Well…..that’s a cute name.

 

I was in my local bank, it’s a small and friendly branch, almost everyone calls you by name. When a new teller read my business name on the cheque which is Muddy Boot Dreams, she remarked, “well.. that’s a cute name.” 

Misunderstanding her intentions, and wanting to make sure she understood that there was nothing cutesy about my business name,  I reiterated, “no it’s not cute, it has meaning.”

Then I explained that we have a dream of owning a small farm up in the Okanagan, and living a life filled with muddy boots, that was our bliss.  Hence the name.

We spent a lot of time trying to come up with a name that would invoke the feeling we hope to have when we get to our farm, and many names were submitted but turned down.

I wanted something that could be used as a farm name also.  We will call our farm, Muddy Boots Farm. 

Since I have started my small business, I have heard every connotation available, “muddy boot jeans?”  no not jeans, dreams! Who do you think I am? Mr. Green jeans?

Mucky, no muddy, as in mud.  You know that dirt stuff that sticks to your boots, no not sticks to your ribs, I am not a chef. What kind of dreams?  The real good ones, of fresh air, fresh veggies, and land!  No foot fetish people need apply, nothing like that going on here.

At first I used “Jen’s Garden”, for my cards, but it won’t work well a few years from now, and I am glad that we spent the time brainstorming about a great name. 

I am proud to say that I am from “Muddy Boot Dreams,” even if some people think that it’s a cute name.

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

 

A tale of two gardens

 

Those of us who are interested in gardening have joined together in our condo, and we all have small garden plots.  Some are as little as 4 square feet, some are as large as 50 square feet.  Every available inch is being used in this small area.  The most important thing is, we are having fun. 

The original garden makers just kept adding to the space, and keeping it all for themselves, and when they moved, we finally got our share. Some gardens are a little bit more generous then others this is due to the slope and the landscaping.

While space is a issue that many of the gardeners squabble about, the available sunlight is also a concern.  As a gardener I knew that sunlight was a requirement, I just had no idea how a extra hour or two of sunlight a day could make such a difference in growth.

There is a garden that was planted at the end of June, look at the tomatoes, they are gorgeous.  My garden had peas planted in the cool months of February, and they are only 12 inches tall now.  Go figure.  Of course we could blame it on the weather, it’s not been the best, but this has happened for 3 years now.

The garden with the great tomatoes gets sun all day, the other gardens get much less sun.  And it shows. 

Certainly makes you realize that next time you plant a garden you should find the sunniest spot available.

Oh, and that’s my next door kitty, Ally, he likes to garden too, especially in my garden.

Jen  @  Muddy Boot Dreams

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Passionately colorful

As gardeners we are very responsive to color. And it is interesting to see how some people gravitate to certain colors with passionate comments, while others are merely lukewarm and can’t get excited about it.

Color can invoke a subtle reaction, or it can make your heart sing.  There are soothing colors, that cool us down, and then there are the colors that vibrate excite us, other shades disturb us.

I won’t let a certain shade of plum poppy bloom for too long in my garden, it’s just to wussy for me. I can’t stand the half hearted tone with a mixture of purplish blues. Not blue, not purple, not pink.  I want to tell it to make up it’s mind, it reminds me too much of the eighties, and dusty rose.  Yuk!

I have been known to delete all the photos of orangey red poppies in my photo archives also.  I find that Adobe PS makes the colors too jarring for my senses.

It’s not that I don’t like red, I did not want to see this shade popping up all the time.

Anything green, mossy, cool, or any of the autumn shades works for me.  But in the spring we want a clear blue, white, soft yellows, and pinks.

During mid summers and beyond, the warm tones of the approaching Fall make us feel contented, that we are slowly slipping into the next season without a abrupt change. The orange of pumpkins, the russet of chestnuts, and the golden hues of the setting light, cling to every falling leaf.

The Aubergine watering can invoked such strong feelings in everyone, almost no one complained of that color.  If it were to be mixed with Chartreuse foliage, that joyous limey green would make it even more perfect for me.

So how do you feel?  What’s your favorite color, combo, what do you dislike, what can’t you stand?

What color would you never, ever plant, even if it was on sale more then half price at your local garden centre? 

Are you willing to pass up a bargain, in order to have color harmony in your garden, or are you a plant all the rainbows colors, they all work for me kind of gardener.

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

 

A letter to my cats and dogs

I saw this on the internet, fell in love with it, and have saved it for ages.  It is written by Jilly Bean, who in my opinion is absolutely brilliant, and is probably a cat herself. Any higher praise couldn’t come from me.  Thank you Jilly Bean, we love this.

Dear Cat’s and Dogs:

The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine, and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by Nascar and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom in not the object.  Tripping me doesn’t help because I fall faster then you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort however. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep.  It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible.  I also know the sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom!  If by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob, or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door.  I must exit through the same door I entered.  Also I have been using the bathroom for years, your attendance is not required.

The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog or cat’s butt. I cannot stress this enough.

Remember dogs and cats are better then kids because they:

eat less

don’t ask for money all the time

are easier to train

normally come when called

never ask to drive the car

don’t want to wear your clothes

don’t smoke or drink

don’t have to buy the latest fashions

if they get pregnant, you can sell their children..

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams