Lettuce Sprout!

Lettuce spout, lettuce sprout

Can't stay a seed anymore

Lettuce sprout, lettuce sprout

Turn your leaves to the window

I don't care

what they're going to say

Let the trolls rage on.

Somethin's more than nothin' anyday

Indoor Winter Greens

I decided that since I wasn't going to have a proper garden for a while I would grow us a bit of salad greens in the back room this winter. It has a window that faces west and gets a bunch of afternoon sun. Saturday we went to Canadian Tire and I picked up some 72 peat pod starter trays.

I knew I didn't want the plants THAT close together so I took out every other pod. This gives me about 2 inch spacing and that should do fine as long as I don't let them get out of control.

I watered them to expand the peat plugs and I started to wonder if the little planting plugs would be enough growing medium for the entire plant.

I had a pot of chives that had died and revived probably 5 times over the past year and I tossed out the plants to recycle the soil. There was only enough for gaps in one try so I'm seeing this as an experiment.

I realized at this point that I was going to put both types of seeds in both trays so I'd need some plant ID tags so I knew wtf was going on in a week or two. :-)  So I dug a yogurt container out of the recycling and chopped it up.

The tags in place, I planted the seeds in the trays. Half lettuce and half spinach.

I popped the trays in the little greenhouse and crossed my fingers. Wish us salad.  :-)

Sick Days

https://pixabay.com/p-44724

This morning while I was trying to decide how sick I was and if I really wanted to call in 90 minutes before my shift when I knew they wouldn't be able to find anyone that quickly that early, I had some negative self-talk.

"And you think you can be a farmer?

 Farmers don't get luxuries like sick days and managers to find someone to do your job. 

It's 24/7/365 baby. The chickens need to eat and they don't care if you're sick."

You know what brain-weevils? This time you're right, on one thing. 

The chickens won't care if I'm sick. 

I can take my time and putter carefully out to the henhouse, feed and water them, and then when that's done, whether it took 15 min or an hour, I can go back to bed for the rest of the day, and then go back out around supper time to make sure they're safe for the night. I CAN do that. I could have done that today, but that's not what was being asked of me. 

I currently work fast food. What was asked of me was a lot of loud talking in a noisy environment, speedy movement, and most likely a bunch of physical lifting.... FOR 8 HOURS STRAIGHT.

Yes, I can be a farmer. 

I know I'll be on call 24/7/365. 

That doesn't mean I have to be some superhuman who never has a sick day.

The List of Lists

So I've been caught by farm-frenzy again and I stayed up WAY too late on a work night combing real estate listings. This morning I decided I wasn't going to waste this burst of nervous energy on churning out yet another list of lots that will be gone by the time we have a down payment. 

Instead, I'm figuring out what needs to be done for us to be ready to move when the time comes. I realized that a big long to-do list would not only be daunting, but also hard to dig through. Instead I made a list of lists.  :-)

Yes, that's 33 lists sorted into 8 categories. I haven't fleshed out any of the lists yet. That's a job for tomorrow.  :-D

It may seem like I'm still a bit nuts but really, this is a lot less nuts than spinning my wheels making yet another savings plan to for a worst case scenario when we might wind up with a best case scenario. That, and this gives me a driving force to get the things I've been meaning to do (like go to the dentist and update my ID) finally done.

Wishes and Dreams

When I was young we would wish on thistle fluff.  We didn't know where it came from, so unlike dandelions, it wasn't something we could actively seek out. Like Lady Luck herself, they came when they pleased on a gentle breeze and never quite offered what you'd hope.

I developed a ritual of sorts around these sporadic sprites.

- - -

1. Catch a puff (gently!) and make a wish.
2. Let it go and watch it till it floats out of sight.
3. If it hits the ground your wish won't come true.

Of course there's no guarantee even if it doesn't hit the ground though. It's just a messenger to carry the wish to heaven and God will decide.

Pro-tip: Don't wish for big things or mean things. It'll be too heavy and sink.

- - -

When I started writing this I intended to point out the tragedy of poverty encouraging small wishes and cramping even the dreams of children... but writing this out I feel like, maybe greed and malice are two sides of the same coin.

Taking more than your share means someone doesn't get what they need.

There's nothing wrong with small dreams. The "American Dream" where everyone is walking around thinking they're one lucky break away from jetting around the world to their many estates causes so much heartache and prevents people from enjoying the pleasures they have.

I am consistently reminded by the universe to be grateful for what I have. I do have dreams. Some would consider them small, but to me they're perfect.

As long as we remember that dreams are stars to set your sails by, and are not the boat that will get you there, we'll all turn out fine.

A day in the life of future-me

I wake up at 6 a.m. to have coffee, check my planner for my day, and then go take care of the animals.

Once I get back with the day's eggs and milk about 8, either someone has made breakfast or I will make breakfast for us. After breakfast I wash the dishes and set out anything that needs doing for dinner like setting up a crock pot or defrosting meat.

