You Say Potato...I Say No-ta-toe

Today was the day - to finally dig out the potatoes. The plants had died off and I didn't want to risk any potatoes rotting underground from the rain showers we've been having lately. The kids gathered around as Dave dumped the container out. We shifted through the dirt and found more dirt, more dirt and more dirt. Oh, and five very small red potatoes - very, very small and slightly rotten. {sigh}

If this is my greatest disappointment of the day, then I should consider myself fortunate, right? The kids got to play in dirt, always an enjoyable activity for them. And I discovered something new about myself. That potato growing is just not my thing. Basil yes, potatoes NO!

A Missed Opportunity

Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything.

The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

Proverbs 11:24-25

Last week our HR department at work sent around an email requesting help with meals for a co-worker who is recovering from an illness. Nourishing foods have become a passion of mine. I love to cook and felt this would be a perfect opportunity for me to serve someone else with my talents (which I feel are very few in number!). Unfortunately, I waited and didn't promptly act on the call to service God had placed on my heart. When I called yesterday to select a date for my meal, all dates had been filled.

It was good knowing that between her church and work, there had been an outpouring of assistance for this co-worker. At the same time, I was disappointed that I would not have an opportunity to serve in an area that seemed to be so perfect for me. Why had I not answered the call to my heart when it was given? In the midst of my disappointment, God pointed out that daily I'm presented with opportunities to serve. The elderly neighbor that needs someone to chat with. The husband that sometimes feels forgotten. The woman in the grocery store with the screaming toddler that needs a "I've been there" smile instead of judgement.

Don't miss out on your opportunities to serve.

First Day

Off to 1st grade!

Finally!

Our first tomatoes of the season - finally!

It's been 9 weeks since Dave was let go from his job. Last week he finally received his first unemployment benefit check. It was a lump sum check for the last 6 weeks. We transferred it straight to the emergency fund and now we are $600 shy of the initial Baby Step 3 goal we had set before everything was put on hold! Thus far, we haven't needed to use the emergency fund and I'm hoping we can keep that up.

Souvenirs

Before we left for the beach, I told the babies I wanted to gather shells while we were there. Ashleigh took on this task with the same zeal she did strawberry picking earlier in the summer.

Now our dining room looks like this

Ashleigh washing & drying shells

And this!

Headed to the Beach

It's been a loooonnnngggg week! I've had my fair share of craziness and drama over the last couple of days. We're heading off to the beach for a farewell to summer visit before school starts. Have a good weekend!

At least somebody is using the treadmill!

The Container Garden

Pepper plants started from seed

The container garden is finally starting to show signs of growth! The pepper and tomato plants I started from seed are now taking off. Since I started the garden late, the plants still aren't where the should be at this time of year. But maybe we'll see some peppers and tomatoes from these plants by late summer/early fall. I just have to figure out what to do with the 20 some pepper plants I now have. I've come to see that planting EVERY seed in the packet is not the best thing!

Plan B

I was beginning to think that nothing would ever come of my small tomato and pepper transplants. So about a month ago, I invested in Plan B - two, Big Boy tomato plants from the garden center clearance section! With the rain we've had lately, the Plan B's have really shot up and even have a few yellow blossoms coming in!

An Abundance of Basil

We continue to be blessed with an abundance of fresh basil! The basil plants are huge now. In addition to adding the leaves into pasta, pizza and salads, I'm reading up on preserving/drying herbs and making infused oils to make the most of our basil bumper crop.

Potato plants

The potato plants are quietly doing their own thing. I have to admit, I've kind of neglected them lately. With all the rain we've had, I'm assuming they've been getting enough water. A few weeks ago, the plants had purple blossoms. But now, they're a bit wilted and hanging over the trash can. I can't wait to find out if anything is happening beneath the soil!

I think gardening is becoming a new interest of mine. Something I really want to devote more time to learning about instead of my usual trial and error method. I'm currently reading Mel Bartholomew's All New Square Foot Gardening and making plans for next year's garden!