Thursday, April 8, 2010

" BLESSED SPRING "

Aren't we blessed that after this long, cold, dreary Winter we have been blessed at last with Spring? We worked hard yesterday getting all the trees, bushes, garden and flowers fertilized in anticipation of a good rain last night and were blessed with 2 inches!!










As you know from my previous posts, I was hit with a wicked respiratory virus a few weeks ago that really laid me low. After taking antibiotics among other things, for ten days I could not get over it and just couldn't get my breath. I was full of congestion both in my lungs and sinus and the more I used the Neti Pot, the more mucus my body seemed to make. On Monday the 29th I went to my ENT doctor. He told me that I have developed severe adult Asthma brought on by this virus! I have since learned of 2 more people, 1 in Louisiana and 1 in Tennessee who have had the same diagnosis. He put me on 15 days of Prednisone steroids, Advair inhaler and Nasacourt spray. I am SO much better, I have my strength and energy back and THANK GOD I can breathe deep again! I go back on Monday and we will talk Asthma control......................

Needless to say, when you're down, you get time to read at least. I finished the 3 book Sarah Prine series and loved it. I'm now reading these 2 series of books. I'm real interested in knowing how to keep my health and doing it as naturally as possible so I'm reading about cleansing the body. The 2nd series is a Christian fiction series by Gary E. Parker set in the NC Highlands and I'm 1/2 through the 1st one and it is AWESOME !!!


This is a pic of the full moon coming up over the pond on March 30th...................




In the deep south, Good Friday is garden planting day....................it started out very foggy but cleared fast into a gorgeous day to plant!




Hubby had worked the day before getting the big garden ready.............





He put lots of barn manure in the soil.............














Then built two raised beds..............








We got Tomatoes planted in this one.................









The upper part of this one has several varieties of pepper plants. I put 6 tiny yellow squash at the end to get started, when they get bigger I will transplant to hills.................











This long row starts with onion sets, then red potatoes, then white potatoes...........
The open row to the left will be planted in okra later today.........
Just to the right of the 2nd raised bed there is a short row of english peas...









Spring has busted out big time around the farm....
The Pines are full of new pine cone buds...












The Spirea is showing out!














this Rose bed is JUMPING................













I think I counted 7 buds on my Joseph's Coat yesterday !!!!!!!!!!!!!!















The Empress Tree has been really pretty this year.............

















The bumble bees love the blooms..................


















These blooms will fall and HUGE leaves will take their place..................
















Today will be spent cleaning out more beds, planting sweet potatoes and okra. Tomorrow we'll be getting ready for a family and friends gathering here on Saturday for a Fish Fry. We'll have fried Catfish and Blue Gill Bream caught out of our pond, coleslaw, FF and hush puppies. I have to figure out what to make for a desert and get that made tomorrow. I hope ALL of you have a wonderful weekend and are celebrating our blessed Spring..........................
Thanks for stopping by THE PORCH ......................


















39 comments:

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

Yep, I'd say spring has sprung around your neck of the woods. We have been teased with weather in the upper 70's but this morning it was 40 and a hard freeze warnin' the next couple of nights.

My big old dump truck load of mulch was delivered yesterday so I can begin to dress up my flower beds. I have a Joesph's coat of many colors growin' up my fireplace. I have a total of 38 rose bushes. I've got it bad baby!!!

You have yourself a beautiful day. Your gonna have some mighty fine eatin' from that lovely garden of yours!!!

Kat said...

Looks like you are going to be busy this summer! What a wonderful looking garden. And your yard is awesome too! I really don't have much of a yard since we live in the woods.
Your fish fry sounds great! What time is dinner? LOL

Anonymous said...

Pretty blossoms!

You're not worried about a late frost? You've got guts, Lady! You'll have the first tomatoes around, I'll bet.

Nancy's Notes said...

What a great post, I love all of your fantastic photographs! I love the one of the moon, awesome! Spring is here, there is not a doubt!

Nancy

Vicki Lane said...

So glad you're doing better, Carol! I haven't set my Joseph's Coat out yet - not being quite sure where the weather's going. We just had some rain and it's getting cooler every minute.

Marguerite said...

I'm so glad that you're feeling so much better, Carol! Everything looks beautiful and your garden is wonderful! The weekend menu looks de-lish and is making me hungry for catfish! :)

Carol Murdock said...

Nezzy....a woman NEVER gets TOO MANY Rose bushes!!

Kat........come on down, it will be ready at 6:00 P.M !

Mary Lee....we probably won't get frost but if we do, we will cover everything!

Nancy..Thanks! I'm real happy to see it too!

Vicki...thanks, I was getting worried about myself! You might want to put it in a 3 gallon pot and let it get a good hold before putting it in the ground. That's what I usually do with mine. I hear you might get a freeze ????