Then I go out to take care of the plants. Whether it's planting seedlings, weeding, watering, or harvesting... doesn't matter. Whatever that plan is for that day. In the winter this part of the day will not be taken up by plants except for an hour or less for the greenhouse, that means winter is the time for indoor activities. Depending on the day, the afternoon might be spent visiting friends, running errands, planting more plants, or canning/freezing/drying the harvest.

We will still watch TV after dinner, but I do plan to have my hands busy at the same time, either shelling peas, knitting, or some other small task like laundry folding.

Around 8 pm I would retire somewhere quiet to journal and look at tomorrow's plan to make sure that I'm all set.

I'd be showered hair brushed teeth brushed and in bed by 10 p.m.

- - -

This is course is a very full day. In the summertime there isn't as much required outside with the plants. There would be days for social activities, and also crafts and hobbies.

I want to be the person who takes some time every week to make a meal plan. That way I don't have to worry for the rest of the week about what is for dinner.

I want to be the person who keeps track of all sorts of things. I want to be the one who remembers when it's somebody's birthday and actually mails a card in time for it to get there.

I want to be the one who calls people up regularly just to see how they're doing. I want to be homemaker and a homesteader and I want my home to the be the place that the people I care about feel most cared for.

I want many things in my life to become routine so I actually have effort left to make the important decisions. Breakfast and lunch should be mostly automatic. What I put on for clothes should be mostly automatic. Getting ready for bed should not take thought.

This is the future I want for myself.
Enough structure to allow for spontaneity.
Enough responsibility to allow for play.
Enough security to allow for risk taking.

2017 April Journal Challenge - Which good experience has made you feel most alive?

Gonna have to say it's a tie between really, really good sex... and the satisfaction of eating food I actually grew from a seeds myself.

2017 April Journal Challenge - Write a new personal mantra for your life.

Give less fucks.

https://markmanson.net/not-giving-a-fuck

2017 April Journal Challenge - A song or artist you're currently in love with

Luke Maynard

2017 April Journal Challenge - First three words you think when April is mentioned.

Flowers

Birthdays

Rain

(I know I could explain and that might be the point... but it's late and it's not that interesting.)

2017 April Journal Challenge - What is your favourite day of the week

My favourite day of the week is Sunday because I've made it my favourite by filling it with people and activities I love.

Sunday is the day I don't work because I told them not to schedule me.
Sunday is the day I visit my mom three towns over.
Sunday is the day I sleep in and do absolutely nothing all day.
Sunday is the day I have friends over for board games or RPGs.
Sunday is the day I read an entire novel in one sitting.
Sunday is the day I spend all day cuddling with my sweethearts.

Pick a day.
Decide it's your favourite.
Then make it a day worthy of being your favorite.

2017 April Journal Challenge - Describe your favourite spring scents

Fresh cut grass is green and full of pain.

The air as the rain rolls in is full earth and trees.

The air after the rainstorm is fresh and new like an empty notebook.

Garden soil, freshly tilled and planted, is full of hope and security.

2017 April Journal Challenge - Five Things You Can't Leave The House Without

This is tough. Don't know if I'll hit five.

- Wallet
- Keys
- Cellphone
- Change purse(it has my bus tickets and spare hair ties in it)
- Shoes? (I'm assuming I'm going somewhere and not just a walk around he block)

2017 April Journal Challenge - How do you start your day out right?

The best mornings involve waking up naturally with the sun and without an alarm next to HugSlut or Bard. After some sweet snuggles and whispered chatting I feed Franklin the cat and then brew some coffee. I then lounge on our reclining sofa to scroll social media and catch up on my game apps. After coffee, a nice hot shower, and dressing for the day, I make some bacon and eggs for breakfast. After a morning like that I'm set to face anything.

Of course most mornings look like being woken up 60 to 90 minutes before my alarm by a little orange bastard. After feeding the cat I go back to bed for the last precious hour, and wake to an alarm. No matter how nice a noise it makes its always jarring. I get up and get cleaned up and dressed for the day, then head out to catch my bus to work chugging a prepackaged breakfast shake. I'll have coffee at work.

2017 April Journal Challenge - 1. Best Prank You've Ever Done

A long time ago when I was about... 13? ... my siblings and I had to wait for the school bus each morning and it was very very boring. What's a big sister for if not to relieve the boredom?

There was a telephone pole near where we had to wait and the guideline that held it steady had one of those yellow plastic safety sheaths on it so you didn't walk face first into high tensile steel cable... and I managed to convince my brother it was a live hydro(electricity) wire.

I started by warning him away from it and when he was standing next to me I pointed out that some houses had the power sent to them underground and he didn't see any overhead wires going to the house behind us did he? That meant that their wires were underground and they put the yellow plastic on to warn you to stay away.

He was skeptical at first and just as I saw his face shift into accepting the possibility I gave him a hard shove toward the wire. 👿