Camouflage Gardening

No...my family is in no way affiliated with the armed forces. No, I'm not a survivalist, and I'm not into hiding my garden from passersby. So why the title?

I was trying to find a suitable color name somewhere in between green and brown to describe my thumb. I start out green - the seeds take off and lots of little sprouts shoot skyward. But my transplant technique needs some...care and maybe some fertilizer.

No pictures yet.

We started out cherry and some other tomatoes for a "Topsy-Turvy" hanging tomato planter. My 7 year old DD was quite a help ... almost more than I could hope for, if you know what I mean! *lol*

The cherry tomatoes came up well in a little four-place plastic (yeah, I know, sorry) container. It came with the kit, and we don't have a lot of options right now. I borrowed one of our two cake pans to start the bigger tomatoes. A total of 3 cherry and 11 other tomatoes formed the basis of our fresh food supply this season.

Thanks to the wind and rain we've gotten over the last two weeks (twice taking refuge in an empty downstairs apartment), most of the coconut fiber washed out of the four-spot, but they seemed to be holding their own. During the last week, every day brought a new sprout or two to the cake pan tomatoes. (Haha, I think I will call them that from now on.)

Yesterday was especially windy. We had put the four-spot inside the container meant to hold the finished Topsy-Turvy conglomerate. It was blown over and scattered in the parking lot of our apartment building. But all the coconut fiber (and the 3 seedlings) were in a 3-4" wedge on the floor of the front porch up against the wall. I have tried transplanting them into some of those little fiber cup things that you can put right into the ground. Two look to be doing ok. One could use a "little engine that could"-style pep talk (and some good gardening karma from my sisters and brothers out there).

I'd like to take the ones we don't put in the hanging container and transplant them up at my husband's Mamaw's house. She and her sons (and their families) have about 1/4 acre plowed up there and just onions, lettuce and maybe one or two other things planted right now.

We also have sunflower seeds, corn, pumpkin...and I think one other type of seed, that will begin their growth journey in the coming days and weeks. One of these weeks I even will hazard to promise some pictures...of the garden.

Happy tending!

Mamavation Monday - 3 May, 2010

For those in the Mamavation Nation who don't know me...which is, oh, just about everyone *lol*...here are the basics:

I have been overweight since shortly after puberty. My father passed away when he was 47, (I was a senior in high school) from a stroke and heart trouble. I am roughly the same age as my father when he passed, but my children are 13 (DS1), 11 (DS2) and 7 (DD). I want to be around for a while - a task made more difficult by my high blood pressure. I had a mini-stroke last August, going to the ER with bp of 212/120. For 4 years, I have taken care of adults with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. Three years ago I started smoking (yeah, I know), in part due to the stress of the job. Right now I'm on medical leave due to being hit by a resident while trying to prevent her from injuring herself.

My nutrition and fitness habits have dwindled over the years to next to nothing, and I want to change that. After all, one day I want to spoil my grandkids the way my mother and DH's folks spoil my kids now. :O)

So, what I need to do:

1. Stop smoking.

2. Improve my nutrition.

3. Improve my physical fitness.

For the next week, I will:

1. Keep a log of my smoking.

2. Keep a log of my eating and drinking.

3. Keep a log of my physical fitness activities.

4. Review my logs on Monday morning, 10 May 2010 (the day before is both Mother's Day and DH's and my wedding anniversary) and determine "umbrella" goals, as well as goals for the following week.

Mostly I can use accountability partner(s). I am much more likely to make that extra effort to skip a smoke, or to drink that extra glass of water, when I know I'm going to be telling someone else!

How could I support other people in their 'walks' (no pun intended)? I'm a good listener and sounding board, whether someone needs to vent, brainstorm or chat.

I've heard it said that when you have a friend, your joys are doubled and your troubles are cut in half. I want to get that from, and be that for, other goal-oriented Mamas.