Stage of Change

So much, so fast, so sudden, so significant...we are in a time of rapid changes impacting daily lives. The images of the devastation of hurricane Katrina...haunting. Revealing. Modern USA urban human thrown into life and death survival by natural forces. Years ago, several of my friends would talk about how they would or could or might survive catastrophic disaster. Intellectual banterings of what barriers "modern man" has to coping and surviving when striped to basics. Now we see it before us, as we watch television stories of those piecing together lives, living without shelter in clusters on a broken interstate overpass. Drinkable water...more precious than any material thing, a bite of food, a piece of cardboard to shelter from the sun.

But I am in the Northern USA. After last night's exploration of information and viewing of Katrina picture slideshows...I went to bed feeling disheartened, concerned, worried, and overwhelmed by the travesty visited upon the New Orleans and Mississippi coastal areas, places I've never been.

Already in a state of concern about the oil/gas prices, the ripple of the destruction was written on the gas station signs...87 octane 2.99.9 as of 7 p.m. tonight. I am seriously taking stock of changing my commuting behaviors. I'm thinking about the catastrophic possibilities of a cold winter with fuel oil as my house's heating source. I'm having dark thoughts about the close of 2005. All this as I am working to pump up excitement about the start of a new college semester, guiding students to new information, and making a difference in the world in my small way.

I talked to my sister today, who was looking quite forward to a late summer vacation in Moab, Utah. She has had one thing after another happen that could be omens that maybe she should stay home. Tonight she's wondering if they could end up stranded...finding themselves in a place that runs out of gasoline supplies and far from home.

But my problems, my sister's problems, these are small compared to the thousands of people sleeping tonight without shelter or basic necessities on that broken interstate overpass in New Orleans or Biloxi; or compared to the men and women whose loved one slipped from their grasp in the raging wind and rising waters of Katrina's wrath; or compared to those whose familiar place is wiped from the planet, and possibly forever under the sea and silt...like lost Atlantis.

Such a time we are living in. Change is upon us.

Green Apple Campout

This past weekend was the annual campout of the Green Apple Folk Society at Hartman Creek State Park near Wausau, WI. I'm new to the society, so this was the first "real" event that I've attended. I met some wonderfully friendly folks, and the music that was the reason for bringing us all together was marvelous, both for listening and for jamming!

The campout started on Friday night, but I decided to wait until Saturday to go. The weather on Friday was not really conducive to camping...it was very rainy at Hartman Creek that night. Saturday and Sunday, however, were perfect days...the temps were in the 70's during the day, and the sky was clear. The stars on Saturday night were bright, and we even were visited by a Northern Lights display, although it wasn't much more than a glowing stripe across the night sky.

The campfire jam session on Saturday night must have had about 30 folks at it. Instruments were numerous, including acoustic guitars, banjos, mandolins, a banjolin (or is it bandolin?), tin whistles, violins, flutes, rhythm instruments, and bohran(s). Not everyone attending the jam camped the night. The morning brought more conversations while waking up, and then a smaller jam session before we all packed up to go home.

Hartman Creek is a beautiful state park! I checked out the other areas of it as I left early Sunday afternoon. We were camped in a group camping area. The public camping sites are equally as wonderful. I certainly will want to go there again.

I took my old (faithful) backpack pup tent and it served me well once again. (The last time it was used was in 2002 at Bear Butte in South Dakota!) Of course I don't sleep directly on the old, cold, hard ground. I took my old fouton mattress, which fits neatly into my tent. That combined with my thick, Montana cold weather sleeping bag, plus a pillow, and I was set for the night.

The Green Apple Folk Society is a group that serves the Appleton/Green Bay region, with monthly meetings and folk concerts. I'm really glad that I found them!

Poetry Muse at Play - College Reflections

They will Grumble –
They’re Your Students
5-6-05
Soozee Weisflock

The semester is long,
the learning is a steep curve
You’ve planned it to where?
to there, with such care
And you’re strong,
strong enough to educate them
They will grumble, they’re your students.

So on you go, their learning is your concern
A burden to bear, to bear,…but you’ll get there
For you know, the projects are encumbering
They will grumble, they’re your students.

And if you’re laden at all
You’re laden with papers
That most handed in, sometimes late
In the madness of midterm, and of finals.

It’s a long, long semester, and now the weeks are all gone
And they’re on their way, somewhere, they'll get there?
And the journey may have weighed you down some (a lot?)
But they’re more able, they were your students.

(To the melody: “He Ain’t Heavy…He’s My Brother” by Neil Diamond)

Fresh Peaches

We have a couple peach trees in our front yard. They are actually planted in an annoying location, right in front of the picture window. When we bought our house a year ago, we've discussed taking them out or moving them to a different spot. Well, I don't think that is going to happen, as one tree has found a warm spot in my heart.

Of the two peach trees, one tree has been struggling to produce fruit this summer. It has had a case of "curly leaf", which defoliated it after it set fruit. I read about the disease, and removed a few peaches. We've had a very dry summer, so I've also watched these peaches very slowly swell...and recent rains have added the final necessary touches so that the peaches were ready to pick.

Yesterday I wandered past the tree and decided to pick a peach to see if any were ready. I bit into the fruit and the flavor burst into my mouth - oh so flavorful - and the peach juice streamed down my hand and wrist. The peach was a taste of heaven.

I picked the peaches, and filled 1/3 of a large paper grocery sack with them. I then sat and ate 3 more!! I pondered pigging out on as many as my stomach would hold...but then...well, thought that I probably should spread out the "riches" across several days. I also should can or freeze some, or make a pie.

Ahhh, peaches. I absolutely love the taste of fresh peaches. The only rival favorite fruit are fresh nectarines, which I find are the better buy when "store bought" produce is the option. Peaches....fresh peaches! There's nothing like them!

Subaru Outback on the Mend

On January 27, 2005 I had a car accident. Luckily no one was injured. We all walked away from the terrible accident, although I had some bruised ribs. That began our plight about what to do about the car.

The car, a 1999 Subaru Outback Limited Edition, had just recently been purchased. I'd had it 3-weeks!! The problem: I'd only gotten liability insurance - thus no money to restore the car. I think the insurance company would probably have totalled the car.

The car was towed away from the bad accident (I'd made a lefthand turn and not seen an oncoming car) and the estimate for repair was more than what I'd paid for the car 3-weeks prior. A friend stepped forward and said, "Heck Soozee, I've rebuilt worse. I can fix it for you." So, our misadventure in fixing the Subaru began. He towed the car back to his house, and for a few weeks seemed to have keen interest in fixing it. He removed the bent and broken pieces, and went on scavenges to get the parts needed. We found parts for far less than what the autobody repair shop had quoted, and so that initially made this seem like a very good deal.

It was...until this friend lost interest. The car, although ready for the next phase, sat inside and outside for months without any additional efforts made. Eventually the car was towed back to our house, where my husband took it on as a project, and through all of his loving effort, the car is now nearing completion. The cost? Well...at this point its starting to reach that initial body shop estimate.

Of course the best thing that will come from this is the pride my husband feels about his accomplishment. He's always been good with repairing cars, and this restoration certainly has stretched his skills. He's careful with everything he does, and he's been willing to research and network with folks to solve the problems he's encountered.

Although various auto salvage places have served us well for finding parts, the most helpful business of all has been Courtesy Subaru in Rapid City, SD. Courtesy has an internet deal where if you buy parts from them, they will give a parts discount. Having once lived in the Rapid City area, dealing with them has reminded us of our times living there. We've also appreciated the customer service we have received, as well as the quick shipment of what has been needed. www.subaru-parts-dealer.com

I asked my car yesterday if the "transplants" were working out (parts our friend gleaned from a '97 Outback, and others that we've gotten off of ebay and from Dor Auto Recyclers in Michigan). For more pictures go to my webpage www.geocities.com/soozeej/subarublues.html

Single Day Adventure 2 photos

I promised a few more photos from our Tuesday adventure to Door County. Here they are:


This picture is of a Lake freighter that we saw off in the distance in the Green Bay from the Washington Island Ferry. http://www.wisferry.com/ for info on the Ferry.



This picture is of the Plum Island Light House.




This picture is of the Fish Creek Bay Marina area. We were taken by all of the sail boats.

This last picture is of the big pots and wood fire used for a Fish Boil. Although we didn't eat at the Fish Boil, everyone says it is very yummy food. These pots are at Pelletier's Restaurant & Fish Boil in Fish Creek. http://www.doorcountyvacations.com/html/generalInfo/fishBoils.htm

Our journey up the peninsula certainly made us aware that there are places we'd like to visit. One is Peninsula State Park http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/specific/peninsula/index.htm

Make sure you read Single Day Adventure - my first post for more information about our one day "vacation".

