The Inadvertent Farmer

kinderGARDENS winners

Well we are finally here! 

I must say it feels like everyone...especially the kids...have been the winners in all of this!

I just want to say thank you for helping encourage and nurture the next generation of gardeners...those that know where 'real food' comes from!

So without further chit chat from me I'm going to announce the winners...

Wait... I first have to thank our esteemed judges for their great help!  One is putting the finishing touches on her book and the other is trying to plan and execute a long distant vacation with many small children (most of them boys!)  So Susan and Ashley Ann...thanks from the bottom of my garden lovin' heart for putting in the time to do this!

Where were we?

Oh yeah...the winners!

*I'm going to start with best use of re-use/recycle in the garden.  That goes to the Farrm!  The re-use of some sunflower stalks from a past garden for a bean teepee was brilliant...although may I suggest not using bush beans next time...giggle!

*The best use of vegetables.  That honor goes with much appreciation from our judges to Faith*Buss with her darling kiddos and their shopping for vegetables in their little red shopping cart...they melted our hearts every single week!

*Then there is the best use of flowers.  I was awed by all the sunflowers that I saw in everyone's post.  But the goth garden with black and white flowers that was planted by a teenager is the winner...anytime you get a teen in the garden your have done something magical! So My Freezer is Full wins for flowers!

*Finally there is the person that was most involved...the best cheerleader!  About a Bug posted almost every single week.  She was sweet enough to go and comment on other's posts all the time, her enthusiasm made me smile.  So the cheerleader award goes to About a Bug!

And finally we have our best overall in the eyes of our judges.

They chose the one that they felt depicted the spirit of the kinderGARDENS contest best.  I must agree that this family went all out to make the garden a magical place for their child...and the groovy tunnel helped too!  So Thanks for Lemonade is our judges' pick!

I must say that I am so glad that I did not have to do the judging for that...you all rocked quite frankly and I would have been up for days trying to decide!

Now it is your turn.

I have set up a poll in the side bar and you get to decided the 'people's choice award'.  I have narrowed it down as to not be too overwhelming...you get to choose your favorite garden of the series.

The poll is open until next Tuesday so make sure you vote for your very favorite garden!

And please remember that we are definitely doing this again next year...God willing...so get out your seed catalogs and graft paper...sharpen your pencils and get to planning!

I know already that I want one of these for next year...

And one of these...

And maybe even one of these!

 But I hope I don't have to wait until next spring to 'see' you, my gardening friends...I hope you still come around to visit me here on the funny farm once in a while!

 

HOLD THE PRESSES...Susan our wonderful landscape desiger judge has a few of her own awards!  Please go and take a look...there are some awefully cute kiddos over there!

*****

Note  All winners need to contact me at my email address:

theinadvertentfarmer(at)gmail.com

Whacked Out Wednesday & Hand Dancing

Sometimes my mind seems so completely scattered that I cannot post anything that is readable.

Then I look through my picture files and realize that although I'm a pre-occupied and flighty I do indeed have something worth sharing.

Even if its just a few picture from our maze.

Then when I put them in a post it dawns on me just how very, very blessed I am to live where I do.

To live in the country where my kids can run around barefoot in underwear.  To live where I could run around barefoot in underwear if I wanted...not that I would mind you...really.

To have sunflowers that I can see from my kitchen window.  To see the clouds that will bring the rain I hate go scuttling by.  To just be home with my kids... 

Yes I might be a scatterbrain but I am indeed a very blessed scatterbrain.

So I'm going to go kick off my shoes and strip down to my skivvies and go sit under a sunflower...

Just kidding about the skivvies part...really.

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Note: The following has nothing whatsoever to do with today's post.  But I like it and since I do I thought you might too!

These people are Irish dancers that have known each other since they were kids.  I find it ironic that Irish dancers don't move their upper bodies yet in this video that is all they move...hmmm maybe when we step out of our comfort zone and try something different magical things can happen!

Enjoy...

And if you're in a terribly perky and chipper mood after listening to that music I take full responsibility

 

Still doing the Simple Things! Hopscotch

I know summer is over so my 'Summer's simple things' series is officially done...

I still cannot help but relish those sweet simple things we can do as a family...even if we have to brush the autumn leaves out of the way to do them!

What could be simpler than some sidewalk chalk and a driveway for having fun?

Last time we were up at the lake cabin I walked out the front door to see this...

Hubby making hopscotch squares on the driveway!

The kids were helping to decorate it...no boring hopscotch here!

Stripes, and moons, stars, and swirlies!

Daddies are good at teaching little ones new games...

Of course big girls can show up all the boys!

So if you are bored...or boring...go outside and do a little hopscotching.  Its good for the soul!

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I just had to share this out take!  Baby Boy was throwing his rock for the hopscotch game...I caught this shot just when the rock was passing his nose, lol!

Ahhh the fun of always having a camera around!

*****

So do you have a favorite simple thing to do as a family this time of year?  Maybe jumping in piles of leaves, or warm cups of cocoa on the porch swing?

If I get enough ideas I may just do a 'Simple Things' list like I did for summer!

 

Anti Cancer a New Way of Life

Most of you here know my mom has been recently diagnosed with breast cancer, she is also a ovarian cancer survivor.  She is now undergoing chemotherapy and then will have surgery.

I have been literally inhaling all the information I can on diet and lifestyle choices and the outcome of cancer...and the prevention of cancer also.

After all that I have learned I am coming to you with a BIG recommendation of a book that I have so far purchased 2 copies of (I was going to pass mine along to my mom but couldn't part with it so bought her her own copy!)

It is called

Anti Cancer a New Way of Life by David Servan-Schrieiber, MD, PhD

Dr. Servan-Schrieiber is not only a doctor, but himself a 2x cancer surviver. 

His book is scientifically based, logical and enormously compelling.  He presents evidence and arguments that we can actually prevent disease by changing our diets and lifestyles.

I have done an indepth review over at Not Dabbling in Normal today and would encourage anyone who is fighting cancer, or a loved one is, or would like to learn how you can keep your body strong in its fight agains getting cancer to go read it.

I am leaving you today with a video of Dr. Servan-Schrieber.

 

 

Dichotomy of Seasons

This is the typical Northwest dichotomy...

Do you wear boots and sweats because it has rained for days and the ground is soaked?

Or do you wear a tank top and sun hat because the sun has decided to make a brief apperance?

Or play it safe and do both...

How about you?

Do your seasons overlap?  Or do you move directly from one to another?

kinderGARDENS Finale!

Well here we are at the final week of our kinderGARDENS series.

I have been super busy this week cleaning out our apartment for my mom and sitting in on her first chemotherapy treatments (which blessedly have been much better than expected)

So instead of going on and on...per my usual, I'm going to make this short and sweet...

You guys rock!

You have so inspired me and encouraged me with your dedication to your gardens and more importantly you kiddos.

So thanks...I have looked forward to each and every Thursday when I get to peek into your gardens and your lives.

I will seriously miss this!

So without further ado I'm going to let you all link up (note: the link is only active through Saturday to give our judges time to look over them) for your recaps of this summers kinderGARDENS...I can't wait to see them!

And I'll see you next week for the winners...and a few surprises!

 

 

I Miss Summer

Its doing this.

So we're doing this...

Although I wish we were doing this...

But since we still have these

I won't complain too much!

But for the record...

I miss summer,

A lot!

*****

So how about you?  Do you miss summer or are you looking forward to the autumn?

Me...I'm a warm weather, feet in the sand, lemonade kind of girl.

Autumn is ok but summer is the time of year I live for.

I'll take hot weather and sunglasses over crisp mornings and sweaters ever day of the week.  And don't even get me started about our cold, damp, wet, gray...yucky winters here in the Pacific Northwest...

Bleck!

Double Bleck!

 

 

 

 

kinderGARDENS we have Dinosaurs and Rain!

Before I get to my update I wanted to let you know that next week is the last week to post about your gardens.  Make it a post that combines all the best ideas and most wonderful things you have grown over the kinderGARDENS series.

Make a post that pulls it all together for our judges to take a look at.

Remember there will be the following categories...

Best over all (decided by the judges)

Readers choice ( I will set up a poll for everyone to vote their favorite)

There are also 4 sub-categories (if applicable)

Best re-use or re-cycle

Best use of veggies

Best use of flowers

Most whimsical

And I will also pick the winner of most for the one of you that has been the most involved in posting, commenting on other's post, etc....the best cheerleader!

The following week winners will be announced!

So put together the best of the best of your children's garden posts over the last 23+ weeks!

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OK folks we have...RAIN!

I know living in the Pacific Northwest that must be shocking to you but we have rain and will probably have it for the next say...9 months or so!

