My kids

My children are my legacy. If I raise them with love, patience and compassion then they will learn love patience and compassion and be better people for it. I have these really profound moments sometimes that seem like common sense but sometimes things just really hit me, kind of like a gong being struck within me.

Finally we are ready...

Whew, so after a lot of hard work, my gardens are ready to go! I have pruned all my fruit trees, roses, bushes, grapes and blackberries. I have raked all the debris and dead leaves from my lawn and garden and disposed of it all. The kids were a big help in loading the wheelbarrow and they attempted to help rake as well. I retied all my grapes and blackberries and am in the process of planning a new garden to move all my herbs too. We are planning on planting corn, sugar peas, tomatoes, spaghetti squash, Casper pumpkins, zucchini, beets and carrots this year in our vegetable garden. I am super excited to get it planted!! The kids and I did start sage and thyme in the house and my mother in law started the tomatoes in her house so as soon as we are frost free we are set to go! I am also hoping my brother will be around to give me a hand cleaning our gutters and I have a rain barrel that I need to finish for this year. I want to build stairs off our back deck now that the kids are older for easier access to our backyard. I also want to build a chicken tractor and get a few chickens this year for eggs. Big plans!

We think we know

I just had a brainstorm about humans. I think at times we like to think we know everything, that we have everything figured out. Then life, or Mother Nature throws us for a loop. I got this idea from watching a show on Mega Earthquakes that was on National Geographic channel. They were talking about cities being built in major quake zones and the steps being done to prevent major damage. They build sea walls and put shock absorbers in buildings but then life throws the curveball in the way of a 9.0 quake. I think the greatest they anticipated for was an 8.6. It made me think that life is full of these curveballs. One minute you are riding high thinking that you have your newborn all figured out and then they become toddlers or you finally get your dog housebroken and they start to run off because they are in heat. You are great at the job you are doing and then you are given a promotion and a whole new set of responsibilities. We humans are very adaptable and able to take these curveballs in stride for the most part. But sometimes they can be a huge struggle to overcome. My heart goes out to those that are struggling to overcome every day.

Earth Hour

My husband and I celebrated Earth Hour together on Saturday. This is the first time he has been home from work to celebrate it with me. We decided to have the neighbors over to celebrate too. The plan was to have fondue and some wine to celebrate (trying to make snacks that we didn't need electricity for). Unfortunately, our neighbors came down with a bug and had to cancel so it was just my husband and I. We covered our table in candles and played cards together. The hour passed by in a flash and we were having such a good time we continued until 11pm. Then we put out all the candles and went to bed. It was a lovely night and made us both realize how much we are losing by sitting in front of the TV every night. I think it may be a regular thing for us to turn off the power bar to the entertainment unit and just sit together.

Squash, Quinoa and Lentil Coconut Curry

I had a spaghetti squash that needed to be used up. Also I want to try more vegan/vegetarian meals for the kids. I found it nice, hearty and filling.

Ingredients:

1 cup of cooked quinoa
1 spaghetti squash cooked
1 can of lentils rinsed and dried
1 tbsp of coconut oil or olive oil
1 can of coconut milk
1 medium onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic diced
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger (or dry ginger if you have it)
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 cups of kale leaves well rinsed and ripped into bite sized pieces
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground tumeric
1/2 tsp ground fenugreek
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground coriander

*you can add cayenne pepper a pinch or 1/2 tsp of green curry to spice it up***

Directions:

heat a wok or large skillet to medium. add your oil and let heat. add onion and garlic to wok. once onion starts to brown add the ginger, spaghetti squash, lentils and coconut milk. add all the spices, the quinoa and the soy sauce and let simmer for about 5-10 min stirring frequently. add the kale, give it a good stir and simmer until kale is slightly wilted about 5 min.
Serve and enjoy!!

The Essential Herbal free issue

The wonderful people that produce the fabulous magazine The Essential Herbal are letting everyone view a sample of their magazine.

Please visit www.essentialherbal.com/documents/mar-apr-2010.pdf to view.

I just found this magazine but have already fallen in love with it. It is a great read for anyone that enjoys gardening but also has a passion for herbal healing.

Spending my time well.

So for the past few days I have been spending almost the entire day scanning old documents and photos. My passion is my ancestry and I had a huge stack of old photos from my Grandparents collecting dust in my room. I figured that now that I am off of work and waiting to hear about school I might as well get them scanned and then store the photos properly. I also have a pile of letters that my Grandfather sent to my Grandmother when he was courting her during the war. They are so amazing, he sent one pretty much everyday and in the end he even sent her a engagement ring with one of the letters.
Such an amazing love story. They met while he was on leave one night. My Grandfather and his buddy picked up my Grandmother and her friend whom were hitchhiking. They all were headed to a local dance hall. They had a great night together and my Grandfather asked if he could write her (as he was scheduled to leave again the next day), she agreed but figured she wouldn't hear from him again. He wrote her for the first time the day he got back and never stopped up to the point of them getting engaged.