What's Happening in my Garden.....

I am a renter, but currently trying to change that.  My sweet hunny and I are on the house hunt.  Knowing this, I hesitate to landscape and garden since I am always deeply saddened to leave behind plants I have raised and loved.  As a result, it is all about container gardening for me this year.  I still have some more work to do, but I am really enjoying the look of my garden.  I have some photos to share....

This is my lovely little basil plant that was given to me when it had but three leaves on it.

This is a photo of the moonvine and morning glory plants my daughter and I planted as seeds just a couple of months ago.  Unfortunately there are no blooms the day this was taken, but just know they are lovely.  There are white, blue, purple, and variegated varieties in that one box. (Note the thriving okra plant at the bottom center..)

It is not the best photo, but there are two passion vine cuttings that have finally taken root (thank you Katinka) and are beginning to become proper plantykins.  I cannot wait until the precious, unique flowers are in full blossom!!

This is another box of moonvine and morning glory plants my daughter and I are nurturing.  We are hoping they will wrap around and take over the whole bench.  That would be site indeed.

Well, there are many more photos, but I will leave it at that for now.  By the next update on my garden, I hope to have pictures of my herb seedlings, as well as Before and After photos of the back yard.....

Bright Lights, Big City

I am ever so excited.  I went seed shopping today, on the internet.  The result:  I have a large amount of organic herb seeds coming to mi casa. As terribly excited as I am, I am uncertain as to what I will do with all the seeds.  Each package contains 100 seeds, and as a container gardener, I won't use but 20 at most.  Cases such as this bring out the entrepreneur in me.


My small fantasy, is that I will cultivate and grow into seedlings, these certified organic herbs.  Then, once they are ready to be transplanted, I will sell them on craigslist, for a small amount.  To recoup my cost is simple, as the seeds themselves were not costly.  Plus, the time invested is worth it to me, as I love watching things grow and nurturing new life.  In all, I see it as a winning situation.


Here is a list of the seeds I ordered:
Ashwaganda
Black Cumin
Echinacea Angustifolia
Echinacea Purpurea
Geman Chamomile
Roman Chamomile
Lemon Balm 
Lemon Bergamot
Licorice
Peppermint
Wormwood

I am the girl who talks to birds

Or, at least I try to.  I don't even realize I am doing it much of the time.  I will see a pretty birdie and will find myself attempting to communicate with it.  It makes me giggle to imagine what folks who randomly happen upon my "kaa ka kaaaaa!" are thinking.

I have always felt a bit connected to black birds and magpies everywhere.  I am a scavenger who tends to be distracted easily by glittery, shiny things.  My collection of found objects is tucked in various places throughout my nest.


Take a gander at a few little bits I have picked up recently....

 I love cicadas.  As an Oregonian, I had never seen a cicada until I moved to Texas.  I was ecstatic to have found this one in perfect condition.

I was tickled when I saw this on the ground near my feet.  Magnolia trees are another native Texan I didn't see much of in Oregon.  Their seed pods are amazing, and look like something from a prehistoric garden, don't you think?  I love the blooms on a magnolia tree, though I am not too fond of the trees.  Texas trees are more like shrubbery than the gargantuan trees I grew up around.....

The nest is not a found object, but the wee butterfly is.  Isn't she lovely?  I am always mesmerized by butterflies.  Just the other day I was chasing one in the playground with my children.  We thought sure we could capture it, but alas, it was not meant to be....

 Found this little eggie a while ago, in the beginning of Spring.  I wanted to share it along with my other found objects, though, as it is so lovely.  I appreciate its pale, pale blue accompanied by odd markings of a purpley black color. 

I am currently working on some 3d collages that incorporate some of my precious found objects.  As soon as they are finished, I will post photos here.

My daily itinerary.....

Recently, my life (as well as the life of my family) has become a bit more chaotic.... or busy, rather. This is due to the death of our 'other' car, making us a one car household.  As a result, my freedom of timetable is greatly lessened.  Here is what a 'normal' day looks like, until we get our 'other-other' car fixed.....

