A quick post

Lovely weather, finally. Birds nesting like crazy, things growing. My potatoes in their barrels are growing healthy and strong. I feel bad every time I bury them in dirt and make them grow again. Potato guilt.

I'm going to get back to work now after a fun supper cooked out at the fire pit: Johnsonville Turkey and Cheddar brats on buns, with toasted marshmallows for dessert. A neighbor gave us a bunch of wood scraps, mostly hardwood, from his carpentry work, and it made a small, hot, quick fire that was ready to cook on within minutes.

Found a baby bird dead in the grass by the pond this evening. Not sure what kind it is; it's big, quite a bit bigger than a robin of the same age. Poor little mite.

I thought having little children, toddlers, babies, preschoolers, was exhausting. I had no idea what life would be like with these wonderful teenagers those babies grew into. I'm perpetually exhausted, it seems. I can only look with wonder on their energy and try not to get left too far behind.

Oh, and I temporarily deactivated my Facebook account, on the very slim chance that anyone noticed. We limit the amount of time the kids spend on Facebook, and I realized I was not holding myself to the same standards. It's not permanent, it's just till I can be certain I am not abusing it.

Please take a walk around my yard with me.

Let me show you what's growing right now.

Starting with the front yard, this is a flower bed alongside the house.

Coral bells Columbine.

A big jumble of mint, chives and a mystery plant that comes up every year.

A baby sassafras tree my in-laws brought us from Pennsylvania.
Sassafras is not supposed to grow around here
but maybe this little guy is willing to make an exception.

My mesh dehydrator, hanging from a tree,
with morel mushrooms and parsley drying in the breeze.

Two little redcurrant bushes that I bought this year...

... and two bigger ones that my in-laws brought
from their land, which are cuttings off a plant
that once grew at Barry's grandmother's house

Lilacs

One of our two ponds. This one is leaking this spring
and so Barry has not been able to let the fish loose in it yet.

The 5-in-1 apple tree that was Barry's Father's Day gift last summer - going strong.
.

Walking onions from my parents' garden.

No chickens in the chicken pen now - just tomatoes.

Potato barrels.

Rhubarb.

Sugar snap peas.

Lettuce on the right and center and spinach on the left.

A whole clump of tomato volunteers, probably from one tomato that fell last fall.

And here's our new rain barrel! I found it in a ditch.

This diverter pulls water out of the center of the steam of water 
going down the rain downspout and puts it in the barrel.

The water comes out the bottom of the barrel, goes through the hose...

along the foundation of the house to the laundry room window...

through the wall into the laundry room... 

and finally into the washing machine, if I'm doing a cold water load.

Book recommendation: "This Life Is In Your Hands: One Dream, Sixty Acres, and a Family Undone," by Melissa Coleman

I picked this up at the library today and am reading it. It's excellent. And scary.

It's a cautionary tale that is worth reading by anyone who is anxious to try living off the land and the sweat of one's brow. A couple of idealistic young people bought 60 rocky acres of farmland in the 1970s and built a small self sufficiency farm there, and had two three little girls. They were making it, sort of, though rather precarious emotionally as well as other ways, when the middle child  wandered off and drowned in the pond on the property, and the whole family just spiraled down. The book is written by the eldest of the girls who was actually abandoned in the care of neighbors when the dust finally settled. Ugh.

I recommend it.

ADDED LATER, AFTER FINISHING THE BOOK: One thing I appreciate about the writing was the respect this woman shows for her parents, as flawed as they were and are. She honors them for doing the best they knew to take care of her and her sisters.

Spring Grove Syttende Mai Garage Sales 2011

Barry's parents are visiting this week, and just typing that tells me how I am neglecting this blog, because you should already know that. Anyway, this morning my partner in crime Lisa Fruitful and my mother in law Jane Stahl headed off to Spring Grove to garage sail. We did very well.

Some highlights were the wringer mop bucket I had been saving up for on line - for only two dollars! - and those nifty lime-green sneakers up there, shown on my feet. They are wonderful. I also got a pair of Born clogs. The big HORSES thing is a sign - and there are 3 of them!! A Hoosier bread drawer for 25 cents... A red dial telephone... A Blue Ridge Pottery pitcher... A pair of antique granny boots... An old gas can... Teacups for Lil Miss A... Lots of fun stuff. I'm worn out. :)

Last Day of School 2011

Nine months ago, and this morning:

Lil Miss A's Ballet Class

For the last day of Lil Miss A's ballet class, the parents were invited to come watch. It was not really a recital, but we got to see what they have learned in the past 10 weeks. It's amazing. They have learned a LOT.

Her camera was acting up so I only have a tiny clip for you. She is the one wearing a black leotard, with her back to the camera.

Pear tree in bloom

Doctor seriously said this:

"The patient is full of feces."