The remnants of snow, I should add. We had a soggy inch or two on the deck and driveway a few days ago, followed by a little rain-mixed-with precipitation. Cold, damp, and just not feeling like spring, this weather.

I take a little encouragement from the green that’s popping up on my shelves. The seedlings are trying. They’re really trying.

Tomatoes, can’t you tell?

The others are struggling a little. They’re starting to get the typical indoor stems – weak and thin, that is – and leaning desperately toward the window in hopes of capturing a little sunlight.

Lean to the left!

I do have a few solutions to this problem. Watering takes place in the kitchen to minimize dripping on the wood floor. When I’m done watering, I rearrange the containers so they get a different angle at the available sunlight. Don’t laugh – it works, sort of.

As for the wimpy indoor stems, they’ll strengthen when the weather improves and the temperatures go up. The plants will take daily “field trips” outside to build strength and adjust to outdoor conditions, including developing stronger stems. Barring warmer temperatures, a fellow gardener recommended setting a fan to blow on the seedlings. I’ve never tried this, but it makes sense. The breeze will simulate outdoor conditions and stimulate thicker stem growth. Right? Maybe. I’ll try it.

For now, it’s watering time. Just think of those mouthwatering tomatoes that’ll be here in late summer.

Share and Enjoy

Groundhog’s Day? No one in Wisconsin believes this garbage. If the rodent sees its shadow today, it just means that the clear skies and bitter cold temperatures scared the critter more than its shadow did. Six more weeks of winter are a minimum around here. Meanwhile, I’ll hang out indoors and plant tomato seeds in pots and hope the power stays on in the house so they won’t die. It’s all part of channeling my inner Earth Mother.

My inner Earth Mother enjoys reading Mother Nature Network. I subscribe to their news updates and more. This caught my eye, of course. “Join us for a year-long celebration of The Joy of Less!” It’s a month by month guide to making lifestyle changes with the goal of living more simply. I looked it over and thought, “Oh, my. I don’t know if I can handle this.”

What? Daisy, the composter mom, one of the greenest in the neighborhood, saying no to a minimalist theory? Folks, I’m not sure I can live up to the tenth month in the program: Technology Free month. And what about Month Nine – the future of work? The illustration is a computer keyboard.

But then there are the months that tempt me, those ideas with which I’m already on track like Growing Groceries (Month Four) and Cooking: The Basics (Month Two ). The whole year starts with a month devoted to de-cluttering, and my home could use a month (and more) of that.

The last time I signed up for a green living program, it was sponsored by our district’s wellness coordinator. The whole thing was a great disappointment. It was designed for beginners, those who don’t even use both sides of the paper or bring their own shopping bags.  I found keeping the records tedious and I made no changes in habits at all. If anything, I was way ahead of the program.

But Mother Nature Network offers a challenge. I might not be able to handle Tech Free Month, but I can make other positive changes. I’ll share those changes with all of you, readers. I know you’ll keep me honest.

This is not, repeat NOT, a sponsored post. I do enjoy MNN, and this link was not solicited in any way. I don’t see it as a contest with winners and losers, either. Living more simply can only be positive.

Share and Enjoy