Summer at Last

Good morning, everyone!

Sorry about the hiatus.  The remainder of June was kind of dull, and there was little to report.

This weekend was really nice though.  After a late start, it's finally starting to feel like summer.  Scott and I started the weekend with mini golf and the driving range.  It was my first time at a driving range.  It was fun, but I can say with confidence that it will not become one of my skills.

Yesterday we took a long drive out to French Beach Provincial Park.  It was so windy that I had a hard time holding the camera straight.  We got to watch some pretty impressive waves because of it.

Going to French Beach was supposed to fulfill my goal to go somewhere I've never been on the island, but when I got there, I was surprised to find that I recognized it.  My dad took my brother and me there when we were kids, but I never knew what it was called.  I've been looking for this place for years!  

After the beach, we finished off the day with a late lunch in Sooke.  Not a bad start to the summer.

I have big plans for the rest of this week, so I'll be back really soon to report on my goings on and to update on the garden.  It's doing so well!

30 Day Journal Challenge: Days 2 - 6

As mentioned in my last post, it has been a busy, busy week.  But I have taken time out of each day to keep up with the 30 Day Journal Challenge.  From now on, I should have plenty of time to put a lot of effort into each day's entry and to make a daily update on it here.

Without further ado, here are the entries.  You can click on the pictures to enlarge them.

Day 2: Create 3 to 5 simple, accomplishable goals for your 30 day journal challenge

I'm not crazy about the visual impact, but I like the goals.

Day 3:  What are at least 5 things that you want to do in June?

 
Can you tell I'm a fan of The Simpsons?  This one makes me really happy.  And I can't wait to start scuba diving!  I already have a buddy lined up from work!

Day 4:  What I wish I wore. . .

 

I was trying to draw a dusty rose coloured dress and  old fashioned brown shoes, but I'm not too good at drawing clothing and my pencil crayons suck.

Day 5:  What are your summer traditions?

These are old traditions that I would like to do again some day.  I'm not too happy with how this looks.

Day 6:  Write a love letter to yourself

I feel a little bit silly sharing this with everyone.  It turned into more of an advice letter than a love letter.  I was worried that I wouldn't be able to fill the page, but instead I had to stop when I ran out of room.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's update.  The prompt is "write a love letter to someone special."

The Story is in the Soil

It's the first day of May, and it sure feels like it.  The weather in Victoria hasn't been wonderful this spring, but this weekend has been fabulous.  Birds are singing, the sun is shining and there is a gentle breeze.  Today is perfect for gardening.

Looking at my backyard, you can tell that the elderly lady who owned the property before us took good care of it when she was still able to.  There is a terraced rock garden filled with overgrown rosemary, various ground cover plants, a few bright red and yellow flowers, some rhubarb that just wont quit and more weeds than I care to count.  There is also a garden plot that the previous tenants in my suite put in.  When I moved in, it was still in pretty decent shape and even had a few carrots left in it.  But after two years of (my) neglect, it was filled with grass, dandelions and stray flowers.

Today, I brought the garden plot back to it's former glory.  I thought about doing the same for the rock garden, but it's full of big black spiders that scare the bjezus out of me.  I'll save it for another day.

Here's what the garden plot looked like to start with.  Sort of, at least.  I didn't think to take a picture until after I removed a bunch of flowers and dandelions.

Yikes.  I spent about five hours in the garden, and with a little help and advice from my dad, I turned it into this.

There are two rows of snap peas in the very back.  From left to right, the front is hot peppers, super sweet cherry tomatoes, Cherokee purple tomatoes and black krim tomatoes.  In the very front, I planted red, gold and candy cane beets.  They should germinate in a few days.  I also planted some kale in a tiny corner of the rock garden, which isn't pictured.  There's still an eggplant sitting on my windowsill waiting until June to go outside, too.

It was a lot of work, but I'm really happy with the results.  I'm really looking forward to tending to it every day.  And in a couple of months, I'll have some really great, really fresh organic veggies!

An Introduction

Good evening, Internet.  I suppose I should introduce myself.

I'm Kate.  I'm 23, I'm a student, and I'm trying to improve my life.

Recently, I realized that I'm wasting the few short years of my youth and life.  Since I graduated from high school, my life has been pretty dull.  I've been so preoccupied with making rent, getting good grades and stressing over insignificant things that I've forgotten who I am.  I work and study hard so I can make something of myself and improve my life, but I'm throwing away the life I have today.  And I've let the people who tell me that I'm not good enough get to me.  That's not what I want.  I don't want to look in the mirror and dislike the person who stares back at me anymore.

In this blog, I hope to record my efforts to gain a zest for life.  I love to knit, garden, cook, paint, explore, craft, sing, read and write.  These are pleasures that I will deny myself no longer.  I'm going to nurture my creative side.  I'll set goals that mean something to me and reach towards them without hesitation.

Maybe you've felt the same way.  If you have, we can help each other through it.  Or maybe you'll like the awesome projects, recipes and activities I'm going to share with you.  Whatever your reason for reading, I would love to share my life with you.