The Unwinding of Summer

Summer is coming to a close.
My last two finals to take are tomorrow.
The last outdoor trek of the summer happens this weekend.
And what a summer it's been.

In the midst of all the current tiredness, I can't help but feel that I am so incredibly fortunate to be so tired. That all the moments of tiredness are and were so worth the moments with friends, with family, with movement toward the future, or with growth through goals.

So what were the highlights of Summer 2014?

1) I made it through another dual term. I taught three separate courses this summer-one of which was a new class for me. I thoroughly enjoyed my students this summer. I took four massage courses this term and I fell in love with many of the Eastern modalities. I'm registered for my final term. I'm scheduled and prepared for teaching this fall. I created a career plan that reflects the next two years and I know that I'm headed toward even more growth.

2) Per usual there were a lot of awesome outdoor adventures (all of which I wish I would have blogged about separately). There was a kayak outing on the Tualatin River, a solo SUP morning, and a day of kayaking with visiting friends. There were multiple solo day hikes, long day hikes with the ex-husband/Tall D as we reacquainted our friendship, and a few date hikes or runs with different dudes as well. There was a lot of running mileage as I continue to progress toward my goal of 900 miles this year. There was a women's weekend where I finally got to attempt surfing. There was the best back packing trip I've ever been on with one of my favorite massage school gals. There was a recent day of exploring Olympic National Park (with a hike, lots of driving, and a beach trek) with Tall D. And tomorrow he and I leave for a long backpacking weekend in the Wallowas in eastern Oregon.

At the end of our Herman Creek backpacking trip.

Short Sands surfing

3) There were a lot of awesome visitors! I had one of my best gals from high school in town for a night in August. Earlier summer included dinner/kayaking with one of my best gals from grad school and her boyfriend, my buddy R who relocated to Texas and I hiked in to float on a mountain lake, one of the housemates from last summer stopped by for dinner on his move to Seattle, one of my undergrad friends brought her husband for dinner while they visited to explore moving to Portland (they're moving here in December and returning for another visit in two weekends), and I met a favorite high school buddy and his fiance for happy hour when they passed through town. I also hosted local acquaintances who I don't get to see as frequently: an afternoon of tapas at the house with an old hometown mentee and her boyfriend and I happily reconnected with an ex-who-was-my-best-friend-for-years and his wife.

4) Granny celebrated her 103rd birthday! We celebrated per usual with a family BBQ on her actual day and the female clan tea party on Saturday. It's always great to honor the queen and to reconnect with many of the extended family who comes home to help celebrate.

5) I celebrated my 32nd birthday...and it was a phenomenal celebration this year. After all our history, Tall D still has a knack for making me feel especially special and appreciated on my day. This year I had my high school gal here during the weekend before my birthday and then on my actual day the two Ds and I hiked into a secluded lake and floated around in tubes with some beers. In the evening, I went out to my favorite Mexican restaurant with a handful of friends. And the day after my birthday, Tall D had gotten me tickets to one of our favorite soulful artists. It just so happened that one of my local gals and her husband also had tickets so we were able to connect with them at the venue. Such an incredible birthday this year--I definitely felt so special!

6) I dated someone new for several months and helped refine what I'm looking for and grasped a better idea of what matters versus what we think matters in the bigger picture. I had a lot of fun. I learned new things. I was amazed by the thoughtfulness he put into creating simple dates and at times I felt incredibly spoiled. ....and in the end, our timing wasn't right, the pairing was and wasn't right, and I decided to put dating on hold for a bit again...unless that "right" man falls in my lap of course. Har har.

A bonfire at the beach with the dude, dogs, brats, tunes.

7) I preserved a LOT of food. One of my personal goals for this year was to try to grow more and preserve more than any year before....and I am really happy with the outcomes, while also knowing that even bigger gains are possible in years to come. This year I canned: peaches, pears, salsa, pasta sauce, diced tomatoes, applesauce, pear butter, plums. In the freezer are: blueberries, raspberries, cherries, marionberries, strawberry freezer jam, kale, grapes, shredded zucchini, rhubarb, mint. This year I planted: tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, lettuce, kale, spinach, leeks, strawberries, brussel sprouts, cabbage, onions, peas, green beans, corn, and beets. The brussel sprouts got ripped out due to battling bugs that spread to the cabbage & eventually the kale, the spinach went to seed quickly, I battled with mean bee and yellow jackets nests (twice), I learned that co-planting snap peas around the tomato cages is a bad idea, the zucchini didn't seem to like it's new location, I can never keep up with the green beans in time, and my absolute favorite thing I grew were the beets. I also harvested grapes from the neighbors vines that I let go crazy over the fence, I replanted artichoke plants, I left the garlic alone, I picked mint/rhubarb/marionberries from the yard, and the kiwi is absolutely loaded (for harvesting in December).

8) There were a lot of chicken transitions and build projects. At the end of the summer I currently have four hens. Two separate batches of Americauanas with one gray hen from my original batch that produced her and two roosters and then two new brown hens that are still growing. There is also a lil black Banty that came from my middle hen acquisition attempt....and she's currently laying! :) Build projects included continuing to tweak the rebuilt/moved coop, indulging in a few hammock recoup sessions under the rebuilt arbor, and this summer also yielded a date day of demolishing and building compost bins from old pallets.

9) Beyond my long term massage classmate/housemate, there was a young housemate here for two months who desired lots of companionship and to see parts of Portland/nearby. I spent a lot of time in conversations with her and we also took trips to the Gorge, into downtown, and down to Silver Creek Falls. Her youthful energy was fun and reminded me a lot of a much younger version of myself. That gal is destined for some pretty great things.

Portland Rose Garden

10) In the down moments, I spent a lot of time continuing to reflect...on growth, on how to align opposing versions of myself and land somewhere in the middle, on where life might potentially head. I had a few great afternoons laying in the hammock or suntanning on the back patio. I watched a couple great documentaries and tore through some sessions with various books from the library. I met up and spent dinners/happy hour/coffees with some of my closest local Portland friends. I remembered to grant myself grace, to be comfortable with and proud of what I see when I look in the mirror, and to embrace the constantly evolving nature of life. And at the end of the summer, as tired as I might be, I'm again so grateful for a rewarding experience of life that passed along. While it might not have felt as epic or total fun as last summer, this summer felt pretty darn fulfilling!

Hope y'all had a wonderful last few months as well!

Brain Dump of Recent Events

Life has been a whirlwind. I love how whenever I expect things to slow down, then things totally get packed in :)

--One thing I didn't mention in my last update post is that on the run date, we actually crossed paths with an old acquaintance of mine from my hometown. I got in touch with the guy via FB to find out if it was really him, which led to happy hour, which led to dinner & drinks during the next week with our one of our many mutual friends and his wife (who happens to be a former boyfriend and then we were best friends for years after the fact). So literally in the span of three days, I saw the two guys from my hometown who I hadn't really seen in 6-10 years, finally got the opportunity to meet the one guy's wife (who I loved...they are so wonderful together!), plus hosted my old undergrad friend and her husband who I had only seen once in the last ten years also (and they might be moving up here!!). Lots of reconnecting with some amazing people. Tonight I'm meeting up with the old acquaintance and another gal from our hometown in order to run Mt Tabor.

--I spent a morning Upicking cherries and then drove to my sister's for a fun morning/early afternoon of making strawberry freezer jam. And then on Saturday, I accomplished my simple goal of getting up with the sun on the solstice and embracing the whole day :)

--The second new housemate arrived and so far she's been great. She's only here for two months and based on how the summer is already going, I have a feeling those two months are going to fly by! Compromising some as with all living situations, but it's wonderful to feel like the house might be settled for a bit (fingers crossed....).

--I don't want to post too much about all my adventures and interactions lately BUT I had an amazing Sunday of making pies from scratch with left over strawberries from the jam making and rhubarb that was picked from the garden....followed up with riding on the back of a motorcycle through the backroads of my local area. It was SO.MUCH.FUN and I had a smile plastered to my face the whole time. It'd been forever since I'd been on a bike and it was incredible to see the country fields and farms from a different perspective with the breeze whipping us and the sun shining down. All of the mountains were visible in the distance, big American flags were flapping on farm lands, cows and alpacas were out in the fields, and it was fun leaning around all the curvy roads. The rest of that day was also pretty stellar with dinner thrown together and eaten on the patio with sparkly lights lit around and an easy walk with the dogs around the neighborhood. Things in life aren't always simple....but the moments that are easy and free seem to make life feel more spectacular.

--I celebrated the end of the massage term, so technically this week and next I'm "on vacation." Although my new work term started this week and I taught my first inperson course of summer term last night. My classmate and I are heading on our first backpacking trip Sunday-Tuesday and we're both pretty stoked. I just got a new backpacking book which has some great new trails to check out in it, and the old backpacking buddy (reg D) and I have been trying to figure out when we can get out on the trail together. He also came out with my massage classmates and I to help us celebrate the end of our term and so I could finally introduce old and new backpacking friends :) It'd be great if the three of us can manage a trip together. See again...this summer is going to be a blur! ;)

--We had our second book club meet up and I'm so happy to be back at it with these gals. Each one of them is so dear to me! We're reading: The Other Wes Moore this month, which is a book I've been wanting to read for a while, so I'm looking forward to it.

