Monday! Another opportunity to excel.

Things are happening! In the "garden," the radishes are going like gangbusters and there's even a couple of beets starting to make an appearance.

 

I did the responsible thing and put up a clothesline.  It's kinda rigged, but it works.  The dryer is just such an energy suck and waste of resources, so I thought I'd use the clothesline occasionally to help out.

I'm rearranging the house a bit to make ourselves an official office/studio space.  I put up some of dad's planes and man, it's weird going in there because they really look like they're flying!  I've got a small design wall up (that's an apple hat for young Connor L. on there, ready to assemble), and my studio table/sewing table is installed and ready for use.  I just need to re-route the cable for my work computer and everything will be finished.  There'll even be room for a sleeper in case we have more guests than the spare bedroom can hold.

The SO has started an interesting project, too.  Being a Texas Hold 'em fan, he's commandeered the dining room table for a poker table.  It's a good alternate use for the dining room, because it's kind of out of the way, but close to the kitchen for easy snack access.  The table is a large oval, which is perfect for poker.  He's making a removable rail and top for the table, which can easily be put on and taken off, whilst leaving the table unscathed and ready for dinner.  Here's the table with the "speed cloth" laid out. 

The speed cloth is specifically designed for cards to easily slide over the surface.  It has a woven-in card suit pattern on it, and it's a beautiful shade of blue.
 
A 4' x 8' sheet of particle board was procured and the shape of the table traced on to it.  It was then cut out with a jigsaw.  The center will be cut out, leaving a 4" wide "rail."

Here's where he is so far.  Will follow up with more photos as it progresses!

New Beginnings Thursday

Yes, it's a new beginning.  Finally bit the bullet and officially started my own company.  With a website and company credit card and everything! 

Oh, gawd.  That means I'm going to have to go out and sell myself.  That's something of which I'm not very adept.

Oh, gaawwd.  That also means taxes and bookkeeping and being accountable.  Hm. I think I can fake that.

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Okay - here's what's been going on at the homestead.  I finally put together my composting system, and made it entirely of stuff I had laying around the garage and yard.  I used old lattice pulled from the deck when we re-did it, and some stakes that mom and dad had stashed in the garage that they used for big plants.  Wired it all together with used wire and - yes - cut up telephone cords. Talk about recycling! The first section is for yard waste, the second for kitchen scraps and the third for finishing the compost. 

Thanks to the Bountiful Baskets, I've got a lot of kitchen scraps.  Everything that's left over from dispatching my produce to the freezer (or using it outright) goes in there, as well as things like eggshells and coffee grounds. And speaking of the co-op, my last visit there was a whopper.  Because I volunteered, I got to pick up some extras and it really was a display of overabundance. 

 Here's a couple of snaps of us working last Saturday at the co-op pickup:

I didn't order a basket for this week as I already had a bunch of stuff left from the previous weeks. 

I've also been busy making more bird feeders.  There's been a ton of activity at them recently; we've had chickadees, tufted titmice, cardinals, doves and goldfinches.
 

And, spring fever has already got a hold on me - probably not a good idea, but what the hell.  I repurposed the old planters and rubber horse feed tubs and the cheapskate in me only allowed the purchase of some clearance sale tubs for the bigger "crops."  I drilled holes in the bottom for drainage and will put broken terra cotta pots in there to help it (more recycling!).  I planted onion sets, radishes and beet seeds.  The mint is a holdover from last year.  I have to put everything in pots as the whole yard is either trees or deck, so we'll see what happens.  I have a bunch of things I'd like to try to plant in containers, such as beans, carrots, and hard winter squashes.  Can't wait for my seed catalog to come in the mail!