Margarite....come on up girl!!
We will let have all you can eat!!

Pat in east TN said...

I'm so glad you're feeling better .. sounds like some bad stuff going around. You sure have been busy!

Spring is starting to show itself here, but even with record setting highs this past week, winter is hanging on, with cooler temperatures and the possibility of frost the next couple of nights.

We'll be doing some garden planting this week end, moving some raspberry plants to an additional bed, and mulch will be delivered next week too.

Wobegon Cottage said...

Glad to hear you are feeling better. I would love to grow sweet potatoes but I dont think we can up here.I bet they will be delicious. I read Pretty is as Pretty Dies..very good. I will be reading this weekend. Karen Kingsbury--Family and Nicholas Sparks--Dear John

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Hi Carol, It's great to hear from you... Glad you are feeling better. You have really had some serious health problems this past year. I'm so very sorry.

Your yard and flowers look gorgeous--and it looks like your garden is beginning to grow really well. Spring is HERE...

We got cold again yesterday (after our summer-like conditions) --but luckily, it didn't freeze.

Get well and keep reading those great book.
Hugs,
Betsy

Hilary said...

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis but so glad that you're feeling so much better. And if that garden is any indication you're probably feeling fairly energetic. Your beautiful spring is quite a bit ahead of ours. We're always warned not to plant until most of the way through May. It's been beautiful and warm here for a couple of weeks but today is icy cold with a chance of snow flurries. Hurry summer!

Reader Wil said...

Great that you are feeling better! Prednizone steroids are good, aren't they?! I am sure you'll soon have the most beautiful garden of your region!
Thanks for your visit.

Angie Muresan said...

Be well, Carol. Glad you got some rest and reading done.
Beautiful photos of the moon and of your garden.

NCmountainwoman said...

Oh, I wish I lived nearby and could drop in for the catfish fry. Sounds wonderful. Take care of yourself.

Anonymous said...

Hi Carol,
I am glad you are feeling better.
It looks like you all have been very busy lately.
We haven't planted out big garden yet. We were afraid of a late frost here again this year so we were holding off planting for a couple of weeks.
We had a good rain shower here last night(thank goodness!)the pollen was so thick.

Have fun with family and friends at the fish fry and have a great weekend.
Pam

Jeannette StG said...

Hope you are completely over your virus (yeah, that was a good excuse to read MORE!)
wow, Carol, I only know the Spirea as a itty bitty plant, I've never seen one bloom s profusely as yours!

ceecee said...

I'm so happy that you're feeling better, Carol. But how is the back? I've been trying to follow what your doctor suggested - working on dropping a few pounds, exercising, watching my posture - and all seems on the mend until I start typing again. I'm getting to the point where I'm just living with it. It's always something, as they say.
I wish I was going to New Orleans, and it was a serious consideration, but I knew I'd add the pounds on. So instead I'm going to N.C. - where hush puppies and fried anything rule. Can't resist it though. Wish I was coming for a visit to Miss. this weekend. I'm going to check back to see what's on the dessert table.

Catherine

LV said...

Sorry you have had such a time feeling bad. So glad you felt like sharing all these great photos with us today. Nicely done.

M. Reka said...

What a great blog, I love all of your beautiful photos :)

Marinela x

Janet, said...

So glad you're getting better. Spring sure has sprung around your parts. I wish we could plant this early. We just had a hard frost last night and I had to cover up the peonies and hosta. I'm afraid to check out the pear tree, it was in full bloom.

Midlife Roadtripper said...

Glad to hear you are feeling better. The spring does bring good things. I can hear a strong voice in your writing. And sickness is good for some things. Glad you were able to catch up on some reading. Enjoy the spring.

xinex said...

Hi Carol! Your plants and trees are so pretty. Love the flowering ones especially. I can imagine how lush your veggie garden will be after it has grown. I posted about our luncheon get together. Please come and see and it would be nice if you can announce it also. Thanks....Christine

Glynis Peters said...

Wonderful pictures, thanks for sharing Carol. Spring is here in Cyprus, but as I live in the hills we will get a chill wind soon, so will have to protect the small plants. I love spring.

JoyceAnn said...

Hi Carol ~ Everthing looks beautiful on the farm. Glad you're feeling better.
Love the shot of the moon coming up over the pond , gorgeous!
We've planted our potatoes , hope to plant everything else this coming week. Your garden spot looks so rich and love how you have it fenced in. I would love to get ours fenced in too.

~ Many Blessings ~

Lady Katherine said...

