Finding a balance

Cleaning day for me ...ugh. That is always the challenge, isn't it? Trying to find the balance between managing the existing business activities while reaching for growth in skills, techniques, contacts and opportunities - while somehow balancing the home life, getting all those pesky chores done. lol

Over the last 10 days or so in between work and other obligations, we were able to construct 3 raised garden beds in 2X6 board frames. Eventually there will be 8 beds (as I mentioned the other day) ranging between 3X14 and 3X16 (feet) in size.  We have, as you are likely aware, a 3-bin compost system that we have been using to conditioning our heavy clay soil along with other organic material such as lawn clippings, leaves and kitchen waste. The third bin in that system is the most composted and that is the one we've been emptying into the two beds, and while the soil is a lot better then what we started out with it is still very clay-like, so we have added a bag of peat to each of the raised garden beds. With the 3rd compost bin emptied, I was able to start moving the contents of the 2nd bin over... knowing that the bottom half of bin 2 will be composted enough to put in the next raised garden bed. Hopefully by Wednesday I'll have the final 3rd garden bed filled with soil. After the garden beds are filled with good soil, I've topped them off with a fine layer of grass clippings in order to keep the soil from drying out to quickly and to prevent erosion. Because the soil has sat in the beds for a few days, allowing it to settle, we'll be able to plant in them this upcoming week. Dave may have to work around the plants though when it comes to putting in the soaker hoses... so I'm not sure how the timing will go for that. Still - I'm excited to be able to garden a little bit this year!

We have some generous neighbors who have given us some hosta, rhubarb and raspberry divisions and strawberry plants to help us with greening up our property. One of those neighbors also offered some flower divisions but we aren't quite ready to work on the landscaping yet. 

The sun beckons me to come outside and get busy burning calories in the yard, but the house duties call is more insistent, and the office needs some attention as well. Ah, the joys of finding that balance in life!

Dave has arranged to switch our website over to another server but he is waiting on the old server to get back to him about a few things he needs... and then he can set up the website to be active again. It is frustrating when hackers find a way to wreck the site! However it was a wake up call to us to find a more secure server. Anyway, we hope to have the main website up for you soon! - thanks for your patience in this regard.

Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, their radio program, blog, and more at: http://brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, clicking those social networking buttons, or visiting the Brummet's Store - and help raise funds for charity as well!