I am so happy with how well everything has been growing in all of my gardens this year.
The last several years have been a challenge for me because the soil here and the conditions are a little bit different than they were at my old house. It was super easy to plant and grow anything there. The soil was so rich and easy to dig into.
Here the soil has been full of clay, rocks and in many areas, there is no drainage, so I am dealing with a lot of standing water until mid-June usually.
After several years of learning through trial and a lot of error, I am finally getting the hang of it.
It has been a lot of fun and probably why we just cannot seem to stop ourselves from continuing to expand our gardens and mini orchard.
The prices on these fruit trees were just too good to pass up, so we grabbed a couple of plum trees to add to the apple and cherry ones we already have.
Unfortunately, I am dealing with a whole new set of issues to me when it comes to gardening.
First of all, I did not know that the deer was going to be just as excited about my baby apple trees as we were.
Until my dog Molly woke me up really early one morning by barking like crazy, trying to warn me that a deer eating my brand new trees.
While it was awesome to see the deer in my backyard, I wasn’t thrilled that they were there to eat my new trees and the little apples growing on them. So we are working on building something to protect them today.
This is the aftermath of a mysterious thing that happened to some of my beautiful lily of the valley plants.
I woke up one morning to find them looking like this for no apparent reason. After trying to figure out why only a small portion had shriveled up overnight we remembered that we had used some bug spray that we had leftover from last year and I am assuming the overspray got onto the plants causing them to die almost instantly!
It really got me thinking about how the chemicals in that bug spray are probably causing some damage to me as well when it soaks into my skin.
I usually make my own Homemade Citronella Bug Spray, but I was in a hurry and just used what my husband had in the garage.
And I won’t be doing that again!
I also spent some time last week helping my husband on a job with a gorgeous view, which means I wasn’t home much.
Thankfully I received a box from GreenBlender.com which contained 5 days’ worth of smoothie ingredients and recipes for the entire week. All organic ingredients and each recipe made enough for me and Rich to enjoy.
Stay tuned for a Green Blender review from me soon.
Softball started up this past week, so I will be spending the next several weeks cheering on my hubby’s team from the bleachers.
Our local feed store is THE BEST!!
Rich loves that he can buy dog treats in bulk for Copper and Molly. He also loves that the feed store animals follow him to the treats because they know they’ll get some when they do.
Don’t worry the feed store owners know we do this and are totally okay with us giving them treats.
Our church is hosting the band Crowder at the Oakland County Fair in a couple of weeks, which means that it will be a FREE concert that you won’t want to miss.
You’ll have to pay to park, and parking for the fair is $12. So pack in as many of your friends as you can fit into your vehicle and come out and enjoy this awesome concert together.
Hope to see you there!
Who else keeps a stash of these in the freezer?!
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Freeze pops, packed with antioxidants (disease & cancer fighters) that are actually good for us.⠀
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NingXia Red is packed with superfoods to support overall wellness. NingXia Red benefits include support for energy levels, normal cellular function, and whole-body health.
One of the days that I was helping Rich on his job, the homeowner asked if he could help him get his new grill on the side deck for him.
Most people would have just carried it up there unless you happen to have a Komboda outback…then you just lift the thing up into place.
We decided to go see a movie at the theater the other night, which is a rare treat for us since we can think of many other ways to spend that money. We chose to see Oceans 8, which was pretty great.
One of the things we never skip when we go to the theater is popcorn. I love that they offer free unlimited refills, although we don’t usually even finish the first batch. One thing we always do before leaving is ask for a refill to take home with us.
Our chickens and backyard critters love it!
Speaking of backyard critters…I am on a mission to bring in some hummingbirds to my yard this year.
I have lots of other birds that I see regularly like cardinals, blue jays, sparrows, robins, orioles, chickadees, and all kinds of woodpeckers.
So I made up some hummingbird nectar by boiling 4 cups of water with 1 cup of sugar and filled my feeder, and I hope they will find it soon.
I shared this on my Instagram the other day, and I loved it so much that I wanted to share it here with you too!
I think midlife is when the universe gently places her hands upon your shoulders, pulls you close, and whispers in your ear:⠀
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I’m not screwing around. It’s time. All of this pretending and performing – these coping mechanisms that you’ve developed to protect yourself from feeling inadequate and getting hurt – has to go.⠀
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Your armor is preventing you from growing into your gifts. I understand that you needed these protections when you were small. I understand that you believed your armor could help you secure all of the things you needed to feel worthy of love and belonging, but you’re still searching and you’re more lost than ever.⠀
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Time is growing short. There are unexplored adventures ahead of you. You can’t live the rest of your life worried about what other people think. You were born worthy of love and belonging. Courage and daring are coursing through you. You were made to live and love with your whole heart. It’s time to show up and be seen.
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~ Brené Brown
You can read it in its entirety here.
Also, if we aren’t friend on Instagram, follow me here so we can connect over there too.
This is my favorite summer salad this year.
It is cut up cucumber, onion, and tomatoes mixed with mozzarella balls, black olives, and basil. Salt and pepper to taste.
I could eat it every. single. day.
Do you use dishwashing gloves?
I never have before, and I thought I would hate them.
BUT my daughter insisted they were the best thing ever, so I got a pair I thought were cute, and she was right!!
I don’t have to worry about my nails getting ruined when I am scrubbing pots and I can use the water at an even hotter temp because I can’t feel it burning me as easily as I could without the gloves.
Lastly, I just want to say how awesome it is to be able to get away for a date any time we want to, even if it is simply a quick trip to the garden center of Home Depot in the middle of the day.
Posts you may have missed last week:
Michael’s Camp Creativity for Kids
Free Love Lives Here Audio Book
Homemade Whatchamacallit Candy Bars Recipe
Planning the Perfect Backyard Barbecue
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