Single Day Adventures

The summer has come and nearly gone, and as usual, I've had difficulty pulling a series of days together to have a "vacation". This year, as August has rapidly marched by, I decided to sign up for a couple "Day Trips" offered by local tour bus companies. Its been a delight.

Yesterday (Tuesday, Aug. 22) felt like a vacation to paradise...or at least a little taste of it. We took Denny's American Classic Tours, Inc.'s - Door County/Washington Island trip.

Door County is the peninsula that shoots up above Green Bay, WI, forming the Green Bay. Its a vacation haven to many people. The weekday day trip was perfect....no crowds! Door County is extremely busy on weekends, since it's a quick trip from Green Bay, Milwaukee, Chicago...and known as "the spot" where folks from Illinois go to get away.

We rode the ferry over to Washington Island, had lunch there and saw a few sights, and then returned to spend some time in Fish Creek, before ending our day. The following are a few pictures of our travels. It was fun!

This picture is of a ferry boat coming back from Washington Island, loaded down. Note the logging truck filled with logs!

John got a kick out of the ride. We both really enjoyed the lake breeze in our faces as we rode the ferry across "Death's Door". That is Washington Island in the background as we are coming up on it.

I'll publish a few more photos in the next few days with additional blogs.

Late Night Energy

Ever have one of those days where your energy just doesn't seem to reach peak until its around 10 p.m. at night? I have those every so often. Last night was one. Its like you are thinking...hmmm, its getting around bedtime....and then, all of a sudden, motivation and energy come together (TFS goes away) and you find yourself getting more done than you accomplished the entire (lazy) day.

I decided to take advantage of the energy last night...compiled my year-long academic calendar with all the important dates. That took 1 1/2 hours, and then it was on to cleaning the kitchen - or finishing up what I'd started hours before. I hauled out the trash for garbage day, hauled out the recycle stuff. Then I was inspired to rinse out the recycle container I keep in my kitchen. Next thing I knew, it was 1 a.m. and I was outside hand-watering my extensive garden--since I had the hose out, why not?. Etc. etc. I knew it was late when the backyard light turned off...its on a timer. I used my "woman's sight" to wander around watering things in the dark.

Now its another day. Sure was nice to wake up to a clean kitchen as well as not worry about missing getting the garbage hauled on garbage pickup day.

Tasklist Fear Syndrome -----TFS

There's nothing like a friend to put into articulate words that which haunts many of us: Tasklist Fear Syndrome (See the link to Dustin's Blog in my links list for the complete writing). I'm taking the liberty to quote Dustin's blog post (August 14, 2005), because I feel he did a great job defining TFS and even creating criteria!!

The symptoms are anxiety, depression, anger, remorse, guilt and sadness. It is caused by avoiding important tasks that need to be done next. There may or may not be a written tasklist, but irrespective it is usually the "next" thing that needs to be done in life. The task is often one of two types:

1. A very large ambiguous task with no clear beginning, end or milemarkers. Common tasks are thesis, re/design projects, new ventures (like a business or lifestyle change).
2. Simple tasks that require an action which is emotionally uncomfortable. Common tasks are making certain phone calls (calling someone you are worried about what they think), paying bills (when it raises other financial issues), cleaning (when the stuff will reveal uncomfortable issues or when it's "not fair") and writing in your blog. tasklist-fear-syndrome/strong>

TFS - I know this syndrome well!

Of course the way that TFS suffers deal with this syndrome is through procrastination. Often this takes the form of creative endeavors or escapes. My best example is when I was writing my dissertation. I had a horrible case of TFS. (I think the most susceptible individuals to TFS are graduate students, especially those working on major projects, thesis, or dissertation; the second most susceptible would be their professors!)

In the dissertation process, my coping with TFS was to write poetry and perform folk music. (Fact is, if my dissertation had been a compilation of poetry and song lyrics, I'd have had the thing done in 6-months. But I was not an English major...oh darn.) Of course all that creative writing did not help me get the project done, and although performing was a terrific release, it didn't put research words to the page. I had to "face the fear and move through it". I read a book about that.

When my "guts" are in turmoil about TFS these days, I do try to use the "just get started" type of thinking. I know that taking the first step is the hardest, but also is the beginning of the journey of getting the feared/loathed task done. Often, after taking the first step, the fear is conquered and progress can begin.

What about that dissertation? Well, in 2002 I did finish it. Fact is, I was able to finish up the writing that I so avoided, by doing a writing marathon of 48 hours over Easter break. I knew that I only had a few days of work to do....I knew that for months and months and months. The anniversary of the first draft being completed is March 31, 2002. The final was submitted in late August of 02.

