Garden Dreaming
Now that I have a huge blank slate for a garden, I’m spending a lot of time dreaming about what I want to do. It’s really not that different than what I did back in Ohio, just on a larger scale. One thing I’ve always dreamed about having in the garden is a nice bench.
I don’t know exactly why this type of bench calls to me, but every time I see one at a botanical garden or in a park, I tell myself I’ll have one in my garden someday.
This particular bench was nestled in a peaceful alcove by the pond at Bloedel Reserve, the perfect spot to sit. I could definitely see myself spending hours on this bench reading.
I think all gardens should have a place to sit, though oddly enough I’ve never really had an official one in mine. Back in Ohio, we always sat on the stairs of our front porch or on the stairs in the back. Someday I will have a garden bench, I just have to start saving my pennies because a good quality one isn’t cheap!
Do you have a place to sit in your garden?
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In My Library – part 3
Many of you are avid readers, like me, you are probably interested in what other people have on their bookshelves. While I was looking for a book the other day, the thought hit me that you might be interested in seeing what books I have gracing the shelves in my home. This will be a series, every now and then I’ll feature a few of the books on my shelf and tell you about them, where I got them, if I love them, etc. For part three, we’ll be looking at a section of my favorite fiction books.
I’m not much of a fiction reader, generally I find them a little less engaging that historical books or books about things I want to learn more about. There are a few exceptions, pretty much anything by John Steinbeck and Ernest Hemingway are sure to make me read late into the night. Here’s a glimpse into a portion of my fiction library.
If you asked me what my favorite fiction book of all time was, I would quickly respond “East of Eden“. John Steinbeck is my favorite novelist, I’ve read every book he’s ever written, many of them multiple times. While I love all of them, East of Eden is my favorite. What I most love about this book is the complexity. Modern fiction books don’t find their way onto my library list very often because I generally find them not engaging enough. My mind needs something complex or it wanders easily.
Grapes of Wrath is also in this stack, I’ve read it a few times. If you’ve never read it, I’d highly recommend it, it is labeled “classic” for a reason. Even though it’s fiction, it will give you a better idea of what life was like during the dust bowl and the depression. Grapes of Wrath reads like a history book, you can almost believe the characters are real. Feel good literature it is not, so don’t be expecting any of that. There is a lot of pain, suffering, grittiness and reality. When you do read it, think about all the migrant farm workers living in the same conditions now.
Hemmingway is also one of my favorites. Enduring Hemingway came to me by way of my dad, as you can see, like Grapes of Wrath, it’s an old library copy. These are my favorite kinds of books to buy. You feel a sense of history when you read them, knowing many people have leafed through their pages before you. Enduring Hemingway is a collection of his writings, if you’ve never read any of his stuff give this one a read. You can pick and choose from a wide range of his writings. This book is a hefty tome, coming in at 864 pages. It’s filled with 20 of his books, from The Old Man and the Sea to Farewell to Arms. It includes The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber, which is one of my favorites and is part of The Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway, which if you’ve never read Hemingway I highly recommend starting here with these.
The last book on the shelf I have not read, at least in my adult life. I vaguely remember reading Sherlock Holmes as a kid, who doesn’t. Another classic book, I hope to read it this coming winter. Oddly enough, I actually have two copies of this book, both old library editions.
What’s your favorite “Classic”?
The Series:
In My Library – part 1
In My Library – part 2
In My Library – Part 3
In My Library – Birding Books
In My Library: the Edible Garden Edition
If you do want to purchase any of these books or anything else from Amazon, use my Amazon Link, I’ll earn a few pennies to help pay for my now outrageous hosting bill for this blog!
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Cultivate Simple 18: The Family Cow
An honest and unrehearsed discussion about trying to live a more simple life. This is episode 18 and today we are discussing the family cow and home dairying.
For this episode, we will be talking with our friendly local dairy farmers from Ohio. We met Mike & Dawn many years ago while searching for local eggs. A few months later, they decided to make the switch from selling their milk to a big dairy to selling directly to people in the community. Brian and I signed up for their herd share program.
Today we’re talking to Mike & Dawn about maintaining the family cow. We’ll cover topics like rotational grazing, once a day milking, the benefits of pasturing, and all things pertaining to maintaining a cow.
Topics Covered:
considerations
pasturing and winter feeding
breeding & calving
once a day milking
breeds
Visit Mike & Dawn’s Blog to find out more about them and their wonderful NE Ohio farm.
Books of the Week
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:37:13 — 67.5MB)
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Quote of the Day: Joe Eck & Wayne Winterrowd
Within the large context of gardening, the raising of vegetables if peculiar, for the nourishment it offers is both physical and spiritual, a rare meeting of body and soul. In its pursuit, one becomes more directly a second Nature, seeding and tending and harvesting, usually in one season. There is a directness, too, a straightforwardness of process, a neatness expressed even in the rows, that makes vegetables gardening, among all other sorts on might think to practice, peculiarly satisfying. And, though all gardening creates litanies – the blooming of the first snowdrops, crocus and daffodils, roses and Joe Pye weed, the turning of autumn leaves and the appearance of the first colchicum – the maturation times of vegetables become unusually precious beads on a long string.
Joe Eck & Wayne Winterrowd in Living Seasonally: The Kitchen Garden and the Table at North Hill
There’s something wonderful about watching a vegetable go from seed to table. I especially appreciate the cycle of the humble garden pea. Perhaps it the size of the seeds, the quick growing nature of the vines or the amazing taste of freshly harvested peas. It doesn’t carry the poshness of arugula or the flamboyance of a large round tomato, but garden peas are a true delight. If you want to learn more about growing peas, head on over to read my Growing Great Peas guide on the Your Day Blog.
What’s your favorite vegetable to watch mature?
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Warm & Toasty
AH, being warm & cozy is something I really enjoy. Perhaps that’s why I appreciate a cup of hot coffee or tea so much. For many years, I’ve been saying I needed to get a pair of flannel lined jeans. I spend a lot of time outside during the fall/winter/spring seasons, and regular jeans just aren’t warm enough sometimes.
A pair has never been in my dresser, because I’m so incredibly picky about how my clothes fit. I just found a pair of prAna flannel lined jeans. Now I’m warm & toasty during my morning chores, heading out to the chicken coop and the duck house doesn’t involve cold legs.
The great thing about these jeans is that they’re not too hot to wear around the house either. I like them so much, I bought another pair. I’ll be wearing these 6 months out of the year!
Do you have a favorite warm & toasty piece of clothing?
