Bless My Bloomers!

Forever:  Time it takes to brew the first pot of coffee in the morning. 

              Author Unknown

A typical day starts here at Harmony Acres with Becky getting up at 5:30 a.m. to do a few chores and getting ready for work.  My day starts at 6:30 a.m. when I stagger to the bathroom (good thing it's small or I would be sitting in the floor) and then feel my way to the coffee pot.  Pouring a cup of coffee (half in the cup, half in the floor), I then grab a cigarette and stumble to the front porch to meditate.  This is best done with Pushka wrapped around one ankle and Gracie the other.

Bless my bloomers! Pushka left me a gift on the porch! The first thing I see this morning is a dead snake!

6:50 a.m.-Becky leaves for work and I feed the outside cats.  Then it's time to load up the lawn mower cart and feed Gypsy and her pups.  Then it's time to go to the house, make another pot of coffee and let Maggie outside.  Let Maggie inside.  Let the wieners outside, (they can't go at the same time as Mags because they play too rough) let the wieners inside.  Drink more coffee, smoke another cigarette and meditate on which project to work on today.

Today, I will work on the thicket on the northwest side of the house.  First, the greenhouse has to be moved and then I can begin this daunting task.  Just looking at the unruly mass of vines, scrub brush and Lord only knows what else (snakes?), gives me a spooky feeling.  Pulling out my brand new push mower that I purchased at TrueValue Hardware in Warner (and brought home in the car, really need a truck), I begin.

Two hours later, scrapped, scratched and bloodied, I surrender for the day.  The push mower and I are both going putt, putt, cough, cough.  I have easily donated a pint of blood to the wild rose bushes growing in the thicket and need to go to the house, remove thorns from my aching body and take a bath in alcohol.  Once I do this, I will be able to "shake it off" and continue on with my other chores after another cup of coffee and another cigarette and more meditation (watching puppies play) or perhaps in this case medication (my back you know).

The thicket holds a hidden delight!

Last weekend, Becky reclaimed this lovely view for us.  The trees she cut down (with a bow saw, she's afraid of knives so a chainsaw is out) were so big I had to drag them with a rope tied to the lawn mower.

"A small green frog
On a big brown log;
A black and yellow bee
In a little green tree;
A red and yellow snake
By a blue-green lake,
All sat and listened
To red bird sing,
"Wake up, everybody,
It's spring! It's spring!"

 

"Bless My Bloomers" and "that just dills my pickles" are just a few Funny Southern Expressions.  If you need a smile for the day, just click on the link.

Our day ends with loading the water tank on the cart and watering our new peach, plum and what ever that other tree is Becky planted (we're in a drought you know).  Then it's time to fasten up the pups for the night to help Gypsy keep them safe.  Finally, it's time to feed the inside dogs again and if there is time; have a bite to eat ourselves.  With all of our energy almost depleted, a nice bath is the perfect way to end a long day.  Simple Living provides lots of little moments of pleasure and lots of hard work.  It ain't easy being me.  Have a wonderful day and may God bless you in all things.

Nature's Rebirth At Harmony Acres

"I think that no matter how old or infirm I may become, I will always plant a large garden in the spring. 
Who can resist the feelings of hope and joy that one gets from participating in nature's rebirth?" 

Edward Giobbi

Spring! Spring! Spring! If the March winds don't blow me away, I will dance in the yard to the tune of Spring. Yes, I really do dance in the yard but I'm fully clothed nowadays.  It's time for my inner child to emerge and my imagination to take wing. The long months of winter are just a memory now.  I wanted to share with you how it looks at our home when Spring is in the air.  Here are a few pictures:

The front porch is cleaned off to a certain degree so now we can prepare to paint soffet a medium grey and the porch poles white with our new trim going up in a white also.  Replacing shutters this year too.  I like to call it "my beautiful porch-in-waiting".  Big plans for little porch!

Rock Garden coming alive.

