Our Spring Garden 2012

Sunflowers make me so happy.  Our garden this year is full of them.  I planted one packet of red ones but all the other ones were volunteers from my compost.  Not only are they great for pollination but also the stems are used for medicinal uses to ward of colds and fight a cough when steeped in a tea.  I have also found that they ward off pest.  I don't use any pesticides and these work great!  Thank you my lovely Sunflowers! : )

I am soooooooooo thrilled to have so much garden space!  I went crazy with my planting.  Mostly experimenting.  I planted about 6 different lettuces.  My favorite is Butter crunch.  Garlic, Onion, Basil, Thyme, Radish, 4 kinds of Greens, Celery, Parsley, Watermelon, Carrots, Yellow Squash, Sweet Peppers, Seminole Squash, Tomatoes and Cucumbers.  I don't know much about gardening but I have had good luck when I enrich my soil with my own compost, mushroom compost, dried manure and make manure tea (I know- sounds yucky but it works- just put a dried cow patty in water and let the sun heat it up, then poor over the plants.  The leaves of the plants love the nutrients too.)

We have had so much fun taking baskets of goodies to all our wonderful neighbors.

This is our Strawberry Patch.  It is so much fun to see Arabella discover the new Strawberries that are ripe every day.  She can get from 8-10 a day. : )

This is our Corn, Tomatoes and Okra.  Can't wait for some fried okra!

Of course we need a good bath after all that gardening. : )

Happy Gardening!

-Tara

Miracles

I believe in Miracles.  This miracle may seem small to some but all miracles are a big deal to me.

For Arabella's 2nd birthday she was given a caterpillar in a little carrier.  The instructions said to feed the caterpillar parsley every day and clean out it's home.  Arabella and I did that and she loved visiting with it.  I explained to her that it would make a cocoon and then turn into a butterfly.  The chrysalis stage was suppose to last about 8 days.  When he went in to his cocoon, it looked very gray and dry.  Not alive looking.  But I had never studied one before so I just hoped that is what it was suppose to look like.  Well, 8 days came and went.  We still visited Arabella's "raccoon" (that is what she called it : )  She would carry it around with her, we would place it in a nice cool spot with greenery around it.  Still looked pitiful.  It made me so sad but I couldn't break it to Arabella.  In the mean time, Arabella's friend got one too.  It's cocoon was green and alive looking. : (

During this time we had the chance to move to a new home in the country.  We were busy moving and kind of forgot about our "raccoon" sitting in the garden after 3 months.

On the last day of our move, Cory did one final walk through to make sure we got everything.  He came running to Arabella and I with a big grin on his face.  He showed us the little carrier with a BEAUTIFUL butterfly inside.  I started crying.  A miracle!

This butterfly wanted to wait to come with us to our new home.  It waited patiently for 4 months.  This is Arabella helping it practice flying before we let it go.

I love miracles.

They are happening every day, all around us, just believe.

Love,

Tara

What To Do With Those Bridesmaids Dresses

There is a way to wear those bridesmaids dresses again.  All you have to do is chop the top off, find a thick piece of elastic and a tank top. Voila. : )  Cute dress.

This one here, I cut the top off, sewed a 3 inch elastic waistband to it and then attached my tank top.

Even the unskilled seamstress like me can handle this project.

Good luck and enjoy your new Spring/Summer dress. : )

-Tara