from my garden

I have been coming home to needing to care for Small Mister.  My Beloved is working on knives and it is my turn to care for Small Mister.  Earlier this week, we had errands to run which we could walk to.  He likes being outside.  Today there were no errands but there was the garden.

We dug.  We pulled weeds.  We barely made dent in what needs to be done but Small Mister pays attention longer then what might be expected.  Especially when there are bugs or worms.

Or Grandmomma finds new, interesting vegetables.  I had an eggplant over winter and this is what I found today.  I gave two away and I am going to try to use the rest before they get wilty or mold.  The tomatoes are starting to come in as well.  I picked the first small cherry tomatoes last week.  The romas are green and ripening.  I have more then I wish to think about currently.  Especially since there is still kale, chard, and carrots.  

And flowers.  I am enjoying my flowers.

I do enjoy the gardening.  It slows me down.  And we are outside.

saturday of design

I set aside this Saturday to work on the computer.  I have a hard time working on the computer on weekends because I spend all day at work on one.  But, I needed to do some design work for business cards for printing.  I need to use my letter press.  The problem with this type of computer work for me is I look up and the whole day has gone by.  I can spend hours just testing different fonts.  Then there is that bit of "That clip art is just not quite right but if I created this or made that wood block or..."  I look up and the day has gone by.

But I got a lot done.  I sent of three different emails with multiple designs.  My Beloved is going to give me the rough draft for some art work and I will work with that for him as well.  I have more ideas for my own business cards.  I may "splurge" for my Beloved and myself and get magnesium plates.  I can see everyone else needing something very different in the future.  We will not for these little bits.

I will say the most exciting bit I had this week was pulling this carrot out of my yard.  I have never been able to grow carrots before because there has been just too much clay.  I have worked very hard for this soil and now I have carrots!  

I also figured out how to roast kale.  With as much kale as we have in the garden, that is very exciting as well.  I put it in with the rest of the vegetables but I migh make chips here soon as well.

garden pruners for me!

When my Beloved was working with his teacher on learning to make blades, he bought me hand forged Japanese sewing scissors.  They have been the best.  They also make every other bladed tool I have seem like a second rate tool.

Last week, I came across a pair of Japanese hand forged garden pruners.  This was after working on the Teahouse and looking at what needed to be done in that corner of the yard.  I treated myself.  And I am so pleased!

I should really be on the computer for many hours today but it was a week of dealing with an application upgrade at work.  I do not wish to be on here long.  Instead, I ran errands, which I really did not wish to do either.  But I have all the materials now for another project, materials to try a new skill, and a way for me to get my boat around a little easier.  I also did a bit of grocery shopping and got to the libraries.  I am ready to sit and sew.  I get to empty those boxes!

And see the pretty flowers from my garden?  They were the first thing on that I used my pruners for.  And much prettier then anything I could buy.  Makes me very content.

having difficulties

I am having real difficulties coming back from the mountain this time.  So are Small Mister and my Beloved.  We lived outside while we were there and now we are back in the city.  Dealing with people, traffic, noise.  It does not help that we now have a trailer that sits on the mountain.  We do not have to worry about where to stay or how to get it to the top of the mountain.  I also now know we can take a rental car to the top if it is dry.  Craziness.  

I would have to say the best I have been these days back is when I was in the garden with Small Mister.  He was helping me with my fork.  I have plants and weeds to take out.  I found him a shovel his size.  He dug and fought plants and just had a gay old time.  When I am out there, he does not wander far.  He wishes to help and sometimes he does.  But there are other times there are battles to be fought or music to be played.  The noises that shovel makes!  I just wish I knew what he was imagining.

Today should be a day at the computer and errands.  There is not much to eat in the house.  But I am thinking it may be sewing, dough, dirt, mud, and libraries.  Things that help being in the city. 

I would make such a great hermit!

garden mishaps

Do you like Veronica?  I have seen it called both a broccoli and a cauliflower.  It looks similar to both when I fix it to roast but I have to admit that I like the fractal pattern best.  One of the best in nature.   I am excited that I am able to grow it, because if you can find it at the grocery store or farmer's market, it is pricey.  How hard is it to grow?  I threw the seeds into the garden.  It is about as hard as broccoli.  The only difficult part is not growing enough.  Need kale?  It just keeps multiplying.  

My vegetable garden had a small problem with a truck on Saturday.  One of my most beloved family members was not paying attention and took out the most beautiful broccoli plant while backing out of the driveway.  Some kale and chard were also maimed.  In the grand scheme of things, it is not a big deal.  But I am still having some problems dealing with the cleanup.  I was devastated.  A friend who understands about gardens said betrayal would be a good word.  He is right.  It also made me realize how tired I was.  I started crying and could not stop.  I went back to bed and fell asleep.  I woke up a bit a couple times and found I was still crying.  My body finally stopped reacting like that after about five hours.  A huge hint that I need to take better care of myself.  I am not the best about slowing down and taking care.

Small Mister and I will probably get back out in the garden again tomorrow.  I will dig a bit and he will help.  We will spread a few seeds.  He shows off to everyone the areas he has helped dig.  There is always more digging to be done. And he is a great cob dancer.  Maybe some cob dancing we go on too.