In spite of the rain our little maze is going great!

Although it is about time to take down our 'summer' banner before it starts to mildew...darn weather.

Oh and look at my chicken house...I painted it purple!

I must send out a HUGE thank you to Susan Morrison (one of our judges) for giving me the inspiration and courage to pick up a bucket of paint called 'blackberry wine'!  Without out her post on purple in the garden I never would have even considered it.

And I must say I love, LOVE it...so thanks Susan!

LOOK...we now have a roof covered with gourds!

Too bad the little guys don't have a hope in the world of ripening...sigh.

Sunflowers are drooping under the weight of ripening seeds and drippy weather.

We have begun harvesting and drying seeds for roasting later this month...yum!

I'm not holding out much hope for corn to ripen either...but it has made a fun addition to the maze whether we get fresh corn or not.

Our beans are still going strong.  And I must say are even more lovely adorned with little jewels of rain!

As are the gourd blossoms.

And one last very, very good thing about all this rain...

It means its time to break out the dinosaur boots....grrrrrrr!

*****

So do tell...

What have you been up to in the garden this week!

 

Evening Blueberry Picking and Tantrums

A couple of years ago we built a retaining wall...ok let me re-phrase this.

A couple of years ago my husband built a retaining wall, I supervised, advised and generally made a pest of myself.

Sometimes I use the term 'we' rather loosely around here...ahem.

On top of the bottom level...as opposed to the bottom of the top level which would not work at all... we planted blueberry bushes.

They have simply thrived in their new home.  The soil we back-filled with had lots of organic matter and tons of wood chips which make for the perfect acid environment that blueberries thrive on.  Add to that a drip irrigation system for plenty of water and they have just taken off!

In just 3 years they have grown taller than our 3 year old!

Who takes he blackberry picking very seriously.

Each evening when hubby gets home from work he and Baby Boy go out and pick blueberries together.  I sneak a few berries between photos too.

But it is hard for me to concentrate on berry picking when the sky is putting on a show for us!

Which is a much prettier view than the this...

Which is the look I got when I told the little man it was time to go in and start getting ready for bed.

Yeah he loves it when I tell him that.

But I guess it is better than this...

I suppose pouting is progress from a full blown tantrum at the thought of bed.

*****

So do you have any summer evening traditions? 

Maybe a romantic walk or a game of hopscotch. 

Or sitting together on the porch swing or reading a book?

Homemade bread and a new Chest Port

Chest port in.

Bread made.

First load of stuff taken to a communty service center.

Still need to feed animals and kids...

Work on next load of stuff to donate...

And curse our habit of saving everything 'just in case'...sigh.

But on a brighter side of not getting to the late season garden chores...

Pretty fuzzy weeds to take photos of!

Carry on...

 

 

I'm back, I'm alive, results are in.

First mom's BRAC gene test came back negative...which frankly shocked not only us but the geneticist.  This is a good thing and a bad thing. 

It is good that she is not automatically going to opt for a double mastectomy and will not always be waiting for 'the other shoe to drop' so to speak.

It is a good thing knowing that my sister and I have not inherited the BRAC gene from our mom.

The bad thing is that since she has had two types of ovarian cancer and now breast cancer and she has her mother and aunts that have also had ovarian and breast cancer...something is up genetically with her family.

Which means instead of having a known (and testable) gene she has a very good chance of having a yet to be discovered mutation or a totally different gene that runs in her family...which cannot at this point be tested for.

So that leaves us scratching our heads as to what decisions are to be made, and what type of screening my sister and I should undergo, and just how vigilant we should be.

Anyway...

What's up those stairs?

Well first let me tell you a little about the apartment at the top of those red stairs...

We built our very large over-sized 'man garage' before we built our house (priorities after all).  We lived up there in one large room, one bathroom with three little rambunctious boys for well over a year...

It was very loud (only plywood floors), and it made me long for a bathroom that no one of the male persuasion less than 30 years old was allowed to enter.

As the years went on, the shop apartment became our young sons' playroom.  When they got into their teens it was the video game/hang-out spot.  Then it became the 20 something pad for college age kids who were always home on break or between jobs or back from mission trips.

Over the years it has also been the place to stash things that we didn't know where else to store.

Thus we come to today's mess...

There is no amount of photo-editing that can sugar coat this mess.

Let's see...

