How's The Garden Growing: July 26, 2019

How's The Garden Growing: 

July 26, 2019

Overview of the left side of the garden.  It's amazing how well all the squash plants are doing this year.  I don't know why but the bugs have been down this year and my garden is benefitting.

Overview

Bed One: Herbs

Bed Two: Green beans, squash, parsley, basil, and zinnia's

Bed Three

Bed Four:
Carrots, Green beans, peppers, flowers...

Bed Five: Turnips, Swiss Chard, potato volunteer

Bed Six:
two kinds of kales---yum

Bed Seven:
Swiss Chard, Green beans

Bed Eight:
Green Beans, Mustard Greens, Spinach, Beets

Bed Nine:
Lettuce, Swiss Chard, Green Beans, Basil

Blackberry area--that I *tried* to move!  I guess the roots are too fertile.  I plan on digging them up and moving them to be with the other plants in the fall.

Wet Garden:
Sunflowers, Tomatillo's, Hosta's, coneflower's, Milkweed...

Drive-way:
Sunflowers and Orange Cosmos

Peas and Squash

Grapevines:
This picture doesn't do them justice---the grape bunches are looking fantastic!!! SO excited to make more jam this year!!!  Absolutely the best thing we do from our garden.

Four beds of four different potato varities

Corn

ISLAND: I somehow missed a good close-up of the Island.  There are green beans, Squash, and flowers mostly on that area.

The kales start here

and end up in my kitchen---I've blanched and froze bag after bag of my various greens---two kales, swiss chard, mustard greens, beet greens...so good in soups or morning eggs with greens.

Next Week:

I probably have four weeks left of gardening in West Michigan.  We usually get our first frosts by the last week of September.  I'm rushing to get in all that I can!!!  The green beans are starting to come in, but not enough for a proper meal; much less canning...yet!

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July 21-27, 2019 Dd Office Job Experience, Painting Fence, Blanching Greens, SB Carnival

July 21-27, 2019

 Dd Office Job Disaster, Painting Fence, Blanching Greens, SB Carnival

Hello, Friends!

This week Dd got the chance to see what it is like to work at an office job. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday Dd was trained on how to work in an office.  Before she went into work on Monday she was already regretting her decision and had a dark cloud over her head.  She was in a horrible mood all week. I was worried her attitude would be a bad sign that this might not work out and after each day she came home sharing how much she didn't like the work or people.  Not only did she not like the work she also felt uncomfortable with the adults at the office.  Apparently, none of the people except the college intern training her talked to her or made her feel welcome.  

She was commuting 45-60 minutes each way.  She was getting trained by an intern before he headed back to college.  



Since Dd was not improving we gave Dd permission to quit her office job so the intern could focus his training on someone that would want to be there. 



 I'm glad she had this opportunity to see what it's like to work at an office.  Hopefully, this experience will help her decide about career ideas.  Dd will stick with her pizza shop job.  She really likes just about everything about this job; week after week. 

 

I don't think Dd did any science this week, and very little math.  She had a really hard time getting her chores done too.



  She was very busy with her office job during the week (she didn't have any hours at the pizza place until Friday night).  



Plus, she was really depressed having the office job that she didn't like so she wasn't very motivated to make good choices with her free time.  She felt really overwhelmed by the new job.  

Sunday Church:

Dd didn't get home from her pizza shift until late on Saturday night so I didn't wake her up for church on Sunday morning.  I went to Ada Bible Church by myself.  



Women's Bible Study:
Again this week, the women's bible study group I joined was canceled. That's three weeks in a row!  I've actually only attended one session.  But, I have really liked the class book, "In His Image" by Jen Wilkin.  It is a very meaty book that I know I could re-read a few times and continue to learn new things from.  

First Pay Check:

Hailee came over in the afternoon for lunch and to help Dd spend her first paycheck at the mall!  After much deliberation and thought, Dd decided to buy a pair of Converse sneakers as her memorable gift to herself.  I still wear and cherish the hiking boots I bought myself when I turned 25 while living in Roanoke, VA.  A good pair of shoes can be a practical purchase.  She has wanted a pair of Converse sneakers for years!!!  She found a pair at a thrift store but they were 2 sizes too small, though she did shove her toes in and wear them out one time before realizing that wasn't going to work!  Now she has a pair that are her size!!  

Migraines:

Last week on Thursday and Saturday and this week on Tuesday and Wednesday, I had migraines.  So far this month I've had ten migraines.  Some of the days I've been able to slowly plod through the day and stay out of bed, but I do wish I could get my migraine numbers down.  



