Eight years ago today was a gloomy and sad morning for our family, as dad had passed away just after midnight. My step-mother and I were with him as he took his final breath in this life and passed over to the next. As sad as it was to bid farewell, the peace that swept over his face in that final moment was just incredible. He had been suffering in pain for several weeks as we had to stand by and watch, but at that passing moment, you just knew that all that pain was wiped away and he had gone to place of love and painlessness, and joy. I am eternally grateful that I was fortunate enough to be with him at that time. (It was the day before Meghan, Topher and TJ’s 2nd birthday.)

I still miss my dad to this day. Of course, as they say, time has lessened the pain, but there are definitely times when I just wish I could pick up the phone and call him and tell him about something special that has happened in my day that I know he would have loved to hear about. I wish he could have had the chance to get to know the triplets longer and to have met Frankie, and to see James as he has been growing up to be the incredible young man that stands before me today. I wish he had been around to see Joe and I buy this old farmhouse we have been living in now for almost three years. Dad instilled in me the love for old farmhouses! He would have loved it. Of course, he most certainly would have told us that we need to make our garden bigger! But, alas, Dad, that will come in time. I promise. I can almost see dad sitting on the front porch with me, in one of the rocking chairs, with his trusty pipe in his hand, his drivers hat on and his old gardening shoes, telling stories and enjoying his grandchildren and a mild spring day.

To be perfectly honest, the relationship between myself and my father, in my adult years, was often tumultuous. To this day, I still do not understand why it had to be that way. And sadly, I guess I will never have peace with that. We had many ups and downs over those years but the bottom line is that I loved him so deeply it sometimes hurt and still does. He was my hero in my childhood. Protecting me from things that never should have been; taking me fishing; calling me Pawtucket; teaching me my love of family, animals, gardening, nature; guiding me along the way; holding my hand as we walked through the fields in Pennsylvania; reading me Uncle Remus stories-complete with the accent!; cheering me on as Joe and I moved to Alaska (a dream he instilled in me); cheering us on again as we adopted James; trying his best to teach me to slow down and enjoy the stillness of life more (still working on that one, Dad!). And all those things override and calm the storms that at times brewed between us and my love and admiration for my father shine through.

I need to learn to putter a little more in my life. My father had the art of puttering down to a science! He puttered in his gardens. He puttered in the kitchen. He puttered around the house. Pipe in one hand, coffee cup in the other. He enjoyed what was around him. He literally took the time to smell the coffee and the roses. That is a lesson I need to implement in my life more. I am constantly on the run. Everything seems like a MUST get done right now. But in reality, there are many things that can wait till the morrow. There is a balance and in honor of my father, I need to work on that.

I love you, Dad, and I miss your physical presence in my life. I know you are with me in spirit and someday, we will see other again and I want you to read me an Uncle Remus story while we fish on a lake somewhere!

Until then!

in the mountains of western North Carolina. Spring is definitely in the air. We’ve had a flock, yes, a flock, of 7-8 bluebirds hanging out in our yard for the past week. So stunningly gorgeous. The kids and Miss Kitty and I all took a walk down the country road not far from us today. Enjoyed playing in the field, talking with the cows and watching the Canada geese. Spent time sitting out on the front porch on my rocking chair, sans jacket of any sort! James worked at his job for four hours today, moving branches, helping his boss clear out the pond, etc. Getting ready for a nice big pot of spaghetti for dinner and homemade apple crisp for dessert.

Can you tell I’ve been hit with Spring Fever??????

Here are some fool proof instructions for planting potatoes. Hope this helps some of you.

Cut into pieces w/1-2 eyes each. All to dry and the cuts to callus over for a few days before planting. Sow pieces 18” apart and 3-4” deep with eyes up, in rows spaced 2 ½ feet apart. When plants are 5-6” tall, fill them up with soil to prevent exposure to light that will turn them green and inedible. Add a generous layer (10-12”) of straw or marsh hay to insulate the soil & keep the potatoes cool & moist. Keep them well watered, weed free & monitor for insect & disease problems.

For highest yields and best storage, potatoes should not be dug until two weeks after the vines are dead.

Because Spring WILL come, I thought I would post a very helpful guide in our gardening efforts:

ASPARAGUS: Friends: Aster family flowers, dill ,coriander, tomatoes, parsley, basil, comfrey and marigolds. Avoid: Onions, garlic and potatoes.

