On the Garden Path at 5~Acre Farm

Dinnertime: Pork Neck Bones & Rice

2012-02-10T14:27:00.000-05:00

A poor man's meal, Pork Neck Bones & Rice, is a regular treat in our house. The bones were previously slow smoked and then frozen just for a day like today. I dumped the bones into a pot full of water and let them simmer for 4 hours, until the meat was falling off the bones. I removed them from the pot, and while Jasmine rice was cooking in a portion of the meaty broth, I separated the pork meat from the bones ~ large chunks of meat, and small slivers of meat, tender, juicy, and releasing a tantalizing, smokey aroma! If I had a nice, fresh ripe tomato, I'd have chopped it and added it to the top of this dish. Fresh tomato adds a delicious dimension of flavor, along with a light sprinkling of sea salt. Also, if I had it, I'd add a bit of chopped cilantro for color and flavor. Serving this dish with a ladle full or two of the broth is a tasty option, and a green salad on the side rounds out the meal.

Pork neck bones are inexpensive, and far more meaty than people realize. How you treat the meat is what kicks it out of the poor man's category and into a tasty, upscale dish!

Chicken & Macaroni; Roast Chicken with Veggies

2012-02-06T20:16:00.001-05:00

I found some beautiful, meaty, bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts in the freezer last night and pulled them out to defrost for today's dinner.

I decided to make Chicken and Macaroni for my dad. It's very boring to look at, but it's really delicious to eat! It's a dish that's easy on Dad's digestion, and easy on his gums. It's also one of his favorite dishes, a modification of the chicken and noodles that my family ate often while I was growing up.

When I was little, my mother often shooed me away from the kitchen while she was cooking, but once in a while I'd get to sit at the dining room table doing homework, and watch her cook, especially chicken and noodles. Just home from work, and still in heels and pearls (really), Mother would don her apron and set-to cutting up a chicken to dump in the pot. (Back then, they didn't sell chickens already cut up. You had to do it yourself! Can you imagine that?)

Mother cooked, I watched, we didn't chat. It was too distracting for Mother, who never took well to cooking. She cooked because she had to, not because she loved it. (Some day I'll tell you that story.) But I loved watching her, heels and pearls, and perfectly curled hair, and the scent of the chicken and noodles mingling with the scent of her perfume, White Shoulders.To this day, the two scents still linger together in my memory.

Now, back to those big, meaty chicken breasts!

I decided to make Roast Chicken with Veggies for John and myself. I seasoned them with a rosemary-garlic seasoning blend, and popped them into my counter-top convection oven at the grill setting for about 30 minutes. I served the breasts with mixed veggies and stir-fried broccoli.

We harvested the broccoli from our garden on Sunday, and we haven't been able to stop eating it! It is so delicious! Stir-fried in a bit of extra-virgin olive oil and butter, then seasoned with a bit of sea salt, the broccoli was the real star of the meal!

My counter-top convection oven is probably my most important kitchen tool. My first one was a gift from my mother 12 years ago. When it died in 2006, my mother surprised me with another one before I had a chance to get one myself!

When I first got the oven, I wasn't ungrateful, but I really wasn't sure what to do with this thing, so it sat on the kitchen shelf for a few months before I pulled it out, studied the booklet, and started experimenting. I realized, pretty quickly, that this wonderful machine was going to change the way I cook everything!

For many years, I have used my counter-top convection oven to cook everything! I've grilled chicken, steaks, and other meats in it; cooked cornbread, biscuits, muffins, and cakes in it; and baked potatoes and roasted vegetables in it. I've even baked pizzas in it! Meats are always juicy, moist and tender, and everything cooks fast and easy. I really can't imagine being without it at this point!

Have you got a kitchen tool that you are particularly fond of? Can't live without it? Tell me about it!

Winter Garden Update

2012-02-03T20:42:00.000-05:00

The winter garden is coming along great! The cabbage are finally starting to form heads. The collards are reaching for the sky, and the broccoli are ready to harvest!

Warmer than usual temperatures, and lots of rain this winter, have encouraged the plants to keep growing, rather than fall into a dormant stage due to cold.

It would have been nice to be harvesting these vegetables late in the fall and early winter, but we don't have a problem waiting until spring.

By every best guess, and the Almanac, it doesn't look like we are going to have any more winter weather in this area of Georgia.

Although I would delight in a surprise snowstorm or even an ice storm, I'll be happy to settle for these cooler, gardenable temperatures for as long as they will last!

We didn't plant a lot or a big variety in the fall. We always talk about planting a greater variety of vegetables, but broccoli, collards, and cabbage are staples to our diet.

Carrots, parsnips, turnips, and other winter crops are something we don't consume a lot of. It would be interesting to grow them at some point, for the experience, but we just haven't taken that step yet.

I'm starting to think about radishes, peas, and beans. The mild temperatures, sunny days, and lack of frost and freeze threat are encouraging.

I did grow rutabagas and kohlrabi last spring, and we enjoyed eating those. I might try those crops again.

My herbs are thriving in the greenhouse, and I'm anxious to bring them back out to my front deck, but I might be a little ahead of myself on that that. A sudden cold snap might be disastrous!

Speaking of the greenhouse, we still have productive tomato plants and bell pepper plants! This is the longest we've had them in the greenhouse. A serious hard freeze usually does them in by January.

The other day, John and I were speculating that, had we known we were going to have such a mild winter, we might have continued with our in-ground summer crops longer. With only the addition of a row cover and some mulch during cold spells, we might have been able to carry the crops deep into winter. We'll never know, but the experiment might have produced some interesting results.

Speculation aside, we are grateful that John's father, when he established this little piece of Heaven, saw fit to put a greenhouse on the property. Being able to extend our growing season means a lot to us, and although we are not yet using the greenhouse to it's fullest capacity (it needs some work), it is still a very valuable part of our gardening efforts.

In the final picture here, you see our rooster pen, also called the garden pen. Originally, there was a chicken pen here. My husband, who believes in chicken portability, moved the chickens, and the area became my well-fertilized spring garden last year.

Ah, yes, I remember fondly the onions, garlic, Swiss chard, cabbage, kohlrabi, and rutabagas! But, I digress.

When the veggies were all gone, and before I had a chance to think about planting anything else, John had turned my garden into a make-shift chicken pen once again. And the summer and the winter have passed.

Oh, well, this little 20' x 20' plot of well-fertilized amended Georgia clay will be a garden once again, just in time for spring, and just as soon as these pesky roosters meet their maker at Darby Farms sometime later this month!

Dinnertime: Spaghetti with Meat Sauce and Garlic Toast

2012-02-02T17:33:00.000-05:00

I was out running errands until late afternoon, so I didn't have time for a long, slow simmering sauce made from scratch. I threw together a pound of ground beef, diced onions, diced rainbow peppers, a can of mushrooms (I know, but my father prefers these to fresh), A can of garlic and herb sauce, and a can of diced tomatoes. The diced tomatoes add a fresh tomato taste to the sauce. A loaf of French bread, sliced, and loaded with minced garlic and butter. A sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese over the sauce, and, voila!, ready to eat deliciousness!

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Garlic Toast

Recycling an Old Mattress Set

2012-02-02T11:15:00.000-05:00

When John and I got a new mattress set last year, we put the old one, a queen size set, in storage, not sure if we'd ever need it again, but not wanting to be too quick to dispose of it on the chance that we might indeed need it again. Well, it's spring cleaning time, and I need the storage shed cleaned out so I can organize the storage and put necessities in there. So it was decided that the mattress set would be the first thing to go.

John and I are frugal people. Waste not, want not is practically our motto. And I do what I can to be eco-friendly. As it is, I recycle so fervently, we only have enough trash to haul every four months. So John, knowing that we were going to dispose of the mattress set, started thinking about what he could possibly do with it.

Recycling a used mattress set

In the first photo you can see the breakdown of the set: the box spring frame, the inner mattress coils, the foam pads, and the mattress covers, a bit stained, but otherwise useful.

The box frame and inner coils will be adapted for use in the garden as trellises. Might take a little more work and a lot of imagination, but we're thinking they will work just fine.

The foam pads and the mattress covers will be cut and sewn into comfortable dog beds

Hanging over the chain link fence in the background at left is this really interesting piece of plastic mesh. My first thought is that it would make an interesting addition to a wicked Halloween costume! But it might also do made into a bag for drying onions or garlic, or as a cover over a chick brooder, or as netting over fruit bushes or brambles to deter birds. If I think on it a bit longer, I'm sure I'll come up with some other great ideas.

Cotton batting from the box spring and mattress

In the next photo you'll see feed bags* (another item pressed into recycling use) full of cotton batting removed from the inner-springs and mattress.

John did his research on the materials. The darker cotton in the trash can on the left is not usable, but the white cotton in the three feed bags* is not treated with any toxic or otherwise harmful chemicals, and is safe for us to use. So this cotton will be used in the smokers for tending the bees. This amount will last us quite a long time.

*Feed bags accumulate quickly on the farm. John is always expressing to me the intrinsic value of these versatile bags. I don't care for them or their use, because they are not aesthetically pleasing to look at. But practicality has to win out here at 5~Acre Farm.

Not only are feed bags good for storing this cotton, but John uses them as insulation in the dog houses, and as a waterproof roof on the chicken kite. He intends to use them layered as insulation in our new well house, and wants to use them as insulation in the storage shed. These bags are excellent for holding garden produce, and could be used as mulch, or even sand bags if needed.

So I can't complain too much. Practicality has to win out over aesthetics sometimes, especially on a farm.

I hope this post inspires you to be eco-friendly and recycle something you have that up until now you thought had no further use. If it does, please come back and leave a comment to tell me about it!

Signs of Spring

2012-02-01T10:42:00.000-05:00

Camelia bushes ready to bloom again

It's been a really strange winter! Temperatures have been mostly warm, 60s and 70s warm! A few short cold spells, but nothing that required the necessity to bundle up. And now it's February, and Spring is right around the corner!

Here in NE Georgia, we often have a late winter/early spring storm that brings ice or snow. I don't think that will happen this year, but you never know!

Forsythia bushes blooming in earnest now.

Right now, the signs of spring are everywhere around the farm. The landscape is still pretty bleak, with naked trees and huge areas of brown grass, but the inevitable press of Springtime is showing through the bleakness, sticking out her colorful head and gently proclaiming, "Here I am!" to anyone who will notice.
Budding bushes, yellow daffodils, tiny unknown flowers, and widening patches of bright green grass are chasing the wintertime away!

Tiny unknown flowers

Daffodils everywhere

Italian Stew Beef with Cheese Grits

2012-01-31T19:32:00.000-05:00


Italian Stew Beef with Cheese Grits and Collards

When I first started cooking in earnest, desiring to prepare tasty dishes, I studied recipes and watched cooking shows. I quickly learned that my mother's kitchen was severely lacking in a number of ingredients we'd never heard of, none-the-less used. Purchasing these ingredients was out of the question, some because of cost, but nearly all because we couldn't find them within 50 miles of our rural home, and we didn't have the internet back then to make everything available at the touch of a button. So quite a few interesting recipes were deep-sixed.

As my cooking skills increased, however, and my understanding of how various ingredients affect a dish grew, I learned to make substitutions for ingredients I didn't have. Experiments rendered successes and failures, and as I got better at it, the successes proved to be quite delicious!

Substituting ingredients certainly alters the outcome of a dish, but this is a significant step to take for anyone desiring to improve their culinary skills! Being able to make substitutions in a recipe is a leap away from being a cook, and a leap toward becoming a culinary creator!

And that brings us to today's recipe. Ree Drummond is The Pioneer Woman, and blogs about her life on an Oklahoma ranch. Now this woman knows how to cook! She prepares hearty, delicious meals for her family, and most of her recipes are her own, developed over years of standing behind a stove. Ree is so popular that she now has her own show on Food Network.