Air hockey table with broken legs so sitting on chairs, weight bars and benches, foosball table, clothes not wanted to sons going to college, old books they want me to store because they can't part with them, bits of couches, printers that don't work, computer and video game parts galore, toys, beds, mattresses...two vacuums...two?  Obviously never used.

And toys...lets not forget toys, mostly legos left over from three boys that were obssessed with them.

Yes I am attempting to clean up this mess because...

My mom is moving in!

I'm thrilled, so is my sweet hubby, as it means I am now forced to face this catastrophe which is our shop apartment.  He hates messes and this one drives him batty!

So if you don't hear from me much this week it is because I am sorting, cleaning, throwing, donating, and probably yelling at someone...

But when it is done mom will be tucked safely upstairs where I can keep an eye one her...to make sure she stays out of trouble.

And mom?

No guests after midnight and no wild parties!

Oh and before you feel too sorry for her...

She'll have a pretty view!

 

If you don't hear from me Send Help!

I am spending every spare minute up these stairs...

What is up there? You ask.

Well I wasn't going to tell you but my sister asked if I was going to share with you...first I said 'no way' then after some deep consideration I decided that for the sake of full disclosure I would.

But not right now...

Right now I'm off to an appointment with my mom to find out the test results of her genetic testing.  Finding out if she has one of the dreaded BRAC genes...or as the are known 'the breast/ovarian cancer genes'.  To find out if my sister and I will need to be tested.  To find out if....

OK...I'm not going to get ahead of myself.

So in the meantime if you don't hear from me by late this afternoon...

Please send help.

What is at the top of the stairs may have swallowed me up and I'm lost forever.

Yes it really is that scary!

Just warning you because in my opinion it is way worse than the camel poo or the mice marinaded in olive oil...

Seriously!

An Apple a Day on this Silent Saturday

We've got a very busy day planned today...it looks to be the last bit of sunshine around here for a while.  So enjoy your weekend all...I know I will!

Apple cake recipe here...

Ver perky Applesauce recipe here...

 

 

the Hobbit House and some Pot People kinderGARDENS 22

I'm back as promised!

I know, I know you're hearing from me 2x in one day...your day had either taking a serious turn for the worse or you are just as sweet as can be for putting up with my shenanigans!

And before we go any farther I want to thank my sweet sister for all the photos in this post.  She went on a field trip to the Oregon Gardens (yes without me...gasp!) and I asked (well ordered actually) for her to take lots and lots of photos.  Thanks Sweetie!

Anyway the Hobbit House.

You all want one.

You all need one.

How are you gonna get one?

Well let me tell you!

Can you see that little crack in the door?

It is a large black corrugated pipe like they use for culverts hidden behind there.

They have taken a large pipe, buried it under dirt and rocks, built a door and frame at either end and voila...a Hobbit House!

Brilliant I say...just brilliant!

And just the perfect size for Froddo and his friends!

And that is not all they had that kids would go crazy over (and moms like me!)

Pot People!

Mr. Pots and Mrs. Pots sitting happily on a bench together.

Not speaking, just happily enjoying each others company, staring off into space...saying nothing...doing nothing...

I have heard that pot makes you r-e-a-l-l-y mellow.  I do not know that for a fact, but I have heard.

Another idea I must try...the pot people...not the pot...ahem.

Life might be a bed of roses but it just might be a bed of petunias!

And don't forget the toilet, sink, and tub!

My youngest would simple flip for this...a train garden!

Chugga, chugga...choo, choo!

I love this...why can't I ever find cool old ladders like that?

Then again I can just envision walking into the garden and finding my 3 year old at the top of one of those.

Maybe someday when my youngest boy get some sense I may give this a try...in say 18 years or so!

Who wouldn't love a living tea party...with succulents in little tea cups?

Just wonderful!

I must learn to weld...I just must!

*****

If anyone gets a chance to visit the Oregon Gardens in Silverton I would highly recommend it.

And Sweet Sister of mine?  Next time you decided to go on a little garden tour...would you please at least consider taking me (and the kids) along?

We won't be any trouble I promise.

I'll even buy lunch.

Really...I would do that for you!

Hello?

Kathy?

Are you listening?

*****

So my dear friends...what have you all been up to this week in your gardens?

 

kinderGARDENS rearranged, rescheduled, recycled & repurposed

 

Due to incompentency,

A stolen mouse,

And an unexpected medical appointment,

 But not neccesarily in that order

kinderGARDENS week 22 is being moved from its regular Thursday morning slot to...

