Get Your Dirt On

Things I really feel dumb about buying:

*Zucchini (I don't buy this at the store anymore, so I only eat it during the summer)

*Potatoes (this is my first year of growing a bunch.)

*Dirt

Really, is there anything dumber than buying dirt?  I don't think so.  Yesterday I dragged Tom out to Menard's and bought three cubes of dirt. Yes, I said cubes. Instead of those unwieldy and bulky gigantic bags of dirt that weigh fifty pounds, there are now cubes of dirt. Awesome, yes? But still dumb.

Today the plan is to fill the two raised beds with the dirt and plant my fall garden. I bought beets, kale, turnips and radishes from Baker Creek.  I've not done a fall garden before, so I am excited. Not so exciting are the butternut squash vines trying to smother everything.  I shouldn't complain, though, because it's food.

I've already pulled out the spent broccoli plants and one of the zucchini that was being destroyed by the squash bugs. Those things are really annoying!

Raised bed ready for planting, sharing space with the surviving cucumber plant.

One  of the many volunteer butternut squashes.

Anything you can do, I can do

Since moving to Chicagoland, I have really struggled with fear of driving on the interstates around here. What if I get lost? What if Iget a flat tire? What if I can't do it? And on and on. Silly, I know, but sometimes fear can get the best of us no matter how ridiculous or dumb it seems to others. Fear is subjective, not objective. Fear is personal, irrational (sometimes) and once you conquer it, fear can shrink and make you wonder why you let something like driving on I-80 make you so nervous.

Granted, no one likes to drive on I-80 in the midst of semi trucks and idiot drivers (there are a lot of them in this area, trust me).  The first time I drove to Naperville Amtrak station to pick up my daughter after her visit to friends in Galesburg, I was a nervous wreck.  The entire week before D-Day I was consumed with worry and my stomach felt sick. Yes, I prayed (a lot!) but I never allowed the Holy Spirit to comfort me and take away  my worries, until the day arrived. With my oldest daughter  beside me and the boys safely at a friend's house, I headed out, white-knuckled but fairly calm.

And guess what? It was okay. Everything was okay. Even despite a couple of wrong turns in Naperville (stupid GPS) we still made it to the station and even found a place to park, not an easy task, let me tell you.

I did it.  And today I did it again. I had to drive to La Porte in order to close a bank account, and it was an hour long drive. I could have avoided the interstates, but as Emily said, it would be good practice to follow the GPS. So I did.

And guess what? It was okay. It was fine. No problems at all. I didn't even have sore hands when we got home!

Saturday morning I will again be heading to Naperville with Emily, and this time, it will be okay.

I know I can do it.

And....she's back

I've really neglected this spot! I always have good intentions, but then life gets in the way and posting on here slips my mind.

Summer has been awesome, as it always is. I love the hot weather! I get such a sense of accomplishment seeing everything I planted grow and produce, and I don't even mind picking off all of those Japanese beetles. The ugly grey squash bugs, though, are something altogether different. I don't want to touch them. So gross!

The three boys spent 10 days with their grandparents at the beginning of July. They had a blast, but it was hard for me at first. For a day or two I could only wander around, at a loss. It was so quiet and the house stayed clean. Amazing!  Once I got used to the quiet and the fact that I didn't have to do all that mom stuff constantly, it was nice. I was able to work on my book and really make some process on it. Go me!  

Now I know what parents with only 2 kids (teenage) experience. Wow! Easy street for sure.  Ha ha, no , not easy, just different. 

I missed my little boys, though, and I wouldn't want to be without them.

At Navy Pier