another tidbit from the Howes-hold

From smack in the middle of our birthday month, I offer this interesting bit. These four children were born in 01, 03, 05, and 07, and this year they're turning 1, 3, 5, and...7. (In a life devoid of order, you have to find order where you can.)

And you can tell they love having their picture taken.

Ha

I just thought of a funny thing. If I were to want to change this blog to be just about my life as a housewife, I could change the name to something hilarious like "Setting Up Howes-keeping" or "Life as a Howes-wife".

I just figured you might think that was funny. Unless you're Jess, of course, who finds no humor in puns on his surname. But hey, I've only had the opportunity for the last nine years, so I'm still laughing it up.

But since it's still a blog consisting of my addled ramblings through life, the current name stays. Alas. Not everything can be funny.

plantain ointment

Yes! I am still here...just covered up with spring jobs and building bookcases in the schoolroom.

Today I'm making plantain ointment again. This year it's a little different than it was when I sent it to some of you...was it two years ago now? It had bits of leaves in it, but this year I'll strain them out. (They tended to get everywhere when you used the stuff.)

So let me know if you need plantain ointment and I'll send it ahead.

Oh and check out how far I've gotten on the bookcases:


Those are the verticals that the shelves will slide into. Okay, back to work!

our first harvest

And here's our first little harvest. Just enough to make a delightful salad to go with dinner last night. There's baby lettuce, asparagus, radishes, a spring onion, and turnip greens.

And although I didn't go out there barefoot to pick all this, (there ARE fire ants, after all) it was rather idyllic to take my bowl and go out in the dusk and select my vegetables from the side yard. After a weekend spent with strep throat (note to self, not something to be handled without medical assistance), it was balm to my frazzled soul to go out and bring in the first little harvest.

Oh and, this is planting week, yes? We're all so excited. Let's see...tomatoes, corn, okra, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, herbs, beans, squash, watermelon...

What about you? Planting anything?