A Stop at Johnny’s Research Farm
Yesterday I had to run up to Johnny’s seed to pick up a few things I needed. It certainly is handy that I can call in the morning and pick something up an hour later. After picking up my seeds, I stopped at the research farm on the way back home to see what was growing in the high tunnels.
I noticed these benches that they use for plants and trays of seedlings. I’ve been wanting to build something like this for a while. It would very convenient for my many trays of seedlings.
Do you have any plans to build anything to make your gardening easier?
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A Whirlwind Trip
We’ve been trying to find a weekend when my brother could travel to Ohio to see my mom. Last Thursday evening around 7pm, I got a note from my brother that he finally had a weekend off and was headed up (he lives in GA). I quickly searched for flights and didn’t find any on such short notice. So I made a few last minute arrangements and hopped in the car on Friday evening to drive to Ohio. Mr Chiots and I traveled until midnight, stopped about halfway, then were on the road again at 6 the next morning. Amazingly, we arrived in Ohio at the exact same time as my brother.
This is the first time the entire family has been together in 12 years. My parents were throughly surprised (which is what my brother wanted). We were thankful to be able to make one of my mom’s final wishes come true. We enjoyed lots of great food and lots of laughs during the two days we were together. What a blessing family is!
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Quote of the Day: Andrew Wyeth
“I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure in the garden…”
Andrew Wyeth
Of course I’m not sure how much of the garden’s structure you can see when it’s buried below 6 feet of snow, but at least you get to see it for part of the winter.
What’s your favorite season to notice structure?
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Quote of the Day: Shauna Niequist
“I choose to believe that there is nothing more sacred or profound than this day. I choose to believe that there may be a thousand big moments embedded in this day, waiting to be discovered like tiny shards of gold. The big moments are the daily, tiny moments of courage and forgiveness and hope that we grab on to and extend to one another. That’s the drama of life, swirling all around us, and generally I don’t even see it, because I’m too busy waiting to become whatever it is I think I am about to become. The big moments are every hour, every conversation, every meal, every meeting.”
-Shauna Niequiest in Cold Tangerines
I’ve been thinking about this over the past few years, settling in to notice the beauty in every day moments. Washing the dishes, sweeping the floor, fixing dinner, weeding the garden…
So often we assume that the good moments can’t coincide with chores or the mundane, when in fact, these moments can be the very thing we crave. It definitely takes a deliberate mindset to cultivate this gratitude and appreciation for the mundane. For me, slowing down to wash the dishes is one of those moments. It makes me stop and appreciate the landscape outside my window, the dishes in my cupboard, the clean water from the tap, and the food on my table.
What mundane item do you find the most beauty in?
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A Frostbite Shop
Mr Chiots and I were joking about me having a zipper pouch sweatshop the other evening, though my sewing room is rather cold, so it would be a frostbite shop. If you remember from last month, I’m making loads of zipper pouches to send to South America to hand out at the school that I work with. I’ll be raising funds through the organization I work for to fill them with pencils, erasers, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc. I’ll need around 400 so each child will get one, which means that’s how many zipper pouches I need to sew.
My original goal was to sew one a day, so far I’m up to 150 as my total number finished. That’s not too shabby. I’m lucky they’re super quick to sew up. I’m noticing a big dent gone in my stash of fabric and thread collections, which was part of the point of this project. I’m really looking forward to seeing how the kids love these, hopefully this summer they will be delivered by a group I have traveling down.
What charitable projects are you involved at the moment?
