Simple Woman Monday, June 8th

What I've been thinking... I've been thinking a lot about the verse: To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. And I'm thinking I'll have to come back with a post about why I've been thinking about this.

I am reading... um, nothing; I'm between books right now, but I've had a hankering to read The Egg and I again. That's one in my list of old-favorite-summer-reads (To everything there is a season...). It's got lots of gardening and chicken talk and beautiful descriptions of nature ~ and it's funny; Betty McDonald was a wonderful writer.

What I'm wearing... Loose, comfy, shell-pink knit top and clam-digger jeans.

What's new... Our yard looks like a war zone. Over the weekend, Dan and the boys cut out a lot of the dead wood from two completely dead trees in our now pathetically thin wind break. Some of the big limbs fell and broke two of my fences and there is tree-debris everywhere. It's so sad that so many of our hundred-year-old cottonwoods have reached the end of their life (To everything there is a season...), but now that I can see their dead lifeless bodies lying all over the place, it's heartbreaking. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a "tree hugger," but if I could give our dear old trees mouth to mouth resuscitation, I'd do it.

From the garden... Most of our seeds have sprouted and seedlings from the nursery are filling in some of the corners.

* St. Thomas's Tomato Patch is all planted. We've got three Big Beef, one Early Girl, one hybrid yellow, four roma, and two cherry tomato plants out along the fence now. Thankfully, they survived a bit of transplant shock and two humongous wind storms both Saturday and Sunday (Early Girl is still looking traumatized, though, and is getting intensive care right now).

* Cathy and I planted a long run of pole beans.

* The zucchini is up, but the pumpkins haven't sprouted yet (To everything there is a season).

* We put in several bell pepper, and filled in our Father Pro Salsa Garden ( pictured, above -- with two different kinds of hot peppers, tomatillos, roma tomatoes and cilantro).

* We also added a cruciferous bed (which will be St. Helen's, in honor of the Holy Cross) with broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts -- even though I hate brussel sprouts. But they do look fun to grow, and I don't think I've ever served them at our table, so I thought it might be time to introduce this vegetables to the kids. If they see the sprouts growing, they might be more inclined to like them. And, who knows, maybe it'll inspire me to hate them less, too (To everything there is a season...).

From the kitchen... we made a big batch of granola on Saturday and it's already half gone today (To everything there is a season...). The children made several pies to take to the potluck sweet-16 birthday party of a close family friend (To everything there is a season...), and we now have the leftovers sitting around to tempt me (two pumpkin and one apple pie). On the healthier side, since our lettuce and spinach are going gang busters (To everything there is a season...), we'll be treated to lots of salad this week. (Wont' it cancel out the pie if I eat lots of salad, too?)

I'm thankful for... All the rain we've been getting; it's a true blessing to us out here on the arid high prairies (To everything there is a season...)!

We're creating... Gonna make another try at getting our garden markers made this week!

A few plans for the rest of the week... I've gotta get on the ball and set up eye and dentist appointments for the gang (To everything...). But,on the list of things worth looking forward to: this is Theresa's week to go on a hiking trip with me. So we'll take a day when I don't need to be at home, and my little girl and I will head for the mountains with a picnic basket and our hiking shoes, just the two of us. We've got each of the children on the calendar about every other week for the rest of the summer -- something for all of us to look forward to.

One of my favorite things... a cup of hot tea on a cool morning (because I'm trying to wean myself away from coffee--again, and because --brrr!-- I'm freezing this morning!)

Here are some pictures thought I'm sharing...

Kevvy's arm.

(He stayed over last night after bringing the teenagers home from an outing. You see him here trying to ignore the little kids who are cavorting around first thing this morning.)

Michelle's forehead.

(She dragged herself out of bed when called at around 8 this morning, then curled up on the couch and promptly went back to sleep under Anna's blanket. Not a mornin' girl, Shelly.)

**Simple Woman's Daybooks listings are "on vacation," but, you can still visit Peggy at her Simple Woman blog.