10/07: Bits and Pieces

Weather:
We had our first "freeze" last night. Temp was around 38 when we got up. Since we're moving in the Spring, we decided to not cover the strawberries, et al. It was a bit warmer today than expected but we're expecting night temps in the mid 20's this weekend.

Harvest:
We did, however, harvest everything we could last weekend: about 2 gallon bags of various tomatoes, 3 heads of celery, 2 zucchini, 20 corn cobs that we left to dry on the stalk (but finished drying in our 150 degree oven), 6 Mexican X-Top winter squash, 3 butternut squash, 3 cross-pollinated squashes that we have no clue about, 3 pumpkins, several small green-striped gourds, 2 birdhouse gourds, 1 dipper gourd, and several other things like eggplant. We picked the rest of the melons also (several crenshaw muskmelons, sugar baby watermelons and tam dew honeydew). YUM!

Weslee:
With the change in the weather, brought the change of clothing. He tried on all of his pants today, and found that he'd outgrown most of them. Guess we'll be hitting Wal-Mart and the thrift store again next week.

He's having a bit of trouble concentrating on schoolwork now that we have a new member to our family, so I've decided to give him a partial two-weeks off. He'll continue with his reading assignments (he's reading "The Red Badge of Courage" now) and listening to his math rap CD's.

I'm sure he's benefiting from taking Spirit out a few times a day. While our block isn't big, it's a lot of territory for tiny dog legs and Weslee is learning responsibility while getting some fresh air and exercise.

Business:
We stopped our association with vTribes as of today. We didn't get what we expected and paid for, so they've accepted our cancellation. We're working now on getting things going on our website (address below).

That's it for now. Have a great week! Vikki www.newviewgroupllc.com

9/29: Bits and Pieces

Garden:
Another good harvest day yesterday. Doug picked string beans - an entire collander full! Probably enough for two meals for the three of us. I helped Weslee pick black turtle beans, then he harvested tomatoes while I watered the garden.

Although it's really slowed, we're still getting cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant and more. The front tomato plants (bushes now) are giving up about 10 roma tomatoes and 5 various others a day. So sweet and rich-tasting.

Funny story about the black turtle beans. Weslee left them on the dining room table while we went about the rest of our Sunday chores. He was eating a snack a few hours later when we heard a sound like he was throwing beans across the room. I checked and he wasn't. A couple of hours later he was up in his room, and I was sitting by myself in the living room - I heard the sound again. This time I saw a couple of split empty bean pods on the floor and lots of black beans all over the place. Ah ha! We think these black turtle beans were dry enough when harvested that when they just sat for a bit, they began to burst. Has anyone had this experience?

MOAB:
This Mother of All Bailouts (coined by http://www.survivalblog.com/) appears to have fallen through. Today's vote defeated the $700 billion bailout package 228 against to 205 for. The stock market plummeted. Analysts are saying the dire predictions will now come to fruition because it's practically too late.

Even though Doug and I are careful with our money, we realize we could cut back even more. We've begun researching how, and will start sharing on our website: www.newviewgroupllc.com/money

Business:
We've come to a conclusion about using the software from vTribes. That info and announcement will have to come later.

Vikki http://www.newviewgroupllc.com/

9/22: Bits and Pieces

Mabon / Our Harvest Celebration:
We had a few people over to our house this past Friday to celebrate the wonderful produce we grew in our garden. Tres and his family, Doug's mom and sister, and our real estate agent Kris attended. I made a big crockpot of chili (almost forgot the garlic - eeeek), Doug picked string beans, Weslee picked tomatoes and helped me harvest the corn, eggplant, sweet and banana peppers, carrots and celery. I also grabbed one of the spaghetti squash because the vine had completely died - placed it in a nicely arranged display of our harvest. We ate and talked and toured our magnificent (ok, dying) garden. Thanks to all who came - we enjoyed your company!

Family:
With our chores mostly out of the way on Friday before the party, we expected a nice quiet weekend of working on the business and catching up on sleep. Not to be. Weslee must have had too much fun or sugar or something Friday before our weekend was miserable from some major misbehavior. For an 11 yr old, we expect him to not sneak and do things we've specifically said were off limits. And to work hard and steady at things like schoolwork (make-up time since we needed his presence doing chores on Friday) but he took 6 hours to do 1 hour of schoolwork. Why oh why? We're working to find a solution; constructive comments would be appreciated.

Business:
After much research and asking many questions, our business (http://www.newviewgroupllc.com/) had signed on with Vtribes on August 8 2008 to supply the community software for two websites we wanted to start: http://www.kidwhispers.net/ and http://www.backyardgrocery.net/. Beyond the huge amount of bugs in the software, the sometimes "server down" problems and the infrequency of returned phone calls, we are very upset about a "glitch" they have where they keep taking from us their "monthly fee". This "glitch" tried TWICE A DAY for approximately 2 weeks, which, needless to say, did not set well with our bank account. Doug and I are beyond frustrated. Has anyone else had such an experience with Vtribes?

Economy:
Where do I start? A $70 billion bailout that does NOT in anyway directly affect the individual taxpayer? Whoopi Goldberg on "The View" this morning suggested that everyone who has a mortgage should have half of it paid off - giving them additional money to make the other ends meet. Not sure about that, unless along with it would come a refinance package. For example, if someone still owes $100,000 on their mortgage at $1,000 a month, and received Whoopi's suggested $50,000, then they should be able to cut their mortgage payment also in half.

Attention U.S.A. Government: STOP bailing out these companies who mis-managed their money. Help us little people - the taxpayers who pay YOUR SALARY - get out of our financial holes. We're, for the most part, being responsible with our money. But certain companies make it difficult.

Credit Cards: WHY is it so easy to get a credit card fo a college student, or even your pet? And the interest rates are unbelievable? People - stop using credit cards! Cut them up! We personally don't have any because, believe me, they can get a person in major financial trouble.

Check Cashing Places: These companies should be regulated. The interest rates they charge is close to being loan sharking. Even if I was desperate, I would never use one. Wal-Mart will cash your check and not charge an astronomical amount. And if you are low on money for groceries, try a food bank, and CUT OUT the pricey cup of gourmet coffee.

Local Politics:
This morning while I was watching the news at 5:00 a.m. this morning, I half-heartedly counted the political ads in between the news bits. In one "commercial break", there were 7 political ads and NO other ads. This family has gotten to the point where we mute almost ALL commercials. As soon as a show goes on a break, we hit the mute.

Here in the Denver area, Mark Udall and Bob Schaffer are slamming each other and neither one of them look good. How are we supposed to choose between Dumb and Dumber? Evil and Mean? Geez. Hope there's an independent running against them.

TV:
The new season of "Heroes" starts tonight. I loved the show at the beginning but the path the show ended on last season upset me. Guess I didn't want it to go so dark. Tonight will be interesting.

I have watched, off and on, "All My Children" since my mother got me hooked in my teens. I was thrilled when Susan Lucci finally won her well-deserved daytime Emmy, and now, we get to see her doing something real life: "Dancing with the Stars". So exciting! Go Susan (and Cloris Leachman)!

"Terminator - the Sarah Connor Chronicles" airs, I believe, it's 2nd show of the season tonight. At the same time as the recap of "Heroes". I like this show because it shows what might kinda possibly happen. And I heard another "Terminator" movie is being made, not to include Arnold. Bummer about Arnold but this movie is supposed to show what happened immediately after Skynet went off.

The 2nd hour of "Dancing" airs at the same time as the new "Heroes". Guess I'll have that channel changer in my hand - switching between the two.

Health:
It seems Doug's ear problem has mostly gone away - pressure is gone but still has some ringing. Turns out it's a family thing. However, Weslee's ingrown toenail and my heart palpitations prompted me to make doctor appointments for both of us this afternoon. Fun fun fun. NOT!!

Guess that's all for now. Be sure to check out www.newviewgroupllc.com until we can figure out what to do with our business problem! Vikki

9/09/08: Bits and Pieces

Health:
Doug has a doctor appointment for this afternoon. That sinus pressure and resulting headache has really gotten over-the-top so I'm glad he'll be seen today. Guess the netti-pot, echinacia and goldenseal supplements aren't always the solution.

My own sinus headache is getting worse but thank goodness it's not one of my migraines. If I don't start feeling better soon, will make my own doctor appointment. Meanwhile, I might drink some tea today. Hot, if I must. Hmmm, with honey.

Garden:
Our little bit of land did NOT like the couple of cold days we've had over the last week or two. Yesterday's especially. The tomatoes look like they don't want to put forth any more, and the poor little strawberries and raspberries are almost shriveling up into the stems. I'm thinking we've seen the last of the summer squashes, and just when the little white bush scallops were starting to appear. Dang!

I'm behind in planting the Fall produce. Did some Wando peas last week which are starting to poke out of the soil but need to plant more soon. Here in about an hour Weslee and I will go to the bed where we pulled out the soybeans - and there's still carrots growing there. In will go Bloomsdale Long Standing Spinach and a couple of Iceberg Lettuce seeds on the west side. The middle has some carrots but I'm thinking I'll add some more (Danvers Half-Long) and some red bunching onions. On the east side of the raised bed we'll bury about 2 feet of a Black-Seeded Simpson lettuce seed tape, and some buttercrunch lettuce seeds. As to the kiddie pools where we had the black-seeded simpson lettuce before it bolted (and there's still some radishes and carrots there), I think we'll add more carrots, radishes, and perhaps some dutch corn salad or european mesclun salad. Probably in a couple of weeks, we'll buy some think plastic sheeting to use as a cover on both the raised bed and the kiddie pools so we can eat the above yummies as far into the Winter as possible.

Schoolwork:
Weslee really enjoyed the schoolwork he had yesterday. Not so much wanting to get into it today but at 9:00 a.m. (a full 30 minutes later than planned), he's started reading his first novel of the school year.

Websites:
As you know we've been working on getting two interactive websites up and running. The first, http://www.backyardgrocery.net/ is to help people get started (or give people a chance to exchange info and ideas) who want to participate more in growing the produce they consume. Today I'm adding an article I wrote entitled: "Windowsill Meals". The second, http://www.kidwhispers.net/ is for the new kids of today who need more opportunity to chat with like-minded kids, about anything from peer pressure to sex to friendship to school to special gifts and more.

The websites are actually up and available to take subscriptions and comments in the forums but we still need to add the chat function, add a few more articles and work out a few more bugs. I'm hoping the blog function will be fixed in a day or two. If you know of someone who might be interested in either of these websites, feel free to pass along the word. I hope to have up today (hope hope hope) a press release or two on our company's main website: http://www.newviewgroupllc.com/.

Storage:
I'm thinking I've noted before, somewhere in this blog, that although we're not "survivalists", we do stock up some things. And since we live near the mountains of Colorado where blizzards ARE possible, it is actually a good idea. I remember in March of 2003 (I think) Denver got so much snow that Weslee (just a young thing at that time) was only an inch or two taller than the snow in the parking lot of our apartment complex!! Luckily I was prepared even then. The electricity was out for a while so we bundled up, and I put the milk out on the porch, snuggled into the snow.

It's not just weather to be concerned about but it's a start. However, we've just been throwing things wherever we had a little space but I think I probably should make a note of what we have, and start storing things in a centralized space. That's my goal for the next few weeks, AFTER I get the two websites up and working and AFTER we've tidied up the house (got that Mabon/Fall harvest celebration coming up).

There's always something to do! Vikki www.newviewgroupllc.com

8/08: Harvest and Olympics

Here's a beautiful tomato plant. Errr, I think I put two plants in one pot. There's the red slicer towards the bottom left, and upper, there's what we believe to be Razzle Dazzle Tomatoes (purple). Turns out this isn't the only pot with more than one kind of tomato in it. Next year, I promise, we'll keep unfadeable labels!

This is our harvest for today! Lots of beans (soybeans, we think) - they are washed and waiting for the freezer. Quite a variety of tomatoes (red slicer, red cherry, golden mama, kellog orange breakfast, yellow pear, thai pink egg, and the purple razzle dazzle). Plus the beautiful yellow squash, and two cucumbers. I think we now have enough cucumbers to make up a batch of pickles.

As I type this, the whole family is on our master bed, watching the Olympics Opening Ceremony. We're at Finland in the Parade of Nations. Unfortunately the massive rain in Denver messed up our signal so we missed quite a few parts of the first and second hour. We LOVED the dancing and drumming and everything so far. Excellent job, China.

Ordered the software for the business today through http://www.vtribes.com/. Planning to spend a lot of this weekend working on http://www.kidwhispers.net/ and http://www.backyardgrocery.net/ so they can be up and running next week.

Weslee did his assignment (one paragraph about anything) today but we have lot track of time. Will post his paragraph and accompanying picture tomorrow. Today's topic was: teeth.

I didn't water the garden in hopes that the promised rain for Thornton would come; ha, it didn't materialize up this far. Guess we better water first thing in the morning. Vikki