Closing in on the holiday season

 I am trying to figure out how I feel about things. Which is not always easy, because life is never this x = 1, y = 2 and you don't know what each of those things represent half the time.

Right now for instance, I have a headache, probably from the weather and lack of caffeine or it could also have the 6 minutes of deep sleep I got last night. Not sure how I feel about my Fitbit telling me I had 6 MINUTES of deep sleep. I think I've been clenching my teeth again too. So I feel tired today, not motivated and my head hurts.

My hip hurts too, probably because I was tossing and turning last night. I am looking forward to my chiropractic appointment after work today! And I think tonight is a good night to go to bed early.

Also, Samhain is almost here and I want to put up Xmas decorations. How does that even work? This year has been one big cluster fuck and while I would normally feel that next year will be better, until Covid-19 is dealt with, I think it's going to be much of the same.

But the rest of this year, it's all about decluttering, figuring out future plans and making headway on cleaning/updating the house.

And, wait, there's more! The holiday season is ramping up. Thanksgiving and Yule and Christmas and New Years, oh my! I am glad I am taking off the last 2 weeks of the year for vacation, because that will be about cleaning/painting and preparing. Though I just realized as I typed that, that the tree will be out and that's gonna be interesting to paint around !

The holidays are going to be so different this year, in part due to Covid-19 but mostly because my kid is not here. Not sure if he will be at his FDS at that point or not, but travel is restricted. I freaking miss him. I am thankful he's doing good though.

My niece bought her own place, she's mostly moved in there now with just a few small items that will be picked up soon. My house is feeling very empty. And seriously fucking quiet, my gods, the silence is sometimes deafening and I start chatting with my cats to just have something going on! I am happy for her, because owning your own place is a blessing (and a curse), but I miss her too. Thankfully she lives like a mile away, so I get to see her easily enough, it's just different when someone doesn't live in the same house anymore. I'm happy for her, she really needed more space and so do her cats <3

So many changes in the last year, so many more to come. It's kinda wild!

A Bits and Pieces Update

Because it's always easier with bullet points:

• I was sick all through the holidays, but that's ok so was my bf's family was as well so it was a happy shared misery :)
• The holidays were pretty damn awesome :)
• I got my kid an XBox, which surprised him, which = awesome.
• I used vacation days so didn't have work for 2 weeks. Which was good because I was sick anyway. It was a nice break though!
• I've had my gardens percolating in my head for a month straight now. I can't wait for spring!
• We've had snow 2 times. Today's was pretty light.
  

This was on January 6th. All powder! 

Too bad I slipped going down my steps on the back porch. Thankfully it was a slow decent and I didn't get the wind knocked out of me this time. Suffice it to say, I am waiting on the treads I ordered to come in from Amazon.

• Work is awesome, I love my job.
• My elbow is acting up so I am wearing my brace again. Blah
• I've started back using MyFitnessPal. It's been a whooping 2 days lol. But hey, I'm back at it :) I have goals for this year :)
• I've started drinking my coffee black (ok ok I put cinnamon in it). No creamer or sugar. Who knew!
• The kid is grounded for ditching school. He's still having a hard time in school but has pulled up 2 of his classes grades this quarter. I've started the search for tutors.
• I miss my friends and family! Working on talking/texting/seeing them more :)
• Life has been busy. I mean, damn, seriously busy!
• I have gotten quite quick at crocheting scarves it seems. My bf asked me about a blanket. I started at him like he was crazy. Made a couple scarves and thought and thought and thought about HOW much time/yarn it would take for a blanket. Ahem. So I've started one. I made the first 4 rows, but realized it's a wee bit too large. So. I am gonna pull them out and make it a tad bit smaller :) Just a tad though. I do have a king size bed :)
• Tiamet, my 13 year old cat, has thyroid issues but not also minor kidney disease. She's at a good weight though and pretty active so I think she'll be ok for a couple years :) I keep an eye on her though :)
• I've also ordered a whole house humidifier because, damn, the air is fucking dry! 
• My size 12 years are just starting to get a little bit loose :) I didn't realize I had bought a size 10 (had this at my bf's house) and they fit pretty comfy. Wow. I still need to let a few more pounds go though before I buy more jeans. I want my 12's loose first :) 
• Yes, I have been pretty good - push ups and squats are done almost daily (notwithstanding those days I fall and stuff)
• I am hoping to get my shower fixed this year, the one upstairs that is.
• I am also hoping to see about getting rid of the pine tree in the back yard. O.o
• I love cooking. A lot. I am researching a pasta maker now :) 
• So this whole month, since I was sick in fact (so going back the last 2 weeks of December) I have not been taking my supplements. I am really missing one of them, the Myo-inositol. But I am curious to see if I get my period on time. Gotta love PCOS and how it tweaks the body! I have a new supplement I will be try, Maca root (it has something else in it as well but can't remember right now). I have noticed my temper is not always filtered, it's not horrible mind you but that's because I'm aware of it, but it's much harder to control (and no, not always successful). Other than that though, it hasn't been bad.
• Apple cider vinegar kicks ass and hands out cards.
• One of my goals, since I barely have time to read anymore, is to take 1 day a month and read that whole day :)
• I've started another college class. I have to do homework tonight. Next class starts in February. Exhausting but I am loving it.

I will attempt to start writing in those brief free moments I have :)

The Weekend Updates

Friday, as part of a something or another for work, we went bowling. That is, my coworkers and me. Now, you have got to understand, it's been something like 15-25 years since I've last bowled.

First game = 78
Second game = 138
Third game = 90 I think, it might have been higher, I was more concerned with walking and not falling by the end of that game

It was a lot of fun. I really had an awesome time :)

However. I was lucky I was walking Saturday morning. My left knee thinks I am trying to kill it. I ended up straining my ass muscle (read: hamstring) and my right elbow seemed to complain the least but it still mumbled at me. The only reason I was walking, I think, is Tiger Balm. That shit is awesome. I smeared it all over my ass, knee and arm. Several times. And sat on the couch with my feet up watching TV. Because when I did walk? It was this pathetic mewling shuffling type of walk I would get laughed at if anyone saw it!

Suffice it to say I did not do yard work or house work or really anything much this weekend. Such is life. I am not stressing over that stuff though :)

Saturday, I was able to finish up my homework and get that posted :)

Sunday I took the Kid to see Big Hero 6 - It Was Awesome!

Afterwards, it was grocery shopping, putting food away and pretending to think about maybe doing something around the house. Oh, I did a load of laundry. Well, it's something I suppose!

Sunday night we finally finished watching Season 3 of the Walking Dead. Love this show. Can NOT wait to start watching season 4. Sometime this week I think. Hopefully.

This is a busy week. I need to get my college parking permit, take a test for chapters 1-6 at school, do 3 class assignments, have a band boosters meeting (which means I need to do the finances for that) and clean around the house. And can you fucking believe it's getting close to Thanksgiving?? YIKES!!

I am working on cooking more home meals, trying new things out :) Love love love cooking :) Especially when it tastes good! I need to ship some stuff out, have been sitting on stones for a couple friends for an eternity it seems like! Ha, I already need to plan out when to make more chicken stock, that stuff was awesome and it's almost gone!

Oh and PMS is just around the corner. Bleh.

It's been too long!

Life has been busy, good things to be sure, but wow, long time and now write!!

Let's see - The kid is in a Parade this weekend, so hopefully that will go well.

School is taking up my time, not too shocking that. I am going to try for 2 classes Spring semester and see how that goes. I am doing this slowly, increasing my class size or not (as the case may be) to see what my real threshold is for balancing school and life.

I'm tired. I feel like that since I was sick a couple weeks ago I am still trying to get back to some form of a normal routine. I am happy it's getting colder, just because I am inside more - which means getting more around the house done again.

We did get the front patch of yard set up for winter. Weeds pulled and put a layer of this material that's supposed to keep them from growing. I need to get some larger size stones to make the spiral I want though. Or make them with quikrete.

I actually saw gas below $3.00 the other day. I was in a state of shock. I even took a pic of that! The $2.85 on the right is for regular unleaded.

 Also, I am not going to order out Chinese anymore. I really do end up gaining like 2-3 lbs every damn time I eat it and it takes me days to get my back to normal. So very sad. It's probably the high sodium or something, but damn. Just not worth it right now. I have been getting better about not eating out as much, guess I just need to tone it done a bit more!!

The Kid is failing 3 classes. Very frustrating. Oh and the reason why? he doesn't feel like doing the work. Seriously. We've had conversations. Let's hope he was listening.

