Saturday, October 25, 2008

Cooler Weather = More Kniting!


The weather is beautiful today! Our doors are open and the porch got a much needed sweeping. Knitting and crochet projects are bought out of hiding when the weather cools off. I need to work on a scarf and maybe another tea cozy - you cannot have too many tea cozies! As you can tell, Posh appreciates a nice tea cozy too.

Friday, October 03, 2008

Winter Vegetable Garden



To try and curb our rising food budget we decided to have a garden again this winter. We haven't had anything in the raised bed in 2 years and honestly, I miss it. There's nothing like going out to your own backyard to gather a salad for dinner. Not only is cost a factor, but with our own garden I know we're getting organic produce, and Chopper is getting the freshest food available, not something that's been trucked in from Mexico.

The first round of planting went well. HuzBen mixed a few bags of composted mulch and manure into the raised bed. I've been watering as needed for a desert garden, daily or every other day.

The first tomatoes are turning red but the plants aren't doing as well as I'd hoped due to the heat. They are not getting bigger and the leaf tips are showing signs of sunburn. I orders some shade/frost cloths from Gardens Alive. (Sign up for their mailing list and you get periodic coupons for $20.00 off a $40.00 purchase!) It looks like I'll be needed to use them sooner than I hoped. On the other hand, most of the lettuce is thriving which is odd since it should be more sensitive to the hot days than the tomatoes. Go figure.

This weekend I hope to plant the radish and lettuce seeds. I am really looking forward to the radishes, mostly for Chopper. They are very inexpensive to grow and radish tops are much cheaper than his usual staple food of romaine lettuce.

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Novena to St. Dymphna


On the first, eleventh, and twenty first of each month I begin a Novena. Today I started a Novena to St. Dymphna. She is the patroness of those afflicted with mental and nervous disorders. Won't you join me?

Novena to St. Dymphna

O God, we humbly beseech You
through Your servant, St. Dymphna,
who sealed with her blood
the love she bore You,
to grant relief to those
who suffer from mental afflictions
and nervous disorders, especially...

(Mention the person's name here.)

St. Dymphna,
helper of the mentally afflicted,
pray for us.

Glory be to the Father...