books, lists and should vs. want

One of the things I want to add to my summer manifesto (that I keep mentioning but have yet to write) is reading...a book, or two (or three or four)...from start to finish.

I have been reading other people's reading lists and perusing the book aisle at Costco now and then to see what I might like to read. So I'm sitting here thinking about books I need to look into, and thinking about the manifesto and the summer break and how I know it's gonna fly by so fast I'm not even going to believe it and how I really should do my should-do's before my want-to's, when it occurred to me...

...I have a stack of books on my very own bookshelf (and on my nightstand and on my other book shelf) that I have yet to read. Why is it I am looking for ways to gather more reading material when I haven't even read the material I already have? Isn't this always the question? I blame Pinterest...constantly gathering ideas and inspiration but never making the time to execute any of it. (Except recipes...I execute those, thank goodness or I'd feel like a total Pinterest fail!)

So...along with the manifesto, I will be writing a list of books I already have in my possession and I will make my selections from there. Novel idea, eh? (Get it? Did you see what I did there? Man, I crack myself up.)

Another thought just occurred to me...it's looking like I am going to need to make a list of the lists I need to make. Have I mentioned how much I love lists? Maybe once or twice, I'm thinking.

How about you? What are you reading this summer? Maybe I already have it on my bookshelf and we can compare notes!

the dust is settling...



Flickr favorites...mostly brown...see who did all of this....

I'm going slow...yesterday and today.

Yesterday turned into an impromptu "clean out under the kitchen sink" day...which then led to a on my hands and knees bathroom floor scrubbing day...not to mention taking care of a good four or five loads of laundry.

Thank goodness for leftovers.

I don't have much to say today...my thoughts are still deep...but there were a few things that I wanted to share.

Some of you have inquired about the mosaics of photos like the one above...I make them at bighugelabs.com...click on Mosaic Maker..and go for it!

Chris and I signed up for Netflix a few weeks ago. I was searching around for a documentary...had clicked on Food Inc. and was going to watch it but really wasn't in the mood for something that heavy. I dug around a bit more when I came across Food Matters...an amazing and informative documentary focusing on food for health...vs. medications. It really confirmed much of what's been rumbling through my brain lately.

Have you seen Born Into Brothels? Incredible. Moving. And hard to take. This documentary should not be viewed around children...the language is over the top offensive. Really. And the subject matter, obviously, is not for everyone. I grabbed it on a whim at the library and was glad that I did...an eye-opener to say the least.

I'm reading through The Kind Diet...it's inspiring me to add more raw food to our meals. I'm quite sure I won't be making raw pizza or raw lasagna...the idea of trying to make something gooey out of uncooked random ingredients is not at all appetizing to me. However, eating raw veggies, raw fruits and good salads full of good, nutritious food is.

I'm also reading through A Householder's Guide to the Universe: A Calendar of Basics for the Home and Beyond. Entertaining. Informative. And down to earth...

Oh...and while I'm at it, sharing controversial things and all, I'll go ahead and recommend another great documentary...Collapse by Michael Ruppert. I'll let you look it up if you want to...peak oil...government...etc. Good stuff...if you're interested in those things.

I hope all is well in your little corner of the world. I hope your gardens are growing...your families are well...and your hearts are full. xo

My new favorite gardening book.



My new favorite garden book. Love it!

 I have a new favorite garden book...The Kitchen Garden by Alan Buckingham. I'm pretty sure I purchased this book at Costco...over a year ago. Would you believe it's been sitting on my shelf for over a year and that I just pulled it down a few days ago for the first time? Yep. It's true. And let me tell you...I am so glad that I did! This is seriously my new favorite garden book.

I have to tell you I have a very short attention span. I get bored easily. When I am gathering information I just want bullet-points...bam, bam, bam. I don't have the patience to read a big, long diatribe as to the importance of microbes in the soil and what they do, and why...and where...and how...step by step. Blah blah blah. I know some people thrive on that type of information...I...am not one of them.

