Category: Monthly Wrap-Ups

ECONOGAL > Monthly Wrap-Ups

April 2018 Wrap Up

Posted on by Econogal

Garden bed with raised sides made from recApril 2018

It is hard to believe but April 2018 is over. We are a third of the way through the year. April was busy for me as I wrapped up an extended stay in Florida celebrating the 80th birthday of someone near and dear to me.

In The Garden

Other events included planting quite a few varieties of vegetables in the raised row garden and a few plants close to the house. The deer proof fence is working. No signs of deer (droppings) in the new garden. So I consider the effort a success.  However, 70 M.P.H. winds damaged some of the poles. Therefore, replacement poles are now anchoring the garden.

An existing 4 x 8 foot raised box was elevated even more. Originally the height was 9 inches. Now the bed reaches just over two feet. This is easier to reach. Hopefully, the added depth will allow me to plant longer root vegetables.

Reading

Quite a few book were read this month. Thanks again for the suggestions both private and public. Several exciting books will be reviewed in the coming weeks. I am beginning to get used to the format that blends current events with fiction. No longer do I find these stories off-putting. I am sure novelists with a penchant for telling spy stories can’t resist utilizing the current world affairs as a backdrop.

Gardening references occupied a large amount of my time. There is a host of information in book and magazine form as well as online sites. Make sure you read the review of Gardening Shortcuts. I also recommend Edible Gardening, a magazine put out by American Farmer’s Almanac. I consulted the website put out by Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds numerous times. The site has an easy to use planting guide that you can access by clicking here.

Spring

Our springs on the High Plains are short and varied. This year we have had cooler temperatures, a bit of moisture and lots of wind. The danger comes from the wind in the form of fire. So those of you living in a drought situation (which includes various states from coast to coast) be careful using any open flame outdoors. Fires in both Florida and on the plains made appearances near me in April 2018.

As always, feel free to share any great reads. Just use a first name or even initials. The month of May will be action packed. Stay tuned!

March 2018 Wrap Up

Posted on by Econogal

March 2018 has been a busy month. In addition to reading many books and working on garden projects. I traveled. The first trip to New Orleans you can read about here. Currently I am visiting Orlando. March is a busy month for travelling. After all it is spring break for many. The planes are packed and in some cases the airlines are looking for people willing to be bumped from their scheduled flight. I have yet to accept the offer.

Cold mornings lent themselves to reading while waiting for the temperatures to warm up. As a result, I have about half a dozen book reviews waiting for a Friday publishing date. There was a stretch in mid-March when book after book was incredible. I am excited about the reviews (including yesterday’s on Educated.)

I spent the pleasant early spring afternoons creating a new garden area. The raised row garden idea came from Jim and Mary Competti, bloggers at Old World Garden Farms. You can read a review of their new book here.

Zip Ties

Since I had a scheduled trip to Florida at the end of March, I worked diligently to establish the 40 x 30 foot garden. I managed to finish putting a deer fence in place just the day before I left. Zip ties allowed me to get the job done in quick order.

There are pros and cons with zip ties. On the pro side, they are relatively inexpensive. I bought a container of a thousand for $10.00. They are easy to attach. Finally they are strong. On the negative side, they will eventually become brittle when exposed to outside elements and thus have a short life span. They also play havoc on your finger nails.

I used zip ties to attach recycled metal soffit to wire supports for the base of my garden fence. Then, I used zip ties to attach a netting to seven-foot poles (to deter deer.) I also used the zip ties as an additional anchor of the poles to the base fence. Most of the afternoons in March 2018 were spent on this gardening project. See the pictures below for a sneak peek. An extensive post on the how-to is forthcoming.

Readership Community

Readers are a dying breed. On one flight a chatty aisle mate kept interrupting my reading of Kristen Hannah’s latest book The Great Alone. She was quite curious as to what the book was like since I was so engrossed. I wish I had an extra book to give her. I can’t imagine boarding a plane without a book to read.

Once I reached my destination, I was happy to see my copy of Two Girls Down was no longer inside the Little Free Library around the corner from my Florida hang-out. So readers are still out there, we just need to reach out and connect. I would love to have a reading group to share ideas on The Twilight Wife.

The readership community of Econogal is slowly expanding. If you would like emails sent to you each time a post is released, subscribe now or bookmark the page. Generally, I post twice a week as part of my New Year's Resolutions. So far I am on track to keep the 2018 list.

Be sure to share what books you have read this month in the comments below. This is one way we can share  great books even if we cannot meet in person. I know March 2018 was a banner month for my reading. I made some great discoveries of new authors and enjoyed new releases from old favorites.

What did you read in March?

February 2018 Wrap Up

Posted on by Econogal

February 2018 was a short month! I am a few hours late posting this but that is what happens when you only have twenty-eight days. I really needed a leap year! In our part of the world we had a month with little moisture. Just a skiff of snow one morning which began dripping off the roof before mid-morning, I actually hooked up the hoses to water the trees. We had one day of high winds accompanied by fire warnings. This is quite a contrast to those of you who are water-logged.

My New Year’s resolutions are holding up. I added to my skills by learning to prune grapevines. I am a bit worried that I cut them back too far, but all the You Tube videos I watched warned I would feel this way. You Tube is a great tool for visual learners.

