Thursday, March 14, 2024

Spring 2024 Garden Update #2

It's been a few weeks since the last update so here's where the garden planning is now:

Sweet Potatoes



Since the last update, I've been able to harvest 24 sweet potato slips from three small sweet potatoes Since 24 slips = 24 plants, I've already met my goal for 2024 😊  I'll grow as many more slips as the potatoes will yield, and those will go into overflow spots, or family members also growing their own gardens. 

Yellow Onions


All the yellow onions are doing remarkably well.  In my last update I explained the experimental planting process I'm using this year and after several weeks of progress, hands down the 3 inch pots with 10-12 seeds seem to be growing the strongest overall.  The single cell planting method is a strong #2 as they're all doing well also, but in terms of overall return on investment, the 10-12 seeds per 3 inch pot has been the best bet.  I intentionally overseeded this year, not knowing how well they'd do and I'm pleased to say I have more onions than I have room for, so many of these will also go to family member's gardens. 

Maple Tree Tapping

Sad to say, I made many of the "first timer" maple tapping mistakes as it pertains to drilled hole size for the spiles. Basically what I did was drill too large, and the spiles didn't fit snugly, so the sap leaked on the outside of the spile & down the side of the tree instead of inside of it, and collecting in the bucket. Lesson learned, to be sure.  For this reason, the prospect of any syrup is out this year, the spiles have been pulled and I'll leave the tree to recover and tap it again next year, hopefully without making any of the same drilling mistakes. 

What's New


The first seeds to go in this year in the indoor grow room are these lovely warm weather plants.  My family enjoys a lot of tomato based products so that's the biggest crop by far.  This year: four different tomatoes: Beefsteak bush variety, Roma, Pink Ponderosa and Candyland cherry tomatoes, three different peppers: Sweet Romano, Jalapeno and Cayenne, and new to the garden this year, Ground Cherries. I'm looking to plant more perennials for repeat performances year after year, and these lovely little fruits caught my attention. 

Indoor Grow Room



Over the last few years, I've set up these same types of shelves in my dining room to start my seeds.  While that worked just fine, I really didn't want an indoor seed-starting station in my dining room so this year I decided to scope out the least trafficked area of the house, and the back corner of the laundry room fit the bill perfectly.  Almost zero traffic and right between 2 different electrical outlets to handle the heat mats, fans and lighting, as well as in the same room with a sink for daily watering. I only had to move 2 things and voila, an entire corner of the room, ready for seed starting. I have some big ideas for this space to make it even more effecient so hopefully I can pull that off over the off season after these plants go out into the garden.  The empty shelf on the bottom left will be filled with a tray of Yellow Wonder Alpine strawberry seeds.  Rumor has it, they're sweeter than red strawberries and taste like a combination of strawberry, pineapple, and rose. I'm really looking forward to these berries!

Second Round of Seeds



Most of this batch of seeds will be direct sown into the dirt once the threat of frost has passed, which is generally around mid-May but can fluctuate a couple of weeks either way. Lots more herbs this year, and lots more pretty flowers.  I'd prepped a new growing area last year for herbs and flowers but by the time it was done the best window had passed for planting from seed so I'm really looking forward to that project finally taking off this spring.  This year I'll be directly sowing my pickling cucumbers instead of starting them indoors, and seeing what a difference that makes. I've always started them indoors but I'm out of room this year so they're getting direct sown.  I'm also growing a very small number of zucchini plants in raised beds, so those will be started indoors in the next few weeks.  

I hope my gardening updates are of some help to you, and that God would guide you and bless the work of your hands as you endeavor to provide for your family and to be good stewards of the gifts He's given you. 💖




Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Spring 2024 Garden Update #1

It's the last week of February and here in Southern Ontario what's called the "hardiness zone 6a" there is still plenty of winter, and winter weather left before our estimated "last frost" of the season in mid-May. 

So while winter is what's still happening outside, here's what's happening inside.  Mostly with 2 crops I haven't had much success with!  So this year will be more experimentation to see what works best. 

Sweet Potatoes

Best practice is to start your slips roughly 8-12 weeks before the last frost date, and I grow mine on a heat mat & under a grow light for 12 hours a day. I've never tried growing them in water, but growing them with the sweet potato half covered in rich, well watered soil works well for me. I'll be spacing 4-6 slips in 20 gallon grow bags this year, to see how container growing works in my zone. (I'll be documenting that and sharing how that turns out!) I've experimented with growing in conditioned straw bales before but it was a big disappointment despite sticking with the protocol suggested. Suffice it to say, I ended up with plenty of fantastic mulch!  