My recipe today, for Italian Stew Beef with Cheese Grits, is adapted from The Pioneer Woman's Spicy Stewed Beef with Creamy Cheddar Grits. Using what I had on hand, I recreated this recipe in a less spicy version since my dad can't handle spicy foods any more. Ree's recipe calls for Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, which I think was the thickener in her recipe. I substituted a simple cornstarch thickener in my recipe. Before I added the thickener, I used a wand mixer to break up the large diced tomatoes, but it also broke up some of the beef chunks. I thought this would create a thickened sauce, but it just made the beef mixture slightly soupy. So don't you do this! Also, my grits were not firm enough. I've made adjustments for my errors in the recipe below. Check out my recipe, and Ree's recipe, if you like, and see what you like and what you'd change about them. Cooking doesn't have to be a stressful chore. It can be a fun and creative pass-time!

Italian Stew Beef with Cheese Grits

Ingredients for Beef:

1 Tbsp Canola Oil
1 Tbsp Butter
2 lbs Stew Beef
1 tsp minced Garlic
2 cups chopped Rainbow Bell Peppers
1 can Diced Tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 1/2 - 2 cups Beef or Chicken Broth

Cornstarch Thickener:
1 Tsp cornstarch with 1 Tsp water, mixed until fluid, not lumpy

Ingredients for Grits:

1 Tbsp Canola Oil
1/2 cup finely diced Onion
1 cup Nora Mill Stone Ground Grits
4 cups Beef or Chicken Broth
2 cups grated Cheddar Cheese

Preparation of Beef:

Heat 1 Tbsp Canola Oil and 1 Tbsp Butter in large pot over high heat. Drop in the stew meat and let it brown for 1-2 minutes. Add 1 tsp minced garlic, chopped rainbow bell peppers, diced tomatoes, Italian Seasoning, 1 tsp Salt, 1/2 tsp Pepper, and 1 can Beef or Chicken Broth. Stir all together, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 2 1/2 - 3 hours until beef is very tender. While the meat simmers, check the fluid level occasionally and add more broth as needed. Near the end of cooking, bring the mixture back to a boil, and add cornstarch thickener while stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low again. If the mixture is not thick enough, add additional cornstarch thickener.

Preparation of Grits:

About an hour before the beef is finished cooking, start the grits. Add 1 Tbsp Canola oil to a 3 quart pot. Add 1/2 cup finely diced Onion. Saute until onions are soft but not brown. Add 4 cups of Beef or Chicken Broth and bring to a boil. Add 1 cup of Stone Ground Grits, and stir. Reduce heat to low and simmer 20-30 minutes. Add 1 cup Milk, and continue simmering. When the grits are done, remove from heat and add 2 cups grated Cheddar Cheese. The grits should be firm, not runny. If they aren't firm enough, add more grits and adjust cooking time.

Serve the beef over the grits. Add a side of collards if yo need a green.

Nora Mill Granary and Grist Mill in Helen, Georgia

Finding Peace and Rest In Trust

2012-01-29T22:35:00.000-05:00

It's Sunday, a day of worship, and a day of rest. I've done both today. Tomorrow there will be plenty of work to get me started and keep me going for another week. But today, I have been perfectly satisfied to spend time with my Lord, and time with my family.

As we studied in church this morning, the cares of the world can frequently overwhelm us. Day to day, we are bombarded with those uncomfortable issues that demand our time and attention: finances, relationship issues, job stresses, health problems, the current economy... and the list goes on. More than worried, many Americans are confused, terrified, and feeling alone as we struggle to get by, to simply survive from day to day. The concept of peace can be far from us.

As Christians, unless we set all these issues, these "cares of the world", aside and invite God in, we cannot know peace, and we cannot overcome the issues that are working to upset our lives. It is important for us to remember that Jesus told us to seek God first. God wants us to come to Him first, to receive the best first, because "our Father knows what things we need before we ask", and He is waiting to give it to us.

If we put away our thoughts and concerns, our worries and anxieties about "things," then there is room for God to come into our thoughts, and into our hearts. If our hearts are available, God, who provides for all living creatures who have no cares, can show us that He can and will provide for us, who are burdened with cares. When this message enters deep into our hearts, then we can release our cares to God, and we can begin to know peace.

I know this probably sounds simplistic but isn't the message of Christ a simple one? Trust and obey. Believe and receive. If we do what God asks us to do, then we enable Him to operate more fully in our lives, giving us all that we need, and more, so that we have enough to share with others, which is the goal after all.

Trust doesn't come overnight. Even in a relationship with God, the harsh experiences of our past can make it difficult for us to expose our hearts to the possibility of disappointment, hurt, and even betrayal. But as we study and learn more about God, and exercise faith, our confidence in Christ is that God is all about healing, not hurting, about meeting our every need, not denying or punishing us; and Christ, who was Himself betrayed, wants us to know that His love and His promises are real, and that God will never, never betray us.

So then, if we can find it in ourselves to trust God completely, releasing our cares and concerns to Him, then He is faithful to honor His word to provide for us. In the confidence of trust we can find peace. In peace, we can find rest.

In rest, we can relax, and enjoy the company of our families and friends. We can enjoy those activities that help relieve stress, and encourage happiness, encourage peace.

Today, after church, and after a good meal with my husband and my father, I rested. Specifically, I got off of my computer and sat down on the couch. My new puppy, Samantha, a mini-dachshund, quickly joined me. Curled up in my arms, she rested peacefully. Samantha trusts me. When she climbs into my arms, she knows she is safe. She knows she can trust me to protect her, to feed her, to meet her every need. This trust is evidence of her love for me, and her love is evidence of her trust. The two go hand in hand.

Because of Samantha's love for me, and her trust in me, I will do my best to never let her down, to never give her reason to shy away from me or not trust me.

God, who is perfect, and flawless, and who has a perfect plan for each one of us, loves us so much more than we know. He desires only what is good for us. If we let Him, He will not only provide everything we need, He will show us all the other wonderful and incredible things He has ready and waiting for us to receive. He will reveal Himself to us at an intimate level, and share with us the deep secrets of His kingdom. It begins with us trusting Him with every care and concern we have.

Samantha, who makes me happy.
3 months old. Mini-dachshund.

Dinnertime: Smoked Pork Butt with Cajun Red Beans and Rice

2012-01-28T16:16:00.000-05:00

Another sunny day while the rain holds off. The pork butt was smoked a few months ago and frozen. Defrosted, I finished it off in the crock pot. The smokey flavor is still strong, and the slow cooking has allowed the meat to stay tender and juicy. We don't eat like this every day, but it sure is nice when we do!

Smoked Pork Butt

Red Beans and Rice

Homemade Mini Corn Muffins

Dinnertime: Cubed Steak w/Mashed Potatoes & Black Pepper Gravy

2012-01-27T15:35:00.001-05:00

We're finally having a dry, sunny day here at 5~Acre Farm. Lot's of work getting done outside before more rain comes. So we're having a hearty (but healthy) meal before we get back to work.

Cubed Steak with Mashed Potatoes

Black Pepper Gravy

Buttered Corn and Veggies

Bread & Butter Pickles

To Blog, or Not to Blog

2012-01-26T16:06:00.010-05:00

When I started this blog back in 2009, my plan was to focus on our gardening efforts, and the challenge our health and financial issues presented in the pursuit of our dream (at our late age) to be a self-sustaining farm. No matter what we try to plan for ourselves, however, life puts it's own two cents into it, and we sometimes find ourselves scrambling to keep up, or, in our case, scrambling to catch up.

For whatever reasons this blog went into hiatus in 2009, it stayed in hiatus because, at the time, I didn't think it was appropriate to write about the other things that were happening in my life; my marital problems, my mother's death, my declining health, and the debilitating effect all of this was having on the farm. I didn't think anybody would care.

Well, I may not have been blogging for a while, but I've been reading a lot of blogs in the last couple of years (political, religious, home, couponing, cooking, etc.), and I realize that often the focus of the blogs blurs as the bloggers' personal lives take twists and turns, and they incorporate those twists and turns into the body of their writing. My favorite blogs, it turns out, are written by people who aren't just sharing what they know, they're sharing who they are, and how things they can't control just keep happening.

These bloggers speak honestly about the quirks in their relationships, as well as the perks. They discuss the exciting and the mundane, their successes, and their failures. Some, like a food blogger who recently lost her husband, even boldly expose their raw, broken hearts in very poignant ways. These bloggers have been making me laugh and cry, and they made me start thinking that perhaps I could find a way to share more of the details of my own life without spilling blood, or scaring my readers away.

I spent several months rethinking this blog, wondering if I should continue it or start a new new one. I decided that this is the blog that has the chance to address all my issues in context with each other. So I picked up where I left off, but you'll probably find that my blog sounds a lot different now than it did in 2009. Well, maybe that would have happened anyway with time.

It's winter now, and there just isn't a lot to do or say about gardening (give me a couple more weeks). So I'm talking about the foods we eat here at 5 Acre Farm; simple foods most of the time, flexible in their preparation, filling, and (we think) tasty. Once in a while I'll throw in a story about a visit or an activity, or a health issue one of us is dealing with. Now and then I'll grumble about my husband, or confess my own erring ways (but mostly his), and I'll talk about God, because I (and we) can't do any of this without Him.

The thing to remember is that this blog is about 5 Acre Farm, the dream John and I share to make this place self-sustaining, and how we are meeting all the challenges head on. Health and financial issues, and now the devastating effects of this country's horrible economy, are fighting us tooth and nail. Once in a while they knock us down, but we keep getting back up. In this, John and I are akin to the early American homesteaders who claimed land and tried to build a life on it. We'll do it! Or we'll die trying!

Stick with me and I'll try to keep it interesting if not entertaining! You'll discover, as I continue to do, that 5 Acre Farm is a wonderful place to be, a journey of courage, commitment, and prosperity of the soul.

Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato & Potato Sandwich

2012-01-25T15:44:00.010-05:00

Remember a couple of weeks ago when my sister was coming to visit? I decided to serve Bacon, Lettuce, & Tomato Sandwiches because she and my dad love bacon so much. I didn't get the chance to post pictures, but we're having BLT's again today, and this time... I'VE GOT PICTURES!

The basic layout for this sandwich is, of course, bacon, lettuce, and tomato on white bread with mayonnaise. Toasting is optional.

To kick this sandwich up a notch (thank you for that concept, Emeril) you add a large, thin slice of onion at the bottom of the sandwich, underneath the bacon.

But here's something else to consider when building your BLT...

Add french fries!

Have you ever had a French Fry Sandwich? Just a pile of french fries on bread with mayonnaise, and the condiments of your choice. Yuuum!

Once or twice a year I crave a French Fry Sandwich. I think it's a Southern thing. If, by chance, I can't get my hands on french fries, I choose a corrupted version made with potato chips, but the crumbled chips are always falling out!

Well, about a week ago I was eating a French Fry Sandwich (We use curly fries, and I like mine just with mayonnaise.), and my husband asked me how it was. I said, "Great! But it would be better with bacon!" So I knew the next time we had BLTs I was going to add french fries!

So today I had a Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, & Potato Sandwich, and it was fantastic! But guess what. I was so excited about putting the bacon and potatoes together, I forgot to put onion on anybody's BLT, including mine!

Next time, if I remember the onion, I'll bet my Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, & Potato Sandwich will be over the Moon!

Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, & Potato Sandwich

Ingredients:

4 strips bacon (cooked to desired crispiness)
1 thick slice of a large tomato
shredded lettuce
1-2 thin slices of onion
mayonnaise
2 slices of white bread (toasting is optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Spread plenty of mayonnaise on two slices of bread.
Put french fries (regular or curly fries, or fried potatoes) on bottom slice of bread.
Add the onion.
Add the bacon.
Add the tomato.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add the lettuce.
Add second slice of bread.

Serve with additional fries and/or several slices of bread and butter pickles.

Chickens

2012-01-24T20:18:00.009-05:00

A few of our chickens between rains.

Happy Chinese New Year!

2012-01-23T17:35:00.010-05:00

Today is the first day of the Chinese New Year. This is the year of the Dragon, and to the Chinese, this will be a very important year!

Astrology is very important in the Chinese culture, and within their zodiac, the dragon (the only animal represented that is not real) is the most significant. The image of the dragon that we see in Chinese culture is a combination of several animals, including the tiger, the fish, the snake, and the eagle. This is why the dragon is considered superior to other animals, because it is a combination of them.

The dragon is revered, and holds special significance for the Chinese people. It is not a symbol of evil, or an image to be feared, like we in the west would think. On the contrary, the dragon is a symbol of power, superiority, wisdom, and rule.

