The New Year's Ride.

                 
                  Hello Dear Readers,
        Did you all have a wonderful Christmas? I really hope so. I hope you all had a Christmas filled with all things that make you very happy.
  My Christmas was lovely. I think I enjoyed this Christmas season more then any before it.  I was thinking about why that would be, the other night as I laid awake in bed listening to music and looking at my pink and white twinkle lights. This year was filled with many hardships for my family and I, but also many blessings. And somehow, though it was one of the hardest years I've faced, it was also one of the sweetest. And so though the hardships have been hard indeed it was those very hardships, I believe, that made the joys ever sweeter. The peace that comes from the closure of turmoil is ever more restful to the soul than the peace that comes from an easy time of it. So, just when I thought I had conquered, stood up strong, survived, and come out on the other side of the grand mess I realized "HA! This train ain't gonna stop!" But what I know now that I will carry with me is:  I'm holding onto my ticket, riding with a few I love and trust, letting new people on board sometimes, scary as that is, and I don't really know where the heck I'm headed, and I'm going to carry some baggage, yeah, I know, but I'm going to enjoy the ride! Every second. Painful and joyous. In the dark tunnels and through the sunlit mountains.
   So, as I approach the new year, there is the temptation to desire twelve months of contented bliss with out trouble or care. Buuut... those twelve months, I know, would be the emptiest of my life. Because with out the burdens born, loves lost, pains felt, choices and mistakes made, fears faced, chances taken the blessings enjoyed, the memories made, the scars healed, the new things experienced, the new feelings tasted barely mean a thing. The pain is what makes the joy so very sweet. The burdens shared with one another are what make the true loves so beautiful and comforting.
    When you're not in it for perfection and your money's worth the adventure is much more grand. Being a little crazy, a little strong, a little needy, working hard and slowing down, holding hands and letting go, the balance becomes the beauty of the whole thing.
     I guess to end my ramblings on what my past year means for my coming year, I say 'Carry on.' That's what I'm going to do: carry on. I'm going to carry on a midst the messes made in life and keep seeking the balance of tears and laughter. Worship wholeheartedly and be prepared to be blessed by the painful trials that will make the joys to come so sweet.
    For all those who plan to carry on, do it with all your heart! Don't let the stone throwers and God's tools for making you a better person weigh you down. Let them lift you up. Lay your burdens down before we start a new year and travel in lighthearted and ready to enjoy what may prove to be a bumpy ride.
     all my love,
      Renee'

P.s. Later on I'll write up some of my more..hmmm... 'tangible' ideas for 2012! Can't wait 2 share them!! 

Wishing You Such a Very Merry Christmas!!!

          'It's the best time of the year. I don't know if there'll be snow, but have a cup of cheer.' 'What a bright time to rock the night away.' 'The fire is so delightful. And since we've no place to go, let it snow.' 'It's beginning to look a lot like CHRISTMAS!' oh! 'Welcome Christmas' 'Rockin' around the Christmas tree at the Christmas party hop. Mistletoe hung where you can see every couple tries to stop.' 'So you better watch out. You better not cry. You better not pout. I'm telling you why.' 'It's the most wonderful time of the year.' and 'Were simply having a wonderful Christmas time'  So 'Have a holly jolly Christmas' 'And in case you didn't hear, Oh! By golly have a holly jolly Christmas this year!' 'So, though it's been said before. Many times many ways,'
   Merry Christmas,
         Renee'

                                                     Hope you enjoy a fun Christmas song !

News for my Readers!

      I would just like to let everyone know that over the next few months my blog is going to be undergoing some big changes! I'm very excited about it's direction. One of the most exciting changes is that my Mom is joining me on my blogging adventure! Please bare with me as I try taking some new paths and as I try to work with all those handy electronic gadgets that are so foreign to me. ;D And something really fun is coming soon....our introduction! I'm finally going to tell you who I am and share my full story with you! Though, I have been altering my profile already so you're welcome to run over and check that out! Wish me luck!
   

Beautiful Autumn Flowers, Decoration ideas, and Pumpkins!

