Scouting for Land

I'm planning on using the New Square Foot Garden method of gardening, because I have very little open space and because I know or dirt isn't all that great. I'm guessing most of it is nasty backfill (our backyard is mostly made of of a filled in pool).

So, in looking for space, I have just about two options.

This is my first choice. A lovely bit of wasted space between our house and the alley that is our driveway. This area is all held up by a retaining wall along the alley and is currently covered in what was I'm sure, very expensive, river rock. I'm hoping with a little reorganization, this will make a perfect space for about two 4'x4' plots for me to start with. We're hoping to relocate most of the stone and put something else down that's a little more comfortable on the feet and knees, or at least I am.

I think my hubby's a little excited about this because he gets to rip out some overgrown shrubs we have and move the rock over there. I think he's wanted to do that since we bought the house a few years ago.



This area is another option. I personally think our yard is a bit over-landscaped. I don't necessarily want to rip anything out, but all the beds along the fences and the house are, once again, filled with rock and very few plants. So I can build 2'x4' beds in these spaces okay I think. That might wait until at least next season though. I don't want to jump in too far and over do it.

But for now, all I can do is dream. We're supposed to get about 8" of snow this weekend, so I get a lovely reminder that I can't do anything outside yet. Next is diagramming and seed planning. Woohoo!

I'm It...

Sara at Hostage Negotiation tagged me to post my fourth photo from my fourth folder. Since I'm at work and almost all of the photos here are of garbage cans, I did you a favor and used my facebook photos.


This, I believe, is the top of my friend Jen Musbach's head. We're at the Lodge Bar in Columbus, the night after this year's OSU v. UM game. It was a lot of fun!

I don't know who to tag because no one but Sara reads this...I guess I'll tag Monica. She might get directed here at some point. Happy Friday!

In preparation

I have been reading up on gardening, etc. I love research and usually fully research something before I make a move, so I'm on my third book and I've got at least two more to go, if not three.

I also got some old pallets from work to use to build my beds. Now if I don't go through with it I'll have a pile of old pallets that my hubby while complain about. I'm in, totally. And I can't wait. I'll start planning soon, and hopefully have more pictures along with it!



Here's another from last year, hope you can see this one TresNinos! I don't know why you couldn't before. Maybe I'll send my mom over and see if she can :)

So...I suck

Since I haven't done this blog thing at all, I'm taking a new direction with it. I want to garden, for many reasons, and think I have finally discovered how I might get that done on my tiny, over-landscaped little plot of land. I will attempt to chronicle that journey here. Let's hope it works. For a journalism major, you'd think I'd find writing a little easier. Unfortunately my over-scheduling gene takes precedent in my life.

To make this work, I've taken on this challenge.


I've made a few resolutions stemming from this idea:

1. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a bit of a picky eater. So I have vowed to try and expand my food varieties. I have already successfully incorporated asparagus and broccoli (covered in cheese or sauce) into my diet and, as of this week, have consumed green beans, barley, red beans and lentils without my body completely rejecting them...good start I think. I'm hoping that if I grow my own veggies, I'll feel too guilty to not eat them!
2. I also want to expand on my limited knowledge of preserving food. Having my own food to preserve will make it easier.
3. With a garden comes an assortment of lovely things, including compost. I want to successfully expand on my poor little compost pile. I don't tend mine at all, and it shows. So this year I want to maintain my compost pile and use it successfully to grow food!
4. Another by-product of gardening is a lower food bill. My resolution for this is along the lines of lowering bills, paying down debt and saving more. Our finances aren't exactly in the greatest shape right now, as are most of the country I'm sure, and I hope this will help.
5. Take more pictures to share! I have a very good point and shoot camera that takes wonderful pictures, especially outside, so now I'd like to share my visual world a little more with everyone. Here's a sneak peak of our pond...it's just gorgeous I think! I've also got some lovely flowers and unintentional mushrooms. So a good start I think!

So there it is. We'll see how this goes :)

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About Walgreens

I've delayed my jump into Walgreens shopping. I've been working 20 extra hours a week on a couple of extra projects for work (don't worry, they're paying me) and haven't even done laundry in two weeks.

When I'm done though, I'm there. And the store on this side of town isn't open yet :)

Second Thoughts...again

So I can't completely quit freelance, we need the money. But, it's not going to be my focus and I'm committing to less than 10 hours a week, and hoping to stick to one week day and one weekend day a week to work. We'll see how it goes.

I'm also going to be diving into the wonderful world of Walgreen value shopping thanks to my mom. She gets things for less than $1 and makes money by shopping on a regular basis. I will be working on figuring out the system there and writing about it here.

What to do now?

So I've decided to put it off, everything. No more freelance, or at least I'm winding it down. Need more free-time...but consequently money is tighter.

I'm thinking that now I'll share a little bit more about myself and what I'm passionate about. Maybe I'll blog about that stuff. Maybe someone will read it, but at least I know I'll feel better!

Anyway, so I'm a treehugger, a frugal queen and I really enjoy fitness and sports. I've actually recently become a runner, which is crazy since I've never liked it before, at all. And, I really do love to write. I haven't been able to do it for so long that I didn't even realize I missed it. Hopefully I can incorporate all of those passions into something slightly fruitful...stay tuned!

I've been tagged

A - Attached or Single: attached by the finger
B - Best Friend(s): My mom, my husband, Sara, Kira & Steph, but I have quite a few good friends
C - Cake or Pie: chocolate cake, apple pie or pumpkin pie
D - Day of Choice: Saturday
E - Essential Item: ipod
F - Favorite Color: green
G - Gummy Bears or Worms: I'm with Sara, sour worms!!
H - Hometown: Lake Township, but now I'm in Swanton
I - Indulgence: getting waxed and dark chocolate
J - January or July: January - I love snow and Joe's home with me more. Plus, it's a new beginning
K - Kids: the ferrets: Crackers, Hirshie, Luckey and Winter
L - Life is incomplete without: people who love you
M - Marriage Date: 10-15-05
N - Number of Siblings: 4 younger sisters
O - Oranges or Apples: Apples - no contest
P - Phobias (or fears): drowning
Q - Quote: "If A equals success, then the formula is: A=X+Y+Z whereas X is work, Y is play and Z is keep your mouth shut." ~Albert Einstein.
R- Ring size: 7.5
S - Season: Fall
T- Tag 3 Friends: tough for me b/c I don't know if anyone but Sara knows about the blog!
U - Unknown fact about me: umm...I really don't know. Oh, I've become a runner!!
V - Very favorite stores: GAP and Meijer
W - Worst Habit: trying to control everything too much
X - Xray or Ultrasound: ultrasound can be therapeutic, so I guess that
Y - Your Favorite Food: apples, pizza and tortellini!
Z - Zodiac: Aries

decision

Okay, so I've made a decision. By July 31, 2008, I will no longer be doing freelance work. I need time to live and have fun, take care of myself.

I've been thinking a lot lately and I don't think I'll be able to go freelance completely for a while yet, and as far as the LaMunyon family is concerned, it isn't the best right now.

So I guess I'll have to blog about something else for now. But I am looking for a new job I think, so at least I'm still trying to make a change. Meanwhile I will be allowing myself time to workout at least 3 days a week and get back to me :)

Cheers.