I am thinking of actually shopping on Black Friday. Scary that. I want to get some stuff for the house though, and that might be a smart way to get them. I want a room heater for my bedroom. Because even with carpet, the floor is cold!!

I need more sleep.

Ohhh, so I slightly re-organized my living room. I moved my cedar trunk to the library and then swapped places of the small couch and chair. And I put the coffee table to an angle.Pulled in another lamp (from the library) and I like it. So far. I do need to get some art up on the walls now though. The Kid likes it too. It's so incredibly nice to be able to do things without worrying about what some landlord will say (ie, painting walls, making noise, etc) anymore :) I love the yard work, love making changes :)

I think this weekend I am going to inventory my pantry and see what I need to get for dry goods for this winter. I know that sounds probably kinda weird, but I am cooking all the time now and it would be smarter (I think) to get my stock stuff set. Of course, normal weekly stuff (fresh veggies and whatnot) is not what I'm thinking about. I also want to re-organize my kitchen a wee bit, make it more functional :) And I should probably re-do my pantry as well...it's probably a good thing it's not too big!!

I plan on making some more chicken stock this coming week. I have a little bit left and will probably have that for dinner soon. I have totally loved putting the stock into ice cubes for easy portions. So freaking easy. Because you just chop up some carrots, celery, throw in some left over chicken pieces and noodles - done!

We've been watching the previous seasons of the Walking Dead. Loving this series!

And I have a dentist appointment this afternoon, for my permanent crowns. I will be so happy once this is finished. It was painful paying for it, set me back really - but damn it, it's my teeth and not something that can be ignored :(

Time to head out. I will try to blog more, again :)

A week in review

So many things, so little brain left after it melted this week!!

Let's see if I can break it down...

Last Friday - Good - Birthday
Saturday - Woke up sick :( The boyfriend picked us up though and we stayed at his place. I somehow ended up sleeping upside down (my feet where my head should be) eventually...but I was really up most the night and only actually slept at 5 am. For 2 hours, woke up and went back to sleep for 2 more hours. Therefore, exhausted and somewhat cranky. The Kid wasn't exactly Mr. Sunshine either.

Went home. I think I pretended to clean. I vegetated the rest of the day.

Sunday - I am pretty sure I didn't do anything. Except ask the Kid to help. Because, aka Mr. Sunshine was still being jerky...Did not sleep Sunday night again, until after 3 am.

Monday and Tuesday - called out sick and just rested. The Kid was slightly nicer after I asked him why he had to be mean when I was sick AND it was just my Bday. Because, I mean, really! Does that have to make someone being a jerk??? Ugh.

I was able to accomplish a nap on Tuesday morning for 2 hours. Score me.

Plus, you have to keep in mind that on top of being sick - my period was due (and yes, showed up) this week. GOOD FUCKING TIMES WERE HAD BY ALL! Bwahahahahahaahahahahaha. Ok, well maybe not so much.

Wednesday - Went to work. Still had my cold, therefore some trouble breathing. But not too bad. Also, work was really fucking busy. Slept ok, not like rock solid, but better than the previous 2 non sleep days.

[ I am sure I did 2 loads of laundry at some point before Thursday, but I just can't remember when...]

Thursday - Rinse and repeat Wednesday, though I was starting to feel a lot better. I actually got some good sleep finally on Wednesday. Probably because the boyfriend was there. Though I will say my period was just starting and that meant all my lovely insecurity hormones were raging inside my puny head. Another ugh.

Today - Friday - So far so good. My period is here, I feel like rearranging my living room and doing yard work. How that works out I have no freaking idea. Or maybe nap. I am at least feeling a lot better and almost 99 % with this cold.

My homework is almost done, just 2 small things left and need to get that submitted by tomorrow. I think taking this class (and waiting to be reimbursed until after I pass kinda sucks) is good but it hurt financially. Ugh. I know it's on my credit card but I seem to have this slightly OCD thing about wanting to pay it off and now off course money is tight until November. Blah. It's my own fault, because I just dumped too much of a payment onto my cc's this month. Ironically, I will probably end up paying for things on my CC this way instead of my normal account, which is just the opposite of what I wanted to do! The only possibly good thing is maybe I can get some more points and at least get a credit or buy things for free (yay Amazon cc) with the points.

I will totally blame my brain being melted due to illness on this months pathetic-ness of my finances. Totally.