BASIL: Plant with tomatoes to improve growth and flavor. Basil also does well with peppers, oregano, asparagus and petunias. Basil can be helpful in repelling thrips. It is said to repel flies and mosquitoes. Do not plant near rue or sage.

BAY LEAF: A fresh leaf bay leaf in each storage container of beans or grains will deter weevils and moths. Sprinkle dried leaves with other deterrent herbs in garden as natural insecticide dust. A good combo: Bay leaves, cayenne pepper, tansy and peppermint.

· For ladybug invasions try spreading bay leaves around in your house anywhere they are getting in and congregating. They should leave.

BEANS: All bean enrich the soil with nitrogen fixed form the air. In general they are good company for carrots, celery, chards, corn, eggplant, peas, potatoes, brassicas, beets, radish, strawberry and cucumbers. Beans are great for heavy nitrogen users like corn and grain plants because beans fix nitrogen from the air into the soil so the nitrogen used up by the corn and grains are replaced at the end of the season when the bean plants die back. French Haricot beans, sweet corn and melons are a good combo. Summer savory deters bean beetles and improves growth and flavor. Keep beans away from the alliums.

BEE BALM (Oswego, Monarda): Plant with tomatoes to improve growth and flavor. Great for attracting beneficials and bees of course. Pretty perennial that tends to get powdery mildew.

BEET: Good for adding minerals to the soil. The leaves are composed of 25% magnesium making them a valuable addition to the compost pile if you don’t care to eat them. Beets are also beneficial to beans with the exception of runner beans. Runner or pole beans and beets stunt each other’s growth. Companions for beets are lettuce, onions and brassicas. Beets and kohlrabi grow perfectly together. Beets are helped by garlic and mints. Garlic improves growth and flavor. Rather than planting invasive mints around beets use your mint clippings as a mulch.

CABBAGE: Celery, dill, onions and potatoes are good companion plants. Celery improves growth and health. Clover interplanted with cabbage has been shown to reduce the native cabbage aphid and cabbageworm populations by interfering with the colonization of the pests and increasing the number of predatory ground beetles. Plant Chamomile with cabbage as it Improves growth and flavor. Cabbage does not get along with strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, rue, grapes and pole beans.

CARAWAY: Good for loosening compacted soil with it’s deep roots so it’s also compatible next to shallow rooted crops. Plant it with strawberries. Caraway can be tricky to establish. The flowers attract a number of beneficial insects especially the tiny parasitic wasps. Keep it away from dill and fennel.

CARROTS: Their pals are leaf lettuce, onions and tomatoes. Plant dill and parsnips away from carrots. Flax produces an oil that may protect root vegetables like carrots from some pests. One drawback with tomatoes and carrots: tomato plants can stunt the growth of your carrots but the carrots will still be of good flavor.

CATNIP: Deters flea beetles, aphids, Japanese beetles, squash bugs, ants and weevils. We have found it repels mice quite well: mice were wreaking havoc in our outbuildings, we spread sprigs of mint throughout and the mice split! Use sprigs of mint anywhere in the house you want deter mice and ants. Smells good and very safe.

CELERY: Companions: Bean, cabbage family, leek, onion, spinach and tomato. Flowers for celery: cosmos, daisies and snapdragons. Foe: Corn.

CHARDS: Companions: Bean, cabbage family and onion.

CHIVES: Improves growth and flavor of carrots and tomatoes. A friend to apples, carrots, tomatoes, brassica (broccoli, cabbage, mustard, etc) and many others. Keeps aphids help to keep aphids away from tomatoes, mums and sunflowers. Chives may drive away Japanese beetles and carrot rust fly. Planted among apple trees it helps prevent scab and among roses it prevents black spot. You will need patience as it takes about 3 years for plantings of chives to prevent the 2 diseases. A tea of chives may be used on cucumbers and gooseberries to prevent downy  and powdery mildews. Avoid planting near beans and peas

CHRYSANTHEMUMS: C. coccineum kills root nematodes. (the bad ones) It’s flowers along with those of C. cineraruaefolium have been used as botanical pesticides for centuries. (i.e. pyrethrum) White flowering chrysanthemums repel Japanese beetles. To the right is a picture of the painted daisy from which pyrethrum is extracted.

CORIANDER: Repels aphids, spider mites and potato beetle. A tea from this can be used as a spray for spider mites. A partner for anise.