Thursday afternoon

 

But not to worry I will reveal to you how you too can make one of these a little later...

Carry on dear readers...

Carry on!

 

I will see you this afternoon...

No that is not a threat.

 

Sunflowers. Call me Officially Obsessed

Stick a fork in my I'm done...

I'm completely utterly obsessed with the sunflowers in my garden.

My hard drive is overflowing with photos of bright yellow flowers.

Photos of yellow against blue...

With honey bees...

In all different stages of development...

Even macro sunflowers!

I've even gone so far as to adorn my only daughter in them...

 

Yep...I'm pretty much a goner, there is no hope for me.

The only remedy for what I have is to plant them again next year.

Only more of course!

So do you?

Do you grow sunflowers?

Or do you grow something else that completely captures your imagination?

 

 

 

Fish Tale 3 year old style

We went to the lake cabin over the holiday weekend.

I spent a lot of time in the hammock reading and looking up...

Somehow staring at puffy white clouds against a beautiful blue sky is calming.  It makes me remember that I am indeed not the center of the universe.

While I lay relaxed in my hammock Sweet Girl played around me dancing and singing and making up nonsense stories as is her great delight.

Baby Boy and his daddy were doing this...

A little father son bonding over the shared conquest of fish!

I walked out to join them and was confronted immediately by my 3 year old son and his first fish tale...

Mama, mama, I caught a fish!

It was this tall...

And it was this BIG!

Wow that is a big fish for such a little boy to catch!

Mama I'm not wittle I'm B I G!

Oh yeah...sorry.

Is it a requirement of fishing to exaggerate?  Are fish tales like a law of fishing or something?  I cannot think of one other activity in which stretching the truth is like...mandatory!  Just wondering...

He proceeded to show me the trout he had caught...

He and his sister kept looking at it and touching it...till they both smelled like fish.

She also had to get in on the big fish tale action!

He went on to catch two trout...he was thrilled!

And hubby?

Well he fished on and off all day...

He didn't land so much as a single fish.

Sorry honey...maybe next time you could get some pointers from the kid!

And me?

I went back to my hammock...

And my puffy clouds!

*****

While filing away my newest fishing photos on my computer I bumped into these...

He's come a long ways from this...

He used to be quite horrified of fish, keeping his hands as far away from them as possible!

Could it be that maybe this could have been some of the reason for his trepidation?

Yeah...that could have been part of the problem!

Life is Exhausting the Friday Funnies

Sometimes life is just exhausting...

When I was making Baby Boy a late afternoon snack I looked over and saw this...

A little one fast asleep on the kitchen counter...

Of course being the cautious and caring mother I am I would never leave my precious youngest child precariously perched on a kitchen stool so I could go grab my camera.

No that would not be prudent or wise to leave him there unattended so I could get a photo of him asleep in his Big Bird underwear.

I am a better mother than that...ahem

 

Hobbits and Giant Zucchini kinderGARDENS 21

Wow...its September already!

I cannot believe that we have all been doing this for 21 weeks now...we're down to the homestretch.

We've got 3 more weeks then the winners will be announced at the end of the month ...whoo hoo!

I was thinking this morning that the biggest winner of all has been the children.

When I think of the kids of 40 different families getting to have a say in their own little gardens it actually gets me all teary eyed...you guys rock...seriously!

Ok enough sappy stuff...

Onto my garden update.

Our largest sunflower are begining to open, the gourds are climbing across the roof, pumpkins are tucked everywhere in the maze, and picnics are a regular fixture of each day under the smiling faces of our sunflower friends. 

But...

We had a little adventure in forgetting where everything was planted.. 

Yes folks this is what happens when you forget that you tucked a zucchini plant in the back corner of your garden...ahem. 

There were 5 this size...ack!

We scraped out the seed cavity...

Shredded, and froze for this winter's zucchini bread.

*****

And just to tease you all...

Here is a peek at what is coming next week!

I must have one of these.

I will have one of these...

A hobbit house!

Next week you will get a peek at a field trip to the Oregon Gardens and the wonderful ideas found there! 

*****

So do tell...

What have you all been up to this week?

 

 

Garden Rainbow

I you are a gardener you know this to be true...

Rainbows are not always just in the sky!

 

 

 

 

 

And sometimes there are colors in our gardens that even the most brilliant rainbows don't have...

We are lucky to have to go no further than our gardens to find our pot of gold!

Yes very lucky indeed...