My Square Foot Garden Plan

One of my goals this year was to pick up a few "life skills".  One of the important life skills that I decided to focus on is growing food.  I am a terrible gardener.  We had a pretty decent herb container garden the last few years, but the only reason that survived is because herbs do better if you mostly ignore them.  However, the very cold/rough winter we had this year has killed off all of our herbs.  So we are starting anew completely.

The only other time I've tried to grow vegetables it has been an abysmal failure.  One year my tomato plant had a grand total of two tomatoes, one of which was rotten, and the other was not very tasty.

I've done my research, planned my little heart out, and come up with the following plan.  I will be following the square foot garden method.  The plants were chosen based on our tastes, and space restrictions.

We will have a 4x4 raised bed.  We will also have 6 large pots, and 2 extra large pots.

We will be growing the following from seeds (direct sow): marigolds, cucumbers, beans, beets, carrots, lettuce, peas, spinach,  and squash.  My plan is to order them from the Burpee catolog.

The following will be purchased at our local nursery, and transplanted: basil, peppers, tomatoes, sage, rosemary, dill and mint.  We are also going to be ordering a blueberry plant and strawberry plant from Burpee.

The next step is to build the 4x4 raised bed.  I'm still debating whether to build it myself, or to purchase one that is precut, and you just have to put it together.  The cost is the main difference between the two.  My husband is finishing up grad school, so I've promised not to bug him TOO much with this stuff until he is done.  I will also be ordering the seeds in the next few days.

I need to get the lettuce and the peas started soon, but I don't have to wait for the raised bed to be built, since they will be in pots.

So far, I'm really enjoying myself.  I told my husband I was surprised I hadn't gotten into gardening before, since there is so much planning involved, and planning makes my heart happy.  Hopefully the manual labor part won't total suck the fun out of it.  Or the bugs, or rabbits, or diseases, or all of the other stuff that can go wrong.  I plan on spending a lot of time in our backyard this spring and summer, so hopefully neglect won't be my downfall.

I'm Baaaaaccck!

So, I haven't blogged in years.  Lots of ideas, having a kid, new position at work, and there you go.  I'd like to get back into the swing of things, if nothing more than a way to keep track of things, and go into more details that I can on facebook.

No idea really what this will look like, but odds are, I'll probably talk about my son, gardening, prepping, books, and general musings.

BOOK REVIEW: Time Traveler's Wife

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


While I enjoyed the book, I found myself a little more emotionally detached than I normally would have been. I had put this book on my to-be-read pile over a year ago, and a friend contacted me and told me that I should wait. At the time, I had recently had a miscarriage, and she said that this might be a tough read. She was definitely right. I'm in a much better place in dealing with the miscarriage now, and decided to go ahead and read it with my book club. But I never really connected with the characters like I thought I would. I admit I did skim some of the tough scenes (mostly for my sake), but even then, I wasn't really connecting. Mostly I just felt very sad for the characters. It is still worth reading. I think my history kind of colored it for me.

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Book Review: The Help

The Help by Kathryn Stockett


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I listened to this book on audio. Definitely one of the best books that I have read this year. This is a story set back during the beginning of the civil rights movement. It is told from three different perspectives. Two of them are maids and one is a society girl. The way the story weaves between the three of them is truly beautiful. It really got me thinking about that time in our history in a different way. But beyond that, it is just a beautifully written, heart-moving story. I definitely think that this is a book worth picking up.

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CSA Week 1

So here is the haul for the first week. We got a mini tour of the farm, and it was very interesting to see all the different areas.  We got to meet the owners and they were great.  They said that the baskets/boxes will be bigger each week as more and more stuff starts to mature.  We will split this with the other family.  In our half, there will be enough for 3 nights worth of side salads, plus oregano for something (not real sure what to do with herbs yet), swiss chard as a side for a meal, and strawberries to munch on.

The boxes are setup when you get there, and you get to pick an herb, and something from the members choice table (I think it was supposed to be rhubarb, but it didn't end up being ready yet).

CSA - Community Supported Agriculture

It has been awhile.  So instead of trying to catch you all up, I'm just going to jump right in like I've been blogging all along.

Chris and I joined a local CSA.  We have split the membership with friends of ours.  I have been wanting to join one for a number of years, but the sign up time always came and went, and it didn't get done.  When you join a CSA, you are essentially getting a "membership" to their farm.  Depending on the agreement, you get a share of the produce during harvesting season.  For our particular CSA, Berries on Bryan Station it was $400 per share, and we get 20 weeks worth of produce.  Since we had never joined before, we weren't sure how much we would get each week, and if we would be able to eat it all (we aren't huge vegetable people).  So we decided to split a share this first year and see how it goes.   I picked this particular CSA because they offer strawberries, blackberries and raspberries throughout the season instead of just veggies.

