Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Invisible

I walk into my kitchen and notice my son sitting in the middle of the tile with his hands completely covering his eyes. I say "hi" to him and he doesn't respond. So, I pass him to finish washing up the dishes from breakfast. He is still sitting there when I'm done, although there is a faint sound of giggles. I say "hmmm, where could the boy be?" Silence. So, I ruffle his hair and say "Oh, there he is!" And, he very sternly says: "You cannot see me Mama. I'm invisible. See how my hands are covering my eyes? That means you cannot see me. I'm definitely in invisible mode."

I have been laughing about this ever since.

Friday, October 26, 2007

Dear Neighbor(s)

I realize that when you are angry about something it is very important for you to jump into your truck, grind all the grass off your lawn(where you enjoy parking), squeal out onto the street AND my driveway, leave skid marks that are oh so long, etc. I am personally not someone who shows anger in that way, but I have noticed you enjoy it. To each his own. But could you be a bit more aware of backing up so fast into my driveway? I was standing there with my son as he rode his bike. He's 4 you know.

And to my other neighbor. While we are at our mailboxes, and my son is jumping up and down screaming "The mailman has brought us mail!!!", I know you could hear us. I feel kind of strange when you keep your head turned completely the other way, so as not to make any type of eye contact with me. I have no idea how you found the way back to your house, with your head turned and all.

Thanks, your friendly(REALLY!)neighbor

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

My blood, it has thinned

I have been living in the south for a bit over 3 years. There was a brief 4 month stint back up to New England, but all in all, I've been in the south. I'm a New Englander by birth, or a yankee as they call me down here. With the exception of a few bumper stickers saying "Go Home YANKEE!!!", people are very welcoming here.

Random strangers have this way of finding out my life history. They seem to have this knack of making me just chatter away, which is not how I am by nature. And, honestly, I love it.

When I first moved, I used to laugh at how the winter jackets, hats and gloves would be brought out when it got a bit cooler out. You know, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Then I went through my second winter down here. And, wouldn't you know it DOES feel cold after you've gone through a hot, humid summer.

There are subtle seasons here. I can feel them. I'm actually really learning to love them. I don't think we will permanently root ourselves in this particular area of the south, but I'm thankful that we made this move. I have learned so much down here. Not only about nature, but about myself too.

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Unplanned gardening



It's amazing how you can leave a garden center with plants you never planned on purchasing. Especially when you have other projects started that have been left unfinished. Or when all you needed was a bag of organic soil. But, then out of the corner of your eye you spot something. A new fruit tree to add to the other fruit trees in your yard. A very simple banana tree.



Of course, moments after getting home, there comes the realization that one banana tree just wouldn't look right. So, you send a willing husband back out to grab just one more banana tree.



We decided to use up some of that stone we had previously ripped out(again, unfinished project?), to make a nice border. One banana tree with border down, and one more to go. I'm just loving these trees.




And of course, we also got another Mandevilla for the white picket fence. This time in pink. It's tiny, but has a lot of room to grow.




And finally, this mystery plant. I don't know what the name is, but it was grown locally. I'll probably call the farm on Monday. It found the perfect shady spot in a back corner. It may not have a name, but it really stands out. I love gardening. If you told me ten years ago that I'd be gardening, I would have laughed at you.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Joining technorati

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Just joining technorati, more posts coming soon!

Thursday, October 18, 2007

FOUR!



It was a busy day for the birthday boy, who is now FOUR! He had many plans of what we should do for his day. Simple sounding to most, they mean a whole lot to him.



We had to have the special flower necklace:Lei, not real of course. Lots of candles for his birthday cake, which was "Coconut Heaven Cupcakes" from my extremely tattered copy of Vegan with a Vengeance. He made the cake with me of course!



We spent the rest of the day playing with some new gifts, preparing one of his favorite dinners again from Vegan with a Vengeance, and of course much time in the back yard playing and digging in the mud. We also had a surprise visit from Bubba in the evening with a gift that has magically incorporated Spiderman and mud digging.