Baby's Breath will be dried this year for floral arrangements.

And the puppies are growing like crazy.  They eat like it's their last meal every time.  Kind of pitiful.  Mom still dropping by to check on them and have a bite of their food and water.  One of our neighbors stopped by today (a different one from last week) to see if her puppy (a sister to my boys) had come a callin.  It has gone missing.  Becky called on her way out of our neighborhood at 7:00 a.m. this morning to say she saw the pup running with it's mom if anyone came looking.  And they did.

I don't have a favorite but the smallest of the three boys.........

Got so carried away with the pups, almost forgot to show you my salad garden planted in the fire pit.

Our hearts and prayers go out to those in Japan who are suffering and homeless, those who have lost loved ones and those who have loved ones missing.  Also, deep appreciation for the rescue workers and those brave souls who are still trying to save the world from a devastating nuclear accident.

There is an endless net of threads throughout the universe...
At every crossing of the threads there is an individual.
And every individual is a crystal bead.
And every crystal bead reflects
Not only the light from every other crystal in the net
But also every other reflection
Throughout the entire universe.

Seeds.....Miracle In A Package

Now seeds are just dimes to the man in the store
And the dimes are the things that he needs,
And I've been to buy them in seasons before
But have thought of them merely as seeds;
But it flashed through my mind as I took them this time,
"You purchased a miracle here for a dime."
-   Edgar A. Guest,
 A Package of Seedshttp://www.gardendigest.com/seeds.htm

I've taken another eager step toward Spring!  I bought my seeds!  They cost a little more than a dime (not much for most) but who can put a price tag on a miracle in a package.  It was so exciting trying to choose which ones to buy when there were so many.  My garden is becoming a reality!  Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice.

This morning the sunlight streaming in through the windows and doors beckons to me.  As I step outside, the birds are singing the unmistakable songs of Spring.  The bees entice me to begin my labor as they have.  There is a very special joy in the soul that only Spring can bring.  Life! Life!  There are signs of life everywhere.  Even the harshest of winters cannot withhold Spring.  Today I will plant my little miracles keeping in mind an old saying:

One for blackbird,

one for the crow,
One for the cutworm,

and one to grow.

-  American saying

I have planted my salad garden in a never used grill.  It's domed cover will serve as protection against birds and provide a greenhouse effect when covered in plastic.  Have high hopes for this cleaver idea from my sister(Joyce). She is way ahead of me on her planting.  Darn her. Just because she was born first, doesn't mean she has to be first and best at everything. Different flower, same garden. 

Every year I have to add to my perennial collection.  Perennials are awesome! Plant one time, enjoy many years.  Cuts down on manual labor.  The one thing I had not counted on was all the little kitty help I would be getting.  Pushka cannot help herself!  She has five acres to play in, but no she wants the fresh turned soil in my planters.  Kittens.  You gotta love em!  I also see signs of life in my daylillies we planted several years ago:

Well, that's all I have time for today.  Got to go clean the Wickett's (lovebird) house.  Talk about a nasty attitude.  She  has  plenty  of  it and plenty to  spare.

 

And then there is my moral obligation to the hateful treadmill ( but I have promises to keep, and  miles to go before I sleep-Robert Frost you know). 

Before I go, I must leave you with one more thought for the day.  It is another way of saying "Living Simple" is beautiful.

Frugality is one of the most beautiful and joyful words in the English language, and yet one that we are culturally cut off from understanding and enjoying. 

The consumption society has made us feel that happiness lies in having things, and has failed to teach us the happiness of not having things. 

~Elise Boulding



There Is A Season

Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it.  The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use. 
~Earl Nightingale



Think It. See It. Believe It. It All Begins With A Small Seed.

