Wow! That's just all I can say!

So. .the last time I posted. .I was on my way to Wichita to be with my dad in the hospital in Wichita. This has been the hardest week of my entire life. First, watching my big, tough dad in a hospital bed. .tied in. .barely awake enough to say one sentence. Next, listening to a doctor tell us that we had been lucky enough to get to talk to him at all in a head trauma such as he had incurred, and that he fully expected him to get worse before getting better. .and the liklihood of his recovery spanning months. .rather than days. But at that meeting, a recovery was expected! So the last thing that we were prepared for was a phone call at 11:15 Friday night to advise us that his heart monitor was a little odd and encouraging us to walk across the street to the hospital. As my sister, mom and I walked into that intensive care unit. .we were transformed onto the set of any ER show. It is still quite surreal, even a week later. The first man I ever loved finished his journey of nearly 63 years that night. .and the week that has followed has been a blur. I have NEEDED to write. .to get some thoughts out. .and maybe I will. .but tonight. .I wanted to post the last photo that we took with Grandma, Papa, and the 13 grandkids. .and I wanted to post the eulogy that my siblings and I put together to be read at his funeral Tuesday.

I wanted to be the one to read it at his rosary and at the funeral. .because I'm anal like that. .and I wanted it read how it should be read for people to get his humor. .and the Lord gave me the strength to do so. My dad was a great guy. .and we don't even realize at this point how profound his loss will be to us. I just ask that you keep our family in your prayers in our time of loss. .

It's a little lengthy. .but you will know him by the time you are finished. I am giving permission for any of my family and friends from home to copy off the eulogy for themselves if they would like it. My copy will go in my bible with his funeral paper!! And probably a copy for each of my kids to read in the future as his memory begins to dim for them!

The most heartbreaking things of all this week, has been to watch our little kids try to process the whole concept of death and heaven. Cami knew that Papa had died. .she knew his body was in the big wooden box, as we discussed at the church. .but she asked me THREE times as we sat at the graveside, waiting on the people to gather with us. .1. Where's papa?. .2. When is papa coming. .3. When IS papa going to get here!! She just couldn't fathom everyone being together without Papa!!

We were lucky. .we had a vibrant dad around for a long time to enjoy!! He never wanted to get old. .and he never wanted to be frail/sick enough to have to be confined to a nursing home. I'm so sad for his 13 precious grandkids that they will never remember him as we did!! Though his story that follows catches his life and personality QUITE well!!

Wishing everyone a blessed spring weekend!!

Thanks for your prayers and well wishes!!

And thanks for sharing in my life here on my little piece of space in blog land! You'll probably never realize just how much that means to me!!

God bless!

Psalm 103:15-17 tells us that “Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone-as though we had never been here. But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear Him.” Dad may be gone, but it will be a long time before he is forgotten.

If there was one thing Dad could do well, it was to weave together a good story. There probably isn’t a person here today that wasn’t. .at one time or another. .held captive by the telling and RE-telling of some colorful situation that he had found himself in the middle of. Those of us closest to him were lucky enough to hear most of these stories told over and over again to new audiences. .getting a little more grandiose and humorous each time. And though this story may not be told the way HE would have told it. .it is HIS story. .the story of who he was.

Don was born March 31, 1949 to Raymond and Rita. Ray and Rita moved to the farm in 1951 from the Wichita area. The 2nd of 6 children, Don was the oldest boy and the second in command of the farm he grew up on. He has an older sister Alice, and younger siblings Dennis, Paul, Leroy, and Lori. Life on the farm was certainly colorful, judging by the stories we have heard. .and no doubt helped shape the personality of the man whose life we have all come to honor today.

After graduating from high school in 1967, Don enlisted in the army and did his basic training at Fort Dix, NJ. He was never called to serve in Vietnam but served in the Army Reserves for 6 years. Donald A., as my mom called him, married Vickie Kay. .or Victoria Kay, as he often called her. .June 5, 1971. They moved a farmhouse onto his land about a mile from where he was raised, and began a family farm of their own. They had 4 children, Melanie, Kristi, Brendan, and Nick, and one by one added 4 more children. .Jeremy, Chris, Tina, and Steph.

