Training.

 On Sunday I took the broken parts of the marigold plant and set some to dry, collected seed, and I am trying to propagate three others in a pot.  So far, the propagating prospective plants have survived the frost and three days.  Not very long, but they still look pretty good.

Other things I am happy for today:

• They were overstaffed at work and looking for people to volunteer to go home.  Instead, I asked if I could be trained in something else.  It seemed like a good time.  I am now trained in diverting/pushing.  I had done a little of this before but not had the official training.  
• So far, the thundershirt we got for our dog, Aesop, seems to be working well.  It may even be too good.  He didn't even get up when I came home.

• I worked at removing weeds from the triangle area of the yard. If I can get more things planted there before the end of the month it will be good and I will be ahead of when I planted things last year.  

☮

Currently reading: Mount Washington A Guide and Short History, by Peter E. Randall.

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Planters

 On my way out of work today a coworker made conversation with me.  I keep to myself, mostly.  I can't do small talk and work.  Breaks are spent in the car.  It was nice.  Other happy things for today:

• For lunch at work this week, I have salads.  Yay for a healthy choice.
• Since making the decision to embrace the groundhogs I haven't been out to the garden much.  It has also been raining a bunch.  All the plants I have inside still needed attention though.  I got some of them into pots and put them outside of the apartment at the back of the house.  Hopefully this is far enough away from the groundhogs.  There is still a possibility that the chipmunks are sharing in the garden destruction, but I hope not.

I planted a couple small tomato plants
that I started from seed.
There are more, for another day.

Three of the zinnia plants.

Some geranium, I may keep these potted regardless.

• There are blueberries ready to harvest.  I'm waiting until tomorrow to be sure.

Just a few ripe blueberries, so far.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

    Yogurt recipes!

Thank you for being part of my happy things. Stay safe.

Lilacs

 Sometimes my daughter and her husband are adorable in the way they interact.  It is sweet, loving, and cute.  This morning there was one such interaction that I was sure I would remember but alas, I only remember that it made me happy.  Other happy things for today:

• I must laugh at myself now.  I wrote down a couple of key words to help prompt me tonight on what to write.  I also use the pictures I take to help me remember the happy parts of the day.  The first written prompt was cute (see above) and the second was toilet paper.  I am sure that something specific happened that included the toilet paper, but I don't remember what that was.  Instead maybe, dear reader, you could laugh with me over how toilet paper can make someone happy.  If you don't think it could make someone happy, think about how it is without any.  Isn't having some much more happy than not having any?  😉
• For quite some time today I worked on removing weeds from near the strawberry plants. It may not look like much in the pictures, but I dug out the weeds, looked for grubs, and turned the soil.

Before: the hay area is what I did last week
or the week before...

After: the hay area as well as what I cleared out
is now all covered with some burlap.
The rock is not in the same place.
After I do the next section I'll
figure out where to put the rock.

• Yesterday I noticed how a seed had begun to grow in the container, but not in the soil.  Today I remembered to plant it and another that I spotted in the container.

The unknown seedling.

• The purple lilacs are blooming now.  The yard has a floral scent that I assume is mostly coming from lilacs.  I enjoy the lilac every year.  I look for them and do my best to appreciate them while they are here.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Stay safe.

Monday.

 Yesterday I had such high hopes for being productive today.  Unfortunately the first part of the day I was in a bit of a funk.  Early afternoon I realized that the funk was most likely caused by the overwhelming aspect of all the things I hoped to do.  Many things were set aside and I went to the garden and planted radishes, lettuce, and carrots.  

Under the burlap things are now planted.

Those are the things that seemed most time sensitive.  Looking at my list now, there were a few other things that probably should have been put ahead of that, oh well.  Planting things is good, other happy things for today:

• After working in the garden I mowed part of the lawn.  I like a mowed lawn.
• The flowers on Marjorie and Tucker (peach and cherry trees) are changing and getting closer to preparing for fruit.  

Marjorie.

Tucker.

• It was just me at home for a while tonight so I finished watching a movie, The Dig.  It was a very enjoyable movie and now I want to go to the British Museum.  

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Stay safe.

Garden Stuff

 According to Map My Run, I worked in the yard and garden for six hours and 46 minutes today.  I turned on the app to get an idea of how much moving I really do when I am working outside.  It turns out that was 3.7 miles this time.  Some of that time I was sitting and pulling weeds.  But I also raked, shoveled, used the pitchfork, cut branches and small trees, moved branches and small trees, used the wheel barrow to remove weeds and leaves and branches and possibly more things.  It was a busy day.  Here are other things I am happy for today:

• Keziah and I worked together part of the day with the trees and branches.  We maybe enjoy pulling and cutting bittersweet too much.
• Some of the buds on trees are getting bigger and opening.

