karismar

It really is appropriate to call summer solstice "midsummer". I thought about this when I was in the gardens this week pulling out the peas and lettuce for replanting. Moving into my second planting already seems impossible. New rows of lettuce, radishes, carrots and basil(one can never have enough basil!) were planted. Further over I planted fennel and parsnips for some fall/winter vegetables. This is my first year giving any effort to keeping something edible in the garden year round so we’ll see how they do. My potatoes are doing very well and I can’t wait to see how many there are down there. I pulled up the soil around my tomatoes, giving them some extra support around their "middle" in hopes to get them going. I’ve never had such slow growing tomatoes. If for some reason they don’t produce I can go to the island and upick. We must have salsa and canned tomatoes!

One Local Summer challenge began this week and I’m still deciding what to prepare. My intention was to have it all come from my own backyard but my early seed growing in the winter/spring wasn’t as successful as I’d hoped it would be…..MUST buy grow lights for next year! Scooting down to the farmer’s market to pick up something local isn’t always local. We have many vendors who drive in from out of town locations, often hours away. This defeats the whole purpose of eating local. I’ll just pay close attention and ask where their goods come from.

My oldest child informed us he was joining the Army if he doesn’t get into the university and is going the route of ROTC if he does. He’s goofed off this past year, he graduated last year, and now is feeling like a frump. He should, he’s been a real baffoon lately but I know he’s feeling like this would be a quick answer to all of his problems. We are far too liberal to support him trotting off to war under this criminal administration. I may have a heartattack before it’s all over. If you don’t see me around just look for me in the garden with my bottle of wine…..

One Local Summer begins and if it weren’t for Kelly’s blog I’d have fogotten..thank you!  The challenge is basic, really.  Prepare one meal a week, grown locally. Besides being undeniably delicious this can help set a habit for you to choose local foods opposed to something brought in from bumfuckegypt.  I’m a local, organic gal and the habits are set here but I really appreciate Liz setting this up as it gives us an opportunity to gain some new ideas from others across the country and in our own areas. I’ll be posting my weekly meal soon.

Off we go! 

I have no title for my blatherings so it’s hey to you all. lol We finished putting up the front yard fence halfway around the lot and I primed it before the rains fell. Good to have it almost done. I found volunteer sunflowers out in the garden from last year I assume. They’ll be a welcomed sight later in the summer when they are full and towerful. My one pagan friend here(did I say I didn’t get out much? lol) gave me some of her raspberry plants earlier this year and they are already producing. most excellent! The lettuce has run it’s course so I’ll be pulling that out and replanting another crop. Swiss chard, onions, fennel and potatoes are doing well. More soil will be added today around the potatoes, not sure how much taller they can get though! This is my first year growing potatoes and it’s a learning year. I need to make more manure tea(my version or fertilizer) today and apply it everywhere. The peas may make it one more week but then they need to be pulled out. They don’t do well in the heat and I’m really needing their space for more planting. I have more squash and pumpkins to put in along with another planting of carrots and radishes. I also need to get to the strawberry fields before they’re gone so jam can be made and put up for the next year.

We have another piece of property that extends outside of the back gate/fence that I’ve been eyeing for a home to chickens. It’s of no use right now and it would be a perfect site for them. It runs parallel to the garden and with a gate installed, access would be perfect and they would be protected from the other animals. I won’t bring any chicks home until spring but it will need to be prepared this fall for them. There is a wonderful little store in Portland that not only sells heirloom plants, organic soil and the likes, but also chickens. She teaches a free class on urbanites housing chickens and I can’t wait to be a student!

My daughter leaves for a 2 week trip to Europe next week and I’ve been getting her ready for that. Items that she’ll need, walking shoes, an international Visa card, etc….Looking at the dizzing array of what can/cannot be brought on board is somewhat ridiculous and varies so much when you leave the country. She has finally made her college decision and will stay on the west coast. HOORAY!! As much as I love the east coast, this will give us one more month with her this summer. I am beyong EXCITED! One of the best gifts I’ve been given is that of really enjoying my kids and wanting to be with them. Well, except for one (at the moment) but I’m not going into that and spoil the mood! lol

It’s the last day of school today, the official start to summer. The "sights & sounds of summer" have arrived…lawn mowers, birds chirping, kids playing til 9pm, mesquite bbq’s, and the sheer abandonment of being inside. We find ourselves outside most evenings, eating and lingering into the darkness.  This is the time for us when schedules are relaxed and time slows down.

For me, being at home to raise children and keep the home running, summer is a welcomed break. The need for early breakfasts and lunches packed for school are gone. Dinner doesn’t have to be early enough to allow for homework and staying up late isn’t cursed by the 5am alarm!