Sick:
I've spent the whole week under the weather.  I've had a low fever and feeling sick.  If it were winter I would have laid low, but since it is summer and as Pa Ingles said, "Make hay while the sun shines." I have been able to make progress in the blanching of greens and painting the fence along with my normal chores.  Tuesday I had a migraine on top of not feeling well, so I didn't get anything extra done, just my 'have-to's.'  No one likes being sick in July! 

After I blanch the greens I dry this out and freeze on a tray before breaking into bits and placing in freezer bags for their long stay in the freezer.  The trays work great at freezing the greens quickly.

Blanching Greens:

Finally!  I've been able to blanch and freeze quite a few batches this week.  I've mixed two different kinds of kale, beet greens, Swiss Chard, Collard Greens, and Turnip Greens to make a diverse blend of greens.  This year, unlike last year, I've chopped up a lot of the stalks and mixed that in too.  I had been concerned I couldn't digest the stalks, but, now I know I am fine with that and so could add that fiber in.

Lori: Lemonade

Since the church problem (6-12-19), my social life has taken a major blow so I was asking my favorite librarian for some ideas and she invited me out for a lemonade on Wednesday.  She had typed up some places that are looking for volunteers for me to consider.  She shared some of her interesting stories volunteering.  It was nice time.  We met at a little coffee/tea shop that I'd never gone to before.  She recommended the Raspberry Lemonade; which she really enjoys when she goes there.  I was totally surprised that a small cup of lemonade cost $3.18, with no refills!

Three New Roosters:

I've been bringing up the chicken tractor beside the chicken pen each day and taking the roos to socialize with the girls in the long run where they can all run freely.  I've had to stop a few hens from trying to peck the boys, but for the most part they are progressing together pretty well.  I'm still not ready to put them all together unsupervised, but we are getting close.

Church Carnival:
Before that Worship Meeting that lead to my discontinuing my attendance to that church, Dd had agreed to do the face painting at the carnival they were planning.  Dd kept her word and spent all day Saturday at the event.  She had a blast!  She loves the other teen girls in her Sunday School class and got to spend the day playing with them!  They had a dunking booth, cotton candy maker, bouncy house, and Dd did the face painting.  I'm so glad Dd is keeping up with her friends.  Even though Dh and I still feel like the meeting Dd and I attended changed things Dd seems to have recovered.  She is over the issues she had last month.

Painting the Deck:
I'm slowly making little bits of progress on the deck.







Dd's Academic and Life Progress:

No Reading

Photography:
Dd continues to enjoy going outside to find things to photograph.  She is planning places, times, and things she wants to capture.  Right now, this is her artistic expression.  In the past, she has used music and art, but lately, photography has continually climbed to the top.  She mostly is taking nature scenes.



Face Painting:
Friday Dd spent a few hours working on practicing face painting.  On Saturday she spent hours doing it!

Swimming:

Swam on Sunday and Friday with me.  It is always so special getting to swim and chat with her.  Great memories. 



Next Week: 
Dd is SO relieved to have the office job off her plate.  Her attitude went right back up.  She now knows how Dh feels having to go to work every single day!!!  She can now have empathy for his situation and focus on finding a career that she will actually enjoy.  I'm hoping I will recover from my bug quickly.  I also hope that I can manage to incorporate the new Silkie roosters in the hens.

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July 14-20, 2019 More Silkie Roosters, Super Hot, First Paycheck, Coneflowers, Black-Eyed Susan's, and Daisies

July 14-20, 2019 

More Silkie Roosters, Super Hot, First Paycheck,  
Coneflowers, Black-Eyed Susan's, and Daisies

Hello Friends,

I think the biggest news of the week, besides the new roosters, was the awful heat!  



Living in Grand Rapids for four years now my body has acclimated itself to being in cooler temps, compared to Indiana. 



 Our air condition works through our very old geothermal system and that is way more expensive to run than electric air conditioning.  



So, we didn't turn on our A/C until late Thursday.  The A/C made a huge difference, even when set high, just to get a break from all the humidity, which had been around 98%.

Sunday Church:

Dd and I went to Ada Bible Church again, our fourth visit.  Last Sunday Giz and Grampy were visiting so we all stayed home. 



 I watched the sermon from last week online after they went home. This week continued the theme of "Dinner With Jesus." 



 I've really been getting so much from the sermons.  It feels like a college-level class; very deep and intellectual.  



