Why Do I Garden?

Ask any gardener why they do what they do and you will get a bunch of different answers. Some grow veggies to supplement their pantry. A small investment in a couple of plants of tomatoes and you will reap the rewards of quarts of canned tomatoes. The same with beans, potatoes, onions, etc. It is cost efficient and a lot of growers like to know where their food comes from and what if any pesticides were used on the produce.

Some people garden for the flowers, for the enjoyment of color and texture as well as the visiting of butterflies, birds, bees, and other insects and critters that visit the colorful landscape.

Some folks like to have a pristine green carpet of grass that rivals any golf course. Some folks could care less and think as long as it’s green it’s fine in the lawn.

So why do I garden? Bits and pieces of the above explanations, as well as being in nature, feeling the soil, smelling the scents, watching things grow, develop, and seeing those critters and birds and insects visit to enjoy the bounty as well.

A garden is what you make it to be, along with a little help from Mother Nature. It is available to all of the senses as well as being visible to you, your neighbors, passerby’s, and if you so choose to take pics, to show other people not in your area.

I have posted quite a few pics over the years. I have currently three different places on the internet where those pics can be visited. It is more than visible, it is shared abundantly. I read a comment about gardens being closed off, invisible, and I had to smile. How can one make a garden invisible? Far from it. It’s there for the whole world to see either close up or thru a lens, wherever the viewer may be stationed.

I don’t like to respond to negativity. I think that negativity is garnered to just get noticed, to get a response, to whine, complain, and then be punctuated by a bullying name at the end of that comment seems like they want to justify their negative comment.

If things aren’t visible to someone, maybe they need to look harder. At themselves, at their viewpoint, at their actions.

A few years ago I was blocked. Imagine that, blocked by someone on my friends list on another blogging site. I haven’t ever blocked a friend for having a differing opinion. For not sharing their viewpoint. Silly me, I thought despite not agreeing, friendships could be maintained despite differences. But when I was blocked that told me all I needed to know. In their eyes I wasn’t supposed to disagree, to rock the boat or challenge their viewpoint. A very narrow path to follow for a friendship, so I blocked them in return. Don’t want to see me? Great, I will abide with your wishes. I will cease to exist to you and vice versa. I will spare you the discomfort of having to deal with me, my blog, my opinions, my pics, my world.

I have a couple of sites on here. All are open except for one on gardening. It’s a more personal site. Pics of my gardens, of my life, of things only friends would be interested in. One can view flower pics the world over. You can thank Google for that. Every pic of flowers I post can be found in hundreds, possibly thousands of pics across the web. Enjoy garden pics to your hearts content. Enjoy flower pics to your hearts content. Enjoy whatever nature pics you find to your hearts content. Not being able to view only one person’s favorite flowers, gardens, plants, etc. seems very small in the grand scheme of things, and certainly not everyone is privy to everything in the whole world.

It’s a whole big wonderful garden-y world out there. Just open your eyes and look. There is no reason to be blind to what is around you or what you create in this world. You reap what you sow.

Happy gardening bloggers!

Picnics… A Quiz

Nothing says the 4th of July like a picnic and some fireworks later. So I thought I would post a quick quiz on your favorite picnic-y stuff.

Favorite thing to cook on the grill?

  1. Hamburgers
  2. Hot dogs/brats
  3. Steak
  4. Something else

Favorite picnic side dish?

  1. Potato salad
  2. Coleslaw
  3. Deviled eggs
  4. Something else

Favorite veggie side?

  1. Corn on the cob
  2. Baked beans
  3. Sliced tomatoes
  4. Salad or something else

Favorite beverage?

  1. Iced Tea
  2. Lemonade
  3. Soda pop
  4. Beer or something else

Favorite Dessert?

  1. Homemade ice cream
  2. Watermelon
  3. Apple pie
  4. Smores or something else

Favorite Activity at a picnic?

  1. Swimming
  2. Hiking
  3. Fishing
  4. Something else

Favorite place to have a picnic

  1. Local park
  2. In my backyard
  3. At the neighbors
  4. Somewhere else

Favorite fireworks at home?

  1. Sparklers
  2. Smoke bombs
  3. Bottle rockets
  4. Something else

Have a good 4th everyone!

MM – June 30th

The last day Monday for the month of June. I chose this particular song as it was fairly new to me, but has really blown up and become a huge hit for this singer. It is everywhere when you look around. It’s a catchy tune and I love a lot of the live versions of this song because of the background vocals that really give it life.

Have a favorite tune? Feel free to post it for today’s Music Monday.

MM – 6/23

I chose today’s song because it’s supposed to rain later this afternoon and into tomorrow morning. At the moment it is sunny, and hot and humid and I am trying my best to talk myself into going out there to get some weeding done. So far, I am not too convincing! lol

I’m hoping the rain makes it in, so I won’t have to water today or tomorrow, hopefully I don’t jinx it with this song!

