I am SO tired. And here are today's top ten.
You may ask: "Taylor! Top Ten what?"
I have no idea.
1) We have weeds. Lots of them. I pulled weeds for six hours today.
Six. SIX. SIX.
See those rows? Them are half rows. We have at least 40 full rows, maybe more.
Excuse me? I believe we wanted a large garden?
Hello!
I so tired. And discouraged. Isn't gardening supposed to be an enjoyable hobby?
Because I want to burn it to the ground. True story.
2) Pop Quiz? What is this plant:
A pumpkin or a watermelon? I can't remember what I planted there. Ha!
Please don't say it's a weed. Please don't say it's a weed.
3) I made this recipe this week. It was yummy.
Check it out, my internet friends.
4) All day long I have wanted to read my book. It is not going to happen. The weeds are eating my fun.
5) Look at what my crafty sister in law, Lisa, made me for my birthday:
The item on the left is for to hang necklaces. (It hangs on the wall horizontally)
The item on the right is for to hang earrings.
Look at Lisa and her crafty self!
6) Speaking of Lisa and all things crafty, I am heading to her house on the morrow for a Pinterest day with her and my other sis in law, Amy.
We are planning on making these:
My one job is to bring the chicken wire. Which just shows what kind of gal I am. And isn't that sad? That I am now the go-to gal for chicken wire? I was a bit worried about the aforementioned craft because David always takes his wire cutters to work with him. And every good rancher knows you need wire cutters. For to cut the chicken wire.
No fear! My handy sister in law, Lisa, has a pair of her own.
I will never be as cool as her.
7) Did you know chickens can dig holes? Ask me how I know.
8) David is going to be home late. Again. I am hoping he will get an epiphany to bring home some ice cream.
9) Since you all just asked how I knew that chickens can dig holes, I will tell you.
I see them.
You see, dear readers, I can see the chickens from my bedroom window. They will oft dig small little holes and sit in them throughout the day. Well, today, I noticed at least fifteen chickens who decided to allow themselves to become "free-range" without my permission.
Turns out, they dug a hold under the fence and burrowed their way to freedom. My girls herded the chickens back in, and I, the strong Lumberjill that I clearly am, filled in the hole.
Then I went and weeded the garden. Because, have you heard? Weeding is the bane of my existence. And it is sucking all the joy out of my life.
10) I gave all four kids haircuts yesterday. I would describe them as:
"eh."
The girls are ok. The boys are a bit iffy. And if someone could please, PLEASE tell me how to cut a boys' hair with scissors and NOT with an electric trimmer, I would be forever grateful.
But anyways.
I was so proud of myself for saving some cash. Because you know. Sometimes we feel poor.
Well. It's a good thing I saved that haircut money because, guess what! The TV broke at our loathsome rental and we had to go buy a new one last night.
Because a brand, spanking new TV is quite comparable in costs to four kids haircuts that look mediocre at best.
So, tell me dear readers.
1) Do you cut your kids' hair?
2) How does it look? Really?
3) Am I growing pumpkins or watermelons?
4) Do you want to come weed my garden?
5) Do you have your own wire cutters?
6) Do you have a supply of chicken wire to impress your crafty friends with?
Good Day.
I don't cut my girls' hair (you mess up ONE time, and you're banned for life!) but I do cut my Hubby's. I use electric trimmers, with different sized guards, and you really can't mess up. Unlike scissors....
ReplyDeleteNow, if the girls would just let me use electric trimmers on their hair, we would be all set :)
Re: Weed situation at your ranch.
ReplyDeleteLet the rabbits out!!! You won't have a single weed to pick again...ask me how I know!
1. I do not cuts my kid's hair, it would be crooked.
ReplyDelete2.You could be growing a pumpmelon.
3. I would gladly help you weed.
4. No wire cutters or craftyness here in this house.
I do not weed! I can sympathize, but not empathize. (I think I have that right.)
ReplyDeleteYour chickens are feisty.
I cannot cut my son's hair. I have before, and then I took him right away to a regular hair cutter and said,"Please fix it!" It was embarrassing. I do cut Eliana's hair, but I've only done it once, and I just went straight across the back and took off the stringy ends. It was pretty simple. I didn't mess with the sides though.
So I have never commented before, but I love your blog!
ReplyDeleteMy first guess was a cucumber! My brother said squash. But if it's either watermelon or pumpkin, then it's a pumpkin. It's definitely not a weed. :) But time will tell! :)
I sympathize with the weed situation. Only I live on a farm, and have that on a bigger scale! Right now I have very long rows, full of grass and weed that I have to clean out!
