The Garden: Part IV

Did I mention yet that my garden is now planted?! No, good! Well it is. I've got

• Blue potatoes
• Garlic
• Beets
• Carrots
• Red Onions
• Spinach
• Bok Choy
• Mild peppers
• Corn
• Beans
• Tomatoes

Once the corn comes up and the beans get bigger I'll be planting squash and of course as the others get close to ripening I'll plant more so I can keep a continues harvest of my favorites throughout the seasons. I still have a partial fence but the critters seem to be leaving my plants alone. Could be the dangling chimes I hung from a branch I planted or my wee kitty who has been seen bunny-ing (as apposed to mousing) near my garden. Either way I'm not complaining.

CRAFTING:

I'm going to generalize at this point. I'm still working on my shrug. At the rate things are going I might have it finished at the end of summer. :3 I'm also sewing my NOLA skirt ... by hand it would seem. Using the back stitch and french seams it's taking forever but in the end I'm hoping it'll be pretty stable. I may end up using the machine as I feel it's more secure. Perhaps I should just make smaller stitches. I did come across a neat trick. Wax your thread. Keeps it from tangling as easily and allows it to glide smoother through your fabric.

NOLA skirt

Then on Wednesday my sister brought her children and took me strawberry picking. Fun stuff and I now have enough strawberries to make some jam. On top of my Strawberry Balsamic jam I'll be making Strawberry in Pinot Noir. It's going to be yum! I just need to remember when I'm at my sisters to hijack her stock pot.

The Garden: Part III

So after spending days working about 4hrs each day and seeing little to no results on my digging the garden up by hand I decided to hijack my sisters tiller. I took it over to mother's yesterday and in 2hrs I got 75% of the land turned. Crazy! Of course when I left I couldn't grip anything and this morning my forearms are sore.

I went through 2 wee tanks of donkey fuel (that's what I call gasoline and oil mixes) which I of course had to spill some on my hands. The whole time it was sprinkling on me and the sun was beating down. Mother nature just couldn't decide on which she wanted to do. I was fine with it though. I lost my over-sized man dress shirt and got some sun on my paleness.

I noticed while working last night that my left knee was hurting. I kept working and when we got off at 9 I joined Jen and David for some ice cream while the rain came down hard, then rode Saoirse home. So I plum forgot to check. This morning eating breakfast I sit on the couch and I'm like 'ow'. When I pulled up my pant leg it was a nasty sight. The skin is shredded and there's this nasty black bruise. I can't for the life of me figure out when or how I even got this. I did squat down a lot picking up rocks from the bed but not on my knees until I had to take the blades off the rototiller. I got a large rock stuck! I think I would have felt if one of those rock had flown back and hit me.

After work today I'm going back out and finishing the last third of the garden and putting up the fence. Depending on the time from there I'll mix in some seasoned horse manure and further prepare for top soil and planting. Though I feel late in this venture I still have to wait out those frost dates. My potatoes are impatient like me. They have stems growing already. I might just put some soil in a largish pot and cover in straw till I'm able to plant them. Of course I'm debating how I'm wanting to grow these little blue buggers; with a straw covering, buried, or a little of both.

I'm hoping to keep it clean this winter so I don't have nearly as much work next year.

CRAFTING:

I'm still working on that shawl pattern. I had to stop for a short time as I thought I left my pattern notes in Daniel's truck (they were actually hiding from me in my notebook) and I need DPN (double pointed needles) to work the sleeves in the round so I don't have an ugly seam.

I'm also working on charcoal silhouettes for my sister's three children that she will then be framing in white and making a copy of my horse charcoal 'Communications' for another lady.

I still have costume pieces to finish. I keep putting them on the back burner to all my paid projects so it's taking forever. I might just have to take them all with me and hand sew them during Rendezvous.

LIFE:

I'm definitely keeping busy. I've even got a job interview tomorrow. Which if I get it will cut back on my time a great deal. Both a good and bad thing!