City Girl Lessons Learned V1.0

I learned several lessons today as we went out to our property to pull roots in preparation for the 3 acre plot to be disk plowed.

1. Some days...no matter how much you and your significant other love each other...you will want to hurt each other.

2. If the mud is soft enough to stick to your boots...your truck will get stuck in it.

3. Just because it is cloudy and rainy...I can still get heat exhaustion.

4. Ask questions...don't just trust the little old man set up on the side of the road sellling fruit. You may assume he is selling local food. But he may be selling plums from California. Is there a season for plums in South Texas?

5. Just when you think you want to smack your significant other, he offers you half of his chicken salad sandwich because there was not enough bread for both of you to have a sandwich.

6. Chicken salad made with apples tastes sweet when you throw it up.

7. Some days you just can't win.

Confession

I have a confession to make.

I can not wait to turn 40.

I want to reach that point when other peoples' opinions of me really don't matter. Many people can say at various ages that they don't care what other's think. I have not reached that point. I love seeing women in their 40's and 50's who are confident and carry themselves with a certain air. Something that says I have lived life...

It may not be like your life, but it is mine, and it is perfect. Regardless of what it has been in the eyes of others. Regardless of whether it has been anyone elses idea of perfect or not. It has been lived...and that is enough. That it is not about a comparison or being better than someone else. We all are just who we are and that is okay. Period.

I have had my own dreams and goals...and I have either achieved them, or I am busting my ass now to achieve them. But even more than that. It is about achieving those goals because it is something you want. Not as a comparison to someone else or someone else dreams. They just are what they are. My dreams. Not mine because someone else thinks they should be mine. But mine because I have spent hours, and days, and years wanting them and working for them.

Perhaps its not the number per se, maybe it's just the experience or wisdom. Whichever it is, I can't wait.

The Dolphin Tamer and I went to dinner last night and as we were eating dinner, in walked this fabulous group of older women (most likely over 50) all wearing red hats of varying sizes, shapes and levels of outrageousness. I was in heaven and in fact was trying to work out a plan to adopt each and every one of them as my grandmother. I was hoping their fabulousness would wear off on me.

I told DT that I couldn't wait until I was older so that I could wear big, fabulous hats in public. It falls in line with having the confidence and wisdom that I was talking about above. Perhaps I will have reached that level when I can confidently go out in public with an outrageous hat and not be concerned with what the people think.

Pickled Okra

There are few things that can make me weak in the knees: my husband, a new seed catalog, and pickled okra. I have not tasted these yet as they have another week to go. But here is the recipe and I will let you know what we think.

Pickled Okra
by Yvonne Eckert

3 lbs uncut and washed okra pods
1 clove of garlic for each jar
Mustard seeds
6 Peppercorns
6 Small red hot peppers
Dill seed
1 Qt. Water
1 Qt. Distilled Vinegar
1/3 c. Pickling salt
3/4 c. Sugar

Pack okra into hot pint jars. To each pint add one clove of garlic, 1 teaspoon dill seed, 1 peppercorn, 1 small red hot pepper and 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed.

Make brine of water, vinegar, salt and sugar. Heat to a boil. Pour over okra. Close jars and process in boiling water bath for 20 minutes. Makes 6 pint jars.

Enjoy...

Denim Skirt

Clearly...our life is different from about a year ago. Remember when I told you that Michael Pollan's book "In Defense of Food" changed my life. I was not kidding. Since then I have become more concerned about recycling, eating locally and sustainably, renewable resources, and making a difference in our world.

Speaking of changing the world, I created a skirt for My Maria from a pair of her old jeans. The earth feels better already. I can tell.

The instructions for the skirt can be found here.

Dear Earth...Glad I could help. Love, Melissa

A Day At The Market...

Yesterday, my mom and I went to the Farmer's Market. We try to go to some type of market every week. It's my farm advocacy work. So for about $30 and the satisfaction of knowing that we are supporting local farmers...this is what we came home with...

I love having fresh flowers!! They are so beautiful, and given prices at the grocery store...they really are a steal at $4 a bunch.

The cucumbers were $2 for 3, all of those tomatoes were $4, the potatoes were $2 for about 4; the swiss chard was $2.50; the cushaw squash was $2; the canteloupe was $2 each and the black-eyed peas where $5 (and worth every penny!).

The best way to cook those black-eyed peas is with a piece of salt pork, some onion and 4 cups of chicken stock. Just brown the salt-pork in soup pan, add onions, peas and chicken stock. No need for any other seasoning...DO NOT ADD salt. Now simmer this mixture for about an hour to an hour and half until the peas turn brown. Serve over fresh homemade cornbread.

