Thursday, December 29, 2011

(NewYear, New You) Something I've Been Putting Off

    Well, how easy was it to list a series of things I have put off?  I am overly blessed with choices for this prompt!
     So overly blessed in fact that I can be very specific, & shall do so:    1) Thursday: Grandchild #2 has need of a room makeover, & I shall complete this today.  As well as start on Grandchild #1/#3s' bedroom. 
  2) I have need to Speak to someone this night.
  3) It's been nearly a year since I determined to go through my closet (literal & metaphoric) & Friday shall be the day (Friday...Freya...Frigg...seems an appropriate day), so that
  4)all is clear on Saturday to lay out the German & start in..even briefly...as I think cupcakes are in order for me & Ryan Seacrest/Dick Clark.
   

     It is important for me to start New Years' Day off in the manner to which I will have the New Year finish.  So, everything will be cleaned & arranged, downsizing fluff will be nearly complete, especially the stuff I have put off during these last few months.
                    

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

'Team Member' only may comment?!

  Overnight, it seems, blogger has instituted a new change. Now, a handful of the blogs I follow only allow 'team members' to comment! Nice...I commented on the last posts of these blogs, now I'm not good enough?!  I have yet to see where one applies to become a 'team member' either.  Any one else know what this change is?

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

New Year, New You response to Goals


*sigh*

     My years' goal is to, physically, move my household.  Since it is still very early days if 2012, & highly improbable for a February deadline, I'm not going to say anymore at this point. 

     Larger goals relating to The One:
                                                        Get my health needs seen to & resolved, as best they can be.
                                                                 
                                                        Get my companion animals health needs seen to (one cat in particular)

                                                        Get wardrobe updated while downsizing fluff-&-nonsense.

     Larger goals which may not be related to T.O.:
                                                        
                                                         Return to an exercise routine

                                                         Further hone divination skills

                                                         Learn to read, if not basic writing skills in, German

                                                         Work on personal magical practices
                                                          
                                                          Learn & practice the difference between paranoid  secrecy
                                                                    & judicious sharing in context


     Mini-goals, end-date second week of February:

                                                        This is the week where everything gets cleaned & suitable arranged
                                                                  for New Years, so it nicely dovetails into downsizing.

                                                         Begin modified exercise program

                                                         Complete medical appts. (One tomorrow relating to learning dis-
                                                                   abilities & S.S., another 3 Feb. relating to degenerative joint
                                                                   disease/R.A., & need to get a tooth pulled...aiming for Jan.
                                                                    here)

                                                          Join in on Magalys' book challenge...hey...the challenge has the word
                                                                    'Witchy' in its' title (babysteps ;)

                                                          Set up a dedicated (in the fuller sense of the word) prosperity
                                                                     altar.

                                                            Return to working on this:
                                                                    
                                                         
                                                            Set up a divination journal...thinking that loose leaf would be best.

                                                            Continue to work on meditation skills.  Visualization is a joy, but
                                                                    stilling mind & body is a killer.  Since candle Work is one of
                                                                    my Joys, will need to distill a way to incorporate Salamander.

    This blog post was brought to you by multiple interruptions from a sicky almost 2 year old grandchild & the barking of an irritated elder dog, cranky because young dog was running up & down the stairs....
     Will also have to figure out a way to correctly set up my template as what blogger decided to publish is *not* how I have it typed.  My head hurts.
                                                                   






                                                        






Monday, December 26, 2011

Magaly has a readers' challenge going on!

Witchy Books Reading Challenge 2012

Welcome to Pagan Culture’s first witchy reading challenge. I want this bit of bookish yumminess to be magical, diverse and fun, so joining the party is really easy:
* Add the challenge button to your sidebar, or place it wherever you keep your blog buttons. I keep my mine at Magaly’s Blog Circle.
* Write a post letting everybody know about the challenge.
* Leave a comment on this post; include the direct link to your announcement.
* At the bottom of your post, add the name of every witchy book you read in 2012, from January 13th to December 13th. You can do this as you go.  
* Reviews are optional, but I would LOVE to read your bookish thoughts.
Witchy Reading Levels:
Elemental Reader 4 books
Bookish Darling 13 books
Lunar Booklover 28 books 
Witchy Bibliophile 35+ books
* You can join the fun at any time.
* Create your list in advance, as you go, or whenever you like.
* All formats are fine; all genres are great...
* Fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, manga, comic books…
* I’m an Eclectic Witch, so of course I welcome books from other challenges.
* Don’t have a blog? Create a list on Goodreads, Facebook… 
* Wondering what’s a Witchy Book? Well, anything with witches in it, my Wicked Luvs! 


