Fabulous Fabric Options

In case you are looking for some sewing fun check out the following websites:
Lola Pink Fabrics
Sew Fresh Fabrics
Free Spirit Fabric
Fabricworm
Ordering online is easy and fun. You can do it, don't be intimidated....you may find you like the adventure!

New Beginnings

In light of the recent commercial egg crisis we have been particularly sad that we do not have "safe" eggs of our own to eat. Hopefully that is changing! The baby chicks that we purchased this spring are just starting to lay eggs! They are still a little small but truly a sight for sore eyes. You can see how tiny they look with the commercial eggs in the picture above. When chickens lay their first eggs, they lay what is typically called a pullet egg. Its sort of a starter egg. Sometimes not much bigger than the circumference of a quarter. It only takes one or two before they are up to speed. Depending on the breed, new hens will lay any where from 250 to 300 eggs per year. The Rhode Island Red and the Australorp are at the top of the list! My personal favorite is the Barred Rock or Buff Orpington.

Chicken Hooks and Funny Looks

With the chicken coop reinforced it is time to move the 3 surviving hens back to their real home and out of my greenhouse! Not only do they do a tremendous amount of damage as they indiscriminately eat things, but I prefer not to have it smell like a coop! We quickly realized it was going to be very difficult to extract the ladies from deep under the plant benches. So, I grabbed a hanger and fashioned a leg hook. This brought quizzical looks from my husband. "A leg hook?" he inquired. Yes, a leg hook. Commonly used for catching different types of foul that frequently will not let you get close. Just loop a leg and pull them in close! No pain, easy catch. It was still difficult to reach them under the benches but alas they have been returned to their home and I can now start a list of 101 creative things to do with a hanger.....

Good Morning

This morning feels really good. I think it may be because the weekend was really productive due to some serendipitous events. Due to car trouble, we had house guests for the majority of the weekend. These are not just any house guests, but special house guests. We typically only see Billy and Bec once a year as they travel across the state selling Livingston Pottery. This time we had the opportunity to enjoy an extended stay filled with good food and wonderful company. These are truly people we wish lived closer. Since we were all just "hanging out" they helped us to get the garden to a state that looked more like a garden than a weed patch, entertain A while I did other tasks, and install the last two basement windows. They seem like little things but the two of them probably have no idea of the enormous gift they have given through these small gestures. When you have a 3 year old, projects are a bit more challenging and little things can take days. I can now check some things off of my list and move forward into the week a little less overwhelmed. Thank you house guests, please come again! Please visit the website of Livingston Pottery. Bec is a truly talented lady. I am lucky to own several of her pieces including a clock that she gifted me this weekend!

Five Reasons to Eat Heirloom

Check out the following link. I can't say it better myself though I might add one more reason.....seed saving!
Five Reasons to Use Heirloom Ingredients: Sean Brock
This summer I chose Cherokee Purple, Brandywine, Yellow Pear, Green Zebra, and Riesentraube. Eat and be merry!

Worth Waiting For

Nothing says summer like big beautiful sunflowers! You must be patient and wait the entire summer but I think it is worth it to have the sunny smile of a sunflower cast on you! I know they are not worth much more than bird food but they seem to add an element of surprise that is needed late in the season. They don't require much effort and come in zillions of fabulous varieties. This summer I walked the perimeter of the garden and planted them here and there...by the chicken coop, the compost bin, the outhouse pretty much just wherever. Some didn't make it as I never actually made an effort to water them so they only survived in places that were suitable. They stand proudly over the garden and looking at them makes me happy! You can collect their seeds for next year and as long as they are not hybridized varieties you will have seeds for the same flowers next year!

Seed Saving

Poppy Seeds
It hardly seems like fall but it is already time to think about next year! Many of your flowers are beginning to set seed already. A cheap and easy way to get a jump on next year is to begin collecting seeds. For a lot of plants it is really not that hard and you can let nature do a lot of the work. Just don't wait too long! Typically the key is to make sure you allow the seeds to become mature on the plant before you pick them. If you are too early they will not be viable, if you are too late they will blow away! Typically I judge this by touching them. If they crumble in your hand at the slightest pressure they are ready. Old herb jars work great for keeping them till next year. Don't forget to label with the date and variety. Seeds that I typically collect include:cosmos, marigold, poppies, cleome, bachelor button and morning glory. What seeds do you collect?