Something Sustains Its Life Solely From Our Garden!

My life has felt fairly hectic lately. Like how can I possibly accomplish everything I would really like to do. Spend quality time with my husband and each of my kids each day, keep a clean house, fold and put away 10 people's laundry daily, cook all our meals, bake all our bread, keep a garden and landscaping beautiful and productive, take care of the chickens, maintain our pool, sweep the porches, maintain the house (that really feels like it's falling apart some days, I thought a new house was supposed to be...well new and not need fixing!), along with the spiritual feeding and the gaining of knowledge...each day just feels like it has about 48 hours too little time. Throw in there a healthy dose of fall allergies and I'm feeling a bit like a very small speck in a great big world. That's when I go outside...because well, when I go outside everything is beautiful in it's own special way. Even dirt is beautiful, it smells some how healthy, and I love the way it feels between my fingers. The colors are so diverse and intense and lovely. So, I can get lost in a trance of feeling happy and light hearted, I can pull a few weeds and take a few pictures and feel as good as new, until that is I go back into the house and remember my huge list of what needs to be done today...and possibly yesterday. And wish I could just live outside, but without all the bugs, and with plenty of water.

I'm growing all sorts of amazing things lately. The above photos are from our front courtyard, and garden. With the help of liquid fertilizer I have tomatoes growing prolifically, cucumbers, lettuce, carrots, green onions, and cantaloupe. In the front we have hibiscus blooming, along with zinnias, and an assortment of bell flowers, which I love. We have lots of purple, which I like because it compliments the gold color of our home. I found this big juicy caterpillar this morning. He was devouring every single leaf from a tomato plant. I hear that devoted gardeners squish bugs with their fingers...I'm not there, yet...I fed it to the chickens. I always wonder when I find huge bright green caterpillars in the desert, how do they survive out here? They adapt...I could barely see it, even when my hand was almost on top of it.