--Lil Jenny chicken passed on, so now the two mainstay ladies are full-time in the coop. They don't seem to be the brightest two of the bunch but they're still loads of entertainment at the moment! ;) In mid July I'll get two more chicks and raise them in the kennels until I can try to transition any survivors into the coop with the two that I have. Ideally I'd like to have at least 2-3 bigger laying hens for eggs and right now I just have one big bird and a small to mid sized bird.

--I've still been struggling with lower leg issues since trying to stage a comeback in the last few months. I'd finally paid to have one of my instructors work on my left ankle as it has been the thing causing me the most trouble. While it's definitely muscular, the bones in my foot and leg are pulling away from each other which isn't the most pleasant sensation and doesn't make running much fun. I've been wondering if different footwear might help, so I sucked it up this week and tried out new options at REI. While I'd been wanting to do minimalist shoes, none of them felt comfortable, so for now I'm trying out a pair of solid Brooks. Yesterday's run was less than pleasant also as my legs try to adjust to using my muscles a little differently. I've been hoping to run a half this summer, but at this point I know that I'd have to retrain back up to it and until I figure out the footwear issue....that plan might be on the back burner.

--The garden is seriously doing better than any other year that I've been in the house. Not only is my one raised bed going crazy, but the berries/grapes/kiwi are heavy with the start of fruit. I also was able to get the front planted like I'd hoped and it's fun seeing stuff trying to come up in a new spot. I have been lacking motivation for the last few days to work on yard stuff, but hopefully next week I'll get a few more projects done!

--Besides everything already mentioned there were a few other times of going out with friends or new people and hosting others at the house. Needless to say, as an introvert who sometimes passes as an extrovert, I've been spending this week in hibernation as much as possible so I can recharge. I've spent plenty of time just lounging on the patio or in the hammock doing nothing, working, thinking, or reading...relishing the simple pleasures and awesomeness of the backyard. As much as I absolutely love connecting with all the amazing people I have in life, I also tend to need some solo time for myself. It's been lovely to get a few days during the middle of this week to do just that....especially since tomorrow I'll see two separate friends coming from out of town, Saturday is schedule to be a hike/beach outing, and Sunday-Tuesday is backpacking time. For the fourth, I'm taking the dogs and Granny to the beach to save Roxi from the chaos of 4th of july fireworks in the neighborhood and then the following week is when I'll now have four different out of state friends all passing through in the same 4-5 days :) Ha! So excited to see everyone, but definitely glad for some time to recharge this week :) It seems like the theme of this summer is just taking things in stride. Accepting the chaos and seeking out the simple moments that exist too.

Hope you all have been doing wonderfully!

Garden Goods 2014

This last year I paid attention to what I used in terms of frozen and preserved produce. I'm hoping to can, jam, freeze, and dry my way through a LOT more goodies this year...preferrably from free sources if at all possible. Ie I'm trying to get the guts to hit up people in the neighborhood who let their apples & pears rot on the ground ;) I also will frequent the U-picks, my sister and I will be making strawberry jam together, and she's checking with her free blueberry source.

But with all the yard projects, I also changed one of the raised beds and I'm doing a much better job of using total raised bed space this year.  I'm also planning on harvesting and then re-seeding what I can also, ie radishes, carrots, etc.

Garden Box 1:

L-R: Leeks, spinach, carrots, radishes, lettuce, kale, beets, chives, strawberries. In background are the berries and grapes hanging over the fence.

Newly created & relocated cinder block bed: 

A raised bed just for the zucchini to take it over! :)

Background is mint under the berries and garlic.

Garden Box 2: 

L-R: cucumber, onions, bush beans, tomatoes w peas, kale, lettuce, broccoli, brussel sprouts.

Not pictured: more lettuce and an acorn squash in containers out front, two new artichoke plants, the Asian pear got moved this year, strawberries & blueberries in the front, the kiwi is covered in blossoms on the new arbor, and a cherry tomato is out front again. In the coming week I also hope to weed one more area of the front yard and see if I can use that space as another garden space for corn, onions, and a few other things.

It was a major battle with the slugs this year, so  I hate to say it but I caved and sprinkled slug killer all along the sides of the raised beds and below. I had tried picking the slugs off, epsom salt sprinkling, containers of cheap beer, & copper tape....none worked. The hazardous stuff seems to be doing the job.

We'll see what all comes to fruition but it's nice to see stuff finally growing!

One Week Into May Already!

