I Turned My Brown Thumb Into a Green Thumb

I Turned My Brown Thumb Into a Green Thumb

I have always joked about having a brown thumb instead of a green one.  I have good intentions with plants, but I usually kill most of them.  My problem was that I watered them too much.  For me, caring for a plant equaled watering it.  I literally loved them to death.

I did manage to keep hardy plants alive, to my great joy.  My brother got me a Philodendron as a gift when I was 13.  It’s the only plant that has survived this long.

My parents were great gardeners.  As a child, they had a huge garden in our yard.  I can remember working with them to weed, pick off pests, gather ripe plants and care for my own little garden plot. And occasionally, they had me get to lawn care and landscaping near me to make the garden more aesthetic-appealing. My favorites were the raspberries bordering 2 sides of the garage and the strawberries.

When I was given my own little corner plot, I planted Shasta daisies, echinacea, and zinnia among a few other flowers.  I loved flowers and the butterflies that they drew to our yard.  My Mother had flower gardens in raised planters that my Father built all over our property.

After my own children were born, I gave plants a renewed interest.  I tried a few easy house plants, a few palms, some morning glories outside during the warm months, hanging petunias or impatiens.  I tried peppers many times but they rarely produced peppers and if they did, were never large enough to eat.    I’ve overloved and killed many orchids over the years.

With the addition of extreme allergies to my life, I’ve had to learn to grow my own food.  Organic food from health food stores is usually incredibly expensive and is not always guaranteed to be corn free.  The safest option is home grown because I control all of the factors of what my food is exposed to.

When I first moved to this house, my Mom helped me plant a small outdoor garden.  The weeds overtook it to my great frustration.  Creeping Charlie choked out most of my plants.  I did get some tomatoes and small ears of corn (ironic, right? This was pre-corn allergy.). After that, I gave up planting in the ground.  Nate built me a planter around the mulberry tree in the backyard, which I grew flowers and hostas in, for an easy to maintain, decorative garden.

Inside, I grew potted plants.  I tried basil by the sink but I ended up overwatering it.  My next sink plant was rosemary, which, as it turns out, LOVES being overwatered.  In fact, if I don’t water it often, it starts to die.  I also grow potted plants on my porch and bring them inside over winter.  My theory was, if they die, that’s ok because they would have died if I had left them outside to die by frost.  If they live, I have another plant to enjoy.

This last year, my gardening skills have grown, as has the number of plants in and out.  I have several plants that live inside year round, Outside, on my porch, my number of potted plants has grown. After installing a critter fence, it was clear that the plants where staying healthier and growing faster. Those pesky critters can really make a dent in most plants. Those interested in the specific fence used, I found it here. I renewed my attempt for ground grown plants.  I planted several things around the porch outside and started a new side garden.  I’ve also planted raspberries and blueberries along the fence.

I am not an expert gardener.  I have, however, turned my brown thumb into a green one with persistence and determination.  I’ve never given up.  If my plants die, I try again.  I do more research. The best way I’ve learned is by experience and trial and error.

I recommend everyone give gardening a try.  It is so rewarding.  When I eat food from my own garden, I have a great pride and satisfaction that I have never gotten from bought food.

If you are afraid of killing plants, don’t let that deter you!  Keep trying!  Start with potted plants.  Try something easy to maintain, like impatiens, petunias, philodendrons, or palms like I did.  Otherwise, try checking out the end of the year plant sales that most greenhouses have.  You can usually get plants cheap or for free.  Use the mindset that if it dies, at least you tried.  Research what you can do differently next time.

Do you care for any plants?  What do you grow?  Have you also overcome a brown thumb or has gardening come naturally to you?

Check out my video for a tour of my garden!

Historic Fort Snelling

5 Week Workout Challenge: Week 4, Day 2
Historic Fort Snelling

Today we visited Fort Snelling.  My parents, my sisters Shannon and Liz and Liz’s boyfriend Jimmy had a lot of fun!  We’ve been here many times and every time I find something new to enjoy.

Although I’ve always visited Fort Snelling as a tourist, my Dad visited as a child, before it was restored as a historic landmark.  When he was a child, his uncle and cousins lived here!

