Our garden is about through. The corn is yellowing and most of the creeping plants have dominated the yard but are not producing much these days. The grass has grown up around them and the few things that are growing, are not getting enough air circulation to stay healthy. We’ve been cutting things back and I’ve found that borers have tunneled channels through the main stem of most of my creepers (this is why the leaves have all been dying and turning yellow.) Right now, I have about 5 watermelons, a basket of cucumbers, 1 zucchini, 2 squashes, and a bowl of cherry tomatoes on the counter. It has been awesome not to have to buy all this produce and we’ve been able to bless others with it too. Very cool!

I’ve been slowly clearing out the rows to try a 2nd planting of our summer crop. It is taking forever because it is so hot here, but progress is being made. Yesterday we tore out the corn and cleaned out the fire pit. We’re going to burn all the plant materials and throw the ash back into the dirt for nutrients. Today we pulled out the creepers that were compromised by the borers and I made a pile of them at the back of the property to start a compost pile of sorts. I haven’t decided if we should burn those too, or not. The borers have long since left them, so it’s not an issue of bringing back the worms.

We had an awesome run with the corn, watermelon, cucumbers, zucchini, and squash. We are going to flip planting ends and try adding a few new things to experiment with. I still have beans that are producing and the cherry tomatoes are staying put. I should have another complete growing season if I can get them in soon. There is something very satisfying about growing our own food. I also like the daily checking and tending, as we watch for new things to harvest.

Now I want to start our chickens and bunnies!

Oooh, it’s my favorite time in Florida! The weather has turned cooler, palm trees don’t have beautiful leaf colors, but it is still nice to be out of the humid and hot season. My grass is also starting to “hibernate” ……this makes me insanely happy, because I won’t have to mow for a few months and the jungle of tropical plants growing in the backyard should slow down too. We have been able to shut off the air conditioner and open up the house every morning, this saves on electric bills, which also pleases Hubby considerably.

With the cooler weather, I have been baking up a storm. I always get the bug to bake and freeze when the weather turns cooler! This week we made cowboy cookies, Swedish ginger cookies, sugar cookies, banana bread, homemade enchilada sauce, and I have modified 3 different recipes for chicken enchiladas to come up with a restaurant-worthy Mexican dish that doesn’t take forever to make. Yum! Today we are making mass amounts of Chex mix and possibly figuring out how to make those yummy donuts that I miss from the cider mills up north. Mmmmm, the tastes and smells of Fall.

On Monday, Hubby had some time off and my folks were looking for something fun to do. We loaded up the car and headed out to the local gun range. The grand parents got in some pistol practice, the boys were able to show their skill with the .22 rifle, I was able to practice with my new carry pistol, Hubby was happily shooting and instructing the boys. The weather was great and we had a good time.

At the end, we were the only ones at the range, so Hubby took some time with the Imp going over gun safety and instruction on the boys’ .22. She caught on pretty quickly and really enjoyed it. She’s hooked and already asking if she can get a little pink rifle for Christmas!

Our holiday seemed to FLY past! We didn’t want to fight the crowds of tourists flocking to our city, so we held our own little fireworks display in the yard. The children were thrilled to have a front row seat and to watch daddy’s expertise. They both had thank you’s to God in their bedtime prayers about fireworks. Too cute!

The Gremlin called us once so far, we think at g’ma’s behest. He’s not a big phone talker and he probably isn’t homesick because the grandparents are busy spoiling him rotten. The Imp and Sarge miss him very much and the house is lacking the laughter that our little comedian always provides. It will be good to have him back home again.

On the project front: While cutting out shorts for the Sarge, I discovered that if I laid them out a little different, I could get two pairs made from the fabric I bought for just one pair. Yay! The Sarge now has two pairs of denim cargo shorts and I am cutting the fabric for the Imp’s girlie shorts today. Her’s should go very quickly because they don’t have the pleated pockets and flaps like the boy shorts. I am still using denim, since it matches everything, but I bought some beaded lace to tack on the back pockets and some daisy trim to do the trim of the other pair.

The weather has been rainy and the projects have been started. I’m sewing again. Before hubby left I made a cute little summer dress for the Imp. (Who once again outgrew every dress she owned at the same time!) While he was gone, we made a matching dress for her doll and then bought a pattern to make shorts and pants for the boys.

I discovered a lovely little secret called “bottom weight” fabric. I, being new to the world of sewing and fabric stores, usually just go in and wander feeling lost and overwhelmed. I find a cute pattern and fabric and make the outfit. Well, the boys bottoms always wear out in the knees or the seat LONG before they should. I was mentioning this to a more seasoned sewing mom and she introduced me to the wonderful world of bottom weight fabric. Who would have thought! It is a lot heavier and looks like it may even stand up to the hours of playing in the dirt and crawling around pushing cars on the floor! I hope to finish 2 pairs of shorts by this weekend. I’ll try to post pictures when our projects are complete.

As a mom and a female, people seemed to be surprised that I like to go to the gun range for date night. It shocks them further to know that I own my own pistol and know how to handle it safely. I started under my father’s tutelage, who saw that we had a general knowledge and respect for guns. I learned to shoot with a bb gun, bow, sling shot, and cross-bow as a kid.

My husband took that little pastime further and we began to go to the range and try out various types of hand guns and rifles with his gun buddies. Now we are both proficient shooters. He has more knowledge at rifles, the mechanical, and repair aspects of gun ownership. I am content to know gun safety, handling, and the laws. I’ve had one general class, plus many hours of range time, but I still would like to take some specialized classes just for fun sometime. The classes that sound interesting to me, are Shooting in Low Light, Shooting for Women, and Gun Retention/Personal Safety.

I had a very positive experience in the general class that I attended, and would highly recommend classes to the beginner or someone considering purchasing a weapon. Many classes will let you rent a weapon from the range (for the class) and this allows you to try out some different types before making an initial purchase. The classes also provide your state’s gun laws, information on Carry Concealed Weapon licenses (CCW), self defense (castle doctrine, etc), and legal responsibilities of gun ownership.

Shooting is not just a man’s sport anymore. There are lots of women that are discovering it serves as a fun pass time, personal/family security, and a back up if we ever need to resort to hunting for food. For more information, I stumbled upon a really cool web-site by a Christian mom that is sensitive to the questions and concerns that arise with women and guns. She also tackles several issues that arise among Christians that are conflicted on the moral ethics of gun ownership. Hat tip to Cornered Cat for her excellent site! Here are some links to her articles.

General Index of All Topics
Ethical and Religious Questions
Kids and Guns
Gun Safety
Personal Boundaries really makes you think!

***Note, please check all of your state laws regarding gun laws and restrictions before purchasing, carrying, or using a fire arm. Always act in a safe and responsible manner, and know your legal responsibilities. If you choose to act recklessly, YOU will be held accountable.****

One top and a pair of shorts completed!