So this year it will be grow bags (which I've had great success with, with other garden plants), and a brand new locaton with more direct sun than the last location.  


Yellow Onions

Onions are another crop I've struggled with over the years.  From old seeds that didn't germinate well or were just weak and puny, to squirrels, chipmunks and various other garden visitors, I've struggled to keep my onions growing & thriving.  This year, things look far more hopeful, at least initially.

I planted these seeds on the 8th of January to give them a solid 16 weeks jumpstart to the growing season. I've read that each onion stem should be the size of a pencil by the time you transplant outdoors, but to be honest, mine have never been that large by the time I planted them outdoors. Chopstick size, at best. ðŸ˜Š

In the past I've tried various options such as "over seeding" where you grow a condensed number of seeds in one space and then thin them all out before planting, a condensed row planting, and then single cell planting of literally a single seed in each plug tray.  This year I'm trying a single seed per cell approach as well as a "middle of the road" overseeding with roughly 10-12 seeds per 3 inch pot.  

So far, they're all doing really well.  Almost 100% germination, and the 10-12 overseeded pots are the strongest of all of them.  My goal this year with yellow onions is to be planted in a 16 foot long raised bed along the south facing fence line. Hoping for some beautiful, delicious yellow cooking onions by the end of the season.  I'll also be covering them at least initially, with some format of pest cloth. 

Tapping Maples 

Something brand new to me this year, is Maple tree tapping for turning sap into syrup. I've been researching this subject for about a year, but I only have 1, single Norway maple on my property. 😊  

It's a massive 35+ year old tree , and can easily take 2 taps and I figure... it's there, why not use it? 

I purchased plastic spiles (commonly referred to taps, the black plastic part, seen in this image to the left) that came highly recommended but they've turned out to be a a really big disappointment. The first two broke while tapping into the tree and had to be replaced.  

Tapping maples and collecting sap is weather dependant so it varies from year to year. The season is generally late winter for about 4-6 weeks of good sap flow before the buds on the branches begin to swell, and then the syrup turns "buddy", meaning it takes on an unpleasant starchy flavor of the budding branches and is no longer useful for making sweet syrup. 

My single Norway was tapped last week, and the sap began flowing greatly yesterday, but there are some big issues with leaky tap holes so I'm troubleshooting and will be replacing the plastic spiles with stainless steel spiles.  I'm sure at this point there is the same amount of sap flowing down the trunk of the tree as there is collecting in the sap bucket, so my goal is to seal the leaks, and collect ALL the sap for maple syrup production. With only one tree for tapping, I need all the sap I can get. 

One more fun project that will be updated as the season progresses. 

Wishing for all of you, God would bless the work of your hands that you might grow in abundance for yourself and your family.  💖 

Saturday, February 10, 2024

Life Seasons & Titus 2 Calling

When I decided to begin blogging again, I made the choice to archive all my old posts here from 2004 through 2023. I didn't archive them because I'm ashamed of anything I wrote in those 19 years (although some of them may actually be quite cringe, or outdated for sure), but because I wanted a completely clean slate for writing about this season of life. 

When this blog began I was a 40 year old homeschooling mom with a houseful of kids from toddlers to teens and my oldest had already moved out.  Over the course of the lifetime of the blog back then, there were all sorts of trials and joys, bumps and surprises, mountains and valleys that the Lord graciously brought me through to the other side.  But now I'm in a brand new chapter and things look much different from this new perspective.

At the end of this year I'll turn 60, and that idea is sort of surreal, if I'm being honest. I've never really sat around and thought about what a 60 year old me would look like to me, but if I did, I think I would have hoped that she'd be smart, kind, compassionate, patient, and had allowed her life's many dark and painful trials to refine her into a more Godly woman. Someone that I'd want to be friends with, and be encouraged by. So then a short while ago when I had the opportunity to have a conversation about growing in grace, spiritual maturity and being an example to others, I realized that without even really knowing it, I'd sort of been waiting around for some official timeline to start being the Titus 2 Lady.  

It's kind of funny when I think about it now but then wondered if Titus 2 Ladies just suddenly realize "it's time" as I realized it's time I begin intentionally being the example I hoped the 60 year old me, would eventually become. Specifically, I want to be the person that always has a word of hope and encouragement, knowing how much it's needed in dark days. 