And I think it's more of my perception of it being an issue than it really is. Because, seriously, there is nothing that is end of the world here.

Anyway, I need to figure out a couple other posts (one is more along those lines, "why does my hormonal state cause my brain to melt" and other such possible titles of "Where is the Wine" and "No More Laundry for You") and get this weekend started.

Also - It's Mercury Retrograde - So be safe!! Oh wait, can I blame Mercury Retrograde for this?? Hmmm.

Lots of Attempting(s)

I've been wanting to write for the past few days but every time I start a draft I sorta just stare at it listlessly and then shuffle off to pretend to work.

So I am attempting to get past this.

Let's see.

Last night was a pretty good night. Me and the kid did our homework together :) I am somewhat annoyed over the fact he is not doing his classwork in Science and Social Studies (and sometimes English) but I am not in the classroom and have no idea what is going on. I explained, again, why good grades are important. He did say that he liked us doing that together (cranky mommy aside I suppose) and wants to do it again tonight (because, he has MORE stuff he hasn't finished).

I will have to remind him I have a Band Boosters meeting tonight :(

Class started for me, it's different since it's all online. I will be attempting to keep the snark out of any forum replies I think. It's a challenge, let me tell you ;)

This past weekend was good. We are watching Walking Dead since I've never had the chance to watch it. Freaky and awesome!!

While on vacation, I gained a few pounds. Not shocking I suppose! It was only like 4 lbs but I will be happy when I get them back off and then the attempt to go another 9 lbs after that. I am also attempting to cut back in sugar in a couple things. Mainly coffee and tea. So, the coffee is creamer only (I can drink it and I don't gag so there you go) and the tea, well. I haven't even used honey. I can tell you that I am learning to appreciate the actually taste of my teas more - without them having that sweet over taste to things - but it's an adjustment! One of the teas I am drinking is Spearmint tea, it's supposed to help women who have PCOS deal with hirsutism. Which, let me tell you, is not the most fun thing in the world. I am soooo tired of having to pluck daily. Granted, it's not a huge amount (some women get it bad :(  ) but still, you are always wondering - is there a stray whisker or hair some place that that person is staring at????

My period is not due until the 14th at the earliest and more likely the 16th but I have been having fun PMS stuff going on. Breaking out, back pain, sore boobs. Oh the joys!!

I have been having a hard time just getting up in the mornings. My bed is all warm and warm and who wants to go to work when you are snuggled in? Then again, I have Tiamet annoying the hell out of me in the mornings because, damn it, she wants food!! Which she has no problems expressing for a solid 20 minutes. Love her, but I kinda got the point in the first time :)

I think with the season finally starting to show itself (yay, it's been chilly!!) my body is doing this whole wonky dance of things. I have been craving Tortilla soup, for instance. And I want avocados more. I want to get my yard prepped for next spring and take care of some tree limbs before winter sets in fully. Finances are tight though, which is to be expected and I'm not stressing over them, but tight is still tight. Suffice it to say I will be spending more time watching the DVR shows and crocheting!! Oh and more cooking :) I want to learn how to make a good beef stew and some yummy country biscuits and and and. I probably have a wee bit of ADD with this stuff!!

So much is going on, with the Kid's band, work and life in general. Sometimes I like at the calendar and it's nice to see if full of awesome things. Other times I wonder if I can squeeze in a nap somewhere :)

My birthday is coming up. I will be taking the day off from work. Reading, making lasagna and some form of dessert. A couple friends are going to stop by in the evening. I just want a quiet and happy moment to savor. I feel like re-organizing some stuff too.

I need to put up my Halloween decorations too. Maybe this weekend :)

Friday Freakiness

Well, I accomplished getting signed up for college today, 1 class in my program is available (I'm kinda late in starting for Fall) which is a management 103 class. I'm getting my residency stuff worked out since they had me as an out of state student and I'm really really not. Class starts 10/1 though, all on line, which is awesome. Associates of Science in Business Administration is a start. I will try to figure how many classes I can handle each semester. Thankfully some of my old college credits will transfer over :)

It's exciting and scary. Not freaky bad scary. It's just - I mean, it's been almost 20 years since I was college (holy fuck) and I am not nervous about failing, I know I won't, it's more of this - shit I am getting this done and it's really happening. Oh wait, that almost sounds like when you go into labor !!