In ancient China, the people lived in tribes. Each tribe was represented by an animal, and the characteristics of that animal represented the characteristics of the tribe and it's people. The two largest tribes combined, and they chose the dragon as their symbol. To this day the Han Chinese still refer to themselves as descendants of the Dragon.

Those born in The Year of the Dragon are considered special. They typically stand out in the crowd. They typically are not shy, almost demanding attention! This person is a do-er, an achiever who gets things done. This person can also have a temper, almost wrathful when angered. However, even as the Dragon has a soft underbelly, the person born in the year of the Dragon has a soft spot, and can be greatly compassionate to those in need.

As the dragon has a long, wagging tongue, so does the person born in this year have a tongue capable of reaching far with sharp, biting words and sarcasm, another reason not to make an enemy of the Dragon person! They are not afraid to be confrontational, and make great allies if you stay on their good side and reach their soft heart.

The person born in the year of the Dragon has the potential to excel in everything he or she puts his hand to. In work, in education, in every endeavor, the Dragon person's natural gifts and skills stand out, shine, and bring great results! The only thing that can stop them is their own temper!

If you are interested in learning more about the Chinese Zodiac, the year of the Dragon, or other Chinese cultural symbols or events, do some internet research. There are many resources to learn from!

Famous People Born in the Year of the Dragon

Joan of Arc
Susan B. Anthony
Florence Nightingale
Sigmund Freud
Mae West
John Lennon
Bruce Lee
Keanu Reeves
Orlando Bloom
Sandra Bullock
Al Pacino
Fats Domino
Jorge Drexler
Jose Canseco
Nicholas Cage
Reese Witherspoon
Salvador Dali
Shirley Temple
Ricardo Arjona

We had a small celebration here at home. Very simple. We brought in Chinese food. My dad always like Onion Beef and Rice, and John likes Happy Family. Although I try different things when we eat Chinese away from home, here, especially in cold weather, I like to keep it simple. I love Hot and Sour Soup and Egg Rolls.

In the early years of her marriage, my sister used to host an annual Chinese New Year celebration. Handmade Egg Rolls, Beef and Broccoli, Fried Rice, Pork Lo Mein, and Hot and Sour Soup among others. I've made her Hot and Sour Soup many times over the years. Although it can be made simply or elaborately, I always loved my sister's version of this delicious soup. So I want to share her recipe with you. If you try it, come back, leave me a note, and tell what you think. I'd love to know.

Hey, at the very least, don't forget to have a fortune cookie today!

Chantal's Hot and Sour Soup

INGREDIENTS:

-- 3 Cans Chicken Broth (6 sometimes 8)

-- 1 TBLSP Soy Sauce (2 sometimes more, if I use more broth)

-- 4 Dried Chinese Mushrooms, soaked for 15 minutes in boiling water, stems removed and caps cut into fine strips (eh, I just used a small can of sliced mushrooms, drained and rinsed.)

-- 1/2 cup Bamboo Shoots cut into 2-inch strips 1/4 inch wide (eh again. I used a whole small can of sliced bamboo shoots and cut them lengthwise into thin strips. Cut this way, they give a nice texture to the soup. You must drain and rinse them or they'll add an unwanted flavor to the soup.)

-- 1/4 LB Raw Lean Pork cut into narrow strips. (I used 3-4 pork chops. I sliced the pieces very thin but varied the length and thickness of a few pieces for texture.

-- 1 Cake of Firm Tofu, about 3x2, cut into 2-inch strips 1/4 inch wide. (Don't double this. Use exactly 1 cake, and use the kind of tofu that's packed in water -- the other kind is too dry. Once you get the cake in your hands, you'll see how to cut it. You don't have to follow the 2-inch 1/4 inch thing. Just keep it near the same size as the pork and shoots, and keep the slices thin. It will try to fall apart, that's okay. The different sizes will add to the texture and appearance of the soup.)

-- 1/4 tsp. White Pepper (double, then add more to taste. I prefer more, twice as much in fact. This is the HOT in Hot and Sour.)

-- 2 TBLSP Lemon Juice (double, then more to taste. I use a dollop or so more. This is the SOUR in Hot and Sour.)

-- 2 TBLSP Cornstarch mixed with 3 TBLSP Cold Water. (Double this and keep the cornstarch at hand in case the soup looks thin, then you can mix more cornstarch and water and add as much as you think you need. This is the thickener, but you don't want it too thick. Judge the thickness by what you've seen in Oriental Soups you've had in restaurants.)

-- 1 Egg, lightly beaten. (double)

-- 2 tsp. Oriental Sesame Oil -- or 1/4 tsp or more of hot chili oil, to taste. (double. I lucked up and found a bottle of Chili Sesame Oil, and it was perfect! If you can find a bottle, use it. Otherwise it's up to you whether you use one, the other, or both.)

-- Finely Chopped Scallions for garnish.

** I also add a small can of Water Chestnuts. I buy the sliced water chestnuts and slice them into strips. They add the most amazing texture to the already wonderfully textured soup. Don't forget to drain them, but DON'T RINSE THEM. flavor!

DIRECTIONS:

1 -- In a large saucepan combine the broth, soy sauce, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and pork (and the water chestnuts). Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer the soup for about 3 minutes.

2 -- Add the bean curd, pepper and lemon juice. Bring the soup to a boil and add the cornstarch mixture (stir the mixture again just before adding). Cook the soup, stirring, until it thickens slightly, then pour in the egg verrrrry slowly, stirring the soup constantly.

** If after adding the cornstarch mixture and cooking a bit you think it needs to be thicker, add more mixture, but only add a little at a time, then cook and see how it thickens. Do this BEFORE you add the egg. My guess, Unless you use more than 6 cans of broth, you shouldn't need to add more thickener.

3 --Remove the soup from the heat, stir in the sesame oil or sprinkle with chili oil. Use the scallions to garnish individual bowls of soup.

Done!

Obviously preparation is the time consuming part of this recipe. It cooks very quickly, and I usually made it before I made anything else, and let it set on the stove on a low heat to keep warm. I LOVE this soup! Have fun with it!

Chantal

ps: You can reduce the sodium by using Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce and Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth.

A Time to Speak, and a Time to Refrain from Speaking

2012-01-22T19:48:00.006-05:00

As I was leaving church this morning, my pastor surprised me by asking me to take the service next Sunday, to preach or teach, or go as the Spirit leads me. Without a single heart flutter, I calmly told him, "Okay, but the last time I was asked to speak in a church (5 years ago), I developed stomach flu and laryngitis and had to cancel. I'd say that was a clear message that I wasn't supposed to speak. So, we'll see what happens this week."

As a younger woman I would have leaped upon this opportunity like a hungry tiger. Back then, I had so much I wanted to share about God and the word, and all that He had and was teaching me. I was more than anxious to share everything I knew with anyone who would listen. The problem was, no one wanted to listen. That was difficult for me to deal with back then, but with unchecked enthusiasm I kept looking for anyone who would hear me.

I ministered in many ways to many people over the years. The situations were almost always spontaneous. I'd meet someone in my day-to-day activities, and I could sense they needed something, a word, an encouragement, a shot of hope, a jog of their faith, or even a few dollars. I'd listen to them, take it into my heart, and I'd respond from the word of God. I didn't "quote" scriptures to them. I'd share the word in a way I could tell they could receive. Yielding to the Holy Spirit, I'd tell them what I thought God wanted them to hear. Always, my goal was to help them put their eyes on God, so He could remind them what He is able to do.

I ministered in many ways to many people over the years, as I said, but, except for the one time I got laryngitis, I was never asked to speak in a church, to a ladies group, to a Bible study, or to any other gathering of God's people. So, am I unhappy about that? Was I ever angry at God for not providing an opportunity for his faithful servant to speak?

Though sometimes unhappy, and frequently dismayed, I was never angry at God. If you know who He is, and what He does, it becomes impossible to get angry at Him, because we know that God offers us every good thing. He isn't out to punish us, or trip us up, or make us earn His blessings. He simply offers and gives good things. He is faithful in His love to us. It's the choices we make that move us through the realms of good and uh-oh; and in both places, especially the uh-oh realms, He is with us, covering us with His grace to comfort and strengthen us, and bring us through whatever that uh-oh is. He is also educating us through those experiences, and if we look closely, we'll see that He is also giving us gifts we did not expect.

I completely believe, as the word says, that my steps are ordered by God. Now, that's if I'm keeping my eyes on Him! So, if my steps are ordered by God, then I will always be where He wants me to be; and I will always be doing (for the best part) those things He wants me to do. God didn't want me to speak to any groups all those years ago. He didn't want me to speak five years ago. But He did want me to speak to individuals, and minister to them whatever they needed while I was with them.

When we trust the Lord, when we keep our eyes on Him, he will take care of everything else, and he will complete His will for us.

Next Sunday, we'll see if it's time for me to talk.

Another Rainy Day in Georgia

2012-01-21T18:34:00.007-05:00

It has rained all day today! I've barely stepped foot outside, but when I looked through the window and saw the fog gathering in the last bit of daylight, I grabbed my camera and ran outside. My camera, a Polaroid i835, is good, but not great. That's why these pictures don't do the moment justice. But I hope these pictures will relay the evocative beauty I saw in the moment as I snapped them. Take a minute and tell me what you think.

Date Day! Sherlock Holmes

2012-01-17T18:03:00.006-05:00

In the past, John and I rarely had date nights. We'd talk about doing something together, but actually making plans often eluded us. We'd go out occasionally, but not with any regularity, and when we did go out, John was often preoccupied with thoughts of what was being left undone at the farm. This made him irritable, and that would ruin the date for me. I often came home unhappy, but he never knew it.

Obviously, this was one of the issues straining our marriage the last few years. Actually, it was the most important issue straining our marriage.

John is a wonderful, hard working man. He takes his responsibility to me very seriously, but his way to express his feelings for me is to work, produce, and provide. He couldn't quite understand what I meant when I talked about nurturing each other and the relationship. I was beating my head against a brick wall with that one.

John has always been work-focused. He will never say he is retired. His company is still on the books, though not fully active. He's still always looking for clients and jobs. He's a brilliant man, with great ideas, incredible things that no one else has thought of or can do. He still has dreams to accomplish much more. I absolutely love that about him! Here on the farm, John works all day and well past dark. There's a lot to do, and frankly, only he can do a lot of it, since we can't afford to hire someone. I can't get him to slow down. I can't get him to take it easy. And therein is the problem in our marriage. If he's always working, he's not setting aside time for me. And watching television from 9-11 p.m., doesn't count!

So, anyway, this year, we are attempting to change this. John is still working hard every day, but we have determined together to have a date day at least once a month. All that head-banging finally broke a tiny hole in that brick wall, and my beloved is starting to understand that it's important for a couple to spend time together, nurturing the relationship, as well as each other.

Starting this new year wit this new commitment to nurturing, today we went to see a movie. Our dates will probably always be a movie, and sometimes, the date will include dinner, but not today. Today we had popcorn and sodas, and watched Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. It was a great sequel to the previous Holmes movie starring Robert Downey, Jr., who not only has become the iconic Holmes, but gets better and better with age! And Jude Law is a perfect match as Dr. Watson!

I have to say, seeing Sherlock Holmes portrayed as a type of action-figure is pretty weird, but Downey pulls it off quite well. If you like thrillers or action films, or Jude Law, or Robert Downey, Jr., I recommend this film. If you've seen it, tell me what you thought!

Happy 12th Birthday Ian!

2012-01-15T19:04:00.016-05:00

In older posts I've talked about my husband's son, John IV, his wife, Deborah, and their children. Yesterday, there was a party to celebrate our oldest grandson's 12th birthday. I can't call him a boy anymore. He's now a young man, and we had a great time celebrating that fact! Family and friends gathered at the Alderfam home of John IV and Deborah for the epic event. Cake and ice cream, games and fun, and of course, presents! Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the party. Hope you enjoy them!

Ian decorated his own cake, and chose a Middle Earth them. He used a map from one of Tolkein's books to go by. The figures are characters from The Lord of the Rings

Youngest brother, Andrew

Younger brother Isaac.

John IV

Sister, Emily

Mmm, Mmm Good!