          Now, some are adding books as they read.  For myself, I prefer to plan ahead! So here is my list:
                     Blood Wyne, Yasmine Galenorn
                     Shaded Vision, Yasmine Galenorn
                     Courting Darkness, Yasmine Galenorn
                     The Secrets of Dr. Taverner, Dion Fortune
                     Grimms' Fairy Tales (the original, not the moronic revisions)
                     The Voodoo Hoodoo Spellbook, Denise Alvarado
                     Gottin Holle (german edition), GardenStone
                     Der Nerthus-Anspruch, GardenStone
                     Low Magic, Lon Milo Duquette


      I have a few more in mind, but I'm not certain if I will be able to get them.  GardenStones' books will be completed by the end-ish of the year as these will be my first serious forays into reading German.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Worse than 'goals' are 'specifics'

*sign* The prompt for this weeks New Year New You is stating *publicly* goals, including concrete steps to take to accomplish same...mundane & magical. This is unbelievably difficult for me. I have no problem with coming up with goals, or for knowing i need to go from here to there, but the middle part fuddles me no end.  Currently, getting ready for grandchild Yuletide is far too distracting.  So I will be playing catch-up Saturday night.  See you then!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

It's Wednesday!

Which is one way of saying that it's time for my first 'New Year, New You' update.
       For those unaware, my daughter (husband, 3 grandchildren, 1 dog) & I (1 dog, 5 cats) share a household. Hence, my private space is limited, physically as well as spiritually (daughter aware but ignores, husband blissfully ignorant, grandchildren too young).  Due to this limitation, I keep 'stuff' pared down to a minimum...no clutter, a little dust, everything in its' place. 
       My learning 'disabled' self firmly agrees with Deb: no magic happening in a dirty, cluttered space!
       A few of the more noticeable Big Rocks I juggle are Time & Shadow.
                      Time: This involves day-time time-sucks (such as Facebook) which I need to slash drastically *sigh*.  While I recognize I spend far too long socializing, the Time just creeps up.  (As I type, grandchild #2 whines for applesauce & cheese while grandchild #3 fusses because I won't hold her Doddle-Pad for her).  Night-time is an easy solution of cutting out Tv-time so I can fill it with Craft, crafts, & exercise (providing I remember to turn the heater on in the exercise room).
                       Shadow: I abhor telling anyone my business. Ever. This includes....everything. I do not make it a practice to tell people where I have worked, what i craft, where I live, am going, planning on doing....it especially includes Craft-work.  I am contemplating joining in on a book-list blog of the 'what i am going to read during 2012'.  I have avoided listing any books as it's giving me cotton-mouthed kittens at the thought of actually stating publicly what I am going to do.Partly, I think this is due to difficulty explaining what I experience, given my particular learning disabilities, my universe is truly my own.  Mostly, I don't know what Shadow is all about.  Frigga & I will be working on this, methinks, come this Saturday night.
        I hope this post makes any sort of sense...between some ADD, lack of caffeine, & 2 busy grandchildren....




Sunday, December 11, 2011

New Year, New You, New Button

Please note my newest button "New Year, New You'. As  Deb writes ever so much more elegantly than I, I will merely echo her sentiments.  For a Dreamweaver & Creator of Reality, I'm doing a half-assed, at best, job.  So, whenever a Prompt of Deb appears, one of mine will shortly follow. On a Wednesday. 

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

When I can't find a natural disaster..

..to distract me, a murder mystery will do as well.  Not Jack the Ripper, either...it's been done to death! The Ratcliffe highway murders, now this fills the bill.  Just enough detail to be intriguing, far enough in the past not to freak me out, & still unsolved.  Night-time reading, to be sure :)

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Now that the absolute lunacy of Black Friday...

