I'm Suppose To Be Cleaning The Kitchen

Instead I'm in the kitchen taking photos of my pretty tomatoes!

 

This is tomorrows seed load. What you don't see is all the jars behind these!

 

 

 

Lemon Boys, Oregon Spring, and Dr. Wychee's Yellow.

 

 

Too bad Aunt Ruby's Green couldn't join the family photo....

 

 

Making loads of tomato sauce!

 

More Tomatoes

Arkansas Traveler, Aunt Ruby's Green, and Kellogg's Breakfast. In other words Joy.

 

Many of you guys may ask how are you saving seeds? Basically this is what I'm doing. http://awaytogarden.com/saving-tomato-seed-a-day-at-the-seed-library

 

I do it in the kitchen in canning jars, and I have a four day process. After about four days, they are set out to dry. I have found any more then four days and they start to sprout. I have some early girls going crazy now. I kinda forgot to date them, well all that just came out wrong, since I'm very married. Let's just say you are to label and date your seeds.

 

As a science experiment we are letting the four early girls grow and see how far we get with them. 

Matt's Wild

 

 

I have to tell ya I'm sooooooooooo in Love with Matt's Wild Tomato. This one came highly recommended to grow, and that was all I needed. The only thing is, I didn't know it was that small. Because it's smack in the middle of the back yard tomato bed, right smack in the middle of big ole tomatoes.

 

I have two Matt's Wild in the photo, next to a Bing Tomato, so you can see how small they are.

 

It's been a hoot, watching all the tomatoes ripen and picking them, and opening them to gather seeds. A Matt's Wild is all seeds. And when I grow it next year, it will go into a pot, so the focus can be on it, verses hunting for it in the middle of a bed of big ole tomatoes. 

Lemon Boy's

 

 

Tonight I fell in love with Lemon Boy's. I was out walking the garden and picking tomatoes and ran smack into a Lemon Boy. These tomato plants are so very tall. But the tomatoes are oh so pretty.

 

It's been an interesting garden season, Just dove into tomatoes this year and not only diving into them, but saving tomato seeds and such. So it's been interesting in seeing how different each tomato is, and when you cut them open to get the seeds, everyone has been so different.

 

I'll go more into seed saving later. I'm smack in the middle of it now and it's INSANE. 

Baby Watermelons!

 

 

We have watermelons growing in the green house. This was the last chance I was giving watermelons. As I have tried for years and nothing to show for it. But with out new bed in the green house we gave it one more shot. They have been growing like crazy out in the green house, but no babies. Well until today when I went out to water and started screaming. Kids came a-running and we started to play count the babies. At least 5. I'm sure as the days come we will have many, many more to count. 

Garden

The garden has kept me busy it's hard to keep up and blog about it. Today I spotted probably the biggest pumpkin we have ever grown. This first photo does not even do it justice. I'll take more photos when we pick it. I believe this is a howden.

 

 

 

 

Next, I'm starting to find Jack Be Little's everywhere. I have about 5 right now. Momma seems to have 1-2 babies a day. Keep them a-coming. Love how tiny they are.

 

 

Next, I'm sooooooooooooooo excited about the garden next year. I know I know I need to finish off this year. But with me saving seeds this year. I can order special things next year. So as budget allows I will be picking up a few special seeds for next year. First up I have Manny Cucumbers coming. They are a gourmet cucumber normally in Europe.

 

Seeds of the month came this week. This is ever so exciting. Corn Salad, Kohlrabi, Kale, Parsnips.

 

But right now, ever spare second I'm in the garden. Working on closing it down, well some of the beds, the carrots, parsnips, and pumpkins are being left for awhile. All other beds will be emptied as food is ready. So far I'm keeping up with the canning, freezing and drying. But it's keeping me busy.

 

Later I will have a major garden update, on what worked, what didn't work, and the things I'm a-changing for next year. 

It's Green

 

 

So back to the doctor, another round of x-ray's after falling on the arm twice. But no new damage. Now into a hard cast for at least two weeks.

 

Cole is still in pain, but it's healing nicely. It's still swollen. But it's time for the hard cast. Cole chose Green. And no one is allowed to touch it. Don't you dare come close because he now has a weapon to take you out with.

 

He took his get well money and we stopped at the store on the way home and he got a Lego set. And he set out to put it together all by himself. Yeah, that was a hoot.