CORN: Amaranth, beans, cucumber, white geranium, lamb’s quarters, melons, morning glory, parsley, peanuts, peas, potato, pumpkin, soybeans, squash and sunflower. A classic example is to grow climbing beans up corn while inter-planting pumpkins. The corn provides a natural trellis for the beans, pumpkins smother the weeds and helps corn roots retain moisture. Corn is a heavy feeder and the beans fix nitrogen from air into the soil. The beans do not feed the corn will it is growing but when the bean plants die back they return nitrogen to the soil that was used up by the corn. A win-win situation. Another interesting helper for corn is the weed Pig’s Thistle which raises nutrients from the subsoil to where the corn can reach them. Keep corn away from celery and tomato plants.

CUCUMBERS: Cucumbers are great to plant with corn and beans. The three plants like the same conditions warmth, rich soil and plenty of moisture. Let the cucumbers grow up and over your corn plants. A great duet is to plant cukes with sunflowers. The sunflowers provide a strong support for the vines. Cukes also do well with peas, beets, radishes and carrots. Radishes are a good deterrent against cucumber beetles. Dill planted with cucumbers helps by attracting beneficial predators. Nasturtium improves growth and flavor. Keep sage, potatoes and rue away from cucumbers.

DAHLIAS: These beautiful, tuberous annuals that can have up to dinner plate size flowers repels nematodes!

DILL: Improves growth and health of cabbage. Do not plant near carrots, caraway or tomatoes. Best friend for lettuce. Attracts hoverflies and predatory wasps. Repels aphids and spider mites to some degree. Also may repel the dreaded squash bug! (scatter some good size dill leaves on plants that are suspect to squash bugs, like squash plants.) Dill goes well with lettuce, onions, cabbage, sweet corn and cucumbers. Dill does attract the tomato horn worm so it would be useful to plant it somewhere away from your tomato plants to keep the destructive horn worm away from them. Do plant dill in an appropriate spot for the swallowtail butterfly caterpillars to feed on. Even their caterpillars are beautiful.

EGGPLANT: Plant with amaranth, beans, peas, spinach, tarragon, thyme and marigold. Eggplant is a member of the nightshade family and does well with peppers. Avoid planting fennel near eggplant.

GARLIC: Plant near roses to repel aphids. It also benefits apple trees, pear trees, cucumbers, peas, lettuce and celery. Garlic accumulates sulfur: a naturally occurring fungicide which will help in the garden with disease prevention. Garlic is systemic in action as it is taken up the plants through their pores and when garlic tea is used as a soil drench it is also taken up by the plant roots. Has value in offending codling moths, Japanese beetles, root maggots, snails, and carrot root fly. Researchers have observed that time-released garlic capsules planted at the bases of fruit trees actually kept deer away. It’s certainly  worth a try! Concentrated garlic sprays have been observed to repel and kill whiteflies, aphids and fungus gnats among others with as little as a 6-8% concentration! It is safe for use on orchids too.

GERANIUM: -Repels cabbage worms and Japanese beetles, plant around grapes, roses, corn, tomatoes, peppers and cabbage. Geraniums help to distract beet leafhoppers, carrier of the curly top virus.

GRAPES: Hyssop is beneficial to grapes as are basil, beans, geraniums, oregano, clover, peas, or blackberries. Keep radishes and cabbage away from grapes. Planting clover increases the soil fertility for grapes. Chives with grapes help repel aphids. Plant your vines under Elm or Mulberry trees.

HEMP: Repels many types of beetles which attack brassicas.

HORSERADISH: Plant in containers in the potato patch to keep away Colorado potato bugs. Horseradish increases the disease resistance of potatoes. There are some very effective insect sprays that can be made with the root. Use the bottomless pot method to keep horseradish contained. Also repels Blister beetles. We have observed that the root can yield anti-fungal properties when a tea is made from it. (See: Horseradish: Disease)

LARKSPUR: An annual member of the Delphinium family, larkspur will attract Japanese beetles. They dine and die! Larkspur is poisonous to humans too.

LAVENDER: Repels fleas and moths. Prolific flowering lavender nourishes many nectar feeding and beneficial insects. Lavenders can protect nearby plants from insects such as whitefly, and lavender planted under and near fruit trees can deter codling moth. Use dried sprigs of lavender to repel moths. Start plants in winter from cuttings, setting out in spring.

LEMON BALM: Sprinkle throughout the garden in an herbal powder mixture to deter many bugs. Lemon balm has citronella compounds that make this work: crush and rub the leaves on your skin to keep mosquitoes away! Use to ward off squash bugs!