Farm life in those early days were tough. .Difficult manual labor, long days, and usually more bills than paychecks. To be successful meant hard work, and work he did. Having his wife at home raising the kids was important to him. .and he took his role as the breadwinner seriously. He often came home after the sun went down to collapse on the floor or couch for a rest. .only to have his kids playing on him like a jungle gym. He never seemed too tired to give rides. .on his back or with the kids huddled together in a sheet slung over his back like Santa. .or to throw the kids up in the air. And that was great by him. .as long as the shrieks and giggles ceased the second the weather report for tomorrow came over the news!! No 7 day weather forecast available on the internet or cell phone in those days!!

Don was a stern father. .we kids had a reverent fear of him. . and he was an affectionate husband. Public displays of affection to his wife were common and he often told her “I don’t care what my friends say, you’re alright.” He taught his children the things he knew best; respect, discipline, and the value of hard work. And he NEVER let us forget that. .Listen here. .insert your name. .I brought you into this world..and I can take you out. He even told me that within the last few years!!

He loved his work. .but he also loved to play! There were countless farm pond fishing trips. . in which very few fish were actually caught and evenings in the yard spent practicing baseball, volleyball, and basketball. Basketball was never a sport that his kids could excel at. Dribbling was difficult to master when your court was full of gravel and learning to do a layup is virtually impossible when the goal is mounted to the side of grain bin. I had never thought about that before until Brendan wrote it the other night. .it really explained some things to me.

There were occasional family vacations in the summer. .although a long car ride with 4 young kids in the backseat was probably no vacation. As a result, there is a standing family joke about being forced to get up before the sun so we could stand at the locked front door of the restaurant waiting for them to open so we eat breakfast! We even took a couple of vacations over the last 10 years in which the ENTIRE family. .and their families went on a vacation. .but it was decided early on to eat breakfast in!

He and mom enjoyed riding to check the crops or cattle. If they weren’t working the farm together, they would be found together at every school activity. And after the kids were grown, they might hit the casinos and enjoyed playing pinochle with their card group. They also got to take their dream vacation last summer! They celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary by taking an Alaskan cruise with their good friends Chuck and Gloria. He loved EVERY minute of it. .especially when he found out that the ship had ALL YOU CAN EAT dessert!! He surely thought he was in heaven!

He loved God and worshiped 7 days a week by stewarding His land and sat in the pew every weekend. Although there were many washcloth showers while his family waited in the car, Mom would NEVER allow them to be late to church. And EVERY week, we would listen to her tell him to “hurry up” and then listen to him tell her that. . “It doesn’t matter WHEN you get to church. . everyone gets out at the same time!” That was dad!

Dad was most known around the community for his charismatic personality. He was a thinker, cultivated over years spent on farm machinery with only the thoughts in his head to keep him company. He had strong opinions on most any topic, and was never bashful about sharing them with you in conversation. He was a spirited debater, armed with a quick wit and a stubborn streak. He could talk to anyone. .at anytime. .about anything. .whether they wanted to or not. .he could even dial the wrong number and still have an hour long conversation. He sometimes seemed a mathematical wizard. .unleashing a barrage of calculations and number crunching into his arguments that would make your head spin. .accurate or otherwise. In all of his roles on boards and committees, he could be controversial. .but he always brought to the table a wisdom fueled by common sense. .unconcerned about what people would think. These qualities made him respected by some and disliked by others. .but he was ALWAYS listened to.

He also had an incredible memory, which seemed inherent in his family. A search of his cell phone contacts revealed nothing saved. He kept his entire personal and business directory in his head. His head was also where he kept much of his business records. .which could prove to be a little frustrating in the future. He could tell you exactly how many cattle where shipped to a given feedlot on a certain day and constantly mentally juggled dozens of these inventories.

Don was a mentor to many. He had a soft spot for young people that were just starting out. He employed many young men over the years and always made time to get to know them and to offer advice. .He was always good to offer advice, whether you needed it or not! He taught them the same lessons he taught his own kids, show up on time, work hard to the end, and be proud of doing a good job.

