Cajun, great news! I know you and his parents must be relieved to have an answer. Hopefully he will recover quickly.
January 2011 part 2 What lies ahead in the end of January?
i have a friend who last year almost died, due to a leak in her bowel.
Her Dr. kept giving her antibiotics for bladder infection , so 2 yrs later , wow did she get sick.
Walmart insurance does 'nt cover ICU ? go figure on that one
she is better but will always have trouble. She may have to go on dialysis . poor thing.
i sure wish i could help her out with some herbs ect.... and teach her about her diet but ..... falls on deaf ears. what can i do ?
great gal she is. so funny at times. LOL got to love her. :)
Ray is doing well tonight. He is on pain meds and antibiotics. He is still running a low grade fever and doesn't want to move around much but he did walk to the bathroom and back before he went back to sleep. He has complained about his stomach off and on for over a year now and I suspected it might be a chronic appendix. My brother's appendix ruptured when he was 5 yo. He nearly died. He had had problems with it from the age of 2 and they couldn't figure it out. My Mom was super worried about Ray because of it.
Sue, it's a miracle your friend did not die.
He is finally eating a bit of jello and juice tonight and holding it down. He was also sitting up in the bed playing the Wii. He perked up when my DD and DGS took my Momma and Poppa down to the city to see him. Mom said DD had him laughing. Be glad when he is able to go home.
I was dreading getting up this morning. They were calling for it to start snowing last night. Told us we could expect 6" to 10" of wet snow. Figured the power would go out. Woke up and let the rooster and the dog out and all we had was a little dusting od sleet. The sun shone most of the afternoon and it would have been pleasant but for the cold wind.
Got the bottom layer of pavers laid for a second SFG bed. I use 3 layers so I have a ways to go. Then to fill it will compost and manure in time for Spring planting.
A couple of friends from church brought their pygmy billy for me to use to breed my does. I was hoping to have Marble picked up first. I have traded her for 10 bales of top quality hay for my horses. The guy is coming to pick her up tomorrow. I had also wanted to have Dusty over to another friends to breed her to his billy. Might be able to get her away in the morning. Since she is not in heat tonight, the morning might not be too late.
Got 2 seed trades in the mail today and a box of donated seeds for the swap. I am really getting excited about it. I hope it is a success.
That's about all that's going on at Maranatha farms.
We lucked out with the weather, too. Rained quite a bit one day, snowed 4" the next day and now 2 days later, the snow is gone. Sure is a muddy mess out there now, but the sun is shining and it's in the 40's for a second day.
Got together last night with my two partners for our MG project. They were pleased with the outline I did for the whole project, plus the outlines for each of the 6 meetings. The flyer I put together was well received, too, with only a couple of suggested changes. One was replacing the word "workshop" with "seminar". The other was moving "Free" from near the bottom of the page to the top and making it larger text. We're starting the seminars on Feb. 14th, meeting every Monday evening for 6 weeks. Valentine's Day may not be the best choice to start, but figured during the introduction we'll make a "joke" about it being an appropriate day to talk about living a heart healthy lifestyle eating lots of fresh vegetables. We each chose our segments for the the first meeting. One is starting out talking about Op vs Hybrid seeds, saving seeds and how much to plant. I'll talk about the actual seed starting and using different containers (seed trays, soda bottles, etc) and taking care of seedlings, then the other guy will talk about soil tests. We decided that we'll do a 5-10 min. meet and greet, then each of us will present for 20-30 min. with a 10 min. break between each, followed by Q & A's to wrap up the meeting. Our local BP service station has an adjacent diningroom that will seat 28, that we can use for free. Anyway...we're good to go!
I'm SO glad I could take the weather you guys didn't want, LOL!
Robin, sounds great! (I much prefer to attend a workshop over a seminar, though. 'Workshop' sounds like I could interact, while 'Seminar' sounds like a lecture to me.)
{snicker} we didn't want to be selfish :) Look at the bright side...lots of moisture building up in the soil as it melts..
I preferred "workshop" too, but I was out voted. I had put this all together before meeting with my partners and I had told them I would not be offended if they wanted to make changes. I also wanted them to feel like they had some say in the preparations. Since there was only the 2 little things that they both agreed about changing, I was agreeable. I'll post a copy of our flyer sometime this weekend.
sounds great msrobin. i sure wish you luck in this adventure.
i didn't have as much luck in my quest for a project with our local city garden. :(
she is just a person who won't see outside the box. ? but i did make way with our local farmers market on some new ideas on meetings and workshops. he seems more interested in doing some of those.
sorry to hear of your weather darius. Just be glad your not in NY ! yikes poor people in all that mess.