2012-01-13T13:42:00.013-05:00

We're having one of those cold spells again. Temperatures had dropped into the 20s by sundown yesterday, and a strong wind made it feel a whole lot colder. Today, it's been somewhere in the 40s, and tonight, it's going back down into the 20s. It will be like this through the weekend. And I love it!

I love wintertime! I find the season stimulating. In the summertime, the heat can overtake us by mid-morning, and we retreat indoors to cool down in the air conditioning. For anything that needs to be done outside, we usually do "rock, paper, scissors" to see who'll go. Sometimes, we have a sudden death round of arm wrestling to clarify who's going out into the hot Georgia sun. In such extraordinary heat, already bloated from drinking gallons of ice water in an effort to cool down, we rarely eat more than salads and sandwiches.

But when it's too cold to do anything outside, I find indoor projects to keep me busy, and my favorite project is cooking. I love to be in the kitchen cooking when it's cold outside. On a really cold day, I usually pull out my biggest pot and make a big batch of soup. Turkey and Chicken Soup are old standards. I add diced potatoes, rice, or sometimes, pasta to the meat and vegetables, a can of diced tomatoes, a few dried herbs, and maybe a secret ingredient or two! I also go through the refrigerator to see what else I can add. My soup recipes rarely repeat because there's always something new to add. The last time I made chicken soup, I added some leftover lima beans and collards, and some smoked sausage.

Over the last year or so, I've been trying to add healthy grains to our diet. Barley is one of the healthiest grains you can cook with. Since Dad, John, and I are all diabetics, barley is a much better choice than potatoes, rice, or pasta. Personally, I love the texture of barley more than that of the other choices. Of course, I'm speaking of pearl barley, not regular barley. Regular barley is cut to cook quickly, in about 20 minutes, but the texture and flavor just aren't there. Pearl barley, on the other hand, takes 45 minutes to cook, but is a natural thickener and has a much more appealing taste and texture than regular barley. So today I used pearl barley and made a simple Beef and Barley Soup.

You can add anything to any soup as long as it appeals to those who will be eating it, but some soups are meant to remain simple, and I think beef and barley soup is one of them. You can certainly spice it up to suit your individual taste. There are many ways to do that! But in its basic state, beef and barley soup is delicious, and healthy, and oh, so comforting!

Beef and Barley Soup

1-2 quarts beef or chicken broth
1 cup pearl barley
1 large carrot, diced small
1 large rib of celery, diced small
1 onion, diced small
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

Start with one quart of broth and bring it to a boil. Add the pearl barley. Return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes. While the barley is cooking, brown the ground beef over medium heat. Drain the beef well when it has finished cooking.
When the barley is ready, add the drained ground beef, the diced carrots, celery, and onion, and the seasonings. Add additional broth to desired consistency. Simmer another 30 minutes, until carrots, celery, and onion are soft.
Serve with a nice crusty bread!

The Winter Garden is Thriving!

2012-01-12T20:57:00.019-05:00

So, while the sun was out and shining for a few minutes the other day, I grabbed my camera and ran out to get a few pictures of our winter garden.

Everyone always says to get the plants in the ground in August, but we never seem to get them in before September, which means we don't get a fall harvest by November. Instead, the veggies winter over, and we get a great harvest in the spring. This year it will be collards, cabbage, and broccoli.

In the winter months of 2009, we had a pretty significant snow for this area. 3-4 inches, and it covered the garden completely. I went out and started knocking snow off the broccoli plants, then decided to leave it. I wanted to see if the plants were really hardy, and guess what, they were! The broccoli and all the plants came through the snow and cold and gave us an excellent harvest in the spring.

Hey, everybody, look really close at the last photo. Look through the dead tomato vines, to the other side of the fence. See that little brown spot in the middle of the picture? That's my new
puppy, Samantha. She's a bit upset because she can't get into the garden with me. Samantha is
a mini-dachshund, and I got her in early December. She is so wonderful! She blesses us all, especially my father. She has kept him laughing and entertained daily, and that's good because he doesn't have time to get sad missing my mother. That's why, in an earlier post this week, I called her medicine to my soul. She's medicine to all of us!

Five Acre Farm

2012-01-12T14:14:00.014-05:00

I've been living in Georgia for 13 years. The last seven of those years have been spent here at Five Acre Farm, just northeast of Atlanta. Winters here have been varied, usually cold, with some warm spells, sometimes cold and wet, and usually, just before winter takes its last bow, we get a light snow or ice storm in late February or early March.

This year, however, winter has been exceptionally warm, and frequently wet. For the most part, temperatures have remained in the 60s, even the 70s, and rainy. Every couple of weeks we've had a cold spell, with rain, and temperatures dropping into the 50s, 40s, or even as low as the upper 30s for a couple of days at a time. When it isn't raining, it's usually overcast more days than not.

We had a huge storm yesterday morning, and then, surprisingly, the sun came out for just a little while. I ran outside with my camera and took a few pictures of the house and garden. I don't have many clear shots of the house. In the spring and summer the trees and flowering bushes are so full, you can hardly see the house.

As you can see from the photo above, the house isn't some romantic old farmhouse (I wish). It's just a manufactured home that my late father-in-law placed on the land when he cleared it some 27 years ago. His vision was not a working farm, but a comfortable home and a little bit of land to work when he felt like it.

My father-in-law's landscape plan for the area around the house was ingenious! The first rays of morning sun come up from the bottom of our property, the bulk of which is beyond that bank of naked forsythia bushes in the photo at left. Even in the hottest part of summer, it can be reasonably cool at the back of the house early in the morning. The sun is practically over the house before we feel the real heat, and that's a good thing since the summertime sun in Georgia is hot and intense!

At the front of the house, which faces southwest, a bank of tall Poplar trees, naked in the wintertime, let the warm rays of sun through; but in the summertime, when they're full, they block the harshest rays and provide a rich, dappled shade that lets in just enough sunlight to feed the camelia bushes, azaleas, crepe myrtles, and other flowering plants. Besides being beautiful and comfortable, this layout of the property means our heating and air conditioning bills are very modest, which works for us on our limited income.

Here are a few older shots of the farm in spring and summer.
(Left) View from the road, looking up the driveway. (Right) Azaleas and Camelias blooming at the front of the house. (Below Left) The back of the house. (Below Right) The Poplar trees in the front.

2012-01-11T16:49:00.007-05:00

Well, Bacon Day is winding down. It began before sunup this morning with a few loud claps of thunder and a short downpour of rain. At the first clap of thunder every dog in the yard was at the back door howling to get it. Softy that I am, in they all came, and once calm again, were sprawled across the living carpet like dirty (wet) laundry.

Since I was up early, I decided to make a hearty breakfast for John and my Dad. I did a simple Sausage and Egg Scramble with pumpernickle toast. To a spicy ground sausage, I simply added diced onions and diced rainbow peppers. I seasoned with salt and pepper only, since my Dad is not fond of herbs.

Sorry for the quality of these pictures. The lighting is terrible! I hope to improve at indoor photography as I continue this blog.

My first attempt at scones didn't go too bad! I made Bacon Scones using a basic scone recipe from Ina Garten. I didn't press them out as thin as the directions instructed, and so I had very large scones, biscuit-like because I decided to cut them in rounds instead of wedges. I sent a half-dozen of these scones home with my sister, who said they were better than the bacon biscuits I gave her at Christmas.

The BLTs were a hit! Always so simple to prepare, and so delicious to eat! I used thick cut bacon, and piled it on. I add thinly sliced onion to my BLTs. I learned a long, long time ago that the onion really gives the sandwich a boost of flavor that takes it out of the ordinary realm of BLTs. Lots of mayo, large slices of tomato, shredded lettuce, salt and pepper, and you've got a hearty, delicious sandwich! I didn't have a chance to take pictures of a BLT. They were gone before I could pick up the camera!

I have always loved cooking. For more than 30 years I hosted every holiday family gathering, doing all of the cooking and entertaining. I was always in my element creating elaborate meals for my family to enjoy. After my mother passed away, I stopped hosting the family events, but still enjoyed cooking for my husband. In the last two years, however, my energy level has dropped significantly, and for a time, I wasn't cooking much at all. In the last few months though, I've been pushing myself to do more around the farm, including more cooking, and over the holidays I did quite a bit, ventured into baking, something I've never bothered to try before now. I find that I enjoy baking, and it's much easier than I ever thought. I hope to be doing a lot more cooking, and baking, while the weather is still cool!

Bacon Scones
adapted from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Scones

4 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
1 stick cold butter, diced
4 large eggs, beaten together
1 cup heavy cream
5 slices (more to taste) thick sliced bacon, diced large

Mix together the first four ingredients. Add the diced butter.
In a separate bowl, mix together the beaten eggs and heavy cream. Pour these into the flour and butter mix and stir gentle to combine.
Add the diced bacon.
Don't overmix the ingredients. The dough will be soft and wet.
Pour the dough out on a lightly floured surface and quickly form into a round.
Press out to 3/4 inch, cut, and brush with an egg wash (egg and water).
Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes (longer if the scones are large).

Instead of bacon, you might like to try adding blueberries or cranberries, raisins, or other savory items like cheese and chives, or herbs.

Is It Bacon Day? (Homer Simpson)

2012-01-10T19:05:00.014-05:00

"Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon." ~ Doug Larson

My sister and her son are coming for a visit today. They live an hour-and-a-half away from Five Acre Farm, and they come to spend the day with us about once a month. It's their chance to spend time with our father, whose been living with me and John since my mother passed away in August, 2010. We usually spend the day catching up on things, sharing a meal, and watching a movie together before they head back home. Pretty sedate, but not too boring! In honor of their visit, I'm making Bacon Scones for breakfast, and BLTs for lunch.

My sister has become a true bacon fanatic in recent years. I've delighted in hearing her stories of discovering things like bacon chewing gum, bacon lollipops, and bacon scented air fresheners, among other (bacon-ey) things. So, for Christmas I decided to pick up the bacon challenge. I made my sister a variety of bacon food gifts.

There was the expected chocolate covered bacon, which I kicked up a bit with sea salt and/or chopped pecans. Then there were the bacon sugar cookies, which had a deliciously smokey flavor! Also, bacon cheese biscuits, and (her new favorite) candied bacon. The candied bacon was really the star of the show. Absolutely decadently delicious! And then, I covered some of it with chocolate! I'd never made any of these things before, but I found them surprising easy to accomplish.

My dad loves bacon too! Since he moved in with us a year and a half ago, I've cooked more bacon than I've consumed in my whole life! Don't get me wrong! I also love bacon, but it's the greasy mess cooking it makes that I can't stand. I absolutely won't cook bacon on the stove! Grease goes everywhere! Yuck! So, for my dad's sake, I had to find a way to cook bacon without all the grease. For a while I was cooking it in the microwave buried in thick layers of paper towels. No grease, but I ran out of paper towels too often. Now, I'm still cooking bacon in the microwave, but I'm using one of those bacon racks that lifts the bacon up out of the grease. I lay a piece of wax paper over it and the grease is pretty much contained.

I try not to serve bacon more than twice a month, but my dad keeps asking for it. When I mention the challenge to good health that bacon is, he reminds me that he's almost 85 years old and it really doesn't matter any more. I give in, and give him bacon, but I do try to limit how much John and I are eating.

What's your relationship with bacon? Have you ever tried any strange bacon-oddities? What do you think?

On a side note, I love the story behind this bacon rack. The little girl in the picture invented it. Then, a big copy cat company stole it from her. With determination and patent in-hand, the girl and her father fought to get it back, and after several years, they won! I always root for the underdog!

Candied Bacon

1 package thick sliced bacon

Brown Sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Lay the bacon out on the parchment covered baking sheet. It’s okay to pack the bacon close, but not overlapping.

Cover the bacon with the brown sugar, covering each piece completely (about 2 tsp per slice).

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven. Turn bacon over, dragging it through the now-liquid sugar. Put the baking tray back in the oven and continue cooking for another 15 minutes, or until you are satisfied with the color of the bacon.

Bacon should be dark, almost a mahogany color.

Remove bacon from pan and let cool on a wire rack.

Bacon will stiffen as it cools.

This candied bacon can be eaten as is, covered in melted chocolate, or chopped and added to biscuit mix or cookie mix.

Forgive Me?

