Extreme Bloodloss due to Tomato picking......

I think I lost several pints of blood today while trying to talk my garden into behaving. The cucumbers are joining black bean families and the pumpkins are VERY big social climbers that enjoy entertaining the tomatoes and reaching across the "walkway" to the "left" side of the garden over the cucumbers where the winter squash and sweet corn are. Its a tangled mess of vines you could get lost in . While your lost in this jungle wonderland the huge new crop of vampire insects drain you of your lifeblood.
I chose NOT to pick the ripening tomatoes or even attempt to weed or police the border crossings....just 5 minutes and a huge cloud of voracious mosquitoes had covered me. I read that the mosquito traps that generally trap about 150 females are now trapping 2,220 and up. That is a significant increase for sure and I am thinking I need to invest in a bee suit. Or wait to garden until winter.....sigh.........

Laundry soap and other makings....

Today I felt like I ought to be making stuff as my chores were done pretty early thanks to an "early bird" in my house that finds it her duty to awaken me whenever she needs to "pussyfoot". She isn't too fussy about when either as she sleeps about 17 hours a day and 4am looks just as good to her as 8am. She is on the left and Escher, her father is on the right....

Anyway I love to make my own laundry soap for a variety of reasons. Its of course economical but also free of dyes and imitation stuff. I make it in patchouli and lavender so it smells divine. I think I may have to order some rose petals and see how that smells too. It occurred to me that others may enjoy this little treat as well and I will be offering it for sale in quarts. Mason jar quarts are my choice as they can be reused and shaken as which is recommended for each time you use it. Simple ingredients like borax, soda ash, ivory soap or unscented with Fels-Naptha for heavily soiled laundry are used . I maybe experimenting with Plote which is a pink bar soap for laundry and works well too.

I am going to work on my daughter's double wedding ring quilt started 2 years ago and finally finally just needs some hand applique'd pictures applied. I bought a 1930s top made from some gorgeous feed sack fabric, hand pieced. This February 14th will be her 3rd wedding anniversary and I made it for her wedding....hmmmnn....It took me almost 2 years to finish hand quilting and sewwing the border. I hope I finish it before their 25th anniversary....

There is her wedding picture in the center circle and then outward are her hubbies parents, and grandparents as well as Chantel's and I found great grandparents and added in her brother and sister as well as other relatives in the circles. There is plenty of room for her to add children ect...if she ever has any....I, for one, tire of waiting.

Since hubby is on 12 hour shifts 2 and 3 days a week I find I have LOTS of time to get things done. I have the urge to once again create fall pumpkin head dolls and linens as well back to school and baby boutique clothing. I have slacked off this summer sewwing but its time to get back to... my machine has been getting a busy signal when it calls me. I am also eager to try my new serger that intimidates me just looking at it and havent even removed it from the box.

Pretty corn stalks and "hunting" for worms

I was so excited to grow corn this year for the first time ever and bought some heirloom organic bantam sweet corn just to see if I could do it. The stalks are beautiful fall decoration too and apparently that is all it will be because they are tall and majestic and deaf as a post as they have no EARS! Well they look good and give the garden added height and interest even though I wasnt growwing anything in hoping it would all come together like a nice livingroom design....I don't know why they they didnt pollinate because there are bees everywhere and everything else is very well pollinated.
Due to all the rain I haven't had to water in more than a week which is nice and it seems to have a positive effect on the worm situation. Last year we were inundated with very wiggly worms I tried not to cut in half when digging but this year the early "droughty" period must of made them go way deep until now. Night time produced a big crop of night crawlers for fishing. I am eager to replenish my worm composter as well...they are such helpful little creatures and make such wonderful soil.

Home is where .....you drag everyone to look at your garden.

Here at our little homestead the most exciting thing of late is our ever growwing garden and of course the chickens....its peaceful, serene and often reminds me of a lazy flowwing river full of activity under the surface but relaxing just the same.

I am not a "neat" gardener by any stretch of the imagination and tend to let it go were it will until I cant get in to see what's happening. In the beginning there are neat rows, dutifully hoed and weed free and as summer turns up the heat it becomes more "green inbetween" those rows and quite frankly I am okay with it. I have found that certain bugs are more interested in those weeds rather than my plants as well. Kind of makes me wonder if that is the way its supposed to be.