My kid is bringing his french horn home today, so we get to practice on Sunday, which is awesome. I love playing still and it gets me back to that :)

Tonight, I don't know what I'm doing lol. Maybe I will attempt to make a cheesecake. And try out this organic sugar wax thing (on my legs, ahem) and see if it works to any degree. Maybe I will read (hahahaha, of course I am reading tonight) and definitely doing a load of laundry.

My period is hopefully winding down. I certainly am not in any back pain today (hey, I even did 1 walk so far and some squats!).

I am not, repeat NOT, thinking about my shower appointment tomorrow.

This is me, not thinking about my shower ;) (I hear her saying, in my head, 'whatever bitches'!)

Some things accomplished, others being worked on

I finally got another one of my wall decor sayings up :) Thanks to the boyfriend helping :)

And this monster sunflower, is finally and awesomely ready :) We cut it down tonight and I just had to take some pictures because damn this thing is just freaking huge.

 You can see I don't have model type hands, but it at least gives you a better scope of how fucking large this thing is. Oh and it's taking up the whole damn chair it's sitting on.

A carrot. The only carrot that survived (I planted several seeds but wasn't too concerned about ANY of them surviving, it was just an off chance thing) and it was a monster carrot. Seriously, my backyard is a place of mayhem in sizes for growing things!

I know, it looks a bit weird. I will be feeding it to the horses at my job tomorrow :) Yes, I cleaned it off already because it would not be nice to fed someone dirt. We didn't even find ALL of it !!


The thing being worked on? The sunflower. I have it hanging up in the attic with the other ones. I need it to dry out further so that we can take the seeds out :) Seriously, just this ONE sunflower out scopes all the others. It was a huge head, a huge stalk and it has a ton of freaking seeds. YAY.

It's been a busy week

Suffice it to say, that having a short week is awesome and challenging. You gotta cram more stuff to get done before the weekend because we all know no one is doing house work on a day off!!

Shower Stall - So I finally got 2 companies to come in and give me a quote.

Sears - Awesome, awesome rep. Seriously, made a new friend with her! Sadly, Sears wants something like my leg for them to replace my shower ($4,600).

Bath fitters - Rep was a nice guy. They were more expensive than Sears though! ($5,110) and he sure did want to see what Sears was offering for less. Which is a no-no in my world. I thing I didn't like about this guy was that he kept saying no matter what I get from Lowe's or Home Depot, it will be cheap crap.

Granted, what I have now looks like the $500 cheap crap that both carry. However, both also carry Acrylic (which both Sears and Bath fitters toted as being awesome) shower stall kits for about $1050.00.

The hard part with that is that we will have to do the labor (unless I can find a contractor which so far has netted me ZERO results) to install it. I don't mind taking out the old shower (YAY, more things for me to destroy!!) and helping install the new one, I just know I need someone with more know-how than me. Thankfully, I have an awesome and very handy boyfriend who's willing to at least think about it. Because, seriously, bathrooms are a bitch!! I might get a coworker to help as well. Either way, for now we're using 1 shower and it's not a problem. I don't mind taking my time to get it done right.

I went to a new dentist on Wednesday. LOVE the hygienist. I mean, I have never had such an easy cleaning in my life. Plus, no cavities or any issues. I also love my insurance. They are awesome because they cover 75%, and what this means is that I can afford to get my crowns done on my front teeth, Any idea of what it's like to have a dead and graying tooth in the front? I hate smiling with my mouth closed for pictures and I hate being so self conscious about it. I will be getting 3 front crowns done for the price it would have cost me 1 in the past. Score, all around. I loved the office, the dentist, who I met only briefly, was very nice.

It's also just nice to get things finally done and over with.

I weeded my front lawn that will be an herb garden (next year) last week. I will be doing that again. Possibly tonight if I can get the front lawn mowed first. Once it's weeded this time I'm going to put down this cover that is supposed to keep the weeds from growing. With lots of little rocks on top of that to keep it from lifting up and disappearing.

Tonight I am also going to dye my hair because it seriously needs it.

2 of my sunflowers fell over and their stalks broke. So I cut off their heads and I am *hoping* that I can salvage the seeds. It's not like I don't have more sunflowers, but I really would like a nice crop from these, I want to use this year for cooking and baking :)

It does not feel the Autumn. Whatsoever.

