The gardens are now all set.  Norman finished hoeing the potatoes and the potatoes are starting to grow.  They are about the size of a walnut right now so we should be able to eat them in a week or two at the most.  The lettuce is almost all thinned and each plant is getting leaves big enough to make a good sandwich.  The spinach and beets have been thinned once and growing fast so this next week I will thin each of those more.  I got everything side dressed so they are happy.  I did not side dress the potatoes because if you give  them too much you get all vines and no tatars.

Shanti, a quick note on the shoes.  Two weeks ago on Sunday, when I went to bed for the first time my legs hurt me and I found it hard to sleep.  I then realized I had gotten busy and forgotten to wear my new shoes.  I remembered them all week and had no trouble at night.  This Sunday I put on my shoes for only about an hour and then had to take them off  to go to the garden and get the lettuce and spinach and when I came in I took off my gardening shoes and got so busy I just left off my shoes and went bare foot.  Joe and family arrived about noon time and I got busy with dinner and never thought about my shoes and in the afternoon we worked in the garden and used my gardening shoes.  Well by 5 when they left and we sat down to watch TV my legs were really bothering me and I could not get comfortable.  I complained to Norman and he asked if I had worn my shoes.  I didn’t think it could make much difference but hey- give it a try so I got my shoes and put them on.  Within one half hour my legs were not hurting any more and I could get comfortable.  I had not walked around or done anything different except put on the shoes and when I went to bed I slept right through the night with no problem.  We decided it was the shoes and if it was all in my head- who cares if it works don’t knock it!!  I don’t use my soap on my legs and hip any more, I use it on my shoulder once in a while.  So I will thank you again.

Today we went to the farmer’s market in McMinnville.  It starts on the first Wednesday of May, which was today.  I got sweet potatoes, zucchini , a plant to hang on the front porch for the humming birds and a big pail of strawberries.  These are the sweetest strawberries I have ever had.   I want to save enough of them to have a nice big short cake for Sunday dinner.  Tomorrow we will go back to burning and picking up brush to burn.  It is looking nice around here now and the few big trees that are still down waiting to be cut up and stacked will just have to wait.  The canning will no doubt come before those get our full attention.  Have a good day.