Vegetable Garden

We got some starts planted this weekend – broccoli, leeks and more lettuce.  I love working in the garden with the girls.  Lola is very enthusiastic to start, but then her interest wanes significantly after about 15 minutes and she’s on to the next thing..haha!  Xiola, however, is my gardener.  She says she loves to get her hands dirty and is quickly learning more and more about the plants she puts in the ground.  She is very tender about it too, talking to them and making sure they are standing up just right; the roots are placed in the dirt just so; and the earth is moved gently back into place before patting it all down.  She checks her plantings everyday and reports on the changes she sees.  Sunday she noticed the small potatoes she planted were sprouting up through the soil, and the beans she helped cage up were climbing higher and higher.  She notices every new flower that emerges and is quickly figuring out which is a weed and which is not.  She loves every moment of it from the dirty digging to the harvest.

Lola completely appreciates where it all comes from, but enjoys taking care of the animals more than actual gardening.  She gathers eggs, helps put chickens to bed for the night, feeds goats and ferrets, and is able to handle them all on her own when needed.  She has a wonderful understanding of their personalities and what may or may not be going on in their animal minds.  And she’s not afraid.  When Mongo got a little rough in his play with her and accidently got her with a horn, she came up and let me know, then went back down and didn’t flinch a bit about him being out.  She got right back on the horse, so to speak.  Hah!   She loves having gardens around her, and does understand alot more than average about them for her age, but really isn’t a fan of the actual work involved.  Her dream is to have a huge farm full of animals….she said her husband can grow the plants.  Hah!

I feel very fortunate that we are able to provide this environment for our kids.  They are learning so much about life and where their food comes from.  They understand our desire for organic living and how poisons change the nutritional values of our food and health of ourselves and our animals.  The understand that sometimes a chicken dies, and how baby goats are born, and patience is needed while waiting for beans to flower and make pods.  They play outside more than in, finding simple objects to turn into complicated play.  They teach their friends about it all too.  Sometimes, in today’s economy especially, it’s a struggle to make ends meet each month…but I will not complain because I feel like we landed in just the right place, on just the right property at just the right time.  The gods have blessed us and today I feel very fortunate and grateful. 

I hope you all are having a wonderful week.  This amazing weather makes everything possible!

Peace!