 

And all Cole wants for Christmas is for his arm to get better. 

Things To Do With No Internet

Well we got back from vacation AND we had no internet. After a midnight call to the phone company, it was found that the box on the side of the house blow. We would have to wait a few days.

 

So things to do without the internet:

 

 

Clean out the area so the guy can get to the box. This was covered with blackberries.

 

 

Clean out the sand back and bought some new wood and fixed it all up.

 

 

Start the new club house.

 

 

Pick a 2.5 Pound Turnip

 

 

Catch this pain in the butt. As she had a bad cut under the eye and couldn't see out of the eye. So we caught her. Did her hooves, wormed her, and creamed her eye. As of today she is much better and can see again.

 

 

Watch the pumpkins Grow

 

 

 

Watch the garden grow!

 

 

After the guy left, we were told we need to update the modem. So again we were off line for awhile. I finally got the new modem, we were updated, and back online. Now if I can only get the computer to talk to the printer????

Curve Ball Update

 

 

So Thursday we got right in with the surgeon. After another round of x-rays, it was deemed NO Surgery. Come this Friday we will have a hard cast.

 

I also think the shock has warn off, and he has perked back up. He is back to playing and running. Sleeping isn't easy and he can't pee by himself, well because he is the only child that wears clothes.

 

But we will get there. 

Curve Ball

 

 

Gotta watch those curve balls in life. And boy we got a dosey last night.

 

 

I was having a night, I had picked enough blackberries for some jam. I had apple butter going and almost ready for the canner, I just brought in cucumbers. And I caved and let the boys go to the neighbors for about 15 minutes. I just walked into the house when I hear the neighbor girl come a-screaming. I drop the cucumbers and go a-running, because as the front door opened you could hear a child screaming. I went racing and found Cole. And a bone sticking out of his arm.

 

 

And this is screaming you can not miss. So neighbor comes running and he sees the bone and he runs to get his car. I hand Cole over to the other neighbor and I run to get shoes and ID and we hop in the car and head to the ER.

 

 

We have a child's after hours ER attached to the hospital. So we head there. We get there and we are the only ones there. We got right back. As we were heading back, doctor stopped me for a second. Saw the bone and had x-ray there within minutes to take us over. Back and fourth and yep it's broken. We are facing surgery. So a make shift cast and a sling and we were in and out within an hour.

 

 

Call the surgeon this morning and got right in. After another round of x-rays it was deemed we don't need surgery, well unless the broken piece decides to go into the joint. But as long as he can move his elbow we are doing OK. So he is to be in the make shift cast for another week and we go back next Friday for a hard cast. Have to wait for swelling to go down.

 

So last night was a sleepless night as I was freaking out how to pay for yet another surgery. And then of course I worry about my baby being in pain.

 

 

So sadly our Mortgage challenge is on hold. Here is our plan for the moment. We will be putting the money that should be going towards this challenge into savings. So when the medical bills come in we can pay them. But lets say insurance magically decides to pay, then we can send all the money saved to the house. We know we have a very high deductible so odds are we are paying the bills.

 

Our mortgage has now dropped to 123,708.01 as I paid the Mortgage right before this happened and once it posts you can't take back the payment. But that is fine.

 

Oh what happened. Well the neighbor has a trampoline and yes it has an enclosure on it. BUT kids were playing a game on the outside of the enclosure??? this after the mom said NO. But they were outside and Tucker went to tag Cole and pushed him too hard and off the trampoline he went. Of course I found out the whole story today. I was too steamed last night to deal with the older boys. I know Tucker had pushed Cole off.

 

And tell ya he is milking it for all it's worth. Tucker is doing his chores for the next few weeks. the boys are spoiling him. And with him, I put his pain meds on the counter, if he is in pain he may take it. It sat there all day. I did make him take some before bed. I asked him to take some in the morning to help him get through the day. After that I don't care until bed. Pain meds are evil on his body and so to me if he can live without them the better.

 

But yeah after three boys and ten years, we have our first broken bone. For some reason I thought this would be our summer. I was just hoping it would be the big kid. Just grateful we are not facing surgery.

 

On a side note. Blackberries got put into the freezer. Apple Butter got jarred up and canned. And cucumbers are still sitting on the table. I got home and after putting kids to bed, I had a table to clear and dishes to do and all the lovely chores I normally do between 7-8pm.