tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45133908267118874322024-03-13T05:03:52.402-05:00From Seed to JarOne Mom's Adventures in Gardening, Cooking & Day-to-Day Life...GardenMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10583373530917618835noreply@blogger.comBlogger237125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513390826711887432.post-87624911139298639282014-08-30T11:10:00.002-05:002016-09-30T11:07:31.549-05:00I'm considering moving my blog to another site. I wrote the second post about our kitchen remodel. Check it out <a href="http://gardenmom29.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">here</a>, and let me know what you think.<br />
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<br />GardenMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10583373530917618835noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513390826711887432.post-81948333095633073232014-07-05T23:20:00.001-05:002014-07-05T23:20:38.250-05:00Kitchen Remodel Part OneAnybody that knows me well knows that I don't handle messes very
well. In fact, just looking at these pictures is making my stomach
clench and my blood pressure go up. I actually get anxiety from living
in mess and disorder. So, going through a kitchen remodel is a highly
stressful process for me.<br />
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This
is kind of the before the staining shot. My husband took the doors
and hardware off, and we stripped and scrubbed all the beige paint off.
I'll tell you, that is one of the most grueling tasks I have ever
done. We had to take everything from the cabinets downstairs, because
if I put it in the upstairs, Blake will get into it all. I have been
running up and down the basement stairs to get dishes to make
anything. <br />
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My
husband used the power sander and went over all the wood, and
unfortunately, we discovered that whoever put the cabinets together
originally used a few different kinds of woods to make repairs. One
cabinet is partially made of particleboard. It doesn't sound like a
problem until you start the whole staining process. <br />
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Then
to add to the fun, we woke up yesterday morning to discover that one of
the sump pumps had quit working on us temporarily, and we got several
inches of rain. The concrete floor portion of our basement was flooded
with quite a bit of water. If you're quick, you'll remember where I
told you where over half my dishes were. Yeah. <br />
<br />
Some
insulation and some other cardboard/paper things downstairs were
completely ruined, and we had to quit work on the cabinets to get the
pump and clean up all the water downstairs. After that was done, and a
whole lot more prep work was done on the doors and cabinets, we FINALLY
got to the staining part. <br />
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I
started the staining inside the cabinets, while my husband finished
sanding cabinet doors outside. I couldn't believe how dark it was, even
though we wanted a really dark wood color. The stain we used inside
was oil-based, and it really soaked in fast. We weren't leaving it on
long at all, but it was totally absorbing into some parts of the woods,
and not absorbing into other parts at all. We figured out too late that
that was due partially to the different types of wood they used. I was
really concerned about how dark it was getting, but at this point, we
were committed, so we decided to go ahead and finish it. Sometimes,
things look better when they are all the way done and they have some
time to dry. <br />
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The
kitchen just kept getting messier, and the stain just kept getting
darker. I was really on the point of tears, I was afraid that the
fronts of the cabinets would end up black, and I didn't want
black-painted looking cabinets. <br />
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The
final stain color ended up being much darker on the outside, so it
turned out alright on that front. In these pictures you can't see the
final shade, the color develops over a period of time. <br />
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I
was also getting kind of stressed because my dad was coming to visit in
a couple of days, and the house was a total wreck. Not that he'd mind,
but that kind of thing really bothers me, to have company and the house
is a mess. Plus, I was hoping we'd have at least the top cabinets done
to show him. <br />
<br />
The day after this was done, my husband
and his friend ripped out the existing countertops and my sink. I will
tell you more about that fun in my next installment on our remodel. So
far, I am realizing that 1) Remodeling is not a good thing for slightly
neurotic people (the end result is, just not the process, and 2) It is
NOT for sissies. It is all hard work. I just keep thinking that we are
doing this so we can get our farm in the next year or so. <br />
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I
also got some other organization projects done because they were
necessary. I totally cleaned out and organized my gardening shed. So I
could find things in there, so I could WALK in there, and so that we
could actually put a mower in there. I was pleased with how much floor
space I made available after I finished. <br />
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All my tools and plant markers and various garden implements are separated into different boxes and buckets. <br />
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All my garden stakes are organized into buckets. Do you think I have enough stakes? <br />
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<br />
My
honey also put some nails up for me so that I can hang all my
harvesting baskets on the back of the shed. Hopefully they will be all
filled with tomatoes soon. <br />
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<br />
The
day before our basement had its mini flood, I took all my empty jars
downstairs and organized them on this metal shelf. I sorted them by
size as best as I could. Bring on canning season! <br />
<br />
Next
time I post, you will get to see our new countertops. I never want the
