Well I have switched to a new schedule this week at work. I will now have Friday and Saturdays off. YAY!! This means that I will be able to go do more things like visit family and friends and I will also be able to go to my beloved farmers' market which is on Saturday mornings. Things here are slowly shaping up. I putter around the house until about 7pm when it is cool enough for me to go out in the garden (sorry I am a wuss) and then pull grass and weeds until I can't see anymore. Roughly it's about 2 hours of work an evening. The grass is slowly being defeated. I did have to spray for squash bugs...they are attacking my zuchinni and the japanese beetles were destroying my pole and turtle beans I lost one of my zuchinni to squash bug larvae in the vines :(

I did get to do some harvesting today!! I got 1 medium and 1 large zuchinni, 1 massive head on the broccoli that will be enough for me and Bill to steam up for dinner some time and about 20 or so radishes. My bibb lettuce is going to seed and Im letting it. Then I will gather the seed and try again. I did manage somehow to save 2 of my heirloom tomatoes that we all thought were dead...well the rest are. The corn is still struggling despite the rains yesterday and the day before. The 2 cabbages seem to be going well as the late broccoli I planted. The roma and cherry tomatoes are small but I cleared the grass around them and some of the peppers and I hope they recover. Spaghetti squash, cantaloupe and yellow squash seem to be holding their own. Onions are still doing great and the carport of loofahs and birdhouse gourds is completely green. My herb patch was a total failure and the garlic is scrawny. It will be the next thing I hit tomorrow after I finish clearing the rest of the grass from the peppers.

Jodie has moved out for the most part, she has some stuff still here that she has to get but she's got the majority of it out. We are still looking for another roommate but have stopped short of placing an add in the paper. We've mainly searched through friends and family. Trying to find someone who isn't a nutcase AND has a stable income. We will be ok with just us but I would like to have more people in the house and every little bit helps.

So we got back from the best vacation to find that A- My post for Homemakers Who Work went poof. and B half my garden is dead or dying. My heirloom tomatoes had completely dried up as well as one side of my pole beans and my black beans were covered in Japanese beetles and my corn is not happy either. My friend who watched the house and animals said she watered and pulled some weeds.......umm yeah....moving on. However, my cats and the dog are great and the house was a little cleaner than when we left. Im not giving her any crap as her parents barn burnt down while we were gone and it had all her house stuff stored in it.

Here the house has been a beehive of activity. Ragnarok is coming upon us!! Well not literally the end of the world no...it's the major, national gathering for those of us who are in Dagorhir. It's medieval combat, with a fantasy base. Yes I am that much of a geek :)

Anyhoo Ragnarok this year is the 21st to the 28th in Cambridge, OH. We will leave the house around midnight Saturday to make the 8-10 hr drive. My friend is staying at my house for a week to take care of the animals, normally I'd just have someone come in once a day to check in but cant do that now that we have the Tater-pup.

I love going to Rag but the week before there's always soo much to do. 11th hour projects abound. I am guilty myself. I have made 1 skirt, 1 mens tunic and I need to make a half chemise and finish up another skirt.. I also had to dye a few pieces. Bill is working on belt favors for our unit. Him and a friend have been working on a pavillion for our camp. The roommate is trying to get packed and find all her garb. We are trying to co-ordinate caravans. Yeah pretty busy.

Outside of the house the weather has been crap for humans but great for some plants. It has been tooooooo hot, in the upper 90s, very humid (when its not storming) and I got sick trying to "suck it up" out there. The garden is a mess :(

I went to help a friend clean up her place after I got off of work today. 3 hours later my friend is feeling a hell of a lot saner but my feet hurt and Im kicking myself. Considering the last time I had a day off was the 3rd it was just not a good idea. I cannot wait until Tuesday so I can sleep in (hopefully) Tuesday and Wednesday are UberBusy. I have a lot of stuff to do here to get us ready for our vacation. Among them is making a new skirt and a new chemise blouse or two if I can swing it. And I have to dye a skirt and top.

They are starting a standby list for OT at work starting this weekend. This is a good thing. I should be getting my days off switched soon to Friday and Saturday which is a most awesome thing. One week and one day til our 1st wedding anniversary. One week and 2 days until vacation. Im very blessed and content. The bed is callin me now.

Hard week

So this week I have had to do mandatory overtime. We are only required to do 4 hours..Im clocking almost 20. It will cover me going to Ragnarok in Cambridge, Ohio for a week. We look forward to this all year. I feel like I could drop though. My throat hurts a bit from so much talking. I need sleep and I've lucked out that its been rained a bit making the garden a little inaccessible. It seems to be coming along from what I can tell.. I finally found my battery charger so I will get pics soon.

On a different note, my middle stepson has been staying with us this last week. He has mentioned staying with us for the summer. I have a sneaking suspicion that he might want to live here permanently. He's 9 though and I think kids in Illinois cant actively pick until they are 12.

A new opportunity!

So I was asked if I'd be interested in writing for Homemakers Who Work and I said yes. I'm really looking forward to working with these people and all the advice they have to share as well as whatever knowledge I can share. Go check it out my intro was today!