Seeds are coming!

It's so exciting to go to the mailbox and find seeds! Some are like old friends, Burpee for example, hasn't changed the packaging (or at least not much) for its mail order seeds for years.

I got my first ever order from Seeds of Change, and found that their seed packaging is in plastic! The package clearly has the recycling triangle #1 marked on it. I find this comment on their web site:

"Did you know Seeds of Change is switching out its seed packs to new reusable, recyclable envelopes? This state-of-the-art packaging requires less energy to manufacture, has a longer shelf life, can be resealed to store unplanted seed, reused for other purposes, or recycled as #1 plastic... "

DH received an order from another seed company for 5 pounds of sweet corn seed - he plans to plant a few acres this year. He is not happy. They substituted varieties - he is very particular about the variety of sweet corn he plants. He will be contacting customer service.

Weather Radio

I have been trying to talk to my daughter on the phone, and every time I start talking, the weather radio goes off - warning for high winds, freezing rain, and thunderstorms. In the middle of January in the Midwest! Not our typical weather. I hope they get all the warnings out of the way before I go to sleep tonight! Nothing worse than being waken up by a screaming alarm - I could turn off the weather radio, but then, what's the point of having it?

Puts me in mind of the Robert Frost poem.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know,
His house is in the village though.
He will not see me stopping here,
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer,
To stop without a farmhouse near,
Between the woods and frozen lake,
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake,
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep,
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

I have to go to work early tomorrow to get off early, to take #1 grandson to the eye doctor in Columbus. I really do need to turn in early tonight. But I have "miles to go before I sleep", too.

scarborough fair

Simon and Garfunkel's Scarborough Fair came on the radio yesterday... I realized there were a few lyrics I have NEVER been able to understand.

Duh. No reason to delay any longer - Magic of the internet and all that....

Are you goin to scarborough fair? parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there, she once was a true love of mine

Tell her to make me a cambric shirt, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Without no seams nor needlework, then shell be a true love of mine

Tell her to find me an acre of land, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Between the salt water and the sea strand, then shell be a true love of mine

Tell her to reap it in a sickle of leather, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
And to gather it all in a bunch of heather, then shell be a true love of mine

Are you goin to scarborough fair? parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there, she once was a true love of mine

I planted parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme last year - I had NO LUCK getting the rosemary to sprout. I've ordered three different kinds of rosemary seeds this year. I'll look up germination instructions on the magical internet, too.

My indoor basil plant is suffering from something, maybe spider mites? It has little puffy white things on the leaves. Once again, the internet to the rescue?

"tagged, I'm it"

My blog has been tagged by Willow Tree Creek, one of the gals who post regularly on Mary Jane's Farmgirl connection.

The rules of the game are this:Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you.Post the rules on your blog.Post 7 random or weird facts about yourself on your blog.Tag 7 people and link to them.Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.

7 Weird/Random Things About ME!


1. I'm a girly-girl, love sewing, knitting, embroidery and cooking, but also a tomboy, like technical stuff like computers and cameras and radio, and the outdoors.

2. I have an amateur radio license but haven't used it recently.

3. I drive an 2002 Aztek, and I love it, never thought it was ugly, just a very practical, economical and comfortable vehicle. Who decides whether cars are ugly or "sweet"? And why do they get to be the ones who decide?

4. I'm a Protestant but attend Mass every other Sunday with my husband, who is Catholic

5. Politcally, I'm a liberal libertarian - and a registered Democrat

6. I'm an organic gardener. No compromises there.

7. I want to lose weight but love food and hate to exercise...



So there you go! I am tagging these farmgirls, whose blogs I haven't visited before:

amyartgirl http://www.farmgirltales.blogspot.com/

cherry pie http://www.nostalgichomemaking.blogspot.com/

georgiaberry mobley http://www.sunshinefordinner.com/

Kansas Girl www.kansasalpacacompany.com/

Kim www.thistledewmercantileblog.wordpress.com/

miraclewelsh http://www.foxhillphoto.blogspot.com/

Stoverlane http://www.stoverlane.blogspot.com/

So there you have it! Pass it on!

Seed company mergers

Since I had my "identity theft" incident a few years ago, I am scrupulous about watching my credit report and credit card statements.

Yesterday, after placing my seed orders, I was surprised to see that Jung Seeds had FOUR entries on my credit card statement! I only placed one order with them, so I called the company to make sure the nightmare wasn't happening again.

As it turns out, Totally Tomatoes, RH Shumway, and Vermont Bean and all "sister companies" (or acquisitions?) of the Jung Seed company. I've always been happy with the seed I get from Jung, so I'm not upset -- but I wondered why I get four different catalogs from the same company.

The customer service representative I spoke with said that the different catalogs typically appeal to different audiences, Shumway is more of a Southern focus, while Vermont Bean usually has more Northern customers.

Sustainability

I've been reading about sustainability, it started at work with some reading I was doing on energy conservation. One link led to another, and pretty soon I was looking at the Wikipedia article on the "triple bottom line".

One way to remember the triple bottom line elements is the three P's - People, Profit, and Planet - or to spell it out more fully, Social Responsibility, economic sustainability, and environmental sustainability.

Aha! Business in the US is waking up! From the "greening" of the North American Auto Show in Detroit to the new web site for the International Institute for Sustainable development to the Gartner Group declaring that this is the year of "Green IT" to new educational programs like the one at Aquinas College, finally, FINALLY, it seems that environmentalists have the ear of business. Is it because of Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize?

It will be interesting to watch to see how many companies really "get it" and how many just give lip service to sustainability.

Of course, we organic gardeners have "gotten it" for a long time. We deserve a pat on the back. But no time to gloat! We have lots of work to do!

Seeds are ordered

Since yesterday was Martin Luther King Day, and I didn't have to work, I spent a good part of the day perusing seed catalogs, and placing my order. I am trying some new, unusual varieties this year. White tomatoes, purple beans, striped beets, and mini-cucumbers, among others. I ordered a quart of Neem concentrate (it really seems to repel those bean beetles). I can't wait until the freezing weather goes away and we get a good melt.

Unusual weather

We've had quite a warm spell this January. I've been thinking about going out and planting lettuce seeds as temperatures have been in the high 30's, but expect snow again tomorrow.

Among other projects, I've been cleaning out my craft rooms in the basement and the guest bedroom. Not making a lot of progress as I keep finding interesting things that I get wrapped up in.

Today I sorted magazines that were spilled all over the extra guest room. Bought an under-bed storage plastic tub, but found out today it didn't really fit under any of our beds. Bummer.
I went ahead and lifted up the edge of the closest one and put in underneath anyway. Hopefully the guests won't complain!

I also have discovered the International Aztek Fan Club. The wild thing is, the annual rally has been held 20 miles from my home for the last two years (in Loudonville, Ohio) and I never knew anything about it! I love my Aztek, it is a perfect vehicle for transporting crates of whatever to the local farmer's market, or antiques home from an auction, or just getting me back and forth to work with the 4-wheel drive in the snow. I'll probably attend the rally this year if they hold it in Loudonville again.