August 05, 2010
Once again, the Harvest Crusade is going on this weekend in Anaheim, California. I got saved there 10 years ago, along with my dad, and my life has never been the same, so I have a special place in my heart for why I share it every year with y’all.
If you’re looking for Jesus, Greg Laurie will lead you right to Him…plus there are some really great bands playing.
You can watch it live Friday, Saturday and Sunday night or you can watch the video of it after it’s over, just click on the banner for more details.
[ 2 Comments ] Posted on 08.05.10 under From My Garden
Life’s Simple Pleasures
May 18, 2010
My son, Jaedon, who is 10, decided that he was going to plant some sunflower seeds in our little itty bitty patio that gets a little itty bitty row of sunshine. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am so excited that we actually get a little foot wide row of sunshine because I didn’t think we would get ANY this summer.
So, anyway, back to my story. We have been learning about botany for science and a few weeks ago we read about the different kind of plants that would attract butterflies and hummingbirds to our yard. Jaedon got really interested because we had a little momma hummingbird sitting on her eggs at eye level in a little tree out in front of our house.
Well, we went to Home Depot and looked up some of the plants that we read would attract them and couldn’t find any of them. Eventually, we gave up on that idea, but Jaedon wanted to plant sunflowers all on his own because he saw some leftover sunflower seeds from last year.
So Jaedon rallied his brothers and friends to clear some of the rocks, dug some holes and planted sunflower seeds. I kept an eye on his progress throughout the week and wondered if they would really come up in just the native soil right underneath landscaping rock. I had my doubts.
But, bless his little heart, he faithfully went out and watered those little seeds for a week straight and then came and told me that he was giving up because they weren’t coming up. I tried to encourage him, but this was his project and I didn’t want to interfere too much. I told him that sometimes it takes a while, but I don’t think he believed me.
A few days later he came running in, so excited, and said that one had popped up. And for the last couple of weeks five little seeds have sprouted. Every single day now, right after he wakes up, he runs outside to water his plants and I haven’t had to remind him one time.
Can I tell you how much fun that has been to watch? It’s so much fun to watch my son enjoy the same miracle that I enjoy. I get as much enjoyment watching my son take care of his plants as I did taking care of my own garden.
I love it!
[ 5 Comments ] Posted on 05.18.10 under From My Garden
Who Was That Masked Man?
April 24, 2010
When I was selling my tomato plants, the father of the neighbors that live right next door stopped and bought some tomato plants from me back in February. He told me that he had a large garden and I told him to feel free to bring whatever he had extra on over to me since we moved and I have no garden this year.
So, for the last couple of months I have found large bags of lettuce, oranges or grapefruits by the door or he humbly rings my doorbell, hands the goods to me and takes off before I can hardly say a word.
Today, it was 2 bags of lettuce and a few scallions. He has no idea how it makes me smile. Actually, I think he smiles just as big as I do, but he won’t let me see it.
Thanks, Masked Man.
[ 5 Comments ] Posted on 04.24.10 under From My Garden
Transplants
December 23, 2009
I will be starting some seeds in the next week or two because I can’t help myself. 
If any of you have any in particular that you would like me to grow for you, please let me know. I still need to place my seed orders this next week, so please let me know ASAP. I live in the west valley and can deliver to my dad’s (Farmer Darrell’s) in Tempe, or also near 35th Ave. & Peoria. I can grow any plant your heart desires. I’ve always charged very little for my plants, just because I like to grow things and it gives me great pleasure to be able to grow for others.
The tomato planting season starts promptly in the middle of February here in zone 9 so no time to delay for tomatoes seed starting…also peppers and basil. Almost anything will grow in the spring…lots of fun lettuce, swiss chard, onions, spinach, beets, carrots, bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplants, bunches of herbs, hot peppers, bell peppers, and lots of tomatoes!
Here are a few websites to check out for seeds:
http://www.tradewindsfruitstore.com (hybrids and heirlooms)
www.tomatobob.com (heirlooms and hybrids)
www.rareseeds.com (all heirloom)
www.tomatogrowers.com (hybrid and heirlooms)
[ 2 Comments ] Posted on 12.23.09 under From My Garden, Seed Starting
Unexpected
December 09, 2009
Well, I thought I would update y’all on where I’ve been over the last few months. We ended up moving right as I had my winter garden all planned out, I might add. It’s a good thing and we are just four miles from our old house, but I can’t have a winter garden…or a spring garden…or any garden. Boo. We have only a small patio and it is in shade all day long. I have searched to see if I can find anything that will grow in complete shade and have found a few flowers that will. Any ideas? I’m just not much of a flower grower and still prefer edibles.
How are all y’alls winter gardens going? If anyone has any extra greens or beets and live over in the northwest valley let me know!!! I’d be happy to take them off of your hands. :) After checking prices for organic greens and beets I know without a doubt that it was saving me money to grow them myself. Do you know that it costs close to $2 for three little swiss chard leaves? And it’s the same for three little bitty beets. That is crazy. Do you know how many I would have to buy to feed all 7 of us for one meal? After having an abundance of it, it really stinks to have to buy it now.
Ok, enough pouting…I am SO happy that we are in our new house. My kids have a really great playground just ten steps outside our front door plus a big field. It’s so perfect for them.
If I figure out anything that grows in complete shade I’ll be sure to let you know…
[ 4 Comments ] Posted on 12.09.09 under From My Garden
Harvest Crusade 2009
August 14, 2009
If you want to meet Jesus and haven’t yet, here’s a place to do it:
The crusade will go live online tonight (Friday) and tomorrow night at 8pm MST and Sunday night at 7 pm MST. My dad and I got saved there 9 years ago and our lives have never been the same since. Plus, you can watch the archives if you are watching this after the crusade has already happened.