If you serve this friends or family...you may receive marriage proposals.

You have been warned...

Swatch-ya Doin'?

When I was younger and learning to sew from my step-great-grandmother (long story), she ALWAYS required that I baste stitch EVERYTHING together before I could sew it. This always seemed like poor time management to me. Why would I want to sew it twice? Then one summer I went to visit my grandmother in the valley who decided to sew me some clothes while I was there for two weeks. She did not baste one single stitch. She just laid it down and stitched it together. I was converted!! I wanted to be a rebel like her. However, since we actually lived with my step-great-grandmother (another long story), I had to continue to baste until we moved out. And I never looked back.

It occurs to me that this forced basting is the reason that I don't swatch to check my gauge when I knit. It would also be why I have never progressed beyond scarves and items that don't require exact dimensions. I guess I should have known my day would come where I would have to revisit another one of my issues (why, oh why, does the universe insist on self-improvement?).

I have started working on a blanket that my local yarn store calls the Simon Bebek (SIx MONths to BEcome a BEtter Knitter) blanket. Basically it is a piece-meal blanket with squares that you create using different types of knitting for each square.

Well in order to make sure that the squares are the correct size, you HAVE TO SWATCH. Crap...I have two options forget about this blanket...continue on my scarf-y path and not look back. Or grow up and swatch.

Well, we know I am all about the self-help...so here goes...

This is the pre-washed swatch...coming in at just over 5 inches in length...

And here is the washed and blocked swatch...

So now that I have completed the swatching to check my gauge...I have started the first square which is an Embossed Square. We will see if the swatching paid off...

What We Have...

A gate...
Some cactus...
Some dirt... A glimpse of the spot where out house will go (just beyond that treeline)...
Today, when we went to visit the property, it finally hit me. We are the stewards of this small piece of land. It is our cactus and dirt to look after. I will be honest. I took off in a full run across the cleared piece.

I can not wait...

Quitter

I quit smoking. There...I said it.

Funny, I had to take drugs to stop my addiction to a drug. Go figure...the universe is funny that way.

I have been a smoker for the last 12 years. It hasn't been easy being cool for that long, what with all the lung hacking and smelling. But I wore that badge with pride, and I will be completely honest with you. I miss smoking. I liked it. I just didn't like the way it made me feel when I woke up in the morning.

And I have every intention of taking up smoking again when I turn 50 (they say that by then, all the damage I have done will be reversed...it will be like starting over).

Of course, there are other benefits to quitting. For example, quitting now will prevent me from having to quit when I get pregnant and really hate the world because there will also be getting uncontrollably fat, ankles swelling, and breasts leaking... I'm just thinking ahead here, because that sounds like it might be a recipe for disaster.

So as part of quitting, I have to write a goodbye letter to cigarettes…as if they are the dark half of an abusive relationship…who am I to question therapy. Here is what I am supposed to talk about:

Memories:
Hmmm…the memories I have of cigarettes have to do with all of the self-righteous non-smokers telling me how bad smoking is…as if I was too stupid to know all of this already from the 1, 200,000 other non-smokers who must have a dire need to tell every smoker they see how bad it is for them. REALLY!?!?! DO YOU HONESTLY THINK I DON’T KNOW!?!?!? You are stupider than you look. Please excuse me while I blow smoke in your face.

What smoking has cost me:
If I am going to be completely honest…smoking didn’t cost me anything that I obviously wasn’t already willing to give up…or else I wouldn’t have. Period.

Personal Reasons for Quitting:
Please see above

How my health may have improved since quitting:
Unfortunately, I can smell much more than before. This is not the blessing you might think it would be…and let’s just leave it at that.

There it is…my good-bye letter. So goodbye cigarettes, parting is such sweet sorrow. But in case your wondering...my 50th brithday party is going to ROCK!!

Progress...

Today the bulldozer downed the first trees. In a fit of spontaneity, we decided to drive out there this evening. I apologize for the quality of these photos. We were trying to beat the sunset out there, but didn't quite make it.

Here I am running out to see it...like a giddy school girl...
Here is a photo from the top corner looking down...

This picture is looking back up. The arrow is pointing to the spot where I was standing for the first picture.

Weekend Project

For a couple of months now we have been talking about putting up a compost bin and another raised bed (for fall planting). So I figured what better time that when Doug is already completely exhausted and sore from spending a few days out in the 100 degree weather? That's just how I am. Bet you wish you were married to me. Moving on...

Here are the instructions for a raised bed and compost bin:

Purchase from hardware store:
Lumber - 2 - 2"x10"x10'

3 - 2"x12"x10'

2 - 2"x2"x8'

2 - 1"x4"x12'
Nails (1 box each):2 1/2" deck screws, 3" deck screws

Because your husband is exhausted from all of the other work he did this weekend and you certainly don't feel like cutting these pieces yourself, bat your eyes at The Home Depot guy and ask him to cut the wood into the following pieces:

2 - 2"x10"x10' Cut both into 1x7' and 1x3' (so you will have 2x7' and 2x3')
3 - 2"x12"x10' Cut into 9x 3' pieces
2 - 2"x2"x12' Cut into 4x 3' pieces
2 - 1"x4"x12' Cut into 8x3' pieces

Raised Bed:

This is really almost to easy to write. Attached the 3' pieces perpendicular to a 7' piece. Then attach the other 7' piece to the other end of the 3' pieces (see completed picture).

Compost Bin:

Keep in mind, this is not a carpenter masterpiece. Which is exactly why I LOVE it!! Oddly enough, I greatly dislike anything that requires woodworking because it has to be so precise, but the wood that we have in the U.S. is never actually the size that it says it is (they call this "nominal" and suddenly it's okay to rip off the consumer). Anywho...this is not perfect, but that's why I love it. It was so easy, we got it put together in an hour and a half. The biggest time saver was having Home Depot cut the lumber. And as God is my witness, I will never cut another piece of wood myself when there is a Home Depot down the street that can do it with much faster equipment. I like to think of it as getting my money's worth for shorting me on the lumber.

Moving on...

1. Lay three 2"x12" pieces on the ground. Put a 1 1/2" space between each board. Attach one of the 2"x2" to the left hand side of the three 2"x12" pieces using 2 1/2" deck screws . Double check your measurements for the right hand side and attach another 2"x2" piece to that side. This is the back piece.

2. Take one 2"x"12 and lay it perpendicular to the ground. Attached it to the bottom 2"x12" board on the right hand side of the back piece using 3x 3", then use 2x 2 1/2" deck screws to attach the new piece to the 2"x2" piece also. Repeat this step for two more 2"x12" boards. Then attach three more 2"x12" pieces to the left hand side. You should now have a three sided box. Flip it to the upright position.

3. Now you need to attach the other 2"x2" boards to the left and right hand sides using 2 1/2" inch deck screws. You need to set these 2"x2" pieces back 1 1/2" from the front. This is so that we can create a channel to lay the slats in. Also, make sure that the gap is 1 1/2" between the 2"x12" boards (you have to have these gaps to keep air flowing through the compost). We used stakes set on their side to maintain the 1 1/2" gap while we nailed the boards.

4. Now take two 1"x4" pieces and attach them to the front of the compost bin using the 2 1/2" deck screws.

You will notice that you have create a channel for your slats to slide in. Now you have to think of a way to keep a gap between those slats. To create a stop we drilled holes into the 2 1"x4" pieces big enough for us to slide a metal peg into (we could not find the wood pegs, but either one would work). This way all we have to do is pull out the pegs and remove the slats so that the compost can be turned.

Well, that's it for today...now go out and build something!! Just remember to have fun with it!

Property Update

Two weekends ago we went out for a work weekend. Without fail, the cows showed up at nightfall. That's a few of 'em up there...

Last Friday Doug met with a man about having some bulldozer work done. Since we actually have a mesquite tree farm, we need help clearing some things out. We are having the internal fence lines cleared, so that we can finish up the permanent fencing, plus four acres so that we can get grass growing and get some cows of our own out there.

Things were great until the man with the bulldozer realized that he would not be able to get his equipment onto the property through our existing gate. So, Doug and Wolf had to put in a 20' gate on the other side of the property, that we were going to do at a later date.

Doesn't sound hard...but you forget we live in the 6th level of hell when it comes to heat and humidity. When the two combine like they do in Southeast Texas, it seems you would do things you would be ashamed of later, in order to cool off. I promise...try it some time.

At any rate, they were going to spend Friday and Saturday night on the property...I got a call at 4p.m. Saturday...they were coming home. They did get done what they wanted to, but were not interested in spending any more time than absolutely necessary. I don't blame them.

I will be heading out next weekend and will post pics of the gate. I can't wait to see it.