Tucker, the cherry tree.

Okay, these 'leaves' are out all year.
The little pine cones aren't though.

From a Norway maple tree.

• While in the garden I tried to identify a plant using two different apps on my phone.  The apps failed.  Tonight, sitting here I tried again and this time I think it is correct.  Much of this plant was pulled from the garden.

Ground ivy.  It is kind of pretty, but very invasive
according to the internet.

• What was most likely a night crawler came out of the soil I was pulling weeds from.  It was probably eight inches or longer.  I'm really loving the amount of worms I am seeing this year.
• There were some passing sprinkles today which meant the sky had some pretty cloud formations.

• Zed was nice and made a quick dinner tonight after Boy Scouts.  It should have been my night to cook but I forgot and was too tired to think about food by the time I came in.
• There was left-over peppermint stick ice cream for me in the freezer for dessert.

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner, by Ann Larkin Hansen.

Stay safe.

Staghorn

 It was a chill, overcast day with occasional sprinkles.  Most of my day was spent outside working in the yard.  Plants are starting to turn green, daffodils are blooming, and forsythia are bright yellow.  I saw robins, blue jays, mockingbirds, a morning dove, a woodpecker, and sparrows throughout the day.  Other happy things for today:

• Last year I tripped over staghorn sumac stumps in the garden.  Today Zed and I removed many of these stumps and some of the attached roots.  The battle to defeat the unwanted plants in the garden has begun!  But seriously, I made room for the zucchini.  It will be a bit longer before I put the zucchini into the ground that I prepared today.

This is not a gopher problem but a 
staghorn sumac root problem.

These are roots that will no longer
 be a problem in the garden.

• The section next to the garden that we are hoping to make into a pathway with grape arbors is a little bit more cleaned up.  Progress!

Before: The sumac wants to take over.

After: I'm doing what I can to keep it
under control.

• I went for a short walk out back before cleaning up from gardening.  One time around the back of the property is only half a mile.  It was just what my body needed after all the bending in the garden.

• My second vaccination against the Covid 19 virus was administered late this afternoon.  So far, I just have a sore arm at the injection site.  

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan

Stay safe.

Re-reorganizing

 If my parents had some kind of shady past that they kept receipts for, I feel like I would have found them with this last box I went through.  Mom kept pretty much everything when it came to receipts and cards and mail.  In my case, the apple didn't fall far from the tree.  If I ever had any doubt that I was my mother's child, that would be gone too.  I now have some of the hospital receipts from her stay when I was born.  I found some for one of my brothers, but not the other.  It is quite possible that I just missed them.  Had my birthday not caught my eye as I was going through the papers, I wouldn't have seen mine to save it.  Will I continue to save it?  No.  It is currently with things to keep, but I plan to go through many things again and scan or photograph them and then get rid of the paper.  Having this box behind me is huge.  Other things I am happy for today:

• Keziah and I reorganized the piles of boxes that I still need to go through--again.  I touched almost every single one this time.  There are only a couple more that I expect to be horrible like the one I just finished.  We did a sort-books, craft, photos/genealogy, and misc.  The craft and photos/genealogy are going to stay where they are for a bit.  Ideally we are going through the book boxes tomorrow for the last official day of downsizing.  After at least one day off (Easter) I am going to try to continue doing a box a day.  It feels good to have a little more of a plan for which boxes to go through next.

Today before the sort.

Today after the sort.

• Watching the cats play on the toys that Keziah has purchased and built for them.

Nanni and Winston.

• Before dinner I took a nice walk out back and around the yard, about 1.6 miles.
• The garlic is starting to come up.

• There are shades of green starting to show.  Here are some of my favorite pictures from today.

• It is Minecraft night.  

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner, by Ann Larkin Hansen.

Stay safe.