        I plan to purchase my Mums soon. I live next door to a mum farmer and it's so beautiful to see acre after acre, field after field of mums in the Fall! These lovely photos were found at  betterhomesandgardens.com be sure to check out all their seasonal home decorating and gardening ideas.

This was a lovely front porch arrangement of pumpkins and such found at 

frontporchideas.com

Go see all of their pretty pictures.

And of coarse....Martha Stewart!

The mother of classy decorating.

This was  a beautiful picture found on her website.

Thank your Martha (stewart-marthastewartliving.com) for more beautiful pictures and ideas.

For an outdoor party!

Such as maybe..hmm..our annual hayride? 

Don't forget to check in and see my own Fall pictures. It's almost time for the colors to change.

I'll have pies coming out of the oven, pictures snapping of the trees, and of coarse, the community can't wait for the hayride!

I love these flowers. I happen to be a flower farmer much of the time and derive a great deal of joy from growing and arranging flowers. Therefor....I find a lot of photos of lovely bouquets. 

I love the soft light and distressed table. Also the baby white pumpkins!

 A nice twist if you have a pastel or beachy color pallet in your house!

I hope you enjoyed these and like I said...don't forget to check back for my own pictures and writings!!!

Remember Love!

        "There's rosemary. That's for remembrance I pray you, love, remember." -Shakespeare.

  To be remembered. Oh! what a thought! Don't we all want to be remembered? Remembered for what was best about ourselves. For the things we did that were kind, good, strong, loving, and compassionate. Please, I say, remember me now. When I loose my way and I am unkind remember my times of kindness and guide me back. When I make mistakes remember my good deeds from the past and point me back to the path of graciousness. When I am weak, my burden heavy and my load great, be strong for me and remind me that true strength comes from the Lord. When I am in despair and exasperated with people lead me to the loving way. And In my worst moments when I am in need myself be compassionate to me and remember when I have shared your load. Laugh with them that laugh and cry with those who cry. Shed tears with me when I am in pain and rejoice with me when I am happy. This is love. This is friendship. Let us remember each other when it can make a difference. When it can bless the heart. Let us make memories of kindness, goodness, strength, love, and compassion now. Let us act today.
             So, yes. Remember me when I am gone. Remember what you loved of me. Remember my light. But do not forget me now. Now when I am in need. When life feels dark.
             Love! Love today! And remember love.

Robert Frost's Bluebird Poem.

   I have a great love of poetry. Robert Frost was very gifted and I really love his poems. His words always take me outside to my own world. He wrote about the very things that we all feel in the great outdoors. I love reading through pages of crisp falling golden leaves, hay fields in the sunshine, blue skies and birds of a feather flocking together. This is one of my favorite Frost poems....I have a thing about bluebirds......long story. The simplicity, to me, is nice.

As I went out a Crow
In a low  voice said, "Oh,
I was looking for you.
How do you do?
I just came to tell you
To tell Lesley (will you?)
That her little Bluebird
Wanted me to bring word
That the north wind last night
That made the stars bright
And made ice on the trough
Almost made him cough
His tail feathers off.
He just had to fly!
But he sent her Good-by,
And said to be good,
And wear her red hood,
And look for skunk tracks
In the snow with an ax-
And do everything!
And perhaps in the Spring
He would come back and sing." 

These are a Few of my Favorite Things!

