We make plans for holidays, celebrations and just being together with family and friends. The past months I have been doing things to get ready to be a grandmother to triplets. I have these plans of getting certain jobs done, before I am needed to assist my daughter.
Labor Day weekend I planned on getting all the maintenance tasks done on my sheep. I was going to deworm all the sheep and trim their hooves, a job that takes two days with the number of sheep I currently own. There are two young rams I need to dehorn as well.
Friday arrived, and I had my equipment ready to start the task of deworming and hoof trimming one set of sheep, when a phone call came. My daughter was on her way to the hospital and could I come and get my granddaughter and keep her for the weekend. NO PROBLEM, this grandma is always willing to drop everything to have a grandchild for the weekend.
My best made plans for Labor Day weekend took a mighty shift. There are times we make the plans, but God has a different plan. I do not think my plans were bad or out of time, it was just time for something different.
My granddaughter and I enjoyed the weekend together. We fed the sheep and horses in the morning. Painted and made things in the afternoon. I mowed the front yard so she could play on the trees and swing, without the worry of snakes. Mowing the yard was not in my plans for the weekend, but with her arrival, I mowed the yard. She helped PawPaw with the evening chores of feeding the dogs. On Sunday, my granddaughter and I went to her house.
I did not get the sheep dewormed as I did not want my young granddaughter around the deworming medication for the sheep. I do not take risks with my grandchildren. The sheep hooves did not get trimmed. I will reschedule those tasks for another weekend. Are the sheep going to be hurt by the delay, no they will be fine.
Currently, I am on a “holding pattern” as I call it. I am waiting for the next step or plan to start. My daughter is still in the hospital and will stay until the triplets are born. The date they will be born, sometime between today and September 14. I am taking care of my granddaughter at her house. My granddaughter has school to attend. She will have her meals and daily schedule unchanged, at least until the triplets come home. Then everyone’s schedules and plans are going to change.
Making plans are good, as they give us direction and goals. When those plans have to change, does not mean we made a mistake in our planning. Maybe there was more to the plan, than we included. The extra time to be with my granddaughter taking care of her daily needs at this time allows us to make memories together. None of us can see into the future or down the road a few years. Spending time with her, might be a very important time period in her life.
Labor Day was started to recognize the working people who keep things going for our everyday needs, mostly unions and labor organization would celebrate this day as honoring the working class. In 1893 New York City had the first Labor Day parade. States began recognizing Labor Day as a day of celebration for the working class. In 1994 Labor Day became a federal holiday.
The Bar BQ, picnics, and family get togethers are another common tradition of Labor Day. The last time of gathering for some summer fun and family connection before the school year started. Many still participate sharing Labor Day this way with family.
While the working people may not be recognized by government or the media, they are the gears that keep our economy and life going. Working to provide the products we need, as well as supporting their families. To have a federal holiday for this celebration is a small reward.
I had my first job at age 15, although I helped my father in his business before this. I have worked everyday since then to support myself and my family, almost 50 years. Since I do not have a huge nest egg for retirement, I will continue to work for the rest of my life. I can celebrate Labor Day as my holiday, a day for the common worker.
There are many traditions associated with Labor Day. One well known tradition is not wearing white after Labor Day. This custom was started by the wealthy elite to distinguish themselves from “new money” and the working class. Wearing white while vacationing was a way of showing their wealth off to others. Personally, I wear white as I look good in white, regardless of the time of year.
I hope everyone has a safe and happy celebration this Labor Day weekend.
For my occupation I am a sheep farmer. I raise sheep for meat and breeding stock. I enjoy being a sheep farmer. Watching lambs being born, growing and playing is my “television”. I do not care to watch television or a movie much. Watching the lambs is enjoyment.
Most of my ewes I have owned since birth. I know their personality and the sound of their baa. I have selected my sheep from the best that I had, selling off other lambs. Seven years I have worked to have the sheep I currently own.
