Top 10 Tuesday

Greetings! The past week involved a lot of reading and research into things involving plants and how to grow them. After having moved into the county where I have a lot of land to work with, I knew I'd be spending the winter planning and learning. I'm glad to say that I'm making progress and that my attention is in-tune with my goals considering that I have always had a hard time with follow-through due to multiple interests. This week's top 10 might bore you but I'm pleased with how I'm utilizing my time. Have a great week and if you're in PA, a certain meteorologist I know mentioned that there is potential for a winter storm next week!

1. Aero Garden—After wanting one for nearly a year, I finally invested in a user-friendly countertop hydroponic system to grow herbs and vegetables. Eventually, I might upgrade to something more involved but it’s only day five and my lettuces are already growing. I am also growing dill and parsley at this time. I’m looking forward to when I’ll be able to transplant some hydro-babies into pots or into the ground.

2. Crocheting—Now that I have unearthed my crocheting supplies, I am back to making my ugly hats again. I’m very excited. Hopefully I can learn new patterns and actually learn how to follow patterns. I’d like to eventually sell some stuff around Christmas.

3. Vermicomposting—I have started my compost pile and I know that with all the gardening endeavors I have for this year, I’ll need a lot more compost. I’m going to look into vermicomposting, using worms. I’ve been doing a lot of research and I’m excited. I’m not that excited to have bins upon bins upon bins in my yard, but I have the space and not everything has to be pretty.

4. Ice Storm—Saturday into Sunday, we got a little visit from freezing rain that led to ¼ in of ice on our patio. We explored the icy wonderland of our property but other than that, we didn’t go anywhere that day. I got a lot of reading done.

5. Driving in the Snow with Brian—Brian and I went into town yesterday evening while a snow shower hit. We felt nostalgic when we drove. Most people who grow up in Pennsylvania have memories of driving at night in the snow and its wormhole effects. Most people know to look for snow in different angles of light. At one point, there was too much orange light to see the snow but when darkness descended again, the snow was static in the head lights again.

6. I’m Going to Grow Some Stuff—Hydroponics and compost aside, I am preparing to soon grow veggies and herbs from my basement so that they can eventually be transplanted in the garden beds I don’t have built yet. Yesterday, I purchased the growing light, seeds, containers, and starting soil. While I wait for the right times to start, I will work on when to start growing and where the herb or vegetable may end up in my yard.

7. Microscopic Images of Alcohol—They’re just neat, right? Like psychedelic maps and landscapes. Below is an image of a dry martini.

8. Pasta on Mount Washington--Forget about cake by the ocean. What about pasta on top of the highest mountain in New England? I always love seeing the photos that the folks at the observatory share. If you didn't already know, the mountain's weather is known to be incredibly variable and unpredictable, let alone very cold.

9. Kombucha—I started brewing kombucha! I was gifted a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria & Yeast) by a coworker. It looks like a placenta. Or jellyfish. Anyway, it’s a floating blob that is created during the fermentation of tea and sugar. My kombucha is now in the process of fermenting, the SCOBY creating little CO2 farts (carbonation). While my parents are visiting this weekend, I’ll test it and see if it’s ready for flavoring process. I’m going to go with the basic lemon and ginger first and then try other flavors later down the road.

10. Poetry Reading—I attended a poetry reading this evening featuring a Facebook friend of mine, Mandy Passmore Ott. She was the featured poet and then an open-mic ensued. I read a couple poems during the open mic. I haven’t read like that in a while. It was a good time.