It's Not All Unpacking!

It just seems that way! 

Especially since I also have to unload a storage shed I have had things in for 5 years. But it's getting done. And at the same time, I am getting to know Texter's beau - Mr. K. Yep, his name fits in with the rest of the family.

But...

This is Cookie and Creme. They are so sweet and are turning out to be great kittens. Muted calicos (a new coloring I didn't know) and fairly long hair, they are sweet snugglers.

Then, with it being strawberry season, I have had several requests for strawberry jam.

I had a 'helper'. It took her a minute to convince her to 'squish' the berries, but then she got into it.

It did make me a little teary-eyed. I remember making jam and jellies with my mother and grandmother. Let me open a jar of Welsh's Grape Jelly and I am taken back 55 years and my grandmother making grape jelly from the grapes in their yard.

And I found time today to stop unpacking and get to planting!

I had two flats of plants from my NCTomatoMan.  I managed to squeeze in a stop at his house and get some plants on my way from Raleigh back to Charlotte with a load of stuff from the storage shed.

Twenty-five tomatoes, 3 chard, 2 peppers, 2 eggplants and 4 basil plants went into the ground along with a dill, mint, jalapeno, cucumber, and zucchini.   Well, not all into the ground. 

You see, the house we are renting is sitting on a motherlode of red clay. 

Oh, I had forgotten about red clay!

This year's garden will be an experiment on many levels, not just the dwarf tomato plants I'm growing. Between the red clay, some of the garden is planted in, not the best sun exposure and not wanting to invest much in the yard here, it will be fun watching to see what happens. 

The front yard gets midday to evening sun.  I have things planted up the driveway beside the house, and then on either side of the sidewalk to the front door.

And yes, things are planted fairly close together, but we will see what happens.

Then on the back patio, which gets sun from the morning until midafternoon...

So, this will be a fun summer watching to see how things grow. Especially when I am watching to see what comes from this...

But tomorrow it will be back to unpacking and organizing.