Life, crazy? Nah! :-)

How crazy can life get? Well let me just tell you, my life seems to get nuttier by the day! So, this year has been a lot of trying something new. Actually a lot of new things. I planted 7 orchard trees, all of which still look dead. 3 grape vines that look good but seriously need to have a trellis. I have gotten 2 red maple trees planted (still have 10 in containers) and they look dead too. I have planted 6 forsythia trees(only 4 look alive), 6 burning bushes that aren't looking too bad but are small, 2 hydrangea trees that look great, 2 lilac trees that are on the small side,and 2 mimosa trees that show some life-but not much!

The gardens are mostly planted, but I did a lot of new ideas this year. Including: raising up the planting areas, companion planting, and 3-sisters planting. These new trials, so far are doing pretty good. The garden is pretty weedy since we've had so much rain and you sink walking through it. There's potatoes, peas, onions, radishes, corn, beans, squash,horticulture beans, kidney beans, carrots, lettuce, mescalin, beets, spinach, cabbage, hot peppers, bell peppers, tomatoes, sunflowers, cucumbers, zucchini, gourds, pumpkins, cantaloupe, and watermelon. Everything is up and not looking too bad, but really need to stake off the peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. I have had to neglect my gardens because of the weather. It's frustrating when I love being out there so much!

I was lucky enough to catch some awesome fruit and vegetable sales locally and am anxious to cut into them. Apples, strawberries,broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, lemons and limes. I did take time yesterday to cut up some lemons and limes to freeze in ice cubes trays for fruit cubes. I plan to cut up some veggies today to have for snacks during the warmer weather. Planning to can up the apples into applesauce since they didn't have much flavor. The strawberries I need to hide from our little princess. The last package I bought, she had eaten in a single day....and the rest of us didn't eat any!

I always say I plan to get things done, simple because plans around here are known to change in the blink of an eye. Whether it's a rodeo to catch the little piglets that escape the pig pen, the horses getting spooked and running through the fence, a chicken falling in the horse water tank, some pre-teen drama, or the princesses toddler ways. I have been attempting to organize our home for 1 1/2 years and still have not succeed...but I'm getting closer. We live on "Plan B" all the time!

I am constantly struggling with being a mom, wife, my kids education source, learning the extended farm life(aside from gardens and chickens/horses)The cows were a new experience, the pigs have been a new experience, and the hay baling...holy cow! To say life is hectic, is an understatement! But somewhere in all the craziness, I remember how blessed I am to be able to learn this way of life, when I was not raised this way.

I am off to conquer more organizing since it looks like a storm is brewing again. Have a fantastic weekend!
~Sal~