Greetings from the Garden! This CSA box has onions, garlic, rutabaga, kohlrabi, daikon or black radish, winter squash or pie pumpkins, beets, carrots and cabbage Field Notes. As I write this on Monday, snow is swirling around, and I join the snow day joy of school children. Snow acts as an insulating blanket over the garden and helps slow the frost dropping into the soil. The frost will affect how soon soil temperatures are warm …
Years ago Ken read in Mother Earth New that we should all be putting watermelon syrup on our pancakes because watermelon has a much higher sugar content than maple sap. He tried it and prefers maple syrup Since some watermelon matures when nights cool off and it no longer is what we crave, Ken cooks down some of it. He fills kettles with pulp, and once it comes to a boil he runs it through …
We have had some cold weather. And Ken got sick with tractors and wood splitter not working. A friend brought me a load of wood. Another helped stack it. And a third hosted me in her workshop and built (with a bit of help from me) a prototype of a sawbuck from my memory of one Ken and I had years ago. A Saw buck is an x-shaped sawhorse that holds longer …
With Ken’s death I have difficult decisions. Do I try to do things he did and I am not sure to do? Do I use up seeds and do my best? I decided yes to those questions Ken planted micro greens for winter CSA boxes and I had ordered the seed. Although I had watched him and chatted with him while he did this, I never did this. So here …
Years ago we went to upstate New York to a dance camp hosted by Jay Ungar and Molly Mason at Ashokan. We had SO much fun. Although Molly grew up in Washington state, she had spent time in the Midwest on Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion Show. When Ken and I danced a polka Ken swung me ALL around the floor as other East Coast folk danced mainly in place. After the dance Molly commented, …
Once our relationship became serious – Ken planted more carrots which need thinning, and I moved my perennial flowers to Turtle Lake – we had a conversation about wedding rings. I saw no need for a ring. Ken would have to take it off to make pots, and wear off his skin when gardening. I, with my short stubby fingers never saw a ring that looked good on my hands or …
No, I have not gone on a bender! There was a cat in the house who likes to push pens onto the floor
Years ago when Ken was making pots on Thanksgiving weekend, a stranger came up and banged on the door. He was having car trouble and knew exactly what tool he needed for the repair. Ken had the tool and followed the man down to the highway so he could bring back the tool after the repair. The man got under the car, fixed the problem, thanked Ken and offered him one of the pies the …
Years ago when Ken and I were dating. Ken told me all the attributes of all his former flames. At some point I grew tired of this and I asked Ken, “And what about me?” Ken promptly replied, “You’re durable.” Not exactly romantic, but coming from Ken that was a compliment!
Each year I do the seed order. This year with Ken’s death all is uncertain. But I have a garden and I like to grow food. I decided to place an order and grow my food. So my order has been placed
