Just Call Me Farmer Dar Part 2

I thought I'd give you a little peek into what I've been doing lately. Word of warning: I'm at home, totally unsupervised, so I'm not promising that I'll get pictures posted. However, I am going to try. Apparently, millions of people have no trouble posting pictures. I, however, am not one of those people.

We've been having some unseasonably warm and dry weather here in Ohio. It has given me the itch to get some plants in the ground. Hubby and I have also decided to put out a garden (our first in over 30 years of marriage).



This garden adventure is not without its obstacles. Our first problem, was a misplaced gazebo, right in the middle of the sunniest area. So, we moved that little guy 20 feet, or so, first by pulling it with our pickup, then hubby had to hand crank the thing for the last three feet. It was a booger of a job, but hubby persevered, and got it done.

Next, we decided to get some good dirt soil, since what we have is very rocky. We called a guy to bring us some soil, but he never returned our call. So, we called someone else, who turned out to be twice as expensive. Let me tell you, dirt, I mean SOIL, is not cheap! Do I have to tell you that two days later, the first guy finally returned our call! growl.

AFTER we got the dirt, we thought it would be a good idea to check for underground wires. Yep. We've got 'em. And they're going right through our garden area. Naturally.

So, Plan B is to get more soil and make a raised garden, so we don't have to dig down and risk electrocuting ourselves. Yeah, I think that's a good plan.

In the meantime, I've got some seeds started. I think. I don't see too much happening. I'm giving them their little pep talks, but I they don't seem to be listening. I also have six blueberry bushes in pots for the patio. I'm looking forward to lots of fresh blueberries.

I've also been busy making, what I hope will be, a flower garden by the gazebo. I received a bunch of plants that needed divided, so I really don't know what I have until they start blooming. It will be like Christmas in June.

Stay tuned for Part 3.  Hopefully, I'll have a good report.  (In case you're wondering, I did have the teeniest tiniest bit of help. Almost minuscule, however, it was a very important piece of help.)

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Just Call Me Farmer Dar

Today is the day to get my seeds started. I know I'm waaaaaaay behind, but we just recently found out that we will be staying put for a while, so now I can start making long-term plans.

I've never really gardened from seeds, so I feel like I don't know what I'm doing. I've read up a little bit on the subject, and mainly I need good soil, light, and moisture. I think I can manage the good soil and moisture. Hopefully, I have enough light. I'll give them what they need, then it's all up to them.

I don't know at what point plants can hear you talk to them. I always give my flowers a pep talk when I transplant them. I guess I'll give the little seeds a pep talk, too. Just in case!

We've got the garden area staked out, and a load of compost is coming today. We also have a couple spots picked out for our raised garden. We plan to have a covered area so we can grow lettuce this winter. (I'll let you know our success on that endeavor.)

So, I'm going to go out and play in the dirt now, and say a lot of prayers over my little seeds, and hopefully, I'll have something to transplant by the end of May!

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Friday, Friday!

Friday, Friday, how did you get here so fast???? "Face it Friday" is here, and now I must check my list of goals. It's right here under a stack of papers on my desk. Let's see how I'm doing....umm
1. Nope
2. Nope
3. Nope
4. Nope
5. Definitely Nope
6. Sadly Nope
7. Nope
8. I'm in trouble Nope
9. Nope
10. Making Progress

So, you can see I'm not doing all that great (and this is why I rarely make goals!)

Goal Number 10: Learn the (Latin) words and music to "TE DEUM" by Joseph Hayden.
We had an extra practice last night, and it helped immensely. We practiced the last half of the song which seems a little easier because we sing basically the same phrase over and over with a lot of sixteenth note runs.(FYI: sixteenth notes go really fast). I'm concerned with the first half of the song,which does not have many repeats. But, the concert isn't until May 7, so there is still time, as our director will tell us.

Some people in our community choir are Latin experts and are very particular about the pronunciations. There was a discussion on how to pronounce "in". Surprisingly, in Latin it is pronounced: "eeeen". Me? If I get somewhere in the general vicinity, I'm happy. My theory is, how many people in the audience know Latin? Maybe that's not the right attitude, but that's the way it is. I'm not a serious music student. I just sing for the fun of it.

My defense for the other nine "nopes" is because I was very busy doing inside unpacking and outside yard work. Very, very busy! Very.

Maybe next week will be better, but I'm making no promises!

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Discombobulation!

My all-time favorite word is discombobulate.  Not only is it fun to say, but it also expresses the status of my brain most of the time. At this present moment, it expresses the status of my home. I would quote Webster's definition to you, but I can not find my dictionary at the moment. (I know there is a way to look that up online, but I also know it will take me way too long!)  But, my definition is: total confusion.

I was away for a week, visiting my son and granddaughter, then little "Sweetie Pie" came home with us for a week. That right there means "no work will get done"! Add to that, I've been painting for my brother all week, add to that, we get to finally "move into" our house, add to that, I need to seriously start planning for our garden. 

We've been living here for a year, but haven't really moved in. It's a rather long and discombobulating story, but, in a nut shell, in 2008, we sold our business in Ohio, moved to North Carolina (because we were sick of Ohio winters and have always dreamed of living in the south), big financial crashes in the summer of 2008 sent us reeling, being in the construction business, we knew we'd have to find work, but had no connections in NC, so we moved back to OH during a snowstorm, I might add. My sis-in-law had recently married, and moved out of state, leaving her house in OH vacant. We moved in, with the understanding that when it sold, we would, of course, move out. Not knowing how soon that would be, we left a lot of stuff in boxes, never really decorating, just being. Now, a year later, the house has not sold.  So, we've made arrangements to stay here for a few years. Whew! Turned out to be a big nut!

So, now my head is spinning with all the fun stuff that usually accompanies moving into a new house. I've pulled out all my unpacked boxes and have them stacked everywhere! It's like Christmas! I'm unpacking things that I haven't seen in two years, things I have forgotten about. (Which makes me wonder how badly I needed it in the first place. But, we'll travel down that road another day!)

So, if I don't make it back to the blogging world for a week or so, you'll know that I'm wandering around the house, probably holding on to something I need to find a place for, wondering where to put it, and hoping my discombobulated house, will soon become a nice, calm, relaxing home.

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