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Spring has officially sprung and boy did it happen fast. Overnight the buds on the trees opened and there were tiny leaves in the morning.

I can see how things grow overnight in my greenhouse but it’s pretty amazing to see it happen in nature.

Sunday morning we had our first tea & coffee on the front porch. It’s was Roxy’s first time ever sitting on the porch in the morning.

Nelly was so excited when I told her what we were doing, she raced to the door and jumped up on “our” couch.

I converted the loveseat into a couch so there was more room on the “our” side.

I also turned the couch facing the street which is a better view than the pig stye next door.

Who throws their own coffee cups on the ground in front of your residence? Well our neighbor does and any idea where they wind up?

You guessed it, that was too easy. Zero lack of respect for where he lives, our town, or us who has to constantly pick up his cigarette butts and coffee cups. 😠

Another first was last night, we had our first official 2025 dinner party under the pergola.

It looked so pretty and the meal was cooked at the outdoor kitchen. Easy peasy entertaining.

We had a short and lovely dinner on a Monday night. It was an early night for everyone. It was perfect.

Another first today was after working in the garden I took an outdoor shower! It was sunny and 84 degrees.

It came back to me as soon as the shower rain head began to wet my hair and dripped down my body.

Taking an outdoor shower is fucking awesome!!! Our outdoor one is so much nicer and better than our indoor one.

For the next 6 months, we will be using it and loving the view of the sky!

Marty’s first was going into the pool which is 80 degrees! It was in the mid 60s last week before he turned on the heater.

I’m waiting until we install the wedding cake steps which will happen soon.

I am enjoying celebrating the seasonal firsts. They fill me with joy and gratitude.

Today almost felt like summer. Tomorrow will be back to spring, which is ok too.

Sail. As in a sail, that are sold to provide shade to a patio or deck.

We enjoy being outdoor on our deck as much as possible and with a great view of the mountains who wouldn’t.

Well, anyone who didn’t want to have bright sunshine or extreme heat beating down on them.

Due to the extreme sun, heat, and rain we’ve had to move many dinner parties indoors.

I could barely prep since the sun was so hot beating down. I always had to go back into the kitchen to finish. Bummer.

The bottom photo is from last June when I had friends over for a potluck dinner. We had to eat inside because of the heat and sun.

We were able to have dessert outside after the sun dipped down behind the trees.

We both love our outdoor kitchen area and would use it more if only we had a little protection from the elements.

That’s when I had the great idea to order a sailcloth.

We tried different sizes and styles but at the end of the day, either rain would drip through or rain water would pool in the shade.

We tried everything and conceded that was a failure. Oh well, it was worth a good shot.

Even though the sail cloth idea failed, when it did work we realized how great it was have something over us especially in the hot sun.

Remember, I love being in the sun but not when I am trying to eat or cook after a long day.

Then it happened. Marty found a “used” pergola on Facebook marketplace that was used in flower shows.

It was in our price range and the owner, carpenter, mill shop owner who made it agreed to install it for us at a fair price.

The pergola began going up the beginning of October. The pergola install went quickly.

We decided we wanted to cover the pergola after watching a lot of YouTube videos.

Sometimes the covers are as expensive as pergolas themselves. Marty contacted many dealers, suppliers etc searching for something in our price range.

Pergolas can cost up to $25,000 up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. We paid a tiny fraction of that.

Like I said the coverings can cost almost as much. We ended up getting the best deal Marty could possibly find.

We just had to wait for it to be delivered. It took some time to arrive then we needed to wait for the pergola guy to install it for us.

We normally do everything ourselves but Marty isn’t good with heights so that was out.

The pergola was completed in mid-November just in time for winter.

In the meantime, we needed to figure out the new kitchen design that would be best for the very rustic pergola.

Again, we watched shitloads of youtube videos for ideas. We searched the internet for ideas and products.

The results were that everything was way too expensive. So we designed our own and Marty built it like everything else we have.

He got the rough cut lumber from the pergola guy’s mill. The “cabinetry” came out exactly as we imagined it.

Next, we needed to think about lighting for the space which is 16×16.

Marty miraculously found a pair of huge industrial pendant lights in Facebook marketplace for a song and a dance.

