Saturday in the Dirt!

Beautiful Iris surrounding the veggie garden!

“Many hands make light work!” is a phrase I heard often as a kid.

It wasn’t until I was “out in the world” and away from my family beginning my own family raising journey that I realized just what a wondrous thing had been instilled in me.

I know this doesn’t happen everywhere, and the opportunities and experiences life has given me I can never take for granted.

I am surrounded by strong and faithful women who will drop everything and dig in to help wherever it is needed.

It’s the old Mary Poppins’ song of “Just a Spoonful of Sugar Makes the Medicine Go Down…..” and in this case it was a burgeoning veggie garden that due to work schedules and weather had gone a bit to the weeds.  We worked through the morning "In the Most Delightful Way....."

Joy & Gail thinning radishes and carrots.

This family gardens.  A lot.  Everything.  My mom and her flower gardens are legendary in the Garden Valley Idaho area. Every year she sells carloads of perennials from her garden beds by the shovel full.

Joy and Gail are a wonder when it comes to knowing what to do and how to do i t and they take to it like I take to scrap quilting – they just know what to do and when to do it.

They know each plant from the time it is the tiniest sprout when I would be sure it was “just a weed” by mistake.

Steve and Kathryn plant a fabulous garden, and you can hear the excitement as the sibling group chatters on and on about this plant, that yield, this fertilizer (evidently the rabbit droppings from the rabbits are THE BEST green compost hands down!) and from the time things are ready to eat this family shares the benefits of healthy veggie eating all summer long into canning and preserving season.

Calling Uncle Steve over from his job as water boy!

Tiny little tree frog!

My job was to thin the pole beans – the plants were too close together.  It was a very satisfying job of carefully digging up every-other-one and transplanting them to another bed.  There will be a BUMPER crop of beans this year.

Mama, digging in the dirt!

“I’m so happy I wet my PLANTS!”

We needed to get this all done yesterday because today – as predicted – is rainy.  A light cool early summer rain, and the plants are receiving the benefit of everything we did yesterday, and the rain came right on time.  I can’t wait for pictures through the summer to see how this garden grows on the shore of Ringo Lake under the Minnesota  summer sun.

Kathryn also loves her flowers and her yard is coming alive as we go further into June.  It’s crazy to think of how much snow was still falling here – clear into May, and yesterday it reached nearly 90 degrees.  That’s Minnesota for you!

The iris are stunning!

There was a fabulous lunch – again – all hands in the kitchen making everything come together, and cleaning up afterwards.

There were naps to recover from the heat of the garden.

There was a 2 car run to Home Depot for more garden supplies (Of course, it’s very much like our own homing pigeon trips to Lowe’s!)

There was a 6-person stop to the grocery store to pick up what was needed for the next couple of meals ahead.

It’s like herding cats with this family!

Brats on the grill, kraut on the side.  Cole slaw, potato salad, watermelon – all the flavors of summer on a plate.

Hours of Mexican Train -

The Chicken Foot Variation -

Left to right around the table -

Gail, Steve, Kathryn, Mom, Joy -

And me behind the camera.

My family.

We finished the evening off with a long walk down country roads - the cooling air filled with the song of pond frogs as the moon rose high and the sky grew dark. 

We showed mom how to use the flash light feature on her “new to her” smart phone.  She is like a little kid with the BEST TOY EVER. (She also learned how to video chat to her other children yesterday!)

The memories of this trip will be with me a long long time.

Quiltville Quote of the Day

Vintage Churn Dash found in Kentucky.

Dreams aren't enough. Put some action behind them and make things happen!

If you want that garden, PLANT IT!

If you want that time with family – DO IT!

Have a wonderful Sunday, everyone!