            The days have been warm for some time now. I have been unfaithful to this blog and find myself posting for the first time in months. It has been a beautiful Summer here in Tennessee full of adventures on the farm. The garden was quite productive this year and I have actually sold many bouquets. There has been gardening and harvesting. Feasting and fishing. We have put in a lot of hard work. My hands acquired many blisters but as the months have waxed on they have turned to callus and we are eagerly facing Autumn. The nights are cooler. The days not so unbearable. The pumpkin vines are weighed down with pumpkins and the Fall sunflower crop is on it's way.  The county fair is tomorrow night and many friends will be gathered there. I can feel the season shifting and am so excited for Fall.
            There is a new member to my family. A bloodhound puppy. I figure she will make an adorable front porch decoration when I put out the pumpkins and wreathes. She runs and plays with me and sleeps a lot. She loves sweet potatoes so I guess that Autumn will probably prove to be her favorite time of the year. It's hard to choose a favorite season when each one brings new things. I am always ready for Spring when I am suffering through the sleet and snow- the unending cold. When February and March seem to drag on and on.
Then Summer is wonderful and there is green grass to walk on but by then end it is hot and painful and full of backbreaking work. It is then that you crave the cooler days. The crisp golden leaves falling from the trees. The breeze blowing reminding every one to slow down. By November there has been Thanksgiving for all that the Lord douse. There has been turkey and pumpkin pie and butternut squash. There has been bomb fire get-togethers and hayrides and now your ready for Christmas to unveil it's self. And all of these things are just a few of my favorite things.
          So, I want to say that each season is the end of blessings and cursings born by the months and the melting into a new time in which we can enjoy things with fresh perspective. This Fall, cook those family favorites that Grandma always made. Drink hot cocoa on the porch swing. Enjoy your coffee outside in the morning. Play with your dog. Go hiking. Go fishing. Watch the leaves change into vibrant shades of orange, gold, yellow, and red.  Do your daily work a little more leisurely. Worship fully and praise happily. Spend time with those you love. With your family. Your friends. Minister to those in need.  Love and be loved.

                           

They teach us to remember; why do they not teach us to forget? There is not a man living that at some time in his life admitted that memory was as much a blessing as a curse. - Durivage

Dirt: incredible substance that has the potential to provide much needed nutrients to a plant. A home to thousands of important little bugs, microbes, bacterias, and nutrients.

Let us cultivate our gardens.- Voltaire

Your Day Job.

A writing of March 28^th 2011
I love my work.
I don’t know where you work. I don’t know where you live. And I certainly don’t know what you eat for lunch. But let’s say that you went to your 9 to 5 job in your average sized town this morning and at about 10:00 a.m. you got hungry. You ran down to the vending machine and put in a dollar bill. Out the shoot came an instant fix. To wash it down though, you slid a dollar into the machine next to it and out came a beverage. You got back to work. You typed away on a computer in a small cubical for another two hours until lunch break came around. YEAH! It’s time to make a mad dash for America’s home of the Whopper! We’ll stop here.
So, that’s the first half of your day. If it’s not your day it’s some one your acquainted with’s day.
Let me pose a little question. What did this person produce? Did they produce something they could eat? Did they produce something they could sell? Something that will add to their community?
Alright, here’s another question. Where did this person’s time and money go? Did his time go into his land? Did his time go into his business? Into developing his trade? Did his dollar go into his land? Into evolving his business or trade? Did it go to his local community? His neighbor or local farmer?
And finally I ask, did he come away with a sense of accomplishment? Knowing he got something done? Furthered his future? Furthered a long time goal? Produced something that someone could touch, smell, feel, use, or eat?
No. He produced nothing tangible. He polluted his body and likely the earth too. His dollar went to some large out of state mega company dead set on poisoning weak minded civilians. And at the end of the day did he really accomplish anything? Did he make a difference or provide hope and vision? No.
Now what if there was a different way? A removed way. Ultimately, a better way. What if you could wake up to a different song? One with roosters? How about a breakfast of eggs straight from the hen house? With organically raised bacon and homemade juice or fresh milk from Ann? That is, Ann the milk cow. What if you could go out into the yard and seed something. Go out and seed, plant, water, grow, and pick something? Then after pulling out a generous supply for yourself and your family you take it to market. Or maybe to your neighbors. You just made a small profit which you will reinvest into your symbiotic farm. What if you could go out and work hard? Get calluses on your hands and sun on your skin? Come high noon you would wonder if you could break yet so you would look down the hundred foot row of tomatoes to see if there were any more weeds. When you stand up you’ll grab a basket and pick some heirloom tomatoes, round lemon cucumbers, bell peppers, and basil and head in to dice it all up for lunch.
Now let me ask you another question. Did you produce something? Yes! And in your small way, with your small contribution you made a difference.
With each callus came a huge sense of accomplishment. With each dealing with your neighbors and local market customers you built community. With each veggie you brought a healthy option to someone. Not just a healthy option but a vision. So let me ask one final question.
Do you like your day Job?

