countrylane's Blog
countrylane's Blog
Last Post 1 day, 19 hours Ago
Jul 22, 2008 | 8:55 AM PST
Wow! What a storm we had last night. Roared thru here around 1:30 a.m. Looked like strobe lights outside, the lightening was striking one right after the other. Lots of wind too. But it's cooler this morning! Yesterday, I was walking around the yard, checking on all the growing things. Found a summer squash ready to be picked. Thought maybe the cucumbers might have some ready. Glad I checked! At least a dozen! Most of them were getting too big, past their prime, but we will still eat them and enjoy! Came up with my own version of a cucumber sandwich. Used a tortilla, spread it with ranch dressing, layed some slices of turkey on top of the dressing, then sliced the cucumbers very thin and layed them on top of the turkey. Rolled up and enjoyed! Yum! I also picked a mixing bowl full of peas. Need to shell them today.
Hubby is in Georgia picking up a load to bring back up to Kentucky. He said he missed the storms, but is enjoying the cooler weather. Having mom over this evening for supper and cards. We were supposed to go to VBS today, but it was called off due to most of the kids are sick (hand, foot, mouth disease). THe Lord was really protecting our boys this past Sunday, when they could have been exposed to the children who are sick, but they weren't. He does protect even when we don't know it. (By the way, we go to a small church, yet have lots of kids. VBS is usually just the kids in our church, though by the last meeting, there's a few others that trickle in.)
Made a couple of new necklaces. Love to make beaded necklaces. So relaxing and a way to vent my imagination. I did sell some at a family reunion a few weeks back. Wasn't looking to do that, but an aunt was buying them before I knew it. She wouldn't just take them. I have a few that I need to make and then send them to those who wanted me to make one with them in mind.
Jul 21, 2008 | 12:07 PM PST
My dear hubby and I had a most wonderful weekend. We were celebrating our 14th anniversary early. We left Saturday morning for Cincinnatti (we dropped the kids off at my mom's house). We actually stayed in a hotel in Newport, across the river from Cincinnatti. We went to the Newport Aquarium (COOL!!!!), went to a bookstore, watched the new "Dark Knight" movie, and went to a Reds game (they won!!!!) Then we walked back to the Newport across the Purple People Bridge. It was so nice and moonlit! We ate at Joe's Crabshack and then went back to the hotel. It was so nice not to have to worry about feeding 3 boys at the regular eating times (we ate supper at 10:30 p.m.) and just be "us" again! We came home Sunday afternoon. The boys did miss us, but they had fun with grandma, too! It's such a blessing to have family so close! The aquarium is definitely the money to go in. Shark-petting, too! Had to talk DH to pet one. He wasn't so keen on it. :) Bawk-bawk-bawk! My brother, Unca John, took the kids on a ride on his 4-wheeler. #2 son loved it! #3 son wasn't about to get on it, he was too busy with Rocky, Unca John's dog. It was a beautiful weekend. Hot, but beautiful!
Jul 17, 2008 | 1:08 PM PST
I don't know how it can be so hot and humid and not a cloud in the sky! Just hanging the clothes out on the line made me sweat! I gave the mint a haircut. It was taking over the garden that it is in. Now the okra and the one watermelon will be able to get some more sun. I pulled some weeds and checked on the peas in the other bed on the west side of the house. Not ready yet. One of the hot pepper plants have some big peppers on it. I guess I'll wait til it turns color? My first year to grow those. The cucumbers, autumn clematis and pole beans are all clambering up the hog panel arbors. I hadn't thought that the cukes would do that, but they are. I don't mind though. The zinnias out by the road are blooming and looking real nice. I took pictures of flowers the other night. Hope to enter one into the fair next year.
Talked to the friend who farms around us. We both agree that this is such a strange year, summer. Everything seems to be mixed up. Timing all off.
Some friends are coming by tonight. THey are having a house built out this way, so after he mows, they are coming over. Their oldest, who is 3, loves to play with our three.
