New WebSite

I am so excited about my new website I am begging all to check it out (I really want to move up in the search engines)

www.bordeauxjewelry.com

My garden this year and its harvest

This year I feel it is important to become a little more self sufficient, less dependant, and it never hurts to be prepared for an unknown future. People think I am a bit loony but, if it is good enough for the boy scouts.....

Well, we expanded the size of our backyard garden. I should have blogged this whole time about what we did and when so we could do what worked again next year and don't make the same mistakes that we made last year.

our biggest mistake was planting too late this year. The rain has been fabulous though,we haven't had to do any extra watering, excepting about 3 days.

we plan on continuing the garden into the fall and winter to keep a year round garden going, and saving the seeds from our crops so we don't have to spend money on seeds all the time.

we planted. tomatoes, squash, carrots, beets, onions, zucchini, green beans, peas, corn, cucumber, 4 different types of hot pepper and cantaloupe.

we have had varying success with the different veggies.

the worst producer was the peas, they formed into ugly little plants with few ugly pea pods

the carrots, beets, onion haven't matured yet (these we planted too late)
well we do have itty bittly carrots right now, hopefully they will continue to grow into something substantial.

zucchini did absolutely nothing but made large space taking non fruiting plants, i think I saw one rotten baby zuc.

peppers have fruited well but isn't vine reddening, they taste nice and hot, but I like red peppers.

the tomatoes have yet to produce well. One plant has given us a modest harvest, we planted probably 10 other tomato plants who just now have little green tomatoes on them but are taking their time ripening. After pickling the squash, we had some liquid left over so we decided to pickle the tomatoes on the counter, don't know how they will taste, but they are in vinegar so the acidity level is high enough for us to jar this way, without a pressure cooker.


green beans are doing fantastic, they have given us so many green beans, we need a pressure cooker to can them properly as if you do the boil method you run the risk of botulism, they are not high enough in acidity without adding lemon juice or vinegar - then you would have pickled green beans, not sure I want jars and jars of pickled green beans.

Cantaloupe have vines and flowers, I have yet to see a melon forming though. Last year we had decent size melons only to wake up one day to find them eaten by worms overnight.
our lesson there, is use some sort of pesticide, damn bugs. I would rather not have to use pesticide, but I also don't want my garden devastated after all that work.

our Squish, are monsters of the garden. we had a very great year with the squash. We pickled them and they taste fabulous. they are wonderful on salads and sandwiches. I would eat them plain or on rice too.

first pickling harvest


second pickled harvest
and lastly but not leastly :), corn - they are small and not so pretty but so sweet and yummy! They are not a large crop to feed for a long time, but a very yummy garden treat!

I

1001 Day Project

The Mission
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Startiiiiiiiiiinnnng..........NOW!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
---to---
Saturday, March 24, 2012
(countdown of time remaining HERE)

***If you are interested in creating your own list, visit THIS website to help you get started!***

First, the KEY:
GREEN TEXT: indicates a work in progress
BOLD: indicates a goal accomplished
ITALICS TEXT: represents notes I have added after the fact, perhaps to document a date a goal was accomplished or other details I feel are important v


1st Item: 1

• finish this list (need 27 items more)
  

Home and Garden: 20

• Get garage CLEAN and organized
• organize linen closet in my bathroom
• organize the kids closet
• plant lantanas right under the living room window outside
• get the side "garden" pretty (at least one thing planted)
  
• get the other side "garden" going (at least one thing planted)
  
• put up an arbor beside the house with a cool plant growing on it.
• get the back corner of the yard poison ivy free and useable (plant grass)
  
• replace carpets in at least one room
• paint hallway purple
• get mama's patio furniture (she is giving to us)
  
• restain or paint it
• get a outdoor table(or have R make one) to put an umbrella in
• get slipcover for loveseat
• hang curtains in dining room
• hang curtains in {boys} room
• get office organized better
• get studio organized better
• plant another gardenia in front of studio so it is balanced
• decorate the house walls (paintings and such) (living room)
• " "/dining room)
• get gutters
• organize pantry
• organize medicine cabinet
  

