Is Christmas Over Already?

Seems like it was just Thanksgiving and now Christmas has come and gone. We had a good Christmas in spite of the fact that Mark's mom went to the ER on 12/23 and has been in the hospital ever since with gall bladder issues. We've done a lot of running back and forth.

Like most folks, we cut back on Christmas spending this year. Mark and I still got special things for each other and I did a lot of homemade gifts to give. We had our annual Christmas Eve soiree. It was a lot of fun. This year it was pretty much all family. Our friend Cindy and her daughter stopped by for a few minutes on her way home from her parents' house.

Here's our tree. It's pretty much all non-breakable/natural material ornaments except for the lights. Mark put it up and decorated it. I think he did a great job. He also did a really good job with his wrapping this year!

Throughout the evening, the piano was the most popular spot for the kids, much to the dismay of the dogs. I'm pretty sure it hurt their ears, but they made the best of it.

Mark and his brother and sister were all pooped from doing the hospital visits. The taller boy with curly blond hair at the piano is her son.

I was glad that my cousin and uncle came. The girl and small boy at the piano are her kids. They live in Georgia and we don't see them very often. We always have fun and we should really try to get together more often.



I was sorry that the rest of the invitees couldn't make it (Michele and her boys had family obligations, my brother and his wife had other commitments, and my other uncle and aunt had all-day visitors). I'll get their goodies to them as soon as we can merge schedules. Geez, remember how simple life used to be? Where did that go?

It's just hard to believe it all came and went so quickly. Soon it will be a brand new year.

Fill 'Er Up

Not the gas tank, although the price per gallon has certainly been more tolerable - almost unbelievable. I'm talking greenhouses. It seems that as soon as there is some free space, it starts filling back up.

In a couple of weeks' time, it went from this:

to this:

...and then some.

And the dirt is still flying. It slows me down to have to clean trays as I go, but that's just the way it is. When you're the chief cook and bottle washer, you have to wash bottles as well as cook. No problem. I just keep plugging along.

Last Chattanooga Market Event for 2008

Hearye! Hearye! Come one, come all!

The Chattanooga Market's Holiday Market will be this Saturday and Sunday, December 6th & 7th. This will be the last time the market will be open in 2008. The times are:

Saturday, 12/6 from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.

Sunday, 12/7 from 12:00 Noon until 6:00 p.m.

If you haven't finished your Christmas shopping, or maybe need to pick up some stocking-stuffers or teacher's gifts, or you just need to kick-start your holiday spirit, you need to make it a point to visit the Chattanooga Market this weekend. Help local/regional artists, crafters and small businesses by leaving some of your Christmas shopping dollars in Chattanooga!

A Heart of Gratitude

I am thankful for:

• Salvation, grace and mercy as a believer in Jesus Christ. I fail daily, but pick myself back up again and try to keep fighting the good fight.
• Mark, my husband. He always supports me, helps me and actually believes in me more than I believe in myself. He is off from work this week. Work has been increasingly stressful for him, so I'm glad he took some time off. He's cooking the Thanksgiving turkey a la Alton Brown.
• Reasonably good health. Aging is not for sissies, but any complaint I have pales in comparison to the suffering of others.
• Wonderful friends. I don't have many friends, but the ones I have are tried and true.
• Enough. Enough food to eat, clothes to wear, water to drink - basic needs met - which is more than many people in the world can say.
• Being an American. On it's worst day, she's still the best country in the world. I'm thankful for my freedom and know that it comes at a price. I'm thankful for those who sacrifice much to defend her. I worry that so many people seem to have forgotten that freedom isn't free. I'd like for everyone to find a copy of the Constitution, Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence and read them - thoroughly, without interjecting any personal prejudice.
• My personal history. All families put the 'fun' in dysfunctional. There are not 'normal' families. But as I am in different gatherings, talking about people and things that have happened throughout my life and even before I was born, I am reminded of what a colorful history I have. There is good and there is bad (well, not real bad) but it all makes me who I am and that's OK by me.

This certainly isn't an all-inclusive list, but it covers the top 7. Since 7 is the number of completion, I'll stop here. I'm not sure, but I think I heard someone gagging...ha!

Return From Paradise

In my mind, Callaway Gardens = Paradise. I've often said that I would like to take a busload of atheists to Callaway and then have them tell me there is no God. The most elaborate cathedral of the wealthiest congregation cannot hold a candle to the magnificence of God's creation.

The weather was nothing short of perfect - not too hot, not too cold, clear skies, cool breezes. We went a week later than usual. Unfortunately, a lot of the gardens were in transition. Even so, I still managed to get some pretty good pics.

Plus had some critter sightings, which is always a good thing. I saw the fattest chipmunks I have ever seen. No pics of them, though. They are quick to dive into a hole. There was a gray squirrel really pissed that I was walking down 'his' path. He barked at me from a branch directly over my head. I laughed out loud, thinking of the scene that would ensue if he decided to pounce upon my head!