It is time for me to purchase hay for the winter. We have been purchasing hay from an individual the past two years. Because my flock has been growing larger the last two years, we inform him how much hay for winter we will need in the spring. We let him know this spring how many bales of hay we would need, and he said he would have them for us at the end of summer when we pick up the hay. When we contacted him, he said he sold all his hay to a the local feed store for $105.00 USD per bale. The feed store is charging $260.00 USD for the same hay. I can not continue to raise sheep with hay cost at $260.00 USD per bale. The only place to purchase hay in my area is from the feed store or hay brokers in nearby towns who charge the same amount. I am forced to go to another state and haul my hay to Texas.
Since I am going to have travel to purchase hay, and purchase the hay at one time, I do not have the ready cash for such a purchase. For the first time, I am going to have to borrow money to keep my sheep business going. I have worked for thirteen years to get our personal finances out of debt. I am very reluctant to go into debt to keep the sheep.
I have worked hard to raise the quality of my sheep. I have four sheep consigned to a special Dorper sheep sale in October. My business plan for 2022 was to keep two lambs, a ram and a ewe, to grow up and show and sale in April 2023, and this is on schedule. I have four ewes that are going to have lambs in September, 15 ewes that will start having lambs in October. Five lambs will be ready to sell as market lambs in November/December. The plans were made last January on when I would be having lambs, when they would be ready to sale.
A lot of sheep farmers and cattle ranchers have sold off all their animals. They have folded with hopes of being able to rebuild next spring. There are some who are borrowing money, to keep going and hoping for a better year next year. With fewer sheep having lambs next year, and the demand for lamb meat staying the same, hopefully the price will go up on the market lambs that are produced, and the sheep farmer might be able to recoup the loss of paying so much for hay this winter.
The sad news is, if the price goes up for the market lambs raised by the sheep farmer, the price will go up for the consumer buying lamb meat for dinner. Once ewes or cows are removed from herds producing offspring to be sold for market, it takes a year or two to build those numbers back up to what they were this year.
Should I fold, call it quits or go into debt and preserve to keep all my hard work going forward?
After much prayer and contemplation, I am going to persevere, push ahead to keep going. I will not have the profit margin I calculated last January, I am going forward hoping to do well. I am hoping the market lambs I sell in December/January will bring a high price. The two I am raising to show and sale in April as breeding stock will bring good money. The plans of breeding ewes, producing lambs, and selling market lambs will provide more money than I did this year. Hopefully the drought ends, the hay grows abundant for all farmers.
September is here and fall is not far behind. Fall the time of year this change preparing for winter. The trees change their color to golds and reds, as their leaves begin to die and fall, getting ready for winter. The birds fly south, some leave and others move in for the winter. Fall is a time of reflection as celebrations of All Souls Eve when we remember those who are gone, Thanksgiving with those who are around us recalling the blessings received. Fall is the time for preparing for winter if you are a sheep farmer, making sure there is enough hay and feed the animals will need.
This summer has flown through with exciting adventures with family and blessings to share and remember. It seems as I gain in years, the years get shorter. I have been preparing for a special event in September, the delivery of my youngest daughter’s triplets. I will leave my husband the responsibility of the sheep and animals, as well as himself when I go to my daughter’s on September 11. It is hard to leave my husband alone with the house and sheep. I like to make sure his laundry is done, food on the table at a set time, and food for his lunches ready for him to take in the morning. I know he is a grown man and able to take care of himself, but there is a part of me that will miss doing it for him. I do those things for him because I love him, not out of society prescribed duty or it is expected of me. I want to make sure he has his comforts and the things he needs because of love and care.
My staying at my daughter’s to care for my granddaughter is a gift of love and care. My daughter and her husband will be busy when the triplets are born. I will be there as a servant to assist in whatever needs to be done. While my daughter and the babies are in the hospital, I will be responsible for my granddaughter getting to school, checking on homework, and other household duties. I am looking forward to spending the one on one time with my granddaughter, a time to make special memories together. It will also be the first time she has been away from her parents. Although she knows this is going to happen, being able to maintain her regular schedule and routines will help her deal with the stress of her parents not being there.
