are not covered with raised beds. 

People kept telling me to use black plastic to keep the weeds at bay. I don't love doing this. It KILLS everything under it - to include worms....I prefer using cardboard or paper as it will break down and feed the worms and soil BUT,  I can't keep up with the weeds....and so Yes, I HAVE used LOTS of black plastic, and carpet, boxes, roofing tile, paper....anything for a weed barrier...look how well it works. ::snort:: After an hour the above had morphed into this.  We will  plant squash here...the dirt  under the back row of tires won't grow a thing...not even zucchini. Eventually, I'd like to see it terraced with raised beds. The tires are holding the plastic in place. Those little garden clips did not stand up to our wind, so I have rocks, bricks, tree branches and tires throughout my garden. This year we'll probably just keep the weeds at bay and not place a bed back there until we have time to terrace. 

When we have the garden lay out set...I would like to put black plastic on the WALKWAYS between the beds and top that with wood chips.  For now, I laid down plastic here in hopes of killing some weeds while we continue to work on the growing spaces. I'll get back to weeding around the beds again when we have the rest of it under control. 

I'd guess about 1/3 of our growing space is now whipped into shape. LOL  This spot behind the garden house and on up past that big bush in the background and over is "garden" space. Much of that space has carpet under it....carpet has not proven to be effective long term. LOL 

 

Stacia commented on the beauty of the dandelions in the garden. I took a picture as they will soon be gone. If only flowers would grow this fast. 

We pulled a lot of weeds in an hour. I think we're getting good at this. LOL 

I stayed out after the hour to water, transplant some petunias to hanging baskets and generally putter around the place. I checked for sprouts in the beds we seeded on Monday, 4 days ago. The radishes were up almost immediately. Lettuce and the first beets are popping through. These are the swirly, candy cane beet...the Red Ruby Queen doesn't have any sprouts at this point. The packets says 7 - 14 days....so this is hopeful on day 4.  The carrots are still not showing. 

The lettuce planted 2 weeks ago is starting to look like honest to lettuce. I will eat some as baby greens and let some grow into heads. 

Allie and Nolan were both off work today. Nolan spent the entire day in his room finishing up another class - 3 more credits. We've been missing Allie, our unofficial plan was to hit the Friday Fling. It began to rain just as we were ready to leave...the girls suggested Michael's instead. Michael asked me to stop at the feed store for chick grit (which they still don't have). We left to run those two errands. 

Allie drove us home as I was simply too tired to drive. I went to bed and took a lovely nap while Michael grilled steaks and steamed artichokes which they all ate. When one is too tired to eat, one should sleep. 

GG, the four Gherkins and I watched another episode of Obi Wan Kenobi. Michael is a purist. He didn't care for the new Star Trek and he's not going to get into this either. LOL 

We seem to congregate in the entry way. WHY? GG went to bed. Alex was playing video games. We ended up visiting in the entry way. From the top behind the rail, Stacia, Nolan on the stairs, Allie, Michael...I could probably write a book, "Wit and Wisdom from the Entry," based on our shared wit and wisdom. 

It's been a good day. No, I will not always write copiously about the garden, but this is what we do this time of the year.  I am EXCITED I've managed to blog through May and June. We often go silent in the summer.  

Once the garden is in, maybe we'll just need an hour a few times a week and we can make it to the lakes and trails. 

The Day That Went Off the Rails

This day went off the rails, and it started so well. I was surprised when Allie wanted to get up and go ahead with our breakfast Bible study. She's been working late, and I thought she'd opt for sleep. I thought we'd move our outings to lunch studies. LOL We have been working through some Old Testament passages which have led to interesting discussions and a bit of wrestling with a description of "faith."  I keep telling the girls, "These aren't your typical Sunday School stories."  

After study, Allie drove me to the hair salon and then to the bank.  The rest of the day was to include an hour in the garden, lunch, yardwork and work for Allie.  We stopped at the mailbox on the way home and found two package notifications for Allie. She has been eagerly waiting for the one, and the other was her diploma. It had been sent to the post office in Wasilla...and arrived 3 days earlier...we didn't want them to ship it back.  We drove on home, picked up Stacia and Millie and headed to Wasilla.  Millie thinks she must sit up front...though we did get her to ride in the back as the day wore on. 