summer days to go fast, but I can't wait until we get this done. GardenMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10583373530917618835noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513390826711887432.post-44527723665844811712014-06-26T15:01:00.000-05:002014-06-26T15:04:26.963-05:00Life's a BeachA few days ago, we went to the beach for the first time this summer. This was Blake's first visit ever. I was worried that he wouldn't like it, because when we took him to the wading pool, he didn't seem to get it. <br />
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I didn't have anything to worry about though, he seemed excited to see the water, saying "Wow, wow" as we walked down towards the beach.<br />
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Some clouds passed over as we got into the water, making it suddenly chilly. It didn't seem to bother him, he headed straight in, holding my hand. <br />
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The beach has a few distinct advantages over the wading pool. One of them being: SAND.<br />
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He didn't like how the sand stuck to his feet at first when we came out of the water. I got him to ignore it by teaching him how to bury toys in the sand and uncover them. <br />
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Blake wants us to name everything, over and over. He was fascinated by the star and octopus in the sand toys bag. </div>
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His brothers and sisters were involved in a highly-involved sand excavation project, so naturally Blake wanted to help.</div>
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They were less than pleased about the help. I told them he was the canal monster, and they better just get over it. <br />
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They did get into a little cooperative sand piling though, before we left. Blake didn't like when his siblings went off to swim in deeper water. He would wade out to his thighs and screech in their direction. When they didn't come back, he would turn around with a disgusted look on his face and go back to his sand play. Blake and I didn't go very far into the water today, it was still really cold. <br />
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We took a few minutes before we left to play on the really cool playground. The big boys enjoyed scaling this spiderweb-style jungle gym. <br />
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Blake was thrilled that they had little guy sized equipment at this playground. He was able to get on and slide down all by himself, with mom closely supervising of course. <br />
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In all, it was a very successful first beach outing. I think Blake and the big kids will be happy to go back again sometime soon. GardenMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10583373530917618835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513390826711887432.post-70061010216845957302014-06-25T13:41:00.000-05:002014-06-25T13:42:59.774-05:00Wordless Wednesday- Babies of Summer<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(In case you were wondering, this is the 'Trowel Lily')</td></tr>
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<br />GardenMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10583373530917618835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513390826711887432.post-46001609587286731262014-01-26T17:54:00.002-06:002014-01-26T22:20:50.193-06:00Baby It's Cold Outside...but there are always seeds...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmbTwrBDGDHAT1OwiossMxF6T6ZJHN-_sbcRzuyEAkQnXAJvj5RfxhBnZhp7aYOE1iCoSyVNcTbh_h8uHyJbf97i8e1eguZuotRheltPlCKoTHgCljwLLK3dSdlGzEDIepeqYnRma-Hw/s1600/2014-01-26+15.57.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmbTwrBDGDHAT1OwiossMxF6T6ZJHN-_sbcRzuyEAkQnXAJvj5RfxhBnZhp7aYOE1iCoSyVNcTbh_h8uHyJbf97i8e1eguZuotRheltPlCKoTHgCljwLLK3dSdlGzEDIepeqYnRma-Hw/s1600/2014-01-26+15.57.28.jpg" height="400" width="225"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The birthday boy checks out some of brother's old toys...</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br></td></tr>
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So, this week we had a major milestone at our house, the first birthday of our baby boy. I guess technically, he is not a baby anymore, but in my mind he still is. <br>
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It was cold and grey outside today, like many January days, and we had the birthday party preparations behind us. We headed down to the family room to play some Wii, since we just reorganized and our setup is a lot better for game playing now. We also set Blake aside some bins of brother's old toys. He really enjoys going through all of them and he stays busy for quite a while. All I have to do is set them all down and take the lids off, and he helps himself. <br>
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He doesn't even mind that Daddy and his sissies are playing games. I was going to come down and blog about his birthday party, but I got distracted when I checked the mail. Yes, I know it is Sunday, I was busy yesterday...I didn't have time for a lot of things, let alone checking the mail. <br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what I found in the mailbox!</td></tr>
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I was pleasantly surprised to find my <a href="http://reneesgarden.com/" target="_blank">Renee's Garden</a> media kit in the mail. That is great news, considering I haven't got around to doing any seed orders yet. I didn't do that great in the garden last year, relatively speaking, compared to my pre-Blake gardening years. My tomatoes did well, but almost nothing else did. I didn't get any spring veggies out; I barely got the summer veggies out in time. I didn't start ANY seeds indoors. All my tomatoes were starts I bought from the <a href="http://www.extension.iastate.edu/polk/page/polk-county-master-gardeners#MGProjects" target="_blank">Master Gardeners </a>Sale. I did start some seeds outdoors directly in the garden, but a lot of my seeds are really old. I only bought a few Renee's Garden packets at a local garden center.<br>
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Anyways, long story short...I'm ready to START SOME SEEDS. I have my <a href="http://gardenmom29.blogspot.com/2010/02/setting-up-my-seed-starting-rack.html" target="_blank">seed starting rack</a> all set up and ready to go, I just need to replace some bulbs. I am ready to order and I'm raring to go. <br>
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So, later, I will post about Blake's birthday party. Today, I am snuggled up in my comfies in the recliner downstairs. I have the laptop in my lap, and I'm dreaming of spring, summer, and seeds. GardenMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10583373530917618835noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513390826711887432.post-3906189451814871322013-07-31T19:53:00.000-05:002013-07-31T19:53:52.776-05:00Wordless Wednesday: What I saw when I woke up in the tent<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />GardenMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10583373530917618835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513390826711887432.post-79011228540156187832013-07-30T11:53:00.000-05:002013-07-30T11:53:01.974-05:00Happy Campers (Times 7)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As you can see, camping tuckers you out. That's the way I felt after 3 days of camping, even though we had a lot of fun. The weather was gorgeous, with highs in the mid to upper 70s. It wasn't so cool at night that we were cold in our sleeping bags, nor was it so hot that we were sweating while we were hiking.</div>
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We went to <a href="http://www.iowadnr.gov/Destinations/StateParksRecAreas/IowasStateParks/ParkDetails.aspx?ParkID=610105" target="_blank">Backbone State Park</a> in Northeast Iowa. We've never been to this park, and it was simply beautiful. It had fantastic views and scenery to look at all around the park. One trail we went on had all these limestone formations sticking up out of the ground. We had fun climbing up on them and looking across hills and ravines. Some people even go rappelling down the cliffs near this trail. <br />
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The kids had a BLAST. They couldn't stop talking about it for days when we got home. The hiking was a favorite, even by some who complained about having to go beforehand. In the picture above, all four kids are standing in front of a massive tree that fell down and uprooted itself some time long before we were there. <br />
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My stepdaughter took some of the pictures. She is in her 'diagonal artsy' period. Blake did pretty well with the camping too. To be honest, I was kind of worried about taking a 6-month old baby on a camping trip. It would be hard for him to nap, it would be difficult to make his bottles, we wouldn't have all his toys and devices from home. Somehow though, with some planning, it worked out. I was so glad my Mei Tai wrap came before we left. I put Blake in it many times during the three days, especially when we were hiking. He actually fell asleep on our two hikes, after looking around in amazement at all the trees and nature. I had to pull a towel between him and my shirt, to keep him from spitting up all over me. <br />
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This was the view down through two rocks. This wasn't the actual trail, more of a side shoot down to a scenic view. I went part of the way down, and then stopped and came back up. Leaning forward and climbing down slippery, steep trails is difficult when you have a 20 lb. infant strapped to your chest. Climbing up was not so bad, but down made me nervous. <br />
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Dale took a picture of our campsite. You can see we had two tents, a girls' tent and a boys' tent. Except Blake, he slept in the girls' tent. We brought his pack and play for him to sleep in, since our tents are so big. We loved the site. It was only a short walk to the bathroom and shower house, and we could see the playground from our campfire. A paved road wound around us, so the kids could ride their scooters and skateboards. (Dad did a little skateboarding as well. He is pretty good, I must say). <br />
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The park had many interesting features, such as a cave large enough to walk around inside. <br />
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There were also springs that bubbled up in a clear, beautiful pool. A sign informed us that the springs were a consistent 48 degrees year round. We confirmed that the water was indeed cold! We took off our shoes and tried walking across it. The limestone rock pieces were sharp though and they were hard on our feet. <br />
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Dad is here showing that he can wear the baby AND conquer the stream. <br />
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Some of the best times were just chilling out around the campsite. We put Blake's blanket inside the screen porch to protect him from bugs while he was stretching out and playing. The sun was just up over the trees in the picture. I kept thinking a baby couldn't have a more beautiful place to play than laying in this morning light. <br />
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The kids loved roasting their own foods on a stick over the fire. We let them eat as many hot dogs as they wanted for dinner the first night. This was followed by eating as many marshmallows as they wanted a short while later. We didn't get any complaints when it was time to go to bed while we were camping. We ate well, worked hard and played hard. Like I said, camping tuckers you out. <br />
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<br />GardenMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10583373530917618835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513390826711887432.post-19069711687736346302013-07-26T19:29:00.000-05:002013-07-26T19:29:47.550-05:00A 6-Month Birthday and a Surprise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You know in your logical mind that a baby is going to take over your life for quite a while. Saying that, and thinking you know that, is NOT the same as living it. For example, Blake had his 6-month birthday 2 days ago, and this is the first time I have ever did a blog post with him in it. I was thinking about my blog, and how long it had been since I posted, and I really couldn't believe it had been that long. I have been too busy to even blog once for 6 months.</div>
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So being that he has reached his half-year birthday, I'd like to officially welcome Blake Montgomery Erickson to my blog. </div>
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We have been expecting a tooth for a while now. He has been showing all the classic symptoms: excessive drooling, ear pulling, slight fever, etc. Right before we left to go camping this week, I finally felt it, a sharp ridge poking up through his bottom gum. Now we had a reason to break out this festive "Yay! My first tooth!" onesie. </div>
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I tried to get a picture of his tooth, but this was the best I could do. He is difficult enough to get a picture of in the first place, he moves so much. When I was trying to photograph his tooth, I got a surprise. TWO TEETH. Side by side on the bottom. Evidently he is taking after his brother, who lost all his baby teeth in two's. <br />
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He is also nearly ready to crawl. It is going to happen any day now. When I look back on his first year, I will remember how many milestones he hit right around his 6-month birthday. <br />
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<br />GardenMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10583373530917618835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513390826711887432.post-26885400525185946862012-12-01T22:09:00.000-06:002012-12-01T22:09:44.635-06:00So, this is Christmas...When you have a large family, I'm noticing, everything pretty much runs in a state of barely-controlled chaos. Several years ago, I laughed when I watched the movie "Yours, Mine, and Ours". In case you aren't familiar with the film, it is about a couple that finds each other midlife and falls in love, but they don't know that they each already have like 6 kids apiece. They get married and blend their households, and because it is a romantic comedy of sorts, much drama and hilarity ensues. Now that I'm living a mini-version of that, it doesn't seem quite so hilarious. I find myself thinking of certain scenes, and nodding sympathetically to myself. <br />
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However, with a little (by that I mean, a LOT) of organization, and some planning...you can keep things running smoothly. Most of the time. There are days, especially lately, with the master planner in an advanced state of pregnancy, that things get a little crazy. <br />
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Sometimes you just have to let things go a little, and let kids be kids. One such occasion was the tinseling of the downstairs Christmas tree. This year we have two Christmas trees. Since we combined our households this year, we ended up with two of them. My husband asked which one we were going to get rid of, back in September. I looked at him and said, "We can't get rid of either one of them yet.." He paused, and carefully asked, "Why not?" I said, "Because, I don't know which one I like better. What if I throw the nicer one out? We have to wait, and put them both up, so I can decide which one I like the best." My husband is an intelligent man, and said, "oo-kay," and we went on with our sorting. <br />
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Another situation that came up with the blending of our households was the mingling of various holiday traditions. In my husband's family, they love to cover the tree with enough tinsel to bury it. The thought of this sets my anxieties off for several reasons. One, when you are OCD neurotic like me, tinsel is a very threatening item. It falls off the tree, ends up everywhere, and gradually works its way into every corner of your house. Two, when I grew up, my mother choked the tree with tinsel and garland, to the point that you couldn't see any green. My father really didn't care for this, so I grew up with the idea that tinsel was "too much". <br />
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I am willing to compromise though, so we just put a 'little' tinsel on the upstairs tree. The upstairs tree was my tree formerly, and we decorated it with blue, white, silver, shimmery decorations for the most part. It is beautiful, I think. The kids were THRILLED to decorate the tree. I told my husband that I had more than enough ornaments to decorate two trees, and I was right. The kids helped me bring up all the shoe boxes of ornaments I have collected over my life. Many are childhood ornaments my mother sent to me when I was an adult. Many others are ones I bought myself or as gifts for my son as he has grown. <br />
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I am usually a more active participant in the tree decorating, but I was content this year to sit and rest in a chair, and hand ornaments to all the kids. My son was really excited to show off his personal ornaments to the other kids. I know in the next year or so, we will add a lot of new ones...because next Christmas we will have an almost 1-year old. Even though baby will be almost 1, it will still be 'Baby's First Christmas'. <br />
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So, the downstairs tree was my husband's tree formerly, and he wanted to have colored lights on that tree. My Christmas light selection is not that great, a lot of the strings I have are really old, and not in a good way. I did find some funky pastel-colored lights with white strings though, and decided to try them on his already white prelit tree. <br />
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A couple bulbs were out, and we replaced them with flasher bulbs, which made certain sections of the tree flash spastically. My husband and his kids then commenced putting tinsel on the tree in big silvery handfuls. They ran out of tinsel before they would have been done, I think. The effect was rather retro though. It had a certain 1950s look to it by the time we finished. <br />
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My husband wanted to take this picture of me, to document how big my belly has become. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have officially crossed over into 'ginormus'. This is the only picture I could stand, out of all the ones he took. We still have about a month and a half to go, according to the doctor, though I know I don't look it. <br />
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This is how the two trees ended up...icy blue and silver....<br />