February 2018 Celebrations

February 2018 hosted many celebrations including a baby shower, a birthday and an anniversary. The baby shower marked the last time I indulged in any sweets. Ash Wednesday also occurred on Valentine’s Day and in observation of the Lenten season I am abstaining from sugar. This was prompted by my first book review of the month, The Case Against Sugar.

This time of year is usually so cold I limit myself to indoor activities. But February 2018 acted like a yo-yo. Our area bounced back and forth between days which remained below freezing and days that reached the seventy degree mark. As a result, some of my time was spent prepping the garden. Garlic and onions planted last fall are poking through along with the earliest of the spring bulbs. I may have erred on the early side, but rutabaga and potatoes were also planted. Some late snows would be welcome.

On the February 2018 days that were too cold to work outside, the indoor activities included starting a new acrylic painting. Unfortunately, my schedule keeps me from taking classes so I am taking the self-taught approach. In this case I am using a library book. This is my first attempt at painting a scene with water. So far, Creative Acrylic Painting Techniques published by North Light Books has been helpful. The photo below is after three days of painting.

Wild Markets

My reading this month included quite a few articles from the Wall Street Journal during the market sell-off. February 2018 marked the end of a very long run of gains. The volatility was not unlike that of the markets a decade ago. Although markets are unpredictable, I personally don’t feel the doom and gloom I experienced in late 2007 and all of 2008. However, I am keeping a close watch. Unlike the totally insane housing bubble, the markets rise over the past few years has a backbone. A correction is certainly due and perhaps even overdue. But unlike ten years ago, I see real cause for growth.

Technology is changing at a rapid pace and in more than one area. Computers and communications may be a driving force, but the health field is also undergoing great changes. Much of this growth stems from the unraveling of DNA. Much research is occurring. In some cases genetic diseases can be treated. However, the cost is tremendous as you can read here regarding gene therapy.

Even though I am optimistic about economic growth, there are some concerns. The greatest from an economic standpoint is the economic debt of nations. Two articles worth reading are from Statista and Global Finance. Countries with external debt carry a risk. In my opinion, some risk is acceptable. Most of the viable national economies operate with external debt. The concern is reaching the point where the debt is so great, the debt payments cannot be met. This tipping point is unknown. But, as in the case of Venezuela, which you can read about here, once a nation is insolvent things go downhill fast. For those residing in the United States, an up to the second accounting is given by the Debt Clock. The picture is not pretty.

Acrylic painting of water and grasses
Third Day of Progress

Quick Thanks

A quick thanks to Moe for sharing reading lists last month. It can be hard to comment first. I appreciate the involvement in the readership community. Please feel free to share what book you have on your bedside table.
Currently, I am reading New York Station so look for it in a review later this month. I also have a stack of gardening books. February 2018 was a short month so my reading fell behind. What else should I be reading?

January 2018 Wrap Up

Posted on by Econogal
Books and magazines on a table
Reading material stacking up.

The first month of the year is over. I am still on track regarding my 2018 resolutions which you can read about by clicking here. In January 2018, I entertained at my home twice and enjoyed a lunch with two ladies I had not seen in over a year. So my quest to socialize more is moving in the right direction. I have also kept up with the posting on Econogal. The writing makes me happy so I do not think that particular resolution will be tough. However, I have not learned any new skills yet. But I have an idea for a new raised bed. I am still researching the topic and hope to start on it if the milder winter weather holds out.

Travel in January 2018 included a presence in four states. You might want to read Wintertime Santa Fe if you are thinking about a President’s Weekend getaway. My time spent in the Orlando area yielded some ideas for posts which include this one and another about small neighborhood “libraries” which will be forthcoming.

While in Orlando, my reading included the Orlando Sentinel as well as some periodicals I don’t usually read including Kiplinger, Time and AARP The magazine. Additionally I came across some blogs. These include Always Trust In Books, The Historical Diaries and Old World Garden Farms. I am still adjusting to reading on a laptop, reader or smart phone as opposed to something I can hold in my hand. I think there is a place for both in this world.

A conversation over the lunch table during a nursing home visit sparked this particular post. One of the individuals brought a book with him. California Girl by T. Jefferson Parker started a conversation on good books to read. I have added the book to my list. Additionally, I decided to add a post at the end of each month sharing the various items I have read since not all make it to a Friday book review. Furthermore, I am asking for input from this blogs’ readers.

Readership Community

January 2018 Wrap Up starts a year of monthly posts in an attempt to build a readership community. On the last day of each month readers will be encouraged to share book, blogs and magazine articles they read. For any of the newer blog readers, you do not need to use your whole name and you can have an alias. However, the email must be real. For privacy buffs like me, the emails are not listed and are not shared. Emails are necessary. I realize some blogs do not require an email to comment. I believe requiring an email prevents spamming and robots from attaching a variety of things including ads to this website. Again, I will not sell or share the email and it will not be published.

There are thousands of books, blogs and articles out there. I am interested in what you are reading. Please consider sharing what you are up to in the comment section below. The photo above shows the books received as Christmas presents, library check-outs, magazines and seed catalogs. I have a lot, but I look forward to your recommendations. I am sure I am not the only one who prefers books to television. Happy Reading!