No Garden this Year :(

Back and Legs kept getting worse and I just could not keep up with gardening this year. So last week my son finally mowed the "weed haven" down. I still have not given up on my dream though. My big investment next Spring will be a Mantis tiller. Those are the lightweight tillers that will allow me to weed and cultivate without all the bending and stooping! I've decided to start a "veggie box" business. My plan is to each week fill I hope around 25 boxes full of my garden produce and include a newsletter with info and recipes. I plan to price this very reasonable and customers will know they are getting local, homegrown, produce with no chemicals being used in the process. It's still my dream and I'm going to make it happen! Fall is fast approaching and you know me...FOOTBALL! Very dissapointed in the Colts loss in the Superbowl this year, but I believe they will be in next years and WIN! Son is in football camp this week. He loves it even though it is so unblessedly hot! He has really changed over the year since he has been going to the gym for a good 8 months now. Getting taller and muscular. He looked really good on the field last night. I'm very proud of him! Well, I know I've said this before but I will really try to update more on my blog! Till then...

I'm Back!!!!!!!!

Hey there..Happy New Year (late)! Can't believe it's february already and the Colts are in the Superbowl Sunday! Gotta get that out of the way before I can concentrate on anything else! Well of course both garden's are gray, bare and cold! Plan on ordering my tomato, pepper and lettuce mix seeds next weekend. They say you can plant lettuce on valentine's day. If I get a decent 40 degree day between now and then I can get a spot ready to plant some lettuce. In late February/early March I will start my tomato and pepper seeds. Still haven't got that digital camera yet! But my tax refund is coming! I'm starting to heal. Still have the nerve damage problems with my feet, and I have upped my neurontin. Tried lyrica but I couldn't tell it was making a difference and it costs me $60.00 a month. The steroid injection I received in early December has been working fairly well for my back. But there still seems like something is not quite right. Now I have a left foot that is in severe pain everyday, so I need to see about that. In March as we may get a few 50 degree days I plan on preparing the soil in my garden, enhancing it with compost, manure ect. Stay tuned for more posts from me...I am officially off hiatus! GO COLTS!

Last Post before the New Year...

I still have not given up my dream of market gardening. As stated in my plans from my previous post, I fully intend on working this winter to put it all together. I was thinking last night about not getting any younger, and people thinking they are in a rut, but there is still room to grow and expand (mind wise, not waist wise, which I'm doing) and start living their dreams. This is mine. I am having a procdure done next week to help with my back. Which the prognosis has been changed several times now, to a bulging disc with other disc damage. I'm having a procedure to help alleviate the pain, hopefully with long term effects. As far as the nerve damage in my feet and legs, it's still there, but I feel more and more that it is related to my lower back. I found a digital camera that will be on sale, Thanksgiving. I'm getting that to use for my blog this spring. I've started ordering seed catalogs, trying to decide what I can start out with marketing, plants or seeds, and how to present them when I sell them. I'm getting some pretty good ideas. I want to deal mainly in fresh herbs, and some smaller unique or heirloom vegetables. My niece is excited about this also, and she may be of help. So that is it for now, getting ready for all the big Holidays coming up. Colts are sitting at 10&0 but I think the NFL angels are getting really tired of playing with them to keep them afloat lately. The last few wins, I know must have been divine intervention! God Bless till January...HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

The blog and future plans....

My writing is in blue today for the Colts!! At least they won their game last Sunday and so far sit on top of the AFC South. The other teams in that division lost their games.

I thought I would share with you my future plans for the blog...First I'm going to post some flyers advertising my blog in my local area and hopefully get some input going from fellow local gardeners. I also will acquire a digital camera and add a lot more pictures! As I go through seed catalogs this winter and make plans for my 2010 garden I will share this with you. I grow my tomatoes and peppers from seed that I usually get from a nursery in Farmersburg. But if I want to make a business out of heirloom tomatoes and peppers I will need to order these from specialty catalogs. You just can't find that kind of seed around here. I get all these garden catalogs but I've not ordered a thing from them. Usually because I don't have the money at the time, or it's just so convenient to go to local places to get plants and seed. But then you don't have the variety. I think everyone should grow something food wise. Even if it's just container gardening. There is nothing like growing your own food. I'm not a health nut by any means but I've been reading and thinking about what really goes into commercial food that they ship or truck from many miles away. Besides the amount of fuel used, I have read articles where tomatoes are green so they will ship well, and then they are gased to turn them red. Reading about meat would scare you as well. I know it's an oxymoron because I work for a commercial fertilizer and chemical facility as well as being a Monsanto Seed dealer. I will write more on this, and other things that I would like to see done. For now I will post once a week. I've got about a month now until I see the neurosurgeon, so I'm not sure how that will all work out. So for now..see ya next week!