I love my flowers so so much! I could not live with out them. I am growing so many differant varrieties this season. I included my first bouquet (except ofcoarse for personal use) of the season in a produce basket this week. It was quite exciting! It was primarily a lettuce basket and I found the lettuce heads so full and beautiful that I would have used it as a table arrangment had I not been obligated to sell it that day! Never forego growing or purchasing flowers for conveniance sake. They will enhance your life so very much!

I would rather have roses on my table then diamonds on my neck! ~ Emma Goldman.
That has always been one of my favorite qoutes for it rang so true in my heart!

G.K. Chesterton said:

The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting it has been found difficult and left untried.

Tid Bit!

Did you know barbwire was invented in 1873!!

Dawning Well.

Break not the heart of time
Nor curse your blessed memory,
For one day you will find them kind
When nothing else will comfort thee.

To dawn with a life well lived
Is far better then to die,
In the shadow of a man who did
When you never tried.
So live strong-feel deep
Before thee cross the river,
Fill it not with tears;
No do not weep .
Simply be good to thy years
So thou wilt have a restful sleep.

I am not an amazing poet. I don't have the tounge of my favorites from long ago like Edgar Allen Poe or Longfellow but i have the heart. The feeling that wells up inside me. Maybe that makes my writing worth reading, maybe not. But it makes it worth it to me. I hope you enjoy my posts. If you read them or like them Please comment. I would so appreciate it. !

Concrete.

I wrote this quite some time ago but it's hung around with me ever since. I hope you enjoy it.
　“Sometimes I miss the concrete.” he kept right on talking about the life he had held in the hustling city and the ever demanding countryside he now found himself surrounded by. To him the farm that never left his side was restricting in that he could not escape it. Yet I found myself thinking about the concrete that would so over whelm me if I were contained by San Antonio, one of the largest cities in the country.
I came to the realization that he was discontent with the fact that his chickens followed him across the yard rather then staying neatly nestled out of sight and out of mind. That he was wearied with the ever falling leaves that drifted onto his deck instead of staying a pleasant distance away. He felt trapped in a place that left him out of control.
I however took comfort in knowing that my animals and I both had an unrestricted freedom to roam as we pleased. That something much greater then I determined whether or not it was time for the leaves to turn gold and brown and thousands of shades in between and sweetly blanket the earth providing warmth for the Winter to come. I felt freed
By a paradise that left me in touch with this grand terrestrial ball.
I began to wonder how we both could both be given the same thing and come to such hugely different conclusions. We each had a beautiful farm in the hills of middle Tennessee. When we moved to this area, he from Texas and I from Florida, we each found our new home remarkable.
So what gives?
It dawned on me that the difference was no physical one. In fact he actually had a larger house, extra acreage, more out buildings, a nicer tractor, a John Deer gator, and sucstantually more money. Forget all that, just say he was pretty well set. Here is where the answer lies. It was perspective. Viewpoint. Glasses.
Mr. Glass Half Empty couldn’t see the value in our simple things. Out here in our backwoods town we had a sort of emotional currency.
I remember calling up another friend who had moved from the city and saying I was going to be alone in the house and thought maybe I could come down to the farm and help in the garden and hang out. She said later as we sat out on the front porch watching the sun set and eating ice cream she had been completely taken aback at this friendly suggestion because where she was from that kind of thing just didn’t happen. Nothing unexpected. Unplanned. She said she had so enjoyed leisurely strolling through her day working side by side, swimming in the creek, rocking in the rocking chairs. And in that statement rested so much peace of mind knowing she had stumbled across heaven on a dirt road.
Out there with the fireflies I knew that around here, in our little ma and pa society there was enough love to go around.
And with that knowledge I was willing to spend my life explaining to the doubters why I would live in a place where I had to drive and two hours to cross from the world of grass, love, peace, and quiet to the place bustling on concrete with all of their high processed civilization.

SORRY!