Apparently I need bed rest and a social media cleanse in order to be an active blogger :)

But all jokes aside, per usual, I've wanted to write some things down multiple times in the last few weeks. I'm still regaining in energy levels and trying to get my head and life organized, but I definitely have a bit more energy and organization that I did at the beginning of the term. Ironically, spring term for the regular university schedule is already halfway thru--say what?! I seriously cannot believe how fast this term has been flying by! It's going to be over before I truly feel on top of things :)

But let's see if I can try to recap the highlights of the last few weeks, if only for my own knowledge:

--My brother and his lady came on Saturday and we started round one of arbor construction and coop moving. I sort of thought the arbor would only take one day but I think we should be able to knock the rest of it out this weekend (if the rain cooperates) and it'll be awesome if we can get both it and the coop situated. It's so exciting to think of having my outdoor projects getting completed :)

--I bought three little chicks. Technically they're all supposed to be Ameracauna's which lay pastel (like Easter) eggs and are supposed to be quieter....but one could be something else or maybe just the wheaten variety :) So far, they're growing like crazy and at 1.5 weeks in they've all survived thus far. The dogs absolutely love checking on them.

--Lil Alex and grandma left on the 30th. It seriously was fun having him here and grandma and I especially bonded over the last few weeks, so it was a little sad to have them leave. Since they left, I've barely seen Housemate M but I'm not complaining....it's also sort of nice to have my house back some. My classmate is still trying to figure out if she can financially make the move happen, but I'm hoping and praying still that it'll be possible. I'd really like to not have to worry as much about housing for the next six months if possible. One of the guys from last summer sent a text yesterday asking about availability as he's contemplating coming back for a few weeks also, but we'll see. Still trying to figure out how to decrease overall life stressors....

--Reg D and I met for beers one evening last week and I so enjoy the moments I can have with that dude. As much as he and I would never be compatible as a couple, I so value his difference in opinion and hard living ways as a friend, and for days after we get together I'm thinking about the little tid bits that he gets me to think on. He pushes me to be a better version of myself and vice versa. It was a great evening together however, just sitting outside one of his local bars at a picnic table, finishing his environmental science homework, chatting about life and the future, sharing some laughs with another couple that sat with us for a bit, and soaking up the amazing sunshine we had that day. We also talked about trying to fit in a backpack trip this summer. Dude gets a little stuck between the ex and I (he lives with Tall D), but I appreciate the ways he tries to navigate both relationships.

--I've still been taking it easy in terms of work-outs as it takes me quite a few days to recoup my energy levels, but one thing Reg D did get me to think about is the notion of not falling so far down on the horse that I completely lose all the training I had done before. In his infantryman way, his exact words were "come on, cowgirl up." Ha. But it was a good kick in the butt...and I had my first decent jog two days after we got together...a five miler watching the sunset behind a big empty field... I also wanted to go hiking on Sunday but due to weather/schedule wasn't able to but due to a few things that happened that day I knew I needed to get a work-out in so I decided to try one of the Insanity DVDs. I definitely have felt my muscles in the two days since then...but I also feel stronger and healthier as a result. I might try to do a bit more Insanity rather than focusing on so much running then. In looking at pictures of myself from the last year, I've also realized that I looked healthier last summer when I ran less, ate more crap, and cross trained with Insanity a bit more...so I might try to get back there a bit.... :)

--In other news....I've been talking to a new guy. It might go no where....but for now it's great to feel myself moving forward and to feel hopeful for the future, whether that's a lifetime of being content as a solo female or whether that means someday being in a committed couple again. I truly feel like that period of Lent did what I hoped and that I was able to process through and grieve the rest of what I had yet to deal with. I also had some significant "aha" moments this last weekend where I finally listened to what my inner voice had been telling me in regards to what else happened in the past. Not fun things to realize (so I was glad I could dig holes and demo some stuff), but it also finally made me realize that my "gut instinct" always was correct, no matter how much I was led to try to doubt it---nice to know that maybe there's more to trust in myself! Regardless, the more I talk to this newer individual, the more hope I have that there are others out there who share my same values and general outlook while still being very different--woot woot! He also has been a tri athlete and marathoner in the past so he's been very helpful with getting me to think about dietary and health concerns :)

--Granny spent a great afternoon soaking up the sun on my back patio while I worked out in the backyard one day. She's been spending a lot of time down at my parent's, as it's harder for us to leave her solo in her apartment these days. At this point, she truly needs to be living with someone else, but that final decision has yet to be made. As much as I love that little woman, it's been nice having a bit more free time rather than having to worry and stress about making sure she's taken care of, etc. She loved the afternoon on the patio however and it was cute watching her rotate chairs to get more sun.

--We had two amazing days of sunshine last week, so I went ahead and planted more of the garden (second attempt at some seeds and other starts). So far the garlic and rhubarb is already going crazy. The marionberries I was able to clean up. The new bed I created has been seeded with some lettuce, cukes, and then zuke starts. The leeks, chives, and strawberries are all going crazy in one bed and I have radishes, beets, lettuce, kale, carrots, and spinach reseeded in the rest of that one. The last bed has brussel sprout and broccoli starts and I just seeded peas, bush beans, and more cucumbers. One artichoke start was planted and I have one cherry tomato for the front. I'll still have to get more tomatoes, some onions, and a few other things. I'm trying to figure out where to try corn this year also. It's my goal to freeze and can more from the garden and from local U-picks this year. I've been keeping in mind what I've used this year so I can accurately acquire correct amounts for next year....and I'm also hopeful to hit up some of the people in the general neighborhood who have fruit trees but don't use the produce....

--I was assigned three classes for summer term. That's a quarter reduction in my overall load (& paycheck) but compared to the one class I got last summer, I really can't complain! I also get to teach the health part of the online fitness course for the first time so I'm pretty stoked to teach something new (that I'm also really passionate about). As long as I get two renters in the house and try to live fairly frugally, then I should be able to make it through---Oct (and this June) might be tight but I'm trying to plan ahead as much as possible.

--I had my first kayaking outing through the community ed courses a few weeks ago, and it was pretty awesome to get back out on the water. I'm registered for two more this month and I'm trying to convince my one aunt to join as I learned in the last few months that kayaking is on her bucket list. I'm planning on doing more of the outdoor/community ed courses this summer (and I'm crossing my fingers that they'll offer an intro surfing course!!). It's a great way to get outdoors and also get to do so for free via my tuition waivers. I'm also halfway through a two week first aid/CPR course that I need for my massage board exam. It's been nice to be refreshing on those skills as well.

--And while there have been a lot of awesome social, learning, and other things going on. I'm not going to lie, I know part of my disorganization is because I'm still trying to juggle too many things at once and still have too high of expectations for myself. I'm hopeful that this summer will be a bit more streamlined with housing, massage school, and teaching, and that any extra things will feel fun rather than other things to try to manage and get to. :) I know it's all just a change in perception also, but my brain is sometimes trying to juggle so many separate camps right now that it just doesn't know what to do! :) But hopefully this summer will finalize my medical stuff, allow for settling of the house, create a bit more stabilization for work and finances, etc. I'm also gently trying to be okay with the fact that there's no way I'm going to make my financial goals for this year...my credit card will not get paid of at all and while a recent argument with my mother assured me that I will in fact be as stubborn as an ox in figuring out my financial situation, I won't be able to even come close to actually being financially independent (ie not have to rent rooms and have enough income to feel "ok") probably until March or so of 2015. I hate these facts, but based on the current course of action and life factors, I need to stop stressing over the details and just accept that things WILL eventually get to where I want them to be...if I would truly let myself do this, then there'd be a lot less stress, more patience, more enjoyment, etc. But all things considered, as of mid-June, some of the outside family obligations, interview stuff, potential perception shifts, medical procedures, and other random extras should be completed also. So as much as I hate trying to just get through the weeks..I'm looking forward to the mid-to-end of June and what will hopefully be an enjoyable summer... :)

Hope each of you has been doing well!

It Was a Great Friday!

Howdy, howdy....

Today I slept in as long as I could before breakfasting, dressing, and heading to my medical appt. Verdict is: they're going to cut out the issue...and when I checked my coverage, I was happy to find that not only will this hopefully take care of the issue but outpatient surgery (minor I tell ya, it's uber minor but for some reason I have to be in the operating room...) will only cost be $75. Woohoo!

A quick trip to the grocery store to restock the low items, up my vitamin ante (I've decided to just start taking a variety of supplements and hope those help!)...and pick up a new sink trap since we had a backed up sink this week which required the landlords to fix it. Thank God for my awesome landlords!

When I got back to the house, I rested for a bit, started on my laundry, took care of my homework that is due this next week, and then I hauled out the lawnmower and got busy mowing down the jungle that has been growing out there. Somehow even though I was tired, it turned into one of the best mow jobs I've ever done. Mowing seriously makes me happy though. I love seeing the yard go from disorderly to nice and pretty...and the sunny afternoon did wonders for me as well. Since it was already looking better, I decided to pick up some of the debris around the yard to continue with the trend.

