thinkPhD

I’ve had a bit of a break from my studies during the month of June.  My Marketing class technically begins July 1st. After getting all the way through MGT5012 with its difficult and time consuming assignments, I really needed a little break. I have started reading the chapters in the text but have not begun to write. I will not have an opportunity to start this weekend either – Son is flying in from Atlanta for a visit! I am very excited to see him and get some big hugs! We are ready to see him – it seems like it has been a long time…but it really hasn’t. I saw the children in May when Son graduated from college. But as a mother I never get enough hugs and kisses from my babies!

We enjoyed our Saturday by making a visit to the Goochland Farmer’s Market. The market supports sustainability of the rural culture of Goochland County. The Center for Rural Culture  organizes the market.

The market features local produce and hand made items. We visited the market several times last year but yesterday was our first visit this year. It was a very hot day hovering near 100 degrees but it was great to see so many neighbors out supporting the community. We purchased some vegetables and some goat cheese. Husband bought a buffalo steak and enjoyed talking with the buffalo farmer about hides. I bought some blue sodalite earrings and a rutile cabachon dug and polished by the craftsman, the Virginia Naturalist.

After visiting the market, Husband and I went to several yard sales and we each found some treasures. He bought some old tools and I bought some carnival glass. We were very hot by the time we got home. It was great to get out with my best friend!

Last weekend we planted our little bucket garden with tomatoes and peppers. A bucket garden is like a raised garden, but uses buckets – the big paint buckets you can get at Lowe’s. The tomatoes are really growing well; the Bonnie Plant Farm ones are growing the best. Bonnie Plant Farm is from back home in Union Springs, Alabama. They came in the new peat pots which were very easy to use. The other non-branded tomatoes we bought do not look as good. It felt good to put in a garden using something from back home.

This weekend we planted two climbing roses on the new fence. Last summer we put in a fence around the yard and it needs softening up. These are pink “Climbing Queen Elizabeth” roses that I purchased at Wal-Mart for $6.00. They look very strong and one has buds on it.

Yesterday we also worked on adding lattice to part of our pool porch. The pool porch is lower than the main back porch and the 4′ vertical space between them was an issue with dropping things off the back of the porch and there was also the potential for falling. We added a wood lattice and framed it with 2″x4″s. When we set up the boards for sawing I saw the stamp on the lumber: Dudley. Could this lumber be from back home? Dudley Lumber is located in Salem, Alabama, and planes softwood lumber for decking and pallets. I have decided that yes, the lumber is from Dudley. It makes me feel better using lumber from pine trees back home in Alabama.