Dogs and ducks, gardens and butts

Whew! The kids are all in showers/baths, and I'm waiting, anticipating, anxiously, the moment that I get my own bath and get to BED. Or at least relax with a movie or a book. I spent the day, from sun-up to sunset, working in the yard or doing errands to work in the yard. It's a humble beginning, but it WILL get there, eventually. I wish I could just *SNAP!* snap my fingers and it would all be lovely!

We tilled the plots a few weeks ago, solarized it for a few weeks, then, today, Bo put a fence around the veggie garden. The kids and I worked all day shoveling manure and planting tomatoes, peppers, pole beans, onions, lettuce, cilantro, carrots, radishes and nasturtiums. Boy, it seems like we planted more than that! Houdin also worked on digging a hole for a small water garden (his idea) in the middle of Bard's garden. She doesn't know yet; she wasn't home for the afternoon.

We let the ducks out while we were working, and they hurried around from one place to another in a little huddle until Lewis, our dopey black lab, just couldn't help himself anymore and carried one away in his big, floppy jaws. I called him and the poor little duckling flopped up and down as Lewis came bounding toward me. Lewis was so pleased with himself for bringing me the prize, and the duckling was very glad to be in my arms instead of in Lewis's mouth.

Here's a good one for you. As I was typing this, Sweetheart called to me from the tub behind me, "Mom? Why is a butt called a 'butt'?"

Garden Update!

The spinach is up! The peas and sugar snaps are up! The lettuces are up! The scallions are up!

The plants in the little greenhouse aren't doing nearly as well as I'd hoped, aside from the nasturtiums, which took for-E-ver to germinate, to the point where I'd actually given up, and then--POP!--up they came, and they seem to grow several inches each day. The peppers--jalapeno, cayenne--are growing well, too. I keep losing the watermelon plants due to overwatering, I think. And my alyssum, which seemed to be doing so well, has just. stopped. growing. Looks like I maybe buying more plants than I'd planned.

The garden is tilled and is currently under black plastic, solarizing and waiting until I can get some fencing around it to keep the dogs out. And as soon as that happens, it's time to start planting. Onions, cilantro, tomatoes, beans, peppers, cucumbers, more lettuces and spinach, swiss chard, pumpkins, squash, watermelon, basil and more.

The herb garden next to the kitchen door is coming along nicely. Tonight I planted some more sage, French and Texas tarragon, two kinds of oregano, cinnamon basil, fennel and dill, rosemary and parsley. Yesterday, I planted chamomile and two different kinds of thyme. And next, I have plans to plant a tea garden around the water hydrants (the thing we use to water the garden, not like a fire hydrant), using the great big tree buckets Bo found in a dumpster today. I'll sink them into the ground around the hydrant; that way, we won't have to mow around the hydrant, and we won't have to worry much about watering the mints, plus, they won't spread because they'll be contained in plastic buckets.

AND--oh joy of joys, I'm so excited--the cherry tree that we planted about five years ago is LOADED with cherries! Here's hoping they'll make it to marturity!

So tell me, how does YOUR garden grow?

The Greenhouse, Part Three

I was so excited about my prospective employment at the greenhouse; to me, it was like a gift from God, an answer to prayer. Yes, it's true, I often bristle when people say, "I prayed that it wouldn't rain today so that I could have my garden party, and God heard my prayer! Hallelujah!" Because what I'm thinking, of course, is, "What about that farmer who's been hoping for rain for two weeks? Whose family is depending on that rain? Who was on his knees last night BEGGING God for rain? How about him?" But in this case, I really feel like God prepared me for the opportunity, prepared the owner of the greenhouse, provided the perfect timing. I believe this because of several things:

1. I've talked to a scad of people over the past week who said they put in an application either just before or just after I walked through the door of the greenhouse; they weren't hired. I was. I didn't present any special talents, didn't try to wow anyone with my expertise, didn't even tell the owner that I was always available or the my schedule is flexible.

2. As I was finishing my conversation with the owner of the greenhouse, she said she'd just told a friend to pray that God would send her two good workers. I walked in just after that and offered myself and Bard as potential employees.

3. My husband was furious.

Okay, maybe "furious" is too strong of a word. He was angry, resentful, angry, upset, angry, frustrated and fairly angry. It was the darndest thing I've seen in quite a while.

See, I got home from the greenhouse and immediately wanted to tell my darling Bo about this exciting new development in my life, so I called him.

"Guess what!" I chattered excitedly. "I've been offered a job at the local greenhouse!"

There was silence on the other end of the line.

By the end of the conversation, it was very apparent that my dear Bo was less than thrilled with the prospect of my new employment. And I was completely puzzled. This was so very not like him. What he was displaying was akin to jealousy, which is a character trait he has never, ever, ever, and I mean NEVER displayed.

And what I felt, immediately, was hurt.

I felt like my joy had been completely stolen from me.