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Sunday, April 15, 2012

Seed Hoarder

I had actually meant to start a few seeds inside in March but it seemed that time kept getting away from me. Today, with only a few weeks to go before when I should be transplanting I took some time, pulled out my seeds, and began to plant.

I love the smell and feel of the potting soil. The colors on the seed packets are always vibrant and make me long for the sweet smell of wet earth and fresh carrots.

I realized though when I pulled out my seed packets that I perhaps have a problem.


Hi. My name is Lacy and I'm a seed hoarder.

Every year I buy my seeds and instead of throwing out what I don't need or better yet, passing them on to others, I put them in Zip Lock baggies, label them and put them in the garden shed.

I was admittedly surprised packets of the same kinds of seeds purchased year after year for now three years in a row. (I'm looking at your Green Beans) Frankly, it was a little embarrassing.

I also noticed that my gardening know how and ability seem to have increased.

When I first started I just grabbed whatever seeds in the garden store looked interesting. Not sure what I was thinking when I bought jalapeno seeds. I don't even LIKE jalapenos!

Now I only purchase heirloom seeds and I think long and hard about how I want to eat what I grow. I wont plant lettuce again since my family are not big salad eaters. We love cucumbers though and I think we need a few more plants around here of those.

This year I'm trying a couple of new things. I'm going to try and grow watermelon and another kind of melon. I've added garlic.

And I threw out the old seeds. Anything from 2010 just had to go. A couple of the 2011's went too.

And I planted tomatoes. Amish Paste and Fox Cherry. I also planted mini yellow peppers. Just for fun. (And because Kylie and Lizzie will eat them.)

Veggiepalooza 2012! Viva la Tomato!

Monday, April 2, 2012

William and Elizabeth

Micah recently became interested in his family tree. Which means I became more interested in mine.

He joined Ancestry.com and entered the information from his family bible into the family tree. He did a little research.

He bragged to me one night as he was falling asleep that he had gotten (at that point) all the way back to 1650.

Since I often compete with people over stuff that a)doesn't matter and b)they have no idea was a competition I got up, went to the computer and began researching.

2 hours later I had gotten all the way back to 1044 on one link in the family and declared myself the "winner".

I actually got so far back the first names in my family appear Latin. It's interesting because there is a MARKED difference in a couple of generations between the Latin/Pagan names and when we must have converted to Christianity because the names literally go, Nicol, Leolphi, Leolphus, Lyulph and then Philip. Philip goes on to beget Adam, etc.
And yes, all those names are male names. Somewhere around 1333 we started caring about the women in the family but before that it's only male names.

I confirmed what I've always known about myself. That I come from a pasty people. Lots of Irish/Scottish/English in there with some Danish for good luck.

While this family research is incredibly fascinating I discovered something I find incredibly unique.

In the one branch I've researched pretty thoroughly there are three different generations of brothers and sisters named William and Elizabeth. My paid actually makes the fourth. That would cool in and of itself but as Micah initially pointed out those are both popular names, historically. And he's correct, they are.

Except other popular names don't have that kind of similar pairing. Within the same family line there are Sarahs and Catherines, Roberts and Edwards but never does and Edward and say Sarah show up as a sibling pair but once. No other name combo ever appears as more than once EXCEPT for William and Elizabeth.

I think it's pretty neat actually. I carried on a family tradition without knowing it. Especially because I didn't even want to name my son William. When we did name him William it took Dora/Nana to point out that it was a family name going back to William Doyle.

Which, by the way, there are LOTS of William Doyles in our tree.

Sadly, or maybe not, there is only one Lacy.