...is over, it's time for the next peculiarly American nonsense: the holiday screeching associated with wishing people 'Merry Christmas'.  Jason has an absolutely wonderful post on this subject (the entire post is wonderful, skim halfway down to the 'Merry Christmas' part). 
        In all seriousness, the American way of democratizing religion is not to give all minority traditions equal sway with the majority, but to allow all people to decide for themselves what spiritual tradition to follow, & to do so, so long as practicing said faith doesn't include murder, animal cruelty, &/or coercing minors.  
        When pressed (& backed into a corner) I inform questioners that, after 15 odd years, I gave up Christianity for Lent.  I have no particular interest in resuming attendance at any Catholic or Christian church. However, that doesn't stop me from understanding & appreciating the cultural contributions Christianity has given this country.  Nor does it stop me from wanting to bake a stupid amount of cookies, prevent grandchild #3 from assaulting the Tree, discourage grandchild #2 from turning the Tree lights on/off repeatedly, or attempt to distract grandchild #1 from snitching on #2 & #3 ad infinitum.
         Also, "Merry Christmas".


Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.

I love the parades, the foods, the reasoning behind it....I love the fact that big business can't seem to commercialize it to their liking :)  Jason says it so well....be Thankful this year, this month, this time.

Friday, November 18, 2011

one of my favorite

prime-time shows is 'Bones'.  However, not having a working knowledge of forensic anthropology I'm never too sure how accurate the show is, or where the gaffes are. powered by osteons fills in this gap nicely :)

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

urgh...feel like crap so..

here's some things which made me smile (bastard weather...needs to revert back to november weather.  sinus' are most unhappy):
                     1) the sound of a  7,000 year old drum (just after the five minute mark)
                     2) fireflies make me want to giggle & dance (but, then, so do mushroom clouds...)
                     3) tornadoes....aahhh...natural disasters, love 'em
                     4) yea for family holidays!

Monday, October 31, 2011

happy all hallows grim!

http://ak.imgag.com/imgag/product/preview/flash/bws8Shell.swf?ihost=http://ak.imgag.com/imgag&brandldrPath=/product/full/el/&cardNum=/product/full/ap/3125133/graphic1                   enjoy!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

late october...last garden post for the year, methinks!

being as there is 3 grandchildren in the household, there will be 3 jack o' lanterns carved. per request of grandchild #1, seeds have been saved from her pumpkin.  seeds will, therefore, be saved from the (smaller) pumpkin of grandchild #2.  am hoping that daughter will pick up a small white or pie pumpkin for grandchild #3 (who, as yet, is too little to protest the size).  granted, there is only minute space in the wee patch, but i will still try to put in 3 pumpkins.

grandchild #1 also requests lavender to be grown in 'her' garden. i have 2 containers..the smaller will be for a lavender seedling or two. the taller one i will try a clematis & a patio rose. other flowers set are: marigold (day of the dead), carnation, & hedge petunia.

herbs set are: mugwort, basil, german chamomile, spearmint, peppermint, bergamot

veggies set are: tomatoes, lettuce, pickling cucumber, cabbage, .....



Tuesday, October 25, 2011

*the* perfect all hallows grim song...

a time of remembrance, of ghosts gathered, thinning veil,  candles flickering, apples glow, incense wavering in the breeze....& song....dream a little dream of me...

Thursday, October 20, 2011

thursday in october..

..pretty much means all is quiet in the garden. what few plants are left, are left so that i can see what frost will do within my little patch.
so, instead, here is an excellent (short) post on OWS : head for red   
has it right. people are finally scared enough to make some noise. now, if  OWS will evolve into a political movement with enough voters' clout, maybe it's not too late to force some wall street change!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

breakfast time!

i have a few apples left, & the urge to practice pie crust...so, it's off to the the english kitchen i go (after dropping off grandchild #1 to school).

Monday, October 17, 2011

giveaway from mrs.b.!

on deck today is a copy of  'the witches book of the dead' (christian day).  just follow the  link to get into the action. this looks to be a fantastic book, which i *really* hope to get, one way or another, between now & december ;)

Friday, October 14, 2011

right on point

strategic sorcery  has a wonderful graphic which explains the occupy-wallst. 'movement'.  don't skip reading the comments, either.  well though out.  oligarchs refusing to share enough of the wealth to keep the majority content has lead to this upset. the abusive way police are responding implies that they are afraid that once the 'last straw' happens, violence will follow.  they're right.  rough ride ahead folks....

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

i have been accused...

...of being a cynic. 'accused' is the right word for it...the tone the word is uttered with is quite disdainful &
seems to require a pointing finger.  many people use 'cynic' without understanding the philosophy behind it.  i am guilty of this as well. imagine, then, my delight, to read the latest entry on dionysian atavism.  as it happens, i do have quite a bit in common with the cynic philosophy after all!  still could do with getting rid of some more stuff, though......;)

Friday, October 7, 2011

4 days after the last rain...

