Garden Update...

One of my very best friends got the keys to her new apartment yesterday. I’m so excited for her – this is a giant leap in her life. She lived with her now EX-husband for many years, in his parents’ home. Since her divorce, her life has been pretty tough, she’s been living with her mother and step-father, and now this new door opening is very exciting. The apartment is in a nice area and has two bedrooms, 1 ½ bathrooms, a laundry area and a back patio (just to name a few things that will make her life easier). She will have her very own room and so will her teenage daughter. I’m very proud of her. Last night, we went over to the apartment for a tour and to help clean…it’s getting there. She has a lot to do before it will be to her standards…but I am confident that she will get it done and we will help as much as we can.

Mark is helping so much around the house. I cannot express how much I appreciate what he is doing. I know it is hard on him to be in limbo – it’s hard on all of us. We had always imagined that when he was done with school he’d jump right back into the 9-5 world and start teaching right away. Strangely though, it feels (to us anyway) that he should put that on hold for the moment. He will be an amazing teacher once the time comes – but to have him here, helping with the house, packing stuff away, cleaning closets etc…is incredible. He is making it so that our move (whenever that may be) will be a million times easier. (Thank you baby!)

We keep waiting for that call/email that “feels right” to us. I imagine it will be with the company I am with now – because I really like where I work and what I do – but I realize that there may be other opportunities in store for us too. Yesterday I was nominated for the Outstanding Employee Award…that makes me feel good. My boss is a great person and always seems just as concerned about my career as he is his own. That is a very good thing.

On Sunday we spent time in the garden…we repotted two of our VERY END OF THE SEASON peach trees (not sure if these are gonna’ make it – but they still have green leaves) – we also moved all the trees to a spot that isn’t QUITE as sunny as the last. Being that our trees are in pots, rather than the ground, they dry out much faster and the sun can really do them in if we can’t be there to water as much as we’d like – plus we’d like to conserve Mother Nature’s water as much as possible. We went through the whole garden and weeded and cut back the grass that is growing too tall. Our garden, after a few weeks at mom’s and another week in NY, needed a lot of love…and it still needs more. We have yet to setup our trellises, so our beans are reaching out for anything (including our fencing) to grow on…to cute! Cucumbers are growing and so are the beans, we’ve got a couple of onions ready to pull and blossoms everywhere. I’m loving in…

For your viewing enjoyment…

Eventually...our orchard...right now, we have 4 apple trees (Empire, Macs, 2-yellow), 3 peach trees, a nectarine, and a pear.

My farm crew...

The garden before the great weeding event...

The after shot...

Mmm...what's that I see...

Urban Farming at its finest :-)
How many peach trees can fit into a 1989 Honda Accord?

Mmm...Fresh Compost in the morning

Smells even better in the back of my van...

By the way...We have baby cucumbers growing!!

I Love New York

This summer has been wonderful so far (with the exception of the heat wave…and broken air conditioning)…first a “staycation” at my parents’ home and then a true vacation in upstate New York…what’s next for us??? A move??? Hopefully…hopefully soon.

We just got home from a little piece of Heaven called Chittenango, New York. This is my hometown, my first hometown that is. This was the place I was born and lived until I was nearly eleven, but my roots grew deep here. I have family still in the area, many of the Eggerts are scattered in Chittenango and Collamer and a favorite Aunt in Lakeport. It has been a few years since we’ve been able to go as a family. I’ve only visited a couple times and only to say good-bye to Grandparents that have passed. This visit was very different. It’s hard to explain – of course it was different because the visit wasn’t related to a sad event – but it was something more. We stayed at my Aunt’s house – a number of years ago, she bought a home directly on Oneida Lake and has a three tiered deck that looks out onto the water. Being the water-moon baby that I am there is nothing better than to wake up in the morning, drag my ass out to the deck, sit next to my favorite guy, drink a cup of joe and watch my kids explore the shoreline. Mark and I sometimes sat quietly, staring at the water and other times we laughed and dreamed about the future.