This is the last summer I have with my daughter before she heads to college and I’m protecting each moment with her. Since their earliest years the kids and I have gone over to the island to our favorite farmer throughout the summer, picking whatever is ripe and bringing home barrels of goodness to can and freeze. This may be the last year for awhile that she is with me with few time restraints and I expect we’ll be on the island often. The fondest memories have been made there and this summer is wide open for more to be had.

this longtime gardener is seeing a lull in the garden…tomatoes are not leafing out and full like they usually are. hmpf! I’ve never had them act like this. Anyone else seeing this? I’ll carry on and see what I can do to help their little souls along.  Maybe we haven’t had enough sun, I don’t know….but I do know I’m going to be huffing around come August when I don’t have the bumper crop of tomatoes!

It’s a slow moving day for us. Graduation went until 10pm and then we had the social bit at our place afterwards. Everyone wanted to go out and celebrate and no place was open so they all thought this would be a good place to land. The graduate is upstairs sleeping and I don’t anticipate seeing her for several hours. They had an all night party and rolled in around 6:30 this morning. I’ve managed to get myself up and going for the youngest(16yrs) to get off to school but not much more… it was Cheerios for breakfast for him today. Hair is in braids, ripped shorts and a t/flipflops today. Can it get any better? Set me in the garden and I’ve hit the jackpot.

Gardens have been watered, some weeds pulled and just your basic puttering around.  I found some grilled vegetables leftover from the party so I snagged them for lunch.  Yay!

It’s over and we’re here, still standing. The graduation party Saturday was fun fun fun. I was sweating over the weather but at the last minute it cleared off and gave us a clear sky and we partied outside all evening. I do believe I drank my dinner that night, hey what else is a girl to do when I’m the host and filling everyone’s glass all night? lol I just carried the bottle around with me:-)

Graduation was last night. I was fine until I saw her walk in, in her cap/gown with that music playing. Lost it… so surreal But what a great night. School is out Friday for the other child and summer will be off to a great start! Long, slow days outside in the gardens and long nights outside around the table. Life is good.

it’s late(despite the incorrect time on this blog it is 11:45pm Thursday) and I can’t seem to quite my thoughts. They are running through my head like kids playing tag.  50+ friends will be here Saturday evening and I am no where near ready. Walls need painted, the backyard is a mess, food needs prepared and the list goes on. Life doesn’t take a back seat to renovations……kids grow up, graduations happen and celebrations go on despite the sign in my head that flashes, "but wait we’re renovating, the place won’t look like this when we’re done"!  But only those who love us will be here and it will be a great time of laughter and celebration….what else is there really? 

Snails have attacked the gardens and declared war. I think I shall drown their sorry asses in the cheapest beer I can find!  The lettuce and peas are gorgeous producing daily bowls of joy but my beets are struggling for life. No idea why. Tomatoes are looking happy and surprisingly enough, my peppers seem to be thriving. The north is a difficult place for peppers and most often they don’t produce but a few all season. 

I’m off to give sleep another try. 5:30am is the wake up tomorrow so I can go for last minute groceries and be back for K to take the car to work.  It’s tough in the morning but worth it when I get the day to spend working on tasks around the house, uninterrupted. 

Where the last 18 years went I’ll never know. My daughter is graduating Monday and it doesn’t seem logical or real. She has been nothing but pure bliss to raise and I’m so honored to be connected to her. Her gentle spirit blends beautifully with her activist heart and her imprint is already out there in the world. Aside from being terribly busy preparing for the party and graduation activities, I’ve been plunged into a time of reflecting. Needless to say, the tears have been my steady companion! From her birth I am different, a better human being because of her. This writing below describes much of how I feel about her.

"i carry your heart with me(i carry it in my heart)i am never without it(anywhere i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done by only me is your doing,my darling) i fear no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true) and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you, here is the deepest secret nobody knows (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide) and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)"

e.e. cummings

I’m searching for some input from anyone who has more than 1 mouth to feed. What do you grow, buy, cook and serve that is wholesome and organic yet keeps the budget down. I’ve been hearing how some have a low food budget(you know who you are, wink wink)yet still eat the way I do so please send those opinions my way!! Raising your own meat doesn’t count as I can’t have a cow in my urban backyard!! I’ve been a wholefoods cook from scratch gal for 20+ years so I’m not looking for advice to "buy the beans and cook them myself". I’m looking for real food and real meals done at the lowest cost possible. Tell me what you spend on groceries and how many that feeds……that will be a good way for comparisons. Anxious to see your great tips coming in!

This is one of my very favorite thoughts and I love that someone else out there has days like this…..pure joy! read below

"I meant to do my work today-But a brown bird sang in the apple tree, And a butterfly flitted across the field, And all the leaves were calling me."

Richard Le Gallienne