TFS still gets me. Avoidance behavior....I bet it gets you, too! Unlike Dustin, I don't mind posting to my blog, however. When I'm posting - I can avoid housework.

S~

Handing Down Women's Wisdom

My own mother left me a cookbook. It was her personal cookbook, a compiling of recipes that she had gathered across her lifetime - spanning the 1940's until 1969. Her cookbook, although now quite in tatters with pages and papers falling out, has recipes that she jotted down and recipes that she cut out of newspapers or other literature. There are recipe pamphlets that came in sacks of flour and sugar. There are also recipes that I tried to type up for her when I was in junior high (it's very interesting to see those early attempts at typing with a pretty crummy children's typewriter).

I love my mother's cookbook. It is the one thing that I have from her that I value dearly. It is like having a piece of my mother there in my hands. When I see her hand written recipes, I feel I get a glimpse of how she worked to carry out taking care of our family. There are the recipes that she obviously got and used when money was tight. There are the precious recipes of Christmas Cookies that she routinely made each winter.

What's not in her recipe book are the recipes that she taught me by showing and doing and telling....family Hungarian recipes that she had learned from my father's sisters. Although I know at one time I likely had some written form of them, she encouraged me to memorize how to make them. I luckily had that knowledge before her death in 1969 when I was just 15.

My mom took time to teach me how to cook. My earliest memories are from when I was very young – 3 or 4 years old. We lived on Hanover Street in Denver, Colorado. Mom used to bake pies. I had a child’s baking set – mini metal baking pans – and when she would bake, I would bake along side of her, standing on a chair. At this very young age, she taught me how to make pies. We would take my little pie plate and make a small version of whatever she was making. I would roll out the pie crust - it was so much fun. We would make a mini double-crust pie, and she would bake mine along with hers. My funniest memory is when I made a pie for my dog. I can remember lining the pie plate with a crust. Mom baked the crust. Then I dished the canned dog food into the pie plate. I’m sure our dog, Pepper, enjoyed the dog pie treat.

My own daughter is now in her late teens. Unlike me at the same age, she is in the beginning stages of cooking knowledge, and made her first pie (with a little help) this week. She is getting ready to move into her own apartment, and now she has interest in learning how to cook the "everyday things". She talks of how she prefers food "made from scratch", and so she now (finally) wants to have the information that I grew up learning by my mother's side from age 3 to 15.

I've decided to take my mother's tattered cookbook and using her recipes as well as others that I've created, tweaked, or collected over my lifetime, write up a "family favorites" cookbook. This way I can pass on the oral as well as written recipes that have been part of my life. Of most importance is writing down the ones mom taught me that are not written down. The "woman's wisdom" my mother passed on to me.

Of course my hope is that many years from now my own daughter will be leafing through this recipe book, or looking through my recipe cards and thinking about how to pass on the wisdom. The wisdom mother's share with daughters generation after generation. Hopefully "cooking from scratch" will not become a lost woman's art in our age of fast, instant & preprepared foods.

S~

Mountain Dew Mouth has struck again

What every parent likely worries about is what will be the result of his/her child's dental check-up. Well, what I thought was going to be a simple event in my 19-year-old daughter's life has become a time of taking out a $2K loan to afford the damage done by her soda-pop sipping habit (I don't have dental insurance...and boy do I regret that!). (Picture at right from: http://www.klas-tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1836189&nav=168XMnyS)

She had not told the dentist about her consumption rate of Mountain Dew...but he described it to her with accurate illustrations as he reviewed her teeth x-rays with us. She has Mountain Dew Mouth, which dentists' have named the syndrome that results in numerous cavities in the teeth of sodapop drinkers - specifically those addicted to "The Dew". How many did he find in my daughter's mouth? 14....and possibly a few more in her front teeth that were not initially x-rayed! Luckily...(or maybe not) these were not extremely advanced. (This is likely because she was taught to brush her teeth daily - sometimes more than once - because of dental work she had before her permanent teeth came in. Thank goodness she was committed in carrying out daily brushing!) However, the damage was done and no treatment would mean more problems and expenses later. It was the pay now or pay later dilemma.

