ZAP

Last night I was down eating dinner at the neighbor’s house and a thunderstorm moved through. All of a sudden lighting struck and a spark came out of the outlet in the kitchen. Then there was no internet. After looking around the next morning they seem to think it hit a big tree and the little one room schoolhouse a little ways down the road. But that means there is no internet, so no blog posts, no photos. I’m down at the local elementary school with our neighbor BJ getting a little work done. Not sure when it will come back on, stay tuned, I’ll be back to blogging like normal when it does. At least we still have electricity!

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In Print

I sell photos to print magazines all the time along with writing a lot of articles for digital sources. While I was in Seattle I received my copies of Northern Gardener Magazine which contained an article I wrote and provided photos for.

It’s rather nice to receive a paper copy of a magazine with your name it in, even though I sell articles for online sources it’s just not quite the same as seeing your name in print.

This article about something I’m very passionate about: Micronutrients! If you’re interested in a great magazine about cold climate gardening check out Northern Gardener Magazine (it’s published by the Minnesota State Horticultural Society).

If you subscribe you’ll notice my photos in it every so often, one of my photos even graced the cover once.

Do you have a favorite gardening magazine?

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Quote of the Day Shauna Niequist

“Fall is harvest, when we’re getting all the good stuff that someone took the time to plant many month ago.  Someone planted it, and now we benefit from it.  And that’s how it is we make art.  We struggle and push and plant seeds deep underground, and it doesn’t look like much for a hilwe.  But then someone comes alone and listens to your song or sees your painting or reads your poem, and they feel alive again, like the world if freh and bursting, just like harvest.  Plant something today that will feed someone many months or many years from now.  Plant something today, because you’ve feasted on someone else’s carefully planted seeds, seeds that bloