Its not over till its over

Ok.... so I thought we were done with the vomiting in our house. We went through my 1-1/2 yr old, my sister AND my Father in law who was visiting from California (luckily he was back in CA when his hit) - All day long my 5 year old kept complaining of a stomach ache. Feeling I should not brush this off due the past weeks current events-- I prepared. I brought out the old vomit bowl- got some towels ready and encouraged her to put her hair in a pony tail. Well at 6:45 pm it began! I was ALONE --me, the sickee and a 1-1/2 yr old who was CLINGING to my side crying while his sister was sick *sigh* THANK GOD I had the bowl-- I saved my poor rug from a deep steam cleaning. So on it went until 2:30am--- but she was still feeling quite ill until 5am-not able to sleep-so I sat up with her through the morning. I finally feel asleep at 5:15 only to have my husband come in the room at 7:30 to start getting ready for work - I looked at him with the pleading bloodshot eyes. "You want me to stay home?" He asked "YES dear God Yes" I said--I dont think I could make it today alone. So after a couple of hours of sleep Im feeling much better ready to tackle the towels, sheets and Lysol the heck out of this place. I have desperately cried "Uncle" to God and asked that this be the last one. AND did you know that you can SHED the virus for 3 whole days AFTER you start feeling better (no wonder they cant get rid of it in schools and nurseries). I know, I know Im a little anal about all this ---I live for Google-it gives me such good info You would not believe how many times the word VOMIT, CHILDHOOD ILLNESS, AND DIARRHEA have been typed into my browser. So to make me feel better Im asking all my fellow bloggers to send me your kids vomit experience (Kristen I still think your Valentines Day one takes the top).
Hope all of you are staying healthy- its a really buggar out there.

The thing I feared the most....

Happened!! I have diligently tried to keep my children from getting the stomach flu this season- well- it was to no avail. Ethan (my 1-1/2 yr old) got it! It started at 5am Friday morning and continued through the weekend. I have washed more sheets and towels than I care to remember. When the older kids get it at least they can hit the bowl- but the poor little ones let it go wherever they are and with NO warning. *sigh* See there is something you need to know about me- I have a phobia - there is even a name for it. Its called Emetophobia. Its is a fear of vomiting or fear of others vomiting. I have struggled with this fear for years and have actually been quite ashamed of it. But I would like to say Im getting better. I actually sought some help this weekend from a Psychologist (he's my father in law-so there was no charge) It helped quite a bit- but I have a long way to go. So last night I was starting to breathe a sigh of relief because no one else had caught it. Yes! All that Clorox and Lysol worked. WELL guess what? My Sister (who lives with us) was up ALL night with it. And she BARELY had contact with my son- I was the one who held him while he puked, washed his little hands and clothes. I was the one he puked ON. So now Im REALLY freaked out- if she can get it-and have hardly ANY contact with him- where does that leave me???? Lying in bed at night analyzing this till I realize I have lost HOURS of sleep over it. So I would like to report that today Im choosing to deal with this head on! Run to the roar so to speak- if I get it-Oh well- I'll deal! (now you must know the last time I vomited I was 10!!!) so to say oh well to this is huge for me. Now dont get me wrong- I have the Lysol can attached to my hip and I have contemplated EATING the Germ ex and I have made Madeleine wash her hands so much they are raw-but Im dealing! baby steps people-baby steps.

God Bless the Girl Scouts

Its that time of year again. Girl Scout Cookies!!! We ordered ours back in January and forgot about them (well I didnt) anyway for weeks now I've been craving those little morsels of sweetness and NOTHING. Dang! I should have gotten that little girls cell phone number! Anyway- my moment arrived today- there was a knock at the door and there she stood. Bag in hand and a smile on her face- I could have kissed her. I paid her quickly shut the door and ran to the kitchen. My 5 year old (bless her heart) thought they were SHOES!! she said "Wow Mommy I wonder what kind of shoes we got" (later I wished I had let her keep thinking that) because once she tasted those sweet things-it was over. So I opened 3 boxes- (I had to taste one of each) and now I suffer! Thank GOD I bought those Rolaids plus Gas relief this morning. They wash down the cookies quite nicely!

1st trimester trials

So Elaine over at The Miss Elaine-ous Life is having a past post link up-here is my post last year when I was pregnant in my 1st Trimester- THANK GOD that is over
So here it is and go visit Elaine & link up.

Many of you know Im preggo with our 3rd child. Im almost out of the 1st trimester and am glad to soon see that go. One of my biggest complaints has been the starving/nauseous/starving syndrome. Those of you who have been pregnant know what I mean. Your hungry one moment and before you can take that delicious 1st bite you have to run to the bathroom.