@Marian: But if you let the rabbits out, won't they eat the garden as well? ;)
It's not a watermelon. They have different leaves. Did you plant cucumbers cause that's what it looks like more than a pumpkin!
ReplyDeleteAnd here's the best advice I can give you, unless you are against any chemicals. There is a product called pre emergent that prevents seeds from germinating...any seed, including weeds.
It won't kill what's there but if you planted anything by seed, wait until they sprout, and then put down the pre emergent and your weed problem will be cut at least in half!
I think you are amazing!
Oh you poor thing. Well at least you're all over those weeds. Holla! :)
ReplyDeleteI cut my kids’ hair when they were little … as they got older, I became paralyzed by the fear of a critical error leaving nowhere to go but a flat top, so I quit. But my boys still beg me to be their barber. Holla! All sympathy on the mondo weeding project … perhaps you should get a horse. Because a horse will help you with all that. It won’t discriminate on which green things coming out of the ground to snack on, but it would be glad to help. Ask me how I know. Helpful tip to get you through tedious tasks: audio books. Totally addicting. I can’t identify the mystery plant. But I can warn you of the dangers of cross-pollination. Did you know similar plants can cross-polinate? I certainly did not. One year we grew the most delicious cantaloupes EVER. The next year I graduated myself to cantaloupes *and* pumpkins … and they cross pollinated. I ask you, what tastes worse than a punkalope? NOTHING. Not one. single. thing.
ReplyDeleteShoot! I thought I knew where the cucu
ReplyDeletembers were! Now I am all confused. ;)
I do not cut my kids' hair. My husband does with his clippers--Baby Girl isn't old enough to need one and I don't know what we'll do then--but the boys' haircuts cannot be considered marvelous. In the name of frugality we live with mediocrity. My husband also cuts his own hair with said clippers. I'm pretty sure we could achieve more glorious results (he has great hair) but all my persuasion has been in vain.
ReplyDeleteOn the weed note, once a row is weeded can you put down straw in between the rows? My parents did that in their garden and it certainly lessened the weeding space. If David is so good at finding chickens, wood, rabbits and such, straw seems right up his alley. But who knows, maybe it is in some way bad for the garden--I'm not an expert. I just want you to be able to read your book. :)
Punkalope. Hilarious. Who knew?!
ReplyDeleteHa Ha! I feel your pain--on all levels! We just finished harvesting our garden, this week, but oh how I remember those endless days of weeding!!! To see it now, you'd think we NEVER weeded it!
ReplyDeleteYour plant looks like a squash or cucumber to me, but what do I know?
I tried cutting our boys hair a few times...until I had a slip of the clippers! Oh my, was I embarrassed when I had to take him to the barber shop. I always kept our daughter's hair trimmed, and it looked "eh". LOL
I recently learned that chickens, do indeed, dig holes. I didn't know this before! Ours try to dig to China every day!!! Luckily, Ed buried the wire under the ground on the outside of the coop~
SIX hours?!?!!? Six HOURS?!?!?! Oh my life! I'm no expert, but isn't there some kind of membrane you can put down to stop weeds from growing? I think you could even put it over the weeds which are already there and it will cut off their light supply and kill them for you. Six hours .... phew. Tell me, what do you do in your SPARE time?! ;o)
ReplyDeleteMy son's hair looked best in a very short boys cut. So we really had to go to the barbershop every 3 weeks which gets expensive. There was a youngish girl there. Surprise. At a men's barbershop. I just watched her cut so many times that I could trim the edges and get my scissors really close the the scalp and I could do a passable enough job that we got a professional cut less often. So just watch how they do it a few times and try to duplicate. Also they have how to books at the library which I also used. Yes, your sister in law is very crafty. I also have wire cutters and lots of tools and 4 sewing machines for to make all the little dudes stuff. Your garden seems big for a first trial.
ReplyDeleteYou must be super woman... I have never spent six hours weeding and I pray I never have to. I hope it pays off in the end.
ReplyDeleteI do know one thing for sure... That is not watermelon or pumpkin... At least no variety I've ever seen.
You must be super woman... I have never spent six hours weeding and I pray I never have to. I hope it pays off in the end.
ReplyDeleteI do know one thing for sure... That is not watermelon or pumpkin... At least no variety I've ever seen.
You must be super woman... I have never spent six hours weeding and I pray I never have to. I hope it pays off in the end.
ReplyDeleteI do know one thing for sure... That is not watermelon or pumpkin... At least no variety I've ever seen.
You must be super woman... I have never spent six hours weeding and I pray I never have to. I hope it pays off in the end.
ReplyDeleteI do know one thing for sure... That is not watermelon or pumpkin... At least no variety I've ever seen.
You must be super woman... I have never spent six hours weeding and I pray I never have to. I hope it pays off in the end.
ReplyDeleteI do know one thing for sure... That is not watermelon or pumpkin... At least no variety I've ever seen.
Cucumber was my first thought too
ReplyDeletePUNKALOPE!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWeeding cannot be good for knees.
ReplyDeleteHiya.
ReplyDeleteI am having to catch up, reading many posts tonight. You have been having so much fun!
Cutting hair came with the marriage contract for me - I do his hair, I don't have to mow the grass. I use scissors on the top and clippers with a graduated guard for the sides. My DH has been asked where he gets it cut, and then, how much I would charge. Since getting married to me is kind of a high price, they pass. The boys' cuts reflect how well they sit still for the event, though the laptop playing a cartoon on the bathroom counter does help in that regard. To use scissors ONLY is a skill learned at old fashioned barber schools. It is uEber difficult to do well without said edumacation. Ask me how I know.
Pumpkin leaves have jagged edges. Don't know about watermelon.
I DO have my own wire cutters. You never know when they'll come in handy.
I would like to be crafty, but am besot with mundane chores and rarely seem to find the time. ya know?
Storey's Basic Country Skills is a book I would recommend for your (still) new non-city girl life. As I recall, they advise practical methods for using garden space wisely so you don't have to spend so much time with the weeds. Or Rosa.
I would not spend six hours doing something I liked, let alone something I loathed lol. Yes I do own wire cutters, two pair as a matter of fact lol. What are the chicken wire in frames for? They are awfully cute.
ReplyDeletePUNKALOPE !!!! ROTFLMBO !!!!
ReplyDeleteYou can get a rototiller to run down between the rows and till up the weeds. My parents used to always plant the rows with just enough room to run the rototiller between them when needed for the first couple of times. After a few weeks of that, they would lay the grass clippings from the lawn between them. Reasons I like this idea . . .
ReplyDeleteA - there is an endless supply of clippings so no buying fancy weed barriers or straw if you don't have any.
B - You can walk down the rows when it is damp out and not be caked in mud.
C - When you do have to weed in the rows, grass clippings are softer to kneels on.
And I'm voting pumpkin . . . but I am sooooooo not an expert.
Hmmm. The weeds are a conundrum.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should switch up your garden and grow weed. You know, the more lucrative type. Of course, you'll become a drug dealer and all, but it might cover the cost of haircuts. And possibly bail.
Use Preen in your garden, as long as your plants are all up (no longer a seed) you are good. You just have to pull the weeds and then use the Preen and you should have some amazing weed control going on!
ReplyDeleteWe use black plastic on our garden, just cut holes for where the plants go. Saves tons of time in weeding and most plants really like it because it keeps the ground nice and warm for them. Not all plants can stand the plastic in our area (broccoli, cabbage, etc), but most can. Gardens are so much work, but it is nice to reap the harvest, I hope you have more than you can can or freeze. :)
ReplyDeleteYou are quite the adventurous Lumberjill with all of your goings-on. Whether forced to be or not. Holes are typically never good in gardens, right?
ReplyDeleteA little hair snipping must pale in comparison to all of the weeding you've undertaken. Hopefully, no undertaker ends up having to take care of you because of it!
I do not own chicken wire - but I've seen it. On blogs and such.
I do not cut my childrens' hair. Their very lives depend upon me NOT doing such a thing.
I think I heart your sister-in-law's creativity. A lot. Does she ETSY?
I've been learning to garden since we moved to Montana from the big city 21 years ago (you were 10 then). Depending on where we live, our gardens have been BIG or teeny.
ReplyDeleteToday, we have a BIG garden at the farm. I love to garden and I don't mind weeding a little bit from time to time. It makes the garden pretty and it's good for the plants.
Here's how we solve the weed dilema at our house.
1. Go out as a family.
2. Set a timer for 15 minutes.
3. Focus pulling weeds around the base of the plants; let the rest go until later (if ever).
4. As you week, think about how happy your little plants will feel when they are no longer being choked.
Your garden is stunning and I didn't see any weeds. You did great.
Love,
Laura
P.S. You can make the tomatoes into spaghetti sauce and can it.