About The River

Monday, May 11, 2026

Joy List Monday

 

Joy List Monday

 ♥ a weekly ritual ♥

a reminder to stop and pay attention to the little beauties and graces that make life magical and to set aside time for gratitude each day

 

 ♥ visits with both of my son's

♥ special Mother's Day gifts 

 ♥ spending time with my parents on Mother's Day

 ♥ fresh rhubarb, made into rhubarb crisp

 ♥ the first homegrown salad

 ♥ evening walks with my husband and Ernie too

 ♥

Carla 

 

 

 

Wednesday, May 6, 2026

May the Month of Hope and it is the Hodgepodge

 

May 2023 ~ Yep, that is snow!

 

Hello Friends,

It is Wednesday and that means it is time for the Hodgepodge!

Joyce asks the questions.

We answer the questions.

Click here to join the fun! 

 

 1. What's something you may do this month?

We hope to go out on our kayaks.


 

2. Hola! Hodgepodge Day lands just after Cinco de Mayo... how do you feel about Mexican food? What's your favorite dish? Do you make it at home or is it a strictly dine out option?  

 I like Mexican food. We are fortunate to have a very good Mexican restaurant in our neighboring city. 

Enchilada are a favorite of mine.

Yes, we have made enchiladas at home. 

 

3. When the children of today grow up what do you think they'll say about this time period? What do you most hope they remember?  

 My neighbor to the right of us has kids. Her son is five and her daughter is a teenager. The other day I was working outside in the garden, they were playing out in the yard. It is often to hear police sirens in the distance. (sad to say) The sirens were getting louder as they came closer to our direction. 

I heard the young girl say, "I wonder what happened?" 

 Her little brother answered, " oh, someone killed someone."

It broke my heart. 

I hope they will remember the kindness they received from their gardening neighbor, instead of the current events on the local news channel.  

 4. What advice would you give a new mother? 

 Remember your marriage ... it is easy to get caught up in motherhood. 

You are busy.

You are tired.

The to do list never ends.

My advice... 

 Make it a priority to make time with your sweetheart. 

It makes you a better mom, wife and your sweetheart will benefit from this time too. 

 

If this advice is going out to a single mom. 

Make time for friends or some self care time.

 

 5. What's a phrase your mother often said to you? If you're a mom do you say it to your own children? 

Sleep tight and do not let the bedbugs bite.   

Yes, I sure did.

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

  May is the month of expectation. The month of wishes. The month of hope.

Emily Bronte


Monday, May 4, 2026

Composting 101

 

 

Hello Friends,

I am going to share some tips I have learned along the way about composting.

The photos I will share are of our new compost bins that my husband built for us last October. Our bins are tucked in the corner of our backyard, you cannot see them from the main garden.

We use pallets to make our compost bins, we have a rotation of three.

We have one pile cooking while we use the other.

Here we go with composting 101...

 


 

 We line our pallets with cardboard.

 You need a mix of brown... dead leaves, old soil from pots, dead plants.

You need a mix of green... kitchen waste, egg shells, coffee grounds.

Oh and you can toss cardboard and newspaper in the compost too.

You do not want to put sick plants in the compost. It would be better to toss them into the garbage if you are able or burn them.

 


 

 We turn our pile as we add more waste.

You may need to water your pile if you do not receive rain for several weeks. The pile should be damp. 

 

 

Black Gold... the compost is added into our raised beds giving fresh nutrients to our old soil in the raised beds.

 


 

 It is FREE, that is the big bonus. If you have room to build a couple of bins to keep your garden waste and kitchen waste, you soon will have your own homemade compost/soil.

 

 

Ernie approves of the compost bins.

Do you spy the little copper dog? 

  ♥

Carla