Looks like Spring and hard work going on your farm! Love seeing all the work! Take care with the advair, for I have asthma and you have to rinse your mouth out good. I do and brush it too. But it gives me Thrush,and yeast infections. I have to take six pills a day, I call them my yorgat pills for they have the ingredient in the pills. I still have lots of problems with it. But it what Doc says I have to have. I still recovering from my surgery, and a lot to happen in the next few months. I decided to follow my dreams while I can, I started a Tea Time Tuesday on my blog. I so exhausted after trying to visit, as I still not healed and one of the procedures did not work. So we are going to be doing some experimentation to try and keep from surgery again. I may have to go this summer. Sort of a wait and see game. I now have another tumor in the lymph nodes again. I not told anyone, just still trying to deal with all that going on and what is fixing to happen. I trying to just live and enjoy life now. I miss visiting everyone. Still hurts to sit at the computer! Wish I had a laptop. lol Love all the work you are doing. Your planting sweet potatoes? Terry is planting 6 different garden spots. I going to ask him if we can buy sweet potatoes some where! I can't eat but twice a week, I live on Ensure. But I can eat sweet potatoes. Loved seeing your flowers!

Anonymous said...

Your skills with all things green and growing have me envious. The flowers are really stunning. I hope I get to stay in one place long enough to really get my yard into shape.

Shrinky said...

You live in a veritable paradise! I never knew the joys of home grown produce (being a City girl) until we moved to our island home. I am so sorry to hear of your asthma, but very glad you are taking it seriously enough to research alternative complimentary treatments for it. My sister is a nutritionist who specialises in allergies, sadly, adult asthma is much on the increase. With your healthy lifesyle and positive attitude, hopefully, now that you have a diagnosis, it will be easier to manage. ((x))

Deb Shucka said...

Spring is a little slower to pop here, but seeing your pictures gives me hope. I'm so glad you're better and able to enjoy the glories of the season.

Elenka said...

Yikes! It's amazing how one day we're fine and the next day...well....in your case...asthma! I'm glad you're feeling better, but how crazy was that!

NitWit1 said...

WOW do you ever have my empathy with asthma. I have suffered with it from childhood when it was untreated to date. I became officially asthmatic in my mid thirties. Complicated by allergies, I have both intrinsic and extrinsic asthma and have a array of inhalers and medications. Also have COPD--never smoked--with chronic bronchitis.

Just returned from NC where they had the worst pollen season in a decade. It looked like smog in the air. It was called pine pollen but in fact due to an usual winter/spring temperature range, everything burst out together.

I have never seen pollen so severe it wasso visible. Fortunately I am on "shots" and went prepared with prednisone, antibiotics and cough syrup in addition to my usual meds. Amazingly I only had slight reaction.

I hope and pray your asthma will fade into nothing. The Farm looks beautiful.

We came home to dogwoods, redbuds.blooming, some of which were my huge investment in trees last year after the loss of every tree on our lot in the great ice storm.

Best wishes and prayers for better breathing days ahead!!!!

Marguerite said...

ps. There is a little surprise for you, over at my place, cher! Come see, when you can!

Brenda said...

Everything is beautiful on your farm, Carol. (I'm so glad you're feeling better!)

crochet lady said...

Hi Carol, was nice to stop by and catch up a little with you and your blog.

So sorry to hear that you've been under the weather. A virus like that can really take you down. I had something really terrible last year and since developed sensitivities to pollen and mold allergies that I never had before. I guess when your lungs are weakened a lot can happen. I hope the medicine works well for you.

Loved the pics of what you're up to around the farm. That fried catfish sounds delish! That last few photos of that Emrpess tree are so interesting. I have never seen a tree like that with such stunning blooms, very cool.

Becca's Dirt said...

Glad to hear you are feeling better. What an ordeal for you. Your blooms are awesome. Looking forward to the Joseph's Coat.

Just looking at your raised beds give me an idea about the area that was tilled for me. I was feeling like I was not going to be able to keep up a veggie garden. But doing it in the way you have done yours could work for me. You can better control the weeds and grass which is most of the work of a garden.

Have a good weekend.

Thistle Cove Farm said...

Glad to hear you're on the mend; that "bug" has been particularly nasty this year. The garden looks wonderful and will look even more so in a few months.

Rosaria Williams said...

I was worried about you. Hope you are feeling better and are out and about in your yard.

Merisi said...

Dear Carol,
I hope you are doing fine
and can enjoy spring to the fullest!
Hugs,
Merisi

Kathleen from Pleasant Prairie Farm said...

So glad you are enjoying the spring weather! Love the pretty pictures! Glad you are feeling much better! blessings,Kathleen (also from Eggs In My Pocket)

King of New York Hacks said...

Almost drove my taxi straight to Mississippi everything looked and sounded so good...wow !