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and retro colored lights. What do you think...which one do you like better?GardenMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10583373530917618835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513390826711887432.post-59886038686708508102012-07-18T00:22:00.005-05:002012-07-18T00:23:51.573-05:00Wordless Wednesday: Ollie the Collie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7PNCDtnWvUKmJdHyEVrUIijn65HXTORG4eJg9fAW9IUkLNNwzuK0WlznBnw5_38TBlLeQNQvS7r7Sd7MHLuLh6dsm1w-7ofUAWyjtYOjgA3eWiKXsIvDCZujN3bGxsYrANnNaw2lMAc/s1600/Ollie's+Bath+2012+009+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7PNCDtnWvUKmJdHyEVrUIijn65HXTORG4eJg9fAW9IUkLNNwzuK0WlznBnw5_38TBlLeQNQvS7r7Sd7MHLuLh6dsm1w-7ofUAWyjtYOjgA3eWiKXsIvDCZujN3bGxsYrANnNaw2lMAc/s400/Ollie's+Bath+2012+009+(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></div>GardenMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10583373530917618835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513390826711887432.post-78839440374282209022012-07-16T18:36:00.001-05:002012-07-16T18:36:17.684-05:00Bloom Day: July 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It has been a long time since I've done a bloom day post...but I figure it's a good way to get back in the swing of things. I have neglected my garden so much this year, because of being so tired, but in spite of that, there are so many things blooming. Here's a taste of what's growing in my garden, enjoy!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6Us_xW_2KFo4QApnN8ww5cSwIYTl-r71cVFdj7NKvQjb-ck1TZyI1ecyQq5snb0l9X3bX16cFUoQ9V9QfkmWD4VA1IFiSXNeJOu5EOw2vA5aWyhRQ78xoof_Zo4aTlyexmRvUIKt7Yk/s1600/Bloom+Day+July+2012+034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6Us_xW_2KFo4QApnN8ww5cSwIYTl-r71cVFdj7NKvQjb-ck1TZyI1ecyQq5snb0l9X3bX16cFUoQ9V9QfkmWD4VA1IFiSXNeJOu5EOw2vA5aWyhRQ78xoof_Zo4aTlyexmRvUIKt7Yk/s400/Bloom+Day+July+2012+034.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>GardenMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10583373530917618835noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513390826711887432.post-32699994355472143892012-07-14T16:27:00.000-05:002012-07-14T16:29:46.439-05:00A Welcome Storm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today, I was delightfully surprised by a pop-up thunderstorm. I was out deadheading in my swimsuit top and shorts...so when it started raining...Ijust stayed put. However, as the minutes passed, thunder and lightning started, so I decided I'd better go inside. I'm glad I did, because the skies opened up and it started pouring. I watched excitedly from the doorway...I could feel the temperature drop as the storm went through. It was even hailing for a few minutes. <br />
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I went out afterwards to see how much rain we got. Like so much of the midwest, we have been in a drought. It has hardly rained all summer. I have been so tired lately, it was difficult for me to get out and water, so I am lucky my garden was doing anything at all. My mini water feature that I never got started this year has quite a bit of water in the bottom now. <br />
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Right before the rain started, I was tying up my sunflowers. We had some brief thunderstorms the other day that didn't produce much rain, but they made a bunch of these tall flowers bend over. It was very convenient to tie them up to this white fence. I didn't plant any sunflowers this year...these are all volunteers from last years' seeds dropping to the ground. <br />
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You can see this pretty flower, it might be lemon queen, is drooping, heavy with rain. I love it!<br />
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The rain gauge said 2.5 inches, but I haven't emptied it out since the other storm we had this week. I know, though, that we got less than .25 to .5 inches, so most of this had to be from today. Right now, the clouds are already gone and the sun is shining again, so I'm headed back out to resume my gardening. I hope you get some rain coming your way as well.GardenMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10583373530917618835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513390826711887432.post-29917604774617278962012-04-17T20:09:00.000-05:002012-04-17T20:09:20.570-05:00Having Kids Teaches You Not to Buy Glass-top FurnitureI just recently got a lot of extra junk cleaned out of my house, and so I decided it would be good to get some new furniture. I only had my awesome overstuffed brown couch, which I love, but only seats 3 people. I planned on having a bunch of people over for a big Easter dinner; more seating was a necessity. My friend Cheryl got a new living room set, and was planning on selling her old set. She was happy to give me this really cool chaise lounge. <br />
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Yes, I realize one of the legs is turned the wrong way...I just keep forgetting to fix it. This chair is really comfortable. I plan on spending a lot of time in it with a book. I also keep finding children in it. <br />
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I also got a fantastic new dining room set...the other one didn't seat very many people. Not to mention this new one is GORGEOUS. It expands out and has two leaves that you can insert. I had ten people sitting at it during my Easter dinner. A total of 15 people came to the dinner in all. Cooking Easter dinner for 15 people was a new challenge for me, but I think I managed pretty well. <br />
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This table also came with an attractive protective cover you can put on it. I don't have it on in this picture, but it might be useful in keeping small children from scratching up the new table. <br />
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The old table went out to the newly cleaned up and organized front porch. Now, if we want to have dinner on the porch when the weather is nice, we can! It is a good use for this glass-top set, which I have always liked, but I bought before I had kids. Now maybe if you are not as neurotic as me about fingerprints and smudges and stuff, this wouldn't bother you. But in my case, it seemed like I could never keep this thing clean. I would clean the top, and then notice there were fingerprints on the UNDERSIDE. How the heck can there be fingerprints on the underside? My son probably waited until I left the room, clamored under the table and madly pressed his fingers against the glass....laughing gleefully all the while. <br />