We hope to get exposed to some new vegetables, and hopefully establish better eating habits.  In the past, our regular vegetables have been potatos, corn, green beans, and squash.  Generally our salads come from a bag.  And more often than not, I end up throwing the salad bag away when it gets all nasty.  I know that a lot of people join CSAs because they want organic vegetables, or they are concerned about buying locally to help reduce how far their veggies travel to get to them.  I will be honest and say that we didn't join for those reasons.  I don't have anything against organic food, and while I'm interested in sustainability, I don't really do much about that yet.  However, I do like supporting the local economy, and I wanted to be exposed to a more diverse set of vegetables.  My hope is that we get a little bit healthier this summer.  I also hope that I can show that this is actually a good deal.  I'm going to try and keep track of how much food we get, and kind of compare that to what we would spend if we bought the same stuff at the grocery store.  And I'm sure there will be other benefits that we discover along the way.

I will try to post pictures each week of what we get from the CSA.  If you have any questions or advice, definitely leave a coment.  I know I tried to do a little research from real people before we joined, and it was hard to find.

As a side note, I've also planted a tomato plant in the topsy-turvey (the upside down growing thing), and a basil plant and sage plant.  I'm not fond of gardening AT ALL.  But I do think it is an important skill to have.  In the past, I have had ZERO luck growing anything.  I have 10 black fingers.  But I'm determined to try. :)

Goals for 2010

It is the end of 2009. It will be interesting to see what 2010 holds for me and mine. I have hopes and dreams about what it will hold. And I have a really good feeling about 2010. I have definitely been feeling more optimistic in the last few weeks. I feel more at peace and more in control. I have some concrete goals for the next few months, and they aren't unreasonable or out of reach.

Most of my goals are private, but I have them listed in a OneNote notebook, and have a "plan" to help implement them.

My work goals include getting my A+ certifcation by April 1 and my Project+ certifcation by December 1. I've already had some training for the the A+ certification, so I just bought a review book, and hopefully I'll be able to bang that out quickly. That way I can focus on the project certification for the rest of the year.

I hope that Chris and I will be able to go to Washington DC this spring on vacation.

I'm working on a new blog that does Christmas reviews. I'll add the address later, when there is a little more content. My goal is to post to that site once a week. I am hoping to post to this site 3-4 times a week.

Happy New Years!

Thriller and Suspense Challenge 2010

Another new challenge for me! This one is hosted by Book Chick City.

My planned list is:

1. Postmortem, Patricia Cornwell
2. Black, Ted Dekker
3. Chosen, Ted Dekker
4. City of Shadows, Ariana Franklin
5. And then there was none, Agatha Christie
6. Fantasy in Death, JD Robb
7. Indulgence in Death, JD Robb
8. Breathing Water, Timothy Hallinan
9. The Bourne Identity, Robert Ludlum
10. The Last Days, Joel Rosenberg
11. The Quickie, James Patterson
12. 4th of July, James Patterson

2010 Book Blogger Recommendations

This is a new challenge for me. She has a list of the top 25 Books that were recommended by book bloggers. I had already read quite a few, but have picked five from the list to read:

1. The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
2. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCullough
3. Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins
4. The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley
5. Eragon, Christopher Paolini

2010 Chick Lit Challenge

I really enjoyed this challenge last year and found quite a few new authors that I LOVED! So hopefully I will be as successful this year. The goal is to read 8 chick lit books.

1. Remember Me, Sophie Kinsella
2. Undomestic Goddess, Sophie Kinsella
3. The Nanny Diaries, Emma McLaughlin
4. My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult
5. In Her Shoes, Jennifer Weiner
6. Friday Night Knitting Club, Kate Jacobs
7. The Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love - Jill Conner Browne
8. The Castaways, Elin Hilderbrand

2010 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

Royal Reviews is hosting this challenge. Click the image to read the rules and sign up! (psst, let me know if you sign up so I can check out your list!)

I will be doing the Addicted level of the challenge, which is to read 12 historical fiction books.

