Friday Favorite: Spring Cleaning and Gardening
It's that time of year again. You know, the time when I wonder how in the world we've accumulated so much STUFF, particularly since I purged rather significantly during each of our moves. But this year I decided to spring clean each and every room and closet in the house. And my goal is to have it finished by Easter. I started at the end of February. But then I got sidetracked with my eye surgery and Ellie's broken arm so I really haven't gotten a whole lot done the past couple of weeks except what's necessary. You know, laundry and meals. But this morning as I was putting away the big kids' laundry, I decided that their closets and drawers needed a good cleaning out. There were things to throw away, give away and save. Right then. So I did it. And then I couldn't help myself. I cleaned out the playroom and the activity closet, too. And then I reorganized all of Hannah Kate's clothes that are waiting on Ellie to be big enough to wear. That led to a reorganization of the attic! All of that and then some happened today, and I am so excited!
Last weekend I cleaned the windows. This week I worked in my flower beds, too.
And yesterday this happened:
I am most excited about my new raised vegetable garden beds! As in I pinch myself every time I look at them EXCITED! It was time for a new beginning in the garden this year. After two years of a beautiful, abundant, vegetable-gifting garden, my garden did absolutely nothing last summer. I was so bummed! I'd even started all of my tomatoes from seed. None of the 30 plants produced anything. My squash didn't do anything either. I had a few cucumbers, and that was it. I think a lot of it had to do with my soil. I didn't spend enough time getting it ready last spring, and it really wasn't fit for gardening. Besides, I've been eyeing raised beds for quite some time now and knew that's what I wanted to do. And now seemed like the perfect time to do it. I mentioned it to my father-in-law last weekend. He asked me how big and how many, and I told him. Next thing I know, I come home from grocery shopping yesterday, and these are in my yard! We have to get another load of dirt for the last bed and then I'll be ready to plant.
The first year I planted my garden, we had lots of little tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, squash, okra and jalapeño peppers. I also had a row of sunflowers.
The next year I planted my garden, I had two garden spots. One was nothing but corn. Because there's nothing in the world like Silver Queen corn! It did really well at the beginning of the summer. But that was also the summer that I was pregnant and Ellie was born in July so I quickly let it go once it got too hot, and I was just too big. But we enjoyed it while it lasted.
After last year's disappointing garden, I have high hopes for this year. I have visions of fresh salsa, marinara sauce, gazpacho and veggies on the grill all summer long!
And that's my happy for this week!
