!@#$$%^& and an update

Hello all!  Before I begin my rant(well kind.  I am not nearly so frustrated as I was) I wanted to let you guys know I have fixed the two previous postings that had items missing.  What is she talking about?  Well you can find the first post http://frugalmavensdailyrave.blogspot.com/2011/11/apple-walnut-pancakes.html and this will now show you the actual recipe for the pancakes I made that day.  Please forgive me for not just re-naming this link, but I don't know how(smile).  Then the second problem post can be found http://frugalmavensdailyrave.blogspot.com/2011/12/soooooo.html.  I hope both of these links work.  Fingers crossed.

So now onto my rant.  Day before yesterday I spent a decent amount of time re-potting some tomato plants due to over crowding.  I finally got them done and had let them stay out of direct sun for the rest of the day to give them time to recover.  So yesterday morning I place them in front of  my bedroom window.  I have storm windows, and while I get good sunlight though them, the sunlight has a hard time reaching all of my plants.  Well I decided I would open the inside part of the storm window to allow my seedlings to get as close as possible to the sunlight.  I literally get them positioned and turn my back and the inside storm window comes loose from its latch and slams down onto my seedlings; sending seedlings, pots and potting soil flying.  It was a mess to be sure.  I was afraid I would lose them.  I did lose some of them, but managed to salvage about 2/3 of the seedlings.  So far.  It is a wait and see.  I re-potted them and have kept them out of the sun.  This morning will tell.  I plan on letting them sit in front of the window so we will see how they do.  I also canned some chicken and some stew meat, as well as baked my bread for the week.  Here is a pic:

I love how it all looks lined up on the counter.  Those are my little wrecked baby seedlings.  I have another flat that didn't suffer so.  Total tomato seedlings so far is 69.  Go ahead and laugh Daddy.  I need tomato sauce!  That takes a lot of tomatoes.  I also planted a few snow pea seedlings out in window boxes.  I am hopeful they do well also.  I am thinking not to many of those as they are better eaten fresh and not frozen.  I have 7 of those plants. Here are half of them:

There is such a long list of things to be done and it is hard to not feel overwhelmed, but I will just do as my mom always tells me "just do the next thing".  I will get done what I can get done.  Before I leave you guys I thought I would give you something to smile about.  I don't think I have posted this before, but if I have just over look me.  I think he wants in: OPEN, OPEN, OPEN

I know you aren't supposed to wish your life away...

BUT I AM SOOOO READY FOR SPRING!  Okay, i'm calm now.  I have a list of cool weather crops to get in the ground and other springy type things to do, but I can't get the ground to dry up enough.  Makes me a bit nervous then I get ansy.  I do have some things I am able to do now so that helps.  Last week I traded for some yard work.  This wonderful man cleared my back property. Here he is in the process:

That tree in front of him is my oldest peach tree.  Next to the peach tree is my thornless blackberry vines on a lattice.
I feel I have to show the process so here are more pics:

And more clearing:

To the left of that marvelous machine in the above picture you can catch a glance of my garden.  It isn't very pretty right now, but bear with me and by spring it will hopefully be wonderful.  So now that he is done clearing, I have this on my plate to somehow get rid of  this summer.  Ummm and it will probably take me the summer:

Behind this pile of wood, a little to the right of the center of the pile, you can see two seemingly young trees. They are pecan trees that were uncovered during this clearing process.  The wonderful gentleman told me I have given them their best chance just by uncovering them.  He said to just throw some fertilizer around the drip line and they would be fine.  They were strangled by kudzu, and so to help them come back strong, I need to also cut the bark where the kudzu was choking them and let them fill back out.  I love the fact that I have pecan trees.  I have been wanting them, but it takes so long for them to start producing and they are tough to plant just right.  Now I have them.  Thank you Lord!  Cause He is the one that planted them, not me.  Other trees uncovered were hickory, and tulip maple trees.  I have gone out and begun the process of cutting some of the wood pile.  Mainly I am cutting longer, straighter stakes for my garden.  I have to say one thing about these seed trees; they make awesome stakes. The diameter is about 2-2.5 in and the length is anywhere from 7-9 ft.  I have about 20ish so far.  I need plenty cause I am hoping to be able to use them for not only stakes, but make sort of a fence for my beans to climb on.  I have plans for a lot of climbers this year: green beans, navy beans, pinto beans, english peas, and cucumbers.  Then I have tomatoes to stake and peppers can always use support.  I have some cages and trellis already thanks to my mom and dad, but needed more and figured these trees could be put to use.  Waste not want not!  Today's plan it to re-pot some tomato seedlings, plant some lettuce and spinach in window boxes on my deck, general housekeeping, and make bread.  I love this time of year, and am anxious to get started.   So!  My todo list wont get ta done until I get up from here and get to work.  Hope everyone has a productive day!  God bless!

Weather man says serious freeze this weekend.