We strive to make our home a place of peace and harmony.  And I think for that reason things just seem to grow well here.  Inside and out;  human, plant and animal, we all thrive. It just takes time, manual labor and mental fortitude (some days I'm a little weak on the mental part). Our yard (five plus acres) is alive with rabbits, birds, bees, deer and many large trees (40 & 50 feet tall) as well as fruit trees and ornamental bushes.  It is a joy to be outside but there is so much yet to prepare before Spring arrives. 

I am sooo...excited about Spring.  I'm brushing up on my "how to talk to plants" skills by practicing on the house plants. I also purchased a seeded pot for herbs (a pre-fab if you will) to talk to.  I just had to plant something.  Well, maybe not plant, but do something.

This is the day that I must go into Muskogee (dog food, cat food, bird food and people food).  While I'm there might as well pick up a few seed packets to start growing my salad garden indoors.  With the real cost of living increases we are immediately seeing, a home garden will be a necessity.  The cost of gasoline last night was $3.17 per gallon and the summertime increase hasn't even started yet.  Hang onto your wallets folks this could be a rough one.

I also began work on a fairy tree house (escape from reality?).  It will need plants and other little touches to make it enticing for any little beings that want to move in.  It's a nice starter home. 



Eco Friendly Wind Powered Rental Property.



To Every Thing There is a Season - Ecclesiastes 3. 1-8
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.



"I am only one, But still I am one.
I cannot do everything, But still I can do something;
And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do."
- Edward Everett Hale

Can Animals Predict Diaster?

"The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way.  Some see Nature all ridicule and deformity, and some scarce see Nature at all.  But to the eyes of the man of imagination, Nature is Imagination itself."
-  William Blake, 1799, The Letters    

As I was doing my daily meditation this morning (translation:  as I was sitting on the front  porch with my coffee, cigarette and two cats wrapped around my ankles), it occurred to me the importance of a sanctuary.  Everyone needs a safe place to hide from time to time. Speaking of hiding, the cats ate breakfast and then headed for the barn.  Even if the news had not been warning us of a severe storm, the cats would have alerted me to the fact simply by their behavior. If we pay attention, animals speak a language all their own.  They sense danger long before we have a clue. Our dogs have been humanized to the point they have no clue either.  Apparently, I'm not the only one that thinks their pre-diaster behavior is interesting.

O.K. on another subject.  This year Becky and I are planning a visit to Hoepfner Kiwi Farm in Eufaula.  We want to start growing our own fruit in accordance with our self-sustaining plan for life.  This is something we have wanted to do for a long time but the demands of life rarely give us the opportunity for a day trip.  However, this year I have a plan.  Just do it.  Here is a video giving some insight into growing kiwi.

Well, time to go for now.  Looks like the storm may be moving in and I need to shut down my beloved computer.  Hope to see you again soon.  In the meantime, hug a tree, plant a seed and embrace life. 

It seems we are safe from the storm for now.  Pushka is back on the porch biting my ankles.

A Magical Time

I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden.

—Ruth Stout

The first bloom of Spring invites others to join the dance.

Spring is simply a magical time.  A time when all things are renewed.  A time when all things seem possible.  It is a joyous time for all of the senses to go on high alert to the glorious riches unfolding.  The mystery of life itself is encoded in the burst of Spring-time activity.  Only God could perfect such a delicate balance of all the elements that converge to create Spring.  It is the time to release our child-like fantasies.  It is a time for myths and legends to come alive in our gardens!  In a garden, there is no reality.  There is only imagination.  So come with me and release the creative genius that resides in all of us.  You Can Do It! 

Another lonely traveler seeking the life-giving breath of Spring.