My planned list is as follows:

1. Regency Buck, Georgette Heyer
2. North and South, John Jakes
3. Love and War, John Jakes
4. Heaven and Hell, John Jakes
5. Through a Glass Darkly, Karleen Koen
6. The Concubine, Norah Lofts
7. The Reluctant Widow, Georgette Heyer
8. Lady of Quality, Georgette Heyer
9. Sprig Muslin, Georgette Heyer
10. The Luxe, Anna Godbersen
11. David Copperfield, Charles Dicken
12. Rainwater, Sandra Brown

I have a feeling I'm going to be purchasing a few of these books, because our library doesn't carry some of the Heyer books. But I always see really good reviews, so I'm guessing it will be worth the investment.

1st in a Series Challenge 2010

Royal Reviews is hosting this challenge. Click the image to read the rules and sign up! (psst, let me know if you sign up so I can check out your list!)

I will be doing the Addicted level of the challenge, which is to read 12 books (that are the first in a series).

My planned list is as follows:
1. North and South, John Jakes
2. Eyes Like Stars, Lisa Mantchev
3. Tomorrow, When the War Began, John Marsden
4. Daughter of the Forest, Juliet Marillier
5. Heart's Blood, Juliet Marillier
6. Storm Front, Jim Butcher
7. Postmortem, Patricia Cormwell
8. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
9. Keeping it Real, Justina Robson
10. Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
11. Chosen, Ted Dekker
12. Black, Ted Dekker

All of these books (except Storm Front and Postmortem) have come from other blogger's lists. I checked out their lists, and then looked up the books on GoodReads. Hopefully I'll find some gems!

Reading Challenge Sign Up Time

Last years reading challenges didn't go as well as hoped. I read (and/or listened to) 71 books in 2009. The one thing that participating in reading challenges did do was expose me to new authors and new genres. I got hung up on some of the "harder" books, and I think that is what slowed me down. Anyhow, the time has come to sign up for the new reading challenges. I will be participating in 6 challenges this year:

1st in a Series Challenge 2010
2010 Historical Fiction Challenge
2010 Chick Lit Challenge
2010 Book Blogger Recommendations Challenge
Thriller and Suspense Challenge 2010

and the one challenge that encompasses EVERYTHING I read in the year, the

2010 100+ Reading Challenge



I will do individual posts (with lists) for the first five challenges, along with progress updates in the sidebar. I will compile my full list in the sidebar as well. To participate and/or read the rules for the challenges, please just click the image and it will take you to the host's site.

Julie and Julia

Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
There were parts of the book that I really liked a lot. Quite a few hilarious scenes. However, there are parts in the middle that could have been edited quite a bit more. The flow seemed off, and it was hard to follow what was going on. And sometimes I felt like she was referring to things that she thought she had already mentioned, but she hadn't. I saw the movie first (it is usually the other way around for me) and I really liked the movie. There isn't as much Julia in the book as in the movie. I've read that Julie Powell just published another book, but I probably won't be reading that one. Its about infidelity and butchering. Kind of a bizarre combo.

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Reading Challenges Update

I realize it has been awhile. And now you are getting two posts in one day :)

Even though I haven't been blogging, I've still been keeping up with what I have been reading. Here are the additions for this year since my last update:

44. Fat Chance, Deborah Blumenthal - good
45. Finger Lickin' Fifteen, Janet Evanovich - good
46. Smoke Screen, Sandra Brown - ok
47. Atonement, Ian McEwan - bad - I hated this book.
48. Drums of Autumn, Diana Gabaldon - fantastic
49. Bet Your Bottom Dollar, Karen Gillespie - good
50. Sanctuary, Nora Roberts - good
51. Good Grief, Lolly Winston - good
52. 92 Pacific Boulevard, Debbie Macomber - ok
53. The Fiery Cross, Diana Gabaldon- good
54. A Breath of Snow and Ashes, Diana Gabaldon - good
55. An Echo in the Bone, Diana Gabaldon - good
56. Bed of Roses, Nora Roberts - good
57. Certain Girls, Jennifer Weiner - good
58. Kindred in Death, JD Robb - fantastic
59. REREAD - Twilight, Stephenie Meyer - fantastic (yes I read them for a 2nd time this year)
60. REREAD - New Moon, Stephenie Meyer - fantastic (yes I read them for a 2nd time this year)
61. REREAD - Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer - fantastic (yes I read them for a 2nd time this year)
62. REREAD - Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyer - fantastic (yes I read them for a 2nd time this year)
63. Firefly Lane, Kristin Hannah - good
64. Can you Keep a Secret - Sophie Kinsella - fantastic
65. Barefoot, Elin Hilderbrand - good

So I'm definitely NOT going to make it to 100 books this year. Good thing I didn't sign up for the challenge. Not that it matters, I didn't complete some of the challenges that I DID sign up for.

