Hi!

[Stitchingmom]

And thanks to @TheMad_Poet for inviting me in! I have been hanging around the Tomatoville forum for a few months now, hoping that it would be started up again, so I am THRILLED to be with people who won't think my tomato obsession is insane.

After moving last year, for the first time in my life I am in a position to have as big a garden as I want and a greenhouse (hopefully soon), too. I would have gone much bigger this year, but I blew out my knee in March, right when I should have been planting my seeds. I was resigned to giving up for the year, as I thought I would never be better without surgery, but I couldn't do it, and started planting very late, in April. All the carrying and so forth strengthened my knee, and it is much better now. I'm planning to hit the rowing machine hard this winter so I will be ready for next year!

My name is Cindy. I am a mom of four grown kids, and have been married to my dear husband for seven years. He is retired, I still have 10 years or so to work, but after covid my company allowed me to continue to work from home so I could move to Idaho from CA, and I am SO happy. We had a lot of "wants" for our house, but gave up almost all of them to get two acres right on edge of a tiny, perfect town with mountains in every direction.

Thanks for letting me join. I am having a blast!

[GoDawgs]

Welcome to the Junction from the sunny South! It's a friendly group here with lots of knowledge as you've already found out.

I sympathize with your knee problems. Both of mine were replaced and after twenty years both of those have been revised so I understand. If you get to the point where replacement is necessary, the trick is to schedule it in the gardening off-season.

Best of luck in developing your new garden. An exciting adventure awaits!

[DriftlessRoots]

I am THRILLED to be with people who won't think my tomato obsession is insane.

Oh, I still think it’s insane but it’s a rare, healthy kind of insane.

[bower]

Welcome! Your new place sounds awesome.
I had some trouble with my knees off and on, which always seemed to get worse in the winter. They were still really bad one year when I went to my friend's farm and faced with the task of kneeling down to weed a hundred foot row. I thought oh boy, I will probably be finished after this, but I grit my teeth and did it anyway. I was so shocked at the end of the day my knees were much better. It turned out to be the best thing I could've done - a workout for muscles and so on in the back of the legs which actually play a big part in supporting the knees. Who knew? Now if I have any pain I go search for physiotherapy info on the net. They tell you exactly what exercise to do! Anyway best of luck with the knee, and good to hear it improved in the gardening!

[Cornelius_Gotchberg]

Welcome from America's Dairyland!

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The Gotch

[Tormahto]

Welcome to the forum.

You'll soon find out that the tomato obsession is insane, but it is more of a sickness, than a healthy obsession. Proof will arrive in the cure of an "overstuffed ravioli", courtesy of your fellow asylum seekers.

[karstopography]

When I was a kid and things were tough, I’d always plan to escape to Idaho. Maybe someday I’ll get there.

Welcome.

[PlainJane]

Welcome to this great forum! Sounds like you have room for fruit trees - lucky you!

[AKgardener]

Welcome from alaska !! I have a brother that lives in Idaho, as far as obsession goes if I don’t look at talk about or watch videos on tomatoes on a daily my husband thinks there’s something wrong haha and of course other veggies as well but my main obsession is tomatoes!!! Enjoy I have definitely learned a lot here

[zeuspaul]

We had a lot of "wants" for our house, but gave up almost all of them to get two acres right on edge of a tiny, perfect town with mountains in every direction.

Welcome to the forum.

By the time I purchased my third house I changed my house hunting strategy. Instead of shopping for a house I first shopped for a town and then a neighborhood. I printed out a map and drove every neighborhood in my selected town rating each one. I wanted a good neighborhood but also was concerned about what was adjacent to it. Then I shopped for a house.

[Whwoz]

Welcome to the junction from Down Under @Stitchingmom

[pepperhead212]

Welcome to the forum!

[MissS]

Welcome to the Junction! Glad to have you here. I don't call my tomato addiction a problem, it's just my way of helping to preserve some rare varieties of tomatoes and to help others obtain heirloom tomato seeds.

Your new home sounds just perfect and soon you will have more tomato seeds than you will know what to do with. You will be making new gardens bigger than you expected.

[Gardadore]

Welcome from NE PA! You can merrily practice your addiction among us! We are good enablers!!

[Acer Rubrum]

Welcome from South Dakota. Having a tomato obsession is fun!

[TheMad_Poet]

Sorry I am late in welcoming you aboard here!!!! Been too busy of late with fun family things. So glad you joined!!!

[Stitchingmom]

Welcome! Your new place sounds awesome.
I had some trouble with my knees off and on, which always seemed to get worse in the winter. They were still really bad one year when I went to my friend's farm and faced with the task of kneeling down to weed a hundred foot row. I thought oh boy, I will probably be finished after this, but I grit my teeth and did it anyway. I was so shocked at the end of the day my knees were much better. It turned out to be the best thing I could've done - a workout for muscles and so on in the back of the legs which actually play a big part in supporting the knees. Who knew? Now if I have any pain I go search for physiotherapy info on the net. They tell you exactly what exercise to do! Anyway best of luck with the knee, and good to hear it improved in the gardening!

Strengthening the muscles that support the knee has helped, but I have massive cartilage loss (Thanks Mom and Dad! LOL) so knee replacements are in my future, so I am trying to get as fit as possible, since skinny doesn't seem to be in the cards.

[Stitchingmom]

When I was a kid and things were tough, I’d always plan to escape to Idaho. Maybe someday I’ll get there.

Welcome.

North Idaho is AMAZING. I am the happiest I have ever been. I live an hour away from a big town, but the drive is gorgeous and life is so much less stressful. I hope you make it!

[Stitchingmom]

Welcome to this great forum! Sounds like you have room for fruit trees - lucky you!

I have a HUGE area that I would love to start an orchard in, but we are hampered by the fact that some of the work is physically beyond us, or we have no idea how to accomplish it. Hiring people is a near-impossibility these days, sadly. We also have to account for the fact that our house is on a bluff overlooking most of our property, and getting down there in winter will be problematic as we age. I do have a cherry tree in a grow bag that did splendidly this year, and a bunch of blueberries and raspberries. I hope to get them in the ground next year.

[Stitchingmom]

Welcome from NE PA! You can merrily practice your addiction among us! We are good enablers!!

I have noticed that. Like I need any help. I bought over 100 varieties of tomatoes my first year of real gardening. I'm driving my husband crazy with seeds everywhere!