A Trip to Longwood Gardens
Two years ago Mr Chiots and I took a trip to Longwood Gardens. It’s such a wonderful place. Longwood Gardens is great for anyone who loves flowers, trees, gardening and architecture. Located on 1,050 acres with 20 indoor and 20 outdoor gardens, you’ll find beauty at every turn. There are fountains, wooded gardens, Japanese gardens, vegetable gardens, rose gardens and pretty much anything you can think of. In the spring they have a tulip show that is spectacular, hundreds of thousands of bulbs are planted in the fall for the spring show (we got to see many of them). I would highly recommend it as a lovely day for anyone who lives within driving distance (or for those of you who live far away, whenever you make it to the area). Here’s a photo gallery from our trip (early May 2007).
[flashgallery folder=”Longwood_Gardens”]
Anyone have any gardens they’d recommend visiting?
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Freedom Seed Winners
After checking the seedling tray every couple hours for the past few days I’m happy to announce the winners of my Freedom Seeds Contest. Oddly enough cell numbers 1 and 2 won, Lee was right. He guessed that #1 would germinate first due to being watered first.
The winners are: Redclay and Bridgett. Thanks to our very generous reader I was able to pick 2 winners instead of just one. I hope both of you enjoy sowing the seeds of Freedom in your gardens!
Remember, if you want to order seeds from Freedom Seeds to specify on your order form that you heard about it on my blog they’ll give you a 5% discount. Here’s the PDF Freedom Seed List if you would like to order.
Why should you order open pollinated seeds? Here’s a great quote from the book Going Local: Creating Self-Reliant Communities in a Global Age
In the late 1500’s explorers of the New World brought back two types of potatoes to Ireland, and left the plants natural enemies behind. For three centuries, potato growing in the country flourished, even given relatively little genetic variation. But this eventually left them easy prey for various New World molds, viruses, and bacteria that found it’s way across the ocean. Between 1825 and 1849, two-thirds of the nation’s potato crops went bad. Famines during eight of those years took the lives of a million people, and convinced another million to pack their bags for more fertile fields.
Agriculture around the world today is set on the identical course toward disaster. Eager to find a superspecies that can resist pests and microbial enemies, growers around the world are relying on dwindling numbers of carefully designed seed species. These monocultures are genetically “stable,” which means that each seed grows into fruits and vegetables similar in size, color, and taste. Like their predecessors in Ireland, today’s farmers are being blinded by short-term success. Yes, monoculture crops enable them to achieve ever-larger yields of marketable produce or grains at lower costs. But while these crops remain the same, year after year, their enemies are mutating, evolving, catching up, and spreading. Sooner or later, every superspecies meets its superpredator.
Are you concerned about monoculture farming and the dwindling of species variety?
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Enjoy the Little Things
Take some time today to stop and smell the flowers. I know for many of us there are no flowers blooming during the cold winter months, but we can still take some time to enjoy those little things in our lives that often go unnoticed.
Today I’m thankful for all:
the smell of my morning coffee
the comfort of an old relationship
the books on my shelves waiting to be read
the warmth of my home
the food in my pantry
and the simplicity of my life.
What little things are you going to take time to enjoy today?
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What’s Your Day Job?
I love reading all the comments you all post here on my blog and I also love reading comments on all the other blogs I read. Sometimes though, curiosity gets the best of me and I really want to know what you do, where you live, what you look like, etc. So I figured I’d go first and introduce myself for those of you who don’t know me.
Mr Chiots and I got married back in 1998 (I can’t believe it’s been almost 11 years). Mr Chiot’s used to be a youth minister and we lived a few different places (Cincinnati, OH & Doylestown, OH) before settling here in Malvern, OH. Six years ago, we started a videography company (2nd Mile Productions). We do wedding videos, commercials, corporate videos and websites. Mr Chiots does the website work and most of the video editing and filming. I also film and do most of the office work and accounting for the business. Here are two short examples of our work. This first one is a recap from a wedding we shot last summer (2 min).
[flv:/video/scott_lana_recap.flv 480 270]
This is a short video we made for a church to introduce a new series (1 minute). And yes, that is Mr Chiots you see hiking through the video.
[flv:/video/Orrville.flv 480 320]
I also have another day job; I am a forwarding agent for my parents mission (The Colombian Christian Mission). Most people give me a funny look when I give them my job title, so I’ll explain. My parents are missionaries in Colombia, South America. I take care of most of the work here in United States, which means; accounting, donor relations, fund raising, newsletters, publicity, etc. I’ve been doing it for 10 years now and I enjoy it. Working for a non-profit won’t make you your first million but it is truly rewarding work.
My sister and I looking at a little coati in Colombia.
Since my parents are missionaries, I was born and raised in Colombia. It’s kind of funny because it’s completely different than Ohio, especially this time of the year! Growing up in another country was quite an experience, particularly one as exciting and diverse as Colombia.
My parents walking through the market in Colombia (that’s my older sister on my dad’s back and those are plantains on the ground).
So if you don’t mind sharing, what’s your day job?
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Happy Valentine’s Day from Chiot’s Run
Mr Chiots and I aren’t big celebratory people. Last year Brian and I were working in the office unaware that it was our 10 year anniversary. My mom e-mailed me a Happy Anniversary message and I looked at Brian and said,
“OH, it’s our anniversary. Happy Anniversary.”
He looked at me and said,
“Oh, it is isn’t it. Happy Anniversary.”
Then we went back to work. So naturally we don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day. Mr Chiots thinks it’s a holiday dreamed up by the card companies during a dead zone between other holidays (he may be on to something).
I know many of you celebrate this holiday of love, so I thought I’d share a few photos of love-themed goodies I spotted on my recent trip to West Side Market in Cleveland. I got a great variety of things to make sure to cover all the bases.
If you celebrate with chocolate, here’s some chocolate for you.
For those of you who like cookies and other delights, I thought you’d like these.
For those of you who prefer something sweet but not of the chocolate realm, some beautiful little cakes for you.
If you prefer something a little different, how about some dark chocolate Guinness stout cake?
If you like flowers I’ll give you some from my gardens.
For those of you who just want some time to relax, take a cue from Dexter and enjoy your Saturday.
My all-time favorite, “A Bunny for Your Honey”. Now that’s right up my alley, who needs chocolate bunnies when you can eat the real thing!
How do you celebrate this day of Love? Do you do anything exciting, over the top, romantic, not so romantic, boring?
(take the new poll)