Robin... compromise: seminar/workshop!
Taynors, we are getting tremendous support from our Extension office.
Here's the seminar info on our flyer. It didn't format right when I pasted it here.
FREE VEGETABLE GARDENING SEMINAR
with an emphasis on naturally-grown produce ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's time to start planning your garden!
Please join us for a few evenings of discussion on
how to have a successful garden.
Learn the basics to get your garden off to a great start.
Save time and money with some new ideas.
TOPICS WILL INCLUDE
Starting transplants from seeds.
Choosing a garden site for traditional gardening.
Square Foot Gardening.
Container gardening. Edible Landscapes.
Soil Improvement. Organic gardening.
Garden pests and control measures.
Garden diseases, prevention and remedies.
Controlling weeds. Mulching.
Season extenders.
Irrigation. Rain Barrels.
Companion planting.
And much more!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How far is Caneyville, KY from Rocky Mount, VA ? - never mind I'll map it.
Not gonna be able to do a 500 mile trip - though i would like.
Looks wonderful, Robin!
Thanks. I appreciate the positive response here. I hope our fellow residents are as interested. Our town and surrounding area has close to 900 households. The place we're holding this seats 28. I have my name and phone number on the flyer, asking people to pre-register. We'll post flyers this weekend and then there's 2 weeks before we start. We're hoping at least 10 to 12 people are interested enough to attend.
Is there a local garden club? 4H? FFA? Seniors Center with a garden program?
Darius, in regards to getting the word out? I don't think there's any of those in our town, except for maybe the 4-H. But then again, when I was at the extension office today, they were all for us handing our 4-H flyers at the first meeting. Two MG from our town have offered to post flyers for us. One at a local church and the other at the local food pantry. We'll also be posting flyers at several businesses in town, as well as several businesses up to 7 miles out in 3 different directions. We're emailing the flyer to the rest of our MG classmates, because a couple of fellow classmates wanted to be told when we were starting, as they wanted to attend. So, getting the word out isn't a problem. Just don't know how much interest there's going to be. This is a rural, farming community, with most of the population being older, so most already garden. The other gardeners that I have met and talked to around here, don't understand my methods, ie: wide/raised rows, mulching, organic, etc. We might draw a few older folks just out of curiosity. I'm probably just worrying for nothing. Surely there are at least a few people who are interested in improving their gardening skills, especially when it's free and so close to home.
However, my partners are much more optimistic. Before we really started exchanging ideas for this project, one was already suggesting we do another one in the fall and he wants to start an organic gardening club after this project is over.
Wow! You are on the ball. I pray it is a great success. I see no reason why it shouldn't be. If it was in my community, I'd sure go. You have a wide range of subjects that should appeal to the gardening masses. I do agree with Darius about the workshop detail. Especially with your target group being older, established farmers. I doubt they will appreciate being "lectured" on what they have been doing for decades.
I am so thankful we didn't get all that wet snow they were predicting. We'd have been without power for sure. We got a little better than an inch last night but the temps warmed up to 40* early and it melted. But a cold wind blew most of the day.
The guy I traded my goat to came and got her this morning and brought my 10 bales of hay. Glad to have that done. I will keep this billy I borrowed for a week or so. He is a cute little guy and very pleasant but he stinks. LOL
Ray, my DGS, came home from the hospital tonight. Made them stop on the way home and get him something to eat. I am so relieved and thankful to God. With his appendix rupturing like it did, it could have been very bad.
I worked in the dark last night in the light from the wash room window and started my second SFG bed. I got the first layer of pavers down. It is supposed to get up to 50* tomorrow so I hope to get a good bit more done on it. I have found a pile of rotted wood chips to use in it. I will add some bagged potting soil or top soil and some horse or goat manure also. Hope to have it ready for planting time.
Seed swap is coming along. People seem to be getting interested. A lady on Cubits sent me a quart bag of individual packaged seeds to help with the swap. I sure appreciate it. It will be a big boost to our community. We live in a poor, depressed area that suffers a lot of drug addiction. The people need a lot of help. Growing a garden could be a good step in the right direction.
