David's Family

Yesterday we all met at Cambridge Market for lunch. Can you believe we talked and talked for 3 hours. David's sister and daughter came from Louisville. Cousin Margo lives in Bowling Green, and the rest of the cousins are from Franklin. Thanks Margo for getting us all together. Going from right to left, your truly, cousin Margo, cousin Caroline, Kim, cousin Jan, cousin Becky, and David's sister Sharon. We all wound up at our place for more talk. It was surely a fun day.

Our Spring
Growing Your Own Vegetables

There’s nothing like fresh fruits and vegetables grown in your garden. Not only do they taste better, but they’re also safer and healthier for you and your family since they are grown without the use of harmful pesticides or other nasty chemicals. What’s more, growing your own food helps save a lot of money and reduces your carbon footprint by cutting down on food miles.

Did you know that many kitchen scraps can be used to regrow fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices? It is an easy and fun way to recycle. If you have kids, don’t forget to involve them too.

1.      Green Onions

Re-growing green onions is as easy as it gets. Place the white root base in a glass with enough water to completely cover the base and place it on a sunny windowsill. You can keep cutting off what you need, and they’ll grow back super fast.

2.      Onions

Remove the neck of an old water bottle and cut holes in the side the size of an onion bulb. Next, fill the bottle up with layers of onion sprouts and soil. Water the soil and place on a windowsill.

3.      Carrots

You can easily grow carrots from carrot tops. Cut the tops off a carrot and pierce a toothpick in either side of the carrot stump. Balance the toothpicks on the edge of a glass of water, allowing the water just to touch the bottom of the carrot. After a few days, roots and small shoots will appear.

4.      Celery

To regrow celery from the base, chop off the celery stalks and rinse the base with water. Then place the base in a bowl of warm water, the base side facing down. Every couple of days, change the water and keep the top of the base moist with a spray bottle. New leaves will emerge from the center.

5.      Sweet potatoes

About 25 pounds of sweet potatoes can be grown in a bucket, starting from just one sprouted, organic sweet potato. Click here for a full tutorial.

6.      Leeks

Place the cut-off base with roots in a glass of water and put on a sunny windowsill. Replace the water occasionally and watch them grow.

7.      Bok Choy

Just as celery, bok choy will start to sprout from the cut off base. Add the base to a bowl of warm water, and you will see new shoots emerge after just one day.

8.      Avocado

Thoroughly wash the avocado seed with water. Use three toothpicks to rest it in on the edge of a glass filled with water, submerging the seed about halfway. Change the water every day and place the glass in a sunny spot. After a while, a root will start to grow, and the pit will split. A stem will shoot up, and the leaves will start to grow. This process can take up to 6 weeks.

9.      Ginger

Buy a piece of fresh ginger that has a few eye buds. Soak it overnight in warm water and place it in potting soil with the buds facing up. Cover with a one- to two-inch layer of soil and water well. Place in a warm spot that doesn’t get too much bright sun. When shoots start to pop up, it will take another 3 to 4 months before it is ready for harvest.

10.  Basil

Select a few 4-inch stems and strip about 75 percent of all the leaves with a sharp knife. Put the stems in a glass of water and place in a sunny spot. Change the water every other day. Roots will form after a few days.

11.  Lemongrass

Put a few stalks in a jar with water. Within a day or two, roots will sprout. Before transplanting them to soil, keep replacing the water until the roots are about 2 inches long.

12.  Garlic

One clove of garlic is all you need to grow your own supply of garlic on a windowsill. Click here for a full tutorial.

13.  Mint

Strip all the leaves from the stem, leaving just a few at the top. Place the stem in water, making sure it is fully submerged. Change water every week and wait util roots start to form.

Once you get any of these kitchen scraps going, you can simply transfer them to a container with soil or your garden to continue their growth.

 What is so much fun, is buying a new place and watching what comes up. This is a iris bed that covers the entire front of the yard.  

 A beautiful purple iris.