My current weakness is Black Walnut (a restaurant here in The Woodlands) all I can say is OH MY GOSH!!! I eat there EVERY weekend (I am not kidding) and sometimes during the week I sneak over there (dont tell my hubby). I order the SAME thing every time. Texas T-Toast Sandwich on whole wheat- no meat- and a side of picante sauce. mmmmm!!! Its this awesome breakfast egg sandwich that I sometimes dream about a night. I have tried to re-create this egg-ful wonder at home to save some dough- but it is just not the same! and do you know you cant find Texas Toast in whole wheat at the grocery- I mean come on people we're in Texas for goodness sake!!
Anyway moving onto the other cravings.....before I hop off this computer and head to BW. There are also the times when you crave something and just cant stop thinking about it till you have it- then when you have it- you dont want it. Take for example: Potato Salad exhibit A. I wanted this for days and finally gave in-went to the store got the goods to make it- made a HUGE batch of it-sat down to a big bowl of it- and ugh!! it sooo turned my stomach- so I currently have this mongo-size tupperware bowl of potato salad in my fridge- probably now growing green fluff on it. hmmm maybe I should try it with the fluff.....nah!!

Then there are the cravings I would NEVER give into. This one keeps going over and over in my brain- for weeks now. One word: GRANDY'S - anyone remember that place? they are no longer in business (thank goodness) and it was "homemade" down home country cook'n in a fast food like atmosphere. Anyway- their Chicken Fried Chicken (yes chicken fried chicken not steak), mashed potatoes, gravy and gooey white rolls-mmmm! The funny thing about this craving- Im a VEGETARIAN- I dont eat meat! So I am glad that Grandma Grandy has closed her doors.

*sigh* well all this food talk has made me hungry or maybe nauseous Im not quite sure yet. I think theres a piece of chocolate hidden in the back of the pantry with my name on it. I better go check it out. Bye for now!

Return Receipt

Have you ever had one of those days when you wish your children came with a return receipt. You know "this one's not working- I'd like to return it for another one" or "this one does not turn off- can I get a new one" Well today is one of those days. My 5 year old is in one of her whining, complaining, the world is not on my side day. My 17 month old just follows me from room to room crying for no reason. I told my husband if he comes home and there are no children to be found- I know nothing!
Its a beautiful day outside- so I bundle them up and send them out thinking "ok- this will give me at least 20 min. of uninterrupted time to drink my tea" NOT HAPPENING. 5 min. later in they come- "we're bored" "im hungry" "can I watch TV?" "Ethan dont touch me- your dirty" "waaaa waaa waaaa" . So indstead of being on the 6 o'clock news headline- reading Woodlands Mother Losses it" I have decided with the urging of my sister to "blog-it-out" and you know what- I think its working. I can make it through this day. I will keep my children a day or two longer- plus I cant find that dang receipt anywhere!

Happy hour station platform garden, for commuters.

illustration by Cecilia
Click Here for Japanese translation by Mariko Umezawa

Permaculture gardening is for everybody, suited Japanese salarymen included. Even non-cooks can take pleasure in growing their own 'Sipping Garden'. The idea is this: passengers will congregate here because is is shady. They will linger becuase it is fragrant. Then maybe, they will get inspired to grow their own flavored lemonade at home. Or possibly something stronger...

The main feature will be a curtain of hops that creates shade during the blazing summer months. Hops grow quickly, have a nice honey fragrance, and the flowers that dangle so gracefully - the hops - are used for bittering beer. Even if you aren't inspired to start brewing your own beer just yet, its nice to know where beer comes from.

http://www.allaboutbeer.com/features/206.garden.html

We will try 3 or so varieties of hops, planted to grow along ropes, and see which ones we like best, and which ones like living on station platforms. Then we can confidently plant hops to cover the whole platform wall, for next year's garden. More green, less grey. To learn the details of being a successful beer gardener, click on the link above.

hops

Blending hop vines with other vines will make things more interesting, and is insurance in case of failure- at least something will survive and look nice. I've chosen a blue, yellow and green theme, so here are some blue clemantis. Passion fruit vines also provides shade, blue flowers, but are edible as well, so lets try it. I don't know why Ive never seen it here in Japan though....?
You stir its juicy golden flesh into drinks, or onto your yogurt for balcony garden breakfast, one every morning in the summer. The roots need cool and fertility, so a big planter pot is essential.

Cecilia at the Tage Andersen exhibition, Rosenberg Palace, Denmark

photo from www.ediblelandscaping.com

barley photo from www.life.uiuc.edu

Barley looks fluffy and pretty, and recalls trips to the countryside. Then you eat it, and it makes you beautiful. Search Google for barley recipes. There is a special drink the English make from barley...I will tell you later.
beer photo from beer haiku daily

If beer encorages haiku, and haiku is about savoring what you have got, then its all Permaculture. Click the link above for some nice poems.

Salted edamame are eaten along with beer, as a happy-hour snack. Easy to grow at home, and they put nitrogen in the soil, enriching it for the next plant.
The edamame will grow up the station wall in the afternoon sun, or maybe they will join the hops on the rope trellis, to get the morning sun too. The warm wall might make them more productive. Lets try and see. Here is a nice trellis from trellink.



Star-shaped Borage flowers are edible. They are lovely in salads, or floating in fruit punch. You can put one each in icecubes, to entertain yourself. They attract and feed bees. If you want to put honey in your lemonade, its a nice gesture to thank the bees by leaving out some food for them. If one of the gardening team gets big ideas about bee-keeping, we may soon be able to eat Tokyo Station flavored Urban honey.

http://www.spicelines.com

lemons are evergreen, so beautiful all year round, and gifting us with useful lemons most days of the year. The blossoms in spring may cause commuters to miss their trains, as they linger in the clouds of fragrance.

Barley can be used with your lemons to make lemon barely water, the traditional summer drink that gives Wimbeldon tennis players their stamina. After boiling barley, you are left with cloudy barley water, like soba-yu*You mix in some sugar and lemon, maybe lemon zest, and then chill.
*water from cooking noodles, that the Japanese then flavor with the remains of their soba sauce, and drink

Over winter, the lemon, the rosemary, and maybe the lavender will still be vivid and green(or blue green). We can let the others die down, to grow again next spring - they are all perennial.

http://www.spicelines.comlavender lemonade

Each day you pick one lemon, mix its juice with honey (melted in warm water) and cold water and put it in your cute drinking flask. This could save the world from having to create and process 365 disposable plastic bottles each year. An. infusion of lavender makes it special, but don't overdo the lavender.

http://www.biome.com.au/

'At arms reach' was Coca-Cola's slogan, and that is why they are found in every corner of the globe. If we have nice things growing at arms reach, things to harvest, squeeze, blend and infuse, and if we prepare ahead so there is always a bottle ready-to-go waiting in the fridge, we wont need Colca Cola. We won't be making any rubbish to put in the recycling bin.
Gardens against Global Warming!

"You can solve all the problems of the world in a garden. But people don't know that, and it makes them very insecure"
Geoff Lawton

I'd like to put the stories of these plants, and how to grow and use them, onto little signs, to be read while waiting for the train. Maybe local schoolchildren can draw them. I would like to have chairs placed as close to the garden as possible, to enjoy its shade and fragrance. Curved benches would be nice. The tiny curved fence is to hide plastic pots, rather than buying matching ones, which could be heavy or expensive. The fence could be twigs and twine, or even corrugated iron.

Do me!

Links
http://www.futurefarmers.com/victorygardens
http://www.thegrowingconnection.org/
http://www.guerrillagardening.org/

permaculture edible water garden for station platforms

Wetland garden for station platforms. This garden invites passengers to scoop water for the plants while they wait for their train: people are part of the design. Every plant has two or more funcions, naturally. Try and guess
asparagus

This plant has dreamy fluffy leaves, delicious stems to eat, and lives for 20 years.

angustifolia

There are so many enchanting groundcover plants with blue flowers, and this garden is elevates them to a few centemeters from the eyes of passers-by, for full appreciation. Trailing varieties protect pots from direct sun on blazing days, and they act as a living mulch, keeping water in, keeping weeds down.
These tiny fanflowers would work too. Thankyou asymptotia

bulrushes
Bullrushes purify pondwater, and their reeds can be dried and used to make ...
Tivoli gardens
...a thached roof for your duck.
Or...
a van gough chair

Iris
This plant is beautiful beautiful. Like most things in this garden, it will be gone over winter, but its bulb will lay in wait. We can cover the soil with some clover-like plant for winter. That will modestly cover the bare soil, and act as green manure, to be tilled under in spring.

Could we have fish in the pond? Since water will be circulated, oxygenated, they will be clean and happy, and make the garden even more interactive. Maybe with a mesh just under the waters surface, to prevent escape.

Lotus: enjoy the fragrance and flowers, maybe choose a variety which you can eat once the leaves die down in winter. they seem very quick-growing, and will make a big impact.

Taro for eating, and looking good: loves water

purple taro

All these plants rely on very fertile, well-drained soil, so we need to get started now, creating wormcast from kitchen scraps, in time for the spring.