It does not feel like Summer either though, so blah.

I want a nap. I won't get one lol, but I damn sure do want one! I think I am going to make Lemon Bars tomorrow. Oh and that reminds me!! I bought this blender (a Ninja I think, on sale) and I want to see about actually using it. So I've been looking up recipes and whatnot. I need to find a way to get more veggies in my diet and if I can swing blending something quick in the morning, that could work out nicely. I am going to pick up some stuff tonight and try it out tomorrow. And I might hopefully get another wall decor thingy up too. Maybe. Hmmmm. Will see!!

I am really looking forward to going to the beach, Our Myrtle Beach trip is coming up soon and it will be nice to just relax, with no worries of cleaning house, cats or anything :) I was hoping to lose weight before the trip, but I am stuck at 209 right now. I'm going to switch back to low carb and try to smoothie thing and see if that gets this next 10 lbs off :)

And at some point I will attempt to read another book, finish that one book review I promised and figure out college (I reapplied, will be seeing the counselor next week and hopefully get things going!!) Add to that a short week, again, and general life fun-ness going on :) and I hope to maybe finish my filing O.o

Little Bits of updates

It was such an incredible weekend. Saturday was the Maryland Renaissance Festival - Sunday was easy (I did clean up around the house and get laundry done) and even more so, we got my 3rd bedroom re-situated back into an office - which to be very honest, this is a good thing. The awesome boyfriend dismantled the bed and got it stored up in the attic, the desk un and re-assembled (I vacuumed the cleaned out the room during that) and everything is working :) Got some pictures hung and it feels like it should.

I have got to say, it's hard changing it from a bedroom back to an office.

But.

It's good. I am going back to college, and I never really warmed up to the computer downstairs (as in, I never used it). Now though, I've already been using it again, which is good.

It's just hard.

Anyways, I am happier with the room now. It was getting depressing leaving the door closed and it not being used and just left empty (ok, with stuff in there, but you get what I mean)

Monday was also an easy day. Got up late, made some breakfast sandwiches and then just ran around and got some stuff done. I did buy a trimmer/edger while at Lowe's. Ahem. Also some cool Halloween cat eyes for the front of the house :) They light up :) Oh and did more laundry and took a short nap. I really miss nap time. I want more nap times damn it!!

 

I have a dentist appointment tomorrow, which is good. I am slowly getting things more organized, also good. It's just that some days I have the will do to it and others and I just want to take a shower and ignore life.

I am really looking forward to our upcoming vacation to the beach :) It's nice to take these mini breaks :)

I need to write out my to do list again and then cross some more items off of it.

Ironically, I am sorta looking forward to winter just so I won't be pulled between house and garden - I like my house being clean more! LOL. Who knew. Well, snuggling is good for winter time. And hot cider. And hay rides. And holidays and cooking and baking and yeah....I love the change of seasons a lot it seems :)

A multi-faceted update

So I was home sick yesterday. I had started feeling icky on Wednesday and since the Renaissance Fair is Saturday, I *really* don't want to be sick. I was hoping to somehow avoid getting a full on cold. My left ear was hurting, I had a lot of sinus pressure (mostly my left side), was getting chills, had a runny nose and slightly achy. Yep, those lovely first signs of an oncoming cold for me. So. I made home made chicken stock Wednesday night (which means Thursday morning is was ready - SCORE with the crock pot!). I got the stock into ice cube trays Thursday morning while the kid was getting ready for school, emailed my boss and said I would not be in, took a muscle relaxer and then tried something different. Instead of taking my normal over the counter cold meds, I took Apple Cider Vinegar and Oil of Oregano. First was The Oil of Oregano - that shit tastes nasty. However, my sinus pressure was gone within 20 minutes. My ear stopped hurting. Wow.  I mean, DAMN. I took 1 tbsp of the apple cider vinegar 3 times (am, pm and before bed) and basically did the same with the Oregano. 2-3 drops each time. By late last night, I did not feel sick. At all. Granted, I was still very tired and I am tired (as in feel run down) today and slightly woo woo in the head, but overall, I don't feel like I am getting sick or going to get a full cold. Still sticking with these new meds today at work, so here's hoping.

Now the reason for the chicken stock into ice cubes (I got some ones that are 1 oz each and also some 2 oz freezable baby food containers for this purpose) was so that I can make 1 bowl at a time and not feel like I am wasting anything. So, for 1 bowl (see below) it was 2 ice cubes and 1 baby food worth of chicken stock, a little bit of water, thinly sliced carrots and celery, then some salt, pepper, paprika and garlic (the 2nd time I made it I added in curry which was awesome!) and some egg noodles. The chicken was the left over I had put aside in the frig from making the chicken stock.

So - homemade chicken noodle soup (almost ALL organic to boot), apple juice, green tea and lots of rest.

This is my tomato plant that fell over and I have yet to figure out what to do...because it's damn heavy! But still growing tomatoes !!

My 1 lonely carrot - and tomatoes that I threw away.

I have 2 bell peppers growing, I need to pick this one in the pic (I read that green bell peppers are not mature but taste sweeter, so I need to pick this today! They keep changing color as they mature)

Here's that saying on my wall :)

It looks kinda small I know, but I love seeing that every time I leave my bedroom :)

Oh and this is one of my sunflowers peeking over my 6' backyard fence :) He's next to the really short one that is staring at the fence. I will take some pics of the ones on the side of my house, because they are bending all sorts of ways to get more sun !!

Weekend

Sunday - Me and the boyfriend went on this awesome little hiking trail not too far from his place. It was about a 5 mile hike (and thankfully I only had minor problems with my knee and that was only when going down the steep hilly part). It was beautiful, I absolutely loved it!

It was so nice to get outside and walk Sunday morning :) I usually only get to take walks while I'm at work because my weekends are usually full of plans and cleaning and yard work. Yes, that lovely yard work that I did shortly after getting home. You know, things like mowing the lawn, pulling weeds and hopefully avoiding the poison oak/ivy this time around.

Then it's figuring out what to do for dinners this week and stock up at the store for lunches as well. This is going to be a somewhat busy week overall.

Saturday I was in a bit of a funk. It was raining all morning, which make my task of lawn work not happening. Which annoyed me. Know how that sometimes you have your mind set on something that you want to get done but then can't do it and it's like all of sudden you're at a loss of what to do? Yeah, that. I mailed a package to my sister though, and also put up some cool of the wall decals I had bought (ugh, literally a year ago!!)

This one I have going up my stairs (not in the same way as the picture)


And this one I have in my bedroom. (Since the picture is SO DAMN SMALL - it says:

Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away...)

I think this one is on straight on my wall. I did not measure it or align it or anything. Because, yeah it's not world shattering if it's slightly (maybe) crooked.

I eventually got off my ass, vacuumed and then headed out.

Saturday night - omg it was awesome, because at dinner we ate some seriously fucking yummy carrots, that came out of his garden :) So very cool!!!

Yeah I know they don't look pretty, but they just came out of the ground :) Rinse well and trim off some stuff and then they were chopped and cooked with some butter. REALLY yummy.

It was just a low key weekend, no stressing or anything. So very nice.

Happy Garden

I've been helping my boyfriend out with his garden. He has done such an awesome job though! I basically walk it, water it and help pull some of the weeds.

This are carrots and spinach

  

 Some of the sunflowers we've planted. And 2 of his tomato plants (he has 3)

His serious mound of potatoes! I hope that when it's time to harvest these, it will be bountiful!

Squash (which we ate! There are more already growing though!!)

Gardening

Just an idea about things I seem to think of...a lot!

Also, I had already bought some Organic top soil and Organic Vegetable Soil at Lowe's last week. Ahem. I saw organic compost and I almost bought that, but had to stop myself. Next year...just so excited to see that available!!

I probably should have gotten my soil tested early on in the season. I plan on doing that ...just to see what it says. Especially since I want to turn half my back yard into a full vegetable garden.

In the meantime, I bought some stuff off of Amazon :) Shocking, I know!!




Amazon shows it as say "Sea-90 100% Organic Fertilizer -- Reconditions soil by replacing the essential minerals ; trace elements gardens, flowers, orchids, and citrus plants need. Water Soluble. Sea 90 is great for Hydroponics;  is the perfect container plant food. Money Back Guarantee. "

And:

 

---ODOR FREE---You can use SEA-90 indoors without any fear of awful and offensive smells that can be associated with other organic and chemically produced fertilizers. SEA-90 is completely odor free.