Flower Fairies of the Garden

Every flower is believed to have a flower fairy watching over it, monitoring everything from scent to colour. Different flower fairies possess different qualities:

• Faeries of Joy – found in yellow flowers, such as primroses, buttercups and daffodils
• Faeries of Healing – found in blue flowers, such as bluebells and forget-me-nots
• Faeries of Purity and Hope – found in white flowers, such as daisies, lily of the valley and jasmine
• Faeries of Love and Beauty – found in purple flowers, such as lavender, violets and foxgloves
• Faeries of Energy – found in red flowers, such as poppies, roses and carnations

Can anyone who loves gardening resist a birdhouse?  Our yard is a bird haven year-round (have to remind the cats the "do no harm rule") with an abundance of beautiful creatures. To invite Spring to come early, I bought my first birdhouse of the season at the Dollar Store for $8.00.  This year we will also put up a Martin Birdhouse to help control the mosquitoes naturally.

If you were a bird, won't you just love it?

There are many elements that can be added to a garden to bring joy, fantasy, and life.  If you build it, they will come.  Butterflies, bees, birds and many other beings wanting to share in the fun.(Garden Faeries?) To me, nothing says "sanctuary" like a garden.  There is no room in a garden for earthly woes and burdens.

Even the cats are helping get ready for Spring.  Cleaning the yard is a family project. Gracie will drive the lawn mower while Pushka loads trash.

You Can't Eat Money

Only after the last tree has been cut down, Only after the last river has been poisoned, Only after the last fish has been caught, Only then will you find money cannot be eaten.
~ Cree Prophecy



This is more my country style for a salad garden with instructions at Real Simple.

The mild weather (after what winter has put us through I consider anything above freezing "mild") this morning intensifies my Spring Fever.  Is Mother Nature playing a trick on me?  We still have a full month of winter left and anything can happen.  I am a get er done kind of gal so the Patience is a Virtue concept is something for me to contend with. What the heck....I still want to start my preparations for my container garden today.  Really, I just want to feel the sunshine bathe my face and feel close to Nature and God.  No high dollar fragrance ever created by mankind can beat the smell of fresh-turned earth or donkey pooh. 

First thing I need to do is round up all my containers.  This requires a trip to my scary barn (boots required. no telling what's living in there besides two cats).

I think  a couple of "Lost Cities" may be in there.

Finding containers to plant my vegetable garden won't be a problem because I see a number of them oozing out of the barn.  Told you it was scary.  Organizing the containers is my project of the day in addition to my other daily chores.  My soul is singing "I want to plant, I want to plant, I want to plant". but the mundane things must be done before I can travel that path. But first here is my other passion..........

History has become my Muse (in Greek mythology, poetry, and literature are the goddesses or spirits who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. ...).
I am fascinated by the Native Americans that lived here before us.  They were true survivors.
A brief history lesson: 

In the 1830’s, gold was discovered in Georgia. The settlers began to covet the Cherokee homelands, and a period of Indian Removals began to make way for more white settlement. In 1838, thousands of Cherokee men, women and children were rounded up and marched 1,000 miles to Indian Territory, known today as the state of Oklahoma. Thousands died in the internment camps, on the trail, and after arrival (due to the effects of the journey.)

Becky is a card carrying  CDIB (Certified Degree of Indian Blood) Cherokee.  We can learn much about living off the land from the Ancient Ones. Bet they never went hungry until the White Man came. For those of you wanting to learn more, I have provided a link to the official Cherokee Nation website.   

When the white man discovered this country Indians were running it.

No taxes no debt, women did all the work

White man thought he could improve on a system like this.
~ Old Cherokee Saying

 

Anticipating Spring

"Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle ... a seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to the light, a bud straining to unfurl.  And the anticipation nurtures our dream."-   Barbara Winkler

There is a reason I don't have outside animals.  I hate going out in the extreme cold and heat that we have here in Oklahoma.  Perhaps I will change my mind (I do that a lot) sometime in the future, however; today I will be staying indoors and planning my Spring planting.  If I don't have to look at the snow outside, I can pretend it's not there.  Just for today in my world, it is already Spring.

