rising sap

The sap is rising and we have spring fever pretty bad around here!  Most of our days have been spent out of doors eating, playing, digging, walking, biking and relaxing.  Oh, and working.  There's been plenty of that too! 

Outside

Peach (left) and plum tree blossoms

Jason cutting up hop vines

Iris, garlic, chives w/ sorrel in background

Tilled garden

Inside

Seed starting setup

Leeks!

Mama mia, pasta machine!

Vintage tins

The whole garden is tilled. I did some of the tilling this year, huzzah!  Usually I'm busy doing other spring chores or wrangling Abby and Jason ends up doing the tilling but this year he hurt his back just in time for tilling, so I helped him out.  Just a little.  We also filled about 30 lawn bags with leaves from our white oak and dead plants from last growing season.  Our fruit trees are blossoming even more with the last two days of sunshine and the plum blossoms smell heavenly!

Inside we have been making a lot of homemade pasta with pullet eggs from Cathe's chickens.  The noodle machine, as I have dubbed it, has gotten a workout!  I bought it 10 years ago in Ames and haven't used it in about 7 years, I don't know why.  Fettuccine has been the choice noodle but this week I'm going to make some butternut squash ravioli.  Yum! The inside chores have not been at the top of the priority list lately but I have had time to clean a little and refresh the top of our antique buffet where the decorations change seasonally.

As for seeds, I have shown you the seed starting setup with two layers, soon to be three (sorry not the best photo).  I'm not planting anything or starting seeds until March 25th, which is the next good day according to the lunar calendar.  I get my planting advice from this guy, he's a super star in my book!  Come the 25th it will be all out planting mania around here.  Starting the rest of my seeds.  Planting onions, shallots, radish, lettuce, spinach, chard, peas, carrots and some other stuff I forget. Usually we work from morning until it is too dark to see what we are doing.  I relish those days and the good feeling of a hard day's work when I go to bed at night, which is what I should do right now.

Before I do though, please notice the fancy button to the right.  This week I'm starting a new sewing project for myself and will be blogging about it then entering the final product in a contest.  You can read more about the contest at Made by Rae.  Good night!

winning

I have been winning in my thrifting trips lately.  More canvas bags for my little project I have going, like new shoes and some awesome vintage fabric and linens.  I have also been winning with my sewing and will have some photos for you tomorrow, hopefully the photos will be of the clothing on the model if she is willing.  A bribe of chocolate and/or marshmallows may be in order.   

Shoes 

I'm not really sure what the date is or how many photos I am behind.  I'll fill in some tomorrow but here is one for my Shoes.  These are boots.  As you can see.  They are from my mom who bought them for me in Italy.  I'll never get rid of these and hope Abby will wear them when they actually fit her feet!  I wear these boots year-round with everything. They are soooooo comfy.

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Tonight we had homemade mac and cheese, oh my gosh it was good, thanks Jason!  Then we made an impromptu trip to our friend's to look at the moon, Venus and Jupiter through his telescope.  It was cold and getting on bedtime, but we had a blast.  Thanks Damon!  

Goodnight for now y'all!

catching up

We did a bit of catching up this past weekend.  Jason and I went on our "secret" date night, which included dinner, an art exhibit, cupcakes and espresso, the symphony and a nightcap at one of our favorite places in downtown Champaign.  It was a cold evening made much warmer with flowers, champagne and conversation with my favorite person on the planet (besides Abby, of course!).

I fell asleep toward the end of the first half of the symphony so we decided to hit Radio Maria's then go home.  It was so cold that night that we were glad to be home in our pajamas at (ahem) 9pm.  Yes, we are oldsters!  Thanks for the great night, Jason and nine memorable years of being married!

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I know I have left the February photo meme in the dust these last days.  So here is something to make it up.  "Something I hate to do".  Dishes.  Give me any other household chore and I will be happy: scrubbing floors, toliets, laundry, vacuuming, ANYTHING.  We don't have a dishwasher (and never will because our kitchen is the size of a matchbook).  I try to find the zen place of peace about dishwashing, but I'm afraid it will never sit well with me.  

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Looking forward to the next week.  I have lots of seeds to start: peppers, eggplant, leeks, herbs, and maybe some tomatoes.  My notes from last year are not very complete and every year I vow to do better because it really is better when I can compare with last year.  Happy Tuesday!