What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord God. We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God, not on account of the position and work, but on account of the word and faith from which the obedience and the work flow. ~ Martin Luther

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real


{pretty}


a disoriented bird lets me take her picture.

{happy}

My niece comes over with baby Lilian for a newborn session.  

{funny}



boys aren't that helpful when it comes to cardboard.

{real}

rain, rain...please please STAY.

Earlier in the week I made it my goal to get cardboard down in the garden for weed control.  With all the rain we have been having, everything is sprouted- including the weeds!  (And about a million baby tomato plants from all those rotten tomatoes last year.)  Every year I go dumpster diving for cardboard- and then lay it all out- and then cover it all up so it doesn't blow away...and every year I think to myself I should stop being a cheapskate and just buy the black paper stuff already.  The cardboard will eventually decompose-which can be either a good thing OR a bad thing, depending on how you look at it.  The boys started out helping- and just when you were about to be impressed with how hard Judah was working- he would plow into the cardboard, giggling all the while.

Yesterday, hearing rain was in the forecast- I forced myself to finish the last of the plantings.  I say FORCED because this was after having company (the tidying and food prep that THAT entails), spending hours sorting things from our barn and bringing them to the house in preparation for a yard sale this Saturday and getting as much laundry washed and dried on the line as I could possibly muster.    All I REALLY wanted to do after supper was put my feet up.  I planted turnips, cantaloupe, carrots, the second planting of corn...and by the time I got to the parsnips it was more a scattering of seeds like you would a wildflower garden.  I SO didn't care at that point.

I will not plant another thing.

We didn't expand the main garden at all this year- but it seems to be a case of the widows oil and flour jugs.  No matter how much I plant, there is still ROOM.  I never intended to plant watermelons, cantaloupes, turnips OR parsnips this year- but I could let the space go to waste.  Even now, there is plenty of space for a few more things- which I should fill, but won't.   I am just sick of planting.  I want the next thing I do in the garden is to be taking OUT- not putting in.  

I am positive all this extra space is because of the four foot (square foot style) rows with walkways in between.  That is the ONLY difference.  But it makes sense.  You can plant MUCH more in squares than rows and you need less space for walking when you do it every four feet instead of every row.

And today?  It is gray and wet and wonderfully dreary.   There is nothing so wonderful after a month of intense outdoor chores, than a good dreary day to putz around inside.  I still have plenty to do, but the slow and steady plunking of rain and the darkened rooms can't help but make you feel like you can take your time  on them.

round button chicken

10 comments:

Miranda Hupp said...

We are so much alike that it amazes me. Although I think you have more energy!

I am determined to be a good gardener. I have worked so hard this year! I finally got some plants in after our frost situation. I have peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, watermelon and beets growing.

It looked beautiful! Then you know what I did?? Laid down straw. The wrong kind!! It's not funny! Ok, yes it is. ;)

Anonymous said...

Love the blue bottles on the windowsill. Maybe you can put your feet up today? Blessings, Annie

Bonnie said...

I was thinking of trying that garden method in ours this year, but I had a plant today or never sort of beginning to the garden season so I went with the old way. Post lots of pictures of yours pleaseandthankyou. My love of neat straight rows is getting in the way of "plant this way and fit more in". My raised bed is still not planted save for peas.

Lillian is a beauty and Samantha looks like she took to mothering like a duck to water : )

Bonnie said...

P.S. Send the kiddos out to plant more beans in the empty spots! A. does mine every year and is pleased as punch with herself to tell everyone. Over and over.

Full of Grace said...

Those are simply gorgeous pictures of the bird..Really and Truly!!!

~Carla~ said...

Such beautiful photos! Honestly, if I only have 2 minutes to read blogs, I *always* click on yours first... you inspire me! :)

mapleleafmom said...

i'd let your kids have at it..lol

and I avoided the black stuff forever, until I found out a HUGE roll of 125 ft was 20$....and the roll doesn't seem to end....it is fairly wide too..i had to cut it for my paths...

can't wait to see your garden bloom

Abigail said...

Oh, oh, oh! Those top two pictures are exquisite. Why was she disoriented?

I am excited to see how your garden grows this year! If the square foot method is a success, I might be forced (yes, forced) to copy you. We were supposed to break new ground down by the road for a separate tomato plot this year in hopes of avoiding the blight in the upper plot's soil, but my Dad's tractor got a flat tire, and the plans went *poof* along with it. I planted only half the normal number of tomatoes this year, assuming they'll die, and I though that would give me lots of extra room. Nope. I always have SO much more that I want to plant! Your way is very tempting for that reason alone!

Samantha looks so wonderful. I can't wait to see the pictures!

Lastly, good luck with the sale. We'll be halfway to your place tomorrow for the surprise party. Are you having it at your mom's or closer?

(I really should look into getting this comment published. Book of the Year award, for sure.)

Abigail said...

Here is the "T" that ran away from my comment above. I caught it in a net and am making it return to its place.

Rebecca said...

Miranda- I don't know what kind of straw that must be, because straw is supposed to be the BEST stuff! I end up using just old hay, which everyone stares wide-eyed at me for because HAY happens to have SEED in it and straw doesn't. But, so far, it has been free and straw hasn't. (I am SUCH a cheapskate.)

You all will be eye-witnesses as to whether this gardening method thrives or crashes and burns. Gardening of any sort has a way of teaching you humility like nothing else. Because as great as it all SOUNDS in the beginning, one wrong bit of weather, one bit of blight and POOF. You got what you started out with. Nada. But for now, my hopes are high!

Abby- the bird was furiously crashing into the window, attacking what I assume to be, HIMself. (Men.) The rhodo bush happened to be underneath. Those pictures were 100% right place at right time kinda thing. But I was pleased with them because I miss taking bird pictures. I love birds but am afraid to feed them for fear that our Percival kitty will take advantage of the feeder to be a sortof feeder of his own.