First, I will decide what veggies we like best and plan my garden around these.  Also, it is necessary for me to keep in mind that I do not have the usual tools that country folk have (tractor, plow, a strong back).  This eliminates a lot of gardening options but opens the door for others.  I can do a vertical garden and container garden or veggies in old plastic bottles. I really like this idea because it involves reusing materials that junk up the planet ( and go easy on my bad back). Here is a quick summary:

(1) Plastic bottle with stop on top and perforated bottom (drainage); (2) Stop taken off and conical part of the bottle cut away; small slit cut in the cone; (3) Cone pushed to the bottom in the bottle; (4) Bottle filled with potting soil mixed with the water absorbing soil conditioner TerraCottem, well compacted up to 5 cm from the bottle top; (5) Seed(s) or seedling(s) in the soaked potting soil.

Prepared bottle : Through the cone, air is penetrating in the potting soil via the hole in the bottom of the bottle; it enables also the evacuation of an excess of water (drainage).

Bottles of different dimensions with vegetables.

And then there is the vertical garden:

"Confounded by vegetable digging cats and toiling in the vegetable patch, Instructables member pippa5 came up with this cool DIY vertical garden  solution.  In case you don't recognize it, she used an old closet shoe organizer.  Meant to keep your shoes off the floor and save you some space, this new use saves some space by getting your veggies or herbs off the ground."

There are several interesting ideas at this website 4 Amazing Vertical Garden Designs. 

This is one of my favorites and entirely doable for me. It is from one of my favorite websites with a link on this page (Vegetable Gardening On-Line).

There are so many choices that I never knew existed.  I just needed to think outside the box (or the type of garden my Dad grew).  There is the chain link fence I can use to grow climbing vegetables, the old bathtub camouflaged in the weeds, my front porch not to mention utilizing the green house frame.   

I can't wait to get started!  Through the sweat and tears I will be able to grow my own (not in the same context as the 1970's mind you).  Ain't this fun?

Simple Living doesn't mean living without working it just means living more productively.  Now that I have a plan for the garden, tomorrow I will choose our veggies and Herbs to plant.  Have a great day and hope to see you again soon.

Ode To Spring

Ode To Spring

It snowed today
Again
Like yesterday
And once more
Snow tomorrow

A harsh winter
That's what they say
Colder than it's ever been
Snow like we've never seen
Spring... it will be late

But I will wait, for like fate
Spring always follows
Spring always comes
Spring has never failed me

Sonya Florentino

I refuse to let the howling wind and blowing snow outside dampen my enthusiasm because I know Spring is just around the next blizzard.  Speaking of Spring, who knew the beginning was in question?  My wall calendar indicates it starts on March 20th but other sources (including my countdown gadget) insists it is March 21st.  I will check the 2011 Old Farmers' Almanac to get to the truth of the matter. 

I am so excited about this Spring because it will be my first serious attempt to grow and preserve our own food. I have been researching the various methods of building a root cellar and cool pantry.  It will have to be inexpensive and hopefully using simple materials easily available. 

But in the meantime Beck, the animals and I are taking it easy and doing the smart thing in this weather:  staying home.  It's now nap time and everyone goes to their own space and their own blankies (no one likes to share personal items). Pushka has to be separated from the others just in case she has something contagious.  As soon as the weather breaks, we will take her to see Stacy for tests.

Grey Kittie (Pushka) is incarcerated until she can go to the Vet.  No, she is not going to live inside! When the temperature is above freezing, she is going back out and that is that.

Gigi just wants to wrap up in her puppy blankie.

Noah just wants a hug and a biscuit.

A human can't hardly find a place to sit around here.

How many times have you heard it said "what goes around comes around"?  It's an old fashioned way of saying "Karma". We are continuously polluting Mother Earth in 2011 as we were in 1937 (only much worse).  Will we (the human species) ever learn?  When we look to the past, have we made any positive changes or are we continuing to abuse the beautiful earth that God gave us?  We are his stewards and we need to start acting like it.

The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself. 
 (Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945), U.S. Democratic politician, president. Letter, February 26, 1937, to state governors, urging uniform soil conservation laws.)