Money: 5

• pay off all unsecured debt (credit cards)
• pay off used credit card each month in full
• save up $5000 in savings
• add $100 to each kids account
• get website going

Creativity, art and shows: 8

• participate in at least 2 art shows
• paint at least 3 new paintings and have at least 1 printed on canvas
• start watercasting
  
• build up a large stock of jewelry so I can have a good inventory in the gallery and enough to do shows
• find one other physical place to put my jewelry in.
• figure out a way to increase inventory efficiency (ie enameling pre-cut shapes)
• enter Jewelry into a silent auction (for charity or other benefit)
• enter 1 contest

Family and kids: 16

• participate in the Booster club at RBA
• go on every field trip (handicap 1)
  
• volunteer for everything I CAN at RBA
  
• eat lunch with J at least once at school
• encourage A's coloring at least 2 times a week
  
• take family vacation to Disney (or Bush Garden's)
• give my hubby a full massage
• play in the rain
• get kids into some sort of extracurricular activity (maybe baseball)
• go camping somewhere somehow
• take kids to the zoo
• play putt putt golf with the family
• take kids to a water park
• encourage hubby to homebrew at least one more time (actually get him to)
  
• always encourage hubbies surfing ( I let him get a wet suit, how is that for support?)
  
• don't be late with anything for J's school

Food/Cooking: 10

• figure out how to eat more raw food
• learn how to cook using less meat (not completely meat free, just smaller portions)
• rely on no prepackaged foods for one full week
• stock up on non-perishables (ya never know when you might need stored up food)
• get a membership at Sam's
• keep my garden going year round
• reuse seeds from previous garden for the next year (I have alot of seeds stored up, I hope they take)
  
• can excess foods safely (need a pressure canner)
• go one full day eating nothing but fruit
• teach the kids cooking

miscellanious - 9

• email my senators and representatives for every bill to be passed that I know of
• do a bellydance show (yeah right, I will try though)
• lose 10 pounds, want to be 110
• lift weights to tone up arms and back and abs
• back up all photos and docs from computer to eee storage
• surf one more time
• get off all meds (If my body will allow)
• yoga at least 2 times a week
  
• misc challenge
  

Accountability

• Review/Update this list at least once a month, and make a new one at the end of 1001 days

• Donate $10 for every item on this list not completed, to RBA

• put $1 in each child’s honor in each of their accounts for each thing I have accomplished on the list at the end of the 1001 days

• Take pictures of at least 20 of the accomplishments from this list; share them with others (0/20)

• Inspire at least one other person to create such a list of goals for him/herself (please tell me if it is you so I can cross this off!)

progress - 14.5 items done as of August 1st

OK OK OK

This blog is going to be my indulgence in me. So here goes.

Tim

I gave a customer her change and she left a dollar of it on the counter, i put it in the register.

Rebecca

A lady came in who had previously bought some cards. She suggested you put info and web addy on the back of your cards.

In looking around,, I see you have it is some but not all.

She asked me to pass along the message, so I just did.

Tim

for advertising purposes check outProject Wonderful - you can put ad space on other blogs and other people's ads on yours (make money and spend it all at the same time - evens it out)

you do have to apply for it - they lay out the details on their site though.

Tim

www.iprintfromhome.com


Check it out - you might like their prices, I don't know what you are used to, but these prices seem fair.

I was looking at what they call Somerset Giclee prints

This is how they describe it -

Somerset Velvet Giclee Prints have the authentic "look and feel" of high quality watercolor paper and are produced with Somerset Velvet paper and Epson Ultrachrome professional archival inks. Canvas Giclee Prints are produced with Intelicoat Magiclee Torino canvas and Epson Ultrachrome professional archival inks.

Flamingo

This is my painting which came out very well in ACEO size
Richard likes it anyway. I have several paintings but he likes this one the best.




and here is another one, its a seagull