Then a text to my brother to ask if he might be willing to help me build some new compost bins, if we also make one for his place....led into his asking if I still needed help with my other yard projects. I felt like the skies had parted and I eagerly filled him in on what I wanted to do. Since he agreed to help me, I decided to test the body out and get to work taking care of some of the preliminary stuff that needs to happen before we can get to the larger projects. The rest of the afternoon was spent:
--transferring dirt from the lower raised bed into my still empty higher raised bed that had settled over the years and needed an upgrade
--taking measurements of the current coop and arbor to visualize and compare to the new spaces
--checking out my stock of random wood to see what might be able to assist with either project
--pulling weeds from all around the backyard
--cutting back and taming the marionberry
--hauling cinderblocks across the yard & constructing a new smaller higher raised bed plus hauling dirt to fill the new one in
--filling the yard debris container plus my back up one from the winter's pile
--sweeping both back patios and setting out the summer's chairs
--hauling my still potted Asian pear across the yard to a new location
I don't know that all the projects will get done (especially since I'm not entirely sure that my brother and I can actually manage to move the coop--it might be too heavy), but I'm at least excited to have something to be looking forward to and moving toward. For the last week it's felt like I couldn't do anything and just sort of blah in general, but today even though I had moments of feeling light headed...today felt great to be using my body again and heading toward continued yard improvements. It was so nice to look across the yard and see the rewards from today alone...but also to be able to envision what these completed projects might do for the yard also! The front isn't totally done either but I love looking around and just seeing how it's all come together so far....incredibly rewarding.

Honestly throughout a lot of today I kept thinking about "green" choices--the ones I used to implement, the ones I hope to return to implementing, and other ideas for which to head in. Beyond the potential chickens and composting, I love that I just keep reusing left over boards and cinder blocks (most came from my aunt's old deck and their stock piles), I made sure to pull weeds by hand to reduce spreading and to keep Dad from eventually spraying them whenever he comes to visit, I'm hoping to expand the list of veggies (the radishes are already coming up!) and preserving that I do this year, and it just dawned on me where I can put a new outdoor clothesline.

Also got to Facetime with Dad earlier in the afternoon while pulling weeds, and then we connected again this evening so I could Facetime with Granny. A nice, quick shower and then a dinner of Mexican-inspired chicken with sides of a baked sweet potato and sauteed zuke & onion. Ending with this opportunity to sit and blog for a bit.....

....Yes, indeed, it's been a very good day. Sunshine, productivity, and daydreaming. Happy, happy!

Garden 2013

The chives and strawberries were left over from last year, so I transplanted some of them and then had Dad just till around the others. They take up two rows on one side of a raised bed. In that same bed, I planted two tomato plants and from seed: two rows of carrots and a row of lettuce.

After my parents left, I used part of the trellis from last year, some old scraps, and twine to create an improved trellis for the other raised bed. (The third cinder block, lower bed I didn't cover during winter and it got overrun with weeds--it'll be laid to rest this year....). I also moved the artichoke (it doesn't look too great here, so we'll see if it survives.) Two pepper plants (red & yellow), a basil start, and two zukes all got added to this box. From seed: a row of cucumbers (down by the zukes on the left), a row of pole beans, and a row of bush peas. 

The kiwi is in full growing mode!

The garlic and rhubarb are also up and high in their respective spots. The mint is coming in already and the blackberry is just starting to send out its runners.

Each year I add a few more fruits & veggies to the entry way area. We planted three blueberry bushes when we first moved in and last summer I added strawberries which are still there. This year I'm trying two tomatoes and watermelons, so we'll see if they take!

Still to plant (there's still room in the raised beds):

Leeks

Onion

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Kale

Cilantro

Also sitting on a table not pictured:

Another basil

Parsley

Rosemary

Ironically most my seeds were left overs from previous years and at least 1/2 the starts I got using a gift card my Dad gave me at Christmas. 

We'll see how much of it takes the first time around!

A Wonderful Parental Visit

Sometimes I think I take for granted just how amazing my parents are and how blessed I've been to have them. As they creep toward 70, I notice them slowing down and having more health issues, but I'm always amazed at how much they continue to give and give and give. In the moments when I've asked Dad how he's able to give non-stop to others, he always says that the greatest joy he gets is by serving others. If only I could adopt his same attitude to the manner of which he has it!

My parents arrived about 6:30pm last night (Monday) and before the sun gave way, Dad unloaded all his "goodies" and we got under way. I'd spent the day pulling weeds, planting a few flowers, cutting back bushes, and organizing the yard/patio a bit. So Dad and I walked the yard and I pointed out the areas for spraying, and Dad got to work with the first application. I can't remember the last time I've used a weed-eater and I'm not going to lie, it was pretty fun edging the lawn and chopping down the grass that the mower hasn't been able to get to in the two years I've lived here! 

