karismar

The past several days I’ve been trying to shorten my project list.  Last week I found mold over a large part of the bay window in the family room and it had spread to the curtains…yuck! It’s an old window and I love the old windows in the house but because of their age, they need a lot of air circulation to prevent mold. During the winter months I kept the muslin curtains closed to keep the room warmer but that was a huge mistake.  noted!  This week I’ve scraped, primed, painted and made new curtains. I’m rather pleased that I had to hang new curtains as these now let the light filter in even when closed and the room has a great feel to it now. Today I’ll be putting the room back "together".  This picture isn’t the greatest but there is no light behind me so it looks darker than it is…..still gives you glimpse.

The dirt area begging to be a patio has been getting about 3 wheelbarrow loads removed a day. This is not my favorite job of the season but it will be worth it in the end.  If I’m lucky I’ll get my oldest to remove the rest today. I’d say that’s fair considering I’ve been paying his car insurance FOREVER!!  lol

 

A sloppy mess, that’s what this weekend has been. The rains decided to come and with them cold air. Rain alone is easy enough to take, it’s life here but when it’s wet and so cold, well that’s just hard to be in.  Makes me want to stay inside when I need to be out working in the yards. There is so much to do around here outside and inside before June 16th. My daughter’s graduation party is that weekend and I want things in better order than they are now. It’s what happens when you renovate a house but we still need a decent area for everyone to be. We had the same issues but different projects last year when my son graduated and I was pleased with what we accomplished and threw a great big party.  It’s mainly the big spot of wet mud that is begging to be covered with pavers so a table and chairs can be placed, I’m just not getting to it like I should but damn, that’s a lot of soil to dig up and huff around…….a great workout though so onward I go. That is my goal this week, to have the soil dug down, a layer of sand layed and pavers started.  Here are before pics, one is a bit blurred.

 

 

 

 

It’s April 20th and our last frost date was April 3rd, or so they say! I woke up to frost on the ground and in the gardens!!  My fear is the tender seedlings aren’t going to make it. It’s too late to do anything now, all I can do is hope for the best. Our weather is so messed up it doesn’t know what to do.

A greenhouse is something I’ve been thinking about and when this happens it pushes me a little closer. Not sure the specifics yet but I’ll be doing some research on them for next year.

Today I have the car for errands. Groceries need bought and some posts and cement to replace the leaning ones along the fenceline in the back.  The fence came with the house but was not installed properly so we’ve been replacing a little at a time. We have an area between the garage and backporch that will make a nice patio spot for a table/chairs so I’m hoping to squeeze out enough $$ to purchase some pavers to lay. The soil needs to be dug down several inches before anything can be layed but that shouldn’t take too long.

Hooray, I see sun out there!! 

Huge boos go out to NBC for their hideous choice of feeding into the crap and airing the video and pictures. You all know what I’m talking about. I fear for copycat actions of those seeking attention…we already had a copycat threat at the University here in town yesterday. I’m sick of the NRA claiming no responsibility for anything nor a mention when the country is blowing each other up claiming their "rights to bear arms". What a fucking load of shit. This is not what the forefathers were referring to when they penned the constitution. And now for the icing on the cake….not since 1973 has there been such a blatant disregard for a women’s right in Roe v Wade until this week. The blowhard in the White House has the Supreme Court so far to the right and now he owns them. Wake up people, we can no longer sit in our houses doing nothing. Get out and speak out before we have no civil rights left!

I wanted to be in the garden today but wasn’t sure if the weather would cooperate. Showers were expected all day and temps in the low 40’s. Rain and cold together can make you feel crummy out in the elements!  A few dry breaks came my way and I was able to spend a few hours planting and plotting. I always think I know how I want the garden to be until I get out there ready to plant and I stand there looking dazed. It’s coming together but as I’m expanding my plans this year it’ll take time to get it just right. Starts of zucchini and summer squash, Kentucky Pole Beans, Boston & Lemon Cucumer and brussel sprouts were planted. The sprouts are new for me and I have no idea when they are best to plant but I thought I’d experiement and see for myself how they like my garden and the soil. Nothing is as good as first hand experience.

The lilacs in the picture were planted 4yrs ago when we moved here. It was late August and they were marked TLC plants from the drugstore. Looking rather pekid I decided to buy them and see if I could bring them back to life. At .99cents I had nothing to lose. All 4 plants were about 10in high and had maybe a few leaves. Today they are over 6ft tall. This spring is their first bloom of flowers and I am thrilled at their beauty. Smelling delicious as they drape over my newly built garden fence(still needing paint but can’t catch a dry day to paint!) The view is from inside my garden.

My peas are just at that growth where they’re going to take off once they have something to climb on.  One of my projects this weekend.

 

 

 

I have seed starts all over my kitchen, each vying for their share of sunlight. The Boston and lemon cucumbers  and summer squashes have outgrown the trays and really need to be transplanted to larger containers but it just isn’t the right time of moon phase to do it. I sure hope they can hold out for another week without losing their lustre. I used fluorescent bulbs for their growth for the first time and I love the results!  Seeing firsthand the difference the lights make vs. the usual limping around trying to get a few growing for my own garden, has given me ideas for selling the starts at farmers market next spring. If I only focused on selling the starts I would have maybe two months at the market instead of 5or6. I figure those who want to buy starts for their own garden will have everything they want by the 1st of June and then I’d be done. I could always continue selling if my own garden produced enough for feeding us, canning and the market but the market fares would be last. We have a nice farmers market and a few stands with organic produce but I can’t say that we have any stands with organic vegetable starts/plants and I think it’d be a good seller.

                        

                           

                       

 

Today is the full moon, a perfect time to do some magick. I have a cleansing spell to perform for myself, one that I haven’t used before. For me it is so easy to forget about maintaining my body and my spirit. Daily life is so present and can often sweep us up in the rituals of living and before we know it we’ve neglected ourselves. This is why cleansing is so important.

Enjoy our moon today, she is powerful and giving.