I can sit on the front porch and hear the grass growing.
We caught a dryish day on Saturday and got it all mowed. It was seriously 14 inches tall.
I love it when my grass is all neatly mowed.
This year Megan is learning to drive the zero turn mower.
I'm finding that she likes to go fast when she drives.
That's a lot scary.
As the weather warms up, my brain starts to go in to summer mode. That means a more relaxed and laid back time for the family. That is good after a busy spring of Bible Quizzing events and finishing up school.
We start spending a larger amount of time outside and the activities we enjoy are more active. I've been looking forward to that change for several months. My energy seems to have returned from my cornea transplant in December. Yeah!
We have a tradition in the Brush household. For the last couple of years we have made "bucket lists" of things we want to do before the weather turns cold again. We affectionately call it the Sand Bucket list since it is for Spring & Summer.
Reasons to make a Summer Bucket List
Yesterday I asked the kids to write their lists up so we could start scheduling some of the things that they would like to do this year. I'll share our lists once they get them filled out.
Here is the fun printable I made for them. It's free and made me think of summer time things.
Summer Bucket List(click to download printable)
I'd love to hear what is on your summer bucket list. It's fun to hear what other families are doing together!
2014 was the first year we planted a garden at our new place.
When we moved in in September of2013 there were cucumbers, tomato & pepper plants that the previous owner had planted. We really benefited from the produce because the garden spot was very productive!
You wouldn't expect to be unpacking boxes and canning tomatoes at the same time but that year some how we did both.
In 2014, we decided to try something new and make Square Foot Garden's after reading the book by Mel Bartholomew.
You might ask why we would do that if the garden spot was so productive. We had our reasons.
SF Garden #1 had broccoli, cabbage & cauliflower & lettuce in it. All did well except the cabbage. I didn't keep it watered enough. It was the first year we grew cabbage so I think this year it will be easier. *fingers crossed*
SF Garden #2 had acorn squash, spinach, green beans & peas in it. Acorn squash were small but again it was a watering issue.
SF Garden #3 & 4 were identical. Cherry tomatoes(which went crazy), carrots, beets, peppers & okra. These beds were even farther away from the house so again water was an issue. The carrots & tomatoes did fine. The rest were not as fortunate. The beets did nothing and the peppers never got any fruit.
In July we were gone on vacation for a whole week & had a friend watering. My tomatoes got blight and never really recovered. NEVER had to deal with that before. Then my mom got a lot worse & passed away. In August, I got a fungal infection in my eye(which led to a cornea transplant in December) and basically all gardening stopped. So I'm expecting a much better garden in 2015. But I wanted to list what we planted last year to show that you can get quite a variety of plants in a very small space.
We also planted pumpkins, watermelon, & cantaloupe in the "regular" garden space. My main reason for doing this was to keep the weeds from taking over. We planted our seeds and managed to much half of the garden with grass clippings. You guessed it that half of the garden did great and the other half was a weed patch. Even with just half of the garden doing well the pumpkin harvest was CRAZY!!!! I think we ended up with close to 20 pumpkins--not bad for a $1.29 seed packet. There were no cantaloupe and we only got two watermelon that weren't very big.
What are your 2015 garden plans?
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Garden Related Posts
My grandmother and mother are probably shaking their heads in heaven at my garden. I've broke the traditional garden rules in the past few years and I want to share why you should put a layer of mulch on your gardens this fall instead of turning the soil over before putting it to bed for the year. (Be sure to check out my Garden Ideas page for all our garden adventures)
I think that ORANGE is the color that I associate most with fall. Pumpkins and beautiful trees that turn flaming orange are my favorite orange things of autumn. This year we had an amazing pumpkin plant that climbed the fence and hung it's fruit 4 feet in the air!!!
I've always wanted a berry patch. Strawberries aren't too bad to purchase but others can cost an arm and a leg! We've had vegetables gardens and flower gardens but never a berry patch. In our current home we've had the fun adventure of creating a patch that has given us good return! Not quite where we don't need to buy any berries but that is my ultimate goal! We are 3 years in to this adventures and I want to share our tips for growing raspberries learned from our good and bad experiences.
Living in the country is different than town.
Last house we lived in was on a busy road. 3 blocks from a gas station. 4 blocks from a major highway.
It was convenient.
And loud.
We had traffic all the time and could hear the truckers when they had to use their air brakes.
Life is different now.
We see our neighbors.
And the mailman. Actually half the time he drives up to the door and we chat a while.
Country is good. Even gravel roads are good. Dusty but quiet.
Megan is learning to drive.
She's loving every minute of it. Asks every time we get in the car to drive.
I need that. The reminder that she's growing up.
In my mind she's still 8.
She's not.
Giggly. Confident. Sassy. Loving. She's all those but not a little one anymore.
Tonight it caught me right in the gut. She's looking ahead. Making plans for the future. One of those plans is driving.
I watched her meet another car and she initiated the wave. You know the three fingered one where you don't lift your hand from the wheel. You know the one that says "Hey neighbor"
My kids are experiencing country living. Megan's learning gravel road driving before we move on to smoother roads.
So far the neighbor's haven't complained.
This week I celebrated an anniversary. A year ago I was in pain. Walking was excruciating. Sitting was little better. Standing could be good if I held my weight on my right leg. My left hip was the problem. On January 11 I had surgery to repair a torn labrum.
Recovery took a while but now a year later I am so thankful that I can again keep up with my kidos. I still feel it complaining on some days but I will take that any day over what I had to deal with a year ago.
6 months ago I was happily moving through life not expecting any major changes to my life. Then my mom shared with me that life was not as I thought. Dad was having some problems and we needed to help her. Bam! Life changed overnight and I became familiar with the difference between psychologist & psychiatrists. I was going to my dad’s doctors visits with him. My dad who has always been a rock is now a different person who looks, acts & seems like my dad that I’ve always known. I have to filter his words & actions through this new lens I am seeing through.
3 months ago my mom wasn’t feeling well. She chalked it up to the stress she had been experiencing. She checked with her doctor who recommended some tests. Long story short is that my mom has pancreatic cancer. To say that we were reeling from all this is an understatement. Finally after 3 months of adjusting learning & adapting I am starting to be able to think clearly again. Sometimes.
I am hoping to share more on here. I just haven’t been able to since October. This is a new road I am walking. Maybe some of the things I am learning & living can help one of you. I wasn’t ready for this. I am still not ready for this but well . . . here we are.
God knew. That is today(and every day’s) lesson. He isn’t surprised at what happens to us. He knew before we were born what would happen today. Not one thing that comes our way is outside of his love. He loves us and knows everything about us. We are important to him and can go to him with our cares & burdens.
A dear friend shared this with me today and God used her to give me just what I needed but that is another lesson to share for another day.
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Matthew 10:28-31
May God prepare you for whatever is to come today and bless you through it all.
The excitement of spring and planting the seeds and seedlings is over. We are in the long haul of August and the summer garden. I won’t kid you. It’s NOT easy to do a garden in the late summer.
It’s hot. The bugs seem to be winning. The weeds have not given up the war. But I am winning against the weeds in the garden!
Seeing the produce on the plants in the garden keeps my motivation going for just a little longer.