4 am - Wake up and take the honey to work

4:45 - Arrive back at the house, put the kiddos in their beds, and hope they go back to sleep

5 am - Eat breakfast, lay out clothes, check email, pack lunches, drink coffee read facebook, finish homework etc.

6 am - Get the wee ones up and feed them breakfast

6:30 am - Dress bebes, do hair,  water plants

7am - leave and take wee ones to Summer Camp

8 am Catch bus from UT to Internship

9 - 11 am - Teach English to Refugess (Internship)

11:30 - 1pm - MES class

1 - 4 work on homework, readings, and various other school stuff

4 - 5 - fetch my wee ones and drive home

5 - 6 -  Make dinner then sit down to eat

6 - 6:30 - eat and relax

6:30 - 7(ish) - Pick up the honey from work

7 - 8 - bathe and prepare the wee peoples for bed

8 - ??? Hang out with the honey, do homework, etc.


I do so hope that we can get the 'other-other' vehicle up and running soon, as I have so little time right now. I feel that I am always in a rush. There has been no art done in my home, at least not by me.  I have a creative yearning, but very little time or energy to put aside for its expression.....

Bureaucratic Bullpoop

My college financial aid office is being ridiculously slow about getting me my money!  Myself and numerous other folks I know are halfway through the first summer session and have still not gotten our funds.  As a result, we were forced to take out tuition loans, which cost us both finance charges and interest.


Do to the 'recession,' our University has been suffering budget cuts.  I theorize that, as a means of recovering from these cutbacks, they are causing students to have to take such measures (tuition loans).  Think of it, $25 from just 1,000 of 50,000+ students... That is a good bit of scratch!


I have a meeting with my fin aid counselor on Monday though, and I have high hopes that I will get my check at some point early this coming week.....(Please send prayers this way)..... *When( this does happen, I have a small list of 'necessities' I am gonna purchase:


I will invest in a new parasol/umbrella.  My last one served me well, but her time has passed...



















My textbooks for the fall.  I would like to have a bit of a head start on my final semester, but we know what they say about 'good intentions.'
  



















I need a new pair of 'every day' shoes.  I was thinking about buying some Earth Shoes

I need a proper tuning key for my Celtic Harp

..... and my one major luxury item, though I hope to improve my business and art with it, is.....

Over Indulgence

I met a fabulous woman yesterday - Young, "not old"- and we had a lovely conversation as my Honey shopped for hair products.  Young was well traveled and wise.  During our exchange, she summed up the problems plaguing most humans, especially Americans.

According to this sagely woman, for one to remain in good health, it is important that you not eat to fullness.  It is better to eat 'just enough,' leaving a bit of room in the stomach for proper digestion.  So, too, it is with life.  We mustn't stuff ourselves to capacity, but take/use only 'just enough.'

Personal Growth

Initially, when I began this journal, I was going to showcase my crafting and art.  However, this has turned into a chronicle of my person growth.  I am not planning to stray too far from that, but I do want to add my crafty side as well. Unfortunately, my life has been so taken up with my studies and my family that I have not been altogether crafty as of late (unless you count my daily cooking projects)....

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Recently I read a quote that truly effected my outlook and energy placement in the realm of relationships.  Though I know not where the quote came from, or the exact wording, I am going to attempt to put it down here:

"Do not make a priority anyone to whom you are just an option."

When I read this, it was stated in a much more succinct and eloquent order, but you can get the  general idea from this.... Anyway, this really effected me.  I thought about it a good bit.  It seemed that there was a significant number of people who I sought to have involved in my life.  I would expend energy in trying to cultivate a relationship with these people, but I was the only one who was really putting energy and effort to make the relationship blossom.

This realization was/is very intense to me.  Knowing that there are already very amazing and wonderful people who make my friendship a priority, and any time that I spend chasing unfulfilled friendships was taking time away from cultivating true friendships, and (more importantly) spending time with my family.  This does not mean that I will not cultivate new friendships, I just won't get involved in a one-sided relationship anymore.  I will not make someone a priority, if I am to them just an option.....