As it stands right now, my peach trees haven't bloomed, but they are seriously close.  I think that will save them for now.  My blueberry bushes have some blooms open and that concerns me.  I have plastic to cover them, but not sure if it will help them with a hard freeze.  What to do,what to do.  I did get out in the garden this past week and start getting things ready  for spring.  It amazes me how bad a garden can get just over the winter.  I think one reason is the fact that we have had such a warm winter that the weeds haven't gone dormant.  Primarily growing in my garden is clover.  I hear tell that is a good thing cause it means I have plenty of nitrogen in the dirt.  However, it covers my garden so I am slowly but surely getting that situated.  Not to mention the bunny factor.  Makes me want to sit out on my porch and just pick the little critters off.  Don't tell Peta.  I have planted my seedlings in the house and am just awaiting their little heads popping out of the ground.  Fingers crossed.
I have been a bad blogger in the fact that I haven't been taking the pics like I want in order to make my posts more interesting.  I mean lets be honest here.  I doubt many people love to hear of my day...Seriously.  I want my blog to be something interesting and/or informative that I can impart to others.   I may have to re think this blog and vow to either make it better, or do without it.  I don't have many readers right now and that may have something to do with it, but in order to possibly get more readers, I need to make it something worth reading.  Anyway.... I will try better next time.  Daddy if you are lurking HELLO!  The rest of you have a great day.

Wow! Guys I am sorry I have been away so long

But lets face it, I only have 4 followers and they are friends and family so I am thinking everyone is for the most part up to date.  Spring is threatening to spring in my neck of the woods so my blueberry bushes and my peach trees are wanting to bloom.  At least close to it.  Not sure what to do about that.  I am covering my blueberry bushes if necessary, but my peach tree maybe out in the cold.  I did prune my peach tree yesterday.  The other is still little and so not really needing a pruning. I also pruned my blackberry bushes.  I had a lot of the vines take root, so have extra plants to give people that want them.  I guess I should offer to sell some of them.  Not sure what I am gonna do.  Anyway, I need to put some lime and fertilizer around my fruit trees and also begin spraying them.  I also want to start my seeds.  I am looking forward to spring when I can plant and see things turn green and lush.  Then around July I am questioning how nuts I have to be to have had a garden.  (smile).  But during the winter it is nice to just open a jar of something I grew(well God grew it...I just baby sat, but I am a good sitter!) and know I provided something for my family, reduced my grocery budget, and for all you environmental peeps, keep cans etc from going into a landfill.  There are many advantages to growing your own.
I was blessed to find out that Aldi had carrots on sale a week ago for .30lb, and onions for .23 lb.  I haven't seen those prices in ... well ever!  My Dh went to the store for me and bought 40lbs of carrots and 48 lbs of onions.  I have the carrots canned.  I ended up with 14 quarts of whole carrots (about 3-4 in each) and 32 pints of sliced carrots

Aren't carrots pretty in the jars.  The cost for a pint of carrots is .38 all things included.  That is .17 cents cheaper than Aldi's canned carrots and I know what is in these.  I didn't figure the cost for the quarts. I have also been putting up onions between crying jags.  LOL.  Seriously though, if you are needing to chop a large number of onions.  Use a food processor, chop them up, then take the lid off and walk away.  This will give the gases the onions give off, time to dissipate.  So far I have 4 gallon bags in the freezer and still have another 21 lbs of onions to fix.

My wonderful father (just in case you eves drop in here Dad...I love you), sent me some plans to build my own greenhouse and , time permitting, I am going to try and get something together soon even if it is small.  I will hopefully have the presence of mind to take pictures during the process.
So, for now that is my update until I have more to share.  I am trying to get one here regularly, but am getting a little behind so bear with me.  Hope everyone has a great day!

OK, it's January now.

Yep, it is in the low 20's with a wind chill of 13.  Now up north it might not be impressive, but down here in the south that is cold!  So instead of going to the YMCA this morning, we are going in the afternoon.  Since we are doing that, once I am done here I will be going to get some house stuff accomplished.  I am happy that I have been able to get some sewing done.  I finished 2 pairs of pajamas for myself.  They are more for spring and summer, but they are done.  I tried this new thing with the elastic waist that my sister told me about.  You sew the elastic on the top side of the waist band, stretching it as you go.  Then you fold it over and sew down the bottom.  I tell you it beats the treading elastic and trying to tack it down to keep it from rolling.  I also almost finished a little doll outfit, but it isn't my best work so I wont be selling it.  I will be using it on my own dolls.  It is a cute little white diaper shirt with tiny red roses and has a matching bonnet and booties.  I will use it as a summer outfit for one of my dolls.  I already have the doll in mind.  She is my doll in the pink winter coat.

