This Week in the Garden- June 21

It's been a wet week.  The rain is good for helping the weeds grow, along with everything else.  

I've spent a fair amount of time weeding...   We said goodbye to the last of the strawberries and

hello to squash, cucumbers and zucchini.  Blueberries are beginning to make an appearance.

Tomatoes are looking good, although with the daily rain, I'm beginning to see 

brown spots and curling leaves.  This isn't a good sign of things to come.

Squash plants have taken off this week.  

Acorn squash

Pickling cucumbers

Yellow squash

Zucchini

Blueberry bushes have been covered with netting in hopes of keeping the turkeys away.  

Ten Lessons I've Learned From My Dad

Our parents are our first and greatest teachers.  Even when they don't realize it, we are learning from them.  Example is everything.  And often, it's the little things that mean the most. Growing up and leaving home isn't the end of the education either.  Here's a few lessons I've learned and am still learning from my dad. 

1- Choose your love and love your choice. My mom and dad married young and when I came along he was only 20 years old.  Like all marriages, they had their struggles, but he stuck by her side, including years as her caregiver after she had her debilitating stroke, until she took her last breath.  I know it wasn't easy, but that says a lot about how he feels about the institution of marriage.  I appreciate that example.

He has chosen twice, and he has chosen well.

2- Families are important and we support each other.  I grew up knowing that I was loved and supported by my parents and my grandparents.  Holidays and vacations were a time to be with family.  We spent many hours on Nana's farm and at Grandma's house.  We went to the beach every year for vacation.  My dad sat through countless dance and baton recitals, served as the president of the band boosters, was at every half time performance and parade I marched in.  Lesson learned.  Families support each other.

3- On Sundays, we go to church.  We were a church going family. I'm so grateful that I learned at an early age about Jesus Christ. To this day, it warms my heart to hear my daddy pray out loud.

4-The world is an amazing place.  Go explore it.  Whether he's on a plane or in a car, my dad likes to go!  He's been in many places in the world, and all over the US and Canada.  It's nothing for him to load up his car and take a month long road trip.   I'm happy to say I've inherited that same travel bug.   

5- Work hard.  My dad has always been a hard worker, and in the early years, held down two jobs to support his family.  Retirement didn't slow him down much.  Passing along a good work ethic is one of the most important things a parent can give a child.  I don't remember any specific lessons in the home on how to be a responsible person and work hard.  I know we had chores at home to do, and my sisters and I still laugh about our dishwashing rotation.  Maybe we just picked this up by osmosis, because all his children are hard workers. 

6- The best foods are homemade.  I get my love for food honestly.  As with most southerners, food is a big part of our culture.  Even though my mom was a fantastic cook, my dad's pretty good in the kitchen himself.  And he owns the grill.  This is his famous bbq sauce recipe that we all love, written by his hand.

7. Serve others.  Without attention or recognition, I've watched him serve my mom, his mom and two mother in laws with tenderness and patience.  Trips to the nursing homes and hospitals, were a part of his daily schedule for a season.  He takes care of neighbors yards, plans and orchestrates senior activities and works the clothes closet at his church.  Possessing a servant's heart, he would do anything to help you out.  "When you are in the service of your fellow being, you are in the service of your God."   I think he has this one figured out. 

8- Teach your kids to dance.   My first dance lessons happened while I stood on my daddy's feet.  He has a special dance step that I've never seen anyone else do and he's taught it to all his daughters.  We don't get the opportunity to dance with him very often now, but when we do, we all still know the "dad" slow dance step.  It's pretty special.

9- Get your hands dirty and play in the dirt.  This isn't something I learned as a child, but as an adult I've taken up gardening and am learning lots from my dad.  He has a serious green thumb.  

10- Always have a camera close at hand.  Dad is always taking pictures.  Always.  He's had his bird photos published in a national magazine, and just this week won several prizes in a photo contest. I enjoy sitting down with him and going through old pictures, and new ones too!  Celebrate the good times and capture those memories with photos.  I'm learning this one well.  Just like him, I will stop on the interstate and take flower pictures,

seek out God's beautiful creations and try to get just the right shot,

and most importantly run to the beach in order to catch the sunrise. This one is important.  Don't sleep in and miss the sunrise.  There will never be another one quite like the one you see today.

Happy Father's Day, Daddy.
I love you!

This Week in the Garden- June 11

Baby peaches

Okra is up.

Squash plants are flowering.

Potatoes are looking great.  I've been spraying with Neem Oil and so far, no beetles in sight.

Three rows of green beans are up and I planted two more this week.

Cherry tomatoes

I went to the store to buy Neem Oil and was asking advice on how to fight blight with my tomatoes.  Another customer overheard my whining and told me that all I needed to do was spray my tomatoes with compost tea and I wouldn't have a problem.  He promised.      So, this week I mixed up my compost tea and have been faithfully spraying my tomatoes.  I sure hope it works.  It almost seems too good to be true.  To make the tea- take a two handed bunch of compost and add water in a bucket.  Stir.  Let it sit for three to five days, stirring each day.  Strain and spray leaves of plants.

I cut my garlic scapes this week, but not before taking lots of pictures.  I think they are one of the prettiest plants in the garden.  I guess it's time to make this pizza.  Yum!

Basil plants are off and running.