I still struggle every day with losing my old church and the wonderful people that I grew close with, but I am thankful for good sermons that help lessen the blow.  I know we are not alone.  The hardest part is that we've received a few cards from friends at our old church, some telling me to "forgive" and come back.  It's hard to explain, and I don't even try, to say I forgave the first day of conflict.  I don't have the skills to handle this situation, that is for sure.  




Ada Bible Bible Study: 
I signed up for a small women's group reading and discussing In His Image by Jen Wilkin.  Last week I didn't go b/c we had G&G visiting.  Then this week our group was canceled b/c so many of our group wasn't going to be able to attend.  I'm still enjoying reading this book even if I'm not getting to discuss it much. 

The blackish one is Radagast The Brown, The grayish one is Gandalf the Gray, and the white one is Gandalf the White

Chickens: Silkies
Our friends, the "G" family contacted me on Monday to say they thought another one of their new (3 1/2 month of Silkies) birds was a rooster and would need a new home.  They live in the city of Grand Rapids and legally aren't allowed to have roosters, just hens.  So on Wednesday I drove to GR and picked up an all white Silkie rooster, which we ended up naming "Gandalf the White."  



The next day they texted to say another chicken is a rooster!  So, Thursday I met them at Costco to get a gray Silkie rooster from them, which we named, "Gandalf the Gray."  They only have two hens left and they are positive those last two are girls!  I can't take any more!  But, Chelle has always told me how much I'd love Silkies, so I'm glad I am finally getting to know these chatty birds.

Ms. Lemon, the Bantam hen.  She is doing very well right now---all broodiness is gone and she is laying eggs.

I named her Jen Wilkin, after the author of the book I've been reading the past few weeks: In His Image.

Chickens:
The chickens are doing pretty good.  Chickens don't do as well in the hot temperatures so they aren't ideal, but they are hanging in there.



Pool:
Last week we finally got the pool clear enough to swim.  This week was so extremely hot and humid it was nice to have the option of cooling off in the water.  Dh even went swimming this week!  He didn't get in at all last year, so this was great!



Deck:
I've been getting some painting done on the deck this week. 



 It was such a hot and humid week that I didn't get as much done as I wanted. 



 Luckily, I'm not in a rush and know this job isn't a hurry.



Garden:



The Japanese Beetles have really been challenging my picking skills!  

Feeling Mary Poppins

It's just amazing how many can show up; they seem to like the grapevines the most.

The Foxglove that I moved in the spring are doing SO well!  I'm so glad I moved them so I could focus on them and give them a little extra care.  They have really flourished with the attention!

Weeding is on-going.  I've been sharing a lot of my greens with the chickens.  They just love anything from the garden.




Trimmed Grape Vines:
When I picked up the Silkie rooster, Radagast, from the "G" family I got an impromptu lesson on pruning grapevines.  I took that info home and have been working to improve the growth of my plant.



Air Conditioning:
We had to turn on the A/C for a few days this week (Thursday-Sunday) due to the high humidity and hot temperatures.  It was really nice being cool!  

The white hen here is, Charlotte.  She had been broody for most of the spring, with Ms. Lemon.  She is doing very well now and has a whole new coat of feathers. 

Dd Academic and Life Progress:



First Paycheck:
Dd got her first paycheck from working at the pizza shop the last two weeks!  She is so excited!  She LOVES working at the pizza place and with the other teens.

Henny Penny on the look-out!

Photography Focus:
We picked up her photographs from Walgreen's this week.  She talked with Dh to get some ideas on how to improve her skills.  She is really keen on photography this summer.

Aphrodite and Bella

New Friend: Helen
Dd went with her new work friend, Helen, to the movies to see the newest Spider-Man movie.  



Swimming:
Hailee over to swim.

Academics:  
To be honest, Dd's motivation this week was really low.  She didn't get very far on either of her subjects.  We are in a difficult phase.  I don't have all the answers, but keep reminding her of what she should be doing and hoping she will right herself and *want* to focus on her lessons.  You can lead a horse to water...



Reader:
The Sun is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon: In Process

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Science:
Apologia: Biology (not much, unfortunately!)

Now it is coneflower, daisy, and black-eyed Susan's weather

Math:
Saxon Algebra (not much, unfortunately!)



Next Week:
Dd starts her new office job.  She doesn't seem to be very excited about this opportunity.  I'm going to TRY and get the hens to accept the roosters without getting the roosters attacked.  I go pretty slow but would hate for the roosters to get really hurt.

..........