We ate at Eddies (one of our favorite restaurants), enjoyed some REAL NY pizza, hiked Chittenango Falls, dug our toes in the sand at Sylvan Beach, toured my hometown (pointing out “where I used to live” and sharing stories about the different places), visited with family and just really enjoyed being a family.

We drove up a creepy road (Gulf Road) that winds through the forest and ends up at a place called Top of the World. You can see forever…literally. We drove up there during the day and came back at night. We saw more stars than I have ever seen in my life…we actually saw satellites and the Milky Way and just missed a sighting of the Space Station. I deeply wish Tiff and Kait were able to go…but life got in the way for them…money, school, and work (Oh My!) but eventually they will be able to join us in NY too.

VACATION!!!!!

Chittenango tomorrow!!!

Some like it HOT

It's hot! REALLY hot! Freaking hot! It's kissing the 90's here and guess what...no air! I know I'm supposed to be all "green" and eventually I will own a home positioned on my land to take advantage of the natural air flow and plant trees to help shield my home...but for now - I am in a badly placed brick home with crap circulation and no air. UGH - We're dying here...everyone is miserable and sweaty. The kids hair is lined with wet sweaty hair. I don't feel like moving. After a crazy weekend at the WPAFB Tattoo (from 2 until midnight) and then yesterday at the West Carrollton Summer Fest from 9 until nearly 5 PM...I was hoping for a day of relaxation - chill in the air for a bit, then go clean up the garden, then back to the air...but NO! I feel like being a slug today.
I wish this feeling of anxiety would go away. I have that jitterbug feeling - like I forgot something...I think it's because of the move (or non-move as it stands at this moment) - but it is a frustrating, annoying feeling.

Bursting

...Tick...Tock being back at the apartment makes me hear the clock tick tocking even louder. I feel a little like a broken record but it is so close... I spoke to my boss today and it sounds like there is a potential of greater things in store for him - does that mean growth for me too? Perhaps.
We've completely outgrown this place - we are bursting at the seams. So, we've started packing. That's right! We've started the process of sorting, purging and packing our items that aren't regularly used. That feels good. Although the house seems strangely messier while we are in this process...but soon freeing and refreshing.

Father's Day

Have I mentioned that I am married to a great man? Don't get me wrong - we've had our issues in the past (we certainly aren't perfect) but we are perfect for each other. Two peas in a pod...very opposite but complimentary peas. :-) Today, I got to celebrate the man that I am able to learn with, share the joy with, share the (at times) frustration with, share the laughter with and love. I am lucky to have found such a wonderful man who puts up with all my BS and still loves me through it all...lucky to have a man that, although at one time he thought he was done having children, opened his heart to having not just one but three more children. We have this huge family with wonderful children and a crazy life and I couldn't imagine growing old with anyone else.

On a garden side of things - we were able to celebrate the first bite of fresh blueberry. Drake picked our very first "harvest" (read: single berry) of blueberries :-) We let the three little ones share our bounty...and it was "good, not great, but good" - Ok...after waiting and waiting I will take "good" for our very first berry off the bush (considering that our sad little bushes weren't sure last season if they could live another year). With lots of tender touches, fresh dirt and compost mix with a little bit of organic 3-3-3- fertilizer from Marvin's Organic Gardens we were able to perk those bad boys back up and they paid us back with the most beautiful blueberry I've ever seen. There are a ton more still on the bush - just not ready for picking...

The trees recently purchased were not digging the containers that they were in - we replanted them in pots about twice the size of the ones they were in and added some sand, soil and peat...we watered them and talked to them a little bit and they immediately seemed perkier.
Our beans are reaching out to grab and climb - one of my favorite plants to have in the garden for the reason. It makes me laugh to see those silly little climbers twisting (hog tying) around another plant or sometimes even themselves...

We went to Aullwood Farm yesterday (http://aullwood.center.audubon.org) - what a great place! We saw goats, cows, pigs, sweet baby lambs and sheep - the barn swallows were super cool too...there were a ton of nests with little baby faces peeking out the top.

Ah! Farm life.