[ 2 Comments ] Posted on 08.14.09 under From My Garden, Home Life, How to Start A Garden
USDA Food Budget-A Reason To Put In A Garden
July 30, 2009
I ran across a link to the USDA Food Budget today for June of 2009. I found it very interesting. Four monthly food plans range from Thrifty to Liberal to choose from. For my own family of 7, which includes my husband and I, 12 year old son, 9 year old son, 7 year old son, 4 year old daughter, and 3 year old son, even the Thrifty plan was hundreds of dollars over what I spend for us. The income we live on would probably be considered near the line of “US poverty”, but honestly, we have everything we need and live like kings compared to so many in the rest of the world.
The Thrifty plan is $925.90, the Low Cost plan is $1,212.20, the Moderate plan suggests $1,508.20 and the Liberal plan boasts of spending $1,823.20 per month. Can you imagine spending that much money on food? We’re a one income family and the Liberal plan would take up almost half of the paycheck.
I see the reason for this amount of money being spent on food is because of the two income working families. What working woman has time to cook from scratch when you have a husband to love, boss to please, business to manage, kids to discipline and train, manage the household including laundry and cleaning, budgeting, and then all the soccor games to attend to? That doesn’t even include any other activity. I, honestly, don’t think that is the load that women are supposed to carry, but some women are forced into these situations.
I’m not saying women can’t carry this load. I think we’ve all proven that we can do everything men can do plus what we do. But, isn’t it a little heavy? Isn’t it a little overwhelming? I’ve experienced both worlds of working outside the home and spending my time in my home managing it and raising my own kids. I’m not saying that I’m really, really good at everything I do yet (definitely not Martha Stewart), maybe some day, maybe not, but I will say that I have experienced a deep satisfaction that I don’t think can be found anywhere else being married with children that still need raising.
Now, what does that have to do with Food Budgets? Well, because I am at home, I do have the opportunity to cook from scratch. And not only from scratch, but using grass fed beef and organic chicken, raw milk and growing some of my own vegetables. No, we don’t eat like this all of the time, but for the majority of the time we do. It’s fun for me and when my kids get sick they are only sick for a day or two. So, in the long run it will even save us money.
I am really digressing from what I wanted to say when I first started this article, so let me cut to the chase now. I want to start keeping track of the money I put into my garden and the amount of money, figuratively speaking, that comes out. I want to prove that putting in a decent sized garden, while still living in a regular metropolitan city lot (mine is about 1/8 of an acre, maybe a little less) is profitable, both for my family’s health and for our pocketbook.
So, over the next few months I will not only be showing what I will be doing to the garden area, but also what I spend and the amount of veggies that actually come out.
I have never kept track before, so this will be a fun experiment for me. I hope you all will join me on my upcoming adventure!
[ 5 Comments ] Posted on 07.30.09 under From My Garden, Gardening Tips
Garden Plans
July 20, 2009
Today, marks the 4th anniversary of my grandmother passing away. I miss so much the comforts of grandma that I shed a few tears this morning. But, today, instead of moping, I am going to start some seeds and rev up my garden for the fall.
Me and my kids went to Lowe’s today and got some manure, seed starting mix and seeds. I’m going to try to start my own petunia’s this year and see what happens.
Sunflowers, squash, cucumbers, yardlong and snap beans, and basil are what will be going in along my west wall because they will all die off when it gets cold and will leave me open space for planting my tomatoes in February. Then, along my east wall I will plant swiss chard, broccoli, cauliflower, kale and beets. They all will last far into the spring and will take up that space for many, many months. I have finally come to realize that those are the only winter veggies that we all actually eat. Then I will have a little patch for my lettuce with some fun red lettuce.
I have missed gardening so much this past spring and I didn’t even realize it. It feels like there is so much potential wasted when I look out my backyard and see nothing much growing. So much can grow and will grow if I can just tend to it by watering it and talking to the Lord a little bit. I’ve missed that part of my life for quite a few months. I think I’ve come to realize that no matter how stressed I seem to be I always need to plant. It helps, more than I realized.
I would love to hear what your fall plans are or what you still have growing in the garden.
[ 8 Comments ] Posted on 07.20.09 under From My Garden
Squash planting
April 06, 2009
Planting squash again is sort of like planning on and wanting another kid after having a really terrible delivery filled with pain with the prior child. Because I know that I hate squash at the end of every single spring season and my husband and kids beg me not to bring another zucchini into the house. It’s so painful to keep racking my brain deciding what to do with the 2 foot long zucchini that I had overlooked and I just can’t bring myself to throw another one into the compost pile. Oh, and try giving anymore to the neighbors or your friends and they just look at you with a pained look on their face that says, umm, I really want to say no because the others that you gave me are rotting in my fridge, but you look so excited about zucchini because you grew it yourself that I just might say yes.
So I planted zucchini today and yellow crook neck, yellow scallop and lemon squash.
Has anyone else forgotten the pain from last year?
[ 9 Comments ] Posted on 04.06.09 under From My Garden
Nasturtiums
March 30, 2009
So what do y’all know about nasturtiums? Do you grow them? How many months out of the year do they grow here in the Phoenix area?
I planted some from seed and a few have started to come up, but I was just curious how long they last when it starts heating up.
[ 5 Comments ] Posted on 03.30.09 under From My Garden