LETTUCE: Does well with beets, bush beans, pole beans, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, onion, radish and strawberries. It grows happily in the shade under young sunflowers.

MARIGOLDS: (Calendula): Given a lot of credit as a pest deterrent. Keeps soil free of bad nematodes; supposed to discourage many insects. Plant freely throughout the garden. The marigolds you choose must be a scented variety for them to work. One down side is that marigolds do attract spider mites and slugs.

· French Marigold (T. patula) has roots that exude a substance which spreads in their immediate vicinity killing nematodes. For nematode control you want to plant dense areas of them. There have been some studies done that proved this nematode killing effect lasted for several years after the plants were These marigolds also help to deter whiteflies when planted around tomatoes and can be used in greenhouses for the same purpose. Whiteflies hate the smell of marigolds. Do not plant French marigolds next to bean plants.

· Mexican marigold (T.  minuta) is the most powerful of the insect repelling marigolds and may also overwhelm weed roots such as bind weed! It is said to repel the Mexican bean beetle and wild bunnies! Be careful it can have an herbicidal effect on some plants like beans and cabbage.

MARJORAM: As a companion plant it improves the flavor of vegetables and herbs. Sweet marjoram is the most commonly grown type.

MELONS: Companions: Corn, pumpkin, radish and squash. Other suggested helpers for melons are as follows: Marigold deters beetles, nasturtium deters bugs and beetles. Oregano provides general pest protection.

MINT: Deters white cabbage moths, ants, rodents, flea beetles, fleas, aphids and improves the health of cabbage and  tomatoes. Use cuttings as a mulch around members of the brassica family. It attracts hoverflies and predatory wasps. Earthworms are quite attracted to mint plantings. Be careful where you plant it as mint is an incredibly invasive perennial. We have found that placing mint (fresh or dried) where mice are a problem is very effective in driving them off!

MORNING GLORIES: They attract hoverflies. Plus if you want a fast growing annual vine to cover something up morning glory is an excellent choice.

NASTURTIUMS: Plant as a barrier around tomatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, and under fruit trees. Do not plant near cauliflower. Deters wooly aphids, whiteflies, squash bug, cucumber beetles and other pests of the cucurbit family. Great trap crop for  aphids (in particular the black aphids) which it does attract, especially the yellow flowering varieties.  Likes poor soil with low moisture and no fertilizer. It has been the practice of some fruit growers that planting nasturtiums every year in the root zone of fruit trees allow the trees to take up the pungent odor of the plants and repel bugs. Studies say it is among the best at attracting predatory insects. It has no taste effect on the fruit. A nice variety to grow is Alaska which has attractive green and white variegated leaves. The leaves, flowers and seeds of nasturtiums are all edible and wonderful in salads!

ONIONS: Planting chamomile and summer savory with onions improves their flavor. Other companions are  carrot, leek, beets, kohlrabi, strawberries, brassicas, dill, lettuce and tomatoes. Intercropping onions and leeks with your carrots confuses the carrot and onion flies! Onions planted with strawberries help the berries fight disease. Keep onions away from peas and asparagus.

OPAL BASIL: An annual herb that is pretty, tasty and said to repel hornworms!

OREGANO: Can be used with most crops but especially good for cabbage. Plant near broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower to repel cabbage butterfly and near cucumbers to repel cucumber beetle. Also benefits grapes.

PARSLEY: Allies: Asparagus, carrot, chives, onions, roses and tomato. Sprinkle the leaves on tomatoes, and asparagus. Use as a tea to ward off asparagus beetles. Attracts hoverflies. Let some go to seed to attract the tiny parasitic wasps and hoverflies. Parsley increases the fragrance of roses when planted around their base. Rose problems? Mint and parsley are enemies. Keep them well away from one another.

PEAS: Peas fix nitrogen in the soil. Plant next to corn. Companions for peas are bush beans, Pole Beans, Carrots, Celery, Chicory, Corn Cucumber, Eggplant, Parsley, Early Potato, Radish, Spinach, Strawberry, Sweet pepper and Turnips. Do not plant peas with onions.

PEPPERMINT: Repels white cabbage moths, aphids and flea beetles. It is the menthol content in mints that acts as an insect repellant. Bees and other good guys love it.