Fort Snelling has always been one of my sister Liz’s favorite places.  Since she was a child, she’s always loved the cannon blast.  That might be because, when she was little, my Dad used to tell her that they set it off just for her.

After hearing the cannons go off, we went to get root beer and cream soda for the non-allergy people.  Then, we practiced walking on stilts.  My Dad was the best, to everyone’s amazement.

We checked out some of the usual buildings, like the tower and the schoolhouse, but my favorite was the medical rooms.  There were some new displays that I haven’t seen before.  I especially got a kick out of the weather diary.  The climate here was judged “the most excessive among all military posts in The United States.”

Liz, Jimmy and the kids had great fun making star wands in the arts and crafts building.  Liz has always excelled in making a four-sided star.  In usual tradition, she gave her star to the youngest in our family, Princess.  Jimmy was kind enough to give his star to Mr. Awesome.

After we were done for the day, we cooled off inside the gift shop and art gallery area before heading to our cars.  This year’s exhibit was a display of beautiful photography by Paul Kitagaki.  Accompanying the portraits were moving stories of families and people who had lived through the Japanese internment.  There was also a fascinating display of old clocks.

Later that night, we met up with my friend Joleen and her son Drake for fireworks at our local golf course.  It was a lovely evening.  The fireworks were beautiful and seemed to be right on top of us.  It was the perfect finish to a fun day.

Have you been to Fort Snelling?  What is your favorite part?  What historic sites are near your home?  I’d love to hear about it, share a link to your blog post in the comments!

Check out our video!

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4 Year Old Adventure

4 Year Old Adventure
5 Week Workout Challenge: Week 3, Day 4

The big kids went to the drive in with Grandma and Grandpa, so Princess and I decided to go on an adventure.  We went on a walk downtown and along the river.  It was the perfect evening for a walk and we had a lot of fun!

Princess LOVES going for walks.  She is a little outdoors girl.  If we could live outside, she would be so happy.  One of her favorite activities is camping.  She’s always asking me when we can go play outside together.  I let her lead us on this 4-year-old adventure.

I’m naturally a home body.  I love hiding inside.  I’m always looking for ways to motivate myself to go outdoors more because the outdoors are beautiful and they always make me feel closer to God.  Doing this exercise challenge has been a great way to do that.  I do love to explore new places too, but it’s nice to have a little girl who pushes me to do so.

I hope we’ve been inspiring you to get outdoors too if you are naturally a home body like me.  Exercise doesn’t have to be gruesome and horrible.  Getting outside, exploring the world and all of the wonders that God created for us to enjoy is fun and exciting.  The person who moves slowly on the trail is still moving faster than the person at home on their couch.  So get out there and get some fresh air!

Have we motivated you to get outside this week?  Do your kids love to go outside as much as my little outdoor girl?

5 Week Workout Challenge
Previous Week: Week 3, Day 3: Covered Bridge Park
Next Week: Week 4, Day 1: Morning Workout

 

The Only Covered Bridge In Minnesota!

5 Week Workout Challenge: Week 3, Day 3
2nd Convention Day, Covered Bridge Park

The second day of the “Don’t Give Up!” convention was great!  I felt bad for the people next to us because the kids had to get up and go the bathroom in alternating shifts.  I suppose that’s typical with kids.  Since my kids are all getting older, they sit pretty well except for the bathroom breaks.

After the convention, Princess wanted to go all the way to the top of the parking ramp.  I brought us up and parked the van so the kids could take in the view.  It was a beautiful and windy day in Rochester.

On the way home, we stopped in Zumbrota to see the covered bridge.  I have always wanted to go check it out.  It’s really beautiful and in great shape!  I’m so glad we got a chance to visit!

We took a walk along the creek and then stopped at an amazing wooden park.  It reminded me of a park that used to be in Burnsville called Skyland.  It was torn down to put in a modern park several years ago, which has always made me sad.  I loved playing at Skyland when I was younger.  I’m really glad the children had the chance to enjoy this park.  They want to come back every time there is a convention.

Park Info: http://www.ci.zumbrota.mn.us/index.asp?SEC=F8BD36E0-EA64-410F-B42C-3C819352F226&DE=05948FF6-7AB9-4FDC-996C-29FBF2FD779B&Type=B_BASIC

Have you been to the covered bridge in Zumbrota or do you have one near where you live?  I’d love to hear about it or see your pictures!

UPDATE: I made a typo!  It turns out that it was advertised as the only remaining “original” covered bridge in the state.  There are other “non-original” covered bridges.  I did find a list of all of the covered bridges, check it out!  http://www.dalejtravis.com/cblist/cbmn.htm

5 Week Workout Challenge
Previous Week: Week 3, Day 2: 1st Convention Day, Rochester
Next Week: Week 3, Day 4: 4-Year-Old Adventure

Enjoying A Lovely Day In Rochester

5 Week Workout Challenge: Week 3, Day 2
1st Convention Day, Rochester MN

Today was the first day of the “Don’t Give Up!” convention.  We really enjoyed it!  We left right before lunchtime.  Every time I’ve tried to stay for the second half, I’ve had an anaphylactic attack from airborne food allergies.  The last time, I had to have my dear friend Karen drive me home because I couldn’t walk, much less drive.

I could have gone to the E.R., but I usually try to avoid it if at all possible because there’s always the potential that they could do more harm than good with corn allergies.  Hospitals are full of corn derivatives.  In the severe allergy support group I’m part of, I often hear stories about how the ER accidentally gave them something that made them worse because they didn’t understand what was safe and what wasn’t.

This was the first time I left during the final song instead of after.  I think this was also the only time I’ve ever left not gasping for air or incredibly dizzy.  From now on, I’ll always leave during the final song before lunch.  I always wish that I could stay, but I’m thankful that I’m at least able to attend the first half.

My favorite part of the conventions is hearing the singing of thousands of people.  I love the Kingdom songs and hearing that many beautiful voices always brings tears to my eyes.  Seeing everyone work together to pull off such a large event is always another of my favorite parts.  There are always so many smiles, helpful people and a feeling of love and unity that I haven’t found anywhere else.

After leaving, the kids and I enjoyed a walk along the river in Rochester.  It was a beautiful day.  When we got home, Cat and I stopped by our local health food store for gluten free tortillas, then made a quick trip to the library to return books.

I’ve challenged Cat to read four classics over the summer.  She really enjoyed Romeo and Juliet during school.  Hopefully, she’ll learn to love the older classics as I have.  Lately, she’s been into learning about Japan and learning more about drawing.

Have you attended the “Don’t Give Up!” convention yet?  What was your favorite part?

5 Week Workout Challenge
Previous Week: Week 3, Day 1: Hastings Riverwalk
Next Week: Week 3, Day 3: Covered Bridge Park

Hastings Riverwalk

5 Week Workout Challenge: Week 3, Day 1
Hastings Riverwalk

We started off week three with a walk along the river in Hastings, Minnesota.

Before leaving for our walk, Princess enjoyed checking out our lilies at home.  This is the third year since we planted them and they’re doing great!  I can’t believe how many came up this year!

We’ve enjoyed walking Hastings Riverwalk many times.  This is where I took the kids pictures a few years ago.  The Hastings Rivertown Carnival is also hosted here every year.  Earlier this year, Cat and I came here for our 52 project, cold.

Along the trail, there are a lot of interesting things to see.  There are giant vine woven orbs hanging in the trees as part of an art installation.  I got the privilege to see the artist creating them since his studio is not too far from my house.  There is a great view of the new Hastings bridge.  There’s a spot on the side of the trail that has a piece of the old Hastings bridge.  Along the trail, there are signs with bits of history of the area.  There are a lot of beautiful wildflowers everywhere too.

At one point when we were exploring the edge of the river, Nate found a tiny, baby frog.  As it turns out, they were all over the place!  They blend in so well with the ground that it’s difficult to see them, even if you’re looking right at them!  I really hope we didn’t step on any of the little guys!

After our walk, we went to pick up a desk for Cat’s room that we found on Craigslist.  We got to travel quite a ways into Wisconsin and explore an area we’d never been before.  After that, we picked up pizza at Papa Murphy’s for the gluten tolerant side of the family.  Then we came home and made gluten free pizza for Cat, Princess and me.  We watched Enchanted for family night while eating in the living room.  It was a great way to end a fun day!

Have you been on the Hastings Riverwalk?  What is your favorite part?

