We’ve lived in our new home for a couple of years or so. We have a long way to go before the landscaping or basement will be finished. We try to do just a little each year. My husband and Middle Boy built a raised garden bed for me this year. The weather has been a bit extreme for a good crop. But, I had enough strawberries for snacking while weeding and a bunch of pumpkins on the way. This year I learned that pumpkins do not belong in a raised bed no matter what the square foot gardening book says!!! I’ll be busy this winter replanning the garden with better results. I am optimistic about next year’s results already!!!

I did not want a huge mowed field in front of our home. I felt it was important to let nature have a safe place to grow and thrive. My husband was kind enough to indulge me in this idea. We have lots of trees that surround our property as well as three little groves that provide shady areas for deer and other wild critters. My husband also mows walking paths through the grass so we can enjoy our hillside of grass and wildflowers. Over the next few years I hope to learn how to recognize and cultivate the native species of plants and cull out the invasive ones. My husband also started protecting the wild blackberry patches. this year I enjoyed snacking on some berries but next year we should have a good crop of berries to enjoy and make something yummy.

Oldest graduated from home education this year. He works part time for his plumbing instructor at the moment. We are hoping the company can get up and running so he can work full-time. Otherwise, Oldest has some decisions to make in the next couple of months or so. He chose to go to Cleveland for his senior trip. His very last school event was his guitar recital. He performed Blackbird written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The song is beautiful and he performed so wonderfully for his last recital. I thought the song choice was haunting considering all that my county has been through in the past couple of years. Even though he is graduated now he still calls me when he gets off work and stops by to visit with me when I am at work.

Some random pictures over the past couple of years. Middle Boy chose to go to public high school and is thriving there. My sweetie took Sparkles to see Hamilton and I am so grateful that I was spared the experience. We have more pets than these pictures show! We all survived a dance with covid. I was the only one that ended up in the ER. My children are all growing up too quickly.