Tears in my eyes...

I've looked up at the clock three times already today. The first when the first plane went in, then when the second hit the other tower. The Pentagon and at approximately 10:20 I will look at the clock again and remember Flight 93. It seems (and I included at times) have forgotten the terror of that day. But when the anniversary get's closer it really sticks in my mind. That was one of those moments that you remember exactly where you were, what you were doing, and the initials feelings. I was on the phone here at work calling Graves Plumbing to pay a company bill. The office girl was not responding to me on the phone, so I said "are you still there?" She said she was sorry but she was watching/listening to the news, and that two planes had crashed into the World Trade Center. Initially she thought it was a big plane and a small one, so my first thought was that some air traffic controller really screwed up. Then she said it was two big ones and the news was saying it was deliberate. I told my boss and we turned the radio up and listened all day as the events unfolded. No work got done really. We were all in a daze. Watching planes fly over us and then learning that they had all been ordered to land. For three days the sky was eerily quiet. The first plane I encountered after that was on a camping trip. It was late and I was already in the tent trying to get to sleep and this jet flew over. It must have been flying lower than normal in that area and it was very loud. I was very disturbed by it but I did not look out at it. Let us all never, ever forget that day. The people that lost their lives, the rescuers that lost their lives, the passengers on 93 that did not let the terrorist hit their target.
Never forget.............

Various Ramblings of my Mind.........!!

Still awaiting seeing a neurosurgeon in October, actually the end of October. No one ever seems in any hurry to help do they? Well, my ex husband and I had a blast from the past when I cooked a dish that we haven't had in well over 10 years and you'll die when I give the recipe!
Many years ago before kids, I lived the nice single life in Bloomington Indiana. I had a roommate named Missy and she fixed this dish one evening. I was sure she was actually an alien or had done some major drugs (she doesn't). All you do is brown about 2lb of ground beef with lots of chopped garlic, I'm saying at least 8-10 cloves. DO NOT drain the grease out of the skillet. Add enough ketchup (my ex says it has to be Brooks) to make it saucy and then add 1 small can of drained corn. Heat this through and serve over spaghetti. That's it. Now I know it sounds really gross, but it growns on ya and we thoroughly enjoyed it last night! My son would have ate most of it too and was proceeding to until I told him it had corn in it. He thought that was the garlic! Well that did it for him! I had some leftover today at lunch.

I've been thinking about my garden for next year. I have scouted various seed catalogs that I have from this year reading on organic pest controls. I have never used anything in that regard though my dad will dust my beans from time to time with Seven. I did notice a quite a bit of leaf damage, ect this year and would like to learn more about organic pest controls, so that will be a winter study subject or if anyone reading is an expert, please jump in!

And last but not least for now........IT IS FOOTBALL SEASON!! My son has his first 8th grade game tonight and next week the NFL will be in all it's glory. I am already looking up recipes to cook for Sunday the 13th. Colts play at 1:00!!!! Oh, that reminds me, in our newspaper yesterday there was in insert called Relish Mag. It was very interesting in the regards of food and recipes. I got on the online version earlier and was very impressed by the recipe database. I've already printed quite a few.

I suppose I should get back to work before I catch the glare of the boss!!! Till later........

Doctors have finally found something!

After another bout of pain, I had a MRI last Friday of my lower back. They have found some kind of protrusion and have referred me to a neurosurgeon. It could be a disc or something pressing on my nerves which would explain the nerve pain I have been having for the past year. It was almost a relief, but going to a neurosurgeon doesn't exactly sound good! But hopefully it is something they can fix and I can be in less pain! Well this weekend is supposed to be cooler and less humid so I plan on cleaning up my garden. I should have more beans to pick and the bigger ones that I've let go, I'll save for seed. I am really thinking about trying to start a little garden business next year if my health goes well. I would like to sell fresh herbs and heirloom tomatoes, peppers ect. I've been wanting to do this for some time. Gardening is such a passion for me, and I was so dissapointed this year because I couldn't really keep up with it. I hope next year is much better.

On the football front, my son is in eigth grade football and he loves it. The Colts looked good last night in their second pre-season game and I will soon be in football heaven when the regular season starts! I will post at least once a week on updates and garden ramblings. I appreciate everyone who reads this blog and welcome your comments.