Brunson 5.8.09

Brunson 5.8.09

Brunson 5.8.09

Brunson 5.8.09

Brunson 5.8.09

Brunsons Gravesite 5.8.09

Last Year's Compost Pile

Good evening! How have you been?
This is what's left of last year's compost pile. From December 1, 2007 until January 2009 we filled this compost pile. It is so nice to know all our kitchen waste and cat manure will provide healthier, more fertile soil for our vegetables.

Edible Parkway Takes Shape

Well, hello! Welcome to our edible parkway!
We've planted lettuce, peas, currants, green onions, strawberries and asparagus to share!
We are trying to make sure it is appealing to the eye as well as the pallete. Hopefully, we will finish adding all the edibles soon and can finally mulch heavily!
It will be nice to watch it mature and to offer free fresh produce to our neighbors. Maybe they will be convinced to plant an edible parkway, too.
Could you plant at least one edible in your parkway and ask your neighbors to do the same?

Under Stormy Skies

Storms Move In...

Working on Brunson's Gravesite

5.8.09

Violets Soften My Rain Garden

Edible Parkway Takes Shape

Well, hello! Welcome to our edible parkway!
We've planted lettuce, peas, currants, green onions, strawberries and asparagus to share!
We are trying to make sure it is appealing to the eye as well as the palette. Hopefully, we will finish adding all the edibles soon and can finally mulch heavily!
It will be nice to watch it mature and to offer free fresh produce to our neighbors. Maybe they will be convinced to plant an edible parkway, too.
Could you plant at least one edible in your parkway and ask your neighbors to do the same?

Denny's Server Excells!

A few Sundays ago we went to the Denny's on Plainfield Rd. (Rt 30).
Although our table was soaking wet and sticky as was one bench, we were seated promptly and were able to get a booth.
Our server, Brendan was exceptional! He was patient while we ordered and happily provided extra napkins. Brendan was also happy to bring an extra side dish my son requested half way into the meal.
Thank you so much, Brendan, for taking such pride in the job you do!!!

Milk w/out Hormones!

Wow! Was I amazed!

I really had no idea that the milk we were drinking was loaded with hormones.
We happened to buy our milk at Joliet Fresh Market on Cass St., Joilet, IL, 60432, and picked up the cheapest milk.
Low and behold it was hormone-free! No added hormones to speed the maturing of our kids! A safer milk to feed our families.
And it tasted great and did not spoil before we could finish both gallons.
How many hormones do you pour on your child's cereal in the morning?

Fresh Fruit Salad

Today's mid-morning snack is a fresh fruit salad. (stops to take a bite)
Last night I cut up apples and bananas and tossed in grapes. Three single serving size bowls so we can all eat healthy!
On mine I sprinkled Sazon and Adobo. Now it is like a fruit salad from the Mexican taco trucks.
Delicious!!!

We Progress as Night Falls

Good evening!
As darkness tries to overcome us, we put a few more stones on the compost bin.
Tonight the concrete should dry.
Tomorrow we can add more... until it is high enough to contain a year's worth of compost.
It's a relief to see it all start to take shape!

Saving $$$ in Hard Times

Well, we hit Montana Charlie's flea market on Sunday since an unexpected errand brought us to Romeoville.The line to get in was long~ it ran south past the train tracks and intersection! Next time we'll plan ahead and go early.Although it was crowded I could really see the effects of the economy even as we looked for a parking spot. Usually people are walking to their cars with huge loads of everything imaginable. This time they had plastic grocery bags with only small items.As we wandered the aisles, I noticed only the stalls with exceptional deals were packed. The others were void of customers!Still, there were amazing deals on everything from socks to fresh produce.This is an exceptional opportunity to save money as the economy goes under.
Stop by and check it out!

Starting Our Compost Bin

Good afternoon and welcome back to the homestead! Isn't it a lovely day? How is your planting coming along?
We've finally gotten around to starting our compost bin. These stones are from the old crumbled retainer wall we replaced last summer. This allows us to be ecologically sound and save money!
I chose this location for the composter for many reasons. The chicken yard will be right next to it to aid in ease of transfer of chicken litter to composter. It sits between my peach and nectarine trees to allow compost tea to seep into the root systems of both. It is next to the vegetable beds so I can drop in old plants easily. And it is close to the back of the house to provide a short walk with kitchen scraps and cat litter.
It feels good to build it ourselves. There is something about doing the work ourselves that we cannot ger from paying a hired hand!

This Year's Compost Pile

Hi! Welcome back! Would you like to have a cup of coffee out back this morning? Shall we brew it with a sprig of chocolate mint?
Would you look at how fast our compost pile is growing this year! It's not even summer and the pile is huge.
It is sitting right in the middle of our expanded vegetable beds~ highly inconvenient! But it was a quick place to dump the compost in the middle of winter.
Now I've found out the 'code regulations' for our area require it be covered. I was intending to build a stone bin this year. I'll have to get on that before the city folk show up fussing!
Meanwhile, the pile keeps growing!