The other extreme

As I have said before, I am not one of those people who go through life doing and feeling things in moderation. Just one more example of this is that when I started this blog I had all these things I wanted to say--all these ideas I wanted to express, and now I have nothing. My mind has been a total blank. The things on my mind right now are things I don't know if I would want to read about on someone else's blog. I mean, does anyone want to know about my visit to the hospital and the cool drugs they gave me last night? Or how about the fights with the pregnant 16 yr old SD or the drug addict 17 yr old? Maybe someone wants to know about the excitement of getting the 7 yr old ready for school. I could always talk about being prego, but that doesn't sound really interesting either; at least not to anyone outside the family.

So I will talk about my garden....
My garden is nearly done, as I have said. The second shoots from the brocolli and cauliflower were very bitter, and so I pulled those just yesterday. The tomatoes are still producing well, and the batch I have been dehydrating are looking good. We have noticed quite a few squash ready to pick, and so will be out there sometime this week maybe to pick those. The peppers are gone, the beans have been pulled, though we left one row and it did start producing again. I don't think I will do much with it though, I am a little sick of dealing with beans right now. We lost the bulb onions and the rabbits have been snacking on our wild onions (time to start "hunting wabbit" if you ask me). The cabbages have been infested with cabbage moth larvae, easily remedied with some soap and water, but disgusting when you find it. Our compost pile this year is FABULOUS!!!! I know it sounds strange for a girl to get excited about compost, but I absolutely love my compost pile. Firstly, I am fascinated by the process of how the dead materials break down. Then there is the whole reaffirmation of the cycle of life---you know, that which has gone before strengthening that which is to come. And of course there is the wholesome sight of that rich, dark, beautiful compost. I love the look and feel of it! That is promise that you can hold in your hands. Promise of a new beginning, of a new season. A promise of better things to come. And I just realized I am waxing poetic about dirt. I am a country girl at heart....

We have decided to expand the garden for next year, though I don't believe we will put in more plants. We need more room for what we have, and I hope to plant the items we have a little more intelligently. More space for the vines, of course, and keep them away from the tomatoes. The beans and peas need more room, and the onions need to be planted in a fashion that makes it easier to weed. We also have to build our strawberry box and onion box, and get them filled before fall. So much to think about! My to-do list is getting longer and longer with each day.