What I'm Trying to Say

I've decided that this blog isn't working...the 'farming' part of my life continues, but seems more like a hobby and less like something I want to dedicate much time to writing about, so I've started a new project. If you're interested, I can be found at www.bare-foot-notes.blogspot.com from now on.
Thanks,
E

And the Livin' is Easy...

A. is for Apple

The old apple tree in our backyard does not produce large, or even very tasty apples…but for about one week in the spring it makes up for the weeks of picking up and composting tons of wormy, brown apples in the fall.

This afternoon has been windy and the blossoms are falling fast. A. points at them as they float down from the branches and says “snowing.” She also says “flowers to apples” which may be the name of her first collection of poetry because she ALSO picks up the delicate petals and calls the “moons” which, I am afraid, dooms her to be a poet.

Waiting for the Sun

I'm in this slightly weird place just on the verge of needing to do a million things at once, oh but wait..not quite yet...because it's still way too cold to plant anything! The drip is in place, isles are mulched, beds are spread with compost/manure...and I'm getting antsy. Plus being 14 weeks from giving birth makes me antsy, too...I guess I'm not very patient - but it feels like all I'm doing right now is WAITING!

I made rhubarb-strawberry jelly the other day with my rhubarb and berries from California (hmmm). It tastes good, anyway.

Oh, and A. has been putting her time to good use by GROWING SOME HAIR! Oh yes, family and friends...those are actual pigtails you see sprouting from her cute little noggin! Sure, they only stayed in for a few minutes before she pulled the tiny rubber bands out...but I have proof that they existed!

Hey, the sun is coming out! I'm off to plant some carrots. Hope you all had a lovely mothers day...I was gifted artwork and flowers and a sweet, slow-moving morning with my little family.

Portrait of the Artist

A. has found a new medium...she love to paint! Fingerpaint, water color...she does it all! I have wrinkled water colors taped up all over my kitchen drying so they will be ready to give to grandparents and friends...people are lined up to get close to this talent :)

Sping is (slowly) coming to the Bitterroot...the temperature in the green house (or Mama's house, as A. calls it) got up to 100 degrees today, but on the other hand...I also saw actual snow falling out of the sky at one point...crazy Montana weather.

And one final picture of a kid-made poster I saw up on the bulletin board at the grocery store...

August Girl

I think this is the best picture we ended up with after Friday's appointment...it's a close-up of her face, and the cord is kind of in the way, but you get the idea! She was very squirmy during the appt, kept flipping all around...but everything looks just like it is supposed to! Latest due date is August 19th...which, at the end of April, in the midst of a spring snow, seems like a really long way away.

xx or xy?

What a strange world it is that I can walk into my midwife's office today and (without any actual work or 'labor') find out if I will be the mother of a son or daughter...it's incredible - will I be the mother of sisters or one of each?

Oh, and did I say I wouldn't start tomatoes until April 1 next year, I meant April 15th, maybe even the 20th if I want to live on the edge!

Warming, Greening

I think the tomato plants may be plotting some kind of hostile takeover...they're growing in size and bushiness and will soon be a force to reckon with...hmmmm anyone want to help transplant about 70 tomato plants? I don't even know that my partially assembed green house will be able to save me. I'm leaving myself notes to NOT start tomatoes until April 1st next year!

It has been absolutely beautiful here the last week! Our Earth Day party at the garden was great, we had a good turn out- lot's of kids, a great blues band, and tons of great food-potluck style.
A. has been enjoying the warm weather by shedding clothing and staying cool by taking quick dips in the dog water bucket.

Back For Now

So I decided to come back, partially because I'm done with three months of god-awful morning sickness that left me with nothing positive or enlightening to say about anything, and partly because it's spring and I need a venue for the thousands of pictures I've taken of the eighty-some lovely tomato plants that currently live on my window sill. This is them a week ago...they seem twice that big now.

A. did her first Easter egg hunting last weekend- she was a quick student - didn't take her long to find evey egg in the back yard. We used plastic eggs (very un-earth-mama, I know), but I would had to buy white eggs to dye since our chickens lay brown/blue, plus grandma had already bought them... so done and done.

(You can see the real-egg-laying-chickens in the background - and look, my strawberry plants are greening up!)

Life is busy! Between spring-garden work, regular work at the after school program, managing 20+ rental units for my mom while she's out of the country, making sure A. doesn't ingest too much dirt (or compost - eww), running the community garden - which is so full this year we have a waiting list...making sure my dog and my thighs stay in decent shape by getting out and getting some exercise...whew.

Also, I am definitely bigger, earlier with #2...all my friends with 2 told me it would happen, but it's still amazing how quickly my body has changed. I am definitly resisting the switch over to maternity clothes..(sigh)

This weekend we'll have an Earth Day Celebration at the community garden - live music, potluck, mural painting, kids activities, should be a good time...and it's supposed to be in the 70's! Woohoo, I am so ready for spring weather. Anyone have any good recipe ideas for spring-type potlucks? I'm thinking something with rhubarb...also thinkig I should start making bread again...hmmmmm