Just a quick opologie. I realized the other day that I posted the artical 'Seedlings, Seedlings, Seedlings.' twice by accident. SO SORRY! I am clearly by no means a techy! I don't watch startreck, I don't Tweet, and I deffinately do not have an apple on the back of my truck.

'I want to appreciate the times when moments are made into memories!'

Internet Mania.

Internet Mania. Thoughts from many conversations.
The internet seems like a good tool. I use it. Once a week I use it. Every Thursday. When considering whether or not to begin this blog I thought through all the aspects of what it could mean to be writing on the internet. I decided in the end that by setting precise time limits and only blogging during my weekly trip to the library I could use it as a tool. Which is what it should be. I do not have a facebook or myspace.
Do you use the internet? Is it a tool or an addiction? Ask yourself honestly.
I have been studying this epidemic for a long time now. I have had a lot of discussions with in my family about it and have been completely dismissed by many others.
I know many good Christian families that are extremely conservative that allow the internet in their homes. The same families often don’t even have televisions. They say things like ‘My kids are strong in their faith. They wouldn’t use it for ill.’ or ‘We use it for witness and education purposes.’ But ask your self hard honest questions like:
Am I and my kids completely above all temptation?
Do I spend a bare minimum of time online or do I waste time online?
Have I ever found myself in an uncomfortable situation online?
Am I reading about things online that I should really be out doing myself?
Am I reading about things that I should not be participating in?
Is there absolutely no one from my past that I would be embarrassed to be contacted by?
Have I ever kept a secret online?
Blogs:
E-mail:
FACEBOOK:
Even if you don’t have kids. If it’s just you.
Did you know that in a poll done by Health Magazine 34% of women admitted to having friended an ex-boyfriend on facebook and 33% didn’t tell their partner.
Facebook is not okay. It’s time to be frank. The internet CAN be used as a tool.
The internet HAS become an addiction.
Honestly and frankly evaluate your internet usage and that of your family and friends.
Thank you for reading this but please make your visits to your favorite Blogs brief and beneficial times. Not to mention that if they are fewer they will become more special. Through out the week the important things you do online will become something you look forward to and many other things will simply fade away as you realize that they really weren’t a necessary part of your daily life. There was a time when I would have minced words about facebook saying things like ‘We decided not to use it but it’s not that big a deal.’ Well, it is a Big deal. It’s a terrible thing. And 1 in a 100 times maybe it’s used for good but it is almost entirely cyber gossip. It tears families apart. It introduces relationships with people that are fake and that you would never have in person. It’s gossip. People watch things happen on facebook that they would never watch in person. They say things they would never say out loud. There’s very little accountability. People are neglecting the relationships with the people right there around them for fake ones online. Nothing is private any more. There was a time when you just didn’t tell other people private things that went on in your personal life and now like it or not, through you or someone else, your personal business is broadcast online. People are hurt on face book. People gossip on facebook. People watch things go on that they would not condone on face book. People spread rumors that stem from facebook. People disregard their friends and family because of facebook. There are a million things that could be said of face book but the very most important is that families are EXTREMLY naïve in allowing facebook into their home. PLEASE consider this deeply as if it is a life or death decision. Yes, people will think you are weird for not using internet in excess but we should never base our decisions in life on what other people will think. Do what’s best for yourself. I fully recognize that the internet could, in isolated situations, be a very good thing that we shouldn’t disregard altogether but I fully believe that it has become a terrible epidemic that will change America. Even e-mail is ill used. People don’t have any real interaction any more. It’s always an e-mail or a txt or a facebook update. Or a tweet for goodness sakes! What happened to a time when a friend took five minuets from their day to stop and have a cup of coffee with you? When you called someone on the phone and heard their voice just to tell them you were thinking of them? When was the last time some one sent you a note just to say they missed seeing you? Where is the real interaction? Seem innocent enough. And granted I have one myself but please, never spend more then a few minuets reading my blog. And remember that my life is my life and you should appreciate yours. I’m sure it is equally as grand as mine. I know a lady who is a lovely lady and she is attempting to farm. Every time I see her she is completely and totally stressed that she has so many things to do. But every time I go to her house she is on the computer. Oh yes, it’s always something important like research or studying but in the end wouldn’t it be better to stop reading other people’s Blogs about their farms and go out and farm your own farm?

