Sunshine

For the past few weeks I've awoken each morning to beautiful sunshine sneaking through the edges around the curtains and shades.  It is a wonderful way to wake up and gives each day a beautiful start. 

My son tends to awaken with the sun.  On the days that he is truly determined to sleep in I will find him completely burrowed under his covers.  But normally we both get up with the sun even if we spend the first hour or so being lazy.  Well, okay, he spends it being lazy.  I just get a head start on the daily to do list.

In the garden life is growing.  All of the fruit trees, vines and shrubs are showing life now.  The peas are sprouting wonderfully.  The storm last week seems to have motivated them and they are now getting taller than the trellis!

I met up with a friend and we went to the botanical garden sale.  Lots of beautiful plants but I limited myself to just two.  My friend found quite a bit to make her happy.  She will be doing a lot of planting for the next few weeks. 

On Saturday I went to the local Master Gardener sale.  They had a variety of plants but nothing I was looking for.  I've become a picky gardener again I suppose.  I'm looking for edible plants I don't already have and those are harder to find.  Oh well, it was a nice calming walk as I explored.

Everything I've planted seems to be doing well except for the bean plants which haven't sprouted.  So today I will be setting beans to soak overnight and then replanting tomorrow.  Hopefully that will help improve the germination rate.  The carrots have a lot germination rate but I'm putting that down to the fact that the seeds were very old and hadn't been stored well.  To balance it I took the remainder of the seeds and spread it across part of the plot.  Then I used fresh seed for another section of the plot.  I'll also look into saving some of the seed from them, although that may not be possible.

I also got a flat of Job's Tears, nasturtiums and witch hazel started.  Only the nasturtium seed is old.  And that varies, some of it from years ago, some from last year.

The chocolate mint has escaped it's planters and spread across a small section of the yard.  I'm not sure when or how it did it but I'm pulling the runners and sharing them.  I may pot some up for the plant exchange in a few weeks.  I'm thinking about bringing mint, strawberries and a few other randoms from the yard.  I don't expect to find anything we need but I love sharing.

We also went to the local thrift sale.  And amazingly they had some summer clothes in my son's size.  I've been watching for months but had only found one item here and there until now.  So, a bit lighter in the wallet than I should be, but he's got clothes that will fit for summer.  All the clothes are in great condition and cost me a great deal less than they would have at a regular retail store.  I normally buy year round to set aside for the next year but his growth spurts have been so unpredictable the last couple of years that I can't.  If I buy too far in advance I find myself with the wrong sizes for the season.  That's a waste of money that we can't afford.  So I find myself tremendously grateful for a good local thrift store and their 50% off sales.

I'm hoping to make a duct tape body double sometime in the next month or so.  It would be a tremendous help for me in making so new clothes for myself.  So, fingers crossed, I will be able to recruit a helper or two so that I can get it made.  And maybe make some for them as well.

Now I'm off to mow the lawn.  Wish me luck.  I hope you are all having wonderful days.