New Attempts At Gardening - Oh The Memories - Gardening with Grandma

The good thing about blogging – you can pick up anytime you want and add fresh new posts.

 

My current endeavors include gardening. Do any of you garden? What exactly is gardening? Lots of memories in this head of mine involving gardens. Last night I was talking with my mom, we probably spent 45 min discussing it. The smile my face was wearing the whole time was so important to me. 

 

When I think of gardening I think of my mom’s family. They all had gardens. This little town in Kansas is called Goodland. That’s where they were all from, well I mean they are originally from the Wichita area but that’s splitting hairs.

Goodland, Ks, this is where my gardening memories start. My grandmother had the most beautiful backyard you’d ever see. It was quintessential mid-west. They had a beautiful patio that I just wished I could duplicate. Their yard was massive and the garage the prettiest red shade you can picture. But, along her back fence, that was where the real magic happened. 

 

I would be lying if I knew the real dimensions, but it had to at least be 10x30 feet, this garden. I close my eyes and can picture the summer days with crops sprouting and waiving in the air. As a little girl, my best memory was going into her garden and eating her tomatoes. My mother told me last night that this particular habit of mine started when I had just learned to walk, at our at-home garden in Wichita.

 

Maybe that’s why this memory makes me smile so much, it is one that ties me to my mother and my grandmother. All I want is a tomato plant of my own now, 38 years later. 

 

Since I’ve been married almost every year I have dreamed of my own garden like Grandma had. Two years ago, I started too late in the season and all I was able to make grow was a pumpkin vine that only had female buds, so no pumpkins grew. Last year was way more successful. I had 20 different items planted and they all sprouted and looked great. And then the blasted April showers hit, and it rained for 3 weeks. My poor garden didn’t survive. I was able to harvest 1 successful cucumber and 3 green beans.

 

Needless to say, it was not a successful harvest,

This year I am prepared. I researched and looked for outdoor greenhouses and I think I will like the one I settled on. It is a 12x8 footprint. Perfect for the above grounds I currently have in the yard and ample room to add the fruit pants I plan on putting in pots. 

 

Tonight is the night, I have a couple seedlings to transplant that I started on my counter inside a few weeks back, but the bulk of my crop will be planted as seeds. The lettuce and broccoli did not survive the countertop, so I must restart those. I have 3 tomato plants started; I hope to see them flourish. My son seems just as excited as I am about this venture so I hope he and I can do this together. That would be a lot of fun. 

 

When I was talking with my mom last night, she told me I should blog about this experience. That’s the first thing in a while that sparked some creative juices in me. Maybe because it ties me to my grandmother, who I miss terribly. She died during Hurricane Harvey and my world has been lacking a lot without her in it. I called her brother last week, my great uncle, and asked him for some help on my seedlings. He has a non-profit farm in Denver and helps to feed the population up there. Unfortunately, he says Denver and Houston are too different and I would have better luck going to a nursery for help. Apparently, climates really do play a huge factor in it.

 

Not sure how much I will blog, but I do think I will. I love journaling my experiences, that way I can always look back and remember. Plus, this blog is called ‘Memories in a Box’ and this is literally memories from my past being transformed into a box of dirt!

 

Momma was right, I should blog about this.

 

Today is going to be a great day and I just can’t wait to see what my garden has in store for me in 3 months. 

 

I’ve never had the pleasure of feeding my family food I have grown on my own, and I am thrilled to experience that for the first time. We live on a pretty great size lot and maybe one day the dream of self-sufficient fruits and veggies can partially come true.

 

Although I hear banana trees bring in snakes, therefore I will happily continue to buy those at Aldi’s.

 

I’d love to hear your experiences with gardening or tips and tricks, please leave a comment below.

The Greenhouse - pre planting!

Here is a carrot I found leftover in the garden this weekend when I was cleaning. Imagine my surprise! 

Hi Ho Hi Ho Back to work we go ...

When that alarm goes off at 4:15 in the morning you know you immediately regret that the vacation is over. That is exactly how I felt this morning when it was time to wake up. Last week I was feeling ready to go back to work because let's face it, for mothers, work is an escape!

Now as I am facing down the 45 min drive and the long day of working on spreadsheets and emails I am starting to feel that dread... no vacation can't be over!

The only plus side is I already have 4 books downloaded to start/finish reading this week, remember I have to get at least 2 books read each week to meet my goal of 100 books.

I am reading two at a time right now and I am really enjoying both of them. Hopefully I will have one done by tomorrow so I can post a review. I really want to get that 80 reviews a year done too.

Last night we had our last family meal of the vacation and mhmm it was good. Steak, baked potato, and spinach salad. The family is starting day 3 of the gluten free (not new) processed sugar free life style. Ugh that headache that comes with it really really is a killer.

There is nothing quite as annoying as knowing just picking up a Dr Pepper would cure the headache but push you back at least two days in your new life style. Note I say life style not diet because it isn't a diet it is a new life choice, a change in the norm.

What kind of books are you planning on reading this year?