...& the garden is still so damp & compact a stray mushroom has sprouted....in october :/  

riley, soninlaws' dog, bounced through one of the mums, snapped it in 3 pieces.  the other 2 mums have lovely burgundy blooms, as advertised, but won't be getting any bigger.           

not having grown pumpkin before, i googled a how-to article or two. all pointed out that pumpkins are prone to powdery mildew. that one is supposed to clip off affected leaves, as fungicide won't work once the mildew is established. also, that clipped leaves won't affect the plants' ability to grow fruit.  huh...still growing, no pumpkin. so, from now on, i will just let the pumpkin put out as many mildew-y leaves as it can.
observe & note, plant next season for better luck!                                               

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

awesome giveaway time!

the wondrous mrsb. is taking time out from writing her first book (yea!) to have a few giveaways for the season upon us.  on deck is a copy of 'old world witchcraft' by raven grimassi.  the cover alone should have this book on *many* wish=-lists.  so, quickly now, pop over to confessions of a pagan soccermom & join in the fun.

for once, it's a tuesday blog thought!

there are 4 blogs i read whose commenters are so interesting that i return daily just to read what people have said in reply to (consistently) wonderful posts.  herbal witchcraft is one.  harry hits the nail on the head, once again, with thoughts on the energies within windy days.  plus which, i buy my herb seeds from him yearly, & have never been disappointed!

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

perhaps it's time

for this poor little dog of earthquakepets to 'disappear' before the wild boars leave but blood & bone behind.....

Thursday, September 22, 2011

wet garden!

almost autumn, & the mugginess has it feeling like the beginning of august! plenty of rain, though, to keep the pumpkin happy.  given how late the seedling took root, it's doubtful there will be pumpkins in time for jack o' lanterns. but there should be enough for pies & roasting :) 
the red cabbage are as big as they're going to get, so will be cutting them this weekend.  the marigold & hedge petunia have finally met thier end for this season.
the second growth of mugwort has seeded.  the spearmint is slowing down its' spread.
put in 3 burgundy mums this monday past. hopefully, next season i will have enough marigold seedlings to put in staggered planting & have no need for mums!

Friday, September 16, 2011

day late....which isn't too surprising...

...as september is late in arriving as well. *finally* the humidity & the temperature dropped by about 20 points/degrees. yea! :)  :)  pinched the pumpkin back a little in the hopes it will start growing horizontally instead of vertically (east/west vs. north/south & into the weeds).  as this is my first pumpkin, i think that this weekend i will set to pinching back growth in the hopes of forcing pumpkins to fruit quicker.  really disappointed in how the red cabbage grew...very slowly & very small as well.  i can see a lot of reading this winter to better prep the garden for productivity!

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

this is just *neat*

i love history...all of the stories of who, what, where, why, how  & how others have interpreted same. this blog feeds this love at the very roots of it all! todays' post at powered by osteons is centered in one of my favorite countries: germany. enjoy! :)

Sunday, September 11, 2011

rhs new gardening: how to garden in a changing climate

i bought this hardcover for 5$, which is a good price for this book! the text in this book is geared to rank beginners, but it does have plenty of lovely photos....kind of makes this book a cross between a coffee-table book & a pamphlet.   being a visual learner, the photos are what make this book a good 5$ read & one i will keep. especially the 'perfect partners' section & the explanatory diagrams.  plus, i am now keen on learning more about laid hedges.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

birthday ideas...

dabblings and whimsey has a really neat idea for a young childs' birthday party...all to do with the board game 'candyland'.  it is *very* nice, although with grandchild #1 having a birthday in nov., #2 having his in oct., might have to wait until #3 gets old enough to play along in march!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

it's thursday, so a quickie garden post

hurricane irene was pretty much a tropical storm when it got here. however, she did point out that the top right corner of the garden is where the severest slope is. not sure how to correct this for next growing season.  in order for tomatoes or potatoes to be set in, i will need to stop the soil from being washed away.
the pumpkin has 2 blossoms! i am so happy about this it's silly.  am already thinking of ways to prevent neighbors from stealing my (soon to be) pumpkins.
the rest of the garden fared well with irenes' rain. do need to weed mightily though.

