How do I love Texas?  Let me count the ways.

Used to be I hated this state.  Too hot.  Too much traffic.  Too many bugs, especially mosquitos.  Too expensive.

Now my life is here.  My house, my kids, my amazing neighbors, my favorite stores and products, my lake, my breezy spring evenings, my barbeque…  I have planted my roots and I am watching them grow.

No really, I mean it.  We really did plant some roots!

Building the Erwin House Victory Garden, October 2008

Erwin House Victory Garden, March 2009

Last October, we smelled a nasty economic downturn on the horizon, so we planted ourselves a little Victory Garden.  It was late in the season, but I took a chance on some tomatoes and basil (no luck).  The kids picked out some pretty fall annuals.  We had a very successful turn with the collards, broccoli, bok choy, and oregano.  I caught the gardening bug, and I caught it bad.  Our house is full of cups with various seedlings waiting for the last frost (tonight perhaps?).

Seedlings for the Erwin House Victory Garden

Today we had a grand time swapping seeds, seedlings, and various plants with neighbors.  We gave away some trumpet vine, watermelon seeds, and bell pepper seedlings.  We brought home stonecrop sedum, inland sea oats seeds, heirloom tomato starts and garlic chives.  This we will add to the already bustling beds out back as well as to (we hope) some border in front of the fence.  Once we get the fenced fixed, that is.  And painted.  Dang, where is that to-do list?

Ah yes, it is on Facebook.  We’re dorks like that, so do be sure to check us out there if you would like to keep up with our daily tweets and whatnot!