spring days

today i had to decide whether i was going to make the trek to SC to attend my Aunt's funeral. My Aunt - by marriage - died on Monday. She had cancer. It's such a vicious disease and i despise it. Her children, Johhny, Kim, & Scott, now are parentless in their late 30's, early 40's. I cant imagine. It feels wrong to me. (Their dad, my Uncle J.W. Bryant died a while back from a heart attack. He was always so fun to be around.) Aunt Darniel was one of the best cooks of southern food ever. May she rest in peace. But i will not be attending the funeral as clay has a huge job that his company, United Restoration, ( http://www.unitedrestoration.org/ ) is handling at Dominion Towers in Norfolk. the top 11 floors flooded last Friday morning.....in the wee hours of the morning. Clay got a call at about 6:30AM on Friday & he got up & went to work. He made it home somewhere around 3AM Saturday morning only to leave around 9AM & worked until about 7:30PM. Then he had Easter Sunday off. But has been back & forth the last 3 days. The property management wanted the building up & running - dry by Monday.....so with that being said Clay & his company took the top 3 floors because they knew they couldnt handle all 11 floors in 2 days so they gave the rest of the work away to companies that will remain nameless. United has already pulled their equipment as they have dried their 3 floors. i know that 1 of the other companies - one that is nationally known  - had floors 22-20, was still drying today & probably Clay's company will have to take over. Clay's company had the worst flooded 3 floors. Anyway, it's a mess & the law firm out of London that resides on the top floor is very grateful to clay's company for fixing their offices.
but because he is busy with this job - everyone of their project managers & demo guys & helpers were working this job & still have been, he cant stop to watch the kids & keep their schedules. It would be difficult. i wasnt particularly close to this Aunt, but i would go out of respect for my cousins. She was their mom and it would wonderful to see my Mom & sisters. Plus i would take Levi & Esther with me & i love to show off my cute babies!!

anyway, today i went & bought some more chicks. these are Ameracana's. They lay green eggs. the girl at Southern States told me they were better for you because they had less cholestorol in their eggs. i'm not sure that is true, but they are pretty eggs. & the chicks look like little fluffy, fat chipmunks. i bought 10 - 5 for me & 5 for my friend Jenny. she is going to get me some polish chicks from the Amish in Maryland that live near her. i cant wait.

i also finished planting the whole garden - well except for the potatoes.
here is the full list:
6 watermelon plants (with about 8 more growing from seeds - not quite ready for the ground)
1 row of pinkeye purple eye peas - best cow pea you could ever eat (kind of like a black eyed pea)
1 row of cherry & patio tomatoes (14 plants)
4 rows of regular sized tomatoes - all heirloom, at least 1/2 grown from seeds by me!! 60+ plants
and i still have about 12 not quite big enoug to go in the ground.
2 rows of peppers - 1 being sweet, bell peppers. 1 being hot peppers (jalapeno, anaheim chili, long cayene, hungarian wax, pepperoncini, etc.)
2 rows of cucumbers (14 plants in all & then i have 9 mounds of seeds not sprouted yet since i just planted them) - Sumter cucumbers & Straight eights
5 rows of Silver Queen Corn
1 row of Kentucky Wonder pole green beans that will grow up the corn.
1 row of Kentucky Wonder Bush Green Bean
1 Row of Henderson Lima Bean
1 row of Okra
1 row of yellow onions
1 small row of basil
1 bulb of garlic
(that's all in the big garden)
Small Garden:
2 rows totally 8 yellow, crooked neck Squash plants
1 row of zucchini squash - 4 plants
at least 16 canteloupe plants (ambrosia & burpee hybrids + some home grown from seeds)
4 rows of indian corn
2 rows of sunflowers...
& now i am exhausted....but i did it....all by myself........i feel like i have been hit by a cement truck.
here are some of the books i use to help in my gardening endeavors:

now to plant my 2 hydrangeas & my 2 remaining blueberry bushes & a flat of red flowers Jenny gave me (sorry their name escapes me)....all that on Saturday.
also i'm waiting to buy the book "First Lessons in BeeKeeping" - the glossy version! my next venture is into keeping 2 hives of bees.
i'm also waiting on my books on parenting a child with attachment disorders as well as on parenting a defiant child. should be fun reads!

what are you up to these days?