If you don't believe that this is a "real thing", here are some websites that discuss this problem that is becoming chronic for teens and 20 somethings:

* Watch What You Dew:
http://www.post-gazette.com/healthscience/20010904hsoda0904p4.asp
*Dental News (this one has pictures....ick):
http://www.ms-flossy.com/softdrinks.html
*Moutain Dew Mouth Make-over: http://www.bocaratoncosmeticdentist.com/enlarge_mountaindew_makeover.html

Since my daughter is headed off to college in a week or so, she did a marathon dental treatment plan. Three days of long dental appointments to fix 14 cavities. She also has sworn off "The Dew" as a habit. It will be a big adjustment.

As a past teacher, I've watched lots and lots of teenagers depend on "the breakfast of highschoolers" which many parents may not realize is a can of sodapop and a candy bar and/or bag of chips. A teen will buy a can of sodapop, open it, and keep it in his/her locker where it is sipped on inbetween classes. I once tried offering free alternatives in my classroom...note the word FREE...and had no takers. I remember one day when a teen couldn't panhandle change from friends and only because of being hungry and penniless, he partook on the fruit I had available.

So...today was the last day of the series of dental appointments. I guess my money is now all spent. I wonder if my daughter spent as much money on all the Mountain Dew she consumed in the past several years as I spent on her mouth this week?

Wild Westie World

Our home is filled with Westies (West Highland White Terriers). We have 2 full blood, and 1 mixed breed. These are terrific dogs to have, and certainly bring a lot of joy into our lives.

These two are Maggie and Mac. These are "rescue dogs", meaning that we got them thru Westie Rescue of Missouri as they were abandoned and then found in the Sioux City Humane Society. Mac and Maggie have lived with us since October 2004, and they are an interesting pair. As older dogs, they are pretty well trained. We have nicknames for each. Maggie is our Westie Alarm Clock...she will get up and bark at us when SHE thinks it is time to get up in the morning. Mac reminds us of Pumba from the Lion King because of his waddling swagger of a walk, and the deliberate way he will seek to be patted or scratched.

Our half Westie is my dog, Zeek. Although he is black - well, salt and pepper these days - his mom Katie was a full blood Westie. It was his dad - a min pin - that gave him the unique coloring. He's a terrific dog, very smart, very loyal, the abosolute best unless he gets out the gate and beyond the fence. Then he forgets his name and plays keep-away.

I was thinking about the dogs just now as I started my blog because it is Mac's bath day. Mac has a common skin allergy condition that requires ongoing medications and frequent baths. He is so good about being bathed. When he is all finished, we can place a towel on the floor and he will immediately go to it and use it to dry himself. Its easy to see that this dog really knows what the routine is, and he follows it with very little guidance. John just finished Mac's bath...and now he's getting dry.

Dogs....we know our house has gone to the Westies. They are great dogs, however, to have as 4-legged companions. I'd recommend them to anyone wanting a smaller dog.

More from the Garden

My garden is planted in a different manner from many. The most common garden configuration is one of rows and paths...lots of room for weeds to grow and a gardener to cuss the amount of work required.

Years ago, when I first met my exhusband Frank, I had a garden grown in rows. Well, it was actually growing an enormous weed patch by mid-summer, but the point is it was a garden of rows of veggies. It was the only way I knew to garden. Along came Frank, who took one glance at my garden and said, "you'll never want to garden like this again once I teach you how to grow a garden in beds." He was absolutely right. The one thing I constantly honor him for teaching me is how to garden using a style of raised beds and square-foot and/or scatter planting, as well as strategic placements of mulch. It is amazing at how the garden becomes an easy plat to manage when planted this way. The weeding is mostly an early garden necessity. Once the plants are large enough to create shade beneath, as well as to have mulch scattered around the base, then the chance of weeds becomes less. The walking paths are also mulched and as the summer progresses, the garden becomes an easy place to go to harvest the desired food items.


Although this picture (left) does not do my garden justice, what you are looking at is a tomato patch (closest to the fence) that is 3'x5' and holds 6 plants. Growing with the tomatoes are carrots and radishes. To the left of the tomatoes is a patch of tomatillos that are actually overgrowing the path and thus creating a big green clump of leafy stuff. The 4 plants of tomatillos are also in a 3'x5' bed, along with a section of 6 sweet banana pepper plants. Interspersed with the peppers are two varieties of basil. With all those plants, it is one green mass of food, with very few weeds having a chance to take over.


This picture shows more of the garden, looking at the beds that are just beyond the tomatoes and tomatillos. Here you see beds of potatoes and onions. The squash are growing in the rear on the far left, and rhubarb and raspberries are at the rear center and right. This picture was taken at the end of July, and you can see that my garden is well along into harvest. I've cleared one bed of pea vines and used them for mulch in the potato bed that is in the front right portion of this picture. I am currently eyeing that open space for a fall crop of something...Possibly lettuce, since we've eaten up nearly all I've grown thus far.