Our first stop was the Wasilla post office where Allie picked up her high school diploma! 

We were all in the car and decided to stop at a favorite spot...Krazy Moose Subs. We snagged an outside table and Stacia got to work with Millie in this setting. Millie did great. 

We all ate 1/2 of our entree... We didn't order the chips and such. These are yummy. 

Our next stop was OUR post office... The line was LONG. Great was the excitement when Allie dug into this box. Guitar stand, picks, strap, and bag. It was a productive mail call. LOL 

Allie had just enough time to get ready for work, and then she and I left the house again. Michael had asked I buy some of the special laundry soap we need to use; Dad had meds I needed to pick up, and I wanted to buy some moleskin and inserts for Allie's aching feet... I ended up grocery shopping. I came home and discovered, once again, I had purchased "fabric conditioner" instead of fabric detergent. UGH. 

Stacia and I got dinner on the table for those at home. I believe Michael and Alex finished the "weed and feed" treatment on the yard.  Yes, I make salve...but honestly, we have a LOT of dandelions, and this year I'm focused on the garden. 

Weeds are dying! 

We have cherry blossoms. It was 81* today! 

Even though we didn't get the things done we had planned to do, there are some things that must be done every day. One must tend to chickens and chicks. Look how big they are getting. I love the spikey feathers on the top of the "colored egg layers"  - the top right is an example. I'm still so bummed we didn't get all our colored layers. 

The garden and greenhouse plants must be watered. I do truly love to watch watering. LOL 

We have our first teeny, tiny beets popping through the soil...and radishes - always radishes! They are quick... This is the bed planted a couple of weeks ago. The soil is much warmer now which I think is why seeds are sprouting so much faster than they did in the bed below. I actually took the following pictures mainly to show the sunlight late at night. 

Taken at 10:23 p.m.

The basil is going WILD in the greenhouse. I went ahead and trimmed it down, these will soon have roots and I'll plant them back in the planter... or maybe in a garden bed...

Taken at 10:30 p.m. 

I bought this little birdhouse at Friday Fling last year. It was my very first thing to buy for the yard that was simply because I liked it and not because it served a purpose. However, Michael reports a bird has taken up residence inside. I guess it does have a useful purpose after all.  Look at this - I caught the sunset in progress. 

Taken at 11:20 p.m. 

Tomorrow, we'll try again to tame the jungle so we can plant squash and pumpkins. 

Brit Lit Tea Party

Today was THE day to host our End of the Year Brit Lit Tea Party! We finished school on May 1st, but I had ordered a special trinket for the tea and shipping.....

Everyone was home from work today - so before the garden work and such...I got up and made cookies and scones. After the garden work Stacia and I hit the shower and Allie cut up apples, cheese and set out crackers. 

Nolan and Grandpa were using the table.  This turned out to be a great motivator to think outside of the box. I grabbed the china from mom, Gram's old lace cloth and headed outside! I've been dreaming of a garden with a gazebo and a spot to enjoy tea with the girls and/or friends. We are not near ready in the garden...but this table outside the garden was a wonderful start....and now I'm even more determined to create a fun and whimsical garden tea area. LOL 

The yellow Dandelions add a nice pop of color! 

Here they are...I got a set of earrings with the cover of their favorite book from the year. Frankenstein (on the right) for Allie and Hamlet (on the left) for Allie. I chose The Secret Garden. 

Checking out their gifts

The least favorite reads were Gulliver's Travels for Allie and I, and Dubliners for Stacia.  Emma came close to being the least favorite of both the girls. WHUT? They said Emma was incredibly shallow and they had no sympathy whatsoever for her. 

Stacia's favorite Creative Writing assignment was an persuasive essay she authored titled, "Merry Christmas You Joy Junkies!" Allie's favorite assignment was a short story she wrote called, "Dancing on the Pennsylvania Gallows

Both girls liked creating Cento poems. 

The weather was perfect, and our outdoor party was much fun. It was good to sit together and chat about every little thing. We miss Allie now that she is working full time.