Birthday Blessings

We have been busy planting and weeding these past few weeks. This is a picture of the "little strawberries that could," and have been aptly named because they survived the clutches of black-thumbed Tracy, and are not only living, but thriving to tell the tale! They were delivered as live plants, and I was expecting a big box, so just waited and waited on them. Well, one day I happened to go out and check the mail box (only about once a week, since we don't usually get that much mail) and lo and behold, there were the strawberries, cooking away in that little metal heater. So, I brought them in. Not knowing what needs to be done with live plants when I don't have a yard tilled for them yet, I put them in the basement. A few days passed, and Phil asked if any plants had ocme in recently - I explained about the strawberries, and his face fell. Apparently we should have been working on their plot of land...and planting them...long before. SO, I took them out of the box they were in, and actually read the directions on what to do if I can't plant them right away. The directions said they can last awhile in the fridge, if wrapped in something moist, like wood shavings. I had no wood shavings, so I tried paper towels. A few weeks go by, and we spend time getting the garden tilled, working, etc. We forget about the little brown box in the back of the fridge. One day, Phil says "I bet those strawberries are pretty much dead by now". And, I agreed with his assumption, being that they had been "resting" in the fridge for about two weeks. Another few days goes by (you might think I am exagerating on this story, but unfortunately, I am not) and our raspberry plants come. Phil once again mentions the strawberries, and I decide that I had better get them out, you know, they can't sit in that fridge forever even if they won't be planted.

Much to my (and Phil's) surprise, when I pulled them out of the package, they were not only alive, but sprouting! Half of hem had two inch shoots on them (a certain variety liked the cold weather better). So, figuring they were quite the little surviving bunch, I planted them that day. All 100 of them looked to be healthy. Amazing! So now, I am beginning to be very protective of them.

We have these cute little bunnies hopping around, Ryan and I have admired them often, as we see them nearly every morning. While I am normally not in favor of hunting, I do have small strawberries to think of here. Old tales of Peter Rabbit and Bugs Bunny haunt me as I go inside...are they out eating my precious plants? I feel like a modern day Elmer Fud (Hewo mista wabbit...weyre aw you?).



We have also been trying our hands at making soap. Yes, actually from scratch with Lye and everything! It has been really fun. We have only made two batches. The one on the left is a batch of "almond oatmeal". We are still working on the recipe, and looking for good additives and smells. It has been really fun to be creative together. You should see us try the soap, though. ("Oh, look how this one suds up, and don't your hands feel clean?") We are quite the personal infomercials!




The most exciting surprise (after the strawberries, of course) came the day before my birthday. Phil was out tracking rabbits, and noticed some asparagas around the fencerow between our yard and the neighbors field. When he told me there were stalks as tall as my waist, I got my knife ready and headed out with him. He laughed even as we walked to them, saying that maybe I should wait to cut them down until I at least see them.

For those of you who don't know, asparagas grows wild, but finding it is like finding wild mushrooms - you can't show people you know where they are or you won't see any all season. (This news from one of the women at church, who said "don't breathe a word about those!") They take three YEARS to grow when planted in the garden from sprouts, so you can imagine my thrill when I heard there was some in my own back yard that would not take a third of a decade to grow befroe I could enjoy them!

Well, the plants along the fencerow were indeed too big, and on the other side of the barbed wire. Lest I try to scale the prickly wall and hunt for smaller skewers, I was at a loss for what to do. Phil suggested moving the plants once the season was over, so we could have some next year. I reluctantly agreed.

So, we decided to walk around the property, searcing for other stray batches of asparagas. When we had almost made the full loop, we came within about 50 yards of a brush pile that has been an eyesore all winter a ways from the side of our house. Phil started running toward it, saying "NO way!" Curious, I started running as well. We found what must ave been this woman's asparagas patch. There must be 50 plants over there. Little asparagas everywhere, and some tall ones, too. Starting to clean up the patch, we were very excited to find so many, and on OUR side of the barbed wire! You can see that a few of them were very tall, and some crooked, but all in all, quite the little patch! My knife came in handy at this patch, and we cut some down for a late night snack.

So, now I have two little patches to worry about- my peter rabbits and my asparagas hunters. It's funny how, even though we had no idea we would have either patch a few days ago, now I feel so protective of the produce! Anyway, it was a wonderful surprise! The 8 little plants I put in my garden just don't seem so important anymore...we will get to wait a few years for those...




















This little guy is getting bigger each day! He is cutting new teeth...he has had the same 8 since we moved here, and just these past few days has started getting more teeth on the bottom, and even some molars! It has made for quite a cranky couple of days, poor kid, but I know he will enjoy having them when they get here! He has also started saying "hello", although it comes out more like "ellough", or if you think of someone british saying it, you will get close. It is darling. He is talking up a storm, though, now that he has found his voice. He strings them all together ("elloelloello") and is experimenting with new sounds, too. Quite the entertainer!