I have become a real fan of the magazines Mother Earth News, and this year I took a tip that may seem strange, but sure has been helpful. That tip? Carpeting my garden. Yes, my garden is carpeted this year. What I've done is taken old, beat-up, salvaged living room carpeting and cut it into strips the width of my walking paths. Each path is "carpeted". The carpet is my weed barrier. It is working marvelously, and I actually think a bit better than when I use weed barrier fabric and wood chip mulch. At first the garden did look a bit strange with gold carpet paths, but now that they are all taken on the color of dirt, the garden looks natural.

The harvest this year is really looking promising. I plan to give a portion of my produce to the local foodbank. One bed of potatoes was planted with them in mind.

The Harvest is Coming

I enjoy gardening! This year's garden is a product of a labor of love that began in late January/early February. I decided to try out starting many of my plants myself. I set up a "plant nursery" in my home office window, and also in my livingroom window. I also decided to buy some heirloom seeds from Seedsavers, as suggested by my bro-in-law, Mike. I planted 2 varieties of tomatoes (Purple Russians, & Bloody Butchers), and then watched them sprout. I was so excited that I then started several more plants - brocolli, cabbage, several flowers, etc. Some sprouted, some didn't.

As the Spring unfolded, my little window nursery outgrew its location. I was not daunted, and teased my husband that I was hoping that the plants would take over the house, if only for a little while. In March I put a greenhouse on my front porch. When I put up the greenhouse, I also was finally able to pull the Christmas plastic candycanes out of the ground, although one was still firmly frozen and would not budge!



This greenhouse is actully a conversion of a Menard's ATV "garage" made from tubing and tarps. Instead of using the white tarp covering, I used clear plastic. The frame was literally a "snap" to put together, and each end/doorway has a zipper door - excellent for my use. The best part was this thing was on clearance for $129. All the "instant greenhouses" of any size were far more pricey. After I set this up on my front porch, I starting hearing that my greenhouse was the talk of the neighborhood.

My garden "babies" spent the daytime in the greenhouse and the nighttime in my livingroom for several weeks until the night temperatures started staying in the low 40's. I had a small heater in the greenhouse just in case. I used plastic "under the bed" storage containers that had wheels on them to hold my plants. It made it easy to move them inside and outside. I did have a few nights of worry. When we took a trip, we had to find someone who would not only feed the cat, but also could care for the plants!

By early May, my "babies" were certainly becoming adolesents. This picture was taken May 8th, and the tomato plants were about 12 to 18 inches tall. (The paper in the middle is a "Flat Stanley" that visited my greenhouse as part of a class project).

I started my vegetable garden "early" on Wisconsin standards. Some of my neighbors cautioned me to not be so eager. I planted onions first, and then potatoes. I also put in some rhubarb. It was really hard to not plant the tomatoes...but I held back until around May 20th.

My garden this year includes a "tomato hedge"....that I put in along my fence. I also decided to use the chainlink to support climbing beans. The "edge of the fence" garden actually grew into a larger area as I realized I needed more garden space. The main garden is mostly potatoes and onions, although I have one bed of tomatoes, and one bed or peppers and tomatillos, and I had one bed of sugar snap peas that has made its production cycle. I decided to plant squash in the back of my garden near a compost heap and the raspberry patch.

The news today is that everything is starting to produce. The peas are done (the best crop ever) and now used for mulch. The Bloody Butcher tomato variety was a good investment. Known for being an early tomato (although small), they have been producing ripe fruit since mid July. The onions are the largest I've EVER grown! I'm now harvesting lots of yellow beans, and we've eaten just about all the lettuce that I planted...we need more.

My gardening style is one of "raised beds", and as I read various books, I guess it is a French Style of raised beds. Mine are mounds of dirt that are 3 feet wide by what ever length I decide. I also use "square foot gardening" techniques, meaning everything is planted close together (as much as feasibly possible). I also tried companion planting this year. One surprising result has been the planting of tomatos in the asparagas patch. Both are doing extremely well! In fact, it has been the first tomato patch to produce ripe fruit and is more steadily doing so then the other tomato hedge areas in my yard.

Gardening....I do enjoy it. This year it has been a long term commitment. As the end of this growing season comes closer, I am now thinking of how I can extend it. I do have this portable greenhouse......