Life interrupted (?)

If life is like a river, then I’ve been furiously paddling some rapids for the past several weeks.  Yes, I consciously chose the rapids, so I have no one to blame but myself.  But Summer 2012 was definitely not a “lazy river” float trip.  Whew.

A week or so ago, a friend of mine pinned this on her board, and I repinned it to mine.  It keeps running through my head – am I busier than God intended me to be?  Part of me loves living at a pace that is non-stop, with every day crammed chock-full of generating good ideas and executing projects to completion.

Case in point:

• Our summer-long SBV is winding down and wrapping up in the next few days.
• Our fourth annual school supply giveaway started out with a goal of helping 300 children and when we closed our doors a few minutes after noon on August 4, we had equipped over 400 children with supplies to head back to school.
• I’ve been working with our church staff  one day a week, in addition to my normal work schedule.

In the midst of all that, Swimmer Girl had her last first day of school. She turned 17 without much fanfare or hoopla.

Our beloved pooch – a lazy beast to begin with – became more lethargic day by day this summer. Finally the symptoms worsened  and I took her to the vet last week, to find out she had colitis; an inflamed colon typically caused by a) dietary change, b) eating something that made her ill, or c) stress.  With her history, we’re gonna go with “c” on that one.  Things seem to have righted themselves in her world, thanks to a hefty round of anti-inflammatory meds. She’s perkier and more active than she has been in a while.  I wish I had noticed the onset of symptoms earlier but in my hustle and bustle, I chalked it up to her age and the “dog days” of summer.  Bad me.

For better or worse, my life’s pace has quickened, at least for now.  I am ever mindful of the pitfalls of “busy-ness” and so I’m determined to balance things to make sure I’m running my life and not the other way around.   My family will be relieved when I demonstrate that I do remember how to cook and clean better than the “lick and a promise” approach I’ve employed during the past couple months.

The good news is fall seems to be coming early:  we’ve slept with windows open the past several nights – unheard of in August in the south.  Maybe this is nature’s way of apologizing for jumping the gun on summer back in April.  Whether it means an extra-long fall or an extra-long winter, who knows? But at this point I’ll take either one.

Here’s to a life full of good things, including time to be still in the midst of it all.

Happy Thursday,
Terry

P.S. Watch for a recipe-of-the-week to appear next week; some things ARE returning to  normal!

 

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Transplanting in July.

Our old house was once again empty as of June 30.  After our tenants moved out, I found I not only needed to touch up the painted walls inside, but a stroll through the back gardens showed that my left-behind plants were seriously suffering from neglect. And realistically, that was not surprising – not everyone loves gardening as much as I do, and even an avid gardener isn’t necessarily going to appreciate my plant choices, or understand all the quirks that come with gardening beneath greedy, thirsty maple trees in thin clay soil and very hard, high pH water.  It took me several years of trial-and-error to figure out what worked, and my plant ranks suffered many casualties along the way.

I reluctantly made the decision to move some of the plants while we were between renters and give the beds a fresh coat of mulch for the new tenants. Moving plants is always stressful on them, but conventional wisdom says the best time to transplant is in the spring or fall…either before the plant breaks dormancy or as it is drifting off for a long winter’s nap.

Obviously, July is neither spring nor fall.  In fact, it is quite possibly the worst possible time to uproot and move plants around – they need all their strength just to withstand the rigors of high heat and dry conditions that July is notorious for.  But it was a “now or never” window of opportunity: No matter what arrangements we made at lease signing, I wouldn’t have felt right expecting new tenants to welcome me and my trusty shovel in September, and at the rate the plants were declining, I wasn’t sure they could hold on that long even if I did.  As it turned out, we had it rented just two weeks after it was vacated.

And so, in the middle of the month that is in the middle of summer and in the midst of extreme heat and drought, I spent an overcast but extremely humid Saturday morning digging up dozens of plants: hydrangeas, peonies, hellebores, hostas, heucheras, a prized Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ and some pulmonarias and even a bag full of variegated Solomon’s seal roots (the plants had gone completely deciduous due to the extreme temperatures and dry spell.)

I tagged and bagged and hauled them all home, set them in the shade and began the process of putting them into new surroundings with as much rich, moist amended soil as I could muster.  Since I was digging and moving, I thought I’d bite the bullet and move three randomly planted peonies from this property, and create double borders along eastern fence, with hydrangeas on one side of the gate, and a double-row of peonies along the other.  The photo gallery shows the ugly truth about moving plants under these conditions.  These were taken yesterday, two weeks after the plants were moved. They will not win any beauty prizes this year, but if I can keep them hydrated and we have a typical fall and winter, I’m hopeful of their chances for survival.

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You may see them as lost causes, but when I look at them, I see the potential for them flourishing once again under the watchful eye of the one who hand-chose nearly all of them for her garden, once upon a time.