Fall marks the time to get all the Christmas gifts completed for my grandchildren. This year I will be completing several of them while I am at my daughters. I will not have the duties of being a sheep farmer to keep me busy during the day, when my granddaughter is at school. I will have the gifts there to keep my hands and mind busy. I know my daughter loves me, but if I were to spring clean her house without her present would not put a smile on her face. I know my weakness, I have prepared things for my stay to keep my hands and mind occupied.
It is easy to do things for those we love. Helping others and bringing a smile, is my reward for the work I am doing. I know my daughter and her family appreciate this help being provided. I know my husband appreciates what I do for him. All things I do, I do because I love.
This fall marks the arrival of a long awaited blessing for the whole family, aunts, grandparents, cousins, nephews, nieces and others. We have been watching, praying for my daughter and three babies. Fall the babies will arrive.
August 31, 2022 last day of month. I sit in my small office and ponder the month, the summer and this year so far. There are many things to be thankful for in my life.
The rain is falling, a much needed rain with the drought we have been having this summer. The grass has begun to turn green from the last rain, with this rain it will continue to grow for a few more weeks.
I enjoy rain storms, watching the lightning and hearing the thunder. Afterwards, everything looks so clean, smells fresh and is brighter. It seems easier to face the rest of the day, and tomorrow, and the future once the sun comes out and I see and smell what the rain has taken away, and what is left behind.
I have looked back at this year, and realize this is the year of change. I was blessed with the visit from my grandson, Mr. J. He will be a teenager soon, and there will come a time he will be too busy for a summer vacation with Granny. We had fun at the fishing hole, working with the animals and riding horses. Another summer blessing to join the other memories we share.
I was blessed with a visit from my daughter, her first visit to my house since I moved to Texas. We had a blast remembering the horses and rides of yesteryear as we watched her children ride the horses. The children learning about the sheep, and my grandson sitting on PeeWee, my favorite ewe. A grand time we had with a visit to my youngest daughter, her sister, with great food, games played by all, water games and conversation. A house full of laughter and good times. A blessing for sure. There are plans to continue to get together at least once a year.
The year has been focused on one major change in our family, a huge blessing. Every family member has been excited, helping with any necessary items, and constantly praying … the arrival of triplets. My youngest daughter is pregnant with triplets. There has been baby formula purchases by many family members since baby formula was hard to find, and limited in quantity that can be purchased. We as a family has come together like an army to help with the needs of the triplets and the parents.
With the end of August, the arrival of the triplets is close, September 14. I will go to my daughter’s home on September 11 and stay until I am not needed. It will be a few weeks at least. I may not be able to post much during my stay.
The other change, we are working on moving. My youngest daughter lives 2 hours from us. We want to spend more time with them and helping them. I have been working on getting our place ready to sell. Looking at properties in their area. Moving is a huge task. I cannot just buy a house, as I have approximately fifty head of sheep, eight dogs, and five horses to relocate as well as us. I need a place that I will not have to do a lot of work before the animals arrive. A task to find. Moving is in the future. I know everything will fall into place when I find the right place at the right time.
A year of changes and many blessings, with more blessing to arrive. As a family, the blessings have rained down on us this year, but not without change and at times struggles just like after the rainstorm, the sun comes out and all is clean, fresh and ready for the day.
All my days start the same way, get up, cup of coffee and then dressed and out the door to do morning chores. Chores are feeding the animals, mostly sheep, two goats and five horses. While I am feeding those animals who will stay in pens all day hay, I am also filling water troughs with fresh water. In total the daily chores take about two hours. In the heat of summer, I will go out in the middle of the day to refill water troughs. Animals drink more water during the heat of summer than they do in winter.
July 2022 lambs
After morning chores are done I will start my other work. Other work is divided into two categories for me – house work and outside jobs. I am the cleaning person, the cook, bookkeeper and anything else that needs to be done. Outside jobs are usually associated with the animals, checking fences, repairing buildings or building fences and sheds, deworming, marking and weighing lambs. Outside jobs vary a lot, whatever needs done I need to work and get it done.