Once I got my section of the yard duty done for the night, I headed in to get started on dinner. I threw together a salad and got the seasonings started for the boil, while Mom helped prep the veggies and helped peel the shrimp. While I'd definitely increase the spices next time (I should know at this point to double every spice recipe!), it was a ton of fun creating a different type of meal for my parents and everyone was satisfied with the shrimp, corn, and red potatoes. (Have I mentioned Mom is gluten-intolerant and pre-diabetic and Dad can't eat high-oxalate foods? I don't eat most meat and M doesn't eat tomatoes.... Hahaha) Between the boil and the salad, there was something for everyone and with only enough left overs for the dogs to get a couple potatoes and Lady got two shrimp ;)

After dinner (at 9pm), the evening entertainment was watching Dad (with a lil help from M) hang my sign in the living room. My father is a perfectionist, so it was going to be done right, although he did compromise on a few matters (and learned that I'm missing some tools that he wished I had) :)

The day itself had been H-O-T (87 with no breeze) so after we sat around enjoying my living room for a bit, we were all pretty ready to get into bed.

In the morning we were up and at 'em. Dad finished spraying round two on the weeds, while I ran up to my aunt's to borrow the tiny tiller. Both beds were tilled by 10am:

Then Dad couldn't help himself and he had to mow my lawn, while we waited for Mom to get back from the fabric store and I worked on planting my starts in the boxes. Dad and I ran the tiller back up to my aunt's and visited for a few. Then we came back and both devised a potential plan for how to replace a section of my falling down fence (on the cheap and mainly reusing various wood) and discussed moving some of the bushes out front. And then Mom got home and whipped up some awesome new burlap curtains for my off-the-kitchen area:

  

They look great! (Another pinterest-to-real life idea!) Then the two of them loaded up and I cut some peonies for my mother. (I'd also gifted her a potted pansy set for this upcoming Mother's Day (using a gift card my parents ironically had given me!))

Then I had them pose for a picture: 

Seriously, seriously blessed.

Looking forward to them coming back in a couple weeks for the next visit!

What's Going in the Garden?

What's growing?!

Grapes came on this year. Few and small, but still exciting to see the grape come back.

Cucumbers--first time ever planting them and they've pretty much been left all alone--but four big boys have come off the vines already.

Asian pear produced 3-5 lil guys this year! Taste amazing!

Volunteer pumpkin starter! We'll see how this guy does as the plant started from seeds that spilled from our old Jack-O-Lantern out front last year! I've just let it grow where it started :)

Kiwis are still growing, carrots are still ready for harvesting, tomatoes are just turning, the pepper is finally turning, artichokes are just about done for, cilantros gone to seed, and the lettuce is getting out of control.

What didn't produce? Green beans, peas, zucchini, green onions, kohlrabi, and the strawberries never put on fruit. While this year has been slimmer pickings than last, I ironically preserved more food from the garden this year. 

If I stick around, I just might even attempt some fall and/or winter gardening....I could see uses for some winter greens, more carrots, perhaps some turnips.....

Garden Fare & Freezing

Today I was responsible for checking on my aunt & uncle's home, cat, & garden. They live about half a mile from me and have one of the most amazing backyards probably to be found in the local area. They'd encouraged use of the ready produce, and I came home with a gallon bag of green beans to add to the ones I'd bought at the farmer's market, numerous zucchini that had gotten out of hand, half a gallon bag of blueberries, a tiny bouquet of roses from Poppa's rose garden, and a few tiny pears that had fallen from the tree. Realizing I still also had all the original green beans that were starting to go bad and the half flat of strawberries in the fridge, I set about this evening trying to make use of the produce as best I could.

The blueberries were rinsed, laid on a cookie sheet to freeze, and bagged.

I shredded about four mid-size zukes and then one big boy, drained some of the excess moisture, and then created 2 cup bags for the freezer. Two other zukes were given to the very happy chickens. And then I decided to make zucchini bread & muffins, using this high yield recipe that I found online. A few were reserved for Tall D, some will be enjoyed, and others will also be frozen for later.

The green beans were readied and then I hem and hawed about attempting to can by myself. Deciding it was too much work for the evening (and being slightly afraid I might blow up the house....), I discovered a recipe in my "preserving book" for Szechan green beans. It uses vinegar and allows for up to a month of refrigeration---sounded perfect so I set to work. 

While I was in process, Tall D dropped off the dehydrator and lended a hand by taking on the strawberries for fruit leather processing. (Although the food dehyrdator didn't like the wax paper separation....so I'm going to have to try it via an oven dry tomorrow....) 