After all, I moved these plants earlier this year:

and see how they are growing and filling in, just a couple months later:

If a fellow gardener or homeowner asked me for advice, I would tell them to do as I say and not as I did, unless they were in similarly dire straits.  Even with a lot of TLC, I’m sure these plants are going to take a few years to fully recover from this ill-timed move and I may lose a few of them.  But fortunately for us, plants are resilient and forgiving, so take courage and transplant your plants, but preferably in months that have R’s in them.

Happy gardening,
Terry

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Crop Report, Week 14: Say cheese!

It’s hard to believe we’re already at the threshhold of “late summer” – WHERE has the time gone!  My garden was a tangled jungle this week, after a couple weeks of letting Mother Nature take care of things. (At least she watered.)

This week, I managed to get everything untangled and I tossed the rain-rotten tomatoes to the emus across the fence.  It nearly caused a food fight between the cows and emus…guess they ALL like tomatoes and not everyone was in a sharing mood.

Everything is coming along nicely, except the zucchini plant – it appears to be two zucchinis and done.  (I may be the only gardener who cannot seem to harvest more than a couple zucchinis off a plant…most people have them running out the wazoo.)

The yellow cheese peppers are putting on. Cheese peppers are intended to be dried and made into paprika but their squatty shape makes them good for stuffing, too.

Not to be outdone, the purple jalapenos have put on a flush of new flowers and fruit – which is good, considering our heat wave did in the first wave of fruit.

Jimmy Nardello appears to be a frying pepper, and we’re going to invite him for dinner soon.

Over in the pumpkin patch, I’ve got two of these cute ‘Cotton Candy’ white pumpkins growing like weeds

And the ‘Sweet Dumpling’ squash are also coming along nicely.

Tomato-wise, by the time I snapped these pics I had harvested most of the ripe tomatoes, but I found several ‘Hazelfield Farm’ ‘maters waiting for me and the camera.  One is wedged in tight..it took some doing to ease it out without mangling the fruit or the plant:
Don’t tell her, but ‘Eva Ball Purple’ is umm, not purple.  But her fruit are pretty…the old-fashioned juicy kind of slicing tomato we love on a BLT.

Here’s this week’s haul. It’s not enough to make salsa, so later today I’ll roast all but a few of them, leaving some for sandwiches this weekend.

No pics this week, but the potatoes are ready to be forked up – I’m excited to see how much of a crop I got from the “potato tower” this year.

The lettuce has finally gone to head, so I shared the pulled-out plants with the emus. They liked it, but not as much as they do tomatoes.

I hope your garden is putting on a show for you, too!

Happy gardening!
Terry

 

 

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Crop Report: A day late and a few crops short

I usually take my weekly pics on Thursday evening but last Thursday I was watching it rain.  (Yay!!!!)  And for several other reasons, that meant I didn’t get a chance to take pictures until this morning.  Up before 6, I was shooting pictures and then hurrying to get Swimmer Girl on our church bus for a week-long mission campaign trip.

Then Mr. Official and I spent quality time at our old house, getting the landscaping shaped up so we can rent it again. (Another long story.)

So I’m just now sitting down and editing this week’s photos.

It’s a “that’s good, that’s bad” kind of story.  Our record-breaking temperatures have taken a toll on the “first fruits” and caused a few problems.

Like this pepper – it’s supposed to be orange

but it’s not supposed to have a soft rotten spot on the bottom.

The same for this tomato which looks perfect from up top,

but not so attractive when you flip it over.

Here’s my one okra (the rabbits continue to nosh.)  Mr. Official contends it’s poor soil also taking a toll, so I think I’ll plant a cover crop along this area, and look for okra to pickle at the farmers’ market.

The cucumbers

and squash are plugging along, although I’m on guard against beetle and borer problems with them.

The radishes never really took off – the spring temperatures were too high. 

But the onions and carrots are doing okay.

And there have been some bright spots – the Black Krims are almost ripe

And Jimmy Nardello

is a funny fellow

The Sugar Sweeties are proving prolific:

So how is your garden doing?  I’m afraid some of my earliest ripening tomatoes will suffer from blossom-end-rot;  a combination of clay soil and our strange spring and heatwave.  But we’ll keep plugging along – and enjoying the fruits of our labors!

Happy gardening,
Terry

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Crop Report, Week 10: Almost there

This week brings high heat and not much else – it’s late June and our temps are more like mid-August.  Rain is not forthcoming from the sky, so I spend time every few days with the hose pipe.  Which is kind of nice – I cool down the garden, check its progress and generally contemplate not much of anything of importance.

We are within a few days and weeks of the tomatoes starting to come in…in droves.  In fact, here are two turning already; here’s Momotaro:

and here’s a blurry pic of Sugar Sweetie, also on the cusp of ripening:

In other news, the cukes are blooming and ready to set:

And here come the pumpkins:

Both of them:

See how we’ve grown over the past ten weeks:

And see my new trug, ready to start picking all those ripe tomatoes, peppers and squash:

I hope your garden is also growing and getting ready to deliver loads and loads of produce for you to enjoy.