2012-01-10T13:47:00.010-05:00

Wow! It's been almost three years since I posted anything. Why? Well, would you believe it started when I grew incredibly frustrated over constant problems I was having trying to post pictures from our July 4th (2009) celebration? I tried every day for a week, then came back every few days for a couple more weeks before I finally gave up, and because I'm OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), I couldn't post anything else until I posted that. I guess time had to pass and my desire to blog had to return before my OCD could get past the disaster.

Can you forgive me for being gone for so long? I hope so.

A whole lot of things have happened in the last two-and-a-half years. It would take too long to go through all of it now, so I'll touch on various things as I get back into blogging. For now, here's a highlight of what has been going on:

On the dark side:

My marriage came very close to ending
My health spiraled downward
Five Acre Farm suffered the brunt of our marital problems and my health problems
My mother died, and part of me died with her

On the bright side:

My marriage survived and was restored
I'm getting better
We still have the farm, our dreams, and each other
My husband's son and his wife had their fifth child, a boy
My Dad moved in with us after my mother died, and we love having him here
With too many dogs already, I got a puppy for Christmas, and she is medicine to my soul
I've been learning how to make a better blog, and I'm hoping to make this a great one

I hope I can win you back. I hope I can find new readers. I want to share so much, and I'm going to do my best to nurture this blog as though it were my child, or at least, a house plant.

Bless you all!

Michelle and John
Valentine's Day 2010

It still took another year to restore our marriage completely, but it's a much stronger marriage now.

Watermelons, Watermelons Everywhere!

2009-06-25T22:30:00.011-04:00

Saturday In the Park

2009-06-22T09:07:00.061-04:00

Well, as important as the garden is, life doesn't revolve around it! There are other little things that we need to watch grow besides veggies, so John3 and I took Saturday off and spent it with the family (John4, Deborah, and the children) at Stone Mountain. The children are growing fast, and we cherish every visit we have with them. So it was wonderful to spend the day with them all, listening to the children chatter on about this and that, watching them run and play, and hearing their little voices calling after us to come with them to see this or do that.

John4 managed to find a wonderful, shady spot near an old mill and water- wheel on Stone Mountain Lake; but I focused the camera on the children most of the time, and completely missed getting photos of the water wheel.

Although it was shady, the tem- perature was in the upper 90s on Saturday, and near the water it was humid and muggy.

The mosquitos were swarming, and seemed completely immune to the bug spray I kept applying liberally.

The event was a reunion of the Junior ROTC which John4 had been a part of. Most of them grew up calling John3 Alderdad, and he was thrilled to these boys again, now grown, with young families of their own. I enjoyed meeting many of these folks, but for me, the greater joy was having a chance to be around John and Deborah, and the children.

John and Deborah are remark- able people! I'm so proud to know them, and call them family. John is a dedicated husband and father, and Deborah is one of the finest women and mothers I've ever known. These two incredible people are raising four brilliant, beautiful children; and to the delight of John3 and myself, another child is on the way!

Ian

Emily

Isaac

Alexander

Perfection Is Overstated

2009-06-19T22:11:00.030-04:00

Right: The watermelon, are climbing up, over, and through the garden fence, reaching across the path toward the outer chain link fence. Lord knows where they will run to if they get through the chain link with a whole field out in front of them!

Below:The watermelon are also getting chummy with the yellow squash.

The beautiful, leafy tendrils of the melon plants have been slithering quietly through the squash and are now reaching for the eggplant and okra!

Below: Beautiful little watermelons are starting to show among the leaves. With 9 watermelon plants, I anticipate at least a dozen melons to share with family during this hot Georgia summer.

More than that would be an added blessing that I can share with others as well.

The tomatoes have been allowed to grow uncaged and unchecked only because of time and weather. Too many appointments away from home, and climbing temperatures prevented us from getting cages up early when we should have.
Once the weather turned hot and the temperatures climbed into the 90s, I refused to
work outside during the day. Even in the evening the heat is still oppressive. So I rise just before dawn every day and put in two hours outside, feeding the chickens and watering the gardens before the sun comes full up and the temperature rises above 75.

Above: The sprawling tomato plants have completely overwhelmed a whole row of peppers.

Below: This morning, John joined me in the garden to work on getting the tomatoes up off the ground. They had been doing okay, but a strong wind came through the other night and blew them all to the ground, even those that were caged. The tomatoes aren't really coming in yet. Just one here and there. I anticipate a huge harvest all at once at some point.

Below: The eggplant and okra are growing nicely. We've harvested only two eggplant so far, but there are many small fruit developing. No okra yet either, but we hope for a lot. This is our third attempt at growing okra, and I hope there will be enough to harvest and freeze for winter soups.

Below: Baby Ichiban eggplant. John loves growing eggplant, but I've yet to find a recipe for this vegetable that we both can enjoy.

Below: I've never grown pumpkin before, so it is delightful to see beautiful young Buttercup pumpkins establishing themselves beneath the gorgeous giant leaves. Since John and I are diabetics, I try to avoid sweets. So I'm looking for savory recipes for the pumpkin and the other vining squash I'm growing.

Shortly after we married five years ago, John's health, which was already challenged, began getting worse. His declining health interfered significantly with his ability to earn a living, and our financial struggles began in earnest. We thank God that two years ago he started receiving excellent care at the VA (Veterans Administration), and his health since has improved significantly. He's picking up a little work here and there now, but spends much of his time trying to catch up on the things that have been put off around the farm.

Growing a garden has been very important to us financially. In years past, it has often been difficult for us to afford the plants to work with, and production in previous years was never what it should have been. This year we took a deep breath and "created" a little more financial flexibility, so we could have chickens and expand our gardening efforts. I'm also learning to grow plants from seed,which will help cut the cost of growing significantly, and I'm already planning our fall/winter garden.

Our garden, and our gardening efforts are far from perfect with everything sprawling across the garden bed, and our health issues a significant deterrent at times; but I want to say how pleased I am to see the garden flourishing anyway this year, with the promise of a large healthy harvest. I have the hope of filling our freezer and pantry with enough to carry us through the winter so we won't have to pay outrageous prices in the grocery store or go without certain foods we love.

The American economy right now is in a precarious place, and things are still looking rocky for the near future. After this recession ends, a new era of inflation will begin. The price of goods and services will rise sharply, and our president's multi-trillion dollar spending plan for "fixes" is going see all of us paying more taxes (income, sales, and embedded). It may all become more than John and I can afford on our limited income if he doesn't get more work.

We're doing all that we can to stay ahead of our circumstances, but it isn't easy. Everything is on the line for us, and it gets to us sometimes. We argue under the stress, and my own health has been suffering, but when we catch our breath, John and I hold on to each other and reassert our love for one another. And we pray. We lay all of this, good and bad, at the feet of God, and we put our trust in Him. He has a plan for our lives that we are doing our best to discern and follow. It doesn't have to be a perfect plan, but then, with God designing it, it is a perfect plan for us.

June Is Busting Out All Over!

2009-06-17T08:12:00.013-04:00

When I was a child, and I listened to "old people" talk about 'how time flies', I couldn't understand what they meant. For kids, time simply crawls! (Summer will never get here! Graduation seems so far away! Thirty is so old!) Now that I'm an 'old people' myself, I finally understand what those other old people meant. But I have to wonder why they didn't warn us not only that time flies, but that it flies at the speed of light!

I am always busy, but I often feel like I'm standing still as time rushes past me, especially in the garden. All last winter, when I was dreaming about the new garden, it seemed like the chance to plant was never going to arrive. Then, finally, I was putting tiny little transplants in the ground!

Suddenly, the garden is exploding! I'm picking several squash daily, and cucumbers every other day. The cucumbers are giants! Even the pickling cukes are really fat! I'm getting a handful of cherry tomatoes here and there, but most of the numerous tomatoes are still green. I'm hoping they'll come in many at once so I'll have enough to can, freeze, and dry.

I thought this 32'x22' garden would have enough room for everything I wanted to plant. Perhaps the problem wasn't as much a lack of space as it was putting too much in it! I planted 9 watermelon plants on the east side in an area about 3'x28'. They have easily filled that space and are now reaching out through the fence. There are too many escaping arms to contain. And in the other direction, the watermelon are wrapping themselves around the squash plants. I can envision little baby squatershmelons growing by the end of summer! I hope they don't go after the eggplants and peppers just past the squash!

We planted 45 tomato plants in the garden this year. I was delighted that we had enough room for this many, but unfortunately, that "time flies" thing has really caused a problem. Only a few of the plants have been caged, and that with those cheap little funnel type cages that really don't do much. We kept talking about making cages, and John installed a post on either end of the rows with cable running between to make some sort of support, but commitments and other responsibilities around the farm kept us delayed. Consequently, the tomatoes are sprawling! On the east side, they have completely overwhelmed a row of small pepper plants, and on the west side, they're mingling with the pumpkin and cantaloupe, which themselves don't have enough room. Like the squashershmelons, I could be harvesting tomaloupes and tompkins by the end of summer. Next year, I absolutely intend to put up tomato supports when the small tomato plants go in the ground!

We planted a Three Sisters in the lower garden. That's an ancient Native American practice of planting corn, beans, and a vining squash together. The idea is that all three should come to fullness at the same time, for a single harvest. Of course, watching the corn and beans sprouting sporatically, gives me the indication that a common harvest won't happen. And the squash (spaghetti, butternut, and acorn), planted separately in tiny peat pots a week after the squash and beans, have sprouted in less than a week and are progressing faster than the aforementioned. So I question the reality of a common harvest.

Back in the Kitchen Garden, it is remarkable that the pepper plants have remained so small, and yet, are producing fruit nearly as large as themselves. The bell peppers are the largest we've ever had, but I would like to see them get a bit bigger. The jalapeno, the cayenne, and the red hot cherries are also producing well, though they are not ready for harvest. We've been getting banana peppers for weeks, and enough for me to have already done two small-batch cannings. We shall enjoy them in salads, on sandwhiches, and as snacks later in the year.

This is the first time we've grown pumpkin. We planted 2 vines, and there are 4 baby pumpkins right now. Most are the size of golf balls, but one is as big as a softball already! These pumpkins are not meant to grow into giants. They are 'Buttercup' and should be just a few pounds each.

The garden is fenced and sits to the north of the dog yard. There is an area about 8'x25' that John cleared of small trees and overgrown bushes. In this area we hope to have a small patio with seating and an arbor next year. We had a lot of wild conconrd grape vines growing in this area too. They were growing out of control way up into trees and across the way into and through the forsythia bushes. I'm just not one to appreciate such chaos, and we have 100' of grape vines at the bottom of the property, so I wasn't that keen on keeping these grapes, especially since I wanted to train something up the arbor next year. I asked John to cut the grapes down, which he did, but not all. I was surprised to find that the grapes found their way to the dog run fence, and have trained themselves across it. It's beautiful, and I love it! No chaos!

It's almost time for the figs to ripen. Well, it won't be until late July or early August, but I'm already looking up my best fig recipes, including fig preserves, which, it turns out, are very easy to prepare. We have two fig orchards, so we always get quite a few. Last year, I tried giving a bunch away, but nobody knew what to do with them, and I was told the figs went bad and were dumped. !!!! At the very least, I could have fed them to our pig, Lulu, who would have loved them!

There is much more going on in the garden, and around the rest of the property at 5 Acre Farm. This is enough of an update for now. As I said earlier, time flies at light speed, and already, I'm behind on a lot of things that need to be done!

Everything's Coming Up Veggies!

2009-06-05T21:08:00.030-04:00

Left: Left to Right; pumpkin, tomatoes, tiny pepper plants (jalapeno, green bell, banana, cayenne), eggplant, yellow squash, watermelon.

Below Right: Right to Left; watermelon, yellow squash, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes. Elsewhere, out of view: cantaloupe, pimientos, okra, hot cherry peppers.

We have had more rain this spring than I could keep track of. Quite wonderful for our state, plagued by a drought for about 7 years now. And quite wonderful for our garden this year, which has progressed in leaps and bounds, I believe, because of the rain. I'm grateful that the garden has had this wonderful head start on the hot summer that lies ahead. John and I have worked hard and done a lot of work, but somehow, we are reluctant to take credit for the garden's prolific growth and success this far.

