What I Saw: My Garden

My garden is small but everything is growing well and we are enjoying the squash and peppers. The tomatoes haven't ripened yet and I am really looking forward to the first ones. Since I added Epsom salt and wood ashes to the ground around them, my tallest plants are almost as tall as I am and are getting loaded with fruit.

The bottom picture is one of my volunteer plants that came up all around my squash. I'm pretty sure it is cantaloupe from seeds that were in the compost I buried in there. I also have 3 volunteer tomato plants.

There is a storm blowing up, I can hear the thunder. I am glad because we really need the rain.

Oh Flip!

If you like to read your blog standing on your head I've got a link for you.

spɹoʍ ɹnoʎ dılɟ oʇ ʞuıl ǝɥʇ sı ǝɹǝɥ This confirms the fact, once and for all, that I am

full of absolutely useless information. Have fun flipping.

How To Build A Greenhouse

I would love to have a greenhouse. My friend Angie and I were discussing how we could build one ourselves. It just so happens that Angie has the frame to a portable carport just sitting around, ( a very long story!) so these instructions will come in very handy for her. Here are instructions for the "Hoop" type of greenhouse , pictured above, that could be constructed over a planting area. There are pictures of a little girl assembling it so this one is probably just my speed. Here are the directions for one very similar but just a little more complicated.

I never realized that so many things can be constructed from PVC pipe. Can you believe this bed below is made from PVC?! Check out this page with pictures of items that people have designed and made from PVC. I am so impressed. I wish I had thought of the kids playhouse when my children were young. They would have loved it.

The pictures are from the website pvcplans.com

For Angie

I found this article about Squash Vine Borers that might help us avoid them. This is what a plant with an infestation looks like...

Free Online Math Course

I found this online math course, MEP, I thought I would share. There is an answer section for each text. The trick is figuring out what level to use with your child. The course is based out of the UK and their grade levels are a little different. This course seems to have materials available for all grade levels so can be used throughout homeschooling. Best of all it's free. Check out Crystal's site for more Frugal Friday tips.

To Do: Look Closer

"What we see depends mainly on what we look for." Sir John Lubbock The things we see, the events of our days, even the people we meet, may seem quite ordinary at first glance. Common, uninspired, and maybe a little uninteresting. We move past them taking little time to notice the true beauty before us. We fail to see that each moment, each event and each person is unique. Each moment of our day is filled with the things that God wants for us to experience at that time. Each event shapes and molds us into the people he intended. Each person that crosses our path has some lesson or inspiration to share with us to help us move closer to where God wants us to be. It is our job, our mission, our duty even, to find those things. We are meant to take time to look closely and to see the beauty that is there. To experience the gifts that God has placed in our lives, and to experience, cultivate, and express gratitude.

"If your daily life seems poor, do not blame it; blame yourself, tell yourself that you are not poet enough to call forth its riches." Rainer Maria Rilke

Today I will look closer at those things around me and find each gift I am truly meant to see.

Gold Dust plant in my backyard.

What I Saw: My Backyard This Morning

I woke up at 5 this morning. After eating a quick breakfast and sitting on the porch swing I decided to take a few pictures of the beautiful, foggy morning. By the time I got the camera ready the fog had started to lift a little. My tomato plants next to my shed are looking really good. They have grown at least a foot in the past week with all the rain we have had. The rain has brought a crop of mushrooms along the back fence line. The lavender is starting to bloom. It smells wonderful. Pepper decides she needs some attention.

Found: Missing Piece Of The Puzzle

I love the band Journey. Steve Perry's soaring tenor voice sends chills up my spine. This morning I was watching CBS Sunday Morning and saw a piece about how Journey had found a new lead vocalist by taking a midnight surf on Y*u*Tube.

His name is Arnel Pineda and believe it or not, even though he looks 20, he is 41 years old! His story is an inspiring one, from being homeless to fronting one of the best known bands around with a voice that, I have to say, is almost a perfect rendition of Steve Perry. I'd buy their new album. Judge for yourself.