5 Week Workout Challenge
Previous Week: Week 2, Day 4: 2nd Plank Challenge
Next Day: Week 3, Day 2: 1st Convention Day, Rochester

Swimming By The Ruins of an Old Mill

Swimming By The Ruins of an Old Mill
5 Week Workout Challenge: Week 2, Day 2
Old Mill Park

Nate has been working on the RV a lot recently.  He took off a week of work and spent most of that time taking off the old roof and damaged wood and rebuilding it.  By taking the kids on hikes, I can keep them out of the way while the debris is on the ground.  At the end of the day, I help him clean up the garbage and put the tarp back on.  I plan on making a few posts on the progress he’s made.

Since it was a hot day, I let the kids wear swimming suits for our hike.  With swimming on their little minds, the idea of a hot hike to view the falls was not an exciting prospect.  They were little troopers and made the whole hike there and back before making our way down to the river.

Getting from the top of the cliff down to the river is not an easy feat.  It’s not extremely difficult, but it’s also not an easy climb.  There are two ways down, one is through the debris of the old mill.  The other is down some very small wooden steps.  The wooden steps end and leave one to slowly work down the rocks that have become smooth and slippery from frequent visitors.

Once you arrive at the bottom, the view is breathtaking.  The river is bordered by tall limestone cliffs.  On one side, the old mill towers into the sky.  It’s amazing that it’s still standing after a fire 123 years ago.  If you look close enough, you can see charred wood on some of the pieces up higher on the wall.  I can only imagine, that if it hadn’t been burned by arsonists, it would still be a beautiful and impressive building today.

The kids had a lot of fun playing in the water, building sand castles and relaxing in the cool water.  We found a spot in the rocks where a small spring trickles down to the river.  Cat found a little creature that may have been a baby crayfish.  Mr. Awesome built it a giant wall so it would have more space to move about in.

This is one of our favorite spots to visit and we recommend it for all ages.  There are parking lots on both the side of the falls and the ruins which make it easy for a short walk to a view.  Most of the paths are asphalt and easy to walk.  We took a few off road paths on this day since we are more familiar with the area.

Have you been to see the Vermillion Falls of the old mill ruins?  Let us know in the comments!

Basic Park Info: http://www.hastingsmn.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/76/485
All Trails: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/minnesota/vermillion-river-old-mill-park-to-vermillion-slough

 

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A Park Merges Rich History With Green Design

5 Week Workout Challenge: Week 1, Day 5
Spring Lake Park, Schaar’s Bluff

Spring Lake Park is one of my favorite places to take walks with the family.  The views are breathtaking, the trails are very well maintained and there are bonfire pits at several locations throughout the park.

Spring Lake Park has an interesting history.  There are native american artifacts that show evidence of villages and campsites dating from 1000 B.C to A.D. 1400!  In the 1930’s, a dam was built, flooding the river basin and spring lake merged to join the Mississippi.  In more recent history, Schaar’s Bluff was a family farm that was eventually sold to Dakota County.

Since then, the park has been working on providing a place where visitors can learn about American Indian history.  Nine years ago, the park opened Dakota County’s first net-zero-energy building.  The Gathering Hall gets 90 percent of it’s energy from an onsite wind turbine.  This spring, it opened it’s recently expanded trail to merge with the Mississippi River Trail.

We had originally planned on hiking a hidden trail we hadn’t previously explored.  Upon arrival, we saw that the new trail had been completed.  We were really excited to check it out.

We enjoyed seeing the beautiful prairie, full of wildflowers.  As we progressed on the trail, we could see several newly planted oak trees and strips of wheat bordering the path.  We took time to rest at the picnic tables overlooking the river and planned a future picnic.  The kids enjoyed climbing the rocks in the newly carved limestone wall.  The huge bridge crossing a ravine was an interesting design of plain lumber and rusted metal that made the kids question it’s age and safety.  I assured them that it was new and probably quite safe.

I have a feeling that we’ll love visiting and walking the new trail just as much as we love the old ones.  I really recommend this park for anyone interested.  It’s great for biking, hiking, picnics, outdoor gatherings, photo shoots, weddings, playing at the park, and watching the sun set.

Have you ever visited Schaar’s Bluff?  What is your favorite spot?