And, well, it is finally getting hot! Although the mornings and evenings are still slightly cool, several days have been way too hot to work outside at midday. So we concentrate most of our efforts in the early morning and evening. We're still getting a fair share of rain, though not as often. It did rain yesterday, all day, a gentle, mostly quiet rain that soaked deeply into the soil. Today, because of cloud cover, it was much cooler, with a nice cool breeze, and comfortable enough for John and me to do some work in the garden.

Right: cucumbers starting to climb the old windmill.

The garden is really doing fabulously! The cucumber plants are getting huge, but insist on spreading out across the ground instead of growing up the old windmill, so I pulled them up and tied them with string to encourage their upward movement. There were many cuke blossoms last week, but I was delighted to find many tiny cucumbers growing among the leaves today. I was absolutely astounded when I found one cucumber, already about 4 inches long! I haven't had any success with cucumbers in summers past. That was a big disappointment, but I am feeling encouraged about cucumbers this year. I might just get a chance to can my own pickles!

Below Right: a cucumber, 4 inches long, among the leaves at the top of the picture.

When I finally counted the tomato plants a few weeks ago, I was a bit stunned to realize I had planted 45 (about 6 different varieties) in the garden. I must have been thinking of the 18-20 I used to plant each year, with only a mediocre harvest by the end of the season. Yesterday, there were about a dozen ripe Sweet 100s that I couldn't resist picking. I ate a few, gave most to John, and shared a couple with one or
two of the dogs who were bouncing around excitedly in front
of me, curious about what I had, and anxious to have a taste of their own.

Below: Sweet 100 Cherry Tomatoes ripening on the vine.

I think the pepper plants have been the most surprising of anything in the garden. Jalapenos, bell peppers, cayenne, and banana peppers - none of them are more than a few inches high, and each and every plant has at least one pepper on them. Several plants have up to 3 or 4 peppers, and the fruit are so large, they're dragging the ground.

Below: Two rows of small pepper plants (banana, green bell,cayenne, jalapeno) loaded down with fruit.

Last week, the yellow squash were still on the small side, but filling up with blossoms. This week, the plants are huge, and although there are still many blossoms, some of the plants are showing young fruit, already a few inches long! This year I'd like to dry some of the squash, freeze some, and perhaps, can some. I would have loved to have some zucchini as well this year, but each time I visited the garden centers, they were out of zucchini. When I finally found some, my garden was already too full to make room.

Below: Yellow Squash plants, late May. Right: baby squash, early June

Last year we planted a few watermelon, cantaloupe, and acorn squash seeds as an afterthought. We were happy to get a few small cantaloupe, a couple of tiny watermelon, and several small acorn squash that we kept and used through the winter. This year, we planted the cantaloupe more deliberately, and the plants are flourishing, full of blossoms. We also planted watermelon, which are also flourishing, though they are not flowering yet. Then there are the pumpkin. The leaves are huge, and the vines keep reaching out and grabbing the fence nearby. They too are full of blossoms. As with all the other plants in our garden, these three look promisingly fruitful.

Left: Pumpkin plants with blossoms, flourishing.

I can't say it enough. I am delighted with the progress the garden is making this year. It's a new garden plot. John's health crisis last fall delayed us working on the garden, but my dear husband pressed in after his recovery and worked very hard during the early spring to get the bed ready. Together we used heat and steam to remove the grass and weeds, guaranteeing very little would come back as weeds in the garden. We collected free mulch ourselves, hauled it home, and spread it on the bed. Likewise, we collected free horse manure, hauled it home, and spread it too on the bed. The ground was tilled each time something was added, and multiple times before planting began.

Below: Cantaloupe plants with blossoms, also flourishing.

The garden has been the primary focus of our lives for the last six months. John and I have cared for this garden as though it were a child, treating it with tenderness, love, and care, and fretting over it when weather, timing, and planting problems seemed to warrant fretting. Like a child, our garden has only been given to us for a season. We prepared the garden in the best way we could, working within the parameters of our financial budget, knowledge, tools, and available materials. We have done everything we can to insure that this garden will be the best it can be. But the outcome of this garden is up to God, for his word reminds us that it is not the one who waters or the one who plants that gives the increase, but God (I Cor: 3:7).Though Paul was speaking of us all being laborers in the field of God, bringing souls to Christ, his point was made through a farming metaphore that I can relate to.

Now if that comparison doesn't work for you, how about this one, slightly paraphrased to fit:
Raise up a garden in the way it should be, and when it has matured, it will produce a harvest worthy of all your early work.

Above: Me planting tomatoes in April.
Right: John watering those tomatoes after planting.
Below: the tomatoes at the end of May.

Mixed Blessings

2009-05-27T16:30:00.004-04:00

The rain has been falling almost continuous for weeks. Considering, however, the fact that I live in a state that has been experiencing severe drought for some years now, I can't complain. But I will say that the blessing of rain brings with it a fair share of problems as well. Take, for instance, the following problems:

It won't stay dry long enough for us to mow the grass.
There isn't enough time for me to work in the yard or garden between rains and other obligations.
We've got slugs for the first time ever!
The humidity is uncomfortably high.

But, as I said, there are blessings:

Everything is growing at high speed right now!
I don't have to be standing out there with a hose trying to figure out how much water to give everything.
The bird baths are staying full
The car is staying washed!

There was a brief, non-raining (but still wet) period yesterday, but the sun was too intense and the humidity too high to be out in it for very long. Although the weather report called for more thunderstorms today and through the rest of the week, it was actually dry and comfortable enough to get outside and work on my container garden for a little while today.

I had to do some major rearranging of containers to move old plants out and new ones in.

By tomorrow I will have harvested all the remaining lettuce, though some roots are resprouting and I might leave them out to see what they produce. I do have 3 trays of young leaf lettuce, endive, and head lettuce, and a tray of spinach that I never transplanted. I like clipping the tender young leaves and adding them to the salads I prepare each night. It seems to me to be decadent to have baby lettuce leaves in our salads.

I've planted 3 bush cucumbers in large pots, and put them in the best sunny spot on the deck.

I've also planted 6 sweet potatoes in 2 very large pots, and put them in a sunny spot as well. I really hope we get some sweet potatoes from them, even if they are small.

I've got 2 Sweet 100s tomato plants on the deck, as well as 3 patio varieties of tomato.

I've got 2 banana pepper plants that are 3 feet tall now and filling up with large peppers. They both need to be staked to stay upright. John's working on that for me. There are 2 banana pepper plants John brought me back in March. They wintered over in the greenhouse, and John wanted to see if they'd do anything. I didn't think they would, but to my surprise, they are loaded with small to medium sized banana peppers.

I'm going to give up on the radishes. I planted about 100 in two shoe boxes, and they've never bulbed. I couldn't get bulbs last fall or the spring or fall before that either. I'm learning from other gardeners that this is a common problem. I understand from one gardening friend that this never happens with French Breakfast radishes, so I'm going to try some of those in the fall if I can find them. My radishes aren't a total loss. I've learned that the young tops are delicious in a salad.

I have a large tray with 6 strawberry plants that are now flourishing. There are nice sized strawberries everywhere, still green, but one has turned a beautiful deep red, and I'm waiting for just the right moment of ripeness to pick it and give it to my husband.

This is the first year I have grown Swiss Chard, and I wanted it in containers on the deck where I could watch it. I transplanted 2 in the early spring, and they're tall and beautiful now. I've learned that they will do fine all summer, and I can harvest them a few leaves at a time for meals here and there. They will do well until the very cold weather in winter.

That's it for the veggies in the container garden. Everything else is flowers. I've never tried growing them before, and it's nice to see them flourishing without much assistance from me.
I can't remember all their names, but they are lovely, and I am enjoying them. I often forget they are on the deck, and when I step out the door and see them there in all their color, I am always surprised and pleased.

I've got more than 20herbs now. Most of them are on a table near the deck. It can't hold all of them, so I'll be trying to find a place on the deck for as many as will fit. Some still need to be transplanted into pots. The rain has delayed that project too.

I like having a garden bed out in the back yard, but I also love having a few veggies, flowers, and herbs on the front deck where I can get to them quickly for a small, needed harvest, or a brief visit with nature.

So Much For Age: The Man, The Project, The Story

2009-05-25T17:12:00.023-04:00

My father turned 82 years old on May 16.

This week, Dad finished building his first greenhouse! It’s an 8’x12’ wood structure, with a thick (?mm) polyethylene cover.

This year he's growing a variety of tomatoes, bell peppers, and cucumbers. He might add more. Later, he plans to add a raised bed cold frame area in front of the greenhouse.

I'm so full of pride, I'm bursting! Just 3 months ago I gave Dad some information and books with greenhouse designs to look at. Dad designed his own greenhouse and built it himself (between the many rainy days) - in 3 months! He wouldn't let me or my husband or anyone help him.

My dad, Gentry Wright, has always been a "DIY" kind of guy. He didn't know that though until he did his first home project some 45 years ago, when my mother started nagging him for a picture window. After a few months of nagging, my dad finally put a sledge hammer through the wall. That was the day he learned he had the DIY gift. He put in a picture window all by himself! Following that, in various places we lived, there were rabbit pens, chicken coops, horse stalls, pig pens, fences, more fences, storage sheds, doorways, sliding glass doors, bathrooms, kitchens, decks, more decks, enclosed porches, a sunroom, a bedroom, a living room, and now, a greenhouse!

My dad, a humble, unassuming guy, enjoys staying busy, knows how to work with his hands, and loves to make my mama happy!

And my Dad grows the best tomatoes I've ever seen!

To Honor Those Who Are Worthy of Honor

2009-05-25T11:36:00.008-04:00

Today is Memorial Day. I'm not about to use this space for a diatribe on the political views of war and soldiering - mine or anyone else's. This isn't a day for discourse. This is a day of recognition. Today, all of us should be honoring the men and women who have served our country in the Armed Forces. Whatever our opinions or experiences with war, we should be able to give freely this one day our gratitude to all those individuals who madethe choice to fight for freedom. Whatever else we think it may be about, war, for America, is always about freedom.

Today, along with all Americans who have fought for freedom and justice around the world, I honor:

My Father: Gentry Wright

Dad joined the Army at the end of WWII, and served overseas in the occupation of Germany. He brought home a British bride. Later, he served in Korea, and did two tours in Viet Nam, serving in Military Intelligence under General William Westmoreland. Dad finally told me a couple of years ago what it is he did in Viet Nam. Once he did, I realized it was so secret, I could never tell anyone. After 21 years of service, Dad took a medical discharge in 1970, and retired to North Carolina to farm and fish. Dad has always shared many funny stories about his military experience, but stays quiet about the darker days of war. This week, at the age of 82, he finished building a greenhouse that he designed himself.

My Brother: Keith Wright

Eligible for the draft in 1968, my brother joined the Army right out of high school. Not willing to carry a gun, Keith served honorably in the medical corp, rescuing friends and fellow soldiers from the battlefield while under fire. Keith served in Viet Nam at the same time my father was there on his second tour. He did his time and came home. He never talked much about his experiences, but I know they remain with him, as they do with our father.

My Husband: John H. Alderman III

John served 10 years in the Navy, during the Cold War era. His training was extensive, as he served on nuclear submarines in missions still considered highly classified. When one of the submarines he was serving aboard hit an underwater mountain, John was credited with saving the lives of his shipmates by getting the boat operational and to the surface with the aid of the only 4 other men aboard who were free enough of injury to help. John's ingenuity and ability saved the Navy billions of dollars and his actions saved not only his shipmates, but the lives of millions of Americans. John wanted to make a career of the Navy, but left to care for his marriage and his family.

My Father-In-Law: John H. Alderman, Jr.

I never had the opportunity to meet my father-in-law. I love and respect him just the same. He served six years in the Pacific in World War II as Adjunct to Gen West in the Southern Occupational Forces in Japan under General Douglas MacArthur. As a private aboard the transport ship heading overseas, he served as head cook, commanding officers under his charge. He crawled through foxholes, fought in the Battle of Manilla, survived being run over by a tank, and five potentially fatal diseases. He saw, in hand-to-hand combat things you and I would never want to know about. While serving in the Philippines my father-in-law died and was pronounced dead. Five doctors signed his death certificate. A few short hours before his scheduled burial, he woke, removed himself from his body bag, and walked out of the morgue tent. He returned home, married, raised a son (my husband), and a daughter, and established the homestead John and I now call 5 Acre Farm.

