becomingsara.com

drying catnip

Got a lot done today… Weeded a couple rows of peas & got a good start on the strawberries, planted more peppers (the bell-types). I didn’t know that you can’t plant hot peppers w/mild peppers. Now I know.

Picked the first of the snow peas. Last wk they were tiny; now they’re all over the place. I got 2 quarts & didn’t even finish the (double) row.

Also found out there was a rogue catnip plant (bush, really) in one of the flower gardens, so I pulled that out, and then sat near the well, stripped off the not-so perfect leaves & then strung them up to dry. Now I’m knitting little pillows for them in the evening for some favored cats. Tried to explain to Cain about catnip. He still thinks I’m crazy.

Went to the bank to deposit a check for Mom today & got another inquiry about her health. I’m going to make her a t-shirt that says “No, I’m not dying, but thanks for asking.” Evidently, my sister & I show up rarely enough that it’s cause for alarm.

Oh, and I made some refried beans. I wonder if Cain thinks the tv is lying to him, and all these fancy Americans are sitting in their McMansions eating quesadillas & refritos, washing them down w/horchata.

Oh, and on the development site (putting in an “adult care community” across the road) they’re starting blasting today. They came & took pix of every little crack in the property a couple wks ago. So far haven’t felt anything, but it’s a little spooky to drive past a “Blasting- Destruction Zone” sign on the way home.

Tomorrow’s planned adventures: Going to Southern States (like Cenex) to get chick grit and to the library to get a card & sign up to volunteer.

For those of you who’ve been asking for photos of the farm, I’ve posted a few on flickr.

It’s been a really REALLY busy wk on the farm, but I’m starting to suspect that they will all be busy. I guess that’s what farming is about? Anyway, between trying to keep the antebellum farmhouse  in order, and keeping up w/the weeds in all the gardens, I’m about shot. Add to all that, dealing with a very unfamiliar climate. Humidity is something else.

Here are the things I’m liking the most: cardinals, lightning bugs, thunderstorms, clotheslines, and really friendly people.

I kept asking if my hair was ok, or if I had spinach in my teeth, b/c people were looking at me oddly. Finally figured out, they were just looking at me and smiling. That’s so weird after living in the NW for so long.  Not looking at people is an art- not getting into their personal space. But here, a stranger will say “Hi, how’re you doing?” before sitting down nearby to make a phone call.  And they seem to care how you’re doing.