Radishes - the easiest thing to grow!

 

Yesterday, I started pulling radishes.  It had been a few days since I could get out to the garden.  So when I parted the leaves and saw these beauties I was really excited.  I had successfully grown Burpee Cheery Belle Radish seeds.  With life being so crazy right now this one simple thing made a huge difference in my day.  I sliced a couple and added to our lunchtime salad.

Radishes are quick and easy to grow.  I planted the seeds so that there would be 16 plants in a square foot, 4 x 4.   The seeds sprouted in less than a week and then seemed to grow to maturity overnight.  In less than a month the radishes were ready to be eaten.  Wow!

Three Sisters Planting

Last summer we visited Jamestown because we knew our daughter would be learning all about its history in school this year.  We had a wonderful time!  Now that I still have seed packets left to plant and seem to be running out of steam in building raised beds, I remembered something we saw there about the way they gardened.

It was called three sisters.  Basically, the interpreter explained to us, that the indians had shown the settlers how to grow their own  food in this way.  Weeding was kept to a minimum and the plants are good companions for one another.  The squash kept the soil shaded which helped to keep the soil moist.  The corn stalk supported the growing beans.   Here were the directions -

1.  Mound up the soil with a hoe.  The mound should be about 12 inches tall and 2 feet in diamater.
2.  Plant corn in the middle of the mound.
3.  Plant beans around the corn.
4.  Plant squash around the beans.

Today I am going to make one mound.  I will plant corn, pole beans, and zucchini.  I am anxious to see how this method works for us.

Getting ready to wait

I am up, have had a cup of coffee, and am preparing to leave for the four hour drive to Johns Hopkins hospital.  I have to say, my stress level is pretty high.  I don't like driving in these wee hours of the morning on just a few hours of sleep.  I am not sure yet how long my uncle's' brain surgery will take nor do I have any idea on the prognosis.  The unknown has always been a source of tension for me.

Today I will pray and try to be the strength that my mother and uncles need to help them through the day.  I will read a new book I downloaded onto my Kindle, AWOL on the Appalachian Trail.  I will try to remain positive and hopeful.  It is all any of us can do.  My Spanish instructor said once in class, "I woke up therefore it is a good day!"  Well, I woke up and now it is time to go.  I do hope it is a good day.

10 Ways to Deal with Stress

This week was teacher appreciation week at school and I won a 20 minute massage.  It was absolutely very relaxing.  But then it was over and that wonderfully relaxed feeling generated by the massage soon slipped away.  Let's face it - life can be very stressful, whether it is job related, health related, family related, or all of these combined!  Here are 10 of the ways I have found to deal with stress personally without paying $50 for another massage-

1. Drink a cup of hot herb tea.
2. Go for a quick walk or run.
3. Listen to music that includes sounds of nature.
4. Crochet.
5. Breathe deeply for one minute.
6. Rub the pets.
7. Pull weeds in the garden.
8. Write.
9. Stretch arms, legs, neck, spine.
10. Close eyes and lay a warm herbal pack across forehead.  I especially like the smells of spearmint and eucalyptus

Checking eggs

Life has been chaotic for our family this weekend.  My daughter was having a friend sleepover Friday after school when I received a phone call from my mother about my uncle being taking to the hospital.  We immediately had to change plans and my husband took over the sleepover. 

My mother and I hurried to the hospital which was an hour away.  It was determined that my uncle had a brain tumor and would be transfered to John Hopkins hospital over 4 hours away.  So we came home, grabbed a few hours of sleep, and then headed for Baltimore. 

Needless to say that with everything going on the eggs had not been collected.  My daughter brought them in this evening.  I knew the eggs should be good, but I am really careful with the eggs.  So we decided to be safe and test them.  There is an old saying that goes - if it doesn't sink it will stink.  We checked each egg in a cup of water.  Every single egg sank to the bottom and laid fully on its side.  From what I have read as long as part of the egg touches the bottom it is fine to eat.  And the fresher the egg is, the more it lays down.

My egg basket I got myself for Mother's Day is really neat.

Egg is laying down on its side and is therefore good to eat.

How many kittens did Cally have?

My husband and I went back to the shed yesterday.  I carefully handed out to him one kitten after another.  There were eight in all.  He placed them into a box and we carried the box and Cally to my parents' screened in porch.  We placed it in a dark section against the wall.  Mom brought out food, water, and milk for for Cally.  Then my daughter and I retrieved a litter box from Dad's shop.  Then we left Cally to care for her kittens, which she promptly did.

Upon returning from school however, I noticed that most of the kittens were all snuggled on top of one another.  All except one.  This one was smaller than the others.  I carefully moved her to the others.  Cally jumped back into the box and started nursing everyone.  Everyone that is except the little one.  I kept trying to put the little one up to Cally to nurse, but it never tried.  It would end up being pushed away by the others who were furiously trying to drink.

My husband rushed to the farm store and returned with some kitten formula.  I had sat quietly by the box for a long time observing.  The little kitten was continuously pushed to the side and it was apparent that Cally had not even washed her like she had the others.  Finally I checked the little one again and she felt so cold.  I wrapped her in my hands to warm her and snuggled her close to my chest.

When my husband returned, we mixed formula and gave a small bit to the little one.  It was apparent that the kitten didn't know how to suck.  After a bit of milk it seemed to have a bit more life - a small sound, a little movement.  We hoped that after a few more feedings the little one would make a turn for the better, but that was not to be.  At midnight, when we checked, the little ones life had passed away.  Such a short little time to be on earth. 

Now Cally has seven kittens.  They appear to be healthy and crawl over one another to reach their mother to nurse.  We will wait and hope that all will be well.

Kittens

Near the end of winter, my parents' cat passed away.  He was a stray that had found his way onto their back deck and stayed for many years.  He was good-natured and enjoyed the family.  My parents had made a place for him on the back deck where he was protected from the weather but could come and go as he pleased.  He was so old that he had lost most of his teeth and sometimes wobbled when he tried to jump up into your lap. 

It had not been but about a week since his death that another cat arrived it seemed to take over this spot in my parents lives.  This time the cat was a female.  They named her Cally since she was a calico.  She was also very affectionate and stayed.  Well, time passed and Cally kept getting plumper and plumper and plumper.  Finally,  I looked at my parents and said, "I don't think she is fat; I think she is pregnant!"

Much to my surprise my parents got very excited.  Mom ran and got a bowl of milk.  Dad grinned from ear to ear.  And then mom gave her a long lecture on the birds and the bees and see how that man had up and left.  Three more weeks passed and Cally looked as if she was about to burst.  We were beginning to wonder if she would ever have those kittens.

Then, at dusk yesterdayday, my daughter had gone to feed up the chickens, and came running back into the house.  "Kittens! I hear meowing coming from in our shed."  Out my husband and I went.  Mom came over from next door.  We stood at the ramp to the shed while my husband went in to have a peak.  At the very back, lay Cally still in the process of birthing kittens.  There were at that time two very wet little bundles!  We quietly left and closed the door so that Cally could finish in peace, but just how many did she have?

We will just have to be patient and see this afternoon.