This year, I have decided to sell two horses. The horses need to be worked and ridden, as it has been years since they were ridden. This week I started the groundwork to be able to get in the saddle and ride. The groundwork is to remind them they were once trained to ride, and that is what we are going to do again. I wait until the horses have eaten there breakfast before starting to work with them.
One task is laundry I will start a load of laundry to wash in the morning, and dry the laundry in the evening hours. I wash in the morning when the temperature outside is not too hot, in order to save on electric energy. I dry in the evenings as the temperatures are dropping outside. In the winter, this helps to put heat in the house before we go to bed. Drying in the evenings, also helps to save on electricity.
There are many things during the day I do at certain times, in order to save on electricity. During the summer, we mostly cook outside on the grill, keeping the heat of cooking out of the house. In the winter, I will bake our bread instead of buying it, along with our meals. I have mastered using the BBQ grill for cooking casseroles, but not quit for baking bread. I am still working on that.
Most of my days are the same routine, morning chores, some cleaning of the house, working outside and when I take a break from outside to cool off, I work on an inside project.
My husband leaves for work at 5 am, and he returns about 4 pm. When he gets home we feed the dogs and do the evening chores of putting out hay and filling water troughs. It is in the evening I water my garden and different outside plants. Then I fix dinner, we eat, chill out watching a television show, and off to bed he goes at 8 pm. I stay up later, wash the dishes and work on the blogs and my novel. I will also work on projects provided I have enough light for what I am doing. Then off to bed I go.
Last year I removed a huge wooden deck, saving the lumber. We had a cement pad poured in the place of the deck. This year I have been working on constructing steps, so we can use the back door.
Most of my days are the same routine. There are times I have to doctor a sheep. And lambing times are always busy with little lambs being born. Most of the time I watch, not having to do anything to assist, just enjoying the process of a new life coming into the world. Am I in a rut? Perhaps, I am always busy working on something, and the projects are changing and different.
Some might consider my life boring as I am usually alone majority of the time working at home. I do not have weekend parties or visits from family often. There are not big goings on at the farm or in my life. Yet, I am happy in my place in life and what I do.
This year I decided to finish projects that I had started. Some of these projects I have worked a little here and a little there, for years and the projects are still not done. Today, I finished a project I started two years ago.
The beginning of the project was with a group of ladies during the lockdowns due to Covid-19. Before Covid-19, we would meet every Friday night at the same restaurant with our husbands, for dinner and conversation. When we were locked down due to Covid-19, everyone started missing each other and time shared. Us ladies, formed a reading group and would have text discussions on Fridays between 7-9 pm, about the book we were all reading. When the restrictions were lifted allowing small groups to gather with space, we made arrangements to meet at the winery owned by one of the couples. We would have an art project and wine along with great conversation.
One of the craft and wine project was painting a decorative horse. Everyone in the group owned and rode horses, a fitting subject for us to paint. The “canvas” was old cabinet doors that were purchased by the winery’s owner at a Habitat for Humanity store. Another member of our group used a laser etcher and etched the picture onto the cabinet doors. When we met on the Friday for the project, we chose the one we wanted to paint. Several women finished theirs that night, and half of us still needed to work on ours.
When I got home, I decided I did not like the colors on a brown horse. There was not contrast with the background if the main color of the horse and the background were both woodgrain brown. So I painted the horse white. Then colors began to evolve. Then other things became more important, so the painting was put aside.
Until this week. I started working on finishing the painting as I want to give it to a grandchild for Christmas. And since the parent will becoming done when the triplets are born, it needed to be done so the parent could take it home.
I am only able to paint in daylight hours, as the lighting in my house is not good for painting or crafts due to being dull and dark. Since I have chores and outside jobs that have to be done, I have limited day light hours to work. Little by little, I pushed forward and completed my project.
We often start things or begin to work on dreams and life changes, other things, people, or situations become more important. When the timing is right, those dreams and things we began to work on will come to completion or disappear. I have had changes in things I was working on disappear, those things were not where I was supposed to be or what I was to be doing. There are other things, that I have not done in years, but the desire burns as strong as it ever did waiting for the right time.