Turning Dirt

 Three boxes went through today but nothing as fun as yesterday's old pictures.  Most of the things I got rid of.  Well, there were a bunch of old clothes and pieces of fabric that went back into a box for Keziah to use.  It is still gone from my list of things to sort.  I found one of my favorite skirt sets and it is in the box for Keziah.  It will never fit me again and will probably not ever be in style again either.  Honestly, this is me, it was probably not in style when I made it.  Other happy things for today:

• This morning I went to see a friend and shovel sheep manure.  It has been over a year since we have seen each other (pandemic) and it was a nice visit.  Also, I got more manure for the garden.  I borrowed a spindle of hers last time we saw each other, had it in the car, and I forgot to give it to her.  Guess I'll have to help her shovel again soon.  
• After talking with Zed about getting a tiller, I went out to the garden with a pitchfork and turned some of the dirt.  I may be jumping the gun.  Last year I felt like we started late, this year early.  The ground wasn't frozen at all.  This is the part of the garden that I had insect problems-squash bugs and squash vine borers.  Disturbing the soil may reduce the number I get this year.  The squash will also go in a different part of the garden.  It is a nice feeling to have this started.

This is the first of three rows I will need to do just to
get the area that I had squash and pumpkins last year.

☮

Currently listening to: Goodbye, Things, by Fumio Sasaki.
Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner, by Ann Larkin Hansen.

Stay safe.

Up

 This morning Gideon had another ski lesson.  He had a great time and got to go down the level 3 hill after the time on the bunny hill.  I wasn't there and don't ski.  All I know about these hills is that they get harder. Gideon had a great time!  They are looking into picking him up some used gear to finish out the season and hopefully still fit next year.  Other things I am happy about:

• It has only been a day but the plants I put into pots yesterday seem to be doing well.  This is good since there are more to do tomorrow.

• Yesterday I took a long walk with my friend Amy and I wasn't sure how I would feel physically today.  Thankful that I felt well and took a walk, a little over 4 miles.  I took a turn that brought me through some parts of town that I hadn't been to yet.  There is a commercial/light industrial area that I walked through.  I knew I would end up on a busy street and most likely won't repeat that walk often because of the traffic along that road.  `

That is me in the corner.
The snow is sticking with the t-shirt weather today.

Up.

• Keziah and Zed brought home a delicious cheesecake for dessert.   

☮

Currently reading:Currently reading: The Burgess Book of Nature Lore, by Thornton W. Burgess.

Stay safe.

International Day of Awesomeness

 It was my suggestion.  Whether it was a good idea or not will be learned tomorrow.  My friend Amy and I walked along one of the rail trails today getting a little over a five mile walk.  For some reason this seems like a huge amount today.  Perhaps because I am so tired now.  It was a good walk with awesome company.  We haven't seen each other since before Christmas.  We used to try to have socially distanced walks every few weeks.  Maybe I won't be too sore tomorrow.  Other things I am happy for today:

• There were plants that needed to be in larger pots.  I got that done.  Most of the soil Keziah picked up yesterday was still frozen.  Hopefully the temperature change wasn't too hard on the plants.
• Keziah has been working hard on making some new things for the cats to play on.  She put up a bridge and is in the process of making some hanging tunnels too.  

Folke trying to convince Winston that it is safe to cross.

Nanni, wide eyed, watching from the safety of a box.

Winston eventually went over the bridge.

• The sunset was lovely tonight.  

☮

Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.

Currently reading:Currently reading: The Burgess Book of Nature Lore, by Thornton W. Burgess.

Stay safe.

EdIt DaY

 Happy Sunday!  One of the things about being unemployed for me is that parts of the days just run together and other parts are specific to the weekend because other people do have day jobs.  I was hoping, since it is the weekend to take a walk with someone from the household.  It didn't work out that way.  People slept in, had errands to do, or online meetings to attend.  That is fine, I went on a little walk myself and listened to the audiobook.  While walking I also played a little Pokemon Go.  One of the options is to take a picture of my "pet" Pokemon.  When I did this today my picture was photobombed by another Pokemon.  Thank you to the people who designed this feature, it put a smile on my face today.

I caught that Smeargle, too!

Other happy things for today:

• Keziah and I are the people who had online meetings today.  In one of them I got to see the little young children of two different friends.  One of these is old enough that I met them before the pandemic, the other not so much.  So cute!
• It turns out that Zed's parents had some things for gardening that belonged to Zed and he stored there before we moved.  There is now another heating pad, more seed starters and a grow table with an adjustable light that just needs a bulb (I hope).  I'm looking forward to seeing what else I can plant.
• The new thing to do on Sunday is to edit the footage for the YouTube channel and downsizing.  We really need to do more during the week.  We are having fun going through and listening to voices speeding by as well as bloopers.

☮

Currently reading: The Burgess Book of Nature Lore, by Thornton W. Burgess.
Currently reading: The Backyard Homestead, by Carleen Madigan.
Currently listening to Quiet, by Susan Cain.

Stay safe.