It was a fun day for all. This morning though? Apparently he was thinking it might still possibly be his birthday. In which case 5am sounds like a great time to get up and start the day. So, I'm drinking from a pot of my favorite coffee, writing this and spilling crumbs all over the computer from my all time favorite muffin recipe: "The Best Pumpkin Muffins" from, you guessed it: Vegan with a Vengeance.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Is it Saturday today???

Every morning after eating breakfast, the boy will ask "Is it Saturday today?". He asks this because if it is indeed Saturday, we will be taking a drive over to Bubba's house. He looks forward to Saturday's almost as much as Christmas. The stories he saves for Bubba are always interesting, and Bubba always has time to listen.

I always feel so happy watching my Dad and my boy together. I see a bond developing that they created on their own, with no help from anyone. It's been there from the start and only gotten stronger.

It reminds me of my own bonds with each of my grandparents. Each unique in their own way. Each special with their own memories.

We have only 7 days until the next Saturday.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Project



The shovel has been brought back out for our next yard project. And of course, our muscles. Since we moved into this house we've debated on what we wanted to do with a couple "patio" areas in the yard. One has just seemed problematic from the start. The stones wouldn't sit right, so we were constantly tripping over them and falling down. So, we decided to make a change.








Please don't mind the dirt on the house, it really needs to be powerwashed! The stones were ripped out and stacked elsewhere, for some other ideas in the future. We turned all the soil over and about. Now it just needs some sun, and time.




I cannot wait to start putting down some good soil to plant another garden area here. The plants will probably be put in by winter. The boy has some ideas of his own, and we'll be doing lots of research at the library. I sense lots of mud in our future.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Sustainable living and trying to buy local

I have been reading a lot of books and articles on the importance of buying your food local. Be it from the farmers market, joining a CSA, or trying to find items that are local from your grocery store. It can seem like a never ending battle at times. But, I do try because I hate to buy that Mango that has been shipped from New Zealand just because I want a mango. There is an importance and humbleness that comes with eating with the seasons.

This leads me to a dream that seems so unattainable for my family right now. I've been longing to live far out in the country, possibly on a small farm. Attempting to grow a lot of the food we eat and learning so many lessons from nature. It is the desire to actually see the bounty of my hard work. I even consider getting a couple hens for eggs, and I haven't eaten eggs over 7 years.

But, for now I'm enjoying learning. Learning what plants and vegetables will grow in my own backyard. Seeing where the produce I buy actually comes from. Hoping to make more drives to the farmers markets that are both north and south of me. And teaching my son to respect this planet we share. Because days like today, I'm really worried about the future.

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

My Helper



There aren't many days when I'm cooking, reading, gardening, etc. that I don't have a certain boy "helping" right along beside me. He's been doing this with glee for a few years now, and it gives us some special time together. Just us two.



He really enjoys making mud, which is tough in a drought, and always has a pair of gardening gloves handy. Actually, make that 2 sets. I can always find remnants of his "work" anywhere in my home, yard and even my car. He's one of the best weed pullers around, and actually giggles while spraying dirt from the roots. We usually both are covered in "mud" by snack time.


And he has a love of taking pictures, as you can see in his picture. That little foot sticking out makes me laugh. When it comes to life, he really is my best teacher.

Monday, October 8, 2007



On the left you see my purchase from the bulk bin of my favorite health food store: chili powder. On the right? Yes, that is a container filled with a previous purchase: nutmeg. Never, EVER, just open a bag full of an unknown spice, stick your nose in and smell it. Trust me don't. It's easier and less painful to just stick your finger in and taste.





Now, no matter how much I may complain about the heat, the bugs, the things I don't even know exist yet.....nothing can compare to having a tree full of oranges in my own backyard. They'll be ready to pick and eat sometime in November or December! Also coming up soon: Decoration Battle!

Sunday, October 7, 2007

I'm not really sure where to begin. A blank page has always intimidated me. We'll see how this goes, and I'll be adding pictures as I go.