I've decided that is the exact reason why I am loving The Kitchen Garden so much. It is broken down into manageable sections...Kitchen garden know-how, the Kitchen garden calendar, Crop planner and Troubleshooting.

So far my favorite section is the Kitchen garden calendar. Each month it gives a list of Top Tasks... what to harvest, what to plant, what to sow, what to pick...it's all laid out...right there on the page. Then each page after that gives detailed (but not too detailed) instructions on what to do, how and when along with many beautiful photographs.

The Crop planner is another great section. This section gives detailed information about planting, growing and harvesting many fruits, herbs and vegetables we commonly grow in our home gardens. There are also instructions for putting together raised garden beds and compost bins. There are tips on planting and pruning and protecting those precious seedlings from pests. There are instructions for storing your fruits and vegetables over the winter and cleaning up your garden for the dormant season. Oh...and did I mention the gorgeous photographs? Mm, mm...love this book.

Anyway...I just wanted to share this new (to me) find with you...and remind you that if it's been sitting on your shelf, unopened, you need to open it. It truly is that good. And if it's not sitting on your shelf, and you'd like it to be you can find links to it in this post as well as in my Amazon widget in the sidebar to the right. If you do happen to order it through my Amazon link I will get a small commission. Thank you in advance!

And have a great, productive weekend!

Planning the garden, missing Grandpa Fred and some helpful books.

Can you say "salsa"? Pepper and tomato
plants waiting patiently to be planted.

Last weekend we expanded the garden. Instead of roughly 130 sq. ft. of dirt we now have about 480 sq. ft. of dirt. WOW! This is huge for me...considering when I very first began trying my hand at gardening (15 years ago) I was working with one raised bed measuring 4x4 feet! I did square foot gardening before it was even invented...you should have seen how much I crammed into that tiny space!

I have to say...it wasn't a success. At all. So I gave up.

Until...

We went to visit Chris' grandparents at their home in a small town in Ohio about 6 years ago. It was an amazing time for our whole family. We all have very fond memories of that family trip. It was so much fun. It was the first time I'd met Grandpa Fred...and I felt loved and accepted instantly. I was able to spend some time in Grandpa's garden...pulling weeds and helping him harvest the garlic. I made the mistake of asking him if he'd ever grown flowers in his garden. His reply, and you've heard me quote it before, "Why grow it if you can't eat it?" (He may or may not have tossed in an expletive for effect. ;) Grandpa Fred went to heaven three years ago....three years ago today as a matter of fact. We really miss him...so much.

I especially miss him during gardening season...he was a wealth of information about gardening. He gardened his whole life...BIG gardens. But as he got older and his battle with MS got a little harder he narrowed his growing choices to tomatoes, garlic and horseradish. And each year he and Grandma would make their famous (literally in their small town...this sauce was highly coveted by many. :) tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce and spicy horseradish. Each year around this time, as I start to plan our garden, I inevitably have questions and my first thought is, "I wish I could call Grandpa."

Thanks to Grandpa I decided to try my hand at gardening again. Over the next few years I planted a few things here and there. A tomato plant or two...a cucumber vine and a few beans...and with each attempt and small success my confidence grew. Then  a few years ago God had gave me 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12...and I knew it was time to garden on purpose. I planted a few more tomatoes, a few more peppers, some cucumbers and nasturtiums...the basics. And this time, it was a success. We grew a bonafide garden. We grew our own food. It was awesome and I was hooked.

Back to this year's garden: thanks to the help of my husband and the boys, we have a larger garden area. And now that it's a reality I can't quite decide what to plant and where! Part of the problem is that dang pecan tree...and not knowing when it will be trimmed back (issues with the power company and dangerous power lines, etc...lots of phone messages being left and waiting on return calls..) and exactly how much more sun the tree trim will actually allow in.



Oh cherry plum tree, such a thorn in
our side. Keep it? Or chop it?

