Ok, as I was mowing the other evening, I came to the conclusion that my hours of raking leaves up from along my chain link fence is a real waste of time. Because I didn't ACTUALLY waste my time this past fall doing it, the leaves are all matted down right next to the fence providing an exquisite layer of mulch that is handily beating the orchard grass and Johnson grass from growing annoyingly up thru the fence. If this continues to work all summer, gone are the frustrating hours of weed eating (you know that damn string reel you have to fill) and Round-Up applications. Now, my anal-retentive neighbors might have an issue with this if I were to ask them but guess what? I don't plan on it.
And another mildly interesting accident I happened to be a part of...
In '03 when I tilled up an established parcel of lawn for my garden, I hand-picked grass wads out of the soil to avoid them taking root again and my having to hoe it contiuously. These grass wads were neatly piled in a spot out of the way for transport for disposal at a later date. And it was a mighty tall pile- 12 x12x3 feet tall. I left them there for several months waiting to borrow a truck (hate that borrowing thing) which never happened. Low and behold! The next spring , I looked at the pile and realized it wasn't a grassy hill anymore. It had transformed into a pile of very loamy loose soil fit to grow anything in. I guess the pressure and mulching action of the pile on itself had done the job. I just left it where is was and planted some Castor beans and a variety of herbs and flowers which have reseeded each year. I have also used it to transplant small shrubs in till I have a better location to plant them. All I need to do is add a stabilizing ring of stones around the base of it. It is in a handy location too, with the tall Castor bean plants screening out the nosey stares of the said anal neighbors from my deck and patio area.
My big undertaking this year is how am I gonna take care of trellising a hops plant that is reminding me of kudzu with its growth each day. I want to add an arbor onto my little shed for it to grow over. This would make a tidy little potting area underneath and a screening of my garden junk. I know how I will do it...if I just had that truck!

Something I know about myself: overly critical and prone to make sweeping generalizations about a person or persons I don't know well enough. I would be talking about African Americans, poor people (Jeez, sounds funny me saying that since we used to have an outhouse and still don't have much) and otherwise less fortunate people. This is rooted in my upbringing by parents who believed everyone should be upright and work their fingers to the bone, know what they are doing with their lives, make the right moral choices for themselves and their children, or they were not ligit and certainly not worthy of assistance or consideration. This is perpetuated in my family even now by siblings as well as the parents. As with religion and upbringing, it's hard for me to remove these teachings(brainwashing?) and really examine what I feel about people from real experience with them.
maybe this blog should be titled " Parent Bashing and Assorted Ramblings of a Snotty, Self-Righeous Woman" cause I seem to showing more of that than uniqueness or open-mindedness...
It's just I am examining my self and truly being introspective. I know it's late in life but better to question now then accept forever...

Some things that are on my mind today in obviously no particular order..a stream of semi-conscieousness.
I see a lot of weird stuff when I go out at 5:30 in the morning for my walk or ride. A squzzy car with 'beads" and an air freshener hangin on the rear-view mirror (shudder), lots of night crawlers working their way across the road, old cronies working their way to the coffee shop on the square, dogs I would like to shoot, dogs I would like to take home, a red fox darting out in front of my bike and running for cover when he realized I was there. Even in the dark, the robins are going crazy with their lusty squawkings which apparently has an effect on the rest of the bird population. They are all crazy right now. And so comes the saying by Emo Phillips- " All these birds are pointy, pointy. On my head anointy, nointy". Brilliant!
MAP testing has started in our elementary and to curb the childrens' disdain for testing, we now clean out the Dollar store and bribe them with this booty to come and do their best. Can you detect sarcasm? Is it working? Who knows.
Sweet corn is planted as well as the broccoli and cabbage. I seeded my heirloom varieties of tomatoes and herbs such as bee balm, hyssop, marigolds and two basils into flats. I've got cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, yellow squash and canteloupe still to plant but its a bit early. I lOVE GARDENING!! By the way, anyone interested in very good quality heirloom seeds and great service need to look into Baker Creek Seeds. Pretty much all heirlooms and a seed saver group. They have continually expanded to offer more seed varieties every year.