I actually could have created five quart jars of the Szechuan green beans, but ran out of the vinegar mix ingredients. Instead I came out with four jars, a bag of blanched green beans added to the freezer, a satisfied dog who I discovered loves green beans, and another additive to a veggie stir fry to be added to my backyard egg and feta scrambled egg tonight.

Which was then followed up with amazingness----quartered farmers market peaches, fresh backyard blueberries, and a bit of agave all over greek yogurt. After the road trip, I've been eating very minimally and trying to focus mainly on fruits & veggies...but this yogurt addition was delicious!

So what else will we still be harvesting and preserving this season? My aunt will have quite the harvest of pears this year that she's not sure what to do with, so I'm hopeful I might be able to can/preserve some of those once they're ready for harvest. Our tomato selection is looking pretty slim this year, even with the extra bushes I planted, but hopefully Tall D will be able to hunt out some other tomatoes and hot peppers to make his great salsa. If I can find a decent selection of apples, I'd love to make some apple sauce and apple butter. I picked my second round of artichokes the other evening also, so I need to try to cook those this week. The carrots are ready and the garlic should be ready soon too. We might get a few grapes this year and it's looking like a few kiwis will be edible too! While the garden boxes haven't been producing this year as well, I'm glad for the produce we have gotten and it's been nice to acquire more from other sources.

Pursuing Happiness: Garden Growth, Dog Packs, & Food for Thought

Yesterday had the best of intentions and I've been in a great space the last few days....but then I had a disappointing afternoon as two of the U Picks I tried to visit for blueberries for jam making and freezing were both closed and I received a postcard in the mail stating that I wasn't considered for one of the three jobs I've applied for recently--this job being the one I had the most faith in. As much as I know job rejections are standard in a heavily educated population like Portland, it still was a slight ego blow and worry inducing, especially since I'd worked closely with one of the supervisors before...and the whole thing just left me majorly assessing my financial situation. (I have a decent amount of savings...I just don't want to blow through it all for living expenses.) To be honest there are a lot of "fun" things I'd hoped to budget for in the next two months, but until I have a housemate or job lined up, I don't feel enough freedom to pursue completing those dreams. Luckily Tall D is being a great support in terms of us maintaining a friendship and for the third time in the last week, he showed up over here and hung around until he could tell I was in a better place. During which, we ran to both Costcos to look at TVs and he cut me the split-payment-deal so that we both won out in the end... and then he came over to get it all set up.

....but beyond his support, really two things brought me a great deal of happiness yesterday:

Watering the Garden and seeing it really starting to produce:

Garlic heads

Kolarobi in the middle, carrots on the left, strawberries on the right. The plastic mesh is my make-shift way to keep the chickens out so starts/seeds had a chance! Blackberries and mint in the background, and cilantro & green onions to the right.

Lil' tomatoes are just starting to come on....and even the pepper plants are blooming.

Added rows of string and tightened the rows already there to help the snow peas and green beans fare better in their attempt to climb up. 

Artichoke plant is large and in charge....and for the second year has two artichokes on it!

U-Picks might not be open, but the last two nights allowed me to pick black and blueberries from the yard. Rinsed and put up to freeze.

And in my initial disappointment, I hauled five loads of dirt back to the coop area for fill-in. (Somehow when the guys hauled the dirt out, we'd forgotten that it'd all have to come back in.....) Note: There's a reason wheelbarrows started being made more cheaply, these old metal ones are HEAVY!! Coop is progressing!

Reason #2: Anna's Hiking Pack Arrived!

Tall D ordered her a pack so she can carry her own food & water when they do longer hikes...and she seriously LOVED it. She ran around the house with that huge smile...and then was completely disappointed when the pack came off and she wasn't taken on a hike at 10pm! :)

AND One More Thing For Good Measure: Per usual Flower Patch Farmgirl also had some great posts that struck home with me yesterday, but really this guest writing stuck out to me the most and also got me thinking about needing to just TRUST and follow in God's direction for the next year....something I haven't been too great at doing in the last few years. Regardless of finances, regardless of Tall D's and my mess, regardless of all the minuscule details....the Big Man has never failed to provide and I need to remember that He won't fail me (or Tall D or you dear reader or any of us) now...especially if we remember to trust in and truly follow Him. I honestly need to stop putting my hope in anyone but Him.

Ironically to go along with all the above thoughts, today's email Bible verse from KLove is "Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart's desires." --Psalm 37:4

Here's hoping that TODAY, this Wednesday is a better one than yesterday for all of us!