Not to mention the small cherry plum tree that is in the back corner of the garden. Should I just get rid of it because it doesn't produce tasty fruit? Or give it a year...trim it...fertilize it...and see if it improves? (Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.)

In the meantime, I need to get some vegetables in the ground! Especially the ones that we bought last weekend to take advantage of the sale at the hardware store. We got 6 pepper plants and 4 tomatoes...can you say, "homemade salsa"? I can! My husband has honed his salsa making skills...makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Mm, mm, mm...can't wait!

I love garden planning. I have planned gardens and landscapes for years. I pull out my beloved graph paper...and the colored pencils. I open up the garden catalogs and the stack of garden books I've collected and spread them out all over the table. And then...I plan the perfect garden...on paper. It's always perfect on paper! But not until now has the big, perfect garden become a possible reality. And now I don't know what to do!!

So I just decided to do what I've always done. Get out the graph paper...and the pencils...and the stack of garden catalogs and books. The books I am currently using are Carrots Love Tomatoes, The Backyard Homestead and The Kitchen Garden. (More on The Kitchen Garden tomorrow! It's my new favorite gardening book! It's amazing...) Sounds like a recipe for a beautiful vegetable garden. Now, if I could just get this darn pecan tree taken care of we'd be in business!

Do you already have some food in the ground?

Seeds started?

How's your garden planning coming along?

And what should I do with that crazy little cherry plum tree?

And the WINNER is....

Thank you to everyone who signed up to be in the

100 Followers Celebration!!

The lucky winner of The Quick-Fix Home Organizer is.......

Eliza J!!

Congratulations Eliza J!! Send me an email to let me know your mailing address so I can send your book and CD (and a few other goodies) in the mail to you next week!!

That was so much fun...I love Giveaways. I wish I could do it every day! But until I hit the lottery....that probably won't be happening any time soon. Come to think of it...since I don't even play the lottery...it probably really won't happen!

Anyway...thank you again for playing along with me!

taking time...

In between getting ready for Belgium...and getting ready for the women's retreat at my new church...and every day living, I've been stopping here and there to read bits of an interesting book I borrowed from the library, A Thousand Years Over a Hot Stove. 

If you like history...and food...and cooking...I think you will really enjoy this book. It's amazing to see how far we've come in regard to food. In regard to how it's obtained...how it's prepared...where it all came from. I guess I should say, it's amazing to see how far we've come FROM food.

This book is definitely going on my list of  "books to watch for at the used book store." It has great information and interesting historical recipes...some that make you cringe a little and some that just might be worth a try sometime!

Back to school.

As many of you know, I have recently returned to college to complete my degree. FINALLY. Going to college is a lot different now than it was when I started. (Which was just a few years ago...right? What? It WAS just a few years ago! At least it feels like it was...!)

OK, fine. It was many years ago. But...that's not the point here. The point here is that I finally learned how to go into the college web site! I deciphered all of my PINS and all of my passwords. I learned how to get my school email, how to attend a class online, AND how to check my grades. And guess what? I got an A in my first class!!! Oh my gosh...talk about excited! I was SO excited. But it was funny...I was at the college office, surrounded by very somber people, and I'm trying to hoot and holler over my A and nobody is humoring me. At all. Not even a little. I guess people get A's all the time or something. And good for them! I'm not one of them, however. So this was BIG for me! It made my day. And night. I was still pumped at 11 o'clock last night. Come to think of it, I'm still pumped this morning!

Getting an A really boosted my confidence in this whole "back to school" thing I got going. I question myself daily about this decision. And I sometimes doubt that I'll be able to do it. I wonder what the heck I'm thinking trying to go to college AND work AND raise kids AND pay attention to my hubby AND everything else.

But you know...so far it's been really good. And my family is so supportive and has really stepped up to the plate with helping me around here. If I have to study or write a paper they take care of things. They really clear the way for me to do what I need to do. What a blessing...I'm one lucky girl.

