May Update from the "Homestead"

Good news travels quickly in the "real" world, but you virtual friends may not have heard the latest "homestead updates"...

 - Our garden is growing -- and fast!
We've doubled the size of our raised-bed veggie garden. The asparagus we planted is beginning to poke up out of the soil. The new strawberry plants are blooming, promising at least a few little berries in June. Salad greens are popping up all over the place, and there are plenty of peas and radishes putting out new leaves.

 - We have an orchard!
Last month, we put 9 apple trees into the northern slope of our property. Most trees are semi-dwarfs, which will grow to about 15 feet tall. The 2 full-dwarfs (Granny Smith Apple) will reach about 10 feet. Other varieties we planted include Winecrisp, Fugi, and a few tasty Honeycrisps. Yum!
Now, technically, it takes 10 trees to have an orchard. We planted a few standard-sized cherry and apple trees about a 1/4 acre away. Does this count?

 - And there's more...
We've put plenty of blueberries into the ground. Currants and Jerusalem Artichokes, too! As long as the seeds don't wash away, we'll have a plethora of native wild flowers and a goofy assortment of sunflowers edging our garden. The summer harvest will be beautiful. The rabbits are healthy, the chicken coop is nearly done, and we're about to build our last raised bed - and not a moment too soon! The little tomato plants I started from seed are quickly outgrowing their starter pots.

 - And the BIG NEWS:
This September, we're having a baby! The husband and I decided to "go for it" at New Year's, and by mid-January we were officially expecting. I was a bit shocked by how quickly this came about, and THRILLED!

Baby Info: Our wonderful doctor says that baby and mother are doing well -- "perfect," even. So, that's good. We're due in late September (the 29th). Last week we learned the baby's gender. We're keeping that a secret, for now. It's been an incredibly easy pregnancy for me, so much so that I feel like I'm bragging. So, I won't. Choosing a name is a challenge, but we've narrowed it down to two or three. Now, the real deliberation begins...
Huckleberry is still a strong contender.


So these days, when I'm not working at the bookshop or digging in the garden, I'm rearranging the house (again and again, as my husband will tell you). There's much to do, and so little time in which to do it. My art studio is becoming the nursery, and the library is to serve as a temporary studio, until we convert the guest room into a proper workspace.

We also have a long list of house projects to do this summer, before the little one arrives. It includes some minor carpentry in the nursery (a closet/storage overhaul!), painting the exterior of the house, some interior painting, tiling the basement bathroom, repairing the barn's split roof, finishing that chicken coop, and keeping up with the garden. I won't be able to help much with the painting, which is frustrating. I suspect the bulk of these projects will fall on my more-than-capable husband and a few wonderfully supportive friends.

50 Books in 2008!

Well, 52, actually. And over the next few days, I hope to reach 55 books, read in the span of one year.

I think it's on heckuva accomplishment!

Which brings me to my New Year's Resolution - 75 Books in 2009.

While I'm not entirely convinced that it's possible (since my life will flip upside-down, come graduation) but I'd still like to try. LibraryThing has been my best friend this year, and I've been able to keep track of almost everything I've read!

A quick-list of some of the most memorable:

The Boleyn Inheritance
The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox < (Just finished this last night.) The Tale of Despereaux
The Thirteenth Tale
The Writing Life
Writing with Style
A Room of One's Own
Writing Down the Bones
Cutting Down the Vines of the Past
Blessing the House (poetry)
Cranford
Basil
Paper Towns
Neverwhere
Twilight
The Gatecrasher
Finn
The Other Boleyn Girl
Bird by Bird
The Seduction of the Crimson Rose
Franny and Zooey
Year of Wonders
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation
Deception of the Emerald Ring
Looking for Alaska


It's been a good year. Sean has fallen into Zombie Madness, preparing for the imminent apocalypse. Strange, but it's caused him to read far more books than past years. School has gone well, and I've found myself fortunate to make a truly great friend. At times, I'm pretty sure that we're the same person, we're so alike. I (finally) met my youngest cousin, Carlynne (Carlie). She's absolutely adorable. Over the summer, Sean and I fostered two dogs from CAHS, and hope to bring in another sometime today or tomorrow. That is, if they ever email me back! My sister is doing exceptionally well at her art college, pulling in all kinds of awards and opportunities. My little brother has suddenly become a pre-teen, complete with peach fuzz on his upper lip. Strange.

I got to spend an entire day with my Grandma and cousin Claire last week, going through all of her old books. Now, I have a 3 page list of books to look up on Alibris and other sites, to try to determine the value of these precious tomes. Some might be worth something. Others are full of crayon and memories. Grandma and Grandpa are weeding, you see. They plan to have a huge yard sale this summer, and then sell the house. THE HOUSE. I'll be so distraught to see it go. I love that house. Anyway, Gram and Gramp want to move into the retirement community just across Burcham. And I want to buy their house (haha)!

Alright, this is enough internet-ing for now. I've got to make lunch, and then hit the books.