I took quite a few hours on Sunday morning to compile 18 pages of notes (!) on all of the flowers so I'd have a good reference for what each pack of seeds requires for planting, light, etc., etc. Then I headed outside.
Because it's a big job, I've been taking smaller sections of the yard at a time to first rake up all the scrap accumulated from the winter (WHERE does all that stuff come from?!), then moisten the soil, then plant, then ready the medium I've mixed up for the covering, spread that covering, and then finally water again. I got the slate walkway that leads off the side door to the hand pump and the area underneath the clothesline seeded with creeping thyme.
The highlights I made for the creeping thyme in my notes are: "super-vigorous, lemon-scented . . . months of deep pink blooms and heavenly fragrance . . . completely covered in 1/4-inch bells of carmine-pink for months on end . . . butterflies love it!" So, I can't wait to see the seeds start to sprout! I'm sure the following picture won't hold jaw-dropping excitement for you, my dear reader, but it should suffice as the first installment of a series of Then and Now shots of the landscaping.
Yesterday morning, Tom announced that he was "back" (physically) and that he was going to go cut and haul wood. So, off he went to the logging site that's accessed through our back 40 (they're done now and have pulled out all but one piece of their equipment - yayyy!). As you can see in this picture I took yesterday, things aren't quite GREEN around here yet!
Last night, he went into town to the court house to take a proficiency test that's required for a state job he's applied for. It lasted from 7:00 - 10:00 PM (?!), and Tom said that it was exhausting and HARD. Almost all financial word problems such as: if Mrs. Smith is 72 years old and receiving Social Security but has also received Section 8 housing assistance at 1/3 of the state average pay-out, what can she expect her monthly checks to be? (I just made that example up, but you get the drift.)
Okay, I've been side-tracked by several things since I started this post, so I'll sign off for now and post it. Enjoy the day!
Sounds like you're doing a super-thorough job of making sure all of your landscaping flowers/plants get a good start. I'm not sure I'd have your patience. I just know in a couple of years your place will look like something out of . . . of . . . House and Garden? Birds and Blooms? Bells and Whistles? I don't know . . . whatever is the most noteworthy landscaping magazine today!
ReplyDeleteWow! Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you, lol:) Seriously though, sounds really neat what you're doing. Will love to see updates as things grow.
ReplyDeleteOk, on another note-homemade soda pop? Have always wanted to try that! How hard was the gingerale and is it tasty? Where did you get your recipe(s)? Do tell!!
Good luck to the hubby with all his undertakings and may his shoulder/collar bones cooperate:)
Thanks for the marinade tips!
That math problem would have been easy if Mrs. Smith lived in Calif. She wouldn't get anything!! She'd have to give it all to the state.
ReplyDeleteMama,
ReplyDeleteI don't know about a "super-thorough" job! If I was doing that, I'd perfectly cover every inch of every seed with the exact amount of medium the plant charts call for . . . and that's one thing I DON'T have the patience for! I do what I think is fair . . . and the rest is up to them! :)
Melissa, yeah, homemade pop! It's GREAT and super-easy! We made homemade root beer a lot when I was growing up. This was my first go at ginger ale. I'll tweak the next batch as this one is a bit too . . . ummmm, ginger-y. Not so ironic, I know, but I'm not a fan of anything overly gingered. Anyway, root beer will be next - SOO good! Can you imagine all the root beer floats this summer?!
And, I get all my syrup concentrates from Lehman's . . . one of the BEST sources of ANY/EVERYTHING in the world!
Finally, Uncle M, yes, you're right: even here, all of Mrs. Smith's income would have gone to the state . . . PARTICULARLY if she was in a nursing home! And, as an illustration of the hard economic times, there were 28 applicants for this ONE JOB taking the test: 27 women . . . and TOM! Ha!
P.S. Melissa, if you pay for the shipping, I'd be happy to send you a bottle or two of the ginger ale to try! :) E-mail me privately if you're interested.
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