For those of us who put things aside, take a look at those projects – maybe it is time to start working on them to completion.
This weekend, my husband and I have been thinking and talking about what I should plant this winter. We are beginning to see empty spots in the grocery store, and news outlets say that the problem is going to get worse. This summer and fall, we have been eating from my small garden, mostly squash, as a vegetable for meals. Summer is coming to an end, and soon the squash will also.
I plant a tomato plant, and a few peppers for to grow in the house during the winter months, providing us with a fresh grown treat from time to time. He and I both feel I should plant more, but what and where. I have two windows that provide enough sunlight to grow plants in the winter. The answer to what to plant deals with space. I do not have enough space to grow many plants inside.
His idea is to build a greenhouse of sorts. One thought is to put a small structure up on our cement patio. The sun is strong on the patio and it is protected from the cold north wind. The patio is also fenced so the sheep will not be trying to get into the greenhouse during the winter. If a heater was needed on real cold nights, electricity is available. Or we could set up a “solar heating system” that my cousin designed and see if that would work on keeping the greenhouse warm enough for our Texas winters.
Some vegetables that do well in the Texas climate for winter gardens are cabbage, radishes, beets, turnips, carrots, and potatoes. There are more, I have not grown them. With a greenhouse these plants would thrive. I would also be able to plant peas, as long as I kept the frost away.
I already have a few herbs growing in the window sill of the kitchen window. Herbs are good to grow inside on a window sill as they do not take up much space. Fresh herbs have a stronger seasoning, and I use half the amount called in recipes when I use fresh herbs. Herbs I have growing are rosemary, basil, and oregano. I grow the herbs in disposable plastic cups. Although I never seem to dispose of the cups I use for planting unless they get broken. I use two cups, one for the plant to grow in, a small rock in the second cup used for drainage. The herbs grow well, and I always have them handy for cooking.
I have also grown bell peppers using the same planting system of two plastic disposable cups. The two bell pepper plants produce peppers, although they were a little small, the peppers had strong flavor for seasoning.
Another plant I have done well in growing indoors is leaf lettuce. Last year I grew two types of leaf lettuce in pots. I would cut the leaves to add to our salads. I would trim the larger leaves off the plants, and the plants would regrow in a weeks time. If I put the lettuce in a size larger planting pot, I would be able to grow enough for our eating needs, as we do not eat salads every meal.
And if we did build the small greenhouse, I would be able to grow enough vegetables to keep us going through the winter, then transplant them in the spring into the garden area. Which the garden area is going to be bigger next year.
Just some thoughts and ponderings concerning ways to have a variety of vegetables with the talks of shortages. Also a way to lower our grocery expense with the current inflation, that is said to go higher.
Will keep you posted on our decisions and adventure in growing food for the table.
Yesterday I spent three hours grooming my faithful companion, Bonnie Jo. Bonnie Jo has an interesting history and a special place in our family. I purchased Bonnie Jo as an eight week old puppy twelve years ago, almost thirteen. I was at a Reined Cow Horse Show as a spectator, just before I started competing. I saw these Australian Shepherd puppies. I love Australian Shepherds, so I asked the young woman watching them with her children if they were for sale.
She said, “Yes, these are some of Jack’s puppies and they are for sale.” As I watched the five puppies playing with the children.
“Are there any females?” I asked.
She pointed to the red merle off by itself, “I think that is a female, the only one.”
I went over an picked up the pup and looked at her, instant love at first sight. I gently placed her down. “How much?”
“Oh, I do not own the puppies. We are just playing with them. The owner is over by that truck with the male Australian.”
I walked over to the truck, and looked at the dog sitting in the truck. I did not touch or offer to touch the man’s dog. With ranchers and cattle people, you do not touch the dogs, unless you ask permission. Also, a dog sitting on the back of the truck, is guarding the truck – touch the truck or try to touch the dog at your own risk.
“Hello, Jack.” as I started to introduce myself.