PEPPERS, BELL  (Sweet Peppers): Plant peppers near tomatoes, parsley, basil, geraniums, marjoram, lovage, petunia and carrots. Onions make an excellent companion plant for peppers. They do quite well with okra as it shelters them and protects the brittle stems from wind. Don’t plant them near fennel or kohlrabi. They should also not be grown near apricot trees because a fungus that the pepper is prone to can cause a lot of harm to the apricot tree. Peppers can double as ornamentals, so tuck some into flowerbeds and borders. Harvesting tip: The traditional bell pepper, for example, is harvested green, even though most varieties will mature red, orange, or yellow. Peppers can be harvested at any stage of growth, but their flavor doesn’t fully develop until maturity.

PEPPERS, HOT: Chili peppers have root exudates that prevent root rot and other Fusarium diseases. Plant anywhere you have these problems. Teas made from hot peppers can be useful as insect sprays. Hot peppers like to be grouped with cucumbers, eggplant, escarole, tomato, okra, Swiss chard and squash. Herbs to plant near them include: basils, oregano, parsley and rosemary.

PENNYROYAL: Repels fleas. The leaves when crushed and rubbed onto your skin will repel chiggers, flies, gnats, mosquitoes and ticks. Warning: Pennyroyal is highly toxic to cats. It should not be planted where cats might ingest it and never rubbed onto their skin.

PETUNIAS: They repel the asparagus beetle, leafhoppers, certain aphids, tomato worms, Mexican bean beetles and general garden pests. A good companion to tomatoes, but plant everywhere. The leaves can be used in a tea to make a potent bug spray.

POTATO: Companions for potatoes are bush bean, members of the cabbage family, carrot, celery, corn, dead nettle, flax, horseradish, marigold, peas, petunia, onion and Tagetes marigold. Protect them from scab by putting comfrey leaves in with your potato sets at planting time. Horseradish, planted at the corners of the potato patch, provides general protection. Don’t plant these around potatoes: asparagus, cucumber, kohlrabi, parsnip, pumpkin, rutabaga, squash family, sunflower, turnip and fennel. Keep potatoes and tomatoes apart as they both can get early and late blight contaminating each other.

PUMPKINS: Pumpkin pals are corn, melon and squash. Marigold deters beetles. Nasturtium deters bugs, beetles. Oregano provides general pest protection.

RADISH: Companions for radishes are: radish, beet, bush beans, pole beans, carrots, chervil, cucumber, lettuce, melons, nasturtium, parsnip, peas, spinach and members of the squash family. Why plant radishes with your squash plants? Radishes may protect them from squash borers. Anything that will help keep them away is worth a try. Radishes are a deterrent against cucumber beetles and rust flies. Chervil and nasturtium improve radish growth and flavor. Planting them around corn and letting them go to seed will also help fight corn borers. Chinese Daikon and Snow Belle radishes are favorites of flea beetles. Plant these at 6 to 12 inch intervals amongst broccoli. In one trial, this measurably reduced damage to broccoli. Radishes will lure leafminers away from spinach. The damage the leafminers do to radish leaves does not stop the radish roots from growing, a win-win situation. Keep radishes away from hyssop plants, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and turnips.

RHUBARB: A good companion to all brassicas. Try planting cabbage and broccoli plants your rhubarb patch watch them thrive. Rhubarb protects beans against black fly. Some other interesting companions for rhubarb are the beautiful columbine flowers, garlic, onion and roses! It helps deter red spider mites from the columbines. A spray made from boiled rhubarb leaves, which contain the poison oxalic acid may be used to prevent blackspot on roses and as an aphicide. 

ROSEMARY: Companion plant to cabbage, beans, carrots and sage. Deters cabbage moths, bean beetles, and carrot flies. Use cuttings to place by the crowns of carrots for carrot flies. Zones 6 and colder can overwinter rosemary as houseplants or take cuttings.

SAGE: Use as a companion plant with broccoli, cauliflower, rosemary, cabbage, and carrots to deter cabbage moths, beetles, black flea beetles and carrot flies. Do not plant near cucumbers, onions or rue. Sage repels cabbage moths and black flea beetles. Allowing sage to flower will also attract many beneficial insects and the flowers are pretty. There are some very striking varieties of sage with variegated foliage that can be used for their ornamental as well as practical qualities. SPINACH: Plant with peas and beans as they provide natural shade for the spinach. Gets along with cabbage, cauliflower, celery, eggplant, onion, peas, strawberries.

SQUASH: Companions: Corn, cucumbers, icicle radishes, melon and pumpkin. Helpers: Borage deters worms, improves growth and flavor. Marigolds deters beetle. Nasturtium deters squash bugs and beetles. Oregano provides general pest protection.

STRAWBERRY: Friends are beans, borage, lettuce, onions, spinach and thyme. Foes: Cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and kohlrabi. Allies: Borage strengthens resistance to insects and disease. Thyme, as a border, deters worms.

SUMMER SAVORY: Plant with beans and onions to improve growth and flavor. Discourages cabbage moths, Mexican bean beetles and black aphids. Honey bees love it.

SUNFLOWERS: Planting sunflowers with corn is said by some to increase the yield. Aphids a problem? Definitely plant a few sunflowers here and there in the garden. Step back and watch the ants herd the aphids onto them. We have been doing this for years and it is remarkable. The sunflowers are so tough that the aphids cause very little damage and you will have nice seed heads for the birds to enjoy. Sunflowers also attract hummingbirds which eat whiteflies. Talk about a symbiotic relationship!

SWEET ALYSSUM: Direct seed or set out starts of sweet alyssum near plants that have been attacked by aphids in the past. Alyssum flowers attract hoverflies whose larva devour aphids. Another plus is their blooms draw bees to pollinate early blooming fruit trees. They will reseed freely and make a beautiful groundcover every year.

TANSY: Plant with fruit trees, roses and raspberries keeping in mind that it can be invasive and is not the most attractive of plants. Tansy which is often recommended as an ant repellant may only work on sugar type ants. These are the ones that you see on peonies and marching into the kitchen. At least for us placing tansy clippings by the greenhouse door has kept them out. Deters flying insects, Japanese beetles, striped cucumber beetles, squash bugs, ants and mice! Tie up and hang a bunch of tansy leaves indoors as a fly repellent. Use clippings as a mulch as needed. Don’t be afraid to cut the plant up as tansy will bounce back from any abuse heaped on it! It is also a helpful addition to the compost pile with its’ high potassium content.

· Tansy Warning: You do not want to plant Tansy anywhere that livestock can feed on it as it is toxic to many animals. Do not let it go to seed either as it may germinate in livestock fields.

TARRAGON: Plant throughout the garden, not many pests like this one. Recommended to enhance growth and flavor of vegetables.

THYME: Deters cabbage worms. Wooly thyme makes a wonderful groundcover. You may want to use the upright form of thyme in the garden rather than the groundcover types. Thyme is easy to grow from seeds or cuttings. Older woody plants should be divided in spring.

TOMATOES: Tomato allies are many: asparagus, basil, bean, carrots, celery, chive, cucumber, garlic, head lettuce, marigold, mint, nasturtium, onion, parsley, pepper, marigold, pot marigold and sow thistle. One drawback with tomatoes and carrots: tomato plants can stunt the growth of your carrots but the carrots will still be of good flavor. Basil repels flies and mosquitoes, improves growth and flavor. Bee balm, chives and mint improve health and flavor. Borage deters tomato worm, improves growth and flavor. Dill, until mature, improves growth and health, mature dill retards tomato growth. Enemies: corn and tomato are attacked by the same worm. Kohlrabi stunts tomato growth. Keep potatoes and tomatoes apart as they both can get early and late blight contaminating each other. Keep cabbage and cauliflower away from them. Don’t plant them under walnut trees as they will get walnut wilt: a disease of tomatoes growing underneath walnut trees.

WHITE GERANIUMS: These members of the pelargonum family draw Japanese beetles to feast on the foliage which in turn kills them.

WORMWOOD: Keeps animals out of the garden when planted as a border. An excellent deterrent to most insects. Don’t plant wormwood with peas or beans. A tea made from wormwood will repel cabbage moths, slugs, snails, black flea beetles and fleas effectively. The two best varieties for making insect spray are Silver King and Powis Castle. Adversely Powis castle attracts ladybugs which in turn breed directly on the plant. Silver Mound is great as a border plant and the most toxic wormwood. Note: As wormwood actually produces a botanical poison do not use it directly on food crops.

YARROW: Yarrow has insect repelling qualities and is an excellent natural fertilizer. A handful of yarrow leaves added to the compost pile really speeds things up. Try it! It also attracts predatory wasps and ladybugs to name just two. It may increase the essential oil content of herbs when planted among them. Yarrow has so many wonderful properties to it and is an ingredient in our own

ZINNIA: Pretty zinnias attract hummingbirds which eat whiteflies. Alternately the pastel varieties of zinnias can be used as a trap crop for Japanese beetles. All zinnias attract bees and other insect pollinators.

It’s been a while since I posted. With all the snow storms here in western North Carolina, kids being out of school, and it being tax season (that’s my other business: The Bottom Line Accounting ), things have been a bit out of control around our house. But, today I am seeing most of the grass in our yard, hearing the birds sing and feeling like Spring might actually and truly be somewhere close around the corner. Was questioning that reality over the past several months. Have felt as though somehow we moved back to Alaska and no one bothered to tell us!
Due to the consistent snows here, the poor kids are having to make up missed days on Saturdays now. At least they are early release days.

Our triplets are going to be turning 10 years old on March 10th. Unbelievable to me. I don’t care how many books we put on their heads, they keep right on growing up. They have been involved in Odyssey of the MInd for the first time this year. Joe has been the coach of their team. They had their regional competition last Saturday and took first place in their division & category! So proud of their team. And now they are heading to the state competition next month. How exciting is that? VERY!

Just about a month ago, we adopted a new pup, shown below! She is such a joy and we are in love with her. She is a St. Bernard/German Shepherd mix. And her name is, are you ready? Kitty. Yep. Can you imagine when she’s 100 or so pounds and the kids are hollering, “Here Kitty, Kitty!” and the way people will be looking at us?

Kitty & TJ

Recently,  in a large city in France ,
a poster  featuring a young, thin and tan woman appeared in the window of a  gym.
It said,  ”This summer,
do you want  to be a mermaid or a whale?”

A middle aged woman, whose  physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the  poster,
responded  publicly to the question
posed by  the gym.

To Whom it May Concern, Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans.) They have  an active sex life,
get  pregnant and have adorable baby whales. They have a wonderful time  with dolphins stuffing themselves with  shrimp.
They play  and swim in the seas,
seeing  wonderful places like Patagonia ,
the Bering  Sea
and the  coral reefs of Polynesia .
Whales are  wonderful singers
and have  even recorded CDs.
They are incredible  creatures
and  virtually have no predators
other than  humans.
They are  loved, protected and admired
by almost  everyone in the world..

Mermaids don’t exisit.If they did  exist,
they would  be lining up outside the offices
of  Argentinean psychoanalysts
due to  identity crisis. Fish or human?
They don’t  have a sex life
because  they kill men who get close to them, not to mention how could they  have sex?
Just look  at them … where is IT?
Therefore,  they don’t have kids either.
Not to  mention,
who wants  to get close to a girl who smells
like a fish  store?
The choice is perfectly clear to  me:
I want to  be a whale.
P..S. We are in an age
when media  puts into our heads
the idea  that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice  cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver, and  a piece of chocolate with my friends.
With time,  we gain weight
because we  accumulate so much information and wisdom in our  heads
that when  there is no more room,
it  distributes out to the rest of our bodies.
So we aren’t  heavy,
we are  enormously cultured,
educated  and happy.
Beginning today,
when I look  at my butt in the mirror I will think, Good grief, look how smart I  am!

Love note from my husband, today, our 20th anniversary:

“Willy Wonka might not have been right. The man who got everything he wantED, might not have lived happily ever after. I know that I have more than I could have ever dreamed of. Everything I have, every adventure we’ve had, every story that people tell about us is because of YOU. My sweet Lorelei. Please forgive me if sometimes I forget that. The best thing I ever did was to go to 45 Cherry Street that night. Always know that you are the reason I smile, the reason I breathe. I can’t imagine what the next 20 years and beyond will bring, but I know it will be wonderful because I’ll spend it with you. I love you.”

Oh, yeah, that’s the man I married!

Me and Joe

We’re all wearing layers, even in the house. The heat pump is working overtime, 24/7 and running our electric bill through the roof. Windows and doors covered either in plastic or with blankets trying to keep the chill out. Kids stuck inside and getting cabin fever. Expected this type of weather when Joe and I lived in Alaska for almost seven years, but no here in North Carolina. Brings back memories. Must say, I’m ready for some 40 degree days again! But, despite the cold, we’re enjoying our time together. Working on crafts, watching movies and cuddling on the couch. I just finished crocheting Meghan a beautiful deep purple hooded scarf. She looks so cute in it. A little Russian baby doll with her red hair! Still working on the afghan for Joe for our 20th anniversary which is this coming Thursday. (I made him an afghan as a wedding gift 20 years ago, so it seemed appropriate.) Topher is working on his first afghan. Meghan continues to practice her knitting skills. And T.J. has been cranking out some woven potholders. James and his friend, Tyler, have been trying to trap the rogue raccoon who killed all our chickens just before Christmas. Work for Joe has been very slow at the surveying company. This is, in general, a slow time of year anyway, but add into that the economy, the snow and the arctic cold, and there are very few crews out in the field. But regardless of the tight purse strings, life in our home, with our family, is wonderful. I am thankful everyday for our children and the life we have.

