I’ve been playing with how to get a bit more out of our camera. It’s a dinosaur, and stinks at indoor photos. Nevertheless it seems a total waste to just toss it for a new one. So I built this:

Honestly build is overstating, It’s just a lamp and some fabric. And with it I got:

These are the first radishes out of the garden. I really like the effect of the photos.

Things I learned:

1. I need to do this away from a window or with the curtains drawn. I got too many shadows.
2. Radishes are probably a bit too dense for this…Our bluebells are blooming, so I plan to ry some of those tomorrow.
3. I need to iron the fabric first. Wrinkles!

The girls and I have been relaxing this week. No school due to spring break.

We got to eat our first salad from the garden last night. Most of the lettuce is store bought, but there is quite a bit of spinach from the garden. We also thinned the radishes and used them in the salad…the whole plant. It is amazing how much the leaves taste like radishes.

Here’s the other big project for break:

I finally started on the girl’s spring wardrobe. I’ve spent the last few days making my own pattern for pants…more on that tomorrow!

This is the witch hazel the girls gave me for Mother’s day 3 years ago. I haven’t been able to see it bloom since we’ve been in Florida the last two springs.

It smells amazing!

OK, so did anyone else spot the article on worm composting in this month’s Martha Stewart Living? This cracks me up!

My family has deep southern roots, and my Papaw (translation: Grandfather) had one of these at their place in Georgia. Only it wasn’t in a rubber tub purchased special, it was in an old fridge from the side of the road. And he wasn’t trying to compost, he was growing worms so he could go fishing.

We used to go out every evening and feed the worms. The fridge was under the huge old plum tree out back. The worms got table scraps and chicken feed. Yup, chicken feed. We’d stand there as the sun went down and watch them come up for the food.
It’s a great idea and all, but it seems odd to me to buy worms. I am also pretty sure they never got a bed of soaked newspapers, or air holes, and I know he never worried about ratios, just dumped stuff in. But it worked.

For the past few days I have been bogged down with doing taxes. I won’t bore you with details, but between the husband’s business, the move back from Florida and all I have at least 5 sets to file.

Long, deep sigh.

So to help lift the spirits I am trying to focus on appreciation today.

First a call from the husband…”You want some dirt?”

Bad photo of the dirt and the 71 Volvo.

He was working on an article out in Powhatan, a good 45 minutes away, and had come across a guy selling dirt, well, for dirt cheap (sorry, couldn’t resist). So he called, I said yes, and in the middle of the day he brought home dirt.

That’s the kind of guy my husband is. He’ll take a time out of an overcrowded day to bring home a huge truckful of dirt for our vegetable garden.

This is the question of the day. Little-sis asked this on the way back home from Williamsburg yesterday.

And I have to say we were laughing so hard it took a moment to reassure her. A scary thought no? She seemed pretty freaked out by it.

Hints of spring:

The husband got a bargain on some trees for the backyard last week. The spot where he planted them was already occupied by the daffodils. They sprung up in January’s heat wave and it seemed a shame to waste them.

So the girls and I stole some gravel from the driveway and stuck them in the jar. They just started blooming yesterday.

We moved to Florida in 2005 we left right before they bloomed, and we haven’t seen them since…I guess really since 2004.