Have a good week bloggers and stay cool! Don’t forget to put out fresh water for the birds, dogs, cats, and other critters who are suffering in this heat.

2 for Tuesday…

Well, you know how bad I am at math. Actually, today’s post is 4 but by twos. I went out and grabbed really quick two pics of blooming hostas, and two pics of blooming daylilies today. Hopefully our rain materializes soon today as the plants could really use the moisture and they are loading up with buds, fingers crossed.

MM for 6/16

Oh, let’s be serious, I can’t swim so I can take two ice cream sandwiches, right? lol. Good Monday Morning, it’s another Music Monday. I was undecided on what to post today but came across this golden oldie and hopefully I haven’t posted it before, If I have, well, good music does deserve an encore.

Have a favorite tune? Feel free to post it today!

Have a good week ahead bloggers!

MM – Dido

Today I thought I would post a song from Dido. She definitely has her own style, and this song reminds me so much of her song “White Flag”. It’s hard to believe this song first came out around 1999-2000, almost 25 years ago. Time surely does fly!

Have a favorite tune? Feel free to post it for today’s Music Monday. Have a good week bloggers!

They Have Eyes, and See Everything

I hadn’t planned on blogging today, but a little post by Suzi on the Activity page had me contemplating potatoes of all things.

I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t like potatoes is some form or another. My mother and her generation and the generation before hers and ones before those, and further down the line held the potato in very high regard. Nary a meal was served that didn’t have a side dish or a main dish of the tuberous wonder.

Sadly, I haven’t kept up with that tradition. I’m not sure when the last time was that I fixed a potato. Oh I have made a couple of quick hash brown potato casseroles, or had some chips or fries, here and there, but an actual potato that did not come in prepackaged form to make it become an instant meal.

I know there is a small bag of potatoes in the vegetable crisper drawer, and I haven’t opened up that drawer in a while to check on them to see if they are sprouted, shriveled, or completely given up and turned to mash or mush. I should go check them now while I am thinking of it, but I remain rooted to my spot, afraid to face a possible vegetable emergency.

Yes, vegetables have emergencies. You know when they give you that, “better attend to me now or it’s to the trash bin I go” scenario. I just don’t think I face the prospect of having to peel some potatoes at the moment. Oh I could just throw them in a pot of water with their little jackets still on, but then I have to deal with sticky peelings and then make something with the softened masses.

Mashed potatoes? Potato salad? Au gratin Potatoes? Fried potatoes? I just can’t seem to get enthused enough to deal with the mess and the mountain of dishes that will ensue. Such a lot of work to fix something for one person. I guess I could microwave a potato, but they aren’t as good as baked, and it seems like a waste to heat up the stove to bake one potato. I could bake more but then again, a mountain of potatoes to make into something.

Potatoes are one of the neediest vegetables in the plant kingdom. They lull you into a false sense of security, and then “bam”, sprouts everywhere, shriveled masses, and it’s like a major revolt against oneself for being ignored.

I’ve already had dinner tonight, warmed up leftovers from a casserole made two days ago. If I make something potatoe-y tomorrow, it will be warmed up leftovers for days again.

I know I am not being very practical. Potatoes are cheap, good for you, and can stretch a meal and a budget. I’m just not in the stretchy mood though. Maybe it’s because I am busy with so much to do outside. Too much to do inside. And the weather really isn’t conducive to heating up the kitchen for the lonely potato.

I promise to gather my nerve and check the vegetable crisper drawer tomorrow. Til then, we…the potatoes and I…are happy to live in the dark.

So bloggers, what is your favorite way to have your taters?

1.Mashed

2.Fried

3.Baked

4.Chip form

5.Fries

6.Scalloped

7.Au Gratin

8.Soup (as in potato soup)

9.Potato cakes

10.Twice baked, stuffed, potato skins, etc.

11.Tater Tots

Music Monday 6-2

I came across this song on Youtube the other day. I had never heard of these two New Zealand sisters before and thought the song was hysterical! They have another song called “Meet Me Mama”, (I think that is what it was called) which is also known as their “yodel song”. Give it a listen to if you enjoy today’s music selection.

Have a good week ahead bloggers!

May 26th… Music Monday Memorial Day

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday, but especially that they are taking a moment to remember those who have gone before and the sacrifices they made for this country and it’s people.

There are a lot of great songs out there that would fit the bill for today’s Music Monday on this Memorial Day, this song has been quite popular for the past several years and I thought it fit today’s theme perfectly.

Have a favorite tune to post for Music Monday? Feel free to post it on your blog today. Extra brownie points if it fits with Memorial Day and it’s meaning of remembrance.