This coat and hat were made by my grandmother 30 years ago; for this doll.  My grandmother made an entire wardrobe for this doll and one other "tender love" doll.  I had pajamas, blankets, dresses, rompers, diapers, shoes, even a bath robe.  Now the doll you see is wearing that coats and hat, but the pantsuit outfit was made by me.  Both dolls are 40 years old.  Made in 1972.  The bottom pic is my other doll.  Her outfit is also made by me.

 I probably won't get any more sewing done this week, but it was nice to get some done.  Basically I am running through current projects to get them completed before I move on to other things.  I have two pot holders and one baby t shirt to finish.  I have some doll coats and hats to make, but I am still looking for the right flannel to line them with in order to make them warm.  Yes I know dolls don't feel cold, but my goal is to have doll clothes that could double as premmie clothes.
So now that I have bored everyone with dolls and sewing stuff, I will shove off and get some work done.  You guys have a great day!

Well you would never think it was Jan 10th. Humph!

So I have to say in our neck of the woods we have had a very mild winter.  That is all fine and good, but now it makes me want to plant even more than normal!  Next week I do get to plant my snow peas.  I am hoping they do well this year.  I swear I could eat them (and do) straight off the plant.  My other concern is that my blueberry bushes will bloom early and then get zapped by a hard freeze.  That is not good.  So I am making plans for a sort of mini green house that I can put together with PVC pipe.  I won't glue the pieces because I want to be able to take it apart for storage.  Anyway, this will, hopefully, be like a lean too green house in that is will lean against the house covering my blueberry bushes, but using the opened crawlspace door to help heat inside the greenhouse.  It is hard to explain.  I am hoping we have good enough weather to go outside and take measurements by the end of the week.  I am also hopeful I can use this green house for my seedling which I am wanting to start this week.  I am really hopeful ya think?  Anyway, once I start to put it together I will include pics so I can post them here.
Other than all of the gardening stuff I am needing to get back in the swing of things house cleaning wise.  I want to get everything put back together so I can get back to sewing.  I have a stack of little doll clothes I am dying to put together.  It isn't too bad, but I do want the house neater.  I guess I should be doing that as opposed to blogging.  Hmmm.  Well I do need to go anyway.  Once I have the greenhouse done I will post and then I can say I at least contributed something for your reading my blog.  So guys have a great day.

Happy New year everyone! On to 2012

So I hope everyone had a great holiday.  I am sorry I have been so absent, but finally things are back to normal here and I can stick my head out to say "hi".  HI.  We celebrated our Christmas day on the 26th and you know once I told myself our Christmas day was on the 26th, I got in the mindset of it being that day.  In other words nothing was missing from our Christmas celebration.  On our Christmas eve we all got in our jammies (the boys in their "new" ones I made them, and watched "A Christmas Story" while munching on goodies.  We had all the traditions we would normally have on Christmas eve.  My youngest son(16) joked about whether I had told Santa we were celebrating the day after, and I said I did and Santa was making a special trip just for us.  smile.   Christmas morning was the same. Just a day later.  After our celebrations it was time to pack and head to Florida to see my husbands family.  We left Tuesday evening and, breaking the trip into two days, we arrived Wednesday afternoon. We had a nice visit with family, and our stay was at the Hyatt downtown across from TRUMP TOWERS!  Boy we were out of our comfort zone.  I have to say valet parking is nice except for the fact that my sons packed all of their video games in walmart bags and wrapped their gaming system in a towel. I am sure the poor valet was thinking "why are these people bringing their own towels?  Oh well they're from Ga no biggie.  He was very nice though.  I have to say we couldn't have stayed here except for the fact the my in laws gave us the hotel stay as a Christmas gift. We took the trip home in one day.  Yep a 12 hour trip, but my hubby got home in 11hours.  He went 75 the whole time.  Needless to say traffic was great.  We got home on Saturday evening and spent Sun and Mon recuperating.
So today starts school again.  Rubic in homeschool and Einstein in public school.  I really need to get my house in order.  I have the decorations put away, but my house is a mess.  Just about the time I get everything arranged it will be time to start thinking gardening.  I am considering building a mini green house in my back yard with pvc pipe, and having it up against the back of the house.  The door to my crawlspace will be opened inside the greenhouse to allow heat from under the house to help keep it warm.  I will take pics as I go and post them here for those interested.  However it is currently about 25 degrees outside and a high only about 48 today.  Friday I am hopeful to get to take measurements.  They are saying this will be a warmer dryer winter than normal for us.  The warmer is good, the dryer not so much.  What I need is a gutter system on my house with rain barrels at the end.  Anyway, I am letting my mind wander.  One thing I do have it my trusty little hose converter that will convert the drain pipe of a washing machine to fit a garden hose.  That way I can use my grey water if we get into a bad drought situation.  If you are in a like situation, and you can use "grey water" to water you garden, go to your local hardware store (I would go small town not Lowes because they actually know what they are doing) and tell them what you want.  They should be able to put something together for you.  That is how I did it.  It cost me about 3 bucks.  Anyway, that is about it for now.  How  is everyone else doing?