I love a good mystery but I think I am going to keep up my trend of an eclectic sort of stories.

I am currently reading a cozy mystery, a fiction novel and then i am not quite sure what i would classify this other story as, possibly fantasy.

I love all good books!

Alright so think this is enough rambling for the moment ... after all it is now time to wake the kiddos up and do the mom thing. Gotta get them off to school and then onto work for myself.

Life as a working mom never ends. And it is by far the best experience / job in the world.

Don't forget, leave a comment with your email and you will end up with a free ebook in your inbox for the "Ashley Randomness" posts.

Blog Revamped 2017

Hello all you wonderful readers in the blogging world. I hope you all have been well. I have really missed this place. And because of that I am going to be doing a little revamping and then posting more too.

Blogging seemed like a family there for a while. You had your regulars but once I got the kiddos my whole online life like vanished and now ... my blog just isn't the same.

So we are doing a few changes here in Ashley land and this is what's going on ....

What to expect in 2017 ....

A fresh Ashley's Randomness post each week. This can be anything from a random idea I had to a rant about a movie or book to a long winded review of a movie (Look up Man of Steel review for reference to what I mean) or just well anything. Whenever I tag something as an "Ashley's Randomness" if you give me a decent comment (meaning more than 4 words) and leave your email then you will receive a surprise free ebook from me (will be one of the books I hold the rights to in order for me to give away for free, duh.) limit 5 free ebooks per person.

More book reviews ... I read all the time but I have gotten super lazy on posting up reviews so I am making a vow to myself to post at least 80 reviews this year.

More movie reviews ... I go to a decent amount of movies each year and I have a blog, I might as well write a review ....

More blog tour posts. I'll be honest ... hosting for other authors and tour companies helps my own business so I need to keep doing that. So when I am not posting an Ashley Randomness post I hope to go back to helping other authors gain exposure.

I may even try to redesign the blog too layout wise.

I hope all of you out in blogger land enjoy these updates and changes and I hope to see more people commenting and sharing posts. Remember ... we're all in this together so let's help one another!

See ya later Blogging land ...

( This is the Six Million Dollar Man being taken for a strole by Barbie. My hubby set this up, I just snapped the pic. A little Ashley Photography to go with today's reading. Enjoy! )

When A Memory Jumps Up And Bites Ya

I  know that we all have those moments ... when a smell or taste sparks a memory of our past. Good or bad, and then we can't help thinking about it. That's what I just experienced. This morning I woke up with a mission, reorganize my writing room..

This room is my sanctuary. It is where I can escape everything and feel peace. All of my favorite things are in here and it not only provides me with inspiration but it gives me an escape from whatever reality is approaching me at that moment.

So for whatever reason, my psyche woke up today thinking If I reorganize the room, inspiration will strike and I'll feel good. So I hauled the hubby in, gave him my idea, he gave feedback and then left me to contemplate what he suggested.

Fifteen minutes later I had reorganized it and he walked in, 'Why didn't you ask for help?" I shrugged - something in me just had to get it done. So now I had a new writing corner. One next to my bookshelf covered in photos of my family, my favorite books, and the ninja turtles. Go ahead and laugh, but I love those guys!


The dogs had a new spot next to my chair and I had made a corner where I could put my candles, incense and other things of that nature.

After a long day of random stuff I finally get a moment to sit at my laptop and I pulled up Sekhmet's Revenge Vol 5 I am determined to finish this today, by the way! Then hunger strikes. My default comfort food is Nachos. My mamma got me hooked on them and well, I am my momma's daughter after all.And not just any kind of Nachos. They have to be made a very special way.

So now I'm armed with Nachos and my laptop. I take that first bite and the memory jumps up and bites me in the proverbial ass. I remember one Friday night in fifth grade, my mother, brother and I were piled on her bed, armed with Nachos, watching Tales from the Crypt.

Now I just can't stop smiling, I used to love our Friday night dog piles in her room. There was Star Trek, Tales from the Crypt, Twilight Zone ... so many great things.

But now my room smelled like cheese and I just didn't want that - So I dig around and fine my lavender to burn. And now peace. Peace jumps up and snags a piece of me and takes me off to a place that makes me remember that  first moments of the wekend morning.

You know, when your eyes are barely open and things are peaceful. This is my favorite part of the day. When life is easy and quiet. My dogs are usually curled up next to me and the hubs is either at work or in the other room watching TV already.


The best things in life, for me, are those that bring you peace and comfort. And that's what my little sanctuary does for me.

It lets me remember all the joys of my youth. Like melting plastic army men in my Aunt Lee's back yard with my uncle and cousin. Chasing my brother around the backyard playing tag. Swimming at the beach with my childhood dog. Playing the flute in the school band in front of hundreds of people. Or curling up at night with Miss Kitty, my old cat.

So in this edition of Ashley's Randomness I traveled through thirty years of memories - thirty years of smiles and laughs.It's these little moments that make the every day hustle and bustle worth it to me.

And then there is the memories I made with my Mom -- And how thinking of her always reminds me of home.