Chunkster Challenge - FAILED
Deadline: Nov 15
I was supposed to read 5 books by the deadline. I only read 2 from my original list. I substituted another 1 from the list because my original was to hard to find. And just ran out of time on the other two. I read the following for this challenge:
1. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle - decent book overall, but very depressing. Took me FOREVER to get through cause I kept stopping.
2. The Moon Below - decent book - I think my hopes were too high
3. Substituted An Echo in the Bone (most recent Outlander book) for History. Couldn't find History anywhere. Echo was FABULOUS - started out slow but then the ending picks you up, throws you across the room, and then slams the book in your face. Yes it is that crazy.

Romance Reading Challenge - COMPLETE
Deadline: December 31
1. Bridget Jones' Diary - good
2 Bed of Roses - good (substitue for The Reluctant Widow - our library didn't have it, but I still want to read a Georgette Heyer novel)
3. On a Highland Shore - good
4. Vision in White - good (The Awakening was nixed. Couldn't get through the first chapter)
5. The Princess Bride - EXACTLY like the movie - good

Outlander Challenge - FAILED
Deadline: Release of An Echo in the Bone
Hubby and I were listening to these on audio (btw, Hubby loves the books). We were getting them from audible.com, but they didn't have the last 2 books in an unabridged version, so I had to wait for them at the library, and it just seemed to take a lot longer. I did finish the 6 book about 2 weeks after Echo came out, so that isn't too bad.

Chick Lit Challenge - IN PROGRESS - 1 book to go

Book Vs Movie Challenge - IN PROGRESS - 5/6 books to go
It doesn't look like I am going to finish. I have watched 4 of the movies, but only read 1 of the books. EEP.

Look for my postings on the 2010 challenges that I will be signing up for soon. Here's hoping I do better next year.

Book Review: Can You Keep a Secret

Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really really enjoyed this book. I had heard of the author before, but hadn't read any of her books. This was a pretty fast read for me. I had several literal laugh out loud moments (one was late at night and I woke up my husband, who was quite irritated). I seem to have a thing for books about British women. So far I've read several books where the main character is a British woman, and I've loved all of them. This is a fun, entertaining, captivating book. I highly recommend it.

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I know its been awhile since I've posted, but I found some motivation. :) This blog is giving away a KINDLE if you post a book review. Go to this site for more info:



Book Supplied by: Lexington Public Library :)

August is PROJECTS month

So at the begining of the month I was looking at my long to do list and trying to think of ways to get out of it. :) I tried some mental encouragement to try and get motivated. I decided that if I looked at some of the things that I needed to get done as "projets" instead of just a long list, I might get more excited. Of course that wouldn't apply to everything on the list, but it would knock out a good chunk. So I sat down and wrote out a list of all the projects that could be done. And I added some fun projects to the list to help with the motivation.

Here is my list:

1. Recipe Organization (fun project)
2. Filing (to do project)
3. Clean/Organize office (to do project)
4. Organize scrapbook stuff (fun project)
5. Clean out garage (to do project)
6. Paint (to do and fun project)

I have a good start on the first three projects. I decided to put all my recipes into OneNote. I have one notebook for the "Keeper" recipes and one notebook for the "Recipes to Try". This way I can get rid of all the printouts and torn magazine pages that I have. And man, I have a lot. I thought I was almost completely done with this project, and when I was looking for something by my cookbooks I found a whole new accordian file with more in it. Thankfully, a lot of these have been from the web, so I can just find them on the web and copy them. That way there hasn't been a lot of manual data entry.

I'm also being mindful of my previous goal to get healthy. I haven't lost any more weight, but I also haven't gained. I walk with Brodie almost every night (except for recently because the poor guy has been sick with one thing or another). I've added the Wii Fit into my routine as well. It is almost embarassing to admit how sweaty I got on that thing. I don't know if it is because I don't feel like I'm excercisng, but feel like I'm playing a game, but I'm always surprised at how flipping sweaty I get. Brodie is hilarious cause he doesn't quite understand what Mama is doing, and sometimes he comes and steps on the balance board, or tries to catch my feet when I'm doing one of the excercises.