Jul 15, 2008 | 3:35 PM PST
Last night, we all went to the Decatur County Fair and watched the tractor pulls. #2 son lit up like a firecracker! He yelled, "WOW, did you see that???", as loud as he could after each pull! Too funny! These were the suped up farm tractors. Black smoke would roll out of their exhaust pipe and some would do wheelies on their way down. #1 son liked the wheelies. #3 son could have cared less; He lit up when we went to pet the animals. He loved the pony, which he called a cow, though there was a cow next to it. :) And he loved the goats. They all were too cute. I've often thought that a goat or two would be fun to have around. We then got a milk shake and then drove home. It was a nice evening and they have a real nice fair. Makes our fair shameful!
Today, I was able to pick some peas. Not much yet but I was delighted! Mowed grass and after supper (homemade pizza) my mom's coming over to play cards with me. Anyone ever heard of "Hand and Foot"? :) (By the way, dear hubby went to Toledo, OH, so he won't be home. We will miss him. )
Jul 14, 2008 | 7:46 AM PST
It's been awhile since I've been on. I had trouble getting on this site for some reason, but now I am on again. I was beginning to miss getting on GG. I wanted to tell about the evening that I had outside a few evenings ago. It was a beautiful day! Blue, blue sky and not a cloud, except a wisp here and there. Perfect temps and just a breeze. I sat out in a chair under a tree and read a book while the kids played in the yard. My #1 son was bent on making himself sick with winding up the tire swing and then sitting in it and letting it go. :) Every kid should have a tire swing! Beans are blooming-they are purple blooms! The peas are filling out in the pods. The onions are growing big in the soil, the carrots are filling out, the cukes and squash are forming. The okra is getting tall, the pumpkins are going to bloom soon. The watermelon love their new bed, out in the sun. The tomatoes are filled with green ones. The kids were all getting along. It was very theraputic esp. for someone with a summer cold ( I hate these things). Very relaxing.
By the way, the sticks I place around the bottom of the pole beans to keep some critter from chomping on them must have worked, for they are all growing and nothing has eaten the leaves since. I cleared the sticks away and all looks great!
Jul 10, 2008 | 7:07 AM PST
Dug up some irises. Mom-in-law had been wanting some of the many blue or purple ones that I have. She's promised to give me some of hers that aren't blue or purple. Mom gave me yellow ones, but they haven't bloomed yet. Maybe next year. But while I was digging up and seperating the bulbs, some were squishy and big ol' worms came out of them! Yuck! So those got thrown into the compost pile. Under a pile of yucky weeds wet from the rain. Maybe it's too wet where I had these bulbs. Besides, I planted a raspberry start there. When I move all the watermelons from the bed on the side of the hill, then I will plant some irises there instead.
Noticed lots of poison ivy starting to make its appearance around the yard. I'm going to have to pull them. In the past, before having the twins, I would be a mess about 2 or 3 times a year with poison ivy. I always made a yearly visit to the doctor's for a shot and for him and the nurses to go, "Ewww!". I'd get it in my eyes, ears, on my lips, lids, etc. But my body changed after having the twins. Now I get it but it's just a little spot here and there. No huge rash!
Gotta go and mow the grass this morning. I love to mow!
Jul 9, 2008 | 7:52 AM PST
I have heard of people de-stinking a skunk. Won't do it to one though, as some day I would love to have chickens, and they love eggs. Plus it wouldn't be a good choice for a pet for my 3 boys. #2 son is a little leary of animals, though from afar he croons over them. #3 son loves them and seems to get along with them. #1 son wants to get a dog, though I'm waiting for the right one to come along. The Lord knows the right one for us and His timing is perfect. (Though it sure is hard to wait!)
It's raining again. Seems it just about dries out, then it rains...again! I've never seen it rain here like this. Even in '94 when the Mississippi flooded from all the rain. Towns and cities have flooded around here that one wouldn't think it would flood! I think sweet corn will be a rarity around here. But, I don't have to water. I rather enjoy watering the plants, but I never do as good as a job as the Lord does. And I don't have to mess with the skeeters while watering. They are bad this year!
I think I will have to transplant the watermelons that I had planted on the side of the hill, outside the twins' room. To much shade there and they seem to dry out too fast. That's okay. But I have to wait till it stops raining...
