Let the good times roll, a perfect theme to our week here on the farm.
We officially broke ground on our garden! The night before we started I had a conversation with Karen about how monumental this moment would be. Even though it seems like such a small thing, I took a moment to savor it, and reflect on our journey. We had both worked for so long for this dream. Moving more times than I can count, working and saving, gaining knowledge about plants and animals. We would finally be seeing a small, tangible piece of our hard work paying off.
"I do not know anyone who has got to the top without hard work. That is the recipe. It will not always get you to the top, but should get you pretty near."
--Margaret Thatcher
Our amazing neighbor let Karen borrow his tiller, and after some minor maintenance, Karen had it running like a top!
I know I tend to gush about "our amazing neighbors," but yall have no idea how awesome they are. Even Karen, who is not one for compliments or a lot of talking said, they are the best neighbors I've ever had!
Aside from the use of the tiller, they brought us over a fresh loaf of sourdough, some jelly and a basket full of beautiful winter produce. And some how convinced my girls to eat salads full of radishes, tomatoes and carrots.
While Karen was tilling up the garden area, the girls and I took the puppies on walks, brushed them out and explored our little slice of paradise.
Every time I take the girls (and puppies) on walks it's always an adventure. We watched sand lions grab a quick meal, talked about where we want to put the chicken coop, more fencing to have bigger animals and what we would grow in our garden.
A huge part of this dream means including the girls. While it would be easier and faster to sit them in front of the TV while Karen and I do all the work, that defeats the purpose. If you've ever tried to involve kids in a project, you know that most of the time it adds to the time it takes and the level of messiness. But seeing the sense of accomplishment on their faces, has always made it worth the extra work in my book.
One day, I hope to be a crazy old Granny who can sit and tell her grandkids stories of how the farm started. How their Mama's would work and play in the fields and with the animals. And since Karen has already told the girls he will build them yurts, maybe the farm will transform into the family compound.
Speaking of projects with kids, we also worked on an art project. The epidemy of messy and time consuming, but just look at their faces, so worth it!
If you've ever visited Texas you have probably seen, or been to, a HEB. For those who don't know what that is, it's the nicest, cleanest, 100% Texas grocery store there is. But not just groceries, they have mostly everything you could need. Cooking equipment, greeting cards, a huge artisanal cheese case, it's a full shopping experience. Karen and I both made a decision to be more intentional about where we spend our money. It's truly one of the few ways you can vote and have your voice heard. So we are moving away from big box stores, in favor of small local businesses. And while HEB may not be a mom and pop corner grocery, at least it's a Texas company. And from what I hear pays and treats it's employees very well!
Circling back to why I'm talking about HEB. Every weekend, I get up ridiculously early to go grocery shopping. All alone, just me and two coffee mugs. I get up so early because 1. there are less people in the store. Lots of people makes me feel all angsty and stabby. And 2. Karen and the kids can sleep and I get some alone time. Yes, even though I love Karen and our girls with every ounce of my being, I need time to be alone and hear myself think. So I meander the isles of HEB, planning meals and picking out treats for everyone. Not really a day at the spa, but it works for me.
This week I came home with a special treat, King Cake!
I'm not sure if it's our semi-close proximity to Louisiana, or if there are a large number or NOLA residents who relocated here after Katrina, but I was 100% here for this carnival season treat!
The girls were disappointed that the baby wasn't inside the cake, so we had a little talk about the legal ramifications of what choking on a plastic baby could do to HEB.
Then we ate till we had bellyaches from all the sugar. Salads one day, king cake the next, that's my Libra side keeping it balanced.
Speaking of my Libraness. I spent Sunday evening going through what to plant in the garden. In total we will have over 1800sqft, obviously we will need some footpaths, but still, that's a lot of space to fill with plants. I'm busy working on what grows when, when to start seeds, companion planting, who knew that being a plant matchmaker was a thing? Note to self, add plant matchmaker to resume.
I'm still going through everything. I missed the date for starting tomato and pepper seeds indoors, so we will be buying plants from our local nursery. But hopefully next week I will have lots of seeds started and I can share the final draft of what our garden will look like!
One more thing before I sign off, I'm also working on the first soap release of the year! Those beauties that were at the top of the post are just a few of the amazing bars that will be for sale in the shop soon! I also did a small giveaway to kick off 2021 with some kindness and good energy. If you're not following us on Instagram, search for Glaistighomestead and give us a follow. That's where we do giveaways from time to time.
Well, the kids are up, the puppies are chasing cats... that can only mean one thing; time to feed the masses.
Till next week ✌ B.
Comments