Strawberries

Butter lettuce

And about those sweet potatoes...  Last week I told you how I planted my sweet potatoes and a few days later, every plant was gone.  I had no idea what ate them, although I suspected turkeys.  I bought new plants and replanted.  They looked beautiful. And this time I placed deterrents around the perimeter of the garden and between the rows.  The nice man at Fletcher Hardware sold me all the things he thought I might need and told me to come back if they didn't work and he would sell me bullets.  Smiling, I left the store with high hopes.  I'm sure that while I was on my hands and knees putting these new plants in the ground, some critter was watching from nearby saying to himself, "Look how nice that lady is.  She's planting more sweet potatoes for us to eat."  

Because sure enough the next day, most of them were gone.  The deterrents did not deter.  I am defeated.  I guess it's just not meant to be for me to grow sweet potatoes this year.  I'm frustrated, but trying to focus on all the other plants that are doing so well.  Such is the gardening life.  Some things work, some things don't.

Summer Reading Bingo

When I was a child I loved the reading programs at the library.  One of my sweetest memories is spending time with my grandmother during the summer and having her take me to the local library and sign me up.  I would take home as many books as I could carry, and then curl up on the bed in the "front bedroom" and read.   Of course there were cheap prizes involved with reading a certain number of books, but I don't remember any of those.  She was probably just trying to find things to keep me busy, but I think my love of reading may have begun that summer in that little library in Elkin.  I've been in much larger libraries since, but I can still easily evoke the feelings of being in that particular one.  For starters, it was situated beside a waterfall with large windows for viewing, so when you got tired of picking out books, you could sit by the windows and look out over the water.  How cool is that?  

I still love libraries and feel a sense of awe and almost reverence when I walk in the door.  They are special places.  And even though I'm very grown up, I still get excited about summer reading.  One of the podcasts I enjoy listening to is Books on the Nightstand and they are doing a summer reading bingo game.  Sign me up!  All I had to do is go to the website and click the link for the bingo game.  A different board comes up each time you refresh.  I wanted to play fairly, so I closed my eyes and went with the third click and this is the board I came up with.  The printing isn't perfect, but you can get the idea.

 I just have to decide which direction I'm trying to complete my Bingo and start reading.  I'm going to use the free square as an opportunity to watch a movie that's based on a book.  

 Here's another card, so you can see other possible categories.

Now, don't you want to play with me?  Come on, it'll be fun!  Just go to this link and get your board,

Summer Reading Bingo

then pick out a book and start reading.  We have until Labor Day to try and get Bingo and yes, there will be prizes involved for all who participate.  Happy Reading!

Dropping the "To Do" List

There are days when I just need to drop my "to do" list and get out in the woods.  Days when there's too much negativity and "junk" taking up space in my head.  I've learned that walking in the woods, inhaling that earthy smell, listening to bird songs and squirrels scampering around me, taking the time to look at beauty along the way, those things quiet my spirit.  The pressures of life start to fade and I can begin to feel peace.  In the quiet forest, interrupted only by the crunch of my feet on the path and a hello to an occasional hiker, I begin to hear the whisperings of truth return to my mind.  The One who knows me best reassuring me that all is well.  I am loved.

This week I had one of those days.  And I know myself well enough not to try and fight that need to escape for a few hours.  So, I put away that "list", grabbed a picnic lunch and headed to one of my favorite places ever, the Carl Sandburg home.  As I sat by the lake and enjoyed my sandwich, I began to breathe...

A hike in the woods is great, but for me, it's even better when there's a mountain to climb. 

Standing on the top of a mountain that you've just climbed and taking in the views, 

with the breeze blowing your sweaty hair off your face and the back of your neck, 

is just about a perfect experience.  So empowering!

This is the best therapy I know.  As I head back down the mountain to my car, 

I'm ready to go home and face that "list" with a much clearer perspective. 

Life is good.

Celebrating Family and Spring Garden Delights

   The kitchen is my favorite hangout.  It's where my creative juices flow best and where I gather others around me and share love.    I like to keep my camera close at hand so I can snap a shot to capture that moment, the one when the recipe works or doesn't, when I've just brought in fresh produce from the garden, or the counter is in a state of chaos because there's something wonderful cooling in the background.  These things make my heart sing.  I believe good, real food is a gift from God and is meant to be enjoyed and celebrated.   This month's photo collection shows how we've celebrated a birthday, Mother's Day and wonderful things from my spring garden. 

Offerings from a May Kitchen

   Jantzen's Birthday cake- German Chocolate, the often requested family favorite

Asparagus growing in the garden.

The first thing I make with my asparagus is an omelet with fresh eggs and parmesan cheese.

At least once during asparagus season, I make this wonderful appetizer with roasted asparagus wrapped in buttery prosciutto.  Oh man, is it good.   We had it for my Mother's Day lunch.

Quiche made with asparagus, fresh dill and parmesan cheese.

Kale from the garden, chopped and added to this farro salad

Chocolate chip cookies for Mother's Day gifts.

I planned and cooked my own Mother's Day lunch, because I knew exactly what I wanted and was  happy to make it.  Having some of my children here to enjoy this huge dish of lasagna and then clean up afterwards was a wonderful gift.  

Then we had homemade strawberry ice-cream made in my new machine.  Yum!

Monday is baking day.

This avocado toast made with my wheat bread is divine.

Oh, how I love strawberry season!  

Strawberry Crepes

Strawberry Rhubarb jam

Strawberry Rhubarb muffins

Pizza night with fresh basil, tomato sauce and mozzarella.  Pizza margherita!

A tasty and healthy way to use my kale.  Thanks to Sandy for the recipe.

"Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; 

all these are to be used with prudence and thanksgiving."   

Doctrine and Covenants 89:11