It All Went Away

 Not sure how things are going in your area,

but we have had the strangest year in the garden.

Everything is a full three weeks later than normal.

This basket is a good 20"-22" diameter.

As of writing this,

it is mid October.

Our beans and tomatoes are finally "coming on."

My eggplant has produced 2 fruit since spring.

At the moment it has 5 fruit on it.

We are expected to have mild temperatures for the next

week so I should be able to harvest them.

Typically, by the beginning of October,

I have already or am in the process of putting the garden

to bed for winter.

I currently have a couple tomato plants I will be pulling this weekend but the others are loaded both with ripe and green fruit.

We ran pretty low this year since we weren't getting much

in the way of fresh produce from our garden.

It's been a good lesson for me

to get as much as I can while I can.

The current prices at the grocery store are also 

pretty good incentive.

We also got a ton of delicious mild onions.

Well, not a full ton (heehee) but a lot!

I've been sorting them into boxes with brown paper

between layers to preserve some for fresh,

but I've had the dehydrator earning its keep, for sure.

 

In addition, we've been going full throttle at work

so extra time off hasn't been possible.

I could work full time at work and full time at home lately.

Thus the reason for so few posts.

Now to get to what the title is all about.

This year, Hubby put in for an elk hunting tag in Montana

with a long time friend of his who also enjoys bow hunting.

Bow season is earlier than rifle seasons so it's usually quieter.

FYI: MT hunting licenses and tags are expensive!

Well, two weeks before they were scheduled to leave,

his friend had a massive heart attack and flat-lined twice.

He has miraculously lived to tell it himself,

but needless to say, he wasn't able to go hunting.

Hubby went for two long weekends by himself

which neither of us were really wild about.

There is no phone service out there, and it's not an area

either of us is familiar with.

(His friend has hunted there for years.)

The third week of the season, 

he asked if I'd want to go if we took the trailer

and left on Tuesday and came back on Sunday.

For both of us to leave the business,

and for me to leave the garden and kitchen

right when everything was going nuts,

was a difficult decision to make.

I finally thought, you know what?

It's all going to be here when I get back.

I could work myself to the grave, or I could go

and take a break that was very much needed.

So we went~

The first day there, I took three, 3, III naps!

It was beautiful!

We camped right next to a creek off a very remote dirt road.

And for a few days,

it all went away.

No work.

No politics.

No banking or balancing books.

No urgency.

No food preservation.

No worries.

No people.

No noise.

It was so wonderful.

It was the longest vacation we've taken since we've been married, going on 12 years.

We somewhat reluctantly returned home Sunday night about 8PM, and the alarm went off at 4:30 Monday morning.

We've both been going non-stop since we returned,

but for just a couple days,

it all went away.

 

Look Both Ways

You might not believe this,

but yesterday I heard a little news

discussing Christmas.

Christmas!

Can you believe it?

I am still in the garden and the kitchen.

Everything is a full three weeks late this year

so I am finally getting tomatoes and green beans.

(Source)

For some reason, it really struck me.

More of a "Wait, what's today?  When is Christmas?"

sorta striking.

It did get me to thinking though.

I realize I'm odd in my thinking,

but when I hear things like this, 

it's often later that I really offer much consideration to the topic.

So as I was pondering Christmas,

a feeling of Christmas past, if you will,

came over me.

I reflected on some merry times, both from my youth and that of my children's, then up through the years.

My heart kinda smiled.

Then I thought of Christmases even further back in time,

those I've read about but wasn't alive to encounter.

I thought of the contrast.

The joy of some Christmas candy or small token

and the exhaustion of the mountains of presents to open

and then filter through and deal with.

Of course those of you who know me

know I appreciate the simple things and history.

Then I reflected upon the report I heard

discussing the upcoming Christmas

and the forecast for the next few Christmases.

 I was a little saddened.

I fear many older children and younger adults

might not like what's ahead. 

They've been spoiled with volume.

One woman actually said if she gave her son a gift of socks,

and needful items that he would probably throw it away.

I was appalled, but my first thought was that it was the mom's fault

for setting expectations and not teaching him 

the real meaning of Christmas.

What I am about to say is not to open a political conversation,

but to encourage you and hopefully help prepare you.

We are in a recession and headed full force towards a depression.

I am saying this based on observation

instead of what any news source is/isn't broadcasting.

Businesses are closing and reducing hours.

There are pan-handlers begging right out in front of businesses

with "help wanted" signs.

The prices at the grocery store keep going up 

and the size of the packages becomes smaller. 

In order to prepare our own hearts,

I would ask what we expect - each of us,

not just for Christmas, but every day.

Have we set our selves up like that mom has her son?

Do we expect so much that we would be disappointed

if we didn't get some glorious gift or lifestyle?

What happens when we don't get what we want?

That's actually a pretty deep question, I know.

I don't expect anybody to answer out loud,

but if you think later like I do

and think your loved ones are headed towards disappointment,

there might be time.

As I type this, the calendar tells me there are 74 days until

Christmas.

Our family came to grips quite a few years ago.

None of us had tons of money.

Nor did we need or actually want more "stuff."

We all came to an agreement of one small gift each.

We changed our focus from "I still have to buy. . ."

to "What can I bring or do?"

We enjoy our time as a family and a "feast."

We count our blessings instead of presents.

And you know what?

It's usually a joyous day.

As you look forward,

if you do think your loved ones are revving up for a let down,

now might be a great time to "bring it on home" as I like to say.

Have the conversation.

Set the expectations appropriately.

Share love rather than things.

Perhaps some still want to go all out but as belts tighten,

knowing one has love and acceptance and

understanding someone else knows the struggle

can be a comfort and make things not only more barrable,

but even merry.

I love Christmas and the Reason we celebrate,

but for the time being

I'm still in the garden.

Teaming Up

Hi All.

This might not be a super inspirational post,

but my hope is that it might at least be helpful.

And it might help build friendships and community

which by now, you've probably figured out, I'm all for.

Hucklebunny & Ness

I think you're all smart enough to acknowledge that

some things have been a little difficult to come by lately.

Or if you can find said thing, it might be quite expensive.

Something that dawned on me today

that we've been doing is what I call "teaming up."

A couple friends and my mom and I look out for items

we are each looking for.

An example, I couldn't find the 1/2 gallon canning jars

in our town.

My mom (& dad) have to go to another town about 45 min. away

for doctors appointments so she said she would look.

She called me from the store and asked how many I wanted.

They evidently had a stack of them.

I only needed one box - heehee

She hasn't been able to find coconut oil in the larger tub.

When I was at the store yesterday, I saw some.

The price was 80% higher than last time they had it.

(Yes, 80% - almost double.  I did the math.)

I'm going to look one more place for her before purchasing any.

A friend of mine found a large borax for me

rather than those little boxes.

I have found paprika for her.

I realize it sounds a little silly to share your shopping list,

but it seems to be working well for us.

It's pretty easy also.

I usually have a shopping list so write on it

to look for paprika when at a certain place.

I know it's often easier to order online, 

but even when we place orders online,

we call each other or mention if we see each other

I'm placing an order from Xsite.  Do you need anything?

Often times, with a certain amount shipping is free

or at least less if combined.

The other thing that has come about from doing this

is that we let each other know if we find good deals on an item.

I just found a new shipment of whole pork loins for $2.49/lb.

That's a pretty good price for here and for now

so I shared that information.

We can't control everything that is going on around us,

but we can make the best of what we can do

and be kind and helpful to friends and family.

It has also been a bit of a "stress reliever."

I'm not really sure that is the correct term for what I mean,

but it's very healthy interaction and feels good to help someone

as well as having someone smiling while helping me.

The blessing is in the giving so to speak.

And we've each benefited from doing it.

*Note: When it's really hot, we bring Hucklebunny in the house to cool off a little.  She has her laundry basket and is comfy unless Ness sees her.  She will join her in the basket.  It's adorable, but I think Hucklebunny is less than impressed by it.

That Bean Wall and Other Garden Tidbits

 There were a couple questions about the bean wall.

It's not an original idea, but it's a useful one.

They are finally climbing!

I like things that have fashion and function if that makes sense.

So when the only good place for the outdoor table

was in the heat of the afternoon sun,

there had to be a solution.

Those sun kites are extremally popular,

but not really ascetically correct for our 1930 cottage,

and we are just renting so don't want to do anything permanent.

So when I saw the idea of pole beans I jumped.

My original thought was hops by the way,

but we don't use those.

Many pictures feature cattle panels which works just fine.

The grid of them is graduated so what is meant to be the bottom

of the fence has narrower spaces and as you near the top 

of the panel the spaces are larger.

To tip this on its side would make me walk with a twitch.

Maybe it's too many years using them with livestock.

I got a "High 5" panel.

The openings are 5" square - even throughout.

They come in one long length.

We have a metal fabrication shop 

so it's kinda cheating on my part.

"Oh Hubby. . . "

He cut it in half then bent the top foot for me.

We sank rebar posts and attached them to those for support.

Then the fun really began.

I got to plant the beans.

Last year, I discovered the beans would be eaten 

as soon as they popped up out of the earth.

So I now start beans inside.

Once they get their second leaves, I plant them outside.

Also last year, we had the heat dome which lasted 

a good six weeks (of 100+ degree weather.)

The poor garden suffered.

They did grow, but with temps that hot,

even in shade it was too hot to sit out.

This year has been the opposite.

We've had a long wet spring and are at war with the earwigs.

The bean wall is growing.

It's not quite there yet, but I will show you so you can see.

Any running bean would work.

I have scarlet runners over in an odd spot of the garden 

where it corners up to the field.

(I planted the 3 on the left.)

I also have contenders and Ky. pole beans.

Last year for the bean wall,

I used Old Mother Stoddard and French XXX.

This year, I had even more fun.

I have three different kinds of beans growing.

The purple ones did the poorest with germinating.

We'll see how many of each kind I actually get.

The weather has still been pleasant

which is good because the wall isn't providing much shade yet.

But it will :-)

I also got misters to hang.

That project remains on the To-Do list

rather than the To-Done list.

(Canned peas this past weekend.)

Since we are in the garden,

I will also share that our brocolli and cabbage are huge-

big beautiful plants but with no heads yet.

It's crazy but what am I to do?

I just keep watering them and praying they produce.

The compost in the raised beds was still hot so some of the things planted in those are getting some yellow leaves.

Surprisingly, the kale, collards, onions, and savory

 are doing great in them.

There's always a lesson in the garden.

Whether or not I learn it is a different story.