 A lovely Salmon iris.

A striking Poppy.

Last week I found a tick in an unmentionable place. It had imbedded itself under my skin. David had to remove it with a needle and tweezer. Ouch!
Lone star ticks and American dog ticks are the key species in KY with regards to nuisance and disease potential. Personal protection, frequent self inspection, and prompt tick removal are keys to reducing tick bites and potential health consequences.

MARIJUANA

In one of the least surprising announcements of the year, the National Academy of Sciences has declared that marijuana can be used as a medicine in order to improve one’s health naturally. Despite the fact that anyone who has done any significant amount of research on the subject could have told you the same thing, racking up data from numerous reputable sources is always a good thing, as it eventually reaches the point where nobody can deny the truth any longer. Even the staunchest critics of marijuana will have to accept defeat at some point — and that is when true liberty will be achieved.

Marijuana advocates all over the world rejoiced at the news, and for good reason, since it is yet another piece of scientific evidence that helps prove to naysayers that cannabis has considerable health benefits. NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano stated, “The National Academy of Science’s conclusions that marijuana possesses established therapeutic utility for certain patients and that it possesses an acceptable safety profile when compared to those of other medications or recreational intoxicants are not surprising. This evidence has been available for some time, yet for decades marijuana policy in this country has largely been driven by rhetoric and emotion, not science and evidence.”

It continues to become more and more obvious that the only reason that cannabis hasn’t been legalized from coast to coast, all across the United States, is because the powers that be are benefiting heavily from the pharmaceutical drugs that are being peddled in its place. Should cannabis be legalized, Big Pharma will take a drastic hit, which is guaranteed to leave them scrambling. Considering the fact that President Donald Trump has already waged a culture war against the pharmaceutical industry, it should come as no great surprise that they don’t want their brand to be damaged any further.

The bottom line is that cannabis is a natural, healthy and effective alternative to chemical drugs that are created in a lab somewhere. Opioid addiction in America is through the roof, and few have the courage to address that fact because they are afraid of the wrath of those controlling the pharmaceutical industry. Thankfully, the truth is always on the side of justice and there is no way to keep the truth from coming out. Though the powers that be did their best to keep Americans in the dark on the health benefits of cannabis for as long as possible, that time is long gone. 

HOW TO MAKE OUR HOMES INVITING

We can place a beautiful bouquet on top of a rickety table to make it beautiful again.

We can hang a seasonal wreath on an old door to bring it new life.

We can polish a bathtub in an outdated bathroom because we see it as a gift.

We can bring color, texture and light to a space to make it a welcoming sanctuary.

We can display family memories to tell the story of God’s faithfulness and love in our home.

We can display His promises and truths on the walls of our home to be reminded of His Word.

We can show hospitality to others through preparing welcoming spaces in our home.

We can create beauty right where we are.

How amazing is it that just as we long to create beauty in our imperfect homes, He creates beauty in us as we grow and are transformed through Him?

His incredible story of redemption can be told in our home one chapter, one decision, one project at a time. 

Last night we went to a concert that was held by the Orchestra Kentucky and Western Kentucky University Bowling Green Youth Orchestra. Which my grandson is a part of. He plays the French horn. It was awesome!

Hens and Chicks

Succulent hens-and-chicks (Sempervivum spp.) produce rosettes of thick leaves that cluster together in colonies of both large and small plants. Foliage color varies depending on the variety, but many feature green interior leaves surrounded by a ring of red or darker green foliage. Each hen-and-chick rosette flowers approximately every four years, near the end of its life, but the plants are constantly producing new rosettes from the roots to replace those that fade. Hens-and-chicks grow outdoors in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 3 to 8, but you can grow them as houseplants everywhere.

EASTER AT OUR HOME

 Playing with grandpa and daddy.

 Easter egg hunt. 

 Grandpa taking a break.

Micah and Alex cooling off.

Micah with his bunny. 

Resting in my hammock.