Jul 8, 2008 | 2:59 PM PST
That's what my #1 son said as he came running down to the house. I had promised to go with him on a bicycle ride on Sunday, but when he opened up the shed doors, he said the flower pots came down and there behind them was a skunk! He lit out of there like a house afire! Can't blame him. Hubby and I went around on either side of the doors and together shut up the shed, until that evening. We also threw in some moth balls, hoping this would drive out Pepe La Pew! I checked on the shed today, and I couldn't find him, so hoping he crawled out the window. Need to put up some cardboard so he doesn't revisit it. I don't know where he's been living, but I sure smell him at night. One night, I was on the computer and heard something on the porch. Figured it was coons, and almost rushed out the door to scare them off. Glad I didn't! It was a skunk! Last year, we had a family of them living in the old Hickory tree. But she moved her babies out of there and out to the old barn. But we would still see Mr. Skunk, who was almost all white, once in a while ambling off across the field. Guess he was looking for some chicken eggs for a snack. They are cute and some are quite pretty. Sure would make a pet people would talk about, if you could de-stink it first.
By the way, zinnias are starting to bloom and they are so pretty! Also, I finally did a job I wasn't looking forward to doing...thinning out the carrots. I sure hate to pull things that have so willingly started to grow in my garden. :( I know I had to do it, so that the carrots would be big when I pulled them this fall, but still...
Jul 8, 2008 | 7:35 AM PST
It's been awhile since I've blogged (a week maybe) and I've missed the company! We had a great weekend! The family we had out turned out to be a great choice and we all enjoyed the friendship and conversation! And all the kids played well! One of our guests wanted me to go around and share all about my plants/flowers. I was in "hog heaven" talking about them. Like a proud mother hen talking about her chicks. Sunday evening, friend brought a golden raspberry plant for me. He's been promising me one for about a year. I had a bed all ready for the plant, just waiting for it's homecoming. It blooms twice a year, so double the harvest.
This weekend was good and bad...The truck's rear end went out, the freezer died and the washing machine is on its last leg. The washer is being prayed through right now. :) The freezer was full of beef and fruit that I have been getting when it's on sale and had washed and froze to use during the winter. I'm hoping that the strawberries and cherries are okay, but everything else I'm sure I will have to get rid of. Makes one kind of sick. But we're praying that the Lord will provide. He knows our desires and our needs.
Jul 2, 2008 | 6:41 AM PST
My hubby said that he remembered things he learned in horiculture class about cold frames. And mom's lent me a book about country living that's called "Back to Basics". They have some ideas on cold frames. I know I can round up some old windows from someone, even maybe mom. I'm really looking forward to having those. Yesterday, I mowed the place, while hubby weed-eated (Yum!!--LOL) and burnt the pile of sticks that have been growing since last fall. Wow, what a difference! Noticed lots of blooms on the squash, volunteer pumpkin, and cucumbers. Also the peas, and maters have blooms on them. Getting ready for the weekend. We're trying to decide on two groups of people to invite. Either the group that we all enjoy having out and have a great time with or the other group of people that we haven't had out for a long time, but there is a reason for this. (smirk) It sounds like a no-brainer, but still...
Jul 1, 2008 | 6:08 AM PST
Planted the blackberries, tomato, and the bachelor's buttons. Talking to a friend on Sunday at church, the subject of cold frames popped up. We both were talking about how hard it is to get the maters that you start in the spring to produce anything before the first frost in the fall. He suggested building a cold frame. Of course, I had heard of them and knew roughly what they were, but figured I would never have one, so I haven't paid much attention. But when I mentioned it to dear hubby, he told me about them and was all for building a couple of them! Yea! My mom has a tomato variety that was my grandma's favorite. Big yellow ones with red stripes, and not much acid. (Grandma's tummy couldn't handle the acid very well, but she loved maters. That's why she grew this one kind, for her to eat.) This way I can keep those seeds going, growing that plant each year! And keep the torpedo and hopefully if I get the spoon, then those two, too. (Does that make sense?) Same friend gave me a baggy with some seeds of a parsley that tastes like licorice??? Mom had heard of it, but others haven't. Anyone know the name of it?
