Making it up as I go along

I had this past weekend planned for a few weeks. I got the idea set in my head that I really wanted to have a garden this year. I buy a lot of produce at the store, and I thought it would be cheaper and fun to grow it myself. The only problem is I don't know how to grow anything, or keep it alive.

Last summer I planted flowers around our trees. Within 2 days they were dead. I guess it wasn't a smart idea to plant them right before we left for the weekend and wouldn't be here to water them. That's my problem, I just don't know what I'm doing.



But I do consider myself a very capable person, even someone who likes a challenge. I had learned that to grow anything in Texas, you really need to have a raised bed because the soil is too clayey or sandy or something. In my mind, I thought yeah, no problem, I can build one of those. But then the reality bug bit me and I remembered that I didn't know what I was doing. I went back and forth for weeks. Garden, no garden. Raised beds, pots. And so on.

It's a funny feeling that I did not anticipate in being a homeowner. I always looked forward to having my own place because then I could do whatever I wanted to it. But after we moved in I had this distinct feeling of not wanting to mess things up and realizing that I could no longer just call the landlord, or I could but I'd be ringing my own phone. Really, I was just scared to mess up our blank canvas of a back yard.

I did know that this weekend was it though, because time-wise if it was gonna happen it needed to happen now.

So I set off for the nursery to buy flowers and veggies and be inspired or guided. Sadly, I was neither inspired or guided and I left with a truck full of a mish-mash of stuff and feeling very overwhelmed. I had a couple of pots and some soil. I had concluded that I had neither the energy or the know how to make the beds. I would just plant a few things in containers. And maybe try next year.

I got home and sat on the back porch feeling yucky. I felt defeated and I hadn't even tried. Then Dan came along and gave me a little pep talk without even knowing it. It was the inspiration I needed. I walked over to the spot I had envisioned the bed and started scheming. Before I knew it I was taking a "before" picture because apparently I had decided that there would be an "after".

Before
(but just picture it without those bricks laying there)

We had a ton of leftover brick in our garage from building the house. Now we had a way to use it.I planned out how big it would be with the bricks, and then had to remove the sod. Note to self: Buy a shovel!

Then we started hauling the brick and I started stacking. I made it up as I went along. That phrase keeps making an appearance in my life recently.

I had a lot of moral support

I forgot to factor in the idea that once you stack and then stagger the bricks on the next row, they won't line up anymore. I had to break some bricks on the patio to make them fit, but finally fit, they did!

Now I just need to mix up the soil and add it to the bed. And then plant my little plants, of course. Yesterday it just rained cats and dogs, and I couldn't do it. So today or tomorrow, that's my goal.

While it was raining yesterday, I decided to make Ava the "princess dress" she'd been begging for. I sat down and started sewing. I had a picture in my mind of how I thought it should look. But since I really don't know what I'm doing I ran into some problems. Lack of planning problems. But I fixed em. I woke Ava up from her nap with her new skirt and she was as excited as me.


When Dan got home and saw the skirt he was pretty impressed. (I never even took home-ec, y'all) But about a half hour later Dan pointed out that my skirt was "having some problems". Boy, was it ever! The skirt is currently in the shop for repairs and I'm just figuring out what to do next. I know it doesn't look that complicated but, I just don't know what I'm doing! It really is a learning process.

So now I have these two unfinished projects hanging over my head . I guess that's what I get for making it up as I go along. And maybe I should get to work instead of sitting here at the computer writing about them. Anyway, thanks for the pep talk, Dan, and carrying all that brick!
Hopefully I'll have some pictures of everything all finished in a few days.