And that's so much harder than it sounds. Quite often these days the temptation is to respond in a less than grace-filled manner when someone says something inappropriate, incorrect, insulting or just something else you disagree with in some way (whether in person or online in social media settings).  It's disturbingly easy to blast someone for saying something ugly, while it takes far more grace and far more self-control to respond in a manner that takes the sting out of their words and infuse something sweet-smelling into the conversation that makes people stop and think. That last part takes a lot of intentional creativity and prayerful thought. Instead of a knee-jerk reaction, you have to literally stop yourself and think carefully before responding, and that's not always an easy thing to do.  But it's so incredibly valuable. And sadly, in an incredible short supply. 

While thinking about this today, I saw comments from several people on social media (on two different platforms, and several different conversations - which tells me that many others are struggling with this) talking about this subject, and it really hit home. The comments essentially said that it's quite often the prideful, arrogant and immature who constantly correct, criticize and scold, while the spiritually mature and wise are the ones who tend to exhort, encourage and build up. I thought that was a pretty interesting observation that multiple people seemed to be in agreement with.  

In one of the short conversations a woman stated she was so tired of being constantly told she's "doing it wrong" (referring to herself being a young, Christian mother), being criticized and insulted, and would be leaving social media, as that has ruined it for her to be able to enjoy anymore. I don't know the person who said this but it made me sad to see how constant criticism & scolding truly tears a person down. I hope she finds someone who will come alongside her and be an example of Godly grace and encouragement that she needs in her life.  Honestly, how many of us as young Christian moms needed this in our lives?  I know I sure did.   

So, as I begin chapter 60 this year, my hope and my goal is to be the person I hoped I'd be. The one Scripture calls me to be: 

Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Titus 2:3-5

While all of it applies of course, these attributes I've bolded make it obvious that this is exactly the kind of conduct us older women are to be busily engaged in, to both glorify God and be examples to younger women. 

I hope this blesses and greatly encourages you. 

Sunday, February 4, 2024

Audio Blessings

So, what are you listening to? 

This is my short list of audio resources that are currently blessing my walk with Christ.  Yes I realize I'm sort of leaning "Moscow Mood" these days. 😊 And that's okay by me. 

If you were to come over to my house on any given day of the week this time of year I can almost guarantee you'd be hearing something on this list, playing from somewhere in my house 😊  

In no particular order, some are brand new to me and others I've listened to since the late 90's. (I'm also super old school so, these links will be for those who primarily use their desktop PC. Although, click through & follow in whatever way works best for you):

Westminster Shorter Catechism Songs - by Brian Sauve  

You and your family will be SO delightfully blessed by this - click to add to favorites and follow along with this awesome project. Sauve has a musical style that is part Michael Card, part Iona, and part James Taylor, but with a fresh, unique, delightful twist.  The Christian church needs more of this, that's for sure. 

The Dividing Line - Dr. James White  

Wherever you follow Dr. White, make sure you add the DL to your audio favorites. Doc's commentary on the most recent news content is always solid biblical direction. I started listening to the DL when it was once a week (Tuesdays), in 1998. He really took it over the top when him and Rich added a second show on Thursday afternoons. 😊 Times have changed in huge, huge ways since those days, but the solid Biblical content is still the same.

CrossPolitic -  these brothers Toby, Dave and Gabe, (also known as TJSumpter, Chocolate_Knox and Waterboy/GMRench) are proclaiming the lordship of Jesus over politics and culture. Their latest episode on responding to brother Alistair Begg and the transgender wedding attendance advice was truly encouraging with grace & truth. Don't miss that episode. 

Christ Church - Video resources from Christ Church in Moscow, ID.   

The latest sermon from pastor Doug Wilson on Psalm 45, What the Righteous Love to Talk About, was top shelf.  Be sure to click to listen to that one. 

Femina - with Nancy Wilson Join Nancy Wilson each week as she discusses basic Christian living habits and practices.  Ladies, if you're looking for encouragement, conviction & relatable content, look no further. You'll be blessed & inspired by this resource. 

Haunted Cosmos - investigating a world that isn’t just stuff.  

Co-hosts Brian Sauve and Ben Garrett discuss from a Biblical worldview essentially all the high strangeness content from ghosts, to Bigfoot, witches, Nephilim, faeries and giants [and all the other, other things], that your fellow Christians never want to discuss. BOOM. 👀  It's discussed here. Buckle up, it's a wild conversation.