Another Independence Days Update: Week 5

Okay, it's already time to do this...(just so my yahoo food storage group can check up on me!)

1. Planted: pole beans, watermelons, jack-o-lantern pumpkins, cucumbers, delicata squash, and a few flowers for sanity's/spirit's sake

2. Harvested: garlic chives, other herbs as needed (nothing else ready)

3. Preserved: nothing

4. Stored: nothing since Tuesday

5. Prepped/Managed: I'm putting this in the same category since I can never tell the difference. I did organize all my canning jars. I DO NOT need anymore canning jars, ever, thank you very much. Oh, except 1/2 pint jars for jam since I give many of those away. I always need lids since they can't be reused, but not jars. I have at least 150 canning jars, and they're now on shelves all together in the basement, organized by type. Thank goodness. It's always hard to keep up with this since we're always using them. There are only two on my kitchen counter needing to be put away right now, and that's a good day.

And of course there's always weeding, watering and tending the gardens. They are growing well, including the potatoes which shot up several inches in the last few days of warmer temps.

We also bought parts for a third rain barrel, since the first two are full and after the last several years of drought we feel greedy for water and nervous it's not going to keep coming.

Lastly, we put up a piece of fence I got through Freecycle three years ago, to replace a bent piece of chain link that was in this spot (see photo). Now we have privacy from the alley behind the house, and if I ever get my chickens they will maybe be a bit more invisible. ;-)

6. Work on local food systems: purchased asparagus, eggs and radishes at the farmer's market. Also, this isn't any work on my part but I was thrilled when a neighbor couple walked by yesterday and complimented our garden/yard. The exciting part is that this couple, in their 60s at least, said they too are putting vegetables in this year along with their usual flowers. The woman said, "If I'm going to water it, I'm going to eat it." and the man said, "It's time for another Victory Garden." And they don't even read my blog!

7. Cooked new: I baked whole wheat bread this week for the first time in years. It was delicious and I realized I hadn't lost my touch. I used to bake bread regularly. Here's a photo from when the kids were really little and helping me knead the dough...

8. New skill: Well, I'm just about done with my second sock so I'm learning I can knit two socks!