Monday, May 7, 2012

Too pretty to go to the gym

I'm heading out for a walk, a real, live, honest-to-goodness, intentional walk as soon as I hit the Publish button on this. I haven't walked for several days, but a nudge from a friend is getting me going.

Still working on whittling down my chore list. It's very satisfying to cross those items off. Yesterday I finished up the blackberries. I poked the canes through the fence so they'll grow UP instead of out, and found a few blossoms. I just hope the birds don't beat me to the fruit.

I work from noon to 4 today, so I'll have time to weed and mulch around the apple trees after my walk. One more crossed-off THING!

For Winnie, who asked if growing celery is hard: Yes it is, I've never gotten more than a few puny stalks from my attempts. I'm not sure what the secret is. But I keep trying anyway. My most successful "crops" are oregano and dill. Both have self-seeded for several years now. I have a long border of oregano along a brick sidewalk in front of the house and another very thick border next to the lattice enclosing the heat pump. I hope the clumps of both oregano and dill I moved to the herb garden do as well.

Garlic has always done well for me, too, but friends have had problems with bugs and too much moisture.  I make a semi-raised bed so and I don't plant them too deep, and have had great crops every year. Knock on wood that this year will be the same. I've never tried growing potatoes, since the farm where I bought the straw nearly always sells a 50-pound bag for about 10 bucks. I'd rather use my crop space for other stuff when I can buy local potatoes.

Wishing Jen and her husband well as they embark on their Live Below the Line experiment. The preparation alone sounds daunting. What I've taken away just reading about her preparations is that we take so much of our food for granted. And, of course, as she mentioned yesterday, the fill-you-up snack stuff is much cheaper than than the fill-you-up healthful fruits and vegetables. I wonder what they'll have for their first meal following the experiment? (I can legitimately opt out, as the experiment is not recommended for children or us old folks. But, as Jen points out, children living in poverty can't opt out.) I really admire her for doing this.

Okay, I'm off … if you follow me on Facebook, look for a taking-a-walk photo in the next hour or so. Thanks, as always, for reading!

2 comments:

Vickie said...

the celery which has come in my locally grown/organic food boxes over the years is barely recognizable as celery (my mother who grew up on a farm, didn't know what it was until I told her). It certainly doesn't look like the celery sold in the stores. I have no idea if growing success is climate/area related or if there is a trick.

denise said...

Live below the line really makes you think...I paid more for ice tea today at lunch than they will be living on for an entire day! Yikes!

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