This Week at Ramsey Farms

Last Sunday (March 16)
Today was a dark, rainy, lazy day here. Following my daughter's birthday party ongoings, we didn't do much other than read, rest, and relax. We even ordered take-out for dinner! :) I did make some rosemary hair rinse (I even added some lemon thyme) and look forward to washing my hair later!

Monday * Saint Patrick's Day
Happy birthday to my daughter! :) It's a cold rainy day here and even a chance of some wintery mix. We're going to stay warm and happy by celebrating life, love, and family tonight!! My daughter selected lasagna for her birthday dinner so that is what I made - baked lasagna full of cheese and fresh herbs, homemade oregano Parmesan garlic bread, and a salad.

I was fortunate to accompany my friend, Kelly C. to Sam's Club to purchase flour and sugar in bulk. I'm tired of buying a couple of 5-pound sacks of flour at the store every week. So I got 75 pounds of flour and 25 pounds of sugar. That should last me a little while. :) If you're local and interested in purchasing fresh, homemade bread that will help support our local farming efforts, let me know! (Leave a comment below this article or if you're my friend, call me!)

Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday
This has been another blur of a week. A former classmate of mine died suddenly over the weekend and the emotional toll of that shock and the logistical decision making on whether to make the 9-hour round trip to the funeral have been my major thoughts this week plus still trying to celebrate and enjoy my daughter's birthday week and juggle the normal routines of work, the kids, home, and the garden. Whew!

Wednesday I made a wonderful black bean and shrimp jambalaya using shrimp my mom delivered fresh from the beach last week! It included some of the salsa I made last week, onions and garlic and herbs from my garden, peppers from the freezer, and rice. Served with toasted sourdough bread.

It's been rainy most all week until Thursday - the first day of spring! I love spring and the feeling of renewal, hope, new life, rebirth, and growth that accompany this special time of year. I never will lose the feeling of relief that winter is ending and that I'm here for another rotation of the earth around the sun.

HAPPY SPRING!! The sun came out for the first time this week and we ended up with a beautiful sunny day near 70.  I got to do a little work in the herb garden then we grilled pork chops, asparagus, and potatoes and enjoyed more fresh toasty sourdough bread!

Friday
Made a batch of English muffin bread and several loaves of onion-oregano-parsley bread Friday. I made yet more (OMG so delicious) creamy ranch dressing and harvested 9 or 10 radishes to go with dinner tonight. Mostly just rushed through the day packing and preparing for my whirlwind trip to the coast this weekend for my long-time friend's funeral.

Saturday
Drove down to the coast for my friend's funeral. It was great to see old friends from school, but such a sad occasion. I did get to visit with my mom, my sister, and my nephews and my daughter went with me to entertain and navigate. She enjoyed great quality time with her grandmother, aunt, and cousins. Back home at the farm, Chief Farmhand Chris and our son got some work done but the ground was still too wet to do any planting...Hopefully it will dry out as we are getting behind in our planting schedule! They did get to attend another cousin's 5th birthday party and had a great time with family there.

This week and the death of my dear friend has helped me to continue to prioritize my life and what's truly important. So much that goes on around us is merely a distraction to divert our attention from the key pieces of our lives - family, friends, and loved ones. Make it a priority to spend more time with your children and family and less wasting time in technology and frivolous matters. I saw the sun rise this morning and am reminded that we only get a limited number of those sunrises and sunsets... ~Ramsey

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