Seedlings, Seedlings, Seedlings. April 6^th
This is an update on my earlier post on seeding. Things are going quite well! All the credit to God. I pray over them every day. This seems like a very small thing to pray about but God knows that these little guys are my livelihood and if he sees the sparrow I have to think he cares about my plants. Maybe he’ll keep the sparrows out! And the chickens, rabbits, deer, beetles and other garden pests. I will post later about some home remedies to keep these guys out of your garden.
I have been transplanting a great deal. One flat of peat moss pellets seeded with Black Seeded Simpson lettuces, which, by the way I have found to be a very hardy growing lettuce, took me a very long time to do. I had already multiplied my flat by three and really needed to get on the livestock chores before dark so I needed to figure something out. And quick! An idea I had was to fill the bottom of a flat, one with holes for drainage, with my soil and plant my little seedlings directly in the bottom as if it were a small garden bed. This saved me from having to use up more pots and saved me a good bit of time. It has worked quite nicely. Though I will need to transplant them again before they form a large root ball.
A note for buying plants would be to check the root ball of one plant before making a large purchase by pulling it out of it’s pot and examining the roots. Make sure that they aren’t thick, white, stuck together, and sealed all around the soil like walls on each side. When you plant the young fellow gently pull apart the bottom of the roots.
I look so forward to having a greenhouse, not to complain. Right now I am using our command station, our converted side porch which has concrete slabs at different levels, to do all my seeding which requires me to move all the flats out into the sun each morning and back again at night. This is really alright though. It strengthens my arms lugging the tables and such.
I’ll tell you more about my seeding adventures as I go.

Seedlings,Seedlings,Seedlings.

April 6^th
This is an update on my earlier post on seeding. Things are going quite well! All the credit to God. I pray over them every day. This seems like a very small thing to pray about but God knows that these little guys are my livelihood and if he sees the sparrow I have to think he cares about my plants. Maybe he’ll keep the sparrows out! And the chickens, rabbits, deer, beetles and other garden pests. I will post later about some home remedies to keep these guys out of your garden.
I have been transplanting a great deal. One flat of peat moss pellets seeded with Black Seeded Simpson lettuces, which, by the way I have found to be a very hardy growing lettuce, took me a very long time to do. I had already multiplied my flat by three and really needed to get on the livestock chores before dark so I needed to figure something out. And quick! An idea I had was to fill the bottom of a flat, one with holes for drainage, with my soil and plant my little seedlings directly in the bottom as if it were a small garden bed. This saved me from having to use up more pots and saved me a good bit of time. It has worked quite nicely. Though I will need to transplant them again before they form a large root ball.
A note for buying plants would be to check the root ball of one plant before making a large purchase by pulling it out of it’s pot and examining the roots. Make sure that they aren’t thick, white, stuck together, and sealed all around the soil like walls on each side. When you plant the young fellow gently pull apart the bottom of the roots.
I look so forward to having a greenhouse, not to complain. Right now I am using our command station, our converted side porch which has concrete slabs at different levels, to do all my seeding which requires me to move all the flats out into the sun each morning and back again at night. This is really alright though. It strengthens my arms lugging the tables and such.
I’ll tell you more about my seeding adventures as I go.

The seed is an article of faith. As gardeners, we put our trust in the seeds we plant, knowing that from such small beginnings come all the wealth of our crops. - The Barefoot Farmer

About posts.

Just so you know, all my posts are writings that i have written at a previous date which is why many of them are dated and all of them aren't in a specific order. I hope they can be helpful for you!

FootPrints.