“I’m not Jack.” pointing to the dog, “That is Jack.” And he told me his name. “Jack is the sire of the puppies over there. ” He whistled and Jack jumped off the truck. A large red merle Australian shepherd trotted over and sat down on my foot looking up to me as if I was supposed to give him something.
“May I pet him?”
“Looks like he is demanding a pet. He sure likes you, does not do that with most people.”
After a quick apology about the mix up of name, I said I was interested in purchasing one of the puppies, the red merle female. The deal was made. I found a lead rope in the truck and the pup and I started getting to know one another. As I walked around the arena grounds people would say, “you got one of Jack’s pups. There are good dogs, the best. Jack works the cattle without Mr. R saying a word or whistle. Best working dog I have seen.”
I took her home and showed my husband what I had purchased. “What are you going to call her.” That was a thought, what should this little pup be named? I was thinking then it hit me. Since I had recently received paperwork about my adoption, I decided to call her my original name, Bonnie Jo. Every time I said her name, I would be reminded of the truth and not fall back into the lies of my family.
Bonnie Jo was a terrible two. She liked to play bite with me, but her little teeth were sharp. “Easy.” I would say, and she would cock her head to the side, and then play again, still rough. After having scratches all over my hands, I decided I would gently touch her nose and say “Easy” when she was too rough. I touched her nose, and she slapped my hand with a front paw. I touched her nose again and once more she slapped my hand with a front paw. Well, that was not going to work. But stop playing with her did.
She learned to sit, walk on a leash, be potty trained, even telling me when she had to go outside. She loved traveling with me in the truck and suck my soda out of the straw in the cup. Yes, she loved Dr. Pepper. She learned to drink water from a water bottle tipped on the side with water at the opening edge. She would chase the cows out of the yard, but never really learned to work by commands, but loves pushing sheep and goats away from her house. And her method of playing tug of war, with you are a another dog, is to make sure someone has the end of the rope to pull against, not take off and not share. Tug of war is a pulling game, not a stealing game. If the other dog loses their grip, Bonnie Jo slings the rope, hitting them in the head until they grab ahold then off they run and pull again. Bonnie Jo learned a large vocabulary listening to me all the time. She learned to read my moods and know when I needed someone close. And Bonnie Jo can communicate back with a arsenal of “looks”, some looks if they could kill, would. She gets upset with you, gives you a look, then ignores you.
As a pup, she got in the pen with a yearling horse, and was stomped. We took her to the vet to have her checked out. No internal bleeding, and with a few meds for pain and inflammation we headed home.
Bonnie Jo never came in heat. When she was two, I decided to have her spayed. Drop her off in the morning, and pick her up the next morning. The first time we had been separated since I purchased her. When I went to pick her up, the vet said the womb was full of infection, and had I noticed. I said no, and told how she had never come into heat. And about being stomped. The vet said she had probably had the infection since being a stomped.
Four years ago, she was bitten by a copperhead while we were feeding. I had walked into the barn where the grain is stored. Bonnie Jo was right on my heels as always. Suddenly, there was a loud clang near some metal channel iron we had on the floor. I looked back at Bonnie Jo, “Be careful girl, I do not want you hurt.” She gave me a really dirty look, and walked to the house. The next day, she was limping. I checked her foot and could find nothing, but figured she hurt her foot on the channel iron in the barn the day before. Three days later, she was packing the foot, and I saw the foot pads were totally raw, and found a puncher wound that looked bad. Another vet visit, they took her in and said she was snake bit, looked like rattlesnake or copperhead. They would have to put her under anesthesia to clean the foot. They also wanted to give her some IV antibiotics for infection and pain meds. Again, Bonnie Jo was away from me for the night. The next day I picked her up with pain meds and antibiotics. There were several more trips for changing bandages during the next three months.
Bonnie Jo does not like to take pills for anything. She is the only dog that I know that will make herself vomit, after you have forced her to eat a pill. If the pill is in food, she will refuse the food, even her favorite meat treat. I wasted one pill by grinding it to a powder and putting the powder in canned dog food. She refused to eat the dog food for a day and half, never ate the dog food. Daily was a struggle to get her to take her meds. I managed to get most of the meds to stay down, holding her nose shut for about five minutes then giving her a meat treat.
