Captivated...

The only things habitual about me are breathing and changing the radio station every 2 minutes. That is, until last night. Last night, a banjo, fiddle, and a guitar stopped my finger dead in its tracks. Clean and fast. No digital effects. I pulled my car into the driveway, turned the car off, but kept the radio on. For 10 minutes I waited to find out who was making this wonderful music. Kentucky Sassafras. I ran into the house and pulled up my trusty itunes. Nothing. Yahoo! search...they have broken up. Enter sadness. The only thing left was an outdated webpage from 2008. I searched wfpk's website. Nothing. It was a special live radio show from one the first broadcasts from Kentucky Homefront. If nothing else, from this I found a spark for Bluegrass music and thinking about sneaking around and learning to play the fiddle. Which, actually is something I've always wanted to do...the violin anyway.

Today I got up, made breakfast, checked ebay for used books on sale, and played in the garden. Its going to be raining off and on for the next few days, so I thought I'd get a few seedlings transplanted...free water is awesome. I broke down and replaced a few of my *rip* roma tomato plants, some broccoli, and a few herbs. My pepper plants are just about ready to go into the ground. I'm pretty happy about that considering the ones I started from seed last year stayed 4" tall all season.

The rest of my day is going to be spent in a knitting class. YAY! I'm learning to knit hats in the round AND using different colors while doing so. I love knitting.

I've been doing a little contacting here and there. I'm trying to get more involved with my neighborhood and possibly helping with a little rejuvenation. Joining the Farmgirls has really helped me focus on making do with what you've got. And making what you've got into what you want. I want a farm. I can make bits and pieces of that happen here. I could be happy with a small urban farm. We'll see...

PRODUCTIVITY

Potatoes...planted
Shallots...planted
Spinach...doing well, thanks for asking

Lots going on these days in the garden. Hubby and I just planted a (sweetheart) cherry tree. I killed every single roma seedling I started. Built some new beds. Waiting on my chickens. What was that last one, you ask? Oh, the one before that one. Yeah. I killed them. Shocked and destroyed. Much like my hopes of canning those bright red ovals of spaghetti sauce happiness. It was a beautiful Spring morning. The romas were sitting innocently in their starter pods. I viciously grabbed some peat pots and potting soil, plopped each delicate seedling, pod-and-all, into the fresh dirt, horrifically watered them, and set them out in the sun to die. That's not exactly how that went down, but the end result was the same. Apparently after I set them outside after transplanting them, it got very windy. I'm guessing it was the equivalent of breaking some one's neck. They are gone. They were so healthy. It breaks my heart. Seriously. Now I have to BUY my seedlings and I'm a cheap-o. I'm really really giving it my best effort to start my plants from seeds. It just isn't working for me all that well. Grrr!

The sun is in my eyes!!!

I can't help it. I'm a morning person. I love morning sunshine. I love rainy mornings. I love foggy mornings. I love them all. I'm sitting here at the computer today with good coffee and the sun coming in through the blinds. Its so bright. I swear I can smell it. Early mornings give you an entire day of possibilities. To-do lists are born. (I say that like its a new calf on a farm) The only thing I like better than sitting here with the sun on my face is sitting in my veggie garden pulling weeds with the sun in my face and its not quite warm enough for that yet. I feel like I'm too young to really know how to slow down my life and enjoy it and to truly understand what happiness is, but I feel like I do. Knowing that Sophia is snuggled on the couch with her piggies and milk watching her favorite cartoon, Hubby is home from work and sleeping upstairs, and I'm here with my coffee...my heart is doing back flips. It seems like my family is always caught up in what someone else in our family is doing or saying. They think I'm stuck up because I don't come around much or partake in the *bashing* that goes on. Truth is, I just don't care and if they spent as much time looking at their own lives and understanding what would make them happy, they wouldn't have to put other people down just to make their lives look better. It makes me sad because they don't understand that.

Well, that was NOT garden talk. Moving on! All of my trays have sprouted and are doing well. I'm about to start a few more trays. I worked out in the garden this past week for awhile when it was warm. (ice on the front porch...ironically NOT cool!) Pulled weeds. Planned where stuff was going to go. Made top secret plans to infiltrate the side yard with a small pumpkin patch. (Hubby said don't touch that yard) Now that I've tackled a few sewing projects and I'm feeling slightly more confident that my sewing machine doesn't want me dead, I think I'm going to make me a few skirts for working out in the garden. I think they will look smashing with my blue boots from last year. I want the neighbors to think I'm totally bonkers...to see the real me! :-P Its the closest thing to a farm for now and I'm running with it. They just better be thankful that hoofed animals are illegal within city limits otherwise Linus, my fictional goat kid, would be struttin his stuff back there! I'm very reserved for my imagination. I'm just sayin!