Once I got over my doubt...and realized that I really am going to be able to DO this...I confidently signed up for my first online class. I am still struggling with my major. So I took a class that applies to either one. I will have to make a decision this next week, though....Social Science or Liberal Studies. Liberal Studies is the best decision. Social Science is the most interesting decision. But...as we know...time is of the essence. So...it's looking like I'm about to be a Liberal Studies major. Which is fine. It's good. It's all just a means to an end. And if I can do it in three fewer classes as a Lib Studies major, why is there even a question? I'll tell you why there's a question. Because once I get something in my mind it takes a while for me to readjust my thinking when things change. Because I'm stubborn. And rigid at times. That's why. But I'm working on that...really. I am.

Another change was that originally I planned on taking two classes each 8-week session. But this time around I'm only taking one, again. Eventually, I will need to take two classes per session if I want a degree before I'm a hundred years old. But for now...at this season of life I feel like I need one more session to get my feet wet. Especially since I'm trying my hand at an online class. I've never taken an online class before and I had no idea what to expect. So I decided to take just one class again. If the online class goes well I will probably arrange it so I can take one class online and one class on campus each session until I'm done. That way I won't have to be gone so much. It sounds good on paper...I'm hoping it works out like I imagine it will.

So what class are you taking, Michelle? Why, thank you for asking! I'm going to take Liberal Studies 300...a required course by Chapman. To tell you the truth...I don't even know what Liberal Studies IS. But I'm about to find out! See that stack of books in the picture? The top three books are for my class. And you know the great thing about those three books? I didn't have to pay for them! The financial aide guy at the college, Mario, had them and let me borrow them! He told me it was on my "honor". I replied, "I'm honorable!" So I better not lose them...I'd be so embarrassed!

And for someone who was never really a big reader (I went in spurts when I was younger...but hated to read books that were assigned. Such a rebel, aren't I? A brat is more like it!) I sure have a big stack of books on my night stand! I have to say, in the past 3 years or so I've come to really love reading and learning new things. I will admit, though, I'm still feeling a little rebellious about reading something someone tells me to read. Because I can be a bit of a brat on occasion (no comments from the peanut gallery!) I only want to read what I WANT to read. But I am almost 43 for crying out loud. I think it's time to stop acting 14. You think? I'll have to discipline myself to read school books first, library books second. I'll have to treat my self like I treat my kids. Because apparently rebellion isn't something one outgrows so easily.

Gray Saturday...and a good find.

{my little boys...about 10 years ago...this picture hangs on the side of the fridge...I miss those days..}

It's Saturday...and rainy...and gray...and lazy! Ian has been playing video games all day. Seth has been laying on the couch...or on his bed...or on MY bed...all day. He did get up first thing and go for a physical and then some conditioning for baseball. But since then? He's been down. And I am letting him. His days are long...Chris drops him off at school at 6:40 on his way to the shop. He goes to school all day...then straight to practice after school...and then home around 5:30 or so. That's an 11 hour day! So I figure if he wants to relax...he should.

Chris has been going like crazy too. He ended up taking a nap today! He rarely naps...so I figure he must have needed it.

And me? I've done some laundry. Run to the store. Stopped at the thrift shop. And then to the used book store. And...guess what I found? One of the exact books I've been looking for!! What are the chances of that? I've had this book on my Wishlist for months! I first found it at the library and loved it. Eventually I had to return it...but then I checked it out again a month or so later and still have it! But now...I can return it because I have my own! And the best part...it was $4!All of the books are half price so it was marked at $7.50. And since I have store credit from bags of books I've taken there in the past...I only had to pay half of that! $3.75 plus tax. It made my DAY!

Oh! You probably want to know what book I'm talking about, eh? This one...1001 Natural Remedies. Its contents are Natural Health Remedies, Natural Beauty, Natural House and Garden and Natural Pet Care. It talks about Natural Medicines and gives a list of items that the author considers to be "indispensable for a basic natural medicine chest." Things like Chamomile, Echinacea, Epsom salts, Ginger, Sea Salt, and Tea Tree Oil.

1001 Natural Remedies has something for everything from acne to water retention. How about making your own facial scrub using oats, yogurt and honey..? Or maybe you want to make your own deodorant. Bring on the witch hazel and your favorite essential oil. Need to remove toilet rings? As easy as Borax, lemon juice and a pumice stick.

I am so excited. I can't even believe that I found it...considering it was on the bottom shelf, behind a big box of books. So how I saw it is beyond me. It was like finding a needle in a haystack. I'm so excited!

what're YOU lookin' at?

The Girls are a little sensitive lately. They're molting, you see. Molting is akin to "a bad hair day". And trust me...the girls are lookin' rough!

As you can see...while Sweetie tries to look all nonchalant about the feather loss...Betty is having a bit of an attitude. Number one...she looks funny. And aren't we all a bit self-conscious and cranky when we know our hair is funky? I mean, look at her feathers! They're hanging all over the place...nonexistent around the back of her neck...with each motion another feather drops off. And she's mad about it.

But don't let Sweetie fool you. She's every bit as self-conscious as Betty is. And wouldn't you be?!

And I will admit that I think that Sweetie looks even worse. But it may just be because she's so dang MEAN that it makes her ugly even when she's fluffy. Beauty is on the inside, Sweetie...think about it.

Sweetie. I really need to change her name. It should be...Meanie. Or Cranky. Or Come-any-closer-and-I'll-peck-you-HARD. Mean. She's mean I tell you.

So...between cold weather and feathers falling off everywhere, egg production is down. And I expected this thanks to LOTS of reading before bringing these wonderful, albeit a bit moody, creatures home. But even still, we're getting an egg a day. So...it's enough to eat now and then and make a batch of brownies or two!

And speaking of reading...kind of...I have been reading Made from Scratch. It's good. Well written...like you're sitting at her kitchen table talking listening to her experiences. Her "voice" is engaging. I'm liking it. And would you believe I cried when she left the Queen Bee in the box it was shipped in? Oh my gosh...was I ever sad. Poor Queen. Seriously...I felt bad for hours. I still do. Thank goodness she wrote that...because seriously, that is something *I* would do. But now I know. Just in case, I , you know, get bees someday. (ahem) I will admit...the whole bear thing threw me. So...we'll see. Not sure I want to encourage bears to come anywhere near me or mine. You may remember from this post that bears are not my favorite animal. Especially not UP CLOSE bears.

Anyway...another day awaits. Yesterday turned out OK. I realized that I really didn't have anything pressing to take care of...so I slowly pecked away at what I did need to get done. And it was fine. I realized that because I have a lot going on this year and it's all swirling around in my blockhead...I lumped it all into yesterday. I tend to do that. Think of everything at once and everything that I have to do then get so overwhelmed that I do nothing. Dr. Phil would ask, "So how's this workin' for ya?" And I have to say...it doesn't work.

So once I got my whole year's schedule off of ONE day on the calendar, I did OK.

Now here we are at today...and starting all over. So far, so good.

Stack of library goodness.

I had placed a hold on Made from Scratch last week and on Sunday I received an email from the library that it was in. Have I ever mentioned how much I love the library's online hold option? Oh. I have? I'm sorry. I can't help it. I just...love it!

Is it still a pile if I call it a "stack"?

I had to run a few errands on Sunday and decided to pop into the library real quick to grab my book. On my way to the Hold Shelf I passed by the New Arrivals. And as you can see, there were quite a few that caught my eye.

So far I've looked at:

• The 5-Minute Face by Carmindy of What Not to Wear - not impressed. It would be nice if I had perfect, flawless skin and a party to attend every other night. But...I don't.
• Material Obsession - VERY impressed. To the point of putting it on my Wishlist at Amazon. I need this book.The quilting instructions and supply lists are so clear and concise that I truly believe I could actually make one of these quilts. Because really...at this point in my life...I seriously need something new to start. I really do. Especially after telling myself (and ALL of YOU) that I wasn't going to try anything new. And that I was going to focus on what I can do already and learn to do those things well. And of course, I'm also getting ready to start COLLEGE and really need to have some sort of large creative project going as a distraction. Or at least to start and not finish. Because what fun is life if it's not totally crazy and full of half-started projects? Right? However, in my defense, I do know how to sew. And so what if it's just straight lines? Because when it comes to the two main quilts I would like to try, straight lines are all I'm required to know. So, technically, I will be doing something I already know how to do AND improving on it. Right? Right? So really...I'm doing exactly what I said I was going to do. Come on...go with me here. Work with me, people.

Anyway...I haven't looked at any of the other books, yet. I've been too busy obsessing over easy quilt patterns and gorgeous fabrics. The book at the top, Grace (Eventually) by Anne Lamott is actually my book. I just put it at the top of the stack because I started reading it the other night. Anne Lamott is one of my favorite author's. I read Traveling Mercies years ago and it is one of my favorite books, ever. So when I saw a few other titles by Lamott at the used book store I snatched them up to read at a later date. And here we are, at "a later date".

Did you notice the two books on bees? I was giggling to myself on my way out of the library as I tried to balance my giant pile of library goodness, realizing that before I actually got The Girls, I would do the same thing with books about keeping chickens. Uh oh. I'm just sayin'....

This post got totally out of control.

Now what am I doing, you ask? More reading. More, more, more.

I have to admit, I haven't always been a big reader. I've gone in spurts. There was a time when I was little, around 9 or 10 or so, that I read a lot. It was a really rainy winter and the Bookmobile came to my neighborhood. What a cool thing that was. I don't know if you've ever been witness to a Bookmobile, but it's just a big ol' bus turned into a travelling library! And the one in my neighborhood parked maybe three blocks away. So my mom let me walk to it. What an adventure...a walk in the rain, a big responsibility, freedom...and a few new books to boot. I remember one particular memory of coming home, flopping on the couch, and getting lost in the story. It was a good thing when the Bookmobile came around.

Well, when I was 10 my family moved to a small town for my dad's job. And there was no Bookmobile. And then reading got linked with school...I had to read what they told me to read. So, being a bit of a rebel, I decided that reading was boring. And that's how it went for years. I would read now and then...mostly Stephen King because my friend would loan them to me. Or a few romance novels now and again, because another friend loaned them to me. But it wasn't very often that the book got read to the last page. I was bored. And I could never seem to find author's that spoke to me and kept my interest.

Fast forward to about 10 years ago...and Oprah's Book Club. There was a time when Oprah spoke and I listened. Not anymore...I have to make that very clear. Oprah has changed over the years...and I don't agree with the direction she's going. But...I'm not here to talk about Oprah. Anyway, the book club was good for me. But I didn't read with the club...I waited to hear what the book was about during their discussion THEN I read it if it sounded interesting. And during that time, I read quite a bit. White Oleander, Stones from the River, The Book of Ruth, The Rapture of Canaan...very good books. I also read Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe by Fannie Flagg...and it has become one of my all-time favorites. Then a few years ago a friend of mine I met through an online art group recommended a book by Anne Lamott, Traveling Mercies. Wow. I was blown away. And I had finally found the voice of an author that I could relate to. Anne Lamott spoke in a way that I thought, "You know, I could sit and have coffee with this woman."

That was about 5 years ago...maybe 7...and my interest in reading was forever piqued. But, again, I had a hard time finding author's I could relate to. I read everything I could find by Fannie Flagg...and everything by Anne Lamott...but once I was done with all of them, I was stuck again. Keep in mind, too, I was of the mind that I had to BUY all of the books I read. The library wasn't an option. Not that I was against the library....I just never thought to GO there. So of course budget was a consideration.

Well, a couple of years ago I decided to take a plunge into the blog world. And boy am I glad that I did. I found so many interesting people. with interesting things to say, and valuable information to share. I would read and read and read...blogs. Not books. At the same time, there was this book that kept catching my eye at Sam's Club...Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. Every time I'd go to Sam's I'd have to take the book route. I'd look for cookbooks, mostly. As I really wasn't much of a reader. But I did like to cook...and eat! But one day...months after I'd first seen this curious book (with a beautiful cover, I might add)...I finally decided to buy it. And life hasn't been the same since.

Reading A,V, M changed how I saw the world..how I saw food...how I saw my life and my self. I know it sounds dramatic...but it's true.

Knowing that I had to make changes I began searching the internet for information. Simple living...sustainable lifestyle...preserving food...organic gardening...you name it, I searched it. And inevitably I'd stumble across a blog that would tell me what I wanted to know. And, as you know, once you visit one blog, you just have to click over to another blog...and so on, and so on, and so on...holy cow! This whole new world opened up to me! A world of recycling, which I was already doing pretty seriously, but I learned even MORE ways to do it. A world of reusing, thrifting, which I'd also always done, simplifying, buying less instead of more, being content with what I have, reading food labels, making it myself, the list goes on and on. And for a while, I was information overload! I wanted to do it ALL. But, I knew that wasn't realistic. So I started with what I knew...gardening. And I introduced one new thing this year...chickens. And next year, I'll add one more new thing....not sure what it is, yet. But ALL of this to say...I can't get enough reading material! I'm constantly reading...blogs, books and magazines (from the library of course...and if I love it and it contains valuable information that I need to know regularly for the lifestyle I'm heading toward, then I buy it.), newsletters, articles...

...hmmm, that's interesting. As I'm writing this post something is being brought to my mind. In the midst of ALL of this, I think it was July of 2007, I had decided to read my bible from cover to cover. I opened it up at Genesis, and read and read and read until I got to the very last word in Revelation. I think it took me about 7 or 8 months. I read the bible, and nothing else.

And what I found was...well, I found several things...the bible is relevant, it's interesting, it's dramatic, it's full of adventure and how-to articles. The bible is THE life handbook...and it gives the perfect picture of how life is one big circle. How everything that God created goes together. And nowhere in there does it mention grocery stores or high-fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. It talks of hard work and pure food and trials and triumphs. It talks of life.

So if I'm being honest, the bible is what really opened it all up to me. It sparked the interest of reading...of planting...of preserving...of simplifying...of reducing, reusing and recycling. The year that I was reading the bible I went to our women's retreat. Our speaker passed out bible verses rolled up like tiny little scrolls. We each went up (80 of us) and grabbed our scrolls out of the basket and took them back to our seats. I was so excited to see what mine said.

Wasn't I surprised to find 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12...Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Um, huh? Excuse me? Me? Be quiet? Mind my own business? Um...yeah...I definitely got the wrong scripture. Definitely. I tucked it in my bible and forgot about it.

About 6 months later it all began to make sense. I was reading books and blogs and Mother Earth News. Chris had put a copy of it in my stocking and that was the end of that. We are now subscribers! One day I'm sitting out on the deck reading my bible and that scripture on that little scroll slips out of my bible. And suddenly it all makes sense. A quiet life meaning quiet in it's impact. Minding my own business and working with my hands meaning gardening and preserving and doing instead of buying. All of this will then help me to be less dependent on anybody. Ahhhh, OK, now I get it.

I finally begin to see it, a common theme. I see that everything I read, everything crossing my path is leading to the same thing...simplifying. Quieting things down. Doing things myself. Being less dependent on "the man"...(I say this in jest but there is a bit of truth to it.)

Well, wow. Are you still here? I have to say, this is not what I had in mind when I began this post. I was originally going to talk about my latest interest, natural remedies. I sure veered away from that now didn't I?! But isn't it interesting...how one thing leads to another and another? And next thing you know, life is different. And you are different. And there's hope. Life is crazy sometimes...and such an adventure. I'm glad that I am actually learning how to participate in it...

Guess what I did this evening?

It was a beautiful evening out tonight. What had been 90+ degrees all day turned to cool and breezy. So I decided to take all of my treasures out back to enjoy.

I grabbed my stack of library books and my stack of library magazines and a cool diet soda on ice. I went out back and sat down at the patio table...all set to read to my heart's content.

Well...the girls were out "free ranging" so here they come hopping up onto the deck to see what I'm doing. They're so nosy. So of course I got distracted. And I had to run in the house and get my camera. So as I was taking photos of the girls I realized that the lighting at dusk was looking pretty good for some garden shots. So I ran back in the house, got my flip flops and headed out to the garden. And thank goodness I did...because had I not I would have missed this:

A little tiny baby praying mantis! What a pleasant little surprise he was...it made my night. This is my favorite bug in the whole world. I love them and appreciate them. (And isn't it a relief to see a GOOD bug in my garden finally?!) One year Chris was repairing our fence and came across a large cocoon. We had no idea what it was so we put it in a jar and waited. A few days later we look into the jar and there are tons of little baby mantis' hatching from the mystery cocoon. We were SO excited. They lived in our Japanese Maple for a few day until eventually they all disappeared.

By the time I got back to my stack of books it was pretty close to dark outside and the ice in my soda was melted. Sooo...I grabbed up my reading material and headed in the house. I came into my room...all ready to read again...but then decided that I wanted to upload the photos onto my computer. Between garden photos, baseball photos and chicken photos I had to upload 250 pictures! It took a while...but eventually I was done. Now...this would have been a good time to stop, relax and read a while before bed, right? But...instead, I decided I needed to blog about it all.

So I did. And now I'm done. And too tired to read. Good night.

A good day at the library...

I FINALLY got The Backyard Homestead from the library! I have been on the waiting list for weeks! I can't wait to hunker down and read it cover to cover. I already know I'm going to love it. And I have a pretty good idea that this is going to be one that goes on the "must buy" list. But, just to make sure, I wanted to borrow it from the library first.

The back cover says, "From a quarter acre, you can harvest: 1400 eggs, 50 pounds of wheat, 60 pounds of fruit, 2000 pounds of vegetables, 280 pounds of pork and 75 pounds of nuts."

Wow.

It also says: "Learn how to: milk a goat * make dandelion wine * tap a maple tree * make fresh mozzarella * mill grains for flour ..." I don't drink...but the thought of growing grapes and making wine...or brewing ones own beer sounds really fun to me. Maybe I can make some sort of non-alcoholic beverage? I'll have to read up on that! I can hardly wait to dig into this book! From this information alone I just know that this book needs to be in my reference library.

I also came across The River Cottage Family Cookbook by chance. I had seen it over at Jen's blog, Under the BIG Blue Sky. She really raved about it and piqued my curiosity. So when I saw it on the shelf in the cookbook section I snatched it up! I can't wait to read about how "to prepare delicious, wholesome food" and learn about "making butter, curing bacon and building a kitchen garden". How great does all of that sound?

Now, I feel that I need to clarify something. We, more than likely, will NOT raise a pig on our little piece of the pie. So, more than likely, I will NOT need to know how to cure bacon. At least not while we're living here on our city lot. Maybe someday when we have our dream property in the country. But not now...not here. Now, you notice I said "more than likely". I am not ruling anything out completely. Because to be honest, I never thought we'd have chickens for crying out loud. So...never say never. I just know that my husband drew the line a while back when someone asked me what was next..."no goats" he said. He never said, "no pigs". But I think it's safe to assume that a goat is a pig is a cow as far as homes within the city limits goes. I'm just sayin'. (Honey? Whaddya think?)

OK...off to do a few chores so I can justify sitting in my reading chair all evening!