Don enjoyed his time away from work. He was a sportsmen and a conservationalist. Someone had to control the prairie dog population, and if had to be up to him and Chuck, then so be it. Seriously, how often does one really need to drive all the way to Eastern Colorado to “check the cattle.” Don also enjoyed bird hunting and playing cards. And let it be known that anytime you heard on the radios on a rainy day this phrase . .”we’re going to go over to the Jbar to sort cattle. .reds from the blacks” meant. .see ya for a 4 point pitch playing party. .and occasionally he would come home with 3 bucks. While he liked playing any kind of card game, he was PASSIONATE about Texas Hold ‘em. He enjoyed getting together with his male buddies and play. .and every once in a while he would win and we would hear about it for weeks. Over the years, our family gatherings went from playing pitch, to playing games. .and finally to HIM teaching the grandsons . .how to play Texas Hold ‘em. .even 3 year old Teegan sat with the guys the last time they played. .at least for a moment!! He also enjoyed reading and watching western movies. He is loved and adored by 13 grandchildren. .Tristan, Grant, Colton, Devin, Braedon, Haley, Taryn, Kadon, Camille, Teegan, Dylan, Ryder, and Trey. They loved wrestling on the floor with Papa or going on a ranger ride. The man who sternly dealt with his own kids. .tolerated a lot from those grandbabies. .and since he could no longer say. .”Listen, I brought you into this world”. .he just egged them on and sent them home!

My dad had a strong impact on us all. .and he would have been so proud of all the people that gave up their time to help us celebrate his life today!! He was a fighter to the end, and has taught something to most everyone who knew him. Our time with him was shorter than we had hoped. But Psalm 139:16 says “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” God has always known when Dad’s last breath would be. Psalm 56:8 reminds us that God has collected all our tears in His bottle, He has recorded each one in His Books. And I know our bottles have gotten fuller since Friday. He has left behind a strong family and too many friends to count. We will miss him terribly, but we have a lot of memories to get us by. And right now we are taking the advice of Psalm 50:15 “Trust me in your times of trouble and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.”

A little quote that my mom wanted read because it was SO my dad. .altered just a little. .

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather, skid in sideways, ice cream in one hand, beer in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming, WOO HOO! What a Ride!

Heaven only knows the conversation that took place between he and St Peter at the gates that evening. Hope no one else was in a hurry to get in.

 Good night Papa. .We love you!!

Time Marches On

Celebration time occurs in the month of March around our house!! Mr Grant celebrated several days over the last week with friends and family. He is excited to be 14 now. .mainly, because in Kansas. .that means that he can get a driver's license because he lives on a farm. And when he gets something in his head. .he just will NOT let it go (Jeremy says he gets that from me. .I'm not sure I was ever that obstinant about it!!) I finally told him that we are not concerned about driving him to the next town for the testing and driving UNTIL school is out. .and not a day before that!! That simmered him down a little. .for a week or two maybe!

He was pretty excited with his gift. .a new paintball gun!! Tristan had used some of his money to buy a used one, with accessories from his youth group leader last month. We have the perfect set-up here for the kids to use their paint ball stuff. .lots of trees and hiding places. .if safety rules are adhered!!

His dad couldn't resist trying it either. .It has some fire to it.  Last weekend, when I went out to the greenhouse, I noticed that there were orange paint splatters ALL over the south side of it. .you can see the greenhouse in the background. .Tristan. .not thinking, as is his usual habit. .fired off his gun from the deck, enjoying the orange splats on the clear greenhouse panes. .what he DIDN'T bank on though. .was the ability of those little splatting balls. .to actually make small HOLES in the outer ply of the greenhouse wall. I yelled SOOO loudly at him when I made that discovery. .that I'm certain the neighbors down the road heard me. .and it provoked Jeremy to venture out of his shop to see what the commotion was about. The boy has a lot of free labor ahead of him in the near future, so he can replace the panes. He cleaned up the paint (which washes off easily. .it's like a detergent with food coloring in it) and caulked the holes with something. So, other than the fact that the caulking looks hideous. .the greenhouse is still very functional. I'm sure I inherited a few more gray hairs out of that mess!!

We ended his big day with a BBQ on a day that TRULY felt like spring. .75 degrees with a light breeze!! As per usual, Great Grandma Pat brought all the kids a gift to open!!

New kaleidescopes for all. .Jeremy was manning the camera at this point. .which is a whole other story! Grant racked up some $$ so he can now supply his own paintballs. .ha!

Our parties are getting a little smaller..without two of the great grandparents there. .and that still holds a degree of sadness for all!! We were so grateful for the beautiful weather so the kids could enjoy the great outdoors. Jeremy ended up being the hostess for the majority of the party this time.  As our last guests were settling in to the house, my baby brother called to see "if I had heard anything about my dad." Odd question  I thought, since I had just spoken with my sister in law for quite a while the hour before Nick's call and nothing had come up. As it turned out. .my dad had flipped his four wheeler over and was being taken to the hospital. Within a couple of hours, I had talked to all my siblings and most of their spouses putting pieces of the events together, one detail at a time.

While hunting coyotes with his buddies, he had flipped his four wheeler. .was found planted face down in the dirt, not really breathing. Roused somewhat by the time the ambulance picked him up and took into the nearest town. Life-flighted to Wichita with a head injury. Ultimately, found to have some small bleeding areas in the head. My 3 siblings and I managed schedules around to be available to them throughout the week. As of today, he is alert a little more, recognizes the family that is there now, and knows he is in a hospital. .all improvements over yesterday. I am eager to get there later this afternoon and lay eyes on everything myself!

Blessings to you all this week. .

Thanks for stopping by!

I've Caught the Fever. .

I have seriously never considered myself to be one of those people that struggle with their moods during the winter. .The last few weeks I have just felt "blah"! I wasn't able to quite put my finger on it. .The sudden death of a good friend and mentor. .work issues. .kids. .my own as well as children that belong to other people. .miserably sick people every where I look. .I'm sure it could have been a number of things. .

BUT. .I was amazed that, after a couple hours of soaking up some warmth, enjoying new life, and getting my   hands in the dirt. .it felt like I could get a big, deep breath of refreshing air. .

and I found myself again!! It must have been more of a winter-blues issue than I thought! Whatever the reason, I'm glad to feel revived!! 

I wasn't the only one enjoying the sunshine and warmth this week though. I spent some time watching the fish bask in the light too!! In the next few weeks, we're going to try to catch some of this fish herd and relocate them. There are some goldfish with some nice coloring, but most of them are the common orangy-red variety, those will be the ones thinned out. Not really sure about the logistics, but we ended up with a LOT of little black babies last summer, some of which have a really cool glimmery gold tint to their backs. .some of them will get to stay too. .

The google eyed goldfish from PetSmart is the only black fish in here. I am guessing it played a role in this deal!! Though they don't have his crazy googly eyes. 

The area between the pond and the house survived the winter well. These little living stones are probably triple the size from when they were planted in August. .They are hardy to zone 6. .which is what we are. .but I've always tried to stick to plants hardy to zone 5. .a zone colder. These are on the south side of the house, among rocks and in front of some larger limestone rocks. .I am hoping the microclimate there is a little warmer!

Some day they will have little blooms on them. .I think they are cute little mats of succulents!

This agave isn't looking so hot. I have not given him any extra water. .so I'm not sure what his trouble is. .hoping he perks up. .the center looks good still, so maybe someone stepped on it!

The larkspur have grown many inches in the last couple weeks. .I think they may be ahead of schedule. I have found all the Naked Ladies that I planted from my mom a few years ago. They haven't bloomed since I replanted them. .which is common, since they don't like to be moved much. I am finding little clumps of them everywhere (those are the strap-like foliage in the center of the photo) I really hope they give up some blooms this August!

I was thrilled to find lots of the bulbs coming up that I planted last fall. The crocus are starting to bloom. The daffodils will be blooming shortly. The tulips are peeking through, and the hyacinths have buds too. I have also located some things that I know I planted, but I have no idea what they are. .it will be fun to watch them evolve and remind me!

I am picking a small handful of cherry tomatoes every other day or so. The tomato seedlings will need transplanting this weekend. More sprouts are visible in the wintersown pots. .and some of the flowers and veggies I sowed in the greenhouse are coming along. The garlic patch looks great. .and it will soon be time to plant some potatoes!! 

I'm sure looking forward to the regular walkabouts. .checking in on the progress!!

Looks like we are in for a beautiful, breezy weekend here in the Land of Oz!!

Enjoy your weekend too, wherever you are!

In like a Lamb. .

You know the 'ole saying. .

If March come in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb. .

Or maybe that is just a saying in Kansas. .

where the wind blows ALL the time!!

March 1st in southwest Kansas came in like a lamb. .

. .which means. .

It's goin' out like a lion!!

I'm calling for a do-over!!

All week the wind has blown. .

and howled. .

. .and I was gettin' excited for March to come in like a lion, so the end of the month would be nice. .and warm. .and wind-FREE!

The wind has been SO bad that it has caused rational people to do irrational things. .

like park the tractor with its loader bucket on TOP of the trampoline that Santa dropped out of the sky. .

to prevent it from re-joining him at the North Pole. 

But today??

Today was INCREDIBLE!!

The high was around 75. .

the sun was shining. .

there was a mild breeze through our hair. .

well, those of us that still have our hair! 

A PERFECT day!!

I got my fingernails dirty. .

we got a little exercise. .

and I felt some excitement in my heart that has been lacking the last few weeks!!

The birds were really chattery. .

and so was this crew!! 

As the gorgeous afternoon gave way to evening. .

this bunch got adventurous. .and sassy!!

"Look how high I am". . 

"Yeah, well. .I can do this. ." 

"yeah. .well check THIS". . 

"And THIS!". . 

"Really guys. .REALLY? Look at MY stuff". . 

I'm so thankful for FOUR seasons. .but I sure like this upcoming one the best!!

Wishing you all a GREAT weekend!

PS. .I SO enjoyed a leisurely stroll around the place this afternoon while the sun shone down. .Come back soon and see the things I found!!

The Big Birthday Party. .and Some Other Stuff

Life has been busy. .as one would expect in our season of life. The great thing about our season. .is that is full of a diverse spectrum of life and lives.  Last weekend. .we enjoyed spending a few hours with family celebrating Grandmom Jackie's 81 years.

Her life has been complicated over the last few years by a progressive dementia. .and right before Thanksgiving, life in her own home came to a close. .and a new life with 24 hour/day care began. It was fun to treat her with a special birthday party in her new home.

Though, she couldn't quite remember that we were celebrating HER birthday. .she remained her social self. .visiting with us, and calling several of us by name. Our crew occupied a lot of chairs around the table. .and not everyone was able to make it.

Grandma Pat made the cake. .as usual!! We never mind that. She has remained active around the nursing home since Grandpa died in October. It does her heart good to keep busy. 

It's always good to see our two favorite K-State students!! My boys always enjoy hanging out with Courtney and Jared. .it's so amazing to me how everyone grows up so fast!

We haven't had a family photo for a few years now. .so they all obliged, and we got a good shot!! They are missing their brother, who lives out of state. Jill and Uncle Jay have been working hard to make life as simple and nice as possible for Grandad and Grandmom. And I'm glad they work so well together!!

Granny enjoys listening to "Miss Grace's" endless stories.

We decided on the way out the door, that it may be helpful to bring some things to keep the kids out of the hallway, causing ruckus. .The little guys enjoyed a rousing game of apples-to-apples. .

. .while the big ones played Pictureka. .

It got so lively at one point, that even Grandad had to go check it out!!

More than once, the rulebook was pulled out. .

Although Aunt Amy was getting stomped by the kids. .She was pretty sure that they weren't following ALL the rules. .HA!

I'm not sure that I have ever gotten a photo of these two in the same place. .my brother in law hates pictures as much as his brother and father. .but this time, he humored his bossy, outspoken SIL!!

In other family-related news. .The boys all performed in our county 4-H day. .an opportunity for them to perform talks, demonstrations, music, or readings.  I was pretty pleased. Tristan performed his humorous solo he has worked up for forensics. .He did well and scored a blue ribbon. His demonstration on making a chocolate cake in a mug with the microwave on the other hand. .wasn't very good at all. .though he still managed to score a blue ribbon. Only because the judge didn't know what he was SUPPOSED to be saying!! 

Grant did a demonstration on planting seeds. He has always been the nervous nelly of the bunch. .and has hated getting up in front of people more than his other siblings combined. .I blame that on his shy father. He has never had to perform in front of so many people at the same time he was being judged. .and he was instantly nervous. He gave me the worst time of any of them during his practices at home. .and I was really pleased with how he did. He remembered nearly everything he had practiced talking about. .and scored a blue ribbon, alternate top blue. .and the opportunity (or punishment. .if you hear him tell it) to perform it again in a few weeks at our regional meet. 

My little 9 year old impressed me the most though.  The one who would cry real tears when he was "forced" to practice the talk one more time. .proclaiming that he "hated the world!" The one that has never had an ounce of "people-fear" or "performance-fear" in his brain. He stood right up at the front of the room and rattled off to the judge everything she might need to know if she wanted to take up archery as a hobby.  He was awarded the top blue of all the kids age 7-10 giving talks and demonstrations that night. He will also get to do his talk again next month. On the way home we talked about the judge awarding him top blue because he had been able to memorize his information and practiced it enough to be able to get up and talk about it easily with the judge. He advised ME that he got top blue because "the judge didn't know ONE thing about archery. .and I taught her a lot. .she said so!" That reason worked for me too!

With the impending arrival of spring. .we will be back into athletic mode. Grant will be doing track and Tristan plans to try golf. His growth plate in the broken foot has closed, and the podiatrist intended to release him back to full activity last week, until he discovered that the foot has been hurting again over the last few weeks. So, instead of full activity. .he got released back into his walking boot. .which he gets to enjoy until prom. He may remove it to wear his tux and dance. .and then we're planning on a surgery the next week to clean the bone fragments out of the joint space and do some cartilage grafting. He will then get a non-removable cast. .and a set of crutches to use for another 4-6 weeks. Cha-ching!

Grant's drumline group will be performing in a drumline showdown in Wichita next month, which may turn into several performances this spring. .depending on how well they do. It won't be long until he will walk the aisle to get his 8th grade promotion "diploma." And we will have 2 kids capable of driving. 

Devin is getting tired of the excuse "Because they are older than you, that's why. ." And he hasn't bought into the fact that he will likely be able to get away with more things than they have anyway!! He is already counting down the days until baseball and summer camps start.

Cami?? She is who she is. .a diva one minute. .and a WWF (world wrestling federation) star the next. Soon will be screening time for next year's school based preschool program. .and I find myself dreaming a little more often about what I might find to do in those afternoons by myself next year!

Jeremy. .busy as always. His eye has healed well. .thanks to all the well-wishers!! Drag racing starts in less than a month. .and then he'll be gone. .gone. .GONE! :-) He and Grant have been working on Grant's old pickup all winter. .J has decided that it is not nearly as fun to be perfectionistic with someone else's junk!!

And me. .Well, you know if you come here every week!! I did make an important realization this week .a realization that was several months in the making.  For over 11 years, I have listened to women tell me about this disheartening phenomenon that occurs as one approaches middle age. The phenomenon demonstrated by the sudden inability to get one's jeans on anymore. .despite the fact that they haven't gained any weight. My standard response has always been (until now) that as women age, their weight re-distributes to the center of their body. .namely their hips and rears. I'm here to tell you. .That's CRAP!! There is a definite horizontal repositioning of the pelvic bones. .making them noticeably wider!! I grew out of my leftover high school jeans several children ago. .but NOW I am growing out of new jeans. I still workout 3-4 days weekly. .this isn't fat accumulation. .and it isn't big muscles either. .(Jeremy's version is that it is MUSCLE. .pushing out the FAT farther. .he can open his blackened eye. .now!!)  I SO totally understand NOW why there is a "misses" section AND a "women's" section. I am finally a WOMAN! Cami and I had a little modeling session a couple days ago. .and my pile of jeans that barely button. .was taller than my pile of jeans that I can effectively button. .without standing on my tiptoes, sucking in all my air, and making momentum with my fingers and the button. .all while doing a little ballerina hop. .just to make 'em shut. 

It's a phenomenon I tell ya. .a P-H-E-N-O-M-E-N-O-N!!

And I'm stickin' to it!!

Blessings to all!!

Celebrating. . .

Exactly EIGHT weeks left until the average "frost-free" planting date around our country. .

April 15.

It was 8 weeks from yesterday. .so I spent a little quality time by myself in my greenhouse yesterday afternoon. I'll show ya what's up!

This little petunia came up from a volunteer seed in this pot where the earlier tomato plant froze out. It finally bloomed this week, just shy of Valentine's Day. I added some of the purple basil transplants in there to continue growing. 

The greenhouse is starting to get rather full. . .and I became a little concerned as to where all the seedlings would go later. .but decided to worry about it when the time comes. Ignorance is bliss you know!! 