Micah's Easter egg hunt at school today. He brought an extra bag incase someone forgets theirs. How Sweet and thoughtful is that!

 

Easter, also called Pascha or Resurrection Sunday, is a festival and holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day of his burial after his crucifixion.
Happy Easter Bloggers!

I mowed our front yard with a push mower.

 

If your kitchen is your personal domain, then thyme is an invaluable plant. You can use it to give your stews and meats an extra kick. It can be added to butter and even bread. Thyme also pairs quite well with other herbs like oregano and parsley. Really, it’s all up to you on what to do with your homegrown thyme. The best part is that you don’t need to rush to the grocery to buy more once your kitchen runs out of it. You can just step outside into your garden.

If you’re not much of a cook, thyme is still an excellent addition to your home. This simple herb offers a variety of health benefits thanks to its antimicrobial characteristics and antioxidants. Drinking a cup of thyme tea can relieve bad colds or bloating. Adding thyme to your diet allows you enjoy its multitude of vitamins and minerals, including calcium, iron, and vitamin A.

Caring for your Annuals, Perennials and Bulb

Dahlias, Gladiolas, Lilies, Cannas and other summer flowering bulbs can be planted this month.
Gladiolas bulbs may be planted at 2 week increments until the first of July to
provide you with cut flowers until the first frost.

Delphiniums, Phlox, Daylilies, Carnations, Aubrietia, Candytuft, Basket of Gold, Primroses, Coral Bells
and Saxifrage and other summer flowering perennials may all be set into the garden any time in May.

Break off wilting Tulip or Daffodil heads but continue to feed and care for the plants until the foliage has died back naturally. Old plantings of Daffodils may be divided and moved when they have finished blooming, but treat them as growing plants and use care to protect the foliage and roots.
Water them thoroughly after transplanting.
It is best not to dig or move other spring flowering bulbs until their foliage has ripened and died back.

Pansies, Snapdragons, Dianthus, Petunias, Geraniums, Fuchsias and Impatiens should be ready
to plant by mid month. Toward the end of the month, it should be warm enough to plant out
the more tender annuals like Salvia, Zinnias, Marigolds and Cardinal Flowers.

Lightly side dress perennials with an all-purpose 5-10-10 or 10-10-10 fertilizer. Avoid spilling the fertilizer on the plant, and use care not to damage the shallow roots when you cultivate it into the soil.

Setting the stakes next to your taller flowers early in the season, will help to support the plant
against winds as well as making it easier to 'train'.

This tree looks like a boomerang. The woods are a sight to see and observe..

There is so much to do in every corner of the yard this month that it is difficult to know where to start. In my opinion, the first and foremost thing to do is to stand back for a moment, and simply enjoy the beauty that Mother Nature has given us.... Listen to the birds as they sing you a spring melody... dream a little... and then put on the gardening gloves and head out to make your dream garden a reality! As you begin your quest for the perfect garden, don't overdo it! It's probably been a few months since you gave those muscles and bones a good workout, so start out slowly and avoid that Monday morning backache.

This wild turkey was in our yard today!

The survival of the wild turkey was once threatened by habitat destruction and overhunting, though its population has bounced back since the 1940s. Turkeys are not only found in the Americas, but in Europe, Hawaii and New Zealand.

Male turkeys are famous for their iridescent feathers, red wattles, fanlike tail and the gobble that summons their harems. After the eggs are laid, the female feeds the chicks for a day or so, then they forage on their own. The male does not care for the chicks, also called poults, and sometimes hens and poults come together to form huge flocks. Some turkey hens have been known to lay their eggs in the nest of another hen. They also lay eggs in ruffed grouse nests, but the ring-necked pheasant lays eggs in the nests of wild turkeys.

Turkeys mostly live on the ground, though they roost in trees at night. They're active during the day, and they don't migrate. They eat both insects and salamanders, though they usually eat acorns, seeds, fern fronds and leaves. They have been known to climb into shrubs to reach the buds and the fruit.