 March 30^th
Have you ever drove through the city and heard the honking and the sirens and wished that you could just hit mute? Have you looked at your calendar and thought to yourself ‘This is madness.’? Or have you ever driven past a huge factory that stunk for miles, one where you could see smoke for acres and acres around, and said ‘I hate to think what kind of carbon footprint this leaves.’ I have.
So what about your foot print? Where will your foot prints lead you? We can never really say for sure what are future holds. Things happen. Life happens. But how we walk changes every thing. What we leave in our place when we move forward. What principles we carry with us as we go. Susan Moser said in her video ’Growing Greens for Love and Money.’ (which I consider indispensable if your in the greens or greenhouse business) ‘Never Go Backwards.’ OH, my that seems so simple and easy. But if you really get down into the nitty and gritty of things you’ll realize that we have all gone backwards at some point in our lives. Or at least wanted to. In my experience if you really truly get convicted about something then you won’t come to find it wrong later. If you are led by the right thing. God. If you go places because your following a man, and idea, or as we Americans love to say ‘your heart’ you’ll likely regret it and have to move back and start from scratch. At that time it’s a good thing. We all make mistakes that we should go back and correct. But if you were following the best leader to begin with and things get rough then the hardship is probably a good sign. Bad things are easy to get but good things are hard to gain. The worst things hurt badly in the end and the best things are worth the pain. So don’t back slide just because things get hard. Remember that the easy things are harder in the end. Our children and their children have to live on this earth long after we go home. They have to live with our decisions. Walk in our footprints.

One for the Wind, One for the Bird, and One for Me!

March 29^th
So, I have been seeding. I’m off to a bit of a late start this year with the exception of my succession planting because I have yet to build my hoop house. But it’s better late then never, right? Once things settle down at the end of the season we will erect the greenhouse(s?)! I am SO excited about this. My Mom and I will keep our Greens business going through the Winter months. You know, those dreary depressing days that leave your lips chapped and heart aching for anything green? It will also mean that I can seed all of our own plants which will be so incredible! We’ll have so much more variety, we’ll get a much earlier start and a longer growing season, and last but certainly not least we will take a huge chunk out of our expenses. But at the moment I am making the most of what I have. It’s so important in life to make the best of things. The best of the situation you are in what ever it may be. Even though we will never make things perfect we can always make things better. Truly, I think, just the trying makes it a little better. Just Striving. Hence I seeded 1,000 or so plants outside this morning. Or rather ‘today’ for it took up more then just the morning. I already had some going but they had to be transplanted yesterday. The process of gently removing the fragile baby seedlings, you can sing to them if you find that the recycled oxygen helps them to thrive ))!,and giving them a pot in which they have a little room to grow. It’s always best to have a little room to grow. Did you know that a goldfish will grow according to the amount of space it’s given? Therefore if put in a small tank it will remain small but if placed in a small pond it can grow up to 7 times the original size. But I should get back to our plants. This process is continued until the plants are large and healthy enough to go right into the ground. But of coarse this should be after your last frost date. In the words of The Barefoot Farmer ‘Transplanting happens after the plants have gotten their first true leaves.’ A few helpful hints would be: Always label pots/trays/flats/and buckets. It’s great to come up with a number system to your liking. One that works well for you. This way you have a number on your pot/tray/flat/bucket that corresponds with a note in your notebook giving you all the info you need on the plant easily accessible. Trust me, you think you’ll remember so many things but when the time comes you really have no clue. I’m a paper person. I like to have notebooks dedicated to a certain purpose and organized accordingly. Don’t get me wrong though, I’m extremely creative and my bones cringe when I try to turn towards mathematical thinking. It doesn’t take an organized ex-army commander to do this, just sit down and decide what works for you. I like notebooks and vanilla folders, but that’s just me. I’m also a writer which greatly impacts how I go about things. As well as being an artist. Something you might enjoy is taking your seed packs and cutting out the label, picture, and info and gluing or taping them in a notebook or folder above what ever notes you have. This way if you write:
Candy Cain Striped Zinnias Four 6packs Seeded March 28^th
Underneath it you have it’s seed packet and a lovely refreshing photo. Just an idea. Something I do. It’s all about what works for you.
Water frequently!! I can’t stress this enough. Today I watered my trays at least five times and each time came back thirty minuets later just to find, to my dismay, that they were dry as a bone. So keep soaking them. Do this with a mist setting on a hose or a spray bottle. Do it from directly above them. It’s important to keep them moist but a heavy setting could easily drown them and spraying at an angle could wash away your seed or uncover it. Let them drink what they need but you don’t want to drowned the poor little guys.
Going back to singing to your seedlings. I’m not crazy. Well, maybe I am but I think it’s the people that think they’re normal that are the real nut jobs. Just a theory. But anyway! This Is really for me. Music helps me work. I do a better job and are more consistant. It also keeps me in a better frame of mind. So if there is something that helps you in this way I encourage you to take advantage of it. Don’t stereotype. There is no set way in farming. If it helps you don’t let someone else put it down. Different people find different attire easier to work in than others; some like to get up very early to beat the heat others would rather work really late.
I’m growing long winded I suppose. I’m not any kind of connoisseur on any thing. I’m a farmer. I’m other things too but right now were talking about farming. So this is from one farmer to another. Helpful tidbits.
The most helpful being: listen. Listen to others and listen to the old timers in your area. I’m organic. I’m farm fresh. I’m a trend setter. I’m stubborn. But regardless of what ever good aspirations you have there is always wisdom to be had from the old timers. They are set in there ways but some of their ways are set because they work.
So my last tid bit from my farm work today, much of which was spent seeding would be: don’t be too thin. I have been working in a friends green house in an effort to help the new farmers and learn whatever they have to offer. She is beginning a plant business. I noticed as I worked that there seemed to be a high fatality rate, so to speak. Many of the trays were only three quarters or half full. So when I began seeding I asked ‘How many seeds should I sow per pot?’
I didn’t question the answer because the women running the operation isn’t exactly a listener. But she only does one. Maybe there is something wrong with my seeds. Maybe I don’t have a green thumb. Maybe I’m doing them badly. But long ago my mother taught me something that seems to work best.
One for the wind, one for the bird, and one for me!

