Dear 2010

Dear 2010,

Bite me. I really don't appreciate it one bit when you try to kill my husband. That freaking pisses me off. I will not miss you one little bit.

There were good things. You proved that we can weather almost anything. You showed me that my marriage is as strong as steal. You finally proved to me that I have grown up and won't cut and run anymore. You tested my ability to withstand financial stress along with a medical disaster. My true character showed up and I like her.

Here are a few things I've learned
1. Always always always question the doctors.
2. Never underestimate myself or my man.
3. Children are incredibly resilient and a true comfort.
4. I don't need to be held up nearly as much as I thought I did.
5. I've got one mean mama inside of me and she is awesome.
6. I don't need all the people to like me, but I need a select few to love me.
7. Friends come from the most unlikely places.
8. Be very grateful for all the wonderful things and people in my life every single day.

As you go, I am sending a few things with you
1. Insecurity.
2. A boat load of formal dresses I will never wear again.
3. Guilt over past failures which I've carried with me waaay to long.
4. The need to give my time and my work away.
5. The belief that people will pay me back. From here on, I'm getting what is due me up front.

2010, you are fired. Clear out your crap by midnight.

We deserve better.

Debbi

Perennial Cabbage?

Can cabbage possibly be perennial? This is a picture of a cabbage plant I planted in the fall of 2009. It produced a head of cabbage, which I cut of and ate. The plant lived and put out a few more leaves. Then, it didn't die during last summer's heat. Hmmm. I left it alone and it began to thrive with this fall's cooler weather. Now, it is producing not one, but three heads of cabbage. Is this the hydra of the plant world? If so, cool. Now I am going to let all of my decapitated cabbage plants stay in the ground just to see if they will make additional heads for me.

In case you didn't know, broccoli will produce little baby broccoli heads after the first head is harvested, however, as soon as it get warm, mine always go to seed.

11 Ways to Stay Warm in Texas

I know, I know, I'm being a big baby. Everyone else has snow and freezing weather. All we are dealing with is a little cool, dreary weather here in north Texas. In our parts, snow is a catastrophe and ice, well if there is ice everything just comes to a grinding halt and nobody goes anywhere. Today is one of the grey days when I just don't feel like I can possibly get warm. My feet hurt, my hands hurt and I feel a little sad. Here are some of the ways I fix it when I get uncomfortably cold.

1. Put on two pairs of socks and a pair of fuzzy slippers. (I'm ready for you sock haters:)

2. Take a lap quilt and put it in the dryer to warm it up then wrap it around your shoulders.

3. Drink hot tea.

4. Place a little space heater near your chair.

5. Wear flannel pants

6. Wear knitted wrist warmers .

7. Put a pot of water and some good smelling herbs to simmer on the stove. (Helps the skin and hair).

8. Wear a large fluffy scarf around the neck and shoulders.

9. Enjoy a warm hobby like knitting, crochet or quilting. I find quilting to be the most advanced of these hobbies.

10. Own a barley bag. I know that sounds weird, but I don't know what else to call it. My boss made me one and I love it. She made a square bag out of heavy cotton fabric, put about a pound of barley in it and scented it with Origins "Peace of Mind." Then, she sewed up the bag and made a terry cloth cover for it. I put the bag in the microwave for two minutes on high and the thing stays warm for a very long time. It is in my lap right now.

11. Finally, don't like the weather in Texas, wait five minutes. I know, tired old saying, but still.

Now, picture me doing and wearing all of those things at the same time. hahahahaha...You're welcome.

How to get a Preschooler to Eat a Vegetable

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of spending the day with my nephews, Jack and Ian. Jack is 3 and Ian is 4. We had a great day. These boys are perfect angels; I don't care what their mothers say.

They had waffles and milk for breakfast and played all morning. We visited my garden and checked out the Gulf Fritillary caterpillars. There was a bit of drama when Jack mistook a small bit of rope for a snake. I didn't know little boys could scream like that. Just little more shrill and only dogs could have heard it.

Knowing that little guys can be pretty picky eaters, I decided to see if I could get them to eat something straight from the garden. I asked them if they could find the broccoli. My broccoli plants are big and beautiful. To find the actual broccoli heads, you have to really get down in there and hunt for them. Ian was very excited, he apparently loves broccoli. After a few minutes of them digging around in the plants, I pulled back the leaves on one particularly large one and showed them the broccoli head. Ian picked that one and Jack found one just a few feet away smaller, but he was happy. Jack's love of broccoli is not as profound as Ian's love of broccoli. As we were heading back into the house to make their lunches, Jack saw that piece of rope, screamed and threw his broccoli at it. After a little reassurance that the rope was not an actual snake, we retrieved the broccoli, went on inside, made sandwiches and cut up the broccoli, some carrots and an apple. The little men enjoyed a healthy lunch of peanut butter sandwiches with fresh fruit and veggies.

All of my children eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. I believe the reason they do is because they did exactly what Jack and Ian did that morning most days of their lives. To this day, they will wander around out in the garden looking for something to eat. That, my friends, is how it is done.

While you are here, why don't you go over visit Anna's new site, Best Garden Blogs. Just click on the image of the little girl reading a book statue over there on the right.