Natalie Lawrence

Thanks for the cooking tips! How were the flavor of these? Do any of you ever marinate them?

Update: flea market back up and running, I have met quite a few "permies" that would not identify as such and lots of other people who I think would love this idea. Two are local authors

I have just got land in Kentucky right south of the Ohio River. The ticks are pretty bad but not unbearable. Bug repellant seems to be enough to solve it if I have to be walking in the brush. One or two might get past. Dad went down the hill brush once without and was covered. It's not been as bad under the trees so far, cleared areas are fine.

All that sprouted still seem to be growing strong and healthy.

Experimenting time maybe? Hopefully someone else will chime in that's more familiar with the clay soil. If you're just trying to build something firm under your feet it sounds like you've got a good plan to me. I had no major issues here for what it's worth. Just giving a heads up about the mold fungi issue and that mine got water sitting, but if they had been graded to drain excess runoff away I think it would have been fine, especially as the beds got higher. Long term if I had stayed there I would have probably made a more permanent sand and gravel over the chips, but that's a big undertaking. My soil did sort of slump off and creep into the pathways overtime without edging (maybe over three years after I cut them in) with them being lower, but it wasn't a significant problem where I had no bed left and it had disappeared into the pathway or anything, it just became a little less orderly looking raised bed.

I cut in some paths that way. The plants were super happy. My one wish was that I had graded them so the water would not sit in the paths at all. My comments may not be super helpful because it's a different area and I didn't have clay soil like that but I filled my pathways with mulch one time and probably won't do it again. I wouldn't call it a disaster or anything, but I am in Ohio in a river valley and we have tons of rain, several rivers, and muggy summers so they just sort of..grew rot and mold which was..okay but not ideal around certain plants and I had much better luck just letting ground cover/weeds/grass/moss grow between mine. Before I put it all back I was having a great patch of creeping thyme spill over and take over one path and was really loving that!

Good luck!

Okay, so still very positive from my view! My Dad is set on me starting all seeds this way now..😳

I got some old seeds to grow strong and healthy that I have never had luck with. I had some luffa seeds I had babied when I first bought them because I was so excited for them but never had one come up. Now like five years later after giving up? I have probably ten seedlings, strong and healthy!

My worst luck was with the squash and beans, some grew nothing but mold but I did get a few healthy strong seedlings from each bunch. Only two groups, one of kidney beans and one of acorn squash were completely gone.

The cucumbers went nuts. Overwhelmed but excited for all the pickles.

No one brand seemed any different, they were all kept different amounts of time and in different spots so I can't report on that.

Transplanting seemed to go smoothly. I didn't cut the paper towel, I soaked it and pulled it apart which seemed to pull the roots apart and untangle them and for the most part the paper pulp just fell away. When it didn't I just planted it  too.  I haven't noticed any casualties at all. There was some roots breaking that grabbed onto the paper towel but the plants have continued to grow strong.

More to come.

Clothes are 100% tools. They can open doors and keep you safe in bad places. No amount of costuming can truly pass me off as normal for long though and I am a good costumer. Anyone who goes past the surface is going to hit that solid core of odd values and morals and interests quickly. And there are certain costumes I just refuse to wear. I dislike lies, and some days it feels like betraying myself and lying. Then what? It isn't easy going against the grain. It gets pretty lonely, it hurts to hear what people think, it isn't fun feeling like an alien, like you're surrounded by all these people but you're the Weird One over There.. so I guess, just saying that to be supportive of the topic. Frustration shared.

My strategies so far...
1. Know people across all walks of life. Learn about them, then stick to areas where we're similar, there are almost always ties. Beware artists, they mix with all classes of society and are therefore the most dangerous right? 😈
2. I let people be partial friends. Let them know the parts of me that make them comfortable and just don't bring the rest up. Most people can handle a small dose of different along with a big pillar of common ground
3. I make it confident, fun, light, make it a joke they can be in on.. my wild projects become like entertainment, which same days hurts my feelings, but sometimes is so fun to be the crazy one that's always got something new going on
4. I translate my interests so they match the current "costume". Words have connotations, I can have a whole conversation about foraging with people here and never use that word. The conversation may be over quickly if I pulled out Latin names of the plants. But everyone down here does it!! They love that I do it, but if you say it wrong..you might be out.
5. I have to be honest when I'm really feeling upset by someone's repeated criticism, which is hard and vulnerable but usually they don't intend harm, maybe are just awkward themselves and if you say it from a place of caring and kindness and make it clear you want to be on great terms with them they usually respond and try to not to step on toes, if they're mean about it..then
6. Be willing to cut ties. If they really really can't be kind to me on a greasy hair day, if they have no interest in being caring about how they affect me...I mean...are they really that important in my life? Very hard to do for me, but veeerrrry crucial. Even if they end up sticking around, having the willingness to cut them out if they can't be kind means I've truly stood up for myself and proves to them I expect a certain level of respect if they come around again. Having a barrage of negativity removed from daily inputs into my system is soooo amazingly freeing!!
7. I always am open for new alliances, they can be found hiding in unlikely places, I give EVERYONE a chance. I try to never judge from their current costume, the most unlikely people have had a secret fascination with my lifestyle
8.I have a nest of just.. safe comfort things, when all that crap is too much I just hide!!! Escape, good books, good tea, snuggle blankets, crying, stress eating, cute plants, crafting tutorials, only answering the phone for safe people, eventually I wind back up at bees and nut trees and cooking experiments and a renewed sense that I'm doing right by myself and can face society again.
9. Logically I work out if their way really might be better...usually while doing number 7. Really question my own beliefs. Sometimes I really learn and grow, sometimes I end up backing myself harder because their solutions dont make any ****ing sense for my life
10. Yeah, turn to those who have the same issues for sure if I have any in my life at the time! I like reading these posts to remind myself I'm not the only one, so thanks everybody 💚

Sorry this is so long :/

Thanks Anne, yeah I still have a ton I'm giving more time, some said at least two weeks time to geminate. I'll update how the rest do.