I'm back!

It seems like ages since I've signed in, and I had a little trouble getting here.  It's definitely time to get back into the cyberstream.  (I just read a news blurb that English politicians are not supposed to use buzzwords that confuse their constituents.  I don't much like jargon myself...)

I have decided to try to regularly post a sort of almanac of gardening, quilting, grandchildren and other important activities in my life.  I don't think anyone else will find it interesting, but if I am consistent, I should  have a good record of what I've done.  There are a couple reasons this is important to me.  1.  I like to know how my gardening compares one year to another.  2. It is good to have a record of quilt projects, just to be able to pat myself on the back now and again.  3. I'm going to have another grandchild in July and expect to have to brag a little.  

GARDENING:

I'll have to back track a bit to brag about the results of gardening efforts.  This spring was unusually cold, with snow well into April.  Apr 12 happened to be warm enough to stir the soil in my raised bed gardens and allow planting.  I put in radish, beet, spinach, lettuce and snow pea seeds, and with Mike's help put on a plastic cover to create a green house effect (sounds like a bad word).  I was thrilled that the seeds grew, and I had radishes, spinach and lettuce in May, before other gardeners were able to work the soil.  :-)  I replanted radishes and we've had the second harvest of them, and the third planting are showing second leaves.  My first snow pea is on the vine, and there are lots of blossoms.  The tomato plants are beginning to have blossoms, the bunching onions are skinny little spears.  The pepper plants look spindly

but I have hopes they will muscle up.  

This is our second year using the raised beds and we had to adjust the soil to produce root crops as well as green growth.  We added good southern Minnesota farm soil, compost, and bone meal to get a better balance of the ppk combination.  (I think those are the letters--potassium-phosphorus-etc)  The radishes assured me that we accomplished it.  Yea Mike and me.  

When I retire in the fall (yea me) I plan to dig out my flower beds, ream out the cherry tree sprouts, and seed grass in part of the area.  I have to thin the irises and day lilies, and decide what else to keep or throw.  Fun.