2009 Book Reading Progress

So I'm playing catch up and realized it would be a good time to list the books I've read in 2009 so far. I didn't join the 100+ Reading Challenge this year, but I'm still aiming for 100 books. I don't think I'll make it. We'll see. These are books started and finished in this year. So far the list is:

1. Suite 606, JD Robb
2. Trace, Patricia Cornwell
3. Blue Dahlia, Nora Roberts
4. Black Rose, Nora Roberts
5. Red Lily, Nora Roberts
6. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, Joanne Fluke
7. The Little Lady Agency and the Prince, Hester Browne
8. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, David Wroblewski
9. Celia Garth, Gwen Bristow
10. Into the Wilderness, Sara Donati
11. Promises in Death, JD Robb
12. Practical Magic, Alice Hoffman
13. The Constant Princess, Philippa Gregory
14. Cradle and All, James Patterson
15. Pop Goes the Weasel, James Patterson
16. Lost Souls, Lisa Jackson
17. Digital Fortress, Dan Brown
18. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Rebecca Wells
19. Outlander, Diana Gabaldon
20. On a Highland Shore, Kathleen Givens
21. The New Yorkers, Cathleen Schine
22. Twilight, Stephenie Meyer
23. New Moon, Stephenie Meyer
24. Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer
25. Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyer
26. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
27. The Summons, John Grisham
28. The Princess Bride, William Goldman
29. Dragonfly in Amber, Diana Gabaldon
30. Short Change, Patricia Smiley
31. Vision in White, Nora Roberts
32. The Shack, William Young
33. The Moon Below, Barbara Bickmore
34. HP and the Sorcerer's Stone, JK Rowling
35. HP and the Chamber of Secrets, JK Rowling
36. HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban, JK Rowling
37. HP and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
38. HP and the Order of the Phoenix, JK Rowling
39. HP and the Half Blood Prince, JK Rowling
40. HP and the Deathly Hallows, JK Rowling
41. The Villa, Nora Roberts
42. Voyager, Diana Gabaldon
43. The Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield

Okay, now that I have the list out, I'm not nearly as far behind as I thought. I'm not halfway through, and we are already in the second half of the year, but I should definitely be able to catch up. We have instituted NO TV MONDAYS at our house, and that should free up some reading time. Woot. I know it is pathetic, but lists make me happy.

Hiya Randomness

• Things are moving along swimmingly. You can blame mafiawars and farmtown for so few posts. :) I'll try to be better.
• My husband would like you to check out his blog. He is writing as a fictional character. It really can be quite hilarious. Its too hard to describe. You should just check it out. :)
• We tried an experiment last night that went well. We decided no TV for the whole night (unless it was an exercise dvd or the Wii fit). I have noticed that we are both feeling kind of lethargic, and letting some stuff slide, so I thought one night a week without tv is doable. We have DVR, so if there is anything on Monday nights that we want to watch, it is being recorded. We learned how to play a new card game, cleaned the kitchen, made dinner (and actually ate it at the table instead of in front of the tv), walked the dog, did the grocery shopping, listend to music, read a little bit and played skipbo (chris is a menace at that game). The night was very enjoyable, and seemed to last a lot longer. I think we will try and continue the expermint next week.
• Brodie is getting HUGE! I'll try and upload the most recent pictures later this week. Don't get me wrong, I love my cats. Baggins was the first pet that was "mine". But I'm telling you, this dog brings us so much joy (along with a bit of frustration, this is true), and we just love him like crazy.
• I have a long list of projects that I need to be working on. However, the rest of the weekends of the summer are quickly filling up.
• I need to blog about our trip to Wisconsin. I think we will move there one day.
• The weather in KY is AMAZING. We are loving it. I hate hot weather and would be happy if it never reached above 80.
• I'm horribly behind on my reading challenges. Trying to catch up. :)

back

So I haven't updated in ages. Again, one of those things were if you put it off, it just becomes harder and harder to do.

So here is a very brief update, with the hopes that once I get the ball rolling, I'll fill in the blanks. :)

* We got a bulldog puppy!! Named Brodie.

* Weight Loss is going well. I feel really good, and am walking (with the dog) about 3/4 of a mile to a mile everyday. We've only missed 2-3 days since we got him (begining of April).

* Emotionally, I'm in a really good place right now. Definitely had some healing in that area.

* Chris is off school for the summer. Definitely need some clarity and guidance with the whole school situation.

* Have some great FO (finished objects) to show off (a lace scarf that is amazing, if I do say so myself)

* Some book updates (but not as many as there should be)

* We are going on a road trip/vacation to Wisconsin, the Land of Cheese. :) Super excited and pumped.

Thats all for now. That way I can say that I updated. :)