Some Hope

Good Afternoon, friends,

I have been working in the kitchen today.  It is a true federal disaster with all that has been going on here and me not having time to tackle anything. 

Personally for me, to try to de-stress myself, I have been playing around with starting some sourdough starter, just so I can let my mind just be a child again.  I need to play. I have the kitchen windows open, it is very windy here, with a little bite in the air, but I am getting spring fever.  As I was mixing my starter up, I heard the familiar calling of Sandhills cranes and they sounded very close, so I went outside for a little while to hear the heralding of spring to my ears, the cranes.  The cranes have been here earlier than normal, some toward the end of January and the first week of February, but now they are landing by the North Platte river, which I am about a mile away from it.  So the cranes are landing in the corn fields and stubble fields by good ol' Buffalo Bill's ranch house.  For some reason, I had a smile on my face, a hope that spring and gardening is not too far off.  Even though we have not had a bad winter here at all, it still seems long, and tiring, and just aching for a new start.  I want to get outside so bad and try to work, but its still not quite there yet.

Like everyone else, and I'm  sure all of my readers, money is so very tight, and it seems things are going up and getting even more money from you to even put meals on the table.  I am so very glad, even elated, all of the hot, hard work of canning that I did, was so worth it.  I am fixing chili for dinner and I just had to open jars, and place in the crock pot and then some corn bread, and ta-da, dinner.  Most everything I used, except the hamburger and corn meal, was from my hands and my garden.  My chili powder was from my pepper mixes I dried  and ground myself.  Some of it a little bitey, but good.  It dawned on me, my efforts of canning and dehydrating and being somewhat more self sufficient has come about, even more so the last few years.  I really didn't give it much thought, I was just putting things away and then I seen "what" I did, and it made sense.

I have been working on my seed list for this year.  I now have a good idea what I use and how much.  I am planning for more seeds, and a few more transplants  grown as I will have failures like last year.  I do not know what kind of a year we will have here, but I am expanding to include a few different peppers for drying and mixes, and a few beans to try, and something to just have some fun with.   I am  now a little more confident, even though I have gardened for a number of years, I am now gardening more and have goals  and for a purpose of feeding myself and several other people and selling my herbs for some extra income.  It is more of an urgent need now, and even so more as the grocery is getting beyond my costs now. Now its goals and needs instead of hobby and just for fun.

Well, I'd better scat into the kitchen and start my cornbread. And I may go outside for a little bit and take a cup of tea, and sit in the sun, just to enjoy the rest of the day.  I wish a wonderful up coming week to all and hopes for more spring calling cards.

Hang on, Spring's almost here.
Hugs to All