Seeds of Intention

I cannot contain my excitement for Springs return. A random trip to The Home Depot resulted in us bringing home garden building material and seeds. Back in Cali I would just drops seeds and plants willy nilly in hopes they would grow. Some success with that method was attained but now we are in a whole new environment all together. We went from being Northerners to Southerners. Moving  here to Texas  we are expanding on the true homesteading lifestyle . I've been studying via The Old Farmer's Almanac, homesteader videos on Youtube, which will eventually immerse me into homesteading blogs. Albeit slow we are educating ourselves and pacing the projects to start up. In actuality we have many builds and projects in  process. You would think we would finish one before we start another , but out here the rigidness of quick completion has changed. I can actually proclaim that I take life slower but more intentional...I heard a rumor that country life will do that to your soul, if you open up and let it in.

Not all are plants are started from seed packets. I'm experimenting with the method of slicing tomato's and tomatillo's , dropping them in soil and covering them up. When they sprout hopefully there will be a high yield that we can transplant into the garden.

I've purchased a variety of pepper seeds, but also wanted to see if this method would work for them as well. Many vegetables I bought from the store like, bokchoy, garlic, ginger, chives and potatoes with eyes, have been dispersed around outdoor in hopes of successful plantings.

February 20th I got down to the business of filling trays with soil, labeling plastic cutlery, and dropping seeds. The trays are currently in the laundry room because weather has been on the colder side. I leave the light on for them which seems to work because the sprouts are leaning to the sun through the window throughout the day then upright at night.

These potted plants have survived outdoors on my elevated potting table. There's a pineapple, random succulents and rosemary. Some seeds in pots unlabeled, if they sprout it will be a great surprise.

There are three bunches of Oregano planted in my little garden space outside the back of the house. The squirrels and birds habitat the forest but pretty much leave the ground herbs alone.

This lavender will need to be re potted soon. I cant wait to see what fragrant bloom this variety holds. I would love to have a mini lavender field. Soil and weather may have a determination in the success of that. Texas Hill Country is bountiful with lavender farms and festivals, and I would love to take a field trip and learn.

Here I have a little bit of  lemon balm.  I have also recently purchased three small pots of lemon balm which are big healthy plants that I'll combined together.

 Mint plant usually grows crazy but for some reason it just stays small in this potted space.  All these herbs have remained hardy during the last few nights of freeze we had . I really do need to study more to figure out how to grow in these conditions.

I love the fragrance smell of pineapples as I crush the sage between my fingers.  I think I'll experiment with adding it fresh sun tea made on the porch.

And we have sprouts! Being able to pick a whole salad from the garden to eat would be ideal. I started Mesculin Spicy Mix and Little Gem lettuce in the trays. I also have hydroponic artisan lettuce from the store.

These bean sprouts are Royalty Purple Pod Bush and I planted pinto beans from the store as well. I realize I have a lot of vining plants and will need to have trellis's , and arch full of flowers and greenery would be awesome.

A garlic clove from the store in potting mix. Last year I planted some outside but I think the pine needles mixed with sandy soil inhibited growth. Many containers and above ground boxes are necessary.

The garden fencing is almost done. The weather has been really cold and the Hubby has been working overtime so it will be completed soon. Excitement doesn't contain the sentiment for the feelings I already have for this garden and upcoming homestead adventures.

P.S. I took so long to compose this post that I will need to do an update post soon about what's growing on.

A Quick Reflection

As I compose this write, I'm a bit stuffy with a cold that has been going around. And yes in the other lands of media you did see me at a football game yesterday. Nonetheless today is going to be a humble day of cleaning, reflection and goal setting. You see this past year has been pretty good with getting the the lay of the land and new state. Last January  we moved into our new house and set up the basics of the homestead. Jobs were attained, everyday living happened. I did fall into bad habits as well and need to get back on track. Sobriety a few days short of 5 years was ruined at the end of last December and I have been drinking since, that has got to change. Bad food consumption and lack of exercise has made me unwell in my mind, body, and spirit. I'm turning 39 in 2 days and want to start the journey back to wellness today. Let's set intentions tonight and be diligent with wishes that serve us well. Salud to the New Year! Brightest Blessings to you all.

Que Pasa Calabaza

Pumpkins in December? Yes, I finally got around to taking them off of the porch and into the kitchen. In October for Halloween I purchased these table top pumpkins for $2.98 each at H.E.B. To the tune of Jazzy Christmas tunes playing in the background I cut these orange beauties in half. These pumpkins are so full of flesh and had three seeds sprouting already. I promptly put the sprouts into  soil pots to see what develops later. The rest of the seeds I coated in coconut oil, sprinkled with cinnamon and a bit of sugar to roast with the pumpkin halves.

I recently purchased a glass pie dish, in which I can make my own crust instead of buying graham cracker ones. I made an almond flour crust from WholesomeYum's recipe, and the Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe I used can be found at All Recipes.Com. We will  enjoy this dessert after {L}'s Winter Band concert tonight and before we hang up our stockings!

💕 Season's Greetings from my Holiday Kitchen to yours 💕

Mabon Morning

The Dog Daze of Summer

This mornings sunset was amazing. The rising sun illuminated the clouds perfectly with champagne linings. Morning time is my favorite right now because it is the freshest air of the day. Folks around here say next month shall bring in cooler weather and I cannot wait, it's 85 degrees in the morning when I rise. On the home front the kids still have some summer vacation left and we will be taking a trip to the beach tomorrow to celebrate these end of summer moments. It's been a rough one all the way around. We are still new here and miss our old summertime hangs, traditions, and friends and family we celebrated with. My daughters were in tears watching photos of their friends enjoying the beginnings of the school year without them, which in turn has had them angry at me for moving us here.

So on Monday it will be just me and the dogs again. Getting up early is no problem since I rise at 5:00 every morning, make Hubby's lunch and send him off to work. I'm pondering the fact of should I set a daily routine or just go with the flow, it's been a go with the flow lazy hazy summer. My pace has been slow lately, my body has been acting up. If it weren't for my tubal ligation almost 8 years ago, I would think I was pregnant. A slower pace is okay, I try too do to much at lightning speed always. Maybe with this alone time while everyone's at school I will get some projects completed, and conjure up new ones. The seasons are changing and I need to keep charts of the humble bumble activity of the natural elements on the homestead. Bugs, animals, and plants are here for a short stretch and then replaced with different varieties. How are you spending your dog days of summer?

A Retraction

re·trac·tion

rəˈtrakSH(ə)n/

noun

1. 1.

   the action of drawing something back or back in.

   "prey are grasped between the jaws upon tongue retraction"
2. 2.

   a withdrawal of a statement, accusation, or undertaking.

   "he issued a retraction of his allegations"
3. 
   

{the above text copied from Google Dictionary}

So here I am finding myself having to retract the statement that our homestead was to be named "Where The Wild Things Are". No Maurice did not turn in his grave and yell "hell no lady you may not", it was the objection by everybody else in the household. Not one of them had cared about my magical heartfelt blog post that brought me to the revelation, well {M} did, that 7 yr old boy of mine is a wild hippie child who likes to see his Mama happy. So much discussion went on and the name has been changed.

Welcome To CAMP PALMETTO

Here at our humble homestead known as Camp Palmetto we have many amenities which include:

 A soon to be finished TeePee

 Paddle boating & nature exploration

 Relaxation by the pond, possibly fishing in the future

 A hammock for reading and taking in the wooded view

Trees galore to explore

A cozy fire to sing and tell tales

These are some of the reasons we came up with the idea to call it a camp. And yes there is one Palmetto on the property, because the Renaissance Man won this battle, we must purchase more for the grounds. This is just the start folks, stay tuned. Now I must plan what we will be doing here during summer because yikes....school's out at the end of the month!

The Naming of Our Homestead

Inspiration struck out of the blue, no... more like the green of mother nature. I started off the morning watching wild crafting and foraging videos on YouTube. The wilderness outside my front and back door is so full of the unknown. What is medicinal, edible, poisonous! The Wild Women in me has re awoken and I'm continuing the journey of exploration in my own zone. If you haven't been a follower for long I went from .24 acres in Sacramento California to 2 acres in the woods in South East Texas, achieving that American dream of being debt free and owning everything outright. But that folks is a blog post for another day and time.

After studying a bit I walked outside, the whole vibe and hum was different today. Once my boots hit the landing of the stairs I became one with my land. The zonal scope you see in movies literally happened. All senses were heightened and tuned into the above and below. No psychedelics involved, I reached a point where my brain has done this on it's own...euphoria or zen. Whatever is happening I'm not going to argue with it, I fucken love this feeling! { if we were face to face I do tend to express my feelings with foul language, apologies if this if offensive but this is authentic}.

So back to the matter at hand. I strolled around identifying plants and trees, then I was scared shit less as the dogs barked and chased a rabbit that ran passed me and almost knocked me to the ground as it escaped the wrath of my fur babies. Catching my breath because I was caught off guard, I heard a small coughing noise, followed it and found a baby possum lost from its pack. Shot some video, posted on Instagram @gypsyspiritrising and then sighed out loud "this really is where the wild things are! "Where The Wild Things Are", yes! And then the Bryce Vine song played in my brain as I ran to google search if the name has been established as another homestead yet.

To my relief I found no other establishment or like wise claiming this name. Then I thought what would Maurice Sendak think, would he be okay with me using the name of one of his popular books? I spoke out loud and the google on my phone picked  up my out loud inquiry and this You Tube video started playing. Tears came outright because affirmation in the soul does such response.

So I guess I took the dive and got the inspirational blow to the head. I've communed with spirits before but it was mostly family, but to get a divine answer automatic like this occurred is some new and exciting stuff. Many spiritual awakenings have been tapped lately. Oh and the fact that it occurred at 1:43 is another significance in the angel number realm. Quick summary from Joann Sacred Scribes because she is my go to for the Angel messages.

    

ANGEL #143

Angel Number 143 encourages you to look at your current home and lifestyle and consider ways to uplift your environment in order to usher in more positive energies. Do not be afraid to express yourself with joy, optimism and creativity. Add beauty to your environment and everyday life.

Excerpt from sacredscribeangelnumbers.blogspot.com

So with that being said, and divine interventions coming into play to make my inspiration strike a go ,without further ado our humble beginnings of a homestead shall be named due to the many references of all that lives there from the plants, animals, and humans who reside there....

Where The Wild Things Are

p.s. now for a logo, oh hell I'll wait for another strike of inspo!

Homestead Garden Report

Casa Sol y Luna is finally officially on Summer break and we are having our fare share of fun bowling, going to the movies and enjoying new eateries. Experiencing out of home activities is great but the home and garden are still an everyday job for me. Here's whats been growing in the garden this past week.

 The big hedge of green to the right are tomatoes and I'm still impatiently awaiting there red hue  to arrive so we can harvest, and oh boy were going to be up to our eyeballs in a variety of tomatoes. The strawberries get picked and eaten on the spot, it's my snack as I water and tend. The bell peppers are finally starting to grow and expand.

Last weekend I transplanted aloes and succulents to the salsa garden. From left to right we have jalapenos, tomatillos, and cilantro.

I believe all my onions are ready to harvest, the tops have lopped over but this may be due to our rapid heat increase in the valley.  I hope all your green thumb projects are growing in abundance. The roadtrip series will be back soon, I've yet to get the photos organized and ready to go.

Winter In California

 From sunrise to sunset I'm surrounded by natures beauty in my own backyard. This world is full of wonder to absorb if we only but sit and let our senses rule the day.