Before we left, I got some great pics of fox squirrels. Usually they are very reclusive. I don't know what has happened, but these guys (or gals or both) almost hammed for the camera. I was within 10-15 feet of them and they didn't even offer to run away. Just too cool!!

I don't think I've ever seen so few people there. Indicative of the economy/gas prices, I'm sure. However, that did make it nice and quiet & we got a much needed break from daily life. Now we'll be looking forward to going again.

Chattanooga Market Visitors

Last Sunday, October 12th, some people I used to work with came by the Chattanooga Market. While I don't miss the Corporate world one iota, I do miss my comrades from the trenches. More times than not, it was the clever remarks, jokes, and general frustration-sharing that made it all bearable.

Paul and Dan work in R&D/Product Development. Dan is based in Chattanooga, but Paul works in the tech center in Chicago. I hadn't seen him in quite a while. (Paul on the left, Dan on the right)

Libby, who works in accounting, had a new camera and was capturing the moments! "A leetle snap-happy with the new camera, no?" She was still learning about what it would do, but still took some great pictures of everyone. There was a little hiccup in downloading them, but that was cleared up in no time. The more she uses it the easier it will get. I know that from experience!

There were pics we didn't even know she had taken of us toiling away (yeah, right!). She was sneaky!


However, she wasn't as thrilled to have the camera turned on her!! She tried to scoot away, but I caught her - with my cell phone camera!

Dane and his lady friend Meg were there, too. Dane is a pretty regular visitor to the Market. Currently, he works in payroll, but has worked in production, quality and environmental. At one point he was the president of the LEPC for Hamilton County (way to go, Dane!). He always stops by every time he's there. Aren't they a good looking couple? I've got my fingers crossed!


Bree and her friend Mary came by as well, but managed to dodge the snap-happy Libby.

It was really great to see everyone. When you work together for so long, and survived some of the rough times, it's like family. I hope they are able to come back for Oktoberfest on October 25th and 26th and bring others with them! I always like seeing my peeps!!

Cuttings and More Cuttings!

When most people are watching the last bits of their once lush gardens succumb to the autumn changes, we are already full steam into the next growing season. The work is hard and often tedious, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

In the past 10 or so days, I have done approx. 3200 cuttings of a variety of plants (but who's counting?). About a third or so of those were done with help from my friend Cindy. We spent 2 full evenings working with these tiny pieces of plant material, dusting their sometimes thread-like stems with rooting powder and sticking them into potting soil in plug trays. Some of the little sprigs looked pretty sad, but we gave them a fighting chance. Of course, after a few hundred you need some kind of relief, so margaritas were in order. It didn't have any negative effect on the planting quality, but it did increase the giggle factor exponentially!

Here are the fruits of my/our labor:

Needless to say, I'm almost cross-eyed and am going through the motions of sticking these little sprigs in my sleep! But hey, I can't complain - it's improving the profit margin!!

Fall in the Garden

The beans and squash are long gone and the tomatoes are slowing down. If I can get enough ripe tomatoes to can a little bit of juice, then the remaining green ones will go into green tomato relish. The okra is still bearing, but some of the plants have gotten so tall, I can't pick it! That job will now have to go to dh, Mark. Since he's 6' 5", he's the only one who can reach them without a ladder!

I planted swiss chard, red leaf lettuce, turnip greens, collards, mustard and kale. They are coming along nicely and will love the cooler weather over the next several days. Who am I kidding? We're ALL loving the cooler weather. The turnip greens have reached a nice size, so I harvested some for supper. There were a few of the other greens that looked pickable, so I threw them in, too.

The spinach and beets had to be replanted, as the first go-around didn't fair so well. I'm not sure if it was the heat at the time, or maybe I didn't water enough. I've also added about 30 or so broccoli plants.

I've already decided that I will expand the size of the garden for next season and try a few new things along with the normal fare. It will take multiple tillings over the winter to make it work, but I think it can be done. With the batch of compost that is brewing in the tumbler and maybe a cover crop of red clover, the soil should be workable.

I love my garden!

A Hint of Fall

It may still be hot outside, but there are definitely signs of fall. Something about the quality or smell of the air, the breeze that doesn't feel like a dragon's breath, or maybe it's that the humidity has dropped a bit from 190%!
Fall is my favorite time of year. I'm hoping we have a decent fall season, but the dry weather may cause the leaves to fall more quickly. At any rate, the respite from the heat will be welcome. Plus, fall means vacation and we already have reservations for a few days at Callaway Gardens.
Now that I'm 'greenhousing', fall is the busiest time of year. Within days we will be sowing perennial seeds and sticking cuttings. Mark still has tables to finish and I still have pots and trays to clean. There will have to be a dirt run soon, because all I have left is what is in the potting tub. Each year brings learnings, and I am going to try to do a few things differently this season. Maybe they will improve my productivity. However, I'm thinking the best thing for my productivity would be for my internet service to go on the blink!!!