Really strange thing has happened at our house tonight. We went to some friend's house because they wanted DH to officiate over renewing their wedding vows. We had a nice time and stayed a couple of hours. When we got home around 10 I came in the front door and went into my bedroom. My BC was asleep by the bed as usual. Then I saw something run past the door to the office. My BC caught sight of it and went to investigate, as did I. It was a brown puppy! Looks like a Brussels Griffon. Likely a cross of a small breed with a rough coat and a boxer. It has a protruding lower jaw and a rough coat. It is a male that looks to be around 3 months old and very skinny. Somebody had to walk up to my house, open the front door and put the puppy inside my house. Nothing was bothered. We had valuables , computers, guitars, a gun, DH's meds, ect. sitting out but nothing had been touched. Just this puppy in the house. I half expect it to be a joke that we will hear about tomorrow. Anyway, the pup is in the bathroom with my BC and they are sleeping. We tried to put him in the utility room but it has no door between it and the kitchen. We blocked it off with a piece of steel grating about 3 1/2 feet tall but he climbs it. If it is not a joke and somebody has put it off on us, we will have to find it a home. Like I don't have enough to do. It is a strange thing. I will not leave my door unlocked again.
Woke up at 3:30, wide awake and couldn't go back to sleep. Ugh! Going to be a long day!
I just saw on the news that the recorded high and low temps for January (in Louisville) are 62 on the 1st and 6 on the 23rd, with a total of 10" of snow. They didn't mention the rain totals, but we've also had quite a bit of rain this month. Quite a temperature swing. The lowest we saw here (about 100 miles southeast of Louisville) was 9. Suppose to be 50 today and mid to upper 40's the rest of the week with lots of rain in a few days. Whoohoo!
Cajun, you are just full of good news! Glad to hear Ray is doing well!
That's kind of scary that you know someone was in your house, joke or not. We live in the same kind of area, with a lot of the population being poor or druggies. I always lock my doors and turn on the alarm when I leave the house.
Tell me again when you are having your seed swap. I'll go through my boxes of seeds out today. Do you want both flowers and vegetables? And can you please tell us again what plans you have for the seed swap?
I have to clean out the chicken coop today, since it's going to be so nice. The roof leaked bad over the winter with all the snow and rain we've had and the 8" of straw on the ground is wet, muddy and matted down. Going to pull it all out and haul it to the garden.
I'm hoping the young man that I'm paying for cutting back my overgrown perrenial garden comes back soon to finish that up. He's cutting back all the overgrown weeds, herbs and asparagus to the ground and carrying the debris to the burn pile. The big vegetable garden isn't in too bad of shape. as we did a lot of fall cleanup in it. I got the big flower beds around the house cut back and cleaned up before winter, and the chickens have been doing a great job of turning over the surface soil. so hopefully, won't have too many weeds in there this summer.
Darius, I started catching up on your blog yesterday. Love your bean hoop! If the feed store delivers, I'm going to put up 2-3 cattle panels. It will also be great to plant salad greens under the hoops for some heat relief.
Taynors, how are your kids doing this winter? I remember they were sick a lot last winter? Is DH still doing the same work as last year?
Haven't heard much from the rest of group lately...
Cajun ~ if I had to bet, you won't hear who put the pup in your home. They did that because they knew you just well enough to know you would either take it in or find it a good home.
Quoting:
And that sounds familiar. This area is so similar. I often wonder why poverty and drugs go hand in hand when it takes money to buy drugs. We live in a poor, depressed area that suffers a lot of drug addiction. The people need a lot of help.
How soon were you having the seed swap? I haven't sent the herbal seeds yet as I was waiting on some seed orders to come in to see if there is extra I can include. Hope I am not too late...
MsRobin ~ your workshop/seminar sounds terrific. Due to your hard work, it is coming together. I'm guessing all those topics will be spread out over all six workshops ~ not covered the first night? I wish you the wildest success and wish I too, was closer. I'd be there with bells on!
Be sure to post flyers where seed stock is sold like the feed store, hardware, etc. Also, I don't think you mentioned any local newspaper or radio stations. DH is a TX hunter safety instructor. When he and the game wardens schedule courses, they receive free promotion thru both the radio and paper. Just a thought...
Six weeks of seminars will be steppin' on your gardening season. You will be busier than....
Podster, nope, it won't be interferring with my garden plans. We're starting the seminar the 14th of February and will finish up the 21st of March. It was planned to start the week before cole crop seeds should be started inside and be done by the time I start getting busy in the garden. We don't plant out much here till late March, when the spring crops go out. The Extension office will run notices in the community news section of our county paper. Haven't heard for sure, but I think they will also pay for the soil tests for the seminar participants.
Here's the outline we're using;
Wk 1-Seeds: Hybrid vs OP, seed saving, seed starting, soil test info
Wk 2-Garden spaces: Preparing a garden site, soil improvements, square foot gardening, container gardening, edible landscapes, composting
Wk 3-Pests and control
Wk 4-Disease and remedies, companion planting
Wk 5-Irrigation, rain barrels, frost protection/season extenders, weed control, mulching, misc. tips and ideas
Wk 6-Results of soil tests, info about Extension office & MG course
We'll be discussing traditional chemical treatments too, but our main focus will be on using organic alternatives as much as possible. As we all know, gardening can be an expensive hobby. Growing organically, saving seeds and composting can save a gardener quite a bit of money.
I really appreciate all of the encouragement here. :) I have to go to town this morning. I think I'm going to treat myself to breakfast at the local coffee shop, then come home and play in the dirt..
Good day to you all
compared to last winter kids have only been sick 1 or 2 times. Knock on wood LOL
still no sun , nor anywhere near above freezing today or in any day soon. no sun predicted in the next 8 days either.
we are still chipping away at the GH. Dh is doing a bit slower job then i would want. but??? I just want it done.
already behind in forcing some plants out.
I sure hope Jane is having fun at her retreat.
January has been a slooooow month for me.
We are lucky this pup is well behaved and has not shown any inclination to tear things up. He has really taken a shine to DH and vise versa. I hope we do not end up keeping him. He won't get big by the looks of him. He is an odd looking character but cute in his own way. DH is calling him Tramp after the dog in Lady and the Tramp. His undershot jaw looks like Tramp in the scene where they are eating spaghetti. I'll have to get a pic of him. If putting him in here was a joke I fail to see the humor in it. We are blessed he did not tear the house apart. I won't be leaving my door unlocked anymore.
My seed swap will be 4/2. I hope to use it to introduce gardeners to new things and maybe get younger people and retired gardeners into growing a bit of their own food. I would also like to see a layed back "garden club" come out of it. We will have all kinds of seeds. I figure the bigger variety we offer, the more people will come out to the swap.
I hate drug use and addiction. Adults can make their own choices and live with the consequenses but children are the ones who suffer the most and can't do anything about it. The grocery money goes to buy drugs and unscrupulous business owners will take pop at cut rate prices for drugs, so the addicted parents go spend all the food stamps on pop and trade it for drugs to the business owners who turn around and sell the pop at regular prices. I hope to get more people growing a bit of food and maybe some of these affected kids can get a good, healthy meal.
It's just as bad with beer & cigarettes. They both come first for those folks."If we have money left, we will buy food."
Dang, Taynors, I envy your ambitiousness this morning. I always wake up more tired in the mornings than when I went to bed the night before.
Bright and sunny here again today.
I wake up tired too because I dream all night and don't rest.
Great service at church this morning. Beautiful day here today. Had my lunch now time to get out and get the feeding done.
A 4H meeting on Sunday?
Sure wish I could see you sleding! Stay warm and safe. That weather is nothing to take for granted.
We had a great day here and it sure has perked me up. I only wore 1 pair of pants and 1 shirt. Short sleeves at that! I got all my feeding done, took 3 game roosters off and put another tier of pavers on BOTH SFG beds. Now I just have to finish filling them and I will be ready for spring planting. Whoo Hoo!!!
I went to the grocery tonight for dog food and heard people talking about 50MPH winds after midnight. I was worried for my pullet pen but God has spared us. The storm has gone north of us. We have gotten a bit of rain but nothing worse.
We've used up January so let's head over here... http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1152842/
Taynors stay warm and be careful on that icy hill. Great fun but we don't mend as fast as we used to... LOL
Cajun ~ glad you have dodged this weather bullet.
Hope everyone else checks in and is all right.
With yesterdays wind, we only lost power for a few short times. Not so lucky here on temps either, it is hovering at frozen in daytime and the teens at night for the rest of the week. And a light snow this a.m. ~ ALL RIGHT already! Up a few times feeding the GH heater and dripping water with a light bulb on the pump means I still have plants and water so life is good!
All the four legged residents at my house are reluctant to go out and have finally quit wearing the door hinges out. They spent yesterday evening in hopes of warmer temps so would go out and in and out and... Need an air lock on the doors!
Off to work... stay warm and safe today!