Monday, February 14, 2011

The Giveaway

I've decided to give you both something! But since I haven't made them yet, you'll have to wait to be surprised. Congratulations. Christine- tell me what color your kitchen is?

Raised Beds

I'm sitting here on Valentine's Day, before a summer in which I won't be gardening because we'll (hopefully) be building, and thinking about interesting recycled raised beds for: Gardening! I promised myself that I would not so much as peek at a Fedco catalog- and I haven't!- but it never occurred to me that I could sneak in obsessive garden design as part of 'siting' the house....

I found this while wasting time on pinterest and loved it. It's an old metal filing cabinet!


That started me thinking that perhaps old fridges could be used similarly. It seems that if one lined the inside in wood to keep the plastic nasties from leaching into the soil that the insulation would be perfect in our harsh climate. Covered in windows, they would be lovely cold frames...filled with compost, they could be great all-weather bins. There are so many of these dead fridges sitting at the dump. Old Dead chest freezers could also be great for people like me who have some physical limitations. HM would surely be delighted at the idea of NOT having to build something else- there's only a house, barn/garage, greenhouse, chicken house, and guest cabin on his list- and this appeals to the cheap hippie in me. (Yes Anna- I've admitted it publicly!)


Update: So this isn't an original idea. Here's a video of a guy using it! 

Friday, February 4, 2011

100th post and other milestones

100! I should give something away. Hmmm...but what? I don't know! It's a mystery! Leave me a comment and I'll put you in a drawing to win an as-yet unknown something nifty.

Other milestones:

Miss V is moving out next week. She's the first kid who has left on really great terms and it's wonderful and still a lot sad for us in a pathetically selfish kind of way.When did I get so old? How will I function without her? Who will run to the store for me? I'm going to miss her like crazy but it's a very good thing for her. This will leave me with zero teenagers in my house. First time in well over a decade that's happened.

T2 is 8. My baby. I feel old and yet delighted. The big party is tomorrow and then I'm off birthday duty for quite a while. Woo hoo.

HM managed to plan a training so that he's gone for Valentine's day AND my birthday. I don't mind the Valentine's part so much and I'm trying to look at the positive side for my birthday: I won't be driving him into Anchorage first thing in the morning to leave that day. I think I'll take myself out for breakfast after I drop kids at school and then over to the yarn store.

There's more but my brain is flaking out tonight.