Outside

The potato plants are looking great.  I just mulched them yesterday.

These are the rutabagas that I started under the glass when it was cooler.  They are growing nicely.  I did harvest 3 radishes yesterday, which Emry gladly ate.  He's pretty fond of radishes.

And Nathaniel installed a clothesline for me!

I've wanted a clothesline for years. I used to have one, but the trees holding the line died, and I've been using a drying rack ever since. Drying racks are useful, but not nearly as good as a clothesline.

 

Track Season and Projects

There's been a lot of track around here.  Having 2 track athletes has certainly made things busier.

I only have pictures of Emry because Lydia vetoes all my attempts at photographing her on pole vault. If I get a decent (Lydia-approved) picture, it would be fantastic.

In other news, I made cold-process soap for the first time: 

I've made hot-process soap before, but not cold.  It's not really that big a difference, but I won't get to use the soap for another month.  It needs to cure.  Maybe I will have a definite favorite after we use it, but I don't think so.  Still, I haven't made soap in over a year, and I've been meaning to forever, so I was glad to get a batch done.

And it's spring gardening season!  I've been working slowly on the garden.  I'll get some pictures soon.  The potatoes are starting to look good.  Most everything else is really small, but I do have lots of plants in the ground, with more on the way.  I need to get outside more tomorrow, hopefully.

 

Cincinnati Adventures

Yesterday, we went on a little day trip to Cincinnati, to see the Auschwitz exhibit.  First, though, Lydia relocated a salamander from my garden to the creek:

He was not going to survive where he was, so she found him a very good place.

She's always loved salamanders.

Back to the museum.  I wanted the kids to experience a Holocaust exhibit.  It isn't widely taught in school anymore, and it is very important, so I bought us tickets. Malachi drove over and met us.  Afterwards, we went to the "fun" museums, the science and history museums. I didn't take any pictures in the Auschwitz section, but I got a few in the other parts.

I love printing press exhibits, since I once worked in an historic site with one.  I helped develop an exhibit, and I really enjoyed researching and learning about our collection. At the time, a master printer from Cincinnati came to help us and give advice on the collection.

Needless to say, I really enjoyed watching my family play with the hands-on element in the printing exhibit.

 

Happy Easter!

 Yes, I know Easter was last Sunday, but we are an Easter people, and it's still Easter season, so happy Easter!

Malachi and Pilot joined us for Easter weekend.  It was a quick visit, as they had to get back to college, but we enjoyed it.

The younger three and I went into my parents' house to visit and celebrate Easter for a few days.  The kids were on spring break this week.

We had another little adventure today, which I will try to post about tomorrow, but now it's back to a regular week.  Spring break is over, but the end of the school year is fast approaching.  The college boys will be done in a month, and the younger kids will be done at the end of May.  We still have lots of track and school to finish up in the meantime, but the end of the year is coming.

March Harvest Totals and Gardening!

 March Egg total - 462!

And great news!  Elijah spent four hours this weekend securing the chickens, so now I can garden without them ruining it!  I'm so happy.  They are staying safely in their yard, and I can plant my garden.  We have 18 hens now (one disappeared and likely died in someone else's yard, since we never found her).  I have been transferring compost from the chicken yard to the new garden, and Gyunay has been helping me plant.  So far, we have planted about 20 potatoes, a row of peas, and we transplanted small broccoli and bok choy plants to the garden.

I have lots more plans, but it is still too early to plant most things out.  Our last frost date isn't until around April 22.  I will plant more potatoes next week, though.  I hope to have a really good crop of those, now that I have room for them.

We also celebrated Elijah's birthday recently!

As usual, I made a chocolate trifle for him.  It's still his favorite dessert, and he really looks forward to it.