Progress so far

Well, the garden has grown. We are collecting tomatoes every day, peppers about three times a week, the corn is doing fine and we will probably get a few ears out of it soon. There are watermelons at different stages of development, several squash, a few carrots, and there are two tiny pumpkins on the vines. The crops aren't large, but they are enough for us to see what works and what doesn't. The cantaloupes and cucumber vines are crawling all right, but nothing on those yet.

We are learning a lot. We will probably do a combination of techniques, prioritized in the following manner: 1. square foot gargening, 2. traditional raised bed, 3. container. We will have one SFG 4X4 that is only peppers, different types planted at different times for continuous harvest. Another SFG Salad, combining lettuces, carrots, spinach and beats, also planted at intervals. A third SFG with a variety. Tomatoes, corn, and beans will be in a traditional raised bed, and melons and pumpkins will have their own "little" area.

We will put the SFGs fairly close together (2') and snake our soaker hoses under them so that they go under each square. We are discovering the joys of sheet composting, and will do that and green manures (ground covers) during the winter. We also want to work on extended season gardening, but that will come with time.

The No TV thing is coming off well. It has been almost two months now and I'm no longer even tempted to watch. The one thing I have to be careful of is trading it for another negative addiction. I seem to be working the forums a little too much. Earlier this week, I found myself thinking about them all day! And even dreaming about them at night! That's too much, so I have deleted them from my list of favorites.

I think it is time to do the same thing with the Internet as I have done with TV. I need to turn it off. I plan to restrict myself to doing only what I must: online banking, bill paying, job-related stuff while at work, etc. This blog will take the place of the forums as a thing of inspiration and motivation.

I will get my information for my continuing education on frugality, gardening, homesteading, and simplifying from books.

I will begin the same way I did with television: I will begin with a fast of 1 month. The target month is August, the date August 1, to end August 31.

Unless, of course, it is as wonderful as being TV free, in which case I will swear off the Internet for good!