Goodies From The Garden

Even though the garden had a late start, we are reaping the rewards. I absolutely love picking the garden goodies. Here is part of a recent haul:

I have frozen 12-15 quarts of Enterprise hybrid squash, a few quarts of Taxi yellow tomatoes and a quart or 2 of Starship patty pan squash. I am in the process of canning the combo of Blue Lake and Kentucky Blue green beans. The Soleil wax beans are still growing and maturing.

The Celebrity tomato bushes are loaded, as are the Health Kicks and Big Beef. As soon as the Celebs mature, the canning of tomatoes, sauce and juice will begin.

In spite of the ever-present weed population, it is a satisfying feeling to walk into the garden. It was so hot when the seedlings were planted, I wasn't sure we would get much of anything in the way of a harvest. Now that the veggies are coming in, I'm hoping that the 'season' doesn't run out on us before everything is done!

Returning to the Chattanooga Market

We we will be back to the Chattanooga Market tomorrow (8/31/08). I've been working on some new bath brew combinations to fill out the existing selections. Here are a few of the existing selections:


(left to right - Bad Day Bath Brew, Breathe Bath Brew, Lemon & Green Tea Bath Brew)




If you want to see the rest of the line up and the new blends, come to the Chattanooga Market (http://www.chattanoogamarket.com/) from 12 to 5 on Sundays!!

What's Growing On

Even with a late start, the garden is filling out and providing a bountiful harvest. The recent rainy stretch followed by intense heat also produced a bumper crop of weeds. I've managed to whip the weeds back to a manageable level and the garden looks like a garden again - instead of a jungle. The Kentucky Blue beans have climbed their strings and are waving over the tops of the towers like some kind of botanical Medusa.
The Soleil wax beans weren't climbing their strings. I guess the term 'upright' in the seed description doesn't necessarily mean pole bean. It makes for a unique sight: bush beans in a circle at the bottom of a bean tower of empty strings. Does that make them marionette beans?





Adding to the fun is the spaghetti squash. So far, it has managed to run two rows in each direction, into the field, and has taken over 2 tomato cages. Looks like there will be plenty of spaghetti squash for anyone who wants it! Luckily, I planted a variety called Small Wonder, so each one only gets the size of a cantaloupe. Harvesting it will be like an Easter egg hunt - that will be the fun part - where will the next one be found???

Tell Me The Truth...

Is my garden mooning me??

Lovin' The Good Life

My friend Cindy swears she is going to turn my name into the program The Good Life. If you haven't seen it on the Fine Living channel, it features people who have chucked their work-a-day life to pursue their dream(s). It appears to me that most of these folks have a fair amount of disposable income. I used to have a fair amount of disposable income when I was working the 60 hour Corporate week as a Quality Systems manager. Of course, I had all the associated stress, increasing disgust and general unhappiness that went along with it. I really wanted to make the leap of faith into something I loved, but it took a while to muster the courage. I reached the end of my proverbial rope on 12/21/07 and with my husband's blessings, my last Corporate work day was 1/8/08. I left on my own terms and I haven't looked back. I've had offers to go back as a consultant, which I have politely declined. I figure if they didn't listen to my wisdom for 32 years, why would they start now? As I told someone not long ago, I'd eat dirt and chase it with rainwater before I would go back to that kind of life. We've never been extravagant in our lifestyle and have planned for retirement. Life is way to short, people. Start doing something you love, even if it's just a hobby.

One thing that has amazed me is how very busy I've been living the Good Life. How on earth did I have time to 'work'? Of course I am now embroiled in the greenhouse business daily and Possum Creek Herb Farm is in its 3rd season at the Chattanooga Market. This has been a very good year for us at the Market, as we have topped 2007 sales every Sunday thus far. Now for a plug: In case you've never visited the Chattanooga Market, it is open every Sunday from the end of April until the first week in December at the First Tennessee Pavillion. You can go to http://www.chattanoogamarket.com/ for more info and directions should you be visiting or passing through our fair city. Mid-summer is a great time at the Market. Fresh produce from local farmers abounds. Much of the produce is grown organically. There are also a variety of crafts, baked goods, bath and body products and food vendors. On stage you will find established and up and coming music artists throughout the day. Whether you just breeze through or come to spend the day, the Chattanooga Market is a great place to visit.

Long Time, No Post

Until 1/8/08, the Corporate 'hellhole' and trying to start and keep half of a greenhouse business alive left little time for anything else.

Once the greenhouse construction was complete, only the largest one was functional and being used. Wiring had not been completed on the smaller one and we still needed to purchase a heater. Over the summer of 2006, the smaller house grew an luscious crop of weeds, most of which was some kind of demon bermuda. The stuff actually grows up through and out the top of the polycarb corrugate on the ends of the greenhouses. I expect any day to hear the words "Feeeed me" eminating from its wiry runners and blades! It took some doing (translated 'major work') to get the weeds under control. My husband ended up putting 2 layers of ground cover down and we added even more gravel. Hopefully, the demon grass is now controllable. The next step will be to keep a decent swath killed back around the perimeter of both houses.

With the 2nd house now operational it was time to revamp the first house (pull/kill weeds, patch gravel, etc.) You can be assured there is ALWAYS something to do in a greenhouse.