SPOTLIGHT ON.... Sallyrae17 « Back to Group Discussions

[Knitting Mama]

Sallyrae17, this is your spotlight thread! 

People can ask you questions, and you can answer (or not, your choice). Or you can just share if you want to. It's up to you!

To get the ball rolling, here are a few starter questions!

1. Backstory! Tell us about you, where you came from, how you got to where you are now. 
2. What are you craving right now?
3. If someone handed you $1000, no strings attached, what would you do with it?
4. What's your favorite type of soup?
5. Talk about your house a little-- are you happy where you live? Best part about your house? Worst?

[sallyrae17]

Backstory! Tell us about you, where you came from, how you got to where you are now. 

Wow - I can't believe it's my week already! That went by fast! Anyway, as the oldest of three children, I grew up in a small Minnesota town and have made it a point to travel as much as I can. I studied abroad twice as an undergrad (England and Mauritius) and once as a grad student studying social movements in Mexico. I had a brief stint in the Peace Corps in Romania, but it wasn't for me. I guess there are many things that have brought me to where I am now, but the biggest was probably the death of my dad when I was 15. It made me grow up rather quickly and I realized how precious life was at a very young age. It was the best and worst thing that ever happened to me in one fell swoop. As for now, I had my first baby almost 3 years ago and this one will be my last. I never planned to stay at home, but once my son was born, there was no way I was going back to work!

What are you craving right now?

Hmmm. I haven't had lunch yet, so I'm starving (as usual). Lately I've been craving Simply Cranberry juice. I can't get enough of the stuff!

If someone handed you $1000, no strings attached, what would you do with it?

I'd either do work on my house or go somewhere warm for a mini-vacation. I'm so ready for spring.

What's your favorite type of soup?

I love soup, but my favorite is a beef and vegetable soup that my mom made growing up. My partner lovingly refers to it as "fart soup" because the cabbage makes the house smell like, well, farts. :)

Talk about your house a little-- are you happy where you live? Best part about your house? Worst?

I absolutely love my house. It's not the biggest house in the world, but it's exactly what I wanted. I knew I wanted to buy it as soon as I walked in the door. I have a ton of plants (both flowers and fruits/veggies) in the summer and we have an in-ground swimming pool. The pool was really the only thing I didn't want (who has a pool in MN?), but I'll definitely get a ton of use out of it this summer! I love gardening, so I've already started my seeds for the spring and am figuring out all of the additional stuff I want to plant (a cherry tree, gooseberry bush and some rhubarb).

My neighbors are amazing and I really couldn't ask for a better location (unless it was in, say, Mexico). :)

[Sol_y_Paz]

What is your favorite movie of all time?

What is your favorite food for a snack?  For breakfast?  Dinner?

Do you have a cat or dog or any other animals? 

If you could go anywhere for a one week vacation right now where would it be?

Who is the adorable kid in your avatar?

[sallyrae17]

What is your favorite movie of all time?

I don't think I can come up with one movie that is my favorite. I love to watch films. Some of the movies I love are: Kill Bill, In the Mood for Love, Broken Flowers, The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore, The Big Lebowski, O Brother Where Art Thou, Babel, etc. etc.

What is your favorite food for a snack?  For breakfast?  Dinner?

I really love food, so I'll just go with what sounds good to me right now. I eat so many different types of food (Thai, Chinese, Indian, Ethiopian, American, Southern, Mexican, Lebanese, etc.) that it's really hard to pin down my favorite anything.

Snack: Cheese with crackers and apple slices or feta, olives and fresh bread (gluten free, of course!)

Breakfast: Bacon, hashbrowns and fried eggs. I also love chilaquiles. 

Dinner: Something mexican - maybe tamales or mole.

Do you have a cat or dog or any other animals? 

I have one dog and will soon have 6 baby chicks! I will also have a pond full of fish this summer.

If you could go anywhere for a one week vacation right now where would it be?

Somewhere in Central or South America.

Who is the adorable kid in your avatar?

Hmm. My avatar is a tree, so I'm guessing this question wasn't meant for me? :-)

[intime0]

LOL, that last question came from last weeks spotlight.

hashbrowns sound delicious.

What have you bought for this baby?

Do you still have a lot of stuff left from the 3 year old?

What are you most looking forward to after the birth?

[sallyrae17]

What have you bought for this baby?

Honestly, not much at all. I picked up a few gender neutral outfits at Once Upon a Child the other day, but other than that, nothing. I've been spending more money and time getting a room ready for my son. He's still in our room, but I want him to have a space where he can go and hang out if he wants to and when he's ready.

Do you still have a lot of stuff left from the 3 year old?

I have absolutely everything. I knew I wanted another child, so I kept everything. Therefore, I don't need to get anything but a couple of diaper covers this time around. If we have a girl, I'll definitely need some different clothes as she gets older..but that's about it!

What are you most looking forward to after the birth?

This is a really great question. I actually haven't even thought about it that much, but I look forward to the first few weeks of cuddle time with a new baby. I'm a little nervous about how my son will react to a new baby being around 24/7, but I think he's ready. So, I'm excited to see how he'll grow into his role as big brother.

On a different note, I'm sure I'll be happy to be rid of my gigantic belly. It was pretty unwieldy at the end last time. 

[Sol_y_Paz]

6 baby chicks sounds fun!  Also your pond, guess you also have some frogs as pets then, fun stuff for kids.  And yes that last question was a whoops, lol!  
 

What is your favorite color?

What is your least favorite house chore?  

Do you keep a garden?  If so, what is in it? 

[sallyrae17]

We tend to have more toads than frogs in our yard, but my son loves them just the same!

What is your favorite color?

I'd have to go with orange. I love fall colors. 

What is your least favorite house chore?  

Ummm...everything? I do not like cleaning at all. My mom frequently wonders where I came from since she comes from a family of neat freaks. You could eat off her floor. I'd have to say, though, that I don't mind laundry - especially when it's warm and I can hang clothes outside.

Do you keep a garden?  If so, what is in it?

Yes! I have a lot of flowers in my yard - rose bushes, hydrangeas, lilies, daffodils, fall sedum, bee balm, dahlias, tulips, asters, columbine, foxglove, hostas, peony, phlox, shasta daisies, etc.

As for vegetables and fruits, I made some gigantic raised garden beds (not on soil, they are self contained) to have more gardening space. I've started my seeds indoors already and I have 5 varieties of heirloom tomatoes growing, red peppers, habaneros, goat peppers, leeks, onions, cauliflower and broccoli. In April or so, I'll plant carrots, beets, peas, green beans, lettuce, kohlrabi, cucumbers and potatoes on top of what I have growing indoors. I might also plant some some squash and/or watermelon depending on how much space I have. 

I currently have 4 blueberry bushes, 2 golden raspberry bushes, a blackberry bush, 3 grapevines, 2 apple trees and a strawberry patch. I'm getting a cherry tree, a rhubarb plant and a gooseberry bush this spring to add to my fruit. 

I love urban farming, but I really wish I had more space to grow all of the food I want. :)

Edited by sallyrae17 - 3/6/12 at 7:38pm

[intime0]

Is it okay to say I'm jealous????  Because i miss gardening. and until I read that I hadnt realized how much.  There is nothing quite like it, is there?

That is a GREAT idea for your son to have his own place to go and get away. 

[sallyrae17]

Gardening is my favorite hobby. I really look forward to getting my hands in the dirt every spring. This is the first time I've owned a house, though, and this will be my third year with my own yard to plant in. I've been wanting a yard for years! I mean, I had a yard in other places, but not one where I could plant...let alone start seeds indoors. Also, gardening is a great learning tool for kids. They learn how to be patient and self sustaining. It's such a great hobby to have!

[ilovetchotchkes]

Originally Posted by sallyrae17 

Gardening is my favorite hobby. I really look forward to getting my hands in the dirt every spring. This is the first time I've owned a house, though, and this will be my third year with my own yard to plant in. I've been wanting a yard for years! I mean, I had a yard in other places, but not one where I could plant...let alone start seeds indoors. Also, gardening is a great learning tool for kids. They learn how to be patient and self sustaining. It's such a great hobby to have!

Oh you have no idea how much I miss my garden!!! I started some of my seeds already. My mom says i'm nuts but really? Baker Creek Heirloom place says I'm only a week "early" And with the mild winter we've been having here in Chicagoland.... heh.....

[sallyrae17]

Originally Posted by ilovetchotchkes 

Oh you have no idea how much I miss my garden!!! I started some of my seeds already. My mom says i'm nuts but really? Baker Creek Heirloom place says I'm only a week "early" And with the mild winter we've been having here in Chicagoland.... heh.....

