A Rambling Update

Even though I haven't posted in two weeks doesn't mean that we haven't been busy as usual.    We had my mom visiting for a few days and enjoyed celebrating with my sister's family as my nephew graduated from Ole Miss.   We also had Lauren  and the grandsons here for a few days as well.  We have done our usual large batch cooking of cinnamon rolls, granola and spaghetti sauce.  The children got me a HUGE stockpot that I am able to cook large batches in ONE pot without fear of boiling over.   I was also able to make the spaghetti sauce using fresh herbs from my own garden....and it is delicious!!!

Gardening work continues and flourishes!!  We have tomatoes and peppers on the vine, corn  and potatoes are coming up, strawberries are blooming and everything else is looking good.  Jordan built 7 more 4' x 4' beds for me this weekend and we have filled one of them with lemon balm (I will post some recipes later), another with oregano and a third with peppers, tomatoes and winter squash.  This morning we will plant more corn, green beans and winter squash in the remaining boxes.  We are trying out square foot gardening and are hopeful that our corn in the box (and much nearer the house) does better than the corn patch further away.  I still have some tomato plants started from seed that are hardening and will plant those in the next week.  Staggering my planting was not really intentional, but I think will benefit us with a longer period of fresh veggies and will spread out the work of canning and freezing.

We have also done some work in the landscaping department.   I called a friend to see if she wanted to have some of my hostas that were in need of dividing and she wound up coming and helping me to dig up all of the hostas, separating them, replanting in their existing bed and moving about 30 or so to a new bed.  She was also able to take about 20-30 home with her.

We have also been sick for a few days.  Jackson started us out with fever, headache,  coughing, sore throat, sneezing and wheezing.  It then moved to Kaelan and then to me.   Then, Jackson had a repeat!!  The older boys have had some of the same symptoms as well.  Jordan is the only one BRAVE enough to take my tonic regularly, so he has been able to carry on.

This week I decided to take the week off from school.  Wednesday is Kaelan's 11th birthday, Thursday is piano recital day and Friday is violin recital day.  Grandmother will also be coming for a couple of days to see Kaelan and Aaron in the recitals.  I took the time to sit down and finish planning out the rest of our War for Independence study and we will finish it up the last week of June.  Very fitting as we look to celebrate Independence Day!!  We will then take a week off to visit with my extended family who will be coming in from Ohio and Washington, DC.  My brother will be leaving the states for  three years to work in the Congo, so this is a little farewell visit for him.  He will stop first in Ecuador to get married!!   He will be turning 41 in early July and has finally met the woman for him.  They met in Spain, but she is from Ecuador and they will start their married lives together in Africa.    On our return home we will spend about 4 weeks finishing up our study of Africa that we have put on hold.  In August we will resume our American history studies via All-American History, KONOS, Clarence Carson and various other sources.

Time to stop the rambling and check out what my assistant gardeners have accomplished so far.  Hope to post more regularly, but my internet connection can be unreliable.  DSL would be so nice, but here in the boonies satellite is about the best we can do!!