 Barn:A hideout. A shelter from the rain. A place to sleep restfully in the Summer time.More then likely a storage unit. If your lucky, a structure including a hayloft.
Hayloft:An elevated platform used for storing hay and straw, hanging hammocks, having picnics, making pallets, watching the sun rise and set, staring at the stars, singing, reading, or sharing secrets. Hopefully with a large window which hay bales can be swung up through or stacked beneath so that you can jump out of it.

Simply living is not enough. One must have sunshine freedom and a little flower. -Jean Webster.

Howdy Friend!

I guess that I am making the assumption that you are a friend vs. a foe. But I never met a stranger. So, now I hope that we will remain companions. Just like those oldest and dearest. Like a good book. Once you read the book you simply can't live with out it. With that said, i extend my warmest greeting to my most welcomed guest! Just imagine yourself dusting your boots against my doormat and walking on in!

I suppose that it's that time. Time to tell you a little about myself. My name is...OH!...I almost forgot. This is entirely anonomous. Adds a flare of mystery, don't you think? Just consider me your local ghost writer!

I am your local writer as well as farmer. As I get to the part about being a passionate grower picture yourself sitting down at the hand-hewn, barn board table and me offering you a glass of cold sweet tea. I might even offer you some fresh veggies depending on the season. Or a slice of home made pumkin pie with a mug of fresh milk from Ann. That is, Ann the milkcow. Now I say something like 'It's always an adventure out here on the farm! I wouldn't trade it for anything.' Except the 'anything' might sound a bit more like 'a-n-y than' taking into acount the sweet Southern drawl found so commonly in the foot hills of Tennessee. Oh! did I mention that's where my beautiful little farm, or piece of heaven, is located? It's lovely country out here and an exceedingly rich envirment for small agricultural ventures such as my own. I say my own but I'm not singly handedly taking on the big Ag and concqueing the Food Industry. The first rule of farming: Farmers Don't Farm Alone. And it happens that  I farm with my wonderful family who I will introduce you to later on, but right now I'm growing longwinded. There's nothing worse then a long winded idealist. Now a to-the-point passionet agrarian i can live with. 

I guess that's my way of saying 'Here I am. Take me or leave me. But while your here let me tell you a few stories and toss around some ideas with you, my readers. Thanks for the little visit.' 

We who live in quiet places have the opportunity to become aquainted with ourselves. To think our own thoughts.

- Laura Ingalls Wilder.