My Son-In-Law: John H. Alderman IV

John takes his citizenship quite seriously, and believes all Americans should do the same. He is serving a distinguished career in the National Guard, currently at the rank of Major. He served honorably in Iraq with his men, whose lives he holds as dearly as his own, and is currently serving as an International Public Affairs Officer for the National Guard and Liaison between the military and locals.

My Friend: Name Withheld

I cannot give my friend's name. His work in the military has always been of a sensitive and highly classified nature. He served a distinguished career and retired last year. He now holds down the homefront so his wife can pursue her dreams and career goals.

Thank You All

My simple heartfelt thanks belong to these men, and to the millions of men and women like them, who have protected my rights and my life, and those of my family and my countrymen each day of their service. May God bless and keep you all this Memorial Day, and every day for the rest of your lives.

It's Raining, It's Pouring, and I'm Really Getting Grumpy

2009-05-23T14:50:00.008-04:00

John and I have had a few appointments away from home this week, but not as many as usual. You'd think this would have been a good week to work in the garden, but no; it's been raining all week (more like the last month), everything from downpours to drizzle, to misty little rains. Actually, this rain has been nearly continuous since early spring. Quite a change, as I've been accustomed to a short season of rain before the Georgia drought settled in.

Anyway, even this morning I had to go out in a drizzly rain to feed the chickens. And because we can't mow wet grass, the grass in the yard has grown to more than knee-high. As a child, I was not one to go out and play in the rain. As an adult, I am still not inclined to do so. Like this morning, I go out into the rain when I have to. Otherwise, I can admire the rain from the safety of indoors, or a covered patio.

So I haven't been able to spend much time in the garden - not more than enough for a walk-through inspection. Here's what I know about my garden right now:

I really need to get tomato cages up. I've got a few up, but there are still plenty of tomato plants starting to sprawl across the ground.
The watermelon plants seem to be growing very slowly.
The cantaloupe and pumpkin are growing thick and reaching out tentatively to spread.
Strong winds broke off one or two of the pepper plants, but they are still growing.
Some of the cucumber vines are starting to climb up the old windmill I set up for them, but they have a long way to go.
To my amazement, the broccoli plants in my container garden are finally having a decent show of heads.
I have two banana pepper plants in containers that have grown three feet tall and need support; but they have some beautiful big peppers on them.
A third banana pepper is stunted and drowning in a pot without drainage.
My container garden on the front deck is crowded.

It's this last point that has been getting to me the most in the last few weeks. Every time I have stepped out onto the deck to work in my container garden, it starts to rain. Then, it stops shortly after I give up and go back inside. By then, however, I am into some other project indoors and don't think about going back outside.

Yesterday I was trying to transplant some herb plants I'd bought the day before. I managed to transplant two before a misty little drop here and there became a drizzly downpour. I was determined to keep working in spite of the rain, and managed to also transplant three bush cucumber plants into large containers. At that point, I needed more room on the deck. I stepped around to the side of the deck to remove a large planter with two broccoli in it. I debated calling on John for help several times before I decided I could do it myself. It was just one turn and two steps to the spot where I wanted to put the container.

What I didn't notice, once I had the huge, heavy pot in my arms, was the stair railing. John took down the stairs last year to keep the dogs off the deck and out of the plants, but he didn't take down the railing, which was hiding in the tall grass. I tripped over that and some timbers he'd left on the ground, and went down with the big pot still in my arms. I hit my thigh on some wood in the grass, my neck on the railing, and my face on the edge of the table my herbs are on. My gardening efforts were quite suddenly over for the day.

I went inside, drenched and hurting, and climbed into a warm shower. There is some swelling around my left eye, but no bruising. The back, left side of my neck is very sore and showing a long narrow bruise, and my left thigh is sore.

On a brighter note, on Friday, John had the wonderful idea for us to go on a date! We drove over to Lawrenceville to the $1.99 movie theater to see Nicholas Cage in "Knowing." We've never been to that theater and thought it would be a nice inexpensive treat. (Laughing now, you'll know why later!)

We didn't call ahead to check the movie time until we were already on the road and on our way. We discovered that we were way too early for the movie - three hours too early. So we decided to have an early dinner. Along the way, however, we spotted a plant nursery, and John pulled in. Unplanned free time is a dangerous thing sometimes.

My senses were overwhelmed by the beauty I encountered. Heavenly scents! Stunning color! Textures! The delicate flower shapes! The various shades of green! And I couldn't afford any of it! Well, not until I stepped back outside and saw the wide variety of herbs in 4.5 inch pots for $3.95 each. I still couldn't afford them, but at that price, I could not afford to pass them up. So I decided on 10 herbs, making sure all had culinary uses:

Ginger Mint
Golden Oregano
Winter Savory
Chives
Lemon Verbena
Red Creeping Thyme
Purple Basil
Tansy
Archer's Gold Thyme
Sorrel
Chives

I already have:
Rosemary
Oregano
Lemon Thyme
Lavender
Sweet Basil
Curly Parsley
Flat Leaf Parsley
Coriander
Dill
Sage
Stevia

It was really nice to see the variety of herbs at the nursery we visited. I didn't think I could find that significant a variety locally, and was very pleased. If anyone in Georgia is interested, the place is:

Still Lake Nursery
745 Scenic Hwy
Lawrenceville, GA 30045
770-962-1880

We ate at Burger King in Snellville, and then hustled over the theater. We enjoyed the movie, but discussed the ending extensively. It was interesting, but (I thought) weak.

The whole evening cost us about $60.00 (insert laughter here). Not cheap at all, but we brought more home than empty drink cups this time!

When the Rains Came

2009-05-18T19:30:00.007-04:00

Georgia has been experiencing severe drought conditions since 2006. The entire state has suffered, and restrictions have been severe. But this year, in time for summer, restrictions are lifting, and the lakes are rising - almost back to normal. The drought seems to be over.

The rains have been frequent this spring. I have been enjoying them. Many have been gentle, soaking rains that have lasted, sometimes, for days at a time. They've been good for the earth, good for the garden, and good for my aching soul. They have often been like a gentle embrace, sometimes expected, sometimes a surprise, whispering kind encouragements in my ear, assurances of better days to come. I have relished each visit of rain, and sometimes wept quietly when they ended.

Recently, the gentle rains have subsided, and sudden downpours with thunder and lightning have taken their place. Quick bursts, hard and heavy, almost angry, seem to be screaming something I cannot hear amidst the noise, and perhaps, encouraging me to hide my own screams in the noise. Not always, but sometimes, they leave me pensive when they are gone, with a small knot in my stomach.

Two nights ago, while I slept, another storm passed through. It was short and heavy. All of my plants are strong enough to take the heavy rain now, but my container garden struggled in the muscling wind that accompanied the rain. Two of my pepper plants, which are 3 feet each and fruiting, fell over. I'm grateful they did not break, but they both require support now. A medium size container of marigolds fell on one of my container tomato plants. The marigolds were smashed and may or may not recover. The tomato plant lost a branch, but at least it was a non-producing branch. I haven't found any other damage, and I am grateful there doesn't seem to be more.

Nature can often find ways to embrace us, to comfort us, and to offer us respite from the cares of the world. But just as often, it can hold us at arm's length, warning us, scolding us, or chasing us into a hiding place to cower until it has finished a hard work. The latter is more difficult to accept than the former; but both experiences have something positive to offer us if we're paying attention.

When the Rains Came
When the rain's came.
I looked to heaven.
When they washed away my dreams
I cried all night
In my heart I knew you'd be there
Cause I felt the love
and then I saw the light

Through the hard time's through the bad time's
You always came and sang to make things right
Now I don't worry about tomorrow
Cause I felt the love
and then I saw the light
From the darkness comes a doorway
When the sun's up in the blue and burning bright
I'll be dreaming about that morning
Cause I felt the love
and then I saw the light
yes I felt the love
and then I saw the light

When the rain's came.
I looked to heaven.
When they washed away my dreams
I cried all night
But,In my heart I knew you'd be there
Cause I felt the love
and then I saw the light
Yes I felt the love
and then I saw the light
Yes I felt the love
and then I saw the light

- Beth Rowley

Dance As If You're Falling On Your Face

2009-05-15T11:59:00.013-04:00

Well, I got absolutely nothing done yesterday. I'd pushed hard the day before, getting a lot done, and had no energy left for yesterday. But this morning, however, I was up and out early once more. I moved the chicken kite to a new area, fed the chickens, and sat for a few minutes watching the birds do their morning stretching and dancing. Then it was off to the garden.

This morning I planted 14 yellow squash (straightneck and crookneck), 2 okra, and a horde of peppers! I didn't get the chance to count, but I thought there were at least 24 jalapenos, 2 giant jalapenos, 3 red hot cherry peppers, 3 pimiento, 12 sweet banana, and 18 green bell. I also planted 2 Japenese vining cucumbers at the base of an 8 foot tall garden windmill. The next time out, I'll add several pickling cukes I've grown from seed. It will be great to watch them climb that windmill.

Everything was going really well this morning. My energy level seemed fine, the temperature was comfortable, there was a cool breeze, and the sun wasn't too intense. So I wanted to keep working. I took two short breaks to make sure I didn't over-do it, sitting in the rocker sipping a cold drink while I watched the chickens and petted the dogs who were gathered around my feet.

After my second break, just before I was going to finish planting the peppers, I decided to clean up some of the trash that had accumulated in and around the garden. You know, those plastic collars around peat pots and the multi-plant trays, empty soil and mulch bags, and other stuff (I've got to get a trash can out there). John had left a number of very long pvc pipes on the driveway near the garden gate. He's going to cut them into lengths and use them as tomato stakes. They'd been there for a couple of days, but they hadn't been in my way before this morning.

Well, wouldn't you know it, while trying to step over them, my short legs didn't reach and I ended up standing on them. Because they are round, and not flat, my "standing" s udde nly became a dance as they rolled and I tried to stay upright. It was an ugly dance, but it didn't last long. I was on my face, on the pavement in a heartbeat. I got up with two scraped knees, a scraped elbow, and a tearful sense of defeat. I really thought I was going to get the rest of the veggies planted this morning.

I went in the house and John cleaned me up. I was upset, and it came out in anger. I spent the next 30 minutes screaming inappropriately about the pipes and the trash, and the unfinished work, etc. I hate that about myself. I got my temper under control a long, long time ago; but the "perfect storm" of my hormones rushing to the edge of the menopausal cliff like lemmings, unearthed in me a new level of uncontrolability several years ago, and my generously patient husband was frequently the target of my upset.

Actually, my tirade this morning was nothing compared to what I could have done two years ago. So maybe that's a sign that the storm is almost over.

I returned to the garden and finished planting the peppers, but my knees, which don't do kneeling well anyway, were hurting too much to do anything more. I'll have to finish planting the rest of the veggies another day.

Overall, I'm very happy with how the garden is coming, and I hope we will have a large, healthy harvest. I'm looking forward to canning lots of jalapenos for John, enjoying stuffed bell peppers (a rare treat usually), freezing and drying lots of squash, pickling jars and jars of cucumbers, eating-freezing-and-canning tons of tomatoes, and slicing open ice cold watermelon and cantaloupe when summer reaches it's hottest point in August.

Once my anger subsided, I quickly apologized to John for my outburst. Good husband that he is, he had already forgiven me. My knees will heal long before my heart heals and I forgive myself for letting my temper get away from me once again, however. For the past several years, my hormones seem to have more control of me than I do, and I don't like that.

Angry and irritable is not who I am. It's not who I've spent my life becoming; but this someone I sometimes don't know, this angry me, that snaps so quickly and so brutally at the one person who loves me so dearly... I hope she will be gone soon. I hope the person I once loved being will have a chance to return and finish out the last of my days on this earth, held in the loving, secure embrace of my husband, whom I do dearly love. I hope she will return and bring back the peace I used to know, and the joy I always felt in living each day in the grace and blessedness of knowing Christ, the center and source of my sole reason for being.

We're off to a local, popular fish camp tonight to have dinner with my mom and dad. John has eaten there since childhood, and has gone on and on about it since we wed. Tonight will be the first time for me and my folks. I hear they specialize in catfish, and my dad can certainly enjoy a plateful of catfish! My mom will want shrimp, I'm sure. Me? I think I'm in the mood for oysters! Ooooh!

