Have dirt? Then you should plant something, right? Right!
Well, sort of….
I couldn’t believe the price of produce when I was at the supermarket last week. $3 for celery. Tomato? $2 per pound. Bell Pepper? $1.50 each. Cantaloup was also astronomically high. Now, I eat a lot of beans and rice, and as you’ve seen in one of my earlier posts, my weight has been plummeting like crazy. I’ve dropped down to 122 pounds from poor diet and stress. So, when I was at the store I made the noble effort to add more fresh vegetables to my diet. But I just couldn’t believe how expensive fresh vegetables really are. No wonder our country has serious health problems. Good, wholesome, fresh food is expensive. Processed junk in a box is incredibly cheap. Lemons were 3 for $2. Only 3 lemons. Dude, I live in Central Florida, they grow on trees all over the place. Kara tells me, “That’s because these lemons are shipped in from California.” Well, I don’t wanna pay the airfare for lemons to travel across the country. I want a good 25 cent lemon that fell off the local farmer’s tree. So, I got this wild idea in my head to plant a little garden of my own. I do have a small backyard space to my apartment. Only about the size of my apartment, 10×10, but that should be plenty of room to grow a few vegetables…..
Kara and I did the research for our zone, and sadly, its too late for many things to grow here in Orlando, or too early. The only thing we can grow right now? Squash. Isn’t that hysterical? So, we planted some squash. It won’t be ready for another 2 months, but at least I’ll have TONS of it when its ready to harvest! I love squash, so its fine! I’m looking forward to it! Now, come August, I’ll be able to plant more variety. Tomato, peppers, onions, the usual back yard garden feast. But, as poor as I am, I simply can’t buy the produce being offered at the supermarket. But, I won’t be deterred. I’ll grow my own, thank you.
I’m pushing my teddy bears like crazy today. I’m hoping to raise some funds for a bike. Since I don’t have any transportation, I think I could really use a bike, a quick zoom to the post office and Publix, then a quick dash back home to get my knitting underway. I’m thinking of discontinuing the rabbit for a little while. He doesn’t seem to be as popular as the bears. It’ll free up room to add another design, since I only get 5 products to list through the free version of bigcartel. But, who knows? Maybe he’ll get a surge in popularity today.
Ok, I’m off to water my one little squash plant 🙂
madmanknitting.wordpress.com 
Ooo a squash plant, we got cute pumpkins one year, would have been bigger but kids didn’t realise that water is essential even in our northern latitude, this year we have peas growing, I work full time so only one crop gets focus, year after year of failure means I now do one crop, I have peas in and lots of them so the local mice leave me some! My furry babies like the mice but to give the wildlife a chance they get shut in an night, the furry babies that is. I didn’t know you had a bunny 🙂 cute! if your changing it you may want to look at a puppy? or a kitty, I love your patterns, I have a copy and some wool to one day make my own! nah I doubt I get time… If I can’t keep more than the odd pot of plants alive then another UFO (unfinished object) would just get lost in the mess. Happy growing, and I hope to hear in august about all you have added, a new blog I am following is an american grow your own http://decolonist.blogspot.co.uk/ if you fancy seeing other trys 🙂
keep well
Hi there,
I sent you a message over a week ago to ask you if my special green bear had been shipped out to me yet or not, but I never got a reply. I know you told me you had finished it quite some time ago, so I don’t know what the delay is. Is it because you don’t have to funds to ship it out? If so, please let me know so I’ll be aware of what’s happening with him, okay? I don’t like being left in the dark with no reply, as I paid for him in full quite some time ago.
Lucie in Canada
If you want to gain weight, add some high calorie foods to your diet: nuts and seeds, healthy fats. Avocados, etc.
Try making the bunnies with boucle yarn! I still have your pattern and wool give it a try after I get out of the hospital and send pics!
Greg, there are some great Farmer’s Markets around you. . .Downtown at Lake Eola on Sundays from 10-4. Then here’s a link to all the other ones in the Central Florida area if you can get yourself transportation. http://www.unlockorlando.com/farmers-markets/ Looks like the other closer ones are one in College Park (Thurs 5-9), and another at the new SODO plaza on Orange Ave (Sat. 9-2). Don’t know how it is down there, but I know up here that some of the merchants at Farmer’s Markets accept SNAP. Also if you have someone that can teach you how to can, that would also be helpful in off seasons. If not maybe I can stop buy with some jars and stuff and show you some pointers next time I’m down to Orlando to visit my father and sister. Take care.
Greg, SC