Gonna Get There Someday

Idaho. Also gardening.

04:43, Thursday, February 5, 2009 .. Posted in Gardening .. 4 comments .. Link

Todd and I have decided we'd like to move to northern Idaho this summer, where my entire extended family lives and where I was raised. I've loved living on the East Coast, but I must admit that I'm waaay excited to move back - I miss the country, the space, the fresh air, and the mentality of the Northwest, which is very different from the Northeast, especially in urban areas. Our main reason for moving is so that I can have my mom around when we have kids. I love Todd's mother dearly, but she's just not the same as my own! Living 3000 miles away has made me realize just how much I really do love and appreciate my parents, in a way I couldn't fully grasp when I lived with them. I suppose that has a lot to do with the maturity I've gained in the past two years, too, which comes from moving so quickly from adolescence into adulthood. (I'd never been to the East Coast before when I moved to Boston a few weeks after my eighteenth birthday, and I didn't know anyone or have a job, and the only city I'd ever been in before was Seattle. I'd say a surefire way of growing a kid up is to put her in a situation of total self-dependency in a completely foreign environment thousands of miles away from home! Things like taxes, managing finances, getting married, and learning to cook have only hastened the process of becoming an adult. I know I'm only 19, but I think I qualify as an adult now!) Anyway, it will be really wonderful to have my family around again, especially for the support we'll need when we do start our family.

Our plan right now is to stay with my parents for a couple of months so that we can save up to buy a car and all of the downpayments that come with moving into a new place. They are super supportive and *so* excited that we're moving to Sandpoint. Though it would be nice to find a rental in town close to my parents and my aunts and uncles, our homesteading dream would be much closer to actualization if we were to find a place outside of town, with an acre or two. Happily for us, the cost of living is drastically cheaper in ID than MA, so we could probably afford such a place. Even if we don't find a place with that much land, all houses in that part of the world have yards, and we could at least establish a garden. Wherever we end up, it will certainly be an improvement on our current inner-city-apartment situation, and we'll be happy. That's another thing that living here has taught me: appreciating how I was raised, and where!

Todd is super excited. He's only been west of New England once in his life, and that was in July when we went to Sandpoint on a visit. His second time will be Monday, when we go for another visit to stay with my parents for a couple of weeks. I can't wait to take him to Montana and British Columbia and show him the mountains and the plains and the buttes and so forth - he's never seen anything like it! (They do not have mountains east of the Mississippi. Believe me.)

On a closer-to-the-present level, my new year's resolution for this year (besides not biting my nails, which is ever the raging battle, sigh) was/is to grow at least two edible things on our porch this year. This will be quite the experiment as I have NEVER GROWN ANYTHING IN MY LIFE and KNOW ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT GARDENING. Nothing. Homesteaders, I'm going to need your help!!! What is something easy and smallish that I can grow? I have a book called 'The Urban Homestead' that recommends Tom Thumb lettuce, so maybe I'll try that. I was also thinking pole beans since they can grow up the porch railings, but I don't know when they are harvestable - since we are moving in August, anything I grow needs to be picked and eaten by then. Carrots? Peas? Seriously, give me suggestions. Besides type of vegetable, I need to know when I should plant it, how I should plant it, what I need for it, what kind of soil to use, and care. Something relatively foolhardy would seem prudent. Let it be known that I have been able to keep an edible thing living - a few weeks ago, I put some sprouted garlic from the pantry into a potting-soil-filled-plastic-yogurt-container-with-holes-hacked-in-the-bottom and watered them and they then proceeded to rocket up beautiful, SOOO delicious garlic chives with great pomp and drama (involving Todd, me, and our roommates crowding around the container going 'ooh! they're groing!') before finally shriveling up and dying a couple of days ago - so I'm sure I can grow *something*. Right? Help!

Okay, I'm too cold to write anymore, and must go start dinner for when Todd gets home from work. It's nice to be back in the HSB community!!

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05:23, Thursday, February 5, 2009 .. Posted by morningsunshine
wondered what had happened to you! Wow - Sandpoint is WAAAAYYY far north. We visit relatives in Grangeville every summer, and that is what I consider the far north..... too bad you are not going to be closer (and before Aug - we generally go the last part of July/early August) we could meet somewhere for a picnic! hehehe
I cannot help you with the garden thing, but you might want to stick with the early veggies, like the lettuce. Most things I know anything about ripen in Aug/Sept. (tomatoes, corn, squash, melons) although, a container summer squash might work, if your roommates wouldn't mind keeping it when you left...

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07:27, Thursday, February 5, 2009 .. Posted by morningsunshine
oh, and that is the one and only Indian meal I can make. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Indian food. but that is the extent of my repertoire! So if you ever feel so inclined to share recipes, tips or whatever, PLEASE feel free, and know that someone out in blogland appreciates it!

PEAS

11:40, Friday, February 6, 2009 .. Posted by vgauthier
you can get early season peas and harvest by July ~ I harvest in July in Northern NH direct in the ground, so containers will definitely be ready by then. Green beans will also work. Have fun heading out west!

And while our mountains may not be as high here on the east Coast, Mt. Washington (which I see out my window), has the highest recorded wind on land and is home to the world's wildest weather. So sometime is not the height, but the might...giggle.

val

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03:59, Friday, February 6, 2009 .. Posted by blessedmomof10
Sandpoint is a beautiful place...... lovely. I can see why you wish to move. Family is precious and a blessing.My family is all in the NW -- Seattle area.... and I miss them..... we have been away now for 4 yrs and I would LOVE to move back to the Northwest....... I also appreciate the culture and mentality......it's interesting how each part of the country has it's own culture, and mentality. I realize I am definately not "southern" in my thinking and definately not a red-neck! :)
I hope all goes well for you in the move,
gloria

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