A Perfect Week Off

The end of Spring Break has nearly come, one day left. It has really been a great week. I packed Claire off to spend the week with her father. They spent a few days in Bloomington, IL with family at his father's memorial service - heartfelt sympathies to all. Then they drove across Indiana and Ohio and into Pennsylvania where Dad lives. Friday and Saturday they were in NYC - this part made me jealous!

I enjoyed plenty of time catching up with friends and family. Catching up way into the night with Gina; knitting and spinning at Heritage Farmstead with Laurie; Easter brunch with a group of friends; Easter dinner with family; a lovely afternoon with my cousins visiting from Nantucket; an evening with the "Chicken Whisperer" at the feed store in Waxahachie (yes); a small party with friends; White Rock Market (got some fresh baked bread); DFW Fiber Fest and the Main Street Arts Festival in Fort Worth with Janet. I love all the events of Springtime!

In between outings, the quiet and solitude of my time off has been renewing. I spent much of it outside in the garden. I went through all the old seed packets and seeds harvested from things I've grown. Some of them are 5 or 6 years old, but many are from last year. I planted: Birdhouse Gourd, Hyacinth Bean Vine, mixed squash (called "Summer of Squash"), loads of Morning Glories (I don't ever need to buy packets of these any more, they make so many seeds on their own), Alyssum, Comos, Zinnias, Sunflowers, corn, peas, basil and some cotton seeds (I believe they are from a trip out to west TX a few years ago, from the side of the road.

Then there was the battle of the Honeysuckle! It is so beautiful in the right places, but it is a choking vine. It had overtaken my rose garden. It was quite a job to get rid of it, let me tell you! I yanked and pulled and chopped until finally I think I got most of it. It forms giant matted roots that spread everywhere. No doubt there is still some lurking below the ground that will come back. But I'll be ready! 

On the left is actually Rosenary, not a Honeysuckle bush. On the right are the roses, free at last.

The vegetable garden is sprouting and growing; I am even harvesting some. I have wonderful young lettuce and spinach and yummy sweet peas.

 

Later in the season there will be aubergines (of course), tomatoes, canteloupes, black beans, strawberries, potatoes and far less time spent in the grocery store!