A music video

I didn't share this when I first uploaded it: 


It's my final project for the short film class I took in 2013, and is a collaboration between myself and Partner (though the concept for both the song and video are my own, and I did the editing). And here's the behind the scenes video:

I wanted to remake my music video "Hopscotch" which I originally made with my family several years ago, but I wanted a new take on it. The original was a pop song; this is more of a soul sound, and the lyrics are mostly new. Franklin's been walking around singing "Pop pop pop popscotch; me and my sister" for the past month--too cute.

2013 garden mini-review, goals for 2014

I can hardly believe it's a new year again.  I wrote down a comprehensive 2013 garden review in my own personal journal, of which the main points are: 

• Almost no harvest of root crops:  no carrot, beet, winter radish, fennel, rutabaga, celeriac, onion.  Only turnips (small) and garlic (few).  Fennel and celeriac still growing, but no bulbous roots formed.
• Fantastic year for leafy greens including kale and cabbage, particularly self seeded cabbage, but also lettuce and other salad greens.
• Great yield on new strawberry plants, and 10 apples each on the two new apple trees.   Cherry tree covered in cherries this year (hilarious to watch chickens jumping up to grab cherries).
• Tomatoes in garage produced enough fruits to eat, but not enough to preserve.  Flavor not worth the effort.  Cucumber and peppers in garage also gave small harvest, but better flavors.
• Very nice roses again this year, lots of red peony flowers, nice clematis display, great lilacs.  A good year for flowering shrubs.
• Lawn very lush with almost no weeds, and needing little mowing--thanks to chickens;  also fewer weeds in garden beds.  However, quite a few veg seedling losses due to chickens scratching.

Thinking about the coming year and new goals.  I admit, not many of last year's goals were accomplished.  Maybe I should set the bar a little lower!  But I'll carry over the same goal I've had for several years now:  to grow 100% of our vegetables on site.  Maybe this'll be the year!  Already we're eating greens--mostly cabbage, but some kale.  I also want to plant another two perennial food plants (fruit, veg, herb, or something!) this year and put up a windbreak hedge on the western border at the back. 

In non gardening goals, I want to finish my degree this year!  It's so close.  So so close.  I also want to get this house a bit more decluttered and redecorated.  Maybe I should start with my bedroom, the only room in the house I've never decorated (and I've lived here nearly 10 years). 

And even closer to home, I want to get more sleep and focus more on my personal relationships.  Let's go 2014!