Decked the Halls

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to each and every one of you and your families. We hope that 2009 was a blessed year for you. As Joe is stringing the lights on our tree, a project that always tends to be a ‘stay out of the way’ job, I thought I would take this time to write our 2009 Christmas letter.

We have had a wonderful and fun filled year despite the economic crisis that has been so prevalent in all our lives. Although Joe’s hours at work were cut back some, we are thankful that he still has a job. My business has remained steady despite losing a few clients that sadly had to close their doors. Always sad and disheartening to witness. In May, my mother and I flew out to Kansas City for my oldest niece’s high school graduation. I had not been to the Midwest in thirteen years so it was fun to go back for a few days. We were lucky enough to be able to stay with my brother and his family and we had a fabulous time visiting. In late June, we headed to Edisto Island, SC for a family vacation with my sister and her family. We had never been there before and found it so beautiful, quiet, remote and relaxing. No high rises along the beach. Just a quiet, quaint beach town, like beach towns used to be. We stayed in a nice condo just two buildings down from Amy and her family. This was Frankie’s first trip to the ocean! We spent a week there, playing in the surf, watching the dolphins, flying kites and enjoying each other with no interruptions. In early July, we went to Cataloochee for our annual camping trip with all our friends for four days. Always a great time in the woods, playing in the creek, hanging out around the campfire, eating s’mores, seeing the elk, and sleeping in tents. Not more than a week after that, Joe and his mother flew out to Sante Fe, NM for our oldest niece’s wedding. All his family was there for the celebration, all the way from Spain and Ecuador! He had a fabulous time spending time with all of them. So, all in all, we had a great time with our travels throughout the summer.

In March, Meghan, Topher and TJ turned nine years old. Hard to believe when you look back at those early days that we made it so far. In August, the oldest four started back to school. James is in his final year of middle school, in the 8^th grade. Wow, high school is only a few months away for him. Yikes! Topher, TJ and Meghan are in 4^th grade this year. One more year in elementary school for them. Frankie will start kindergarten this coming August. Holy moly. James was on the cross country team this fall and fell right into the rhythm of being a runner. He has also participated in two 5K runs over the past few months and plans on doing more in the coming year. He is taking a break from sports during the winter months, but will try out for track and field in the spring. The triplets are all in the Odyssey of the Mind program after school and Joe is their team’s coach. (OM is a fabulous program. If you get a chance, check it out online at odysseyofthemind.com) They also participated in Super Saturdays at the University of NC-Asheville for six consecutive Saturdays in the fall. It is an enrichment program for A/B students. Topher took a class called Math Discoveries; TJ took hand-built pottery; and Meghan took beginning knitting. They will undoubtedly do it again in the spring. All three of them are also in the chorus in school. As you can imagine, all these activities keep us all hopping, but they’re fun and the kids are learning so much. We are so very proud of each and every one of them for their talents and accomplishments.

We spent a lot of time this summer and fall canning. Made our traditional trek out to Hendersonville to the orchard for apple picking in early September. Our canning this year included: bread and butter pickles, dill pickles, peach butter, 49 quarts of grape juice (from our own grape vine!), applesauce, apple butter, apple pie filling in a jar, and spiced apple rings. We ended up running out of room to store our canned treasures, so Joe built a gorgeous canning shelf which sits regally in our dining room, filled with beautiful jars of our concoctions.

We are still loving our beautiful old farmhouse and we are decking it out for the holidays, of course. The kids are excited about Christmas and we’re having fun making and baking cookies and candies and other holiday favorite goodies. Christmas Eve will find us at church and then home for our grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup dinner. Christmas day will find us up early, opening gifts and sipping coffee and hot cocoa in our jammies and then having our traditional Christmas day dinner of leg of lamb and other yummies with family. We always hope for a white Christmas, but chances are slim on that one.

We love you all and are blessed to have you in our lives. Enjoy this special time of the year and know that you are in our thoughts and our hearts!

Love and Peace,

The Kanes-Lori, Joe, James, Topher, Meghan, TJ and Frankie