Mediocre mom

   As I sip my Earl Grey tea and attempt to get some computer work done, my kids sit at the table with me painting pictures. It's not typically this tranquil. I'm usually a mess of yelling, scrambling, and fretting. Bills are past due, funds are unavailable, and here I am, just trying to make it through the day without cleaning up more than usual. But they wanted to paint, so... paint it is. Whatever keeps them occupied. I feel a tad guilty that I'm lacking the enthusiasm to engage in a more physical activity with them. A mix of anxiety, depression, hypothyroid, and the side effects of the medications I take for them have dulled my passion for even the most basic of things. The attention to my hobbies has dwindled to a distant memory. I can't remember the last time I was inspired to draw of my own volition without prompt or purpose.
    Day after day, week after week, month after month... time drudges on and I survive. It's ok to accept being a mediocre mom. The kids are fed, clothed, and loved. As long as they're happy, I'm doing my best.

Happy little seedlings

Planting day

This is how things began. I gathered what containers I had handy (plants aren't picky, right?). I found all the seeds I've collected over time that I kept telling myself I'd plant a garden at some point. The kids helped me sow them into the various pots and we waited. My kids have no patience when it comes to much of anything, go figure. Iceberg lettuce, buttercrunch, bunch onions, strawberries, zucchini, peppers, and roma tomatoes. My green goddess friend brought me a  starts for grape tomatoes, Chinese cucumbers, and a few others.

 

 

 

 

 

We determined that my front yard might be best suited for growing, I'm just not sure how I'm going to go about it yet. It already has wild strawberries, mockberries, plantain, and other native species. The yard isn't treated with any chemicals, which means I don't have to worry about any of that being an issue. There is the question of ants, chipmunks, and squirrels so I'm doing research into natural forms of deterrents to assure that my harvest isn't eaten by wildlife. The predatory birds in my area will be a great ally for such.

 

 

 

 

One week later

Planting the seeds of growth

I have thus begun my gardening journey/therapy. The plan? Well, I don't really have one. This is going to be all trial and error. Just putting plants in the ground and see what happens. Letting nature take it's course, so to speak. After a visit from an awesome friend and getting her input, I think I'll end up being one of those people that grows food, not grass, in their yards. Hopefully, this new hobby will help get me back on a more productive path and give me a means to feel better about my accomplishments.

DIY: Skeeball/ball toss

Simply put, I constructed this cardboard game in about 30-45 minutes using a random box, foam board, and a couple soda case boxes. Made sure the soda boxes were sloped, cut some holes, and Wahlah! It entertained the kids so I could head into work.

DIY: Plastic sewing needle

 
I cut the ends off a Starbucks coffee stirrer and made a hole with a heated safety pin. Burnished the ends with a lighter. Voila! Fine motor skills practice.

DIY: Fishing Game

It was a rainy day and the kids needed something to keep thme entertained (read: mommy needed to get stuff done and a break). I gathered a few things to whip together an activity that didn't require spending additional money on materials.

The List:
- fish bath toys
- spare, strong magnets (hubby had some leftover from a project)
- wooden spoons
- string
- bobby pins or paper clips

I simply shoved the magnets in the fishes' mouths and hot glued if needed to make sure they stayed secure. I kept the magnets partially exposed to maximize their effect as the toys are a little hefty for only having metal "hooks" to latch on to. I completed with tying the string to the handles of wooden spoons and adding a bent bobby pin to the end of each one to form "hooks". The end result excited the kids and they played fishing for hours. That's a win! 😉

Failure to update

Yes, yes. I've been meaning to get a moment to spare to update on... anything really. It's been a busy week and my motivation to do much other than scheduled tasks has been less than stellar. I have managed to pull myself from a slump and start using a new drawing program called Krita. #3 on this count-down of best free drawing software, I've found it significantly more fun to use and has a much more dynamic interface than Photoshop or GIMP. In a couple hours, I was able to 'paint' a decent nature scene for use as concept art for a project. I'll probably play more with the program later.

Updates...

Mailbox project completed. Planted a cone flower from a garden prize pack that I won at a baby shower. It was meant to be. I will likely be filling in more with tulip bulbs or the mystery bulbs I keep finding buried too deep to sprout. With help, new step stones from door path to driveway were put in. They are just some paving stones that were here when we moved in but they serve their purpose and don't look half bad.
Now that I've been really working at it, the vegetable garden may not work at the Northeast corner of the house next to the garage. All the digging done there to clear out weeds has shown me the extent of the elder tree root system.

The lemon balm is now waist high and in serious need of getting it under control. I need to decide how large the patch will be and start boxing it off. And, since it seems to do so well there, I may move the garden next to it. The spot gets a decent amount of sunlight during the season and would be easier to maintain there. I also wouldn't need to worry about running into the drainage pipe running under the North side yard.