not exactly a blog post....

there has been much chatter in the news & thereabouts regarding hunger, famine, & high food prices lately. here is a short paper giving an explanation of why.  it shouldn't be a surprise that greed plays a factor :(     the right to food  reads quickly & infuriates.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

little prepping for the remnants of irene

hurricane irene should hit sometime on sunday. tomato supports will be brought in, as will the green tomatoes (for a chutney). the plants will be pulled up.  i have 6 red cabbage, a few beet seedlings, & the one pumpkin. all of which are fairly low to the ground & in soil which has fairly decent drainage.  they should be fine. not to sure about the 2 stray chamomile seedlings which have decided that it's still spring.....

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

awesome as usual

for those of us doing our best to life hack our way through the current economy, gordon has an absolute spot-on post. read it. read the links. great stuff!

Monday, August 22, 2011

nice rain yesterday

helping to encourage the pumpkin to spread. which it is doing at a nice rate. marigold & spreading petunias still going strong. next season, these are the flowers i will be planting in isas' patch. cut back the spearmint & mugwort radically. both are still growing. will harvest a little spearmint in the next week or two. am really understanding how quickly spearmint spreads!
the beets don't like this soil. thinking it is too compact for them to feel comfortable.
am seriously considering raised beds & square foot planting. to amend the soil properly & to maximize harvest.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

thoughts are turning toward autumn....yea!

autumn....it's getting cooler, days are ending earlier, ability to breathe is easier, michaels' is slowly getting thier halloween stuff out :)  recipes requiring ovens are coming to mind:  the english kitchen  has a lovely take on chicken pot pie.   as august is nearing an end, cortland apples are soon to be picked! canning time is nigh :)  and then there is Pie! courtesy of  october farm.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

soggy garden

we got a heavy-rainy day tuesday. the patch is still damp. the pumpkin is putting up 4 new leaves, so i think it's here to stay. the cabbage didn't mind the rain, but the tomatoes are looking wilty. i forgot to order heirloom seeds, so my daughter picked up seedlings from the local home depot. i'm not pleased with the way the fruits are ripening..very staggered & oddly in layers...majority in the mid section of the plant. the top is mostly leggy stems. i won't forget to order next season!
hopefully, within the next week local nurseries will have mums & seedlings out :)

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

tomatoes & riots

tomatoes are ripening nicely. only a few were damaged in our hail storm the other day.  since i only have 4 plants, there isn't enough to make canning worthwhile. however, this  the english kitchen soup should do nicely to use what i have now.
on to london, & what has been on my mind these past few days.  riots may be an expression of frustration, however it is anger misplaced & hurts more than helps.  mary riddell puts the situation out ever so much better than i.  read it.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

last of spring/summer herbs

the chamomile was cut down yesterday. the stems were yellowing green & the flowers were noticeably smaller with fringed petals. this morning i pulled the last of the basil. will use it with the latest ripened tomatoes.
the more i read about tomatoes the more i realize i'm going to have to move them around next season.
the cabbages & pumpkin are being horribly munched by pests.  sprayed them thoroughly with 'safer'.
not pleased with how the tomatoes are growing. they are far too leggy & not producing enough fruit. will try pruning them tonight before watering.  the leaves are also curling & looking dried.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

113

113. i counted the number of blogs on my blogroll & this is the number.  which explains why i don't have a blogroll posted here as it's just too embarrassing.
i will point out that the majority post but once a month or so. it's not like i read 113 every day! still & all, there would far fewer if i didn't feel bad about deleting a blog when it has but a few subscribers.
the few that post nearly every day are: diamondgeezer, vegplotting, octoberfarm, londondailyphoto.
*sigh* in the spirit of fall cleaning, it's off i go to prune the blogroll with a heavy hand....

Friday, July 29, 2011

august giveaway at the laughing vixon lounge!

'tis the august giveaway at laughing vixen lounge! winner gets to pick thier favorite item from her etsy shop. vixen has gorgeous items...i ordered one of her charm bracelets for my daughter & we are both *most* pleased :)

unhappy pumpkin

not wanting to leave the pumpkin seedling to get tromped by an energetic dog, i transplanted it into the wee patch. the blooms are still nice & green, but the leaves promptly wilted. hoping this is merely transplant shock. it seems to be firmly anchoring itself into the ground, so....today or tomorrow the last of this seasons' mugwort & basil gets harvested. i'll give the spearmint until early this week coming before it gets cut back. the chamomile has probably two cuttings left. the beets haven't germinated yet...will give until the end of the week coming.
i was worried that the tomato plants blooms were rotting, but looked the issue up online & it's written that sometimes this happens when the plant is weather-stressed or has decided to grow some more. they have grown noticeably, but haven't see where to clip back the new growth. hope they set some more fruit.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

so excited to try!

last year i promised myself to learn to space my planting so that i didn't have an empty patch come aug/sept. looky here what urban organic gardener is trying! tomato cages for pumpkins :) def. one i will be trying next season. for this season i have put in some beets (from seed...crossed fingers they come up) & mailman john pointed out there is a pumpking growing in the lawn. so i transplanted it to the garden patch so that dogs won't dig it up. hopefully it will make it!  there are already a few red cabbage growing away.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

no weeding in this heat!

mini cabbages will be ready to bring in by saturday. i have noticed a difference between this season & last. thinking it has to do with the fact that i didn't use miracle-gro this season.
it's supposed to be misery outside through saturday, so will have to get up extra early saturday morning to weed, water, harvest. 
if the last 4 cukes aren't big enough to pull, too bad. the vines are coming out. they are just too damaged by 'im not sure what. too many blooms rotting away to make it worthwhile. instead i will water deeply & set beet seeds in. according to the package late summer is when you're supposed to plant. we'll see.
basil & spearmint are almost done for the season. think i have a few more clippings before the chamomile is kaput.

holy wow....

bacon jam. bacon. jam. family-kitchen makes bacon jam.  even as miserable as this heat & humidity is, if i had the ingredients at hand i would be making this!

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

too hot too cook

i hate summer. one of the few good things(there are, maybe, 3) about summer is ripening tomatoes. today the wednesday chef has an awesome spaghetti dish featuring those lovely glowing scarlet orbs of summer.  as luck would have it, the last of the garden basil is ready to be trimmed!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

more plants on the 'like to grow' list

those plants being red clover, yarrow, & mullein. also, thinking mini carrots & beets. however, given the soil composition, would need to be in a large container or in a raised bed. i've forgotten the link which showed small carrots & beets, another post on urban gardens webs writes that blue jade/baby corn does well in containers. wonder if i can get the grandchildren  to eat blue sweet corn?
cucumber issues: approximately 1/3 of all blooms are rotting as soon as baby cukes start growing. don't see any insects. those cukes which do grow do so normally. have sprayed 'stop-rot' & 'safer' on the vines. plenty of water & air circulation. haven't been able to match my description of the problem with trouble-shooting websites.
the mugwort has started to set blooms & so i have taken a final harvest from those stems. one spearmint plant is also setting blooms. my basil are almost beginning.  the gonzales mini cabbage are starting to set. the red cabbage has a way to go yet. as do my tomatoes. as least this year the end-rot doesn't seem to be showing up.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

july jewelry giveaway at ...

tribal horse designs! i won a lovely pair of summery earrings in june :) the random number generator loves me ;)

Thursday, July 7, 2011

f***...it looks like cucumber mosiac :(

one vine is wilted & gone. one more is on the way. lower blossoms on the vine are wilting & dying. this just started happening 2 weeks ago & is *quick*. when the rain comes whatever beetle it is is washed away. now the heat & humidity is back, the beetles (pretty sure that's what it is) are multiplying. applying safer, getting rid of damaged leaves/vines. pissed though...i was getting set to have double the harvest from last season!
recommendation is too alternate where cukes are planted (which will be difficult given the small size of the plot) & to plant resistant strains.
the mugwort is setting flowers early this season. last year it was late july, currently the middle half of the row has flowers ready to bloom. nice harvest as well.                                           thinking of raised beds for next season, also adding feverfew & bergamot herb.                                                                                                                           

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

i adore marshmallows

it's true...i do. big pieces, small pieces, any pieces at all! & david lebovitz has a great recipe listed :)  roasted marshmallows, candied potatoes with marshmallows, practicing marshmallows for gift-giving.....i am so ready for autumn & a cooler kitchen!