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I picked up a little Easter cheer while I was out getting groceries for the dinner. I have some of these hyacinths in my yard this year, and they are gorgeous. Ive been coveting some black ones in a catalog snce last year. These purple ones are so pretty, but I don't like the way they smell. I can smell them as soon as I walk into the house.<br />
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I made a centerpiece for the table using some Easter eggs we dyed using natural ingredients. I had partial success with this...some colors worked and some didn't. I couldn't get blue to be blue, no matter how long I soaked them. I gave up and added a few drops of blue food coloring. <br />
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Next year I will try it again, except I will not do it the same night I'm trying to make 3 pies from scratch. <br />
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Since I started this post, we got the hutch put together. It came with the dining table set, and I can't believe what fabulous condition it is in. It is kind of crammed in the dining room for now, but when I move eventually, it will get more space to itself I hope. <br />
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It even has pull-out drawers for silverware in the bottom, with material to keep your silver from tarnishing. How cool is that? <br />
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I am definitely not psyched about moving this year; moving is always such a pain. But I am psyched to have my new dining room set. Not having glass smudges really makes my day! Come back next week, to read my post on signs you may be a mother with OCD tendencies. GardenMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10583373530917618835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513390826711887432.post-36203606804009474532012-04-08T21:39:00.000-05:002012-04-08T21:39:34.416-05:00Tulips....As Far As the Eye Can SeeI LOVE Reiman Gardens in Ames, Iowa, but I've never made it over to see it when the tulips are in bloom. Today, I went to see them, and I'm so glad I did. It really reminded how awesome tulips look when planted 'en masse'. I also got to see mass plantings of orchids, and a creative use of a concrete table set as a fountain. If you get the chance, go see the tulips while they are still around! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLb9X-p6XkYYNX8jwfcm7aBbTutgpN2mU8G2_4P1KZn7eHHqbEhni-zW9Ehyg7dYxklW_rMjrg7zhdGRl0al3W_1Vtf6sY1Kbb8aAqr6unNdJRksQKRg1GaSToNIXtT3GSnTEmP_q-SvM/s1600/055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLb9X-p6XkYYNX8jwfcm7aBbTutgpN2mU8G2_4P1KZn7eHHqbEhni-zW9Ehyg7dYxklW_rMjrg7zhdGRl0al3W_1Vtf6sY1Kbb8aAqr6unNdJRksQKRg1GaSToNIXtT3GSnTEmP_q-SvM/s400/055.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>GardenMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10583373530917618835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513390826711887432.post-62025850462459438142012-04-05T21:19:00.000-05:002012-04-05T21:19:45.789-05:00A Vision of SpringI've been really busy, but I snuck a few minutes to take some pics of the spring blooms the other day. Enjoy! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSv1vbeLir_TMUFe9s8W2k4cUpz0zX73lYjOZBci5rpVHDxn2gIkni8xicSGLGD1XCXnwSWArv7iLfG3BWPEjLSp4kmxzBl4DWP78iH6N6LmqIviUY2qcHKUn7Kyd42EQnD2IsQqz1I90/s1600/Amarylis+2012+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSv1vbeLir_TMUFe9s8W2k4cUpz0zX73lYjOZBci5rpVHDxn2gIkni8xicSGLGD1XCXnwSWArv7iLfG3BWPEjLSp4kmxzBl4DWP78iH6N6LmqIviUY2qcHKUn7Kyd42EQnD2IsQqz1I90/s400/Amarylis+2012+001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>GardenMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10583373530917618835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513390826711887432.post-10424676043171544022012-02-09T19:58:00.000-06:002012-02-09T19:58:22.627-06:00Thoughtful Thursday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZv83zY-YYXJqJb_Wcc1OBvJ_uj-c7M4LyAnEaxUHASPRpbH-_RJR8AEbLcWvj-drD52hN7ANcJq2_yGuom2e_xCHiMjuLNC7yWELslsstmZS_MVcww4ELGdTwYUgNIan3kbdTeH-Unw/s1600/tumblr_lviajbIrlO1qmythmo1_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZv83zY-YYXJqJb_Wcc1OBvJ_uj-c7M4LyAnEaxUHASPRpbH-_RJR8AEbLcWvj-drD52hN7ANcJq2_yGuom2e_xCHiMjuLNC7yWELslsstmZS_MVcww4ELGdTwYUgNIan3kbdTeH-Unw/s400/tumblr_lviajbIrlO1qmythmo1_400.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>GardenMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10583373530917618835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513390826711887432.post-23395928620161055202012-01-26T18:57:00.000-06:002012-01-26T18:57:14.025-06:00Big Life Changes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3yKbjWLglrcKOTrE7kRojKxpcmVWBp5nt3ur4ZqhxwaTlHjgk6CCA5Vq6m-zImd_h37ibAM4z0_iIJkn0QAzkHnXfss7Gxxe2UY-p-luRnRh3GKpHJo66ACg74-e8o1ZOuI2Yvmb1jU/s1600/2010_0708_173059AA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3yKbjWLglrcKOTrE7kRojKxpcmVWBp5nt3ur4ZqhxwaTlHjgk6CCA5Vq6m-zImd_h37ibAM4z0_iIJkn0QAzkHnXfss7Gxxe2UY-p-luRnRh3GKpHJo66ACg74-e8o1ZOuI2Yvmb1jU/s400/2010_0708_173059AA.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
As you may or may not know, my personal life has gone through some major changes lately. I took a little break from blogging to deal with these issues. You may have noticed that my profile changed. That is because my fiance and I split up. I won't go into the reasons, but since I blog about all parts of my life, it needs to be shared here. I am sad, but also filled with positive hope for the future. I appreciate everyone's love and support, and I look forward to sharing my life, gardening and otherwise, with all you. GardenMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10583373530917618835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513390826711887432.post-43580066288813236052011-12-22T16:41:00.000-06:002011-12-22T16:41:55.256-06:00Hmmm....he's got my number.I was cleaning out my son's backpack last night, since we are now on winter break (yay!). I found a little book, entitled 'Winter Holidays'. "How cute," I thought, as I flipped through the pages. But when I turned to this page, I started cracking up. <br />
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The adult in this photo is clearly me, though I think I show a little more imagination in hair and clothing style than my son has represented here. Obviously this is a representation of Christmas morning. If you can't interpret his speech bubble for me...it says, "You know I have to clean this up..." LMAO. (For you non-texters out there, that means LAUGHING MY ASS OFF)<br />
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I showed this to DH, and he started cracking up too. At least I can laugh at myself. After some reflection, maybe I should relax a little during the gift opening. Maybe me perching next to them with a garbage sack while they are opening presents is creeping them out. My son doesn't seem creeped out though...he seems to have accepted it as a matter of course. Anyways, maybe I will wait till they are DONE opening presents to collect all the paper. Maybe. GardenMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10583373530917618835noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513390826711887432.post-68088419706138977862011-12-17T22:45:00.002-06:002011-12-17T22:51:06.064-06:00I Can Blog From My Phone!<div>I just figured out how to use the Blogger app to post from my phone. I am just testing it for now...but I can see having a lot of fun with this. Smartphones are soo cool! <br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirvaAk02PV3WPj_35j7dJxp4S1Csn0qXCniDQfMD_y5-s4yvWgHBl4qkci8CtkgGvKz40JhOeq4tAQijoR6Jgt8eLqZNNYqzSRZsDtp13XkkowRbEOEJr2iqQ7e1ZZDfLBBFjdJ1v_xs0/" /></div>GardenMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10583373530917618835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513390826711887432.post-29210758285287735702011-10-18T22:50:00.000-05:002011-10-18T22:50:43.873-05:00Wordless Wednesday: We Dressed up for the Snacks!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRsdwC1agLrF17QsfZD-XvgClisrSTn1O4IElbP-8xOjTrgMGEGFUEPUhj3rBepPK16f6eFw3-8JaV2wwQ8vDieDCg-rjpGYiJgS_6cMyHKaalh-HKiQxzQ5qkqewaaEHMiwjlJpHdvjM/s1600/Missy+Visit+2011+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRsdwC1agLrF17QsfZD-XvgClisrSTn1O4IElbP-8xOjTrgMGEGFUEPUhj3rBepPK16f6eFw3-8JaV2wwQ8vDieDCg-rjpGYiJgS_6cMyHKaalh-HKiQxzQ5qkqewaaEHMiwjlJpHdvjM/s400/Missy+Visit+2011+013.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDkiNOAt79_q2HLYH8iQpA6l7cvqqusPhSyPf2Yfn62UpWymU26w7MLgknOnQV1VnFyx2TFa4pLTPdctHxexExNZ_XSG6mzMMWLsXfxR7mwybpZLRZiKIigPqrVLjYUsMdrd9l1CzafZI/s1600/Missy+Visit+2011+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDkiNOAt79_q2HLYH8iQpA6l7cvqqusPhSyPf2Yfn62UpWymU26w7MLgknOnQV1VnFyx2TFa4pLTPdctHxexExNZ_XSG6mzMMWLsXfxR7mwybpZLRZiKIigPqrVLjYUsMdrd9l1CzafZI/s400/Missy+Visit+2011+015.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>GardenMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10583373530917618835noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513390826711887432.post-29301413511702828892011-10-14T22:40:00.001-05:002011-10-14T22:41:47.507-05:00Pumpkin Tipping & Apple Chucking!Last weekend we had a fun visit to our favorite pumpkin farm. My son, in particular, kept very busy during our time there. For instance, while I was talking, he managed to tip EVERY SINGLE PUMPKIN in an entire yard, over on its side. I'm sure the pumpkin farm people LOVED him later when they had to stand them all up again. <br />
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My son is a funny kid. I'm sure Nick was wondering what my son had in mind with this project. Nick is just following along, watching. <br />
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We didn't end up getting our pumpkins here, we waited for another day to get those. We love this place, but they charge by the pound for the pumpkins, and that adds up really fast. <br />
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There is a fee to get in, but there is definitely plenty to do to get your money's worth. This year, my son and my stepson tried out the apple chucker. <br />
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Yes, besides eating apples, you can also catapult them hundreds of feet towards targets! <br />
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I don't know if we actually hit ANY targets, but it was a lot of fun.GardenMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10583373530917618835noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513390826711887432.post-67144673738909879762011-10-11T21:10:00.000-05:002011-10-11T21:10:41.717-05:00Wordless Wednesday: Super Dose of Cute!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSOK_H7djQ93f1Uf6c2vUAXt4rqSlRLVfZd97HduaLT59AQydsEKeuHoySUZrWbLrzf0K_CxwA7P5LfpkVcAbqEhT2MZ6IvmRfSvx00TcHGR3pZ0qnqkXueDFJN3ZtO5FKTFevTea7hA/s1600/Missy+Visit+2011+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSOK_H7djQ93f1Uf6c2vUAXt4rqSlRLVfZd97HduaLT59AQydsEKeuHoySUZrWbLrzf0K_CxwA7P5LfpkVcAbqEhT2MZ6IvmRfSvx00TcHGR3pZ0qnqkXueDFJN3ZtO5FKTFevTea7hA/s400/Missy+Visit+2011+020.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dz7uhMJ_5yJOsIsAAGo2hOPDlSX0RMLKhg4EjNDYrRMDQJyADA8dCGII_ldnIMUS1LVe5bSJdJGwc1ME-1tRy8H0VNTr6efhsVl2_Xn0r5AD0QiKyTUrFxPj5ZF1l-p8y4gKokYsNV8/s1600/Missy+Visit+2011+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dz7uhMJ_5yJOsIsAAGo2hOPDlSX0RMLKhg4EjNDYrRMDQJyADA8dCGII_ldnIMUS1LVe5bSJdJGwc1ME-1tRy8H0VNTr6efhsVl2_Xn0r5AD0QiKyTUrFxPj5ZF1l-p8y4gKokYsNV8/s400/Missy+Visit+2011+018.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>GardenMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10583373530917618835noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513390826711887432.post-50567841583095178402011-10-10T22:24:00.000-05:002011-10-10T22:24:09.701-05:00Cute and Corny!This weekend I was so fortunate to have my friend Melissa from <a href="http://cestlaviemdw3437.blogspot.com/">C'est la Vie </a>come to visit. Her kids are younger than mine, and she has an energetic 2-year old, and an ADORABLE 4-month old. Henry reminds me of a cabbage patch doll I loved as a child...if I find a picture I'll post it. <br />
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Melissa and I took all the kids to the fantastic pumpkin farm we visit every year. The corn pool is always a big hit. Melissa just shakes her head, and mutters things about crazy Iowans, and 'only in Iowa', but she knows the kids love it! I don't know if little Henry knew what to think of lying on all that corn. <br />
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Little Nick knew how he felt about the corn...FUN! <br />