Happy gardening,
Terry

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In parenting, timing is everything

Have you seen this sign?

Unless you totally ignore Pinterest and Facebook, you’ve probably seen it or one like it.

I’ve seen it, read it, and smiled in commiseration and support for parents who are willing to live it.  And I’ve also said a quick and silent prayer of thanks;  for the most part, I have rarely  felt the need to flip out, hunt them down, or otherwise be my children’s worst nightmare.

But Swimmer Girl learned this past weekend that we do sometimes stalk her.

Well, not just her.

More like the entire youth group.

And okay, it really wasn’t stalking, so much as being in the right place at the right time.

We were coming back from an overnight trip to Cleveland, Georgia and passing through the Ocoee River valley late Saturday afternoon. We knew our youth group (including Swimmer Girl) had been white water rafting on the Ocoee.  So as I swung us up, down, around and over the hilly route that follows the river (they don’t call them the “Ultimate Driving Machine” for nothing), Mr. Official kept craning his neck and looking at every raft, saying, “I bet that’s them!”  Finally we reached the last few excursions and he gave up the search. A few minutes later, he spotted the sign pointing to Outoor Adventure Rafting’s facility, which is the guide group we usually use.  We had to check, right?  As we pulled up to their parking area, we spotted our church’s bus. And at that exact moment, our youth group was grabbing their clothes and hitting the showers before heading home.

Our youth minister was not surprised to see us. I doubt much of anything surprises him these days.  But the look on Swimmer Girl’s face was a combination of surprise and…that funny look when you see someone out of context, and it’s taking you a minute to figure out who they are and why they are there.  We had the element of surprise working in our favor, but I know how she felt.

There comes a time in every parent/child relationship when you first really see each other as independent, autonomous people who lead separate lives, albeit with some major overlap and intersections.

It is a strange sensation to run into an acquaintance when and where you least expect it.  But for parents and children, to do so marks the end of the first chapter in your lives, and the beginning of the next. You begin to see each other as people, rather than strictly as children or parents.

For parents who are still in the stalking, flipping out and lecturing years, I salute you and encourage you to remain strong and resolute. Because someday, you too will be able to look at your child as an adult whose life no longer requires your constant presence.  And when you run into each other unexpectedly, it will hopefully be a very pleasant coincidence.  Because timing really is everything.

Happy Monday,
Terry

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Recipe of the Week: Easy Pina Colada Poke Cake

Our first home was in a new but modest subdivision at the bottom of a sledding hill leading to the elementary school our boys would eventually attend.  Our neighbors were mostly young families as we were.  In fact, as we were  moving in, another house was going in just across the street, and was soon occupied by Brad & Vicky – a young couple who soon filled it with two beautiful baby girls nearly the same ages as our boys.  We trick-or-treated at each others homes, and spent a little time nattering about families, lawns and other stuff that you talk about with a baby on your hip and toddlers running around your legs.

We lost touch with them when we moved out, but I haven’t forgotten the cake (or the recipe) she shared with me.  It’s quick, easy, cool and delicious – perfect for summer cookouts and picnics.  If you prefer a pure coconut flavor, use coconut milk; if you like the added pineapple flavor of pina coladas, look for non-alcoholic pina colada mix and combine it with a can of sweetened condensed milk (you can use fat-free if it makes you feel healthier.)

Vicky’s Pina Colada Poke Cake

Ingredients:
1 box white cake mix, baked in 9×13 pan according to package directions
1 can pina colada mix and one can sweetened condensed milk OR 1 can coconut cream*
1 small tub Cool Whip or 2 cups fresh-whipped cream

Instructions:
As soon as cake is done, remove from oven and poke all over with a skewer or piece of uncooked spaghetti (be careful to not break the pasta off in the cake!)  If using pina colada mix, combine with sweetened condensed milk.  Pour it (or the coconut milk) over the cake.  Allow it to cool completely, then cover with whipped cream and chill for at least an hour before serving.

See?  I told you it was easy.

*A word or two about coconut milk, coconut cream and pina colada mix.  Each has a different flavor and consistency, but any of them can work in this recipe, with a little modification.  You will typically find them in the “drink mixers” area (they are non-alcoholic) or in the Asian or Hispanic food sections.  Here’s what they look like:

Coconut milk is pretty watery and generally unsweetened.  If that’s all you can find, you can mix it with a can of sweetened condensed milk.

Coconut cream is thick and sweet.  If it is too thick to spread, thin it with a bit of cream or milk (but only enough to get it to moving.)

Pina colada mix contains pineapple and coconut and can be mixed with sweetened condensed milk to get the right consistency.  Shown here is a 14-ounce can. If you buy a larger bottle, only use just  12-14 ounces and refrigerate the rest.

Happy baking!
Terry

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