We Have Growth!

I have HAPPY inside.  

I'm so excited!  Coming up here is spinach. 

And here we have cauliflower and red beets.  The corn also sprouted, but I didn't get a good shot of them yet.  No sign of the carrots though.  Or at least, I'm not sure if what I see is carrots or weeds.  I was able to weed the rest of the box, but the carrot section I left alone.  I couldn't decipher where my rows are.  It could all be weeds as I may have planted the seeds too deep. I'll wait and see.

I've been reading The Pocket Guide to Amish Life by Mindy Starns Clark on Kindle.  Last week I read that  "The average Amish farm in Lancaster County has about 70 acres, and the crops commonly include corn, tobacco, alfalfa, and various grains.  Unfortunately, rising land costs and decreased availability are prohibiting many younger Amish from continuing the farming tradition.  Nowadays, the Amish work not only on farms but also in other trades, factories, restaurants, retail establishments, and so on...  

Glenn Rifkin gives this report in the New York Times: The business, which favor such Amish skills as furniture-making, quilting, construction work and cooking, have been remarkably successful.  Despite a lack of even a high school education...hundreds of Amish entrepreneurs have built profitable businesses based on the Amish values of high quality, integrity and hard work. 

...With the shift into entrepreneurship, of course, comes all sorts of challenges to the Amish way of life-new technologies, less time spent at home with family, and even mothers working outside of the home."

I sometimes wonder if the world that surrounds the Amish culture will inevitably infiltrate their way of life as technology competes with skill.  Still they have managed to remain authentic even when they make new exceptions into their culture.  Got to love the commitment & perseverance!

Speaking of growth.  I found this awesome growth chart for my little man on Etsy.  

Abbie's House

Isn't it cute?  It looks like a giant ruler!  I got the decal kit from Abbie's House on Etsy for only $12.  Gonna head to Lowes to get my supplies today. 

Catch ya later,

Lindsay