Early to Bed, Early to Rise

2009-05-13T22:54:00.004-04:00

Paramenopause is a pain in the b..... well (ladies), you know. But combine it with diabetes and polycystic ovarian syndrome, and I am trying to go uphill against the wind. I've always been forward-moving, highly organized, and detail-oriented (I can catch details others never see!). However, these days, my concentration and focus are frequently lagging, and my energy level can vary significantly; lately, it's been running quite low. As much as I want to be outside in my garden, I struggle to motivate myself to get there, even knowing I will feel better if I make myself go, and work in the dirt. Though I was quick to purchase plants early in the season, however, I am falling behind at getting them into the garden.

Aside from the fact that the garden bed wasn't ready for planting until mid-April, it hasn't helped that my see-saw energy level has been competing with many rainy days for time in the garden. We've had more rain this spring than we've had in 3-5 years total. Living in a state that has been in an official drought for 7 years or so now, I am grateful for the rain, but it can be equally, a gardener's blessing and bane.

Once the garden was ready for planting, my first priority was to get the tomato plants into the ground. John and I together accomplished that one clear morning two weeks ago. No sooner had we finished planting and watering however, than it started raining!

At this point, all of the tomatoes are doing very well, growing steadily, and even bearing small green fruit. If all goes well, we should get a nice tomato harvest this year. I certainly hope so, considering we've planted 35 tomato plants!

This morning was my next opportunity to get out in the garden. I haven't been sleeping well at night, being mostly wakeful after 4 a.m. So on this day I decided to go ahead and get up instead of rolling around in the bed for several more hours. I had an 11 a.m. medical appointment, and I thought I'd see what I could accomplish before it was time to go.

It was just after 6 a.m. when I rose, dressed, and carried kitchen scraps and feed to the chickens. I removed their night covering and they scrambled into the daylight, pouncing joyfully on the feed when I tossed it all in. I watched them for a little while (a delightful passtime I have adopted), and then decided to work in the garden.

I decided a few days ago that I needed to get the melons in the ground next. I'd had a false start yesterday, when I suddenly lost energy before I could get the melons planted, and had to retreat to the house to lie down. So this morning, while the morning was still cool, and the sun had not yet risen over the trees at the bottom of 5 Acre Farm, and I felt okay, I tried again.

On my hands and knees, crawling through the dirt from one end of the 32' garden to the other, I managed to plant nine Watermelon, three Cantaloupe, and two Buttercup Squash Pumpkin plants! I felt good as I began the task, and I still felt good when it was done.

It was 8:30 a.m. by then, so I went inside, woke John, and got into the shower to clean up. We made it to my appointment on time, then spent the afternoon running errands. We got home around 6:00 p.m., and I threw a quick dinner together while John fed the chickens, the dogs, and the pig. Then we rushed out for a gathering at the church we recently began visiting.

It's been a good day. A day I am grateful for. A day in which I can say I did something productive for a change. I hope tomorrow can be another good day.

I've got a lot of peppers to plant next.

And oh, yes, it rained again today. It started just before we left for my appointment, and it has drizzled on and off all day and into the night where a steady, light downfall, gently hitting the roof and tin awning, will soon be lulling me to sleep.

Up, Up, and Away...

2009-05-12T21:47:00.004-04:00

John finished the chicken kite this week.

I don't know why John calls it a "kite." He said something about it looking like lightweight stick kites he used to make when he was a kid. They were triangular, and there was something about the way the air flowed through them, to lift them into the sky. I guess I can see that in the chicken kite.

John's inventive nature attaches itself to every project around the farm. He looks at something, and he just has to improve upon it. It frustrates me sometimes, because what should be a quick project becomes a lengthy one; but more often than not, the results of John's efforts are far superior to acceptable standards. The chicken kite is no exception.

All the chicken tractors we have looked at are relatively small, and made of wood and wire. They are only big enough for a half-dozen chickens at the most. Some are larger, but not by much. One woman I know has complained that the plywood on hers is warping badly. She's only had it a few months, and already, major changes are required.

Chicken tractors are supposed to be portable. Most have two wheels on one side, and are picked up on the other side like a wheelbarrow, then moved. A common complaint however, is that they are much too heavy for one person to move. Most have too-small wheels. One I saw had large, but heavy wheels. Some of them are attractive, but what good is a portable pen that is too heavy to move?

John's chicken kite is large compared to others we've seen. It's triangular shaped, approximately 10' long, and 4' wide at the base. It's relatively lightweight, and moves easily without wheels. It's pretty spacious too. Right now, there are 15 chickens in the kite, and they have plenty of room to scratch the earth, stretch their wings, and chase each other around.

I wasn't sure about John's design for this chicken kite when he started. I wanted his assurance that it would be aesthetically pleasing. Even as he built it, I wasn't sure it would be. But John's chicken kite is more attractive than any of the chicken tractors I've seen. I absolutely love it!

John's going to build a second kite for the younger chicks which will be ready to move outdoors in a few weeks. This kite won't take nearly as long as the first one did (I hope), but I know John will be making improvements on the design.

I'm anxious to post pictures of the kite and our chickens, but I think John's got a great idea here that folks will want to copy, and I think he should be able to sell the design, or kite kits if he chooses to do so. So I've encouraged John to patent his kite. That's why I'm not posting pics of it yet. Once the patent is established, I'll post pictures with great excitement.

Timing Is Everything

2009-05-10T21:42:00.001-04:00

So far, each year, our gardening efforts have proven better than the year before, in spite of the constant challenges John and I face medically and financially, and our necessary commitments away from home. However, I remain continually frustrated by delays that prevent almost every project from being done in a timely manner.

If I had to look back and choose a moment when the delays first began to happen, I would say it was 4 years ago when John built a pantry for me in a nook in the kitchen. We tore out the carpet, then I scraped the cottage cheese ceiling and painted it and the walls. Then John was to put shelves on three sides of this area - about 3'x4'. The project took 3 months! It was so frustrating for me, waiting and waiting for something to be done that should have only taken a weekend. The delay was caused by a combination of things: John's desire to make it perfect, inadequate work space (we had to set up a place and break it down each time he worked on the pantry), John's job taking him away from home for days at a time, and his health (bouts of exhaustion, and lethargy brought on by a variety of drugs. We didn't know at the time just how bad his health was. We didn't know that until this year.
The next project delay was the well. The pump died close to the end of the summer growing season 4 years ago. We had to carry water from the house to the bottom of our five acres in trash cans. There was no way we could afford the thousands of dollars it would have cost to have professionals fix the problem, but John assured me he was qualified to do the job. He absolutely is, but again, between bad health bouts and attempts to earn a living, the project of fixing the well has stretched into years, and still remains unfinished, primarily, however, due to a lack of finances. So every couple of days during the growing season, for the last 3 years, we haul water to the garden in trash cans, in the back of John's work van. Last year John did manage to pull the pump up the 575 foot well shaft. It took a long time a few feet at a time. This year we think we can afford the new pump. When we get it, I don't know how long it will take to get it installed and working. This year, the delays continue. Winters are almost always mild in our part of Georgia, so I wasn't surprised when the weather turned warm in late January, and continued into February. At the garden center I found tender young plants ready to purchase, and thought the Burpee Company was suggesting that it wasn't too early to get my gardening started. So I bought at least 18 each of Romaine and head lettuce, broccoli, and cauliflower, and a hundred sets each of red and white onions. I knew it was too early to put them in the ground, but I thought I could at least get my container garden started. It was February 28. The next day, March 1, it snowed. Temperatures dropped quickly after that, and it was weeks before I could pot my plants.

In the meantime, soon after the snow melted, we took the plunge and bought baby chicks. The last of John's chickens had aged out and died three years ago, and this year we could finally afford to get more. I rigged a playpen in the laundry room, and we set the chicks up in that while John set to building a tractor, or "kite" as he prefers to call it. Well, he started researching tractor designs. None seemed adequate. We'd heard too many complaints about traditional tractors being too heavy to move easily, and all the designs seemed too small for the number of chickens we would have. It was a few weeks before John was able to come up with a design we both agreed on. He started building it, and along the way had to adjust the design and change/undo some of the things he'd already done. Again, however, other projects were pulling him away and slowing completion. The chicks are more than eight weeks old now, and the playpen is cramped; but John believes he'll have it finished today. I sure hope so.

One of the projects further dividing John's time was our new kitchen garden. The space is about 32' x 22', and we've been working on it since last fall. It should have been cleared, tilled, and amended by November, but John's health was not good, and he wouldn't let me work on the garden without him. We discovered in November that John had previously experienced a mild heart attack, and that he needed surgery to implant stints. He had the surgery just prior to Christmas, and then winter was upon us.

After the surgery, John's health began to show improvement. A diagnosis of sleep apnea and the acquisition of a CPAP has helped improved John's energy level and ability to concentrate. His drugs have been adjusted, and he is doing much better now.

We didn't work on the garden again until March, after the snow, and by then, to me, we were already far behind. Cutting, clearing, burning, tilling, going for and loading mulch, and then manure, then spreading each and working it into the soil, then tilling again... it seemed to take forever. And for the first time in several years of drought, it kept raining this spring, with only a clear day here and there to work outside. In late April, we finally got our tomato plants in the new bed, but we still have a number of other plants waiting for breaks in the rain to allow for planting time. And still other things keep dividing up our time.

I've tried to concentrate on my container garden through all of this. The lettuce have flourished, and are now ready for harvest. Early patio tomatoes are thriving, and a container of Sweet 100s is full of tiny green fruit. I also have several pepper plants that are growing nicely (one even has two small one-inch peppers on it), and several tomato and cucumber plants sprouting nicely from seed. I'm also growing a number of herbs this year; rosemary, lemon thyme, dill, lavender, sweet basil, oregano, flat leaf parsley, curly parsley, and coriander.

My broccoli and cauliflower never got transplanted into the garden in time. The plants are large and lush, but only one broccoli has sprouted, tiny little heads rushing to seed. A first attempt at arugula also bolted quickly to seed, and the one leaf I tasted was terribly bitter. My radishes aren't ready yet, but I'm prepared for them to never bulb. They haven't in the last two years, but I have learned that the young tops are a delicious addition to salads. So at least the radishes aren't a complete loss.

I never even got the chance to plant potatoes, which I specifically wanted to do this year; and our springs are so warm, I always miss the chance to plant early peas. Then there are the onions. I can't express how much I want to grow my own onions this year. I had 200 sets, but the garden bed was never ready in time, and although I potted a few, I didn't have nearly enough pots for them all. So the rest were a loss before they were even begun.

Delays seem inevitable in life. Some we can control, some we can't. I am definitely frustrated by the number of delays John and I have experienced in recent years, in our efforts to make 5 Acre Farm a working, productive farm that can meet our needs and supply a little extra for our extended family. I am frustrated by the limitations of our health and finances, which contribute to the delays, and add to my frustration. Realizing the limitations that John and I have in controlling the delays we face, however, I try to take a deep breath (often) and move forward at whatever pace I can find and manage.

Mario Andretti said, "Circumstances may cause interruptions and delays, but never lose sight of your goal." John and I do have our eyes fixed on the goal. We pray it is still within reach in spite of delays and obstacles.

Saint Francis De Sales said, "Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them - every day begin the task anew." I suppose that's what I've done sometimes, lost patience with myself, and lost courage that the task could be done.

John and I keep saying we wish we were 20 years younger, 10 even. We've waited a lifetime to have a chance for something as good as 5 Acre Farm, but our bodies can't keep up with the dream. That's frustrating, and it's the worst kind of delay. That's difficult to accept. But we're working on it. We're taking things one day at a time and doing what we can each day. It's not about control. It's about patience. And it's about trusting God, to do all He wants to do in us, for us, and through us while we are here at 5 Acre Farm, and while we are on this earth.

John and I are people of faith. We turn to God and His word for guidance and comfort. So we appreciate the verses in James, chapter one, which say, the trying of your faith worketh patience, but let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Right now, John and I have our dreams, and we have 5 Acre Farm. We have a modest income, and each day, we have a certain amount of health. We also have faith that God has put us here at this time to do what we can. That is enough for us. His timing for all of this is everything.