seed sprouting success

Finally, I have seeds sprouting in each tray. I think it had to do with leaving the heating pad on under them for about 6 hours. Whoops! It was on low and their lids were on, so they didn't loose any water, but the temp was up to 85 degrees when I realized what I had done. It reminded me of the section of Animal Vegetable Miracle, when they needed the sprouts to sprout for Barbara's birthday party. They wrapped the jar in a heating pad for a few hours and the seeds sprung open. I think I accidentally did the same thing! They have also had the chance to spend time outside on the patio each day for the past three days. It's been sunny and the temps were around 65-70 degrees. Or maybe it was something like Murphy's law of seeds, I had just bought some tomato plants assuming the sprouting wasn't going to work and they sprouted by the following morning.
Now that there are seed sprouts, I have opened the covers and the lights are on them. The days are very sunny right now, so they will be going out in the sun from 9:00 in the morning to about 3:00 in the afternoon then under the lights until 11:00 at night. I am hoping that will give them enough light and heat to grow strong and not mold. I've had mold problems many times in the past trying to sprout seeds in those peat pots that expand in water.
Tomorrow will be my shopping experience for the raised beds!

inspired by Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingslover

I have dabbled in gardening, off and on, for most of my life. As I child, my sister and I helped, and I say this without air quotes because I think we were a help more than a hinderance, with my grandmother and great grandmothers garden. As a young teen, I decided to turn a garbage can that was ready to make it's final pick-up into a composter. As a adult, I have made small gardens or gardens in large flower pots. This is the year that I will be truely inspired to change the word garden from a noun to a verb in all caps. Not just some tomatoes in a pot, an herb bed and some space saving cukes, but an honest feed the family type of garden. I'll be recording my journey here,  beginning today.
I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle about a year ago. Well, I don't really "read" books, I listen to them on my ipod. And, I decided to revisit this book as I am planning my garden for some organic food living. I had fogotten how much I like this book. I enjoy books that you learn from, an though this is a great story, it's full of good information, especially if you don't know much about where food comes from.
My garden will be as organic as my wallet allows. I still have some old fertilizer that I will be using, if the plants look a little peeky, because I hate to waste things by throwing them out. I'd rather use them up. And, I will be using seeds that I realized after I bought them that some of them could be from a Monsanto seed mill. But, as I'm not a waster, I'll still be using them.
I hope yu enjoy my journey, and maybeyou will be inspired too!