Another major project semi-completed (only because it didn't make it to full fruition) is the declutter and organization of the basement. I feel accomplished for what I have gotten done. Right now, it's too hot to start any new outdoor projects until this heat wave is over but I will hopefully begin on actual garden space soon.

UGP....Unidentified Green Plant

 So these are randomly growing almost in a row and all in similar areas of the yard. I cannot find any books or sites that have a match to what these are. I could dig more extensively. I haven't gotten the chance to as of late. While I can't find any documentation on the one in the first picture, the second is different and I realize I still haven't researched into it much at all. Here's hoping I can find some answers. In the meantime, I've just resorted to pulling them out at the roots to clear them out and keep them from taking over. Also, I've cleared out pretty much all the garden nightshade from the back fence area. It had choked the clematis on the trellis so I had to sacrifice most of the flower vines to get rid of the troublesome plant. There was a lot more of it than I had anticipated but the roots are shallow and it pulled out rather easily in majority of the spots. There were only a couple larger root bases that needed removed via shovel and the rest was easier to untangle with the use of a pair of pruning shears. All in all, I'm happy with the transformations that are occurring with the property.
I'm also almost done with removing the prickly weeds on the side of the garage. The ivy vines that were growing up the siding have returned so I have to pull those as well. It's getting there. I know I've blundered by waiting too long into the season to likely get plants into the ground for a garden. There have been one too many surprises as I dig, rake, and pull. For instance, the elder tree on the back property line is sprouting offshoots from it's roots. I've found one such cluster at the corner of the garage and another making it's way to a drainage pipe running along the back of the house. I worry that the tree is going to pose a challenge to any undertaking. It would also explain the plumbing issues we've been having with the drain in the side yard that goes to the city sewage line. We can't afford any further damage and can't be sure of how much the tree has already done to that line. I'm afraid that it just has to wait and hope that the root system stays where it's at and doesn't cause any further problems.

Update: The lower picture is oxeye daisies, a native wildflower.

Strawberries

This is one that I had identified when we had initially moved into our home. It's almost everywhere in the front and back yards. What I didn't know, is that they aren't the same plant. One of the main ways to tell is the flowers. With actual wild strawberries, the flowers are white and mock strawberries bear yellow blooms. They don't taste the same either. Wilds are actually sweet and mock strawberries are bland in flavor. Today they had little red berries on them. Mostly the actual berries had fruited but there are still quite a few mocks that have yet to do so. I showed the kids how to pick them and they happily gathered some. It was cute to see them excited. ^_^

https://dengarden.com/gardening/Wild-Strawberries-Versus-Mock-Strawberries

Oh my darlin', Oh my darlin', Oh my darlin', Clematis

Purple Clematis

These flowers were growing on a make-shift trellis when we first moved into our house. I think they're very pretty but I had no clue what they were until I began this adventure. This is one of the over 300 species of clematis. It's either a Jackmanii, Rhapsody, or julkas variety. I'll just accept not knowing for sure and enjoying it's violet beauty. Hoping they attract butterflies during the appropriate season.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clematis

Plain plantain grows mainly on the plain

Plantain

I was exceptionally excited to find that this weed is actually useful and edible! Among uses are treatment for bug bites and poison ivy/sumac/oak. Very quick and handy plant to have growing right next to the driveway. This plant can also be found growing between sidewalk cracks. They say it's best to just pick the mature leaves for uses other than salads and it's a plant that will continually grow new leaves.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_major

How to use Plantain
http://www.naturallivingideas.com/plantain-benefits-uses/

To the backyard

Quickweed

This little bugger was found growing near the corner of the house/yard.

https://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/2015/07/26/quickweed/

Pretty Little Flowers

Cinquefoil

Due to inclement weather, I haven't gotten outside to do anything significant. I dug up a few weeds from the edge of the lemon balm patch and looked more into the prickly weeds on the side of the garage (those are going to be a pain to remove from what I've read). And I've also seen that the ivy has returned so that will have to be pulled out as well. At this juncture it looks like I'll be totally tearing up and replanting on that side of the house. On a lighter note, I've identified a flower growing on the front/West side of the house. Thanks to another blog:
http://fieldbioinohio.blogspot.com/2012/04/cinquefoils.html?m=1

Prickly Weed

That creep Charlie

Creeping Charlie

Among the various vegetation growing in the yard is this lovely little fella with adorable purple blooms. Little did I know that it was all an insidious front to choke the life out of the lushness of grass wherever it spreads it's darling roots. 😕😱 It's name is 'creeping Charlie' according to my investigations. While it's a lovely ground cover (read: weed) under shady trees, it's also a multiplying nightmare when it has a suitable growing environment (aka, my front lawn). Hopefully, I can find a way to subdue this foe without damaging the wild strawberry patch growing nearby. Fingers crossed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glechoma_hederacea
https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-kill-creeping-charlie-2131200