Countdown to CHICKS

Hubby finally gave in and let me order the chicks a few weeks ago. They are due to ship the first week in May. (around the same time that my sis's baby is due...yikes) I can't wait. Sophia is already talking about them tickling her and peeping at her. We are "breaking ground" on the coop this weekend, weather permitting. I order 5 different breeds and 7 total chicks. Two Buff Orpingtons, two Americaunas, a Silver Laced Wyandotte, a Delaware (b/c hubby insisted on an all white chicken and this one has a little black mohawk as a chick--how appropriate), and a Partridge Plymouth rock. I think their colors will spice up my garden quite nicely. I keep daydreaming about sitting outside in the evening around the fire pit, knitting, watching my girls peck around for bugs.

Seed-Crazed

A few here...a few there...seeds. They're everywhere now. Every store. Catalogs. I buy them. Its a weakness. The potential. The planning. The planting. Watching as the little stem pushes its way up through the dirt and the two little leaves pop out of the shell of the seed. For three years I've been (unsuccessfully) trying to grow poppies. This year, as I carefully planted the seeds, I decided to try again. And, for the first time, they sprouted! I'm not good with flowers. I like to throw seeds into the ground and hope for the best. Flowers don't seem to care for that method, with the exception of sunflowers and zinnias. Those are always my "plan b's."

This is what is movin and groovin in my started trays:
Burpee
Bunching Scallions
Italian Parsley
Sweet Bell Pepper Mix
Organic Romas
Thyme
Genovese Basil
Baby's Leaf Spinach
Spearmint
Gaillardia "Goblin"
Butterfly Weed

Ferry-Morse
Dill
Jalapeno Peppers
Rosemary
Sweet Spanish Onions
Great Lakes Head Lettuce
Parris Island Cos Organic Romaine
Grand Rapids Leaf lettuce
Danvers Carrots (heirloom)
Poblano Peppers
Oregano
Organic Calabrese Broccoli

Tons of seeds still to start:
Black Turtle bush beans
Casper Pumpkins
Boston Pickling Cucumbers
Burpee Sunflower cutting mix
Spaghetti Squash
Canterbury Bells "Cups and Saucers"
Prizewinner Hybrid Giant Pumpkin
Babyboo mini white pumpkins
Lemon Bee Balm (heirloom)
Feverfew (heirloom)
Thai White Ribbed Eggplants (heirloom)
Moon & Stars Watermelons (heirloom)
Cream of Saskatchewan Watermelons (heirloom)
Hazelfield Farm Tomato (heirloom)
Cour di Bue Tomato (heirloom)
more to come...

I'm trying out a small herb garden for tea blends. The variety of pumpkins are mainly for Sophia. They were so neat to grow last year and she LOVES Halloween. I'm growing tons of extra lettuces because I'm hoping to be able to donate to a local soup kitchen.

I'm in HEAVEN

Its almost 8:30am. I've been up for awhile. Made some coffee. Fed my furry little sidekick, Happy. So far I've planted two trays, 72 pods each, of randomness-veggieness. Tons of sproutage going on. (the broccoli is my overachiever this year) I'm about to place another order with an heirloom seed company, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, mainly for herbs and special tomatoes that you can't find around here. In a nutshell, I'm in Heaven. The weather is starting to turn around finally and the sun has been peeking out almost everyday for a bit. I've got such big plans for my house and garden this year!! So much energy!!!

Joined the Sisterhood

My momma and I joined Maryjane's Farm sisterhood over the Holiday season. (link to the right) Its kind of a girl scouts for big girls! You can earn badges by doing different things like gardening, community service, and homesteading.
To date I have earned 5 beginner badges:
Stitching & Crafting: Knitting
Stitching & Crafting: Buttoned Up
Stitching & Crafting: Sew Easy
Make it Easy: In the Garden
Cleaning Up: Shopping Green

I'm making a tote bag to attach all of my badges to, kind of like the sash that girl scouts wear. Its fun and it suits my *goal-oriented* side very well. Some of the tasks to earn badges really push you to accomplish big things and to focus on your dreams. Never in my life have I been so focused and understanding on what really makes me happy and where I want my life to go.


"Even if it Breaks Your Heart" by Will Hoge

Way back on the radio dial
fire got lit inside a bright eyed child
Every note just wrapped around his soul
from steel guitar to Memphis all the way to rock and roll
Oh oh, I can hear them playing
I can hear the ringing of a beat up ol' guitar
oh oh, I can hear them saying
Keep on dreaming even if it breaks your heart

Downtown where I used to wander
old enough to get there but too young to get inside
I would stand out on the sidewalk
listen to the music playing every Friday night
Oh oh, I can hear them playing
I can hear the ringing of a beat up ol' guitar
oh oh, I can hear them saying
Keep on dreaming even it breaks your heart

Some dreams stay with you forever
drag you around and lead you back to where you were
Some dreams keep on getting better
Gotta keep believing if you wanna know for sure
Oh oh, I can hear them playing
I can hear the ringing of a beat up ol' guitar
oh oh, I can hear them saying
Keep on dreaming even if it breaks your heart
Keep on dreaming even if it breaks your heart

And it does break my heart. This song is perfect. The longing to be on land surrounded by trees and chickens, hearing Sophia laughing and playing with little goats and appreciating life, its painful but its good and its my dream. It will take so much work and dreaming, but its possible and I will have it. No dream is unattainable if you're willing to work for it.