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Maybe too much fun for the big kids! There were some tired teenagers that night. In the background of this picture you can see my son taking a flying leap into the sea of yellow. <br />
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We all had to take turns passing Henry around...he is just so cute, we all want to hold him! <br />
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Melissa and I have been friends so long, it is really fun to see our kids growing up together. We are both making memories that will last lifelong. <br />
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Plus, my guy and I got to spend some time relaxing together, while we watched the kids 'swim'. Too bad there is no waiter with a fancy drink for me. <br />
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The weather was fantastic, it was in the mid to high 80s all weekend. Unbelievable hot pumpkin farm temperatures. It made for a really fun weekend for all. We took so many pics, stay tuned for future posts to see the rest. GardenMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10583373530917618835noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4513390826711887432.post-48778563006085427012011-10-02T00:46:00.000-05:002012-07-15T08:17:46.436-05:00Who I Am...WARNING: This blog post may contain real or implied swearing, strong opinions, and a low tolerance for drama. <br />
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There has been a lot of discussion on twitter lately, about who gets to claim certain titles. Are you a 'real' garden writer? Do you have a 'real' garden blog? Even...are you a 'real' gardener? <br />
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I've tried to stay out of it, because I like people on both 'sides' of this debate. People are starting to get real nasty about it. I even know people who are staying off of twitter, because they are tired of listening to the arguing and dealing with the drama. It got me thinking, which label would I have...and would I care? <br />
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I know certain things. I am a 'real' gardener. I have gardened until my hands cracked and bled, til my face was black with dirt, from morning until the last bit of daylight faded from the sky and I had to go in. I have fantasized in the winter about gardening...poured over seed catalogs and imagined the smell of vegetables in the garden. I have gone for weeks with dirt permanently under my fingernails because I refuse to wear gloves, because part of being a 'real' gardener to me is feeling the dirt on my hands. I have planted seeds, hauled mulch, dug holes, weeded, and weeded some more. I have worked 40+ hours a week, commuted 2 hours a day, cared for my children, and STILL went out to garden for a few hours before I ran out of light. I know that maybe my garden will never be 'good enough' for a magazine, but it is still MY garden, and I put everything there with my two hands. <br />
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I may never write a book about gardening. I may never write magazine articles about gardening. I may never, ever go to a garden blogging conference and speak about how to keep weeds out of your garden, or how to get the biggest blooms with the best compost. But am I a 'real' gardener? You bet your ass I am. <br />
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I am also, and more importantly, a mother. I am a teacher. I am a cook, a foodie in my own right, and a canner. Someday, I hope to be a master gardener, perhaps even a master canner, but if not, it's not going to stop me from doing those things. I am someone's love, a friend of many, a daughter, an animal lover, and an old soul. <br />
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I write on my blog because I want to express myself. Sometimes, I share things about my garden, but other times, I want to write about what I had for breakfast that morning. If putting up pictures of my kids' birthday party keeps me from getting garden blogger of the year, then I guess I'll have to live with that. <br />
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I am not intending this to be a 'garden' only blog. It is my blog. It is a reflection of my thoughts, interests, and projects; an online journal of sorts. My gardening is set in the context of my life, not in isolation from it. If someone sends me a garden tool to try, or seeds to grow, then I will thank them and try the product out. I might blog about it if they ask me to, because I like sharing new things with other people like me, and it seems a fair exchange for the courtesy they are extending to me. <br />
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Personally, the blogs I like the best are not the ones that look so 'professional'. The only time I really look at those blogs is when I need to look up about a certain plant, or a certain process. The blogs that I visit on a regular basis are the ones where you get a sense of the author as an individual. I really don't care whether they can tell me 15 different reasons this particular variety of zinnia is better than the old ones or the other ones. If the author comes off as a pretentious snob, or an overbearing egotistical jerk, then I'm not impressed. I am certainly not impressed with sterile websites designed by some person who has never gardened or canned a day in their life.<br />
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I don't see why there isn't room for all the different kinds of gardening/plant blogs out there. People should feel comfortable writing about their gardening experiences, without getting criticized for not being knowledgable enough, or edgy enough, or not using the right kind of camera for their pictures. We all have different styles. Everyone has something to share, and as some people need to remember, we all have plenty to learn. <br />
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I am going to continue gardening, and I am going to keep writing about it on my blog from time to time. It makes me happy...and that is ALL that matters to me.<br />
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Thank you to my followers...you guys are awesome. Thanks for being there when I need to let something out. That is what friends are for.GardenMomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10583373530917618835noreply@blogger.com10