Catching Time

If I could I would grab ahold of time and slow it the F#&* down! I feels like I can never catch up on all the many things my heart desires to do.  I have so many ideas and so much I want to accomplish but by the end of the week I have found that if my laundry gets done and food is put in my fridge I have successfully kept us going.  Mazi is growing so fast and I can't keep up with her speed, I really want to share this life with the world but as I study and observe her I become so entranced that stepping away to do my things seems like I will miss out on something super cool with her progress.

I teach a yoga class a week and help volunteer at an organic farm but other than that I am mom, still giving all my time to my sweet pea.  I feel myself sneaking through every now and then and some parts of me are excited to see what is in store for me.  All the while being mommy and wifey is quite the task.   I get new thoughts daily on what parenting is all about.

I do happen to capture lots and lots of pictures of my Amazing and they are so fun to look at and see her changes and her personality shine threw them.

She is almost 2 years old, she is potty trained, she speaks so many words and tells stories that I don't quite understand yet, she could read books all day and she studies the pictures, she already has soooo many questions that she can't ask in words yet and she has a personality that is so big.  She is cautious and so observant.  She studies the world and wants to know why everything is the way it is.  I feel like I can see the person she is going to become already, she is like a little person.  This scares me, that I can already see who she is as an adult and I just want to savor her as a toddler snuggled on my chest, innocent, and feeding on my breast.

 We took a camping trip with friends and enjoyed the company, fishing, kayaking, boating and simply lounging around and watching the kiddos explore.

 Mazi spends most of her days finding books to read, we go to the library once a week to stock up!

 These hot summer days make eating ice right out of the ice tray extremely enjoying!

 Yes, she has so many expressions and I love to capture each and every one....oh how I love my lil nugget!

Swinging in daddy's arms brings laughter and smiles! Already she wants to do backbends, just like her mama!

 Dance parties in the living room with Daddy and Mickey...

 Gardening with mama!

 Playing in trees with Daddy and Mama!

...Or just being naked and sun tanning in the grass!

Joys Of Gardening

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Oh the joys...and struggles...of gardening!  It really all ends up being a joy with a nice frustrating learning curve thrown in. Each year of my adult life I have given a good effort to get a healthy garden going. I am always being presented with new challenges each time I give it a go, both in Utah and in Tennessee.  The last few years I have been starting my own seeds indoors and planting them outside when they are strong enough to handle the temperatures and weather conditions that the wet south can present. I have lost my seeds every time and have found without a greenhouse I am no good at keeping these lil guys strong and alive! Once they get placed in the ground they wilt from the sun and die...it is so sad.

I am learning more about where to plant the plants, which ones should neighbor each other, how to organically manage pests and weeds during the season and exactly how to prepare the soil before placing anything into it or destroying the living fungus and bacteria that are very beneficial to the gardens success.

This year I am giving some time at a local organic garden once a week to pick their brains and see what the professionals do to grow delicious crops. The farm is called "The Greendoor Gourmet", located in west Nashville.  They have a beautiful spread of 500 acres of organic soil and they grow fruits, veggies, herbs, and the most stunning flowers you could find. They also support locally raised organic meats and poultry and have many homemade goodies in their farm store.  It's a great place for my education on this subject.  I am understanding the efforts it takes for large scale farming and the team work. I have grown such an appreciation for the farmers hard work to bring humanity REAL FOOD with out compromising the Earth or our health to do it!  Yet, I don't think I desire to run my own large scale farm. I used to, but helping out and watching the stress they go through and the demands seems more than what I can handle. However, watching this process has brought to life many other new visions for myself and I am excited to take on my own journey when the time is right.  I will be growing a medicinal garden on my property, where ever I find myself I will grow helpful herbs and plants to make my own medicines and help those who seek my help. 

This year I decided I needed to put my focus on the soil! Soil preparation is the most important thing that can be done to growing a bounty of healthy rich plants that produce fruits and vegetables in abundance. JJ did most of the research on soil prep and got our boxes and our land ready for vegetation.  He covered the ground with hay for the winter to keep out weeds and unwanted ground cover, and he added a compost mix of mushrooms and some local un-sifted topsoil. He tilled it in with our own soil.  Tilling isn't always a necessary step since it really takes a toll on the Earth, usually destroying anything that was living in the soil previously. Some professionals believe that adding more nutrients on top and not disturbing the soil underneath is a better approach, that is if the soil is in good shape to begin with. Our dirt was tested and the PH was quite acidic so we needed to give it a neutral boost by tilling or mixing in a good compost. Testing is always a good idea before unnecessarily tilling your soil. If your plan is to create a garden space where one has never been you can remove the grasses, weeds, and other unwanted vegetation by tilling which is a popular option. Keep in mind, however, that it can be detrimental for the unseen life that exists below. The life that is very beneficial to the new plants that will grow in your new garden. Other than tilling ground for a new garden, some other options include removing all of the unwanted vegetation by suffocating or blocking the life giving sun. This can be accomplished with a variety of things. Placing a thick layer of hay (4-6") where the garden is planned, or a sheet of black plastic tacked down to block the sun, etc. Remember that these methods take a considerable amount of time, so get started early!

We planted our garden and added some hardy seeds that can stand being in the warm ground.  I planted garlic and sunflowers and marigolds all around the outside of the garden and some in between plants.  I have some parsley and basil and many other herbs placed in pots around the boxes to keep the bugs at bay.  We will see what this year brings us.  I am loving having a herb garden of everything I use for cooking and hopefully soon I will learn how to grow all those I use for healing.

...and its so rewarding to sip on some fresh mint, from my herb garden, and some lemon water while I watch it all progress and grow.  I give it loving offerings daily and I learn so much about myself when I garden, the similarities between the plant life and my own are astonishing, they are just much more simple.  I see the delicate care they need and the attention they demand. Nature wants to be noticed and appreciated for the gifts it gives.  With that attention, communication, and awareness, it gives in abundance and the gifts are full of beneficial nutrition.  The time and effort put in place is what helps nature return our reward.  Mother Nature will always give when she is given back to, if I take something I give something, be it time, a song, a touch or plant something new. Those are usually the times I find the most success from my garden.  I love having my house full of plants and flowers year round and taking my energy outside to get to know the wild environment has been so rewarding for myself and my family.

Sleeping With Nature

Sleeping with nature, a.k.a. camping!  Finally, we took Mazi to see what its all about

...and she loved it! We went to Big South Fork, in Tennessee and the rest is simply the pictures of her experience.

...and some of her down at the lake by our house.  She is growing so fast and I just can't stop taking pictures of her.  Mr. Peek gave me a new camera for Christmas and I take at least a dozen photos of Amazing a day!

 ...Early morning turkeys this morning on our grass!