Everywhere A Sign

Several months back, I made a quick sign to post on my gate to let passers- by know I was still doing sewing and alterations. (I live on a well traveled main thoroughfare).

The City code doesn't allow this, (hanging "business" signs on residences) but City workers bring me their sewing and alterations anyway. Right now we have kind of "selective enforcement" .

It's a small town and we really all should be able to make a living any way we can figure out how to, within limits of course, (Meth Labs might be a good thing to regulate).

Today while walking Little Red-Haired Girl, I crossed paths with a favorite client walking his dog. Then as I got to the corner, another man looked at me like he knew me, but I couldn't recall how I knew him. As I crossed to the same side of the street in front of him and started to open my gate, he exclaimed, "Oh, that's who you are. You keep changing your hair, I didn't recognize you." I still didn't know who he was but he quickly reminded me that he had inquired for his wife and she had in turn, brought down a skirt for me to hem.

He was commending me on hanging my sign out and recounted his story of trying to get city approval to have a little home-based rental gig a while back. He had taken it to the counsel and they voted him down afraid of parking issues. Believe me, that was a poor reason. The parking is not an issue for these little things we do and there is plenty of curbside parking. Don't know what the city's real agenda is.

My philosophy is borrowed from a friend who told me, "It is a lot easier to say you're sorry than to get permission." It seems it is true, most of the time.

Michael Wurm over at Inspired by Charm posted this sign yesterday and a tutorial today.
He said we could copy and paste things if we linked it back to him. I wouldn't mind that sign "blockin' out the scenery..."

"Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind
Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?"

Do you remember the lyrics for this Five Man Electrical Band one hit wonder?

Last year's volunteer garden, and one not so Little Red-Haired volunteer sleeping on the job.

This years progress toward a real vegetable garden in the same spot. Starting to look like good, loamy soil.

I found a how-to (while searching for how to grow Brussels sprouts) for checking soil:
1) Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. A good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 
Along with several other tests there as well. 

Good digging y'all!