Yep, we sure needed that new 8 inches of snow …

Two weeks ago, Ashley and David (like everyone we know) had the bug that’s been going around; coughing, runny nose, aches and pains. Will and I thought we had escaped. But I was in bed over the weekend and now Will is bedridden as well. I’m feeling better now, but when we got another 8 inches of snow on Saturday night, I was sure happy Ashley and David were living with us. Ashley did the chores and David fired up the snowblower and snowplow truck and got us all cleaned up. Thank you guys SO much!

I still have the weakness and occasional bouts of coughing most folks retain. But today is sunny and 42° F, so it really feels uplifting to walk about outdoors. Inside, our first petunias and peppers are enjoying the sunshine in one of our little portable greenhouses. And behind the wood stove, more containers wait in the warmth to germinate. I’m so excited for my garden this year; we have several new-to-us heirloom peppers to try, one from the Ozarks and another from Thailand. (If you’d like lots more tips on growing peppers, check out the new Backwoods Home Magazine anthology, the 28th year.)

All around the back of the wood stove are containers full of peppers, waiting to germinate.
Once they come up, they move into our little portable greenhouse to continue growing in warm, humid conditions.

Just before I got sick, I was working on my kitchen, decluttering prior to putting up our last upper cabinet and the two which would be added to make a base island cabinet with butcher block top. For Christmas two years ago, my son, Bill, gave me some LED under-cabinet lights like theirs, which I had admired. But somehow they never got installed. So I installed them. Unfortunately, the adhesive had failed. So they kept falling off. I used rubber cement and that did the trick nicely.

Here are my new under-cabinet lights. We really like them.

The strip only draws 5 watts and really lights up the kitchen. When I feel a bit better, that last cabinet is ready to hang. And the kitchen already looks much nicer … and clutter free. — Jackie

15 COMMENTS

  1. I’ve had back problems and not able to have a garden for a couple of years but hoping that I can have at least a small one this summer. We live in Southern Michigan and we have had a lot of flooding from warm weather, melting snow and rain. It was 60 degrees today. We missed the flu this year thank the Lord. Hope you are up and feeling chipper soon. I have been reading your blog for several years now and really enjoy it.

  2. Sorry you guys are sick. We had it in early December during our big wet snow and we never caught up snow removal around our green house and hoop houses.
    Here is a dumb question. With as many tomato varities as you raise how do you keep them from crossing when you save seed. They can be insect polinated?

    • We plant our tomatoes about 8′ apart, in cages and keep wandering branches pruned off. While tomatoes can possibly be insect pollinated, they are, in fact, mostly perfect flowers, having both male and female parts. So in reality, they pollinate themselves and are not prone to accidental crosses.

  5. So sorry that you’ve both been sick but glad you’re on the mend. Hope that Will is better soon too! I appreciate that you’ve had a chance to update your blog even while recovering. Glad that David and Ashley have been with you to lend a hand. Love the lights!

  6. Sorry you guys have had the crud. Looking forward to seeing the kitchen update. Daffodils are blooming in north Georgia.

    • Awwwww daffodils….. I’ve got five feet of snow over mine. But, hey, the sun is shining and it’s over forty today so I know it’s coming.

  7. With all you do in your kitchen that is an amazing counter to work on! Just beautiful! Hopefully everyone is well soon. Thank you so much for all of your hints tips and tricks and recipies I have enjoyed for so many years.

  8. Sorry to hear everybody got the flu but is on the mend. Glad to hear the flowers and peppers are sprouting. Come on spring, We’ve been waiting for you. All looks like it will be a good year for you. Love the under the cabinet lights. Nice to have an cluttered kitchen.

  9. feel better. we did not get the flu. my son worked 75 hours 2 weeks straight because so many at work were sick. we grow garlic and eat lots. i’m just peeling the last of mine now. hope you’ll b well soon

  10. Been a heck of a winter here in Iowa, finally getting warmer week this week. Watching the water from the melting snow race down the street!

  11. Hope you both get to feeling better soon! I live in Mississippi, and just picked a bouquet of daffodils, so spring IS coming, eventually. Thanks for the tip about the rubber cement. My husband uses those lights to light up the keyboard at his computer desk, and his kept falling down as well, so I just passed the idea on to him.

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