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

instead of buying a garden journal....

a good third of the way through the growing season, it suddenly occurred that i should have been taking notes...notes on what grew best where, weather conditions, harvest quantities, etc.  this because it seems that the wet spring we had has encouraged earlier blooming for the chamomile, basil, & mugwort.  yet the bloom for the chamomile doesn't seem as heavy, just earlier.
i also had tomato rot last season. this season i used 'stop rot' for the time leading up to fruiting. not as much as i had hoped to as the weather was just too wet. am also using 'seven' this season on the cukes & cabbages. still waiting to see if this does anything to stop whichever little bastard is eating my cabbages!
the cucumbers didn't like the tomato trellis i put up for them to crawl on. john the postman pointed out that some of his cukes liked to climb & some didn't.  will try a finer mesh trellis next year as just letting the vines sprawl out takes up way too much space in the wee patch.
i promise myself that i will find my camera this weekend so that my daughter can help me load photos next week. promise....tues. for blogthought, weds. for garden.  am thinking that am occasional post on crafts, or maybe Craft later on.....we'll see.

day late but not a dollar short

am probably way too excited over what i have just discovered: cucumber jelly, courtesy of dabblings and whimsy.  *this* is what i will be doing this weekend. along with giving more dedication to finding the camera i misplaced in this apartment easter sunday past.  i even have coupons to cut down buying the few supplies i will need :)

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

damn, we're raising a nation of boneheaded idiots

holy fuck. powered by osteons has a post worthy of a migraine. that only 2 of 51 contestants support teaching the scientific theory of evolution is appalling. the loss of the ability to apply critical thinking bodes tragic for this country.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

my type of inspiring

when oprah winfrey was winding down her t.v. show, when everyone & their media handler was waxing eloquent over oprah-the-inspiration, i didn't join in. granted, oprah inspires countless thousands, just not me. the type of person who inspires me is  one who lives in a small apartment with a small terrace, gardening & foraging in new york city.  a person who can  see greening possibilities in the middle of a huge cement & asphalt urban icon is a fascinating person.  66 square feet is someone i would love to have lunch with (even if the toxins from the car exhaust whacked my lungs a good one).

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

giveaway!

there is a neat little giveaway going on at over at sleepy king involving a sweet little fox.  :)

chicks ahoy! (soonly)

one day in the near future, i hope, i will be able to keep a small flock of chickens.  i even have my preferred breeds halfway picked out! until then, thought, there is purple podded peas...she sat some eggs under a friends' broody hen & withing the next 48 hours.....anticipation! excitement!

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

bloggers who write or writers who blog?

i seem to be drawn to food-oriented bloggers who publish!  one such blog is cocoandme. tamamis' clear writing style, instructions, & her photos have me eagerly anticipating 2012 (when her cookbook is due out)  :)

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

canning season approaches!

we have gotten so much rain this past two weeks that my cucumbers, beets, cabbage, & spearmint have drowned. while i am going to replant part of the wee patch, i am also prepping for canning season. one can never have too many jars. simplebites has a most timely post on how to avoid canning burnout. read & enjoy!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

jeseez....forgot again!

i love maps---the older the better. i'm not to good at following them, but i adore looking at them nonetheless.  combine history with a map & it's double happiness.  history is some of the best storytelling around & vegplotting is doing a really neat abc of chippenham (u.k.) presently (along with wonderful gardens, public plantings, & the occasional book review). read & enjoy!

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

tuesday blog thought

one of my most *favorite* jewelry artists is having a giveaway! sillycut  does wonderous things with fabrics & metals.  her 'medusa' pieces are a joy to behold, & i am intent on snatching any more than my three pieces up as soon as she makes more!  rare delicacies, indeed. :) in conjunction with isabelle gloria, sillycut is giving away one of her darkly luscious rings....check it out!!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

tuesday blog thought

todays' blog is from one of my favorite blogs...purple podded peas! not only is the text beautiful to read (short but succinct, flows softly) but her music selections are as much a pleasure as the photos of her chickens & artwork.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

just becuase it's wednesday, doesn't mean this isn't a tuesday blog thought

not even may, & the humidity is high enough for late june. *extreme dislike*! haven't put the garden in yet as early spring weather in new england can be a gamble. however, earthenwitch has got her stuff together! she even includes her usual fantastic photos :)

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

hunting cats

or, in this case, *a* cat. kirschbits, a lovely etsy blog full of handbags & recipes is having a giveaway to celebrate her 1st year anniversary.  in order to be entered in one of 3 drawings you need to scroll through photos in her etsy shop to find a hidden cat. now, having feline companions, i know how well cats can hide, but, dammit, i've been looking for 2 days!
also, kirschbits is doing something very smart as part of the entry in this drawing: you must send where you saw the cat *in an email*, not merely submit a comment others can hitchhike on!
*sigh* back to the photos i go. i am determined that the cat shall not triumph.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

time to take notes....

there are precious few blogs i take notes off of, excluding 4 i occasionally copy recipes out of.  chaos magic is an awesome blog. i have 3 entries worth of notes to take....'apocalypse timeshares' & 'OAT' have a few pages worth of notes each.  which is what i am now going to do...as soon as i put the grandkids to bed....

