The other day, Mama Pea of A Homegrown Journal asked for her readers to show her their sunflowers, so here they are! Not as many as I would like this year, I kind of forgot... but thanks to our long growing season I was able to recover and let the kids plant a few!
If any of you remember my "mud clump" that I brought home last year, here it is - the green bush with no flowers yet in center of photo! A fellow Master Gardener had divided her perennial Maximillian Sunflower last fall and was kind enough to bring a truck bed-load of "mud clumps" to class one morning to give away. I am very excited to see it bloom this fall, it has grown immensely since I planted the 1'x1' clump of mud last fall!
I think it's time for her to visit the hive, she was so loaded down with pollen she was having a hard time fighting gravity and staying on the flower when I took this!
What a great way to start the morning... FOR ME!...
When I returned from my early morning harvesting and photo taking, I walked into the house to find my two kids up and had made themselves breakfast! Of course I would prefer they wear shirts at the table, but I'll take what I can get. I think we are finally turning a corner in the child self-sufficiency department. Only days ago my morning would have been greeted by them whining out the back door at me in the garden "I'm hungry, mommmmm!, NOW!"
This morning's harvest included the 1st Roma of the season, I would prefer a little more ripe, but as I was checking it fell off into my hand! Don't think those jalapenos are all that needed picking, there are at least 200 out there but I am ignoring them, just picked a red and green for a heat check!
I want to thank all of you who posted comments yesterday, I was having "one of those days", and it was so nice to know there are others out there making it work, and I got such good advice and inspiring words, I am ready to tackle today with a clear head. It is supposed to be in the low 100's today so I will be in the kitchen all day, and instead of brooding about budgets, I will be taking action! I plan on baking bread today, and organizing my cabinets better so I won't put it off all the time (like having the bread ingredients so high I can't reach them LOL). I have a renewed energy today for being finance-challenged and embracing it rather than ignoring it hahaha! Thanks for your support, everyone!
So Mama Pea, I see your sunflowers and raise you one "Summer Fridge"! How 'bout it, everyone? Let's see pics of your "stuffed away, don't know what I'm going to do with it, help me I hate this vegetable but can't bear to throw it out, pickled" fridge contents!
Oh yeah, some of you gave me way too much credit for my "mommying": don't think I'm super-mom with my kids all the time LOL, today for instance, with the heat they will be plugged in to kid's movies on tv all day or I would never get a week's worth of bread made and kitchen cabinets organized!
Wow, gorgeous sunflowers! How nice that the kids got themselves breakfast.
ReplyDeleteI'm just in from picking green beans (taking a breather-break before attacking the processing) and got such a pick-me-up from your sunflowers! I just love all the different shades of yellow. I don't think there is another flower that looks just so darn plain cheerful. :o)
ReplyDeleteI think you may be heading into a new phase of mommyhood that gives you a wee bit more time. The boys ARE becoming more self-sufficient and leaving the clinging-to-mom, totally-dependent- on-mom stage. Three cheers! It will be necessary for you "to be there" for your kids as long as you live, but many things do get easier and (said in the nicest of ways) sap your energy less and less.
Just keep, keep, keep remembering, m'dear, that your kids may not have all the lessons and/or new clothes that other kids do BUT THAT DOES NOT MATTER A HILL OF BEANS because of the way you and hubby are raising them. Being a mom is exhausting, but it is the most important thing you will ever do. (Maybe that's why it's so hard??) Sending love and hugs and lotsa praise and credit for all you do! (I wanna be like you when I grow up.)
The sun flowers are so happy, smiley, fun!
ReplyDeleteMama Pea, I love your advice and words of wisdom! "Sap your energy"... yes, that's it exactly!! I kind of think that if kids always need you in some capacity, it means we did a good job - when they walk away completely is when it's time to worry because that means our opinions and support don't matter, I hope my kids will always need me just enough!
ReplyDeleteI'm in for the challenge. I think we have twin refrigerators.
ReplyDeleteGranny, I know yours is probably way more stuffed than mine since you have been able to grow lettuce and beans all summer! My beans are soooo slow right now, still just blooming!
ReplyDeleteWe planted our potatoes in the ground. I want to try planting them in buckets next year. In the ground was frustrating.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous sunflowers. I never got around to planting any this year. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteI think we're still a couple of years away from the child self-sufficiency stage. We are still battling with potty training. Plenty of peeing but no poops. It's been months now....soooooo frustrating.
Beautiful sunflowers! So, is that your fridge before or after you organized? I just saw Granny's too... Man, I'm too embarrassed to show mine now!
ReplyDelete@Thomas~We're potty training ours too... One thing I remember from son #1 with going poo in the toilet is to keep 'im loose! Raisins, oatmeal, and plums, oh my! I also let our trainee see what it looks like--he thought that was very neat (mom rolling eyes), but we're only beginning training...
Thomas, it is a battle not worth fighting most of the time (the toileting). I finally found something to motivate my 3 year old (who was almost self trained at 2, then decided she would be lazy)......organic lollipops. I guess my kids are so candy deprived they will do anything for a hunk of syrup on a stick. Money and chocolate had failed, so I was shocked the lollies worked!! Hang in there......
ReplyDeleteErin- Mt fridge is half full of condiments, sauces, and jams. That is why we have a second fridge....for all the groceries to go in , lol. I just happened to post about my fridge on FB a couple of weeks ago, I will see if I can dig up the photo and participate. (I used my favorite label maker in the fridge. It is a disease, I can not help it.)
Thomas, don't worry, he'll get it!
ReplyDeleteMomma S, that's actually what the fridge looks like! Usually it has more milk in it but today is my store trip so there was plenty of room for my watermelons in there (which upon seeing EG's post today, I will be feeding to my dog LOL) I am somewhat OCD/Type A so organization is a religion to me - not a good thing by the way, wish I could be more relaxed about that.
Kelly, in my dreams I have a unit that is "only fridge, double wide" and a super big chest freezer and one upright freezer and a garage to put them in LOL! Although the garage would never work here, it's too hot.
I took the sunflower challenge but forget the fridge. Your flowers are beautiful.
ReplyDelete