I started from seed last year (on time) and wished I would have started earlier. The only downside to starting earlier is that you have bigger plants to transplant! That doesn't seem like a bad thing to me! I also set up a little greenhouse in my basement this year, so I'm hoping to avoid damping off. I had my plants started in my basement last year as well, but I didn't have a very good "greenhouse" set up. This time I actually have a big cart covered in thick plastic and it feels like a real greenhouse when I open the flaps. I'm so freaking excited!

To add to the excitement, my chicks arrive a few days before Easter!  

[LilyTiger]

You guys have inspired me to start my seeds about now.  I started them on time last year and everything bolted super quickly because it got unseasonably hot for like a month.  :( 

What kind of chicks did you get?  Are you raising them for eggs or for meat too?

What kind of dog do you have?

How did you originally learn how to garden?

[sallyrae17]

What kind of chicks did you get?  Are you raising them for eggs or for meat too?

I got five different kinds - 2 Easter Eggers, 1 Australorp, 1 Brahma, 1 Golden Wyandotte and 1 Plymouth Rock. They will be used for eggs, but if they don't work...well...we can eat them, too. :)

What kind of dog do you have?

My dog is a certified mutt. We got him at a shelter and picked him up the day after I found out I was pregnant with my son.  If I had to guess, I'd say he's a rat terrier mixed with some sort of pointer. He's a medium sized dog - about 35 pounds, with gigantic bat ears and a black and white coat.

 (my son is sitting on my lap and wanted me to insert that there)

How did you originally learn how to garden?

My mom had a ton of flowers when I was growing up, but I was always confused as to why someone would plant something you couldn't eat. She has a big vegetable garden, now, but never did when I was young. My grandparents also had big gardens, but they didn't really teach me much. I guess I'd have to say that I'm self taught and I've been interested in it since I was six or seven.

[LilyTiger]

Originally Posted by sallyrae17 

What kind of chicks did you get?  Are you raising them for eggs or for meat too?

I got five different kinds - 2 Easter Eggers, 1 Australorp, 1 Brahma, 1 Golden Wyandotte and 1 Plymouth Rock. They will be used for eggs, but if they don't work...well...we can eat them, too. :)

What kind of dog do you have?

My dog is a certified mutt. We got him at a shelter and picked him up the day after I found out I was pregnant with my son.  If I had to guess, I'd say he's a rat terrier mixed with some sort of pointer. He's a medium sized dog - about 35 pounds, with gigantic bat ears and a black and white coat.

 (my son is sitting on my lap and wanted me to insert that there)

How did you originally learn how to garden?

My mom had a ton of flowers when I was growing up, but I was always confused as to why someone would plant something you couldn't eat. She has a big vegetable garden, now, but never did when I was young. My grandparents also had big gardens, but they didn't really teach me much. I guess I'd have to say that I'm self taught and I've been interested in it since I was six or seven.

We really want ducks when we move to a bigger house out in the country.  DH is allergic to chicken eggs and meat, but we think he might be able to eat duck eggs because he's fine with duck meat.  I know, weird.  But I would love to have chickens.  Our neighbors have a little coop in their backyard and it looks like so much fun!

We have two mutts and they are the best!  Our little guy has bat ears too and I love it.  (I love the smiley face too!)

I just inherited a crazy garden when I bought this house, so I'm learning on the fly.  Mostly I'm trying to keep things alive, though we put in a little vegetable garden last year.  I'm scared because the previous owner had a ton of heirloom plants that I'm pretty sure my dogs are peeing all over and destroying....  :(  I'm excited to learn more though.  It's just finding the time that's difficult.
 

[sallyrae17]

Ducks would be so much fun! I'm pushing it with the chickens with my partner...he keeps saying that we don't actually live on a farm. LOL. I'm definitely the green thumb in the relationship. He just doesn't think the time and energy is "worth it," especially when we go to the farmer's market and produce is so cheap. I keep telling him that it's my only real hobby and that's why I do it. Plus, I love eating food out of my yard. It's great.

I inherited a yard full of perennial flowers, so I know how that goes. I knew absolutely nothing about flowers and really had no desire to learn, but changed my mind. They are absolutely beautiful and the previous owner was kind enough to label every plant before she left. So...I learned what all of them are and bought a pretty basic book. Now I'm confident with the flowers, fruits and veggies! Gardening is all about devoting time to it and learning as you go. You could read every book out there, but it's not going to pertain to your exact soil or situation. Keeping a journal is a great thing to do and I've been meaning to do it, but my memory has actually been pretty good.