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

tuesday blog thought: more snow!

one of the wonderful things about the british blogs i follow is that the gardens green up so much quicker than does my wee patch in the connecticut valley. victoria's backyard is just one shining example. i shall be scrolling through her lovely photographs & sighing deeply this thursday when more snow falls this first week of spring!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

on seasonal celebrations...

an (as usual) excellent post on chaos magic tripped a pet peeve of mine. that pet peeve  being the peculiar insistence of many of many pagans/wiccans tying celebration to an agricultural calender.  i haven't read dawn of sex & so can't argue for/against the idea of agriculture as enemy.  however, i can argue that the marketing of wheel of the year as a necessary part of pagan practice has more to do with selling an easily grasped concept which lends itself well to the peddling  of various patterns, decorations, books, etc. than it does with the idea of magical practice.
harvest home in the face of technology  which allows many of us to buy strawberries in december makes no sense. nor does assigning spiritual significance to an agricultural occasion which precious few people have any direct experience with.
for those of us with gardens, or even with farms, who want to celebrate a good harvest by inviting friends over --that's all well & good-- but hanging out with friends & family hasn't a damn thing to do with my spiritual or magical practices. to claim that it must merely adds an extra layer of fluff which takes too much of my time to shove aside.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

tuesday blog thought: my father & chickpeas

the other day this luscious soup was posted in one of my favorite cooking blogs, the wednesday chef  
it features one of my favorite beans, chickpeas (a/k/a: garbanzo beans), plus the crunch of croutons. yum! this is one soup which can't go wrong.  the recipe also brings back a father-memory: whenever my dad goes up to a salad bar there are certain things which are always on his plate. one of which is chickpeas.  not too many, just enough for a small mouthful. every time,the same amount of chickpeas remain on his plate, to be scrapped off into the trash at the end of the meal.  i asked once why he takes something he knows he doesn't like & he replied "because i might like them this time.".  i didn't ask how he would know if he liked the chickpeas this time if he hadn't eaten at least one of them...

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

where am i heading?

the kitchen sink collective has a lovely post involving chicks & necromancy (it takes a Writer to be able to combine the two legibly).  it gives to me to think about my relationship with the dead. i don't particularly have one, nor do i feel called to develop one.
my mother has a lovely round table filled with framed wedding photographs of our family. as they die, she places their photo near the back. newer weddings go in the front. my auntie (moms' sister) has a collection of family histories & many photographs.  i have a few things that my grandmother (mothers' mother) has made me, & a clock my mom has embroidered for me. also i cross-stitched an animal totem for my maternal & paternal grandmothers. haven't figured out what to do for my mother as she isn't a fan of animals.  and that's it.
i don't feel a need to converse with them, & they don't feel the need to speak with me. i don't feel a loss over it all. i rather wish i did. more emotion is generated by the show 'ghost hunters', even if it's an intense dislike over the rude premise the show is based around. i.e., these ghost aren't bothering the 'hunters' so why are they bothering the ghosts?!  what i feel called towards are trees & stone, & the Spirit of Place. perhaps this is due to my moving so often as a child.....

Friday, February 18, 2011

new camera!

i have finally bought a camera. a little point and shoot digital jobby in green. photos on the blog...woot! as soon as i figure out how to do so....probably saturday...

Thursday, January 6, 2011

new moon new year

the first new moon of a year is a wonderful time to initiate new projects (hat tip to mrsb ). however, due to the lovely strong head cold certain grandchildren passes along, i have decided to postpone the start of 2011 for one week.  given that the concept of time is a mutable one, i firmly believe that i can do this with no lasting damage.  or, in the immortal words of adam savage , "i reject your reality, & substitute my own".  i will say that one goal is to figure out how to fully utilized blogger!