Slice of Garden Paradise

No Tuesday with Mila as per doctor's orders for no lifting. Swung by one of my fav Goodwills in Rancho Cordova, California, and bought a $7.99 bag of toys for Tuesday when I am called back into action as one of the Grandma Brigade. 

The Hape harmonica was worth the price of the bag. I also gained a triangle, a hedgehog accordian, a MLP figurine, and a pink metal lunchbox. The rest I thrifted back to the Great Thrift Shop Beyond. 

My slice of garden paradise is finally coming together. Rather than install permanent fence posts, I utilized the chain link fencing sections we had on site like temporary fencing. The connecting hardware cost less than $30. Landscape fabric was placed at the bottom of the galvanized steel garden planter. Bags of raised bed soil were bought at a big box retailer. Straw around the garden bed aids in weed control. 

Tucker models the before and after. It was his first encounter with the spreading the straw event. 

At least 4 more bags of soil are needed. There are already six bags of soil in the planter. 

Painted metal gecko hides a tear in the chain link fencing. The remainder of the straw will be spread around the fabric planters (not shown). I have the hardware and will need help installing the garden gate. 

Approximate cost turning the area from weeds to garden. Anything not listed we had on site already. 

2 fabric planters 16 bags of soil for each
Hardware for fencing $30
Galvanized steel planter $130 6 bags of soil (so far needs more)
Straw bale

The majority of the hard work is done for this planting area. Now, I can move some peppers and smaller plants around.🪴

If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them

Went way low tech on the rototiller. The garden claw was $15 at thrift. I didn't want to rent a rototiller for the relatively small area. The metal flowers were purchased at Grocery Outlet. They carry the cutest inexpensive garden items. Wooden bear sign was $6 at thrift. The three metal rings are from a wine barrel. Saving those for a future project still in my mind's eye.

I did have a choice between wood fencing and chain link because we have both materials on the property. The chain link fencing is already stretched in the frames. We just have to install the poles and add the hardware to the fenced sections. We will need to rent an auger. 

The chain link section of the gate will need to be replaced. I want to take a section of the larger piece that I am not going to try and recover. Looks like I will have to rent some kind of bolt cutter. 

On the FF front: The only thing I had to purchase to start my Final Fantasy gaming career, was a USB travel hub. My son provided me with an X-box controller. 

My interest will be in how the characters are built. How they earn costume items such as bunny ears and long tails. Why does Disco Bunny turn into a frog? 

To get into the Fan Fest ticket lottery one must have an active American Square Enix account. If one is chosen in the random drawing, one can purchase two tickets. 

My motivations are:

(1) To be able to attend another Final Fantasy Fan Festival. 

(2) To create a Final Fantasy cosplay character. 

(3) To draw my character in sticker form to give out at fan events. 

Segueing to duties in the Grandma Brigade with 5 month old Mila. Tami Tuesdays include Tummy Time. Baby instruments combine for Tunes with Tami. We work on Leg Day and Roll Over. I take pictures and videos to share with family and friends. Bubbles will be Tuesday's new experience. 

Grandma Brigade Duties Began

My first full day's duties as part of the grandma brigade. My days will be Wednesdays, a wonderful mid-week responsibility. 

I am kicking around the idea of taking a musical theatre dance class on Mondays from 5pm to 6pm. "Perfect preparation for auditions" for the theater. Who knows, maybe I might find my second wind singing and dancing in musical theatre. 

I do believe being active as you possibly can throughout your life will help you in your later years. I now have more muscular legs from dance fitness than I did in my 20s. 

As a child born in the late 1950s, I loved to watch musicals on TV. It took awhile, in my child's mind, to figure out that people in real life didn't break into song and dance. It was a disappointing realization.  

I don't profess to be a good singer, but I love to sing. When happy, I make up my own songs and have done that for years. Still working on the tune for Mila.

Clearing the Garden Space and Dancing Happiness

Northern California received a soaking rain recently. It gave me a chance to try and clear more of the garden area for planting. I am using a small hand tool to pull the weeds out by the root. I don't want to use pesticides, (1) to protect any birds and critters, and (2) to protect us! 

Another rainstorm is predicted for later in the week. The goal is to work my way around the property. I am clearing the weed overgrowth away to replace a section of fencing currently missing. There is a blackberry bush that will pose a particular challenge in trimming and clearing. 

The burn permit for yard debris is only good through the end of this month. We have to time it between the rainy days and the unseasonably hot ones. 

Call me crazy but now I have signed up for TWO different tap dance classes. One closer to home at a community center, that being the less advanced class. I am also trying out Country Western line dancing at that same community center. This form of dance harkens back to my pre-kids life with my partner. There was a lot of drinking and sawdust shuffling back then. It is not my first rodeo.🤠

My grandbaby Mila is now 4 months old. I am the Wednesday scheduled grandma to be with her while my daughter is at work. She is able to work remote on Monday and Friday. Great news for everyone! 

My 150 Gallon Life

The next few weeks will consist of transferring garden soil into 150 gallon grow containers. 

There is one section of chain link fencing in the background. There are three other sections scattered around the property. The goal is to fence off the garden with chain link fencing.

My truck bed filled with 10 bags of 50 yard Miracle Gro organic planting soil. A big box retailer priced them at $9.99 a bag. I, among other avid gardeners, were snapping them up heading for a sell out. 

It took 8 bags of soil to fill the 150 gallon grow bag.  Planted here are three tomato plants and one artichoke.

Luckily, I had the foresight to fence the grow area because the deer came through that night and neatly trimmed all the roses of their blooms. 

If the fencing looks a little wonky, it is. I tried to straighten it out. There is the finished tomato pot, and one awaiting more soil. It too has wonky fencing - hey, I tried my best.😏

I received my first gramma training, part of the Grandma Brigade with the grandbaby. There are so many new gadgets for babies like automatic milk warmers and cribs that convert to beds. 

I bought a two person padded lawn chair so I could sit outside with the baby. So far I am scheduled to have one day a week with her. The routine will be flexible depending on my daughter's work and the other gramma's schedules. 

Vegetable Garden Prep

It has been awhile since I found thrift shop art worth highlighting. This piece even had glitter!

The stick figure's expression pretty much sums up my current mood on this project - hopeful. 

Construction debris have been moved to a take-away pile. Part of that is seen in the foreground. Weeds are being pulled out by the roots. It is a race against heat which is heading into the 90s. In MARCH. Ugh. 

The fire pit is comprised of a circle of cement blocks. A  burn permit was obtained to destroy the dry vegetation. Requirements for burning include a 10' diameter around the 4' burn area. 

I am shopping now for above-ground planting containers, (1) Because the soil is too contaminated with God knows what, and (2) ease of access. 

While the vegetable garden is undergoing a transformation, I am also undergoing a change. Recent events of a move and an injury have me questionning everything. I don't want to do any of my previous activities (with the exception of tap dancing but I can't find a teacher now). No eBaying, quilting, sewing, or thrifting (greatly reduced). No art classes (not while my hand is injured - going to rehab). I did have the intention of joining in the April AtoZ Challenge but am on the fence with that right now. The theme reveal image was taken at my previous residence and it doesn't "feel right." 

So readers stick with me, the focus right now is my grandbaby and gardening. I am also totally intrigued by @bigmerla/shorts. She plays rock and metal songs using her kids toys as instruments. I want to do something along those lines for grandbaby Mila. The Grandma Brigade will be activated in April. Care of Mila will be shared by the two grandmas, and another grandmother close to the family.