We still needed lighting for over the dining table. I wanted a modern wagon wheel light but all the ones we found in our price range looked cheap.

Marty found a legit old school wagon wheel chandelier that looked like it came from an old seafood restaurant.

It was cheap and had character so it became the next Facebook marketplace purchase.

Countertops were next. Since we designed our workstation wider in depth than regular sized cabinets making it impossible to find anything that was big enough.

Custom wasn’t even an option. We almost used wood but then we went to a local rock and masonry business.

We found exactly what we needed and made it work. It was a super inexpensive investment thanks to the owner.

We ended up with pieces of marble that follow the same rough cut design as the rest of the kitchen pergola design.

Yay! We were done! But it was winter so we really couldn’t use it except for making pizza and grilling.

We found out it was great not having to shovel the deck and that Nelly and Roxy’s doggie door was covered as well.

This was something we didn’t realize would be such a wintertime bonus.

So far we’ve had a few lunches and a dinner on the deck covered pergola. It doesn’t even feel like it’s the same place.

The view from my cozy back room. 🤩

It’s rustic, cozy, and inviting. The tinted polycarbonate roof lets in light but filters out the heat and brightness which was how it all started.

With a sail.

I love sharing my learning adventures and writing about whatever the outcome is.

Sharing successes is easy to write about, almost fucking up is a good learning lesson not only for me but maybe for some of you.

My failures are now comical to me since I have found peace and I don’t turn into the Incredible Hulk anymore.

Everything was growing beautifully. Then I started ruining it! Shit, shit, shit!

I couldn’t understand why my tomato plants were turning purple on the underside of the leaves and their stems.

Then I started to notice the same happening to some of my flowers and broccoli. Fuck!

I quickly searched the web and found out why. Ugh!

Early last week Marty set up all the hoses with their sprayer attachments.

I decided to bring the hose into the greenhouse and water everything.

That was the first no-no.

The second no-no was when I decided instead of bringing room temp water in milk jugs the house I would use the hose water.

Then I did it again. That’s when everything started turning purple. Dammit! Ugh!

I read that I could do a couple of things and the plants will turn green again Whew!

While I was using the water from the hose first of all in a bright sunny afternoon I burned the basil leaves from my indoor plant. 😕

The hose water was very cold which was too cold for the roots of the plants. When this happens the plants can get any nutrients.

The plants began lacking phosphorus. I applied organic tomato and garden fertilizer to each of the correct pots and watered them with warm water.

Today, after I watered everyone with warm water, I did notice a couple of the stems of the tomato plants were turning green again with an ombré effect.

My plants that I started from seeds are my babies. Just like my sons I could tell the second something wasn’t right.

I knew when the boys were sick even before they did sometimes and I always knew when they had a problem.

I study each of my veggie and flower plants everyday when I check on them and I knew something was very wrong.

Thank goodness I acted quickly and was able to remedy the situation. They all should be ok, I hope.

Just because the hoses were handy to use I never thought about the temperature of the water coming out. Duh!!!

This will go in my garden notes for sure. This mistake turned into a lesson for me to learn from.

I feel like a total dumb ass and realize I am still a novice and can’t get cocky.

This experience made me a more humble gardener knowing you have to think about these things to be a truly successful.

So much was accomplished in the last week! Yesterday, on Easter Sunday Marty and Sam helped me finish loading the compost into all the beds.

The big pile is gone! Yippee. I amended the compost by adding 10 10 10 fertilizer to all of the beds and barrels.

Marty will call to see if the garden soil we need is ready and have it delivered.

Today, I touched up the edging in my front flower and wildflower beds.

Last year, the edging job was a big one but the results were great and worth the time.

This year went quick! The wildflower bed took me less than 15 minutes to clean up.

I reshaped the front beds a bit to add more flowers. It was easy work with that half moon tool Marty bought for me last year.

I am pleased where I am at garden wise. The weather has been cool and not the greatest so this type of work makes sense to get over with.

The plants in the greenhouse continue to grow. I’m getting them used to cooler temps by lowering the heater temp at night.

I am eager like everyone else for the weather to turn the corner and remain warm and have more sunshine. ☀️

Sam arrived at our place last night because he is working today in Johnstown, NY.

As we were catching up I asked him if he read my new garden series The Unlikely Homesteader.

He hadn’t so I read it to him. He smiled as I read it aloud because he was remembering what I wrote.

After I was done, he said he liked it, but it wasn’t about gardening. Oh yes it is!

The point of the series is explaining to people where I came from, how I raised and why I am the person I have become right now.

I am a homesteader wannabe which is a long stretch even for me to understand.

I was the furthest thing from a homesteader. I was a homemaker but not a homesteader.

The series will reveal how the change occurred and why I wasn’t one to begin with.

As with all of my blog posts I have no idea what will come out of my brain until I am typing it.

I am an Irish storyteller which drives Marty crazy but there are many parts to cover before any story is finished.

The back stories are very important to weave together a good piece of writing.

After explaining that to Sam he got it then we had a good laugh about his boots and peeing in a rusty old can. 😂

Since my last update, quite a lot of activity has taken place in my garden.

I’ve been so wishy washy when it has come to the garden expansion. More space is sometimes overwhelming.

Marty was going to use his tractor that doesn’t have a cutting deck and cart to help me haul compost up the hill to the raised beds.

That was the plan however the tractor had other plans. It wouldn’t start and he was busy working at his other jobs at the beginning of the week.

I did it all manually and let me tell you it was a workout! Shoveling the compost into our garden wagon was easy.

Shoveling the compost into the beds was easy. The pulling and pushing the wagon uphill was a bitch.

I couldn’t add as much to the cart as I would have liked because it made the wagon too heavy. How frustrating.

Just as I was on the last raised bed Marty came home from work and tinkered with the tractor and got it started!

Hallelujah! He helped me fill the cart and the bed and the sunflower bed were filled in no time!

I showed a photo in the last update of the expansion that had my beautiful blue raised beds next to the galvanized steel ones which I hated!

I filled the blue half barrels with compost and realized they were a fucking obstacle course and in the way of the wagon.

Shit! I had to remove the compost to move them out of the way. This is a typical me move.

More back breaking work that was unnecessary if I thought things through before I filled them up. Ugh.

While I was working on the barrels my creative side figured out why the blue beds looked so good last year.

The blue beds popped against the grey production kitchen and the brown mulch.

Next, I had to empty those out so I could carry them to where they were being moved to.

Again, I didn’t think things through. I put the cart before the horse and made even more work for myself!

The good news is I love where they are now, and they look great.

As far as the garden veggies and flowers in the greenhouse go they are growing fast!

I had to pot up some flowers, broccoli, brussel sprouts, and eggplant. I could tell they outgrew their pots when I saw the roots.

The next day when I went out to check on “everybody” I was shocked how much the flowers grew overnight!

I’m glad I figured out that the plants struggle to get bigger in a pot that’s too small.

Some items aren’t doing as well as the others. I’ve replanted bell peppers twice and so far have only three plants.

Same thing with poblanos now I have four. I wanted eight pepper plants from both varieties.

The blueberry and strawberry starter plants haven’t done shit!

The potatoes have sprouted a lot so I have had to add more potting mix to each container.

I planted some head lettuce, lettuce mix, argula, and baby spinach.

I’ve been told, have seen on YouTube, and have read in garden blogs that trying to grow head lettuce is not worth it.

Of course, I have to do the extra work just to see. I’m hoping the giant Caesar Romain and butter crunch grow.

I’ve been working in the garden every chance I can after production. Today, I planted some annual alyssum and aster seeds directly in the pots.

I’m not sure about the results but again I want to try.

So, next week we have to have some garden soil delivered. I also have to amend the compose with fertilizer before I can add the soil.

The same thing needs to be done to the blue raised beds and barrels.

I have to bring compost up to our front yard where I am putting in a new perennial garden with delphiniums, lupine, and hollyhocks.

Yes, I know they may not flower this year but you have to start somewhere.

Those flowers I just mentioned are doing particularly well and are large which I am super happy about.

The beds I worked hard on last year in front of our porch will also be expanded with lots of annual cottage garden flowers which are growing beautifully!

I have to learn to be more patient and think things through before I start planting shit in the wrong places.

The last thing to do before planting will be adding mulch to cover up the ugly ass green tarp.

Then I can start touching up the edging I did last year to the wildflower and porch beds, then add fresh mulch.

That’s it for this week’s update. I still have a long way to go.

I’m starting a series on my journey as a gardener. I hope you enjoy it.

The early years…

My parents and all of their families grew up in Peterstown, the Italian section in the city of Elizabeth, NJ.

We lived in a neighborhood close to Peterstown but spent most of time in the Italian section visiting family.

Elizabeth was dangerous in the mid-70s so my parents moved us out to the suburban town of Iselin about 20 minutes away.

My mother and I had to dodge bullets one day in Elizabeth walking to a warehouse store called Daffy Dan’s.

We saw police cars slamming on their breaks everywhere and one of the cops shouted, “Everybody down!”

We threw ourselves onto our stomachs and hid our faces. We stayed that way for several minutes.

Bullets flew everywhere until the bad guy was shot. I don’t have any idea if he survived or not.

We didn’t stick around to see if he died although it wouldn’t have been something new to me. It happened another time.

A man was killed drive-by style by the mob a few houses down from Mema’s house. The guy was deader than a door nail.

Everyone sat on their stoops as we watched a sheet placed over the body while the police we on scene for hours.

When they were finally done a hurst pulled and put the dead guy into a body bag.

Next, they put the bag on a stretcher which they wheeled over to the hurst and slide it inside and drove off.

Back to the Daddy Dan’s shopping trip, after my mother and I got the ok to stand up and resume where we were going this happened.

The first thing my mother did was point her finger in my face and said, “Don’t ever tell your father about this or we will never be allowed to go to Daffy Dan’s again!”

Ah, sweet childhood memories. I got my favorite powder blue Andy Gibb t-shirt at Daffy Dan’s. I loved the smell in there!

The closest I ever got to nature, plants, and animals was the zoo which was know as the terrifying goat disaster, or a park. No one in my family was a gardener.

The only thing I knew about gardens was from the old-world Italians in Peterstown.

I loved seeing the grapevines growing in between skinny alleyways.

The photo at the top was the grapevine in between my great grandma’s house.

The old school Italian had tall tomato plants and other things that grew in their pocket sized gardens.

I tried my hand at gardening when our boys Noah and Sam were young. I have to admit I wasn’t very good at it and kind of hated it.

I hated the weeds, bugs, sweating, not knowing what to do with the produce that did grow. It was overwhelming.

I had the romantic idea of gardening such as a creating a world culinary garden which I have to admit is still a brilliant idea.

I planted herbs and veggies together in sections such as Italian (how could I not), Mexican, and Asian.

I was mildly successful but since the internet wasn’t invented yet, I had no clue what in the fuck I was doing.

Now, through a lot of research I know why I succeeded and failed.

One thing for certain, while I was in love with the idea, I didn’t have any love for my gardens or gardening.

It was too much extra work trying to raise two young boys. Thank goodness for wine was motto back then.

Marty worked two jobs so I could be a stay at home mom and was involved in the rescue squad a lot so I was solo most of the time.

The garden also took time away from the boys who would have rather gone swimming anywhere else for that matter.

Neither of our boys were easy, go-with-the-flow types of kids. What one loved the other one hated. They bickered and fought all the time.

One of them gave me a hard time with everything. This is as when I should have realized I would never make everyone happy. Ever.

I continued to try until just a few short years ago. This also included my mother and mother-in-law both of whom were impossible to deal with.

What a waste of time and energy! If I only knew then what I know now!

As far as gardening went Noah had zero interest in the garden or eating any fruits and vegetables.

The theory of involving your kids and they will try it is a load of bullshit.

I took him blueberry picking for a fun activity and to encourage him to try different fruits.

He kept throwing himself on the ground in the parking lot in front of cars until he dislocated his elbow trying to get away.

That resulted in an emergency trip from Arlington to our pediatricians office in Rutland and hour away.

We walked in, they were waiting for us, the doctor popped it back in and we headed back to Arlington.

He didn’t learn his lesson from that stunt he pulled, but I did.

Whenever he threw himself down or pulled to get away I let go of his hand and let him fall to the floor.

This resulted in me scooping him up immediately and putting him in the car and we left everywhere we went.

Back to gardening and vegetables, I could have chased Noah around with anything I grew. He was so stubborn it was very disappointing.

Sam was different in that respect and liked the garden and loved eating sugar snap peas right off the vines.

He was devastated one year when a fucking groundhog beat him to it. He cried real tears for two days.

We replanted the peas and I read in a gardening book at the library to pour human urine around the perimeter of your garden areas.

Suddenly, Noah loved gardening! He yanked down his shorts and began walking around the perimeter peeing while he walked.

Sam who is a very private person took a can and went behind the barn and peed in it.

He careful poured the pee in areas where Noah missed. Meanwhile, Noah announced this was the greatest day ever! Lol.

Sam wore his black rain boots, which he had in every size until he grew out of children’s sizes, so he wouldn’t step in pee.

Oh, how those boots stank. Noah would whine about it every time we got in the car when he had them on.

Finally, got some Dr. Schol’s foot and shoe spray and fixed that after I couldn’t take it anymore.

This scenario describes Noah and Sammy when they were little to the point of it being scary.

Marty saw the snap pea-eating woodchuck in the yard at dusk and shot it with a 22.

The woodchuck got the last laugh since it crawled under the barn’s workshop and died.

Marty’s workshop stunk for months after that incident. I was upset he shot the woodchuck in the first place.

Noah sided with me and Sam sided with Marty. Our family in a nutshell.

To be continued…

No, not me; chicken. I bought a package of chicken breast which contained three chicken breast. I got eight servings out of it for $8.03.

I squawked at the price when I bought the chicken, but in the end eight servings for $8 bucks is pretty good these days.

Last night I made legit chicken parm which came out tender and juicy.

My marinara sauce was on point and I used good mozzarella cheese from restaurant supply and shredded the big block.

I’ve been craving chicken parm for a while and yesterday was the day.

It was too cold to work outside so I was inspired to cook and do some indoor chores after production.

Four pieces of chicken were dedicated to the chicken parm. We have the leftovers today for a big lunch before dance.

The other four pieces will be sliced up and tossed in salads for the rest of the week.

They could be done Asian, Caesar, or anything else for that matter.

They can also make a great chicken sandwich.

So three chicken breasts will give us four meals each. not bad for $8 bucks.

Whole natural food doesn’t cost more, I can argue this point until death, it just takes time, effort and some thought which many people aren’t willing to do.

This is the reason frozen foods which are filled with chemicals and preservatives will always be more attractive to many people.

Frozen food costs more than whole food any day which can stretch our dollars when buying groceries.

What I put into my body and what comes out of my wallet are very important to me no matter what the economy.

Food made with love always tastes better. Do you agree?

I made a very berry smoothie for breakfast today with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and bananas.

I added some Greek yogurt, milk, flax and chia seeds for a protein packed meal before production.

More cold April showers today here in VT.

I looked back at my Facebook memories since 2009 and the weather was the same for all those years as well.

April showers bring May flowers… the positive spin on crappy weather. 🌧️☔️💧=🌷🪻💐🌸

Where I was raised in Jersey we call snow in April total bullshit.

In Vermont, they call it poor man’s fertilizer. As a gardener, I finally understand why.

The phrase “poor man’s fertilizer” refers to snow, which is believed to contain nitrogen and other nutrients that can benefit plants, particularly in the spring as it melts and releases these nutrients into the soil. 

Poor man’s fertilizer is also a reminder that the 72 degree day we had last week was the third fake spring.

I predict we will have one or two more applications of poor man’s fertilizer before true spring weather finally arrives by mid-April.

I’ll always be considered a flatlander who lives in the green mountains of Vermont, but as a gardener, I am beginning to think like a Yankee.

Being a homebody, keeping to myself, and wishes I could live in a hobbit house in the middle of nowhere also has me thinking like a Yankee.

Who the fuck ever would have thought? Not me that’s for damn sure. Am I glad? In Jersey terms, you bet your ass I am.