Everyone

Where it's Spring

• Keep ahead of the weeds.
• Turn the compost.
• Sharpen Tools
• Test and amend your soil
• Prune flowering shrubs when they finish blooming.
• Plant and divide perennials

Last Freeze Dates

• Learn the typical date of the spring's last freeze so you can avoid the danger of setting out freeze- and frost-sensitive plants too early. The date of the last freeze varies from year to year, of course, but knowledge of typical freeze-free dates can help you reduce the risk of planting too early.
  In western Kentucky, the average date of the last freeze comes relatively early; in Paducah, the median date of the last freeze is April 8. In central Kentucky, the last freeze comes somewhat later; the median last freeze in Lexington comes on April 18. In western Kentucky, freezes tend to occur even later; the median last freeze date in Ashland is May 4.
  

Soil Conditions and Temperatures

• You can plant cool-season crops in the spring as soon as the soil is workable, meaning the ground is no longer frozen and the soil can be tilled. The soil should also not be so wet that it forms clumps when it's tilled or compressed in your fist.
  Early crops should also be planted when the air temperature is relatively cool -- between 50 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit, so the plants have time to develop before the heat of late spring and summer begins.
  

Cool-Season Crops

• Cool-season crops are not vulnerable to damage from frost, and they can be planted in Kentucky even before the danger of spring frosts has passed. Cool-season crops include broccoli (Brassica oleracea (Italica group)), cabbage (Brassica oleracea (Capitata group)), lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and onions (Allium cepa).
  On average, the earliest planting date for cabbage and lettuce is March 15 in western Kentucky, March 25 in central Kentucky, April 1 in eastern Kentucky. The earliest planting date for broccoli plants is March 30 in the west, April 5 in the central part of the state, April 10 in the east. Onion sets can be planted as early as March 1 in the west, March 10 in central Kentucky and March 15 in the east.

 

Rock Quarry

The blacker the berry, the sweeter the fruit

Several studies hail blackberries as an excellent anticarcinogenic. The polyphenols which are abundant in blackberries prevent cell mutation. Along with its antioxidant properties, blackberries block cancer cells from developing along tissues. Those at risk of lung cancer are particularly advised to up their intake of blackberries. Anthocyanin — a type of polyphenol — was studied to have been an effective preventive measure against the growth of cancerous lung tumors.

Blackberries contain high levels of vitamin K. These soluble compounds have been linked with effective cancer prevention. Vitamin K1 and K2 are noted to have superior anti-tumor action. The nutrient affects tumor development by modifying their receptor molecules. Simply taking a serving of blackberries fills a third of your daily requirement for vitamin K.

The anti-coagulating properties of vitamin K make blackberries an ideal natural therapy for women who suffer painful bouts of PMS. Vitamin K can regulate hormone production, effectively reducing pain caused by cramps. It can also aid women who suffer from excessive bleeding.

Other benefits of vitamin K? Blackberries are good for people with cardiovascular problems. The vitamin K stops arteries from hardening by preventing plaque build-up. Eating a good amount of blackberries can reduce blood pressure and lessen the chance of a heart attack.

Studies conclude that blackberries are also an excellent superfood for brain health. Antioxidants help improve memory. A consistent diet of blackberries dramatically improves cognition and attention. A notable nutrient for brain health is manganese. Neural connections and processes rely on manganese to function properly. Research proves that a deficiency in manganese can lead to epilepsy. The polyphenols in blackberries also guard against neuron degeneration.

 I was temped to buy these beautiful Hydrangea's . They were sitting out in the front of Kroger and I couldn't resist. My son bought a Hydrangea plant one year for Mothers Day. It didn't survive! I am good at growing flowers. So, wish me luck. 

I had to stop at Lowe's today and guess what I picked up? A knock out rose. The rose bush in Hadley did beautifully. Hoping for the same results. 

Look what POPPED up in the yard today. A wonderful tulip. A red and white variety.