Jun 28, 2008 | 11:16 AM PST
Dropped off #1 son's 4-H project today and they judged it as it came in...blue ribbon!!! Yea!!! Also went to the farmer's market on the square. They have it every Sat. morning during the summer, but I'm never in town on Saturdays, so I took the oppurtunity to stop in. Great stuff! Lots of plants! I got 4 thornless blackberry bushes for a bargain price, since it was so close to closing time. Been wanting to get me some of these for a couple of years now. Perfect timing too, since veggie planting time is over. But I also bought a "Pavabactum piriforme" tomato from France. The lady calls them "Pink Torpedo" for short. She was telling me all about a "Spoon" tomato that she had, but couldn't find it. She promised to have some next week, but I don't know if I could get there then. The spoon variety are the world's smallest tomato. It takes 20 to fill a Tbsp. These torpedos are small also, and she said the flavor is exceptional. So I guess I did have to plant a veggie when I got home. Also got some scarlett runner beans for next year and 6 bachelor button flowers. I was very excited! I was thinking of getting watermelon and sweet corn (didn't have any there) but this is just as good if not better!
Jun 27, 2008 | 8:42 AM PST
To plants that is, though #1 son looks as though he could use one too. Been trimming back the lemon balm and the irises. Also cutting back the spent resurrection lilies' leaves and tulips, daffodils, too. Looks much better. Gives breathing room and sunshine to the other plants around them. Also gave the oregano/marjoram a haircut. Wow! what a difference that made. Looks like I'll be busy transplanting some of the irises from the bed around the LP tank. Too many in there and wasn't many blooms there this spring. (I get to make some new beds!) Put down some wet newspaper on the path in my little garden with the herbs/flowers/a few veggies in it. I had put in a path a couple of years ago and meant to put down something to keep the weeds from growing. It keeps little feet from running through the plants to get to the other side (never mind going around!). Anyway, after I put down wet newspaper, I put the remaining mulch down that I got for my birthday. Hubby said it looked like we need more. :) The county repaved the road/lane in front of our house. Been sneezing all morning. Allergic to the tar??? Looks nice, but it won't for long. I'd rather have gravel, though it does pick up dust. Oh, well. Newly paved roads, regardless of where they end up, seem to attract speeders. Group of boys in a hot rod car went speeding down the road two days ago, blaring the horn. Must have gone all the way back to the creek and had to turn around. (There is a sign telling anyone that the road has no outlet.) Flipped me off on their way back. Makes me so mad and furious, esp. since I have little ones around...
Jun 26, 2008 | 2:52 PM PST
Seems that my sticks are working. I'll let you all know if it doesn't. Wish I had thought of that a few bean plants ago... Hubby is on his way to Georgia. Trucking has been slow the last two weeks. Seems the only way to make good money is to be over the road to some far state. He will likely be home tomorrow night. We will miss him, we always do. But I have gotten used to it, had to, you know. It rained here today. So I won't have to use the hose. God always does a much better job watering the plants than I do anyway. Lots of little toadies in the yard. Keeps the boys busy in putting them in the gardens. Blossoms are on the squash! Little green maters in Early girl! Little hot peppers growing! All this teasing! Been enjoying eating on the patio of an evening. Everything tastes so much better outside...
Jun 25, 2008 | 12:37 PM PST
Something keeps eating off the tops of my pole beans (they must taste good). I keep meaning to get me some hot sauce when I go grocery shopping each week, but I always forget (hard to keep my mind on what I am doing, with three boys to keep my eyes on). So I thought about stringing up some string across them or around them or something, but I couldn't find my jute string (I never seem to be able to find that stuff when I need it). So I had a handful of sticks destined for the burn pile when I had a brainstorm. I placed them on top of the beans, esp. the sticks with lots of little twigs sticking out of them. The other ones that were taller and hadn't been munched on yet, I put sticks up around them and wove littler sticks through the bigger ones. I think that the beans will be fine when they are bigger or maybe by then I will find the jute??? Hope this stops whatever critter is munching on them or at lest deters them.
Note: the Nicotania is not growing. I guess it doesn't do well here in Indiana. Crazy spring probably didn't help. Thought the pot I had them in with the old horse manure would encourage them to grow...:(
