Projects and Birthdays during Coronavirus Quarantine

So, we had 2 birthdays recently.  Lydia is now 11, and Elijah is 17!  

It's hard to believe.  They really do grow so fast.  

I'm so happy the kids I and planted lots of bulbs last fall, because our yard looks lovely right now.  A few tulips have joined the daffodils in blooming in this pyramid.  There are also violets everywhere in the grass now.

The "stained glass" project is done!  It was mostly completed by Lydia, with a little help from me and Gyunay.

Also in the sunroom, the plants are growing like crazy.

And last night, Elijah, Malachi, and I completed this 3D puzzle of Diagon Alley from Harry Potter.  They've done 3D puzzles before a couple of times, but I never had.  It was nice to have a project with my big boys.

Path to Somewhere?

This tree is always so beautiful!  

And today, Nathaniel and Elijah helped me finish the stepping-stone path through the front gardens:

It then wraps around the side to the back deck:

And Our Lady's Flowers are getting even prettier.

Nathaniel and I also joined the younger two in Lava Monster in the driveway:

We've all been doing some yardwork today.  Malachi has been playing DND via phone with his friends.  And the kids got a virtual tour of their grandparents' new camper.  Basically, we are keeping quasi-busy here at home; not too bad for the first official day of spring break.

Projects

Lydia had a really hard day yesterday, so I decided that she needed a project to cheer her up.

I used painter's tape to tape off one whole pane in the sunroom, and she and Gyunay have been painting it like stained glass:

It will take a few days, but I will post a picture when it's done.  

Today, I found Gyunay on Malachi's lap as Malachi was doing his coding homework.  I asked, "Gyunay, are you bothering Malachi?" but Malachi was quick to answer "No!".

I'm glad they are getting along so well.  Gyunay also talked Elijah into sitting in the rocker with him for quite some time.  

And I did a little project today, too:

I made my second batch of homemade crockpot soap.  This one uses lard and coconut oil for the fats.  I'm curious to see how it turns out, since last time I used coconut oil and olive oil.  I've got so much lard, though, that it seems a no-brainer to try it. 

Healthy at Home Kentucky

So, Kentucky has apparently been given a Shelter-in-Place order, but they are calling it Healthy at Home Kentucky instead.  We are getting out in the yard today to enjoy the sunshine:

A few of the hyacinths are blooming.  The prettiest ones are these in front of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

And the gardens are looking a bit more alive.   The garlic looks good:

And the peas and radishes are sprouting outside, as well as tons of seedlings in the sunroom.  Nathaniel and Elijah's efforts to curtail the chickens are finally paying off: it appears that they can't currently escape (and haven't for 2 days)! 

Buds and Sprouts

The peach tree is budding out.

Even the white nectarine has a blossom:

Spring appears everywhere right now, even though we are nearly a month away from our last frost date.  The pea pods I planted out front are sprouting, too:

At least the peas can take a frost, unlike the fruit trees.  It has been such a mild winter, though.  I've been outside all day, working in the gardens and planting more peas, spinach, etc.  It's supposed to start raining this evening, and dark clouds are rolling over us as I type.  I'm going to get back outside while I still can!

Chicken Escape Artists

Over the weekend, Nathaniel and Elijah put netting entirely over the larger yard because the chickens have been escaping, and I can't very well start a garden if they are constantly eating the seedlings.  There is one area just by the door that is open, for the door to swing in.  We will have to change that, as one hen immediately hopped up through it on the second day, and by the third day, 4 other hens had followed her out.  (She's not that bright; it's just where she has always jumped out of the fence.)  

In other chicken news, our oldest hen, Go, died yesterday.  She was Gyunay's favorite, and the only one he named.  He asked me to bury her so the vultures wouldn't eat her.   Lydia requested that the hole be deep so the raccoons wouldn't dig her up.  They really do understand the predator/prey lifecycle.  So I buried a chicken, and I even put a couple of logs on top, so hopefully nothing digs her up.  

Book Review - Chasing the White Lion by James R. Hannibal

Chasing the White Lion, by James R. Hannibal, is the second book in a series focusing on CIA agent Talia Inger. I read and enjoyed the first book, and I would recommend reading them in order, although they are separate missions.  The characters are a diverse group, and I love that.  This book focuses more on the faith of several characters, and the mission involves saving children, so it has a more faith-in-action vibe.  I really enjoyed this book, and I look forward to more in this series. 

The action is fast-paced.  The details of the crime world seem realistic.  The dialogue is good; it moves the story along and still feels authentic.   The author has a good imagination, and the descriptions of his characters' extremely varied settings are well-done.  I also love the cover design, and the back cover does a good job of intriguing the reader without giving too much away.  (I hate it when the back cover reveals too much!)   This is a fun read, and I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys action and suspense.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Revell, for the purpose of writing a review, but all opinions are my own.

More dirt works

So, I ended up doing some more shoveling Monday afternoon, to add another row of dirt:

It's intentionally smaller, but I think it will be a good defining line for the cottage garden, and I hope it will get some good sun for more plants.

I still have to finish the path.  (Don't worry; it actually will lead somewhere, but I'm not showing that until it's done.)

Also, my sunroom greenhouse is really coming alive.  I've got lots of vegetables and flowers started.  

That is the almond tree to the right.  It seems really healthy.

I have plans to plant more seedlings, but not quite yet.  It's still too early for some starts.  Overall, though, the gardening plans are going well.  Now I just have to keep the chickens contained...

Shoveling

So, on Saturday morning we headed to the Maple Syrup Festival, where we had a great time.  Malachi created an unusual candle:

Then, we came home and got to work!  It was such a gorgeous day, so it was perfect for working outside.  All four kids helped me shovel dirt:

Lydia also put some in the black bags.  She planted potatoes in them, and set them out on the brick wall beside the driveway, where we hope they will thrive.

It looks much better already, though it will be a while before any plants are really thriving here.  When I said we could quit with the shoveling, the boys ran off, but Lydia stuck around to plant flower bulbs:

On Saturday evening, Nathaniel's parents stopped by on their way home from Florida.  After Mass on Sunday, the kids and I took Grandma to the zoo, while Nathaniel and his dad enjoyed golfing.

It's Finally Here!

Friday afternoon, our long-awaited load of topsoil and manure was delivered.

Pictures of the shoveling to come later...

Growing

Most of the seeds we planted in the sunroom are now sprouting.  It's very exciting to see all of the growing plants.  We also planted a second pot of cat grass today; the first pot looks great, and it should become a nice treat for our kitties.  

As you can see, Lydia's Teddy is growing some great hair.  She is taking a botany class in co-op this semester, and she is really enjoying it.  

February Harvest Totals

baby carrots - 10
eggs - 105

The chickens have really started laying lately, so our egg numbers should start going up quite a bit.  I've got lots of little seedlings growing happily in the sunroom.  Now I just have to work on keeping the chickens in their own yards so they won't destroy the gardens once I start planting outside...