Suspicious beans, big girl beds, and my fear of falling for half a dozen roosters…

I’m wondering about my bush beans and if they’re actually bush beans at all. They all definitely said ‘bush’ on the package, and I’ve researched each variety… but they are sending out runners like they want to climb. Hm. I’m such a newbie.

These ones actually look pretty bushy still (they are either Provider or Tendergreen. I should have written it down! ALWAYS write it down!)

But it’s starting to send out long lanky things, and I’m getting suspicious…

Especially because these other two are definitely up to something! These are definitely the Royal Burgundy.

And then these ones are really doing something!

Crazy shooty business! I’ve grown bush beans for 3 years before, and they never did this stuff. Maybe it’s just these new varieties? I posted to the organic gardening community, so hopefully they’ll know. Also, you can see my garlic in the bed just behind this one being all brown and floppy. I have no idea what variety I planted, so maybe it’s just one that matured early. We’ll find out soon enough. I guess I’m a learn-as-you-go kind of gal.

Oh but yesterday Jeff got crazy motivated and went to get a load of mulch. It’s amazing how much of a difference it made! I couldn’t do much but help him spread it around. Tonight we’ll finish it and it’ll be so beautiful! Plus it’ll really reduce our need to weed. The little bit of mulch we put on last year in one section made a big difference.

Before and after (from different views, but whatever):

This was a couple of weeks ago I think, but it shows how grassy it was between the raised beds.

It looks so nice to me! One more load will probably do the job.

Trellises are almost all up. 🙂

It’s all coming together. BUT, I had this crazy realization that I’m almost full-term. Like, at the end of this week I could have a homebirth and have a whole healthy happily breathing nursing baby… you know, theoretically. That’s just intense. I’m not feeling like it’s that close, but it’s likely less than four weeks away- especially because Vera was a couple of days early and my mom and sister didn’t go late with any of their babies. Who knows, I’m not impatient about when baby comes. But I am feeling a strong urge to get everything seriously ready. I have work to do. Thankfully over the past couple of days I’ve felt some clarity about it all and been productive. Such a relief since I was dealing with foggy pregnant brain and nothing seemed to be getting done. 

Today I’m clearing out Vera’s room and organizing her clothes by sizes and then putting them into storage. After we know if baby is a boy or a girl I’ll be able to pare it all down even further and donate a bunch. Then tonight I’m hanging up her art and curtains and fixing her lamp, and her room will be basically done! Jeff still has to put in some shelves in her closet, but that’s it. Oh, and we need to put together her real bed- it’s just this futon right now. But that can be done later. I’d like to stop by the thrift store to find her a rug and maybe some kind of tapestry for one of her walls, but those are optional. It’s not even that I expect her to sleep in there, but I just want it to feel nice and like it’s an option for her. Plus, two nights ago she actually asked to sleep in there. She did until 5:30 in the morning, when she cheerfully came back into our room whispering "I sleep in my big girl bed!" and then cuddled back to sleep in my arms. I was so glad to have her in those early hours… I missed her! My big girl… She hasn’t wanted it since, but it’s there if she does.

I’m going to start posting about my progress with baby prep- I’m hoping it’ll help me stay organized. It’s too easy to try to mentally conquer it all at once, so I’m trying not to do that. Vera’s room today. But otherwise I’ve got to harvest and lacto-ferment my radishes. Also,  had the brilliant idea to make pesto out of the radish tops- very exciting! I’m planning on trying that too, with homemade pasta… mmm.

Oh, and some chickens for good measure. But Jeff and I are actually talking about just going back and getting some older hens that are already laying. It occurred to us that we could potentially be feeding and getting attached to six roosters, when we’re only supposed to have four hens. Plus it could be months before they are laying… I’d just rather get some birds that we can stick with now. Plus, I think our friends will take these babies, so it’s not like we’ll just have to take them back to the auction (although if they don’t take them then I think we will). So next Saturday it’s back to get 4 actual ladies. This time we’ll know a little more about what we’re doing!

Gracie
Gracie

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