If I Can, Anyone Can...

Grow a garden.

We had much better success this year then last year. I don't know how anything really grows in our garden because I'm the type that plants seeds and then crosses my fingers that something will sprout. I think the June rain storms helped a bunch. We weeded our garden maybe 4 times this year. I don't like dirt under my fingernails and I definitely don't like how dried-out my hands are after handling soil. I bought some cheap gardening gloves but dirt still managed to get under my nails through the gloves. Nonetheless our garden produced quite nicely. It's a miracle.

Today I thought I better start harvesting the garden since I had not watered it for many days. I started with corn and had several earwigs running for dear life as I picked the ears of corn. Then Seth and I pulled carrots. Then I, in my flip-flops, decided to get real serious and dig up some potatoes. This required a shovel. Did I change my shoes, no way. That is not my way, I much rather bruise the bottoms of my feet then take the time to go in and change my shoes. I dug up two rows of potatoes. Half were good and half looked like this:

I was wondering the whole time what on earth was eating my potatoes? Then I was down to the last two plants and suddenly I noticed three cute gray mice frantically running around. Some people, namely my husband without the kids watching, may have taken the shovel the beheaded the little creatures but not me. I had hamsters and pet mice when I was a kid so I think they are cute. So the children and I just watched in delight as the mice found escape routes. I felt happy to know what had eaten half of my potatoes, some of my carrots and tomatoes.

We also picked a cucumber, green peppers and tomatoes. I'm using the carrots and green peppers in my Hawaiian dinner recipe tonight. That is usually when I feel really nifty about having a garden when I actually have a legitimate use for the veggies we grew.

If anyone would like any, please come on over!