Sleepytime
The garden beds - veg and flower - have been put to, well, bed for the winter. The garlic for next year has been planted and the lettuce is still thriving despite a few frosts of late. I like to overwinter most of the plants rather than cut them back. That way, the critters can use them in whatever ways that happens and, visually, I love when the snow collects on the tall grasses.
It’s no secret that this is my favourite time of year. I am so glad summer is over - all that relentless sunshine and heat. Give me a broody, chilly, windy day anytime. Jammies, blankets, a fire, cats, and a good book. That’s the best of Fall (some of you will remember when we used to capitalize the seasons, when that was proper grammar).
This summer, I’d lost interest in my veg garden. First of all, with the heat, it was a shitty year for produce. The things I love did not grow and the things I can take or leave grew by the multitudes. But, also with the heat, my garden appeared to be a million miles away and walking down to it felt exhausting. Plus, and here's something new I found out about myself, I'm not an on-demand eater, i.e. I can't look in the fridge/garden/freezer/pantry and eat what's there just because it's there. Like, I can't build a whole meal around zucchini just because there were seven thousand zucchinis currently available to pick. I have to be in the mood. This is also why I have never signed up for those lovely-seeming and eco-conscious CSA baskets of freshly picked organic veg delivered to my front door every week. What if I'm not feeling the beets just then? Or, kale, like ever?
Honestly, we could open our own CSA side hustle.
Meacham has done a great job converting the garden largesse into edible sauces, soups, and pickled things. He does not get that from me, just to be clear. Meacham is one of those people who can make a meal, a delicious one, with any ingredient on-hand. Me? I have to find a recipe, go shopping for the ingredients, and carefully follow the cooking instructions from beginning to end. I am a pedantic chef. I look at those baskets of beans, peppers, and tomatoes and draw a blank. Meacham sees salsa, pico de gallo, salad and dressing made with herbs from our garden!
Not January
I started writing this blog more than a couple of weeks ago when it was still Fall. But, oops, it’s Winter now. Oh wait, and now it’s Fall again.
Like Pavlov’s dog, all this snow is making me drool with Christmas-y yearning. I’m feeling the need to search out a tree and bring it in the house, to bake shortbread and prepare hot chocolate with marshmallows.
I never understood people who pushed the beginning of the holiday season to just after Hallowe’en. Although, all the stores are already doing it so I guess the invitation to deck the halls is there but, honestly, I think I’d be bored of Christmas by the time December 25 rolled around, if I started this early.
Except, these days anything that feels normal, delightful and joyful, is beyond welcome so, I dunno, maybe those early adopters are on to something??
Ever feel like this? Just hanging on for dear life?