--WATER-SOLUBLE---SEA-90 is water soluble and works great in a sprayer or spray bottles, and is excellent in providing nutrients in hydroponic applications.

---MULTI PURPOSE---SEA-90 improves the health, growth, and fruit of any plants or trees. You do not have to buy multiple fertilizers and combinations to try and make it work. Sea-90 is a complete good-for-everything organic fertilizer.

---TRULY GREEN---Whether you are growing vegetables for your family, raising citrus trees or flower gardens, or even a farmer growing row crops, you need to know SEA-90. This 100% Organic Fertilizer is collected from the marine mineral solids found in the beautiful Sea of Cortez. This all-natural soil conditioner contains 85 essential elements and is collected and processed using only "green" methods in a pollution free environment. With each order, we will email you information on how to mix and apply Sea-90 to fit your needs. And if you have a question, ask us! We will be glad to assist you in your particular situation.

---ORGANIC---SEA-90 is certified by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI product number saa-0132 and saa-2951) with no restrictions as both a fertilizer and livestock feed additive. It is 100% All Natural and safe for you, your pets, and your family. So you don't have to worry about spray applications or have any special storing location. Let's face it. Whether you are an organic fanatic or just someone who would like to take better care of themselves and their families by growing organically, it is hard to argue that what you eat affects your health. So when you get a choice to use a 100% organic fertilizer like Sea-90 that produces strong, healthy, hearty vegetables and plants and benefits the ground you are growing in, it just makes sense to use it.

I am hoping that it will help out what few things I've got AND perhaps set up my soil for next years plantings :)

If you've looked at those pictures, you saw a lot of weeds...I already have a small bottle of organic weed killer, but I decided I really need to get this shit under control. So...

Avenger® Weed Killer - The First EPA Registered & Approved Herbicide for Organic Gardening.

It is non-toxic and can be used in areas near to people, pets and wildlife.

Works in cool & cloudy conditions (as low as 40º F), Does not stain brick, concrete or pavement.

Approved for Use in Organic Gardening by the U.S. Deptartment of Agriculture's (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP) Rule.

EPA registered & approved, Fast acting - visible results in less than 2 hours Made from oranges, lemons and other citrus fruits - pleasant citrus aroma.

This are some awesome little clips. I am using them with my sun flowers (and bamboo that are along my side fence. It seems that they probably don't get ENOUGH sun light. Because the sunflowers I planted in the back = much stronger stalks. So these poor guys are a tad bit weaker. Ever since I got the clips (instead of using the ties I had) they seem to be doing better :) I will definitely use them again and highly recommend them!!



Here's what the bamboo stakes look like: Mine are 4' I think. Some of the flowers are starting to really out grow that size :)

Back & Front Yards version 2.0

So, I was doing a lot of yard work today and decided to take a few pictures of what's going on in the front and back yards :)

This picture and the few that are following are of the front yard. As you can see, I've pulled out/dug up more of it.

There was a bush about 2.5 feet high, that the kid trimmed down the bark basically. I was planning on taking it out, but not right at that moment. Suffice it to say, I dug it out today.

Tip: Whack at the tree/bush hard a couple times and then step away. You will see a slew of bugs scatter when they realize their home is on the way out.

Oh and another thing I found, this WHOLE area, with the dirt?? Yeah, it's covering the old side walk. My living room and 2nd bathroom and laundry were an addition to the house. Awesome addition, but I guess the previous owners just decided to cover up the side walk (probably cheaper). So, I am uncovering it and will figure out something creative to do with the look :)

This whole area was plants and flowers and vines. And spiders.

The kid wanted to plant some new flowers (you know me, I keep ripping them out) so we've got these 2 so far!

 Updated picture of the sun flowers growing on the side of the house :)

These are the potatoes :)

You can see, I've been adding more and more dirt, therefore my back yard is losing more and more grass! LOL. It's a learning process, but fun :)

More sun flowers, in the back yard

This was the vegetable box that was moved over from the very back patio. Ahem. It is now full of grass/weeds. Yes, I know. It's on my list.

Some of the flowers blooming right now :)

I now have a lounge chair, which I need to clean and then use :) Also, there are some sun flowers starting to grow back in the far back patio. Oh and I moved the rosemary back there too, hoping it does better.

I've added a Bell Pepper plant and a Tomato plant :) Both are doing good :)

See the pepper??

I've got a few tomatoes already growing :)