Yesterday, I bathed her. I have to put a leash on her before I ever get the bathing supplies together. Her long thick fur mats quickly. I use a conditioner and detangler on her hair when I bath her. I brush her to remove all the debris that gets caught in the fur. In spring when the temperature get warm, she gets a body clip. The rest of the time, I trim the hair on her back side to prevent manure and debris from collecting and making a mess in the house. The whole time during bathing, brushing and clipping, she is totally shaking. After several baths over twelve years, you think she would get used to it. At least my husband no longer has to hold her while I give her a bath. Still, Bonnie Jo does not like a bath or brushing or being clipped or having her toenails done. She does not fight like she used to as a pup. One of her first baths she jumped out of the tub and ran through the house, hiding under the dining table while still covered in suds.
She no longers jumps and bolts during baths. There are several things she no longer does, like jumping up on the couch, or into the truck. She does not hold her bladder well, so long trips are no longer taken. There are times she has accidents in the house. And she no longer jumps on the bed in the morning when I husband gets up, but stays in her spot on my side of the bed. She prefers a dog bed or soft rug to lay on and not the hard floor. She still insists on following me as I do chores, although she does not go into or get too close to the sheep. She only occasionally with push the sheep now. She rests a lot when we do chores, and is ready to lay down in the house when the chores are done.
Bonnie Jo is twelve this year. The lifespan for Australian Shepherd dogs is twelve to fifteen years. She is in her golden years, still going as strong as her age will allow. I know the days are number for her to be beside me, but she will always be in my heart and memories.
I love you Bonnie Jo, thank you for helping me get through some tough emotional battles, and always being by my side.
There are news stories that tomatoes and products made from tomatoes are going to be in short supply in the United States this year, until the next tomato harvest. Depending on if the drought continues for another year, it may be expensive to purchase tomatoes and tomato products.
Can a person grow tomatoes inside during the winter? Yes. Tomato plants like sunshine. If you have a window that can provide sunshine at least 6 hours a day, you can place a tomato plant by the window to grow. If you do not have a window or place to put a tomato plant, there are grow lights that do not cost very much.
Tomatoes need room for their roots. I plant my tomato plants in a five gallon bucket or equivalent pot. They also like the soil to drain well, meaning the pot or bucket has to have holes in the bottom for excess water to drain out. I have a tendency to over water my tomato plants, even outside I will over water and the plant will wilt and die. To be safe from overwater, do a simple test of pushing a finger an inch below the surface, if the soil is moist – do not water.
Tomatoes are self pollinators, meaning they do not need bees or butterflies to pollinate the flower in order to produce fruit. When you see blooms open, usually in the mornings, gently shake the plant, and let the pollen fall on the flowers to pollinate.
I start my tomato plants by planting a few seeds in a solo cup half full of potting mix. I only fill the solo or plastic cup half full, as tomato plants will form roots along the stem, if the stem touches soil. I wait until the new seedlings are a few inches tall, then very carefully add more soil. By doing this the young tomato plant develops a stronger root system.
Likewise, when I transplant the young, approximately six inches tall plant into the pot or bucket I am going to have it live in, I only have the pot half full of potting mix or soil. As the plant grows taller, I gently add more mix or soil until the soil is two inches from the top of the pot or bucket. When I put the plant in the pot, I add a hand full of crushed egg shells, to help prevent blossom rot on the fruit caused by not enough calcium.
I water and wait for the bloom, gently shake the plant, and wait for fruit.
Bell Pepper plant waiting to be planted outside after growing all winter in the house.
This planting method works for bell peppers, any type of hot peppers. I use an eight inch pot for the peppers.
Eggplants are another night shade classified plant that can be raised inside. I have not grown eggplants inside, but I would start with a 12 inch pot and see how the plant does.
If a plant needs more root room, you can always transplant into a larger pot.
Me, Myself and I 