First discoveries

Lemon Balm

I began my investigations into what is growing in our yard when a large section of the backyard was teeming with one particular plant. I hadn't noticed it before as the dog pen was set up in the area where this plant was now flourishing. Since the dog pen was moved, the plants now had a more suitable environment in which to grow. The area had not been mowed in a while so the greenery was allowed to run it's course. To my pleasant surprise, it's a useful herb that is happily abundant! Lemon balm! A member of the mint family, this gorgeous patch of green is a natural mosquito repellent and can be brewed into tea or used as a seasoning. What awesome luck! And, bonus, I didn't have to plant it myself.😁🍀

For ideas on uses:
https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/12-things-to-do-with-lemon-balm/
https://www.cloverleaffarmherbs.com/lemon-balm/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon_balm

Return to the land of Blog

I've decided to start documenting my discoveries, adventures, art, and thoughts in blog form again. Thank you for joining me on my journey. Whether you are family, friends, or stumbled upon this randomly, I appreciate you taking the time to read and follow along. I wanted to collect my musings in a more organized fashion than other social media formats had to offer. While most are great for keeping up with loved ones regularly with short quips and photos, this is more of an artistic outlet and diary of sorts. A way to gather information in one location on various topics of interest. I'll be documenting my gardening triumphs and tribulations along with the helpful sources I've found for later reference, talk about various tips and tricks I've concocted for an array of tasks, and, hopefully, I'll post some of my art pieces and photographs in conjunction with their inspiration. So won't you join me in my never-ending story in the place I want to call my Wunder-land. 

Cookie Crazy

When I find myself bored and my cookie tins empty, there's only one thing to do..... BAKE COOKIES!
Today's batch was oatmeal white chocolate craisin and they turned out fantastic!

 

Normally I wouldn't give away my most awesome recipes but for you, I'll make an exception.

1½ cups packed brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 cups Quick-cook oats
1½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup craisins

Mix the softened butter and brown sugar in a bowl until well blended then mix in egg and vanilla extract.
In separate bowl, mix the flour, quick-cook oats, and baking soda. Slowly add the flour mixture to the brown sugar mix until it starts to clump together. Add in the chips and craisins once the rest of the dough is well blended. Bake on non-stick cookie sheet at 350 degrees F for 9-11 minutes and allow to cool for a few minutes before removing from the cookie sheet.

ENJOY!

Dub 'n' Draw: Fairy Boy

Tonight's Dub n Draw brought to you by DJ Fortify.

Just a random fairy boy that I decided to not finish drawing. I stopped short of his one arm and hands. Doodled in openCanvas 1.1.  Art © me.

Testificate Termination Terminal

I've been playing MineCraft for quite some time now. Oh, the adventures. One of the more recent additions to the game has been NPCs (non-player characters, for those who don't get gaming lingo) and the villages they live in. Of all the names that the creator of the game could call these villagers, he named them "Testificates". The intelligence of these beings isn't the greatest and even more recently an update allows them to multiply if the conditions are ideal.

A village is a good source of a quick wheat field and shelter. I understand the nature of the testificates in their pursuit of self preservation when night falls. They go into any building with a wooden door to keep themselves from being eaten by zombies (though I believe the zombies would quickly starve on what little to no brains testificates possess). I outsmarted that problem with an iron door and a button. At any rate, the particular village I had made base at began to become overrun with multiplying multitudes of the idiots. No peaceful building could be accomplished with these morons constantly in the way. On top of that, they also can create iron golems that will attack anything that so much has breathes on the testificates the wrong way. This poses a problem when you accidentally injure a nosy villager only to get pummeled by their iron giants.

I devised a devious solution. I removed all the doors from all of the buildings and constructed a little building for them. I like to call it...

The Testificate Termination Terminal

Here's how it works. When night comes and the villages run for the cover of their cozy home, there is only one door in the entire village that they can enter. It opens to a small 1 x 2 block chamber with a pressure pad on the back block.

 

  

 The redstone wiring comes from under the block the pressure pad is sitting on and steps up around the side of the building....

 

... where it stays level for 3 blocks before stepping up one to link with a redstone torch. This provides the switch necessary to tell the piston when to retract.

 

 The redstone torch has another block above it with more redstone wiring wrapping around another 4 blocks to power the piston inside the building.

 

 Here is the piston extended with some water above it. I found that lava spreads differently and takes time to despawn, keeping other villagers from using the booth as their AI keeps them from just jumping in.

 

Now I haven't done testing with the water to see if I can simply drown the poor fools, but watching a herd of them cram into the death box when it was the only door in all of town was quite humorous. I sat back with melon in hand, munching away as they filed in for their lava shower.

My village is very quiet now. Ahhhh.