Have you ever heard the corn grow..........?

Mom, can you please come play?
No I am getting a couple weeds, in a little while I will.....
15 minutes later.....

Hey mom....

Mom, can you please come play now?

No I am still working on these weeds, I will in a few minutes.....

10 minutes later.....

mom....

Mom, can you please come play?

I am working, just a few more:)

3 minutes later.....

Hey mom...Can you please put down that hoe and come have some fun for a few minutes? ....PLEEEEEEEEAAAAASE???

Ok..... I am coming right now!!!......

It is hard to find a balance and make sure that I am squeezing in some quality fun with the boys and for me too!!!    Yet not being too indulgent in their wants, and still getting what I need to done.   Anyone else catch themselves missing chances to enjoy themselves with their kids while they work the summer away?   It makes me wonder how much our grandparents stopped to play, or if it was all work.     It seems it is hard to do both sometimes.....but I know they were wise enough to take breaks because......

My grandma told me 2 or 3 years ago that if you listen close in the summer when the corn is really growing quick, you can hear it grow, she said it is almost "whistle"like, as a whole field grows and pushes up towards the sky, and that you can hear it. I never have, but I want to!    I have that on my mental bucket list.......   I want to be sure to take enough time to not miss the beauty in it all!  

I sometimes work to the "burn out" point, and my grandpa says, it is indeed important to take breaks, and not tire out!

What things do you do to make sure you take enough breaks to stop and hear, smell and enjoy it all?

Onion's, and more....earlier than I thought

     This is the first year I have grown onions to try to keep them for winter, I used to just plant sets for green onions, and until a couple years ago, I didn't even like them.    I have accused my husband of praying that I would learn to like them, so that I would cook with them.  (Notice the haze in the picture, that is from the sweltering heat wave that were having in Ohio, that fogged up my lens when I came out to snap the picture this morning)

  
 We went out of town to visit a relative, and right before I left, my garlic appeared ready, and browning, so I pulled it up and hung it in a bundle..... and while I was gone, one raised bed of onions decided to lay over.    So I left them for a couple weeks, and pulled them this week, and let them sit in the sun for a couple days.   However, we got a wicked thunderstorm Monday night, so brought them inside.   But back out onto the porch they go today to get cured.......They are Walla Walla.   And I planted a bundle of plants that cost about $3.50, and the harvest was about 14lbs.   I am not sure if that is a very good yield or not, but I am happy for a first timer:)      I have several other varieties that are still standing, so maybe these will go into my salsa and spaghetti sauce that will be canned in the upcoming weeks.  

Before the carrot harvest......

  





                             So..........

Where and how do you cure your onions?   Is this normal that they are ready so early?  Do you leave them out in the garden when they are curing?   And what if it rains on them, do you just leave them out longer, or do you gather them up as I did so they don't get wet?     

After!

We also had a good crop of carrots and beets and turnips come in.    So many that it cracked my clothes basket on the way into the house!    What a blessing! .......and it seems as though if I can get the next round to germinate, we will have a fall crop too!!!

Garlic on my porch.....

We took the carrots and beets to my grandma's to clean and prepare and keep her company last friday, and Xander  and Coleton had a disagreement over who's turn it was to swing on the tire swing, so Xander ran off to pout.....
It is hard to get the boys to take a nap at the Farm, they just want to run, play and be boys.
Living in a neighborhood is much different than growing up with space to run and explore.......

     

Well, I guess I have to start somewhere.......

   Over the last year, it has been on my mind to start a blog with this title.    After much talking with my friend at http://www.chicky-bit-run.blogspot.com/,......I created this blog one night last fall....... not sure when I would actually begin posting...........and since then I found myself, as I go about my daily life, thinking that this thing or that would make a neat blog topic, and oh, that would be neat to share. But, I was stuck on how to actually begin.   And, I also have had my doubts as to the worthiness of what I have to add to the blogging world........ with all the great blogs out there all ready, or if I would fail to keep up with it.  I have an old family blog that I used to use every now and again, but it is neglected.      However, with some encouragement from friends, I am jumping into blogging again:)        I am not sure exactly what this blog will be like, guess I will wait and see!

I find myself lurking among others blogs at least a couple times a week, and have learned a tremendous amount from everyones life experiences and posts.    I love that I can find information from such a diverse group, thanks to the internet.    People I likely would never have met or known if it were't for the internet.    I am trying to go to school on other peoples lives, and learn everything I can.    I hope this blog will be a place where we can be in community and that we can learn from each other.    

 I guess I will divulge things about me a little at a time.      For now, I guess I will tell you that I love the Lord, and I am working towards being a good help meet to my husband, and a mother and teacher for my two boys.  I am on a quest to learn about how my grandparents and past generations lived, worked, loved and served one another.    This year is my 3rd year of having a garden,  I keep bees, am always busy working and I talk too fast!.....(thank goodness I don't have to worry about that in type!)