In the corner by the door, I put the new cabbage transplants. The containers are deeper. .and the roots were needing that. I ran out of soil. .so I still have some to replant. I'm also toying with the idea of putting some raised beds on the south side of the greenhouse and putting cold frames over them. .not sure when or if THAT will happen. .but it would be a great place for those early spring veggies to be in when I need the space most for the flower seedlings. 

The cherry tomatoes are in full force now. We ate a large handful in our salad for lunch today!! They are still as delicious as the first ones. Seems that this plant may be the only cherry tomato. The other plants have tomatoes, but are now larger than these have been.  Next winter, will definitely see SEVERAL of these plants in there!

The seedlings are doing well. Most of the petunias germinated. They were "fusion" pellets. .and so now I think that there were several seeds in each pellet, as most of the plugs have 3-4 seedlings in them. The coleus haven't germinated yet. .and I'm not sure they will at this point.  If they don't. .that will officially be the last time they are sowed in this greenhouse!

The tomatoes have germinated well!! I left the cover on last week to protect against something nibbling the pepper sprouts. I thought it might be a mouse. .Because the lid went back on after the sprouts were up. .a few of the tomato seedlings rotted at the base and are history. 

I have decided that the nibbling-problem might be ants. You gardeners take a look at the seedling right in the middle of the picture. Directly in the plug in front is a stem with the leaves eaten off, the stem directly behind the middle plant, also was eaten, but appears to be sending up it's true leaves anyway. .the plant to the bottom left got part of it's leaves eaten. .WHAT?? I have had some ants in the greenhouse all winter, and they haven't bothered me. .so I didn't bother them. .until now. The white stuff all over the trays are grits. .The ants have been carrying them off. When they eat them. .it causes their stomachs to blow up and causes death. I feel like a horror movie in action!!

Jeremy taught me to set a honey trap. .which I also did late in the afternoon. This morning it was loaded with  ants. .blech!!  I have left the domes off the past week or so. .since I put out the first helping of grits. .and nothing else has really been eaten. .so I think the rodent choice is out. .and the ants have been eating the grits instead of the seedlings. .so hopefully all will be in order now!

Yesterday, I sowed some more flats of seeds. .I started some broccoli (only because one of the companies threw in some experimental seed to try). .2 varieties of cauliflower (yellow and purple!!). .I also sowed a couple flats of flowers including. .yellow coneflower, denver daisies, cherry brandy rudbeckia, carnations, columbine, salvia, marigold, chocolate flower, cleome and vitex.  Some of those have already been sown into the milk jugs outside. .but I think I mentioned that I was skeptical. .so I may have plants coming out of my EARS!! Really, can you EVER have too many flowers???

Speaking of the winter sowing. .One flat DID sprout!! HEE HAW!! However. .I have no idea what they are. .because SOMEHOW. .a dry erase marker made it into my greenhouse. .and I used that to mark the labels. . so the names. .promptly came right off in the humidity! Because of the issues I have had this year with vanishing varieties and no names. .I have now started a new habit to foster my obsessive compulsive traits. .

I have started sowing my seeds in alphabetical order. .and keeping a note on paper which varieties I planted. Genius, huh?? So when my tomatoes sprouted. .I could start on the tomato side. .and count each block of cells to determine which plant was which variety. .Soon, I'm sure I will be washing my hands 3 times before I can open the door to come back to the house. .Heaven help me!

Cami and I also worked on another experiment Saturday. .my silver falls plant is starting to look kinda punk, even after the fertilizer treatment. .so we made some cuttings. . 

to see if we could get them to root in time for spring container planting!! 

The only thing that made my afternoon more exciting. .was the fact that this kid followed me out to the greenhouse with my honey trap. .so I could listen to him do his humorous solo. He has been involved in forensics. .which seems to be working a lot better for the one-footed fellow than athletics has this year. .I did enjoy listening to his version of "the Pee Pipe" done with a nice southern drawl spiked with testosterone. 

I finally finished taking down the snowman deco. .and replacing them with spring. .

I cemented in the telescoping pole for the new purple martin house I was gifted for Christmas. .

And I have been researching some fruiting shrubs that will draw wildlife through the winter months around here. I am getting a plan together in my curled head. .and can't wait for the eruption of spring flowers and fauna!! 

Have a great week. .and thanks for stopping by!!