Been a while since I posted, but I've just been over-the-top busy this summer. We planted a huge garden May 1st with the expectation of a local produce market buying "everything we had" (that was the owner's exact words). BUT it didn't work out that way, so we had no idea what we were going to do with all the yellow crookneck squash (we planted about 8000 square feet!!), zucchini (3000 square feet!!), and pickling cucumbers (5000 square feet!!). We didn't have much variety because, once again, the man we were intending on selling to had specified those 3 things he wanted. We called around to see if anyone would take any of it in bulk and had no luck. So, for a week I set up a stand in our front yard, but since we live on an old country road, there's not a high traffic volume, and even with signs advertising I mostly sold to neighbors. We made about $20 that week...which is more than I expected but still not very good.
Anyway, by the 2nd week in June, we were eating as much as we could. I should add that my husband is a very "meat-and-potatoes" kind of man, and by then even he didn't complain when we had squash/zucchini casserole, cucumber salad, and zucchini fries for supper. We had vegetarian suppers quite a bit because there was just SO much, we hated for it to go to waste. We gave some away to family and friends and then started looking into the local farmer's markets. I didn't think we'd have the time to go and sit and sell it all ourselves with Jason having work and me having the kids out of school for the summer. We sent in an application, bought a box of plastic bags and a money lock box, and started Saturday, June 16th at the Anderson County Farmer's Market. We brought all we had...we were actually able to have a little bit of variety because Jason's friend, Lewis, let him come pick some eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, and okra from his overflowing garden. Here's a picture...
We made over a hundred and fifty dollars that first Saturday, and the only thing we didn't sell-out of was the zucchini & yellow squash (but we sold most of it!!). We were both just ecstatic! We figured if that kept up, by August, we'd have enough saved to take the kids to the beach! I also tried selling some of my crafts at the farmer's market because the rules are as long as it's grown or made in Anderson Co. it can be sold there. I sold a few bows, one dress and a few of my glasses, but I could tell most of the "hardcore" farmer's market goers were there for the produce. However, I did find out that at the end of November and through December they will have a Craft Market there....so guess what I've been doing the last couple weeks since our garden has played out? I've made more earrings, key fobs, skirts, bows, dresses and the like than I have in the last 2 years put together! I'm pretty stoked about the possibility of selling more than a few items here and there out of my home and through Facebook and Etsy!! But I digress...
Anyway, after all was said and done with the Summer, the box of 1000 plastic bags we bought at Sam's Club was almost empty, AND!!!....we made our trip to the beach!!...only for a few days but the kids were excited and so were we!
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| The kids' first time in the ocean at Myrtle Beach!! Morgan, Jarrett, Logan |
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| Thought it was pretty sweet Logan carrying Jarrett on his back!! |
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| Jason and I took a "coffee beach walk" every morning there... |
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| And the first morning he wrote this in the sand ... = my melted heart!! |
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| Daddy's girl at breakfast!! |
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| Stopped by a beach/antique shop?? on the way to Surfside Beach to the water park and snagged this pic in front of a JD!! |
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| Jason taught (or tried to teach) Jarrett to play pool. The kids would've spent all their time in here if we'd let them...there were pool tables, an arcade, and bowling alley right in our hotel just a few floors down! |
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| A little silliness on the way home! |
We've planted some more things for a late summer garden (green beans, crowder peas, pink-eyed purple-hull peas, some more cukes, zucchini and yellow squash, and mountain fresh tomatoes), but we're not sure how good they'll do since our creek's dam broke with all the gushing rain we had a week or so ago. I know Jason can fix it though!!
All-in-all I had fantastic summer!! Jason and I spent a lot of much-needed time together, and working beside him has made me appreciate him on a-whole-nother level. It's hard work out there, and sometimes we wonder if it's worth the money we make. But the moments we've had when we're dog-tired and sweaty and still laughing, the times at the farmer's market with our new elder generation of friends, the times at the beach with the kids bowling and playing mini-golf and water slides and sand castles...all made possible by our hard work and perseverance!...those are all priceless!!