Main Park Info:
https://www.co.dakota.mn.us/parks/parksTrails/SpringLake/Pages/schaars-bluff-trailhead.aspx
https://www.co.dakota.mn.us/parks/parksTrails/SpringLake

5 Week Workout Challenge
Previous Week: Day 4: Minnehaha Falls
Next Week: Week 2, Day 1: Workout At Home

Minnehaha Falls

5 Week Workout Challenge: Week 1, Day 4
Minnehaha Creek Trail

I haven’t been to Minnehaha Falls for a while, so I was really looking forward to our hike.  Minnehaha Falls feels like home.  My Maternal Grandparents used to live not too far from the park, so we frequently enjoyed walks along the river’s edge, flying kites in the fields, family gatherings at the pavilion, family reunions, outdoor concerts and events, picnics, playing at the park and so much more.

I can remember being little and looking up at the huge oak trees with wonder.  I love oak trees, maybe because they live in so many of my happy memories.  I remember going on walks with my parents or grandparents and taking in the beautiful marvels that are everywhere.  I love being able to share its beauty with my children and allowing them to make their own memories.

As I walked the paths, I mulled over the memories of a lifetime at this park.  I saw myself grow up.  I saw my Mother, and my Grandmother, who also grew up here.  My great-grandmother would have seen the park when it was new.  I wondered about the Native Americans who lived here before us and the history of the park.  I hope someday my children will pass on the legacy of love of Minnehaha Falls and bring their own children here.

I found that that the park had more history than I could have imagined!  There is a great blog about the history of the falls here.  It was once the location to a zoo!  I knew about the mill that once was a bit further away from the falls because I had climbed down the remains once.  The dog park was once a limestone quarry, which ended up supplying much of the park with limestone for steps and walls.  I loved learning about the different bridges at the bottom of the falls and seeing images of how the falls have looked over the years.

Basic Park Info: https://www.minneapolisparks.org/parks__destinations/parks__lakes/minnehaha_regional_park/
All Trails: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/minnesota/minnehaha-creek-trail

5 Week Workout Challenge
Previous Week: Day 3: Hay Creek
Next Week: Day 5: Spring Lake Park

Cooling Off in Hay Creek

5 Week Workout Challenge: Week 1, Day 3
Hay Creek

For day three, we drove to Red Wing to check out the Hay Creek Cross Country Trail.  The kids loved playing with the tongue twister of a name after I accidentally mispronounced it Cross Crunchy Trail.  None of us had been there before, so we weren’t sure what kind of a trail we’d find.

As it turns out, there isn’t an exact address for the parking lot, or at least, it’s not easy to find.  Instead, we followed the directions on the state’s website.  On the way there, we hit some major road construction.  The entire road was closed to through traffic.  Thankfully, we were able to get through on a scenic dirt road which led to the park.

Once at the park, we could not figure out where the correct trail for the cross country trail was.  There were several trails all in the same area, all crisscrossing and none were clearly marked.  Several were not well maintained and looked overgrown.  We ended up finding faded hand-painted signs in the overgrown brush for a couple of the trails, but none of them was the cross country trail.  Eventually, we gave up and followed the clearest path.

The Goodhue Pioneer State Trail is a wide, paved walking path.  We encountered several bikers and a couple of other walkers, but it was relatively quiet and peaceful.  There did happen to be a lot of gnats, but that’s pretty typical for this time of year.  The trail was strangely covered with dead snails, perhaps from the recent rain storms.

At one point, we found a wooden bridge with a path leading down to the creek.  We took off our shoes and waded into the clear, shallow water.  It was ice cold and felt great on such a hot and humid day.

We walked a little further past the bridge till we had walked a mile.  We stopped in the shade and let the kids have a snack.  Then we turned around to head back.

At one point, the kids found a live snail.  They gave it some fresh water to drink before putting it in the woods.  I had no idea snails lived out of the water.

Although the cross country trail might not be good for summertime hikes, maybe it’s a good trail to check out for cross-country skiing.  I recommend the Goodhue Trail if you’re in the area and looking for a relaxing walk or bike ride.

Basic Park Info: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_forests/facilities/cmp00040/index.html
Map: http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/maps/state_forests/cmp00040.pdf
All Trails Info: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/minnesota/hay-creek-unit-rj-dorer-memorial-hardwood-state-forest

5 Week Workout Challenge
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