Lucy and Frank, Nov 2010

Dear reader,

The turkey is defrosting, Thanksgiving has almost reached Kansas.

I’m thankful for you.

This year through reading my blog you have given me:

insight into what holds me back, as I think about how to help you and encourage you

enthusiasm to take on new gardening projects so that I can share them with you

patience with myself and with my garden – how could I show patience towards your efforts without being patient with myself?

hopes and dreams of a garden which is more in tune with nature, more bountiful, and more beautiful – by helping me to write my dreams you have made them happen

courage to try growing herbs,  houseplants, and lettuce indoors, even though I’ve tried and failed with herbs and houseplants before

Yes, dear reader, I’m very thankful for you. Please enjoy my photo of Lucy and Frank, my two new houseplants, which I would not have without you. What? You’ve never heard of naming houseplants? That’s a story for another time.

Thanks, and have a great day on Thursday. I’m thankful for you!

Regards, Alison Kerr

On Thanksgiving, some writers you might enjoy:

• How to embrace what you already have by Arvind Devalia.
• Stress-free entertaining tips from Simple Mom.
• Minimizing the cost of holiday car travel at The Simple Dollar.

Kid tip: kids will be listening when you say what you are Thankful for this holiday season. Tell it from your heart.

Download your copy of Simple Sprouts ebook here (it's Free).

Related posts:

1. Reader question: Clara’s vegetable garden plan
2. 5 steps to your dream garden

Little Yuba by AlishaV

No bunnies were harmed during the making of this story.

This week the bunnies brought me a “gift”.

My two kitties were at their annual physicals, cowering down on the table, as is their wont, when all of a sudden, “A flea!” exclaimed the vet. “I really didn’t expect that,” she proclaimed, as she frantically tried to squish the couple of fleas she’d pulled out of my cat’s coat with a flea comb.

I’m with the vet. I didn’t expect it either. My kitties have not been out of doors for more than ten years and they’ve not been with any other animals for a whole year. In fact I’d been feeling pretty relaxed, self-satisfied even, as I surveyed the vet office notice, “Fleas are bad this year.”

I threw the vet a puzzled look as she continued to talk. “Rabbits can bring fleas into your garden which hitch a ride on your clothes indoors.” “The fleas don’t want to be on you so they jump onto the cats.”

Thanks a lot rabbits. I don’t know whether to be disappointed that the rabbits have brought me another problem, or to feel sorry for the bunnies who can’t get any anti-flea meds.

Is it a bad flea season where you are? Have you, or your kids, seen any little hoppers?

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Yukon Gold Potatoes by Summer Tomato

With St Patrick’s Day almost here it seems appropriate to pay tribute to the wonder potato, or should I say the wondrous potato.

Later this week I’m going to post an article on everything you need to grow potatoes, but today I just want us to think about the amazing potato, the wonder potato, and to share how potatoes have always been part of my life.

Gold Straight From the Earth

When explorers set out to discover the New World perhaps they didn’t expect to bring back gold in the form of potatoes. “…the Spaniards failed to realize that the potato represented a far more important treasure than either silver or gold” writes Jeff Chapman on The History of the Potato. To me potatoes are synonymous with the earth – they come from the earth, smell of the earth, and a good potato even tastes of the earth.

Potatoes Twice a Day

Kids growing up in Scotland in the 1960’s had to love potatoes. Potatoes were an absolute staple. Most days I ate them for two meals – boiled potatoes at lunch and deep-fried potatoes, chips (known in the USA as french fries) for dinner. I don’t remember tasting rice or pasta until I was a teen; it took me quite a while to acquire a taste for them.

Golden Wonder Crisps

And when I had money to spend on a snack at the corner shop, my first choice was always a bag of crisps (potato chips). In fact I measured currency by crisps – I still remember the British conversion to decimal and how a a bag of crisps changed from being 6d (sixpence) to 2.5p (two and a half pence). One of the brands of crisps was called Golden Wonder. They’re still in business today – you can read more at that link.

The Best New Potatoes

There’s something magical about new potatoes, potatoes harvested for eating right away, early in the season, small and with thin skins, rather than for storage. Every spring in Scotland my mouth would be begin to water at the idea of them. My family would embark on a virtually endless quest to find the best new potatoes. Usually the best were Ayrshire potatoes, if we could get them.

Living by Potatoes Alone

I’d never have wanted to be dependent on potatoes like the Irish or the Scots when the potato famines arrived, but, until I left the home of my parents, I was perfectly happy to eat a meal of good-tasting new potatoes with nothing more than butter and salt, a sprinkling of shredded cheese, chopped up fresh mint, or even oatmeal. Who needs meat when you have a big bowl of wonderful potatoes?

The Potato Quest Continues

Since moving to Kansas I’ve been rather disappointed by the taste of potatoes, even new potatoes from the farmer’s market, they all seem to have a bitter under-taste. The only potatoes I can recommend are the ones I’ve had from the Rolling Prairie Farmer’s Alliance farm share program. This year I’m going to try growing my own – about 3lbs of delicious potatoes in the year is nowhere near enough for me!

On the other hand I have been quite satisfied by the crisps (potato chips) here in the USA, but for health reasons, and for my grocery budget, I’ve pretty much sworn off them. My favorites are crunchy, salt only, kettle chips.

Getting Back to Potatoes

I have to say that potatoes hold a special place in my heart, even though I have no Irish blood that I’m aware of. Maybe this is my humble attempt to claim back the potato from the Irish. My husband and I are both fans of the wonder potato, unlike my two teen kids who have been raised on much more bread, pasta, rice, and corn. I have many treasured potato recipes. I look forward to the day when I’ll be cooking potatoes, maybe twice a day again, for the two of us to enjoy, or at least once.

My favorite potato recipe book is Country Collection by Lyn Smart, which is available used through Amazon.com for as low as $0.25! What do you have to say about potatoes? Would you like to grow them?

Download your copy of Simple Sprouts ebook here (it's Free).

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I’m a gardener because my mom’s father cared for primroses and potatoes and every spring he made a pilgrimage to buy baby leeks from his cousin, who ran a garden supply company, which was really hard for Grandpa to reach without his own car.

Grandpa was one of the garden lovers in my life, and he always got a laugh out of paper hats, which never fitted him.

I garden because my mom’s mother cooked delicious rhubarb pies, buttered potatoes, and leek and carrot soup with the produce from Grandpa’s garden. And because Gran loved the pair of rowan trees in front of her house which guarded the entrance and every fall produced beautiful red berries feasted on by birds.

Gran was loving and caring and a great cook and a garden lover. She liked nothing better than a trip out to the garden to take a few moment’s well-earned rest with friends and family on the garden bench on a sunny day.

I garden because my dad’s mother grew grapes and passion flowers in a greenhouse, had a wild flower patch which I sneaked into to hide and discover, and smiled on her flowering cherry tree with the masses of pink blossoms every spring.

Granny was an artist. She loved flowers and was one of the garden lovers in my life.

I garden because my mom always had her fingers among plants and dirt both inside the house and out, because she was happy in a garden and wanted to find new things to grow, enjoyed nothing more than exploring along a garden path, and showed me how a greenhouse could produce tomatoes, peppers, corn and squash in the unlikely climate of Central Scotland.

Mom liked fresh air, plants of all sorts, and being busy. Here she is at the summit of Dunadd – seat of the ancient Scottish kings.

I garden because I tried growing cabbage and lettuce and strawberries and beans as a teen and failed and wondered what I was doing wrong, because I’ve lain among the grass in the sunshine and seen the bugs play while I studied for college exams, and because I hiked the hills of Scotland and learned to name the native flowers.

And I’m a gardener because my gardening links me to all these garden lovers. These are the people who showed me the joy of nature and gardening when I was just a sprout. As long as they are in my heart, they will never be gone.

You’ve told me your reasons to garden, but you haven’t told me who brought you to gardening. I’m eager to hear.

Download your copy of Simple Sprouts ebook here (it's Free).

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I Want You by Jentymom

Word has it that some people out there in Real World Land are suffering from the winter cranky pants. At least that’s what the Grass Stain Guru has to say today.

Tigger might love to surf (that’s what the t-shirt says), but Mother Nature is hardly likely to oblige us by bringing spring early. All we can do is try to feel better in winter.

Winter Has to Run Her Course

Winter must run it’s course – it’s only January and there is a way to go before most of us will be running barefoot and rejoicing in the spring quickening. What can we do to feel better?

10 Recipes to Loosen Cranky Pants

I’ve been there with the winter stuff so I thought I’d share some feel better winter tips:

1. Run a hot bath. Surround yourself with candles (safely, of course). Add some lavender or rose aromatherapy oil, or rose or lavender scented bubbles. Sink in, get warm, sing to yourself, or read a book, or just relax. Cranky pants loosen in hot water.
2. Light some candles, put on the music, and dance. If you need company, a large stuffed toy will do the trick.
3. Whatever the weather, put on your appropriate clothing and get out for a LONG walk. No excuses, you can blow the cobwebs away, calm your stress, and sleep well at night. #1 on your return is an optional extra.
4. Drink lashings of tea with a friend. Or, if you prefer solitude, make a ceremony of tea drinking with a little teapot, cup and saucer ritual.
5. Sign up for a yoga class and then go to it. It doesn’t count unless you go!
6. Return to your roots, whether that be with family favorite food, music, rituals, puzzles, games, poetry, old photos, stories, or a trip. Go down nostalgia lane – sometimes it helps.
7. Do a good deed. Yesterday I found a lady’s purse and I managed to return it to her before she even missed it. There is someone out there who needs your help. Seek and you will find.
8. Swim laps. I’m not fond of wet hair after winter swimming, but it is a good stress reliever.
9. Write in your journal. If you don’t have one, that’s no excuse.
10. Buy some flowers. The only time I ever buy flowers for myself is when I just can’t wait a minute longer for spring. I now own silk ones, which actually work just as well. I got my favorite type – ones which grew in my mom’s garden every spring.

Try some of these, but know when to seek professional help.  This article should not be considered medical advice. Learn to recognize the signs of depression and seek treatment. There is no shame in having depression any more than there is in having the flu.

A boifeedback device such as the emWave Personal Stress Reliever can help you to regulate your breathing patterns and feel better. Teavana sell some gorgeous teapots among their Tea Gifts collection.

Download your copy of Simple Sprouts ebook here (it's Free).

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1. 5 Ways to Winter Bird Watch with Kids
2. Funny Underwear and Nine Other Funky or Frugal Ways to Stay Warm This Winter
3. 3 ways to bring more birds to your winter garden

Carole Brown at Ecosystem Gardening has blessed me with the Honest Scrap Award. Just like Carole, I don’t usually do these kinds of things, but Carole is a good friend and a good sport, so I reckon I should play along with the fun. Here is Carole’s post and mine is below. Are you next?

To accept this award, I have to share 10 honest things about myself that you wouldn’t know from reading this site. And I have to tag 7 other bloggers to participate – I’m putting my thinking cap on and you’re probably on the list!

Here’s the list – 10 Honest Things About Me

1. I was a very shy teen and was bullied at school. Sad, but true. I’m a whole lot more social now.
2. I once worked as a Youth Hostel Warden – great summer job with lots of #playoutdoors time. My dog and I were free rangers roaming the Scottish mountains almost every day.
3. I used to be a COBOL programmer for a Scotch Whisky company, after I graduated first in Biology and then as a dietitian. Go figure! I like the challenge of learning something new and Scottish college education was free – I even received a living allowance.
4. I’m a Firefox tab hoarder – I frequently do destruction testing on Firefox because of the number of tabs I have open. They should employ me to test Firefox limits.
5. Yes, I like chocolate. But if you offered me potato chips instead, or a bowl of homemade soup and fresh-baked bread, I’d be in a dilemma. I’d probably have to go for the soup.
6. I have a guilty laundry secret. Since August of 2008 I’ve been trying to air dry my laundry but, despite having a wonderful, custom-built, ceiling mounted drier, at least half my laundry still goes in the tumble drier. My goal though is to double the number of laundry loads that are air dried every year until it’s 100%. I think so far I’m on track.
7. I’ve been happily married for 20 years. Our secret is communication, tolerance, pursuing your partner’s dream, and not expecting perfection.
8. Organization and me are like oil and water. We don’t mix. But I live in hope that some day the emulsifier will be found. Meantime, see 7.
9. I’m wishing this was no. 10 in the list!
10. I have some really wonderful friends both locally and online. Every day they bring me blessings and remind me not to take myself too seriously, to enjoy the wonders that life brings, and to get outside.

Seven wonderful writer’s whom I’m passing the Honest Scrap award to:

1. Backyard Mama, Shannon Baer, @backyardmama. Shannon is a wonderful early childhood educator and her writing gets me back to life’s importantces (yeah, I made that word up – it should be a word).
2. Karen Wilde, otherwise know as @Wildelycreative who writes at The Cloud Factory, but is known to me through Twitter. Karen lives in the UK and recently visited my native Scotland on the trail of the re-introduced beavers. Take a look at her wonderful photos.
3. Ali Thinks who is my secret namesake (yes, we share a name, which is just a little weird). She’s better looking than me and more gutsy, but I forgive her because we both wear glasses, love books and can’t help but write.
4. Janet at the 32-akre wood. Janet is funny, a great visitor to many, many blogs, and she has taught me about living in the midst of coal country where mountain-top removal is at the end of your drive-way. Janet also loves puppies – she just can’t resist them when they land at the end of her driveway. Yeah, not too far from that flat mountain-top.
5. Kari Svenneby, @activekidsclub, founder of Active Kids Club. We are both imports to North America from Europe, but Kari is smarter than me because she speaks 4+ languages. We share a passion for nature and the outdoors.
6. Warren Buss, otherwise known as @KSUPurple. I don’t get why he’s fascinated by sports, but he’s always up for a great Twitter conversation and he shows Kansas in all it’s beauty at his blog called, imaginatively, Warren’s blog. Simplicity can be a good thing!
7. Roy Scribner, @campingblogger who writes at Camping Blogger. I’ve been enjoying visiting Roy’s blog and dreaming of National Forests and states which have tons of public land and rushing white-water rivers. Don’t worry though Kansas, I’m not leaving you!

And now, if you need a chocolate fix without the guilt try specialty chocolate with organic and vegan choices. What could be better for Valentine’s Day?

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Winter Moon Mosaic by Ctd 2005

Raise your hand if you like to take the trash out. Who in your home has this dirty job? It should be you and I’ll tell you why.

The trash truck comes to my neighborhood once a week. Trash has to go out at night. I’m the one who takes it out, winter or summer, rain, snow, or sleet. I used to hate doing it, but now I get grumpy if it is done for me. And here’s why.

Taking Out the Trash is Therapy

You need to take the trash out because it’s therapy. A strange kind of therapy, I’ll admit. Don’t mock it. It’s free! And your family will even thank you, well, maybe.

Picture this, you’re a mom or dad. It’s the end of the day. You fell out of bed in the morning and you’ve been busy all day. There’s hardly been a moment when a colleague, boss, customer, kid, dog etc didn’t want something from you. The last thing you want is one more chore, and a smelly, yucky one at that. You put it off until the last possible minute. Maybe you’re hoping that someone will even kindly offer to do it for you.

Just do it! It’s magical.

You grumpily pull on your boots and jacket (if it’s winter), or you slink out the door barefoot to do the dreaded chore. You wrestle with the recalcitrant trash can, dragging it out into the street, ready to rush back inside as quickly as you can. But wait, you stop for just a moment and look around. Something wonderful happens. The still of evening touches you. It’s the most peaceful moment you’ve had all day. No phones, no kids, no TV, no computer, no laundry piles, no dirty dishes, no demands, just you and the Earth and one moment in time. A moment which is yours.

You’re You For Just a Moment

Maybe the moon is out, or rain is peacefully falling. You smell the evening air and feel the wind on your skin. You remember that you are connected to the Earth. The moon you see is the same one you’ve seen from every spot on Earth you’ve ever lived or visited. And you’re not just a mom, or dad, you’re “you”. The person you too-often forget is there inside. And just for a moment you know you want to take the trash out again next time, because maybe it’s just a little magical to be outdoors at night by yourself.

And meantime everyone else in your house thinks it’s great that you didn’t ask them to do that dirty job that no-one wants. And you’ve even managed to work on your self-control – you’ll probably have to make yourself do it every single time because you’ll forget the magic. So, who takes the trash out, and are you going to change?

Shop for chores charts, books about chores, parenting books and trash cans at Amazon.com. Please shop responsibly.

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Sun is a Star by Ramanathan.Kathiresan

Here are my 12 Christmas Wishes for you, my fellow citizens on our beautiful green Earth. May you enjoy some of these today and all of the remainder through the coming weeks, months and years.

#1 – Clean Water.

#2 – Star-filled Skies.

#3 – Nourishing, local Food.

#4 – Warm Blankets and Good Books.

#5 – Hugs, Kisses and Smiles.

#6 – The Sweet Smell of Fresh Air.

#7 – Open Spaces to Run In.

#8 – Towering Trees.

#9 – Rustling Breezes.

#10 – Nature’s Entertainment – Birds and Backyard Critters.

#11 – Strength and Health for Exploring.

#12 – Beautiful Sunsets.

I feel blessed by the gifts given to me by life on this beautiful, green Earth. May we all learn to stop, think and appreciate the daily miracles which life brings to us and when we feel sadness or joy may we remember that we are all connected.

Happy Holidays to You. Keep in touch.

Download your copy of Simple Sprouts ebook here (it's Free).

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Do your kids have a wheelbarrow? When I was just a sprout my very favorite, in fact the one I remember most vividly, outdoor toy was a kid-sized wheelbarrow. It was the very best of outdoor toys and one that is very, very useful in a nature garden; I’ll tell you why.

A Wheelbarrow is Better Than a Trike

I had a trike, but my wheelbarrow was better. With a wheelbarrow you can do real work. You can move soil, dirt, weeds, plants, leaves, rocks, compost, and wood from place to place. Toddlers love to do real work and I certainly used my wheelbarrow to work before I was three.

A bike or trike is fun to ride, but where are you going to go to in a small garden without extensive paved paths? A wheelbarrow can be used all over the garden; much more fun than going in a straight line or around in circles. My trike was boring, my wheelbarrow went everywhere.

Why a Kid Needs a Wheelbarrow

What a great tool for a kid learning co-ordination. A wheelbarrow requires some surprisingly sophisticated co-ordination and balancing skills. First I needed to shove the wheelbarrow to get started, then adjust to get it at the right speed for my little legs.

If I didn’t pay attention to bumps in the ground and balance it properly the li’l wheelbarrow would tip to one side and stuff would fall out. I didn’t like that so I learned to balance it. Then there was all the fun of tipping stuff out in the right garden spot. I’m getting nostalgic just thinking about it. A kid-sized wheelbarrow isn’t really a toy, it’s a garden tool. I think kids like real tools more than toys.

I was sad when I outgrew my little kid wheelbarrow. It was both fun and useful. Did you have one when you were a kid?

You can find both kids’ wheelbarrows and classic wagons at Amazon.com (purchases support Loving Nature’s Garden).

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Which wonders of the world will be chosen as the New 7 Wonders of Nature? We each have the chance to choose from between the 28 finalists and vote for our choices.

Places like the Amazon Rainforest, the Great Barrier Reef, the Galapagos Islands and the Grand Canyon are in the running to be recognized as one of the 7 Wonders of Nature as well as some places I’d not heard of.

I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that a wonder of nature should be not just a spectacular and wonderful natural feature, but one which supports an amazing community of plants and animals.

As amazing a natural feature as Vesuvius it’s not getting on my short list. On the other hand I’d be struggling to choose which other wonders to cross off. Does Table Rock Mountain have amazing wildlife? And what about The Matterhorn?

I doubt I can decide. They really are all amazing. You’re just going to have to take a look and tell me who to vote for! The New 7 Wonders of Nature.

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