It’s been a while since I did an update on our Independence Days project. Over the last few weeks we’ve done a lot. But mainly I made up for a bit of garden neglect this weekend. We pulled lots of weeds. Lots and lots of weeds.
Rick has been working hard over the last few weeks at digging out the tree stump. It’s such a big project, but this weekend he got through the last of the big roots and even the tap roots underneath. He moved it a bit with our 4Runner, but we still need to get the trunk hauled before we can really move the stump anywhere.
I’ve been consumed with baby things lately as I realized last week while finishing up the nursery that we had NO baby clothes. I mean none. We thought we were done after Emmett, and since the house is small, we didn’t keep anything around. Whatever I didn’t sell I donated. So I did a lot of shopping this weekend. But it was fun. Rick and I went together, and I realized that it was the first time that we actually bought baby clothes together. 🙂 And now, the baby will have something to wear when he or she gets here.
Here’s the update…
Plant something – okra, two varieties of sunflowers, and sad to admit, but beans and squash just went into the ground. I hope we get something?
Harvest something – eggs, lettuce, garlic scapes, peas, thinned carrots and onions, got a few (a handful) of raspberries!
Preserve something – quiches and some grilled chicken in the freezer… mainly things for after the baby comes.
Waste Not – compost, scraps to chickens, recycling. Planned meals for 24 weeks straight, but then I missed last week, and our budget showed this. But I have a plan going for this week, so I’m back on the wagon. 25 weeks planned this year so far. I used some scrap wood from the garage to make a trellis for the grape vine, and I sold the gas-powered mower and set the money aside for a new push-reel mower. It’s been raining a lot so we’ve just been watering the gardens and the lawn by hand as needed. Also consolidated the freezers and unplugged the upright for the summer.
Want Not – Got new shoes for both boys (again!) – this time from the resale shop. Got lots of neutral baby items this weekend second hand, and re-purposed a sturdy shelf to be the new changing table in the nursery. Thrifted some pictures frames for the baby’s room too.
Build Community Food Systems – While my cousins were in town, our CSA started distribution. This led to a few conversations about food – local, organic, non-GMO, etc. I was super excited that when she got home, she went shopping and sent me an email detailing out her changes – she went for all local and/or organic produce, natural meats, organic dairy, etc…. !! I know it’s not building MY community on this one, as they live in Tennessee, but it was really encouraging!
I hope everyone had a great Independence Day! We celebrated by working outside and of course watching fireworks. 😉
The Lazy Homesteader 
I think you’ll get some beans as long as you water them a lot and maybe sheild them from the blazing sun during the hottest parts of the day. Maybe a little cheescloth? Tell us more about the CSA – I didn’t know that part!
just curious what type of trellis you built for your grape vine? we have one that we didn’t expect to come back, but did, and with a vengeance! we have a ton of scrap wood from various projects this spring and getting this guy trellised is finally moving higher on our list. 🙂
I will post a picture. 🙂
I have been reading your blog. It’s great. My grandmothers name was Mary Schell, also known as the most wonderful person who ever lived on the planet. Do you have any family in Ontario Canada?
Erin
Thanks for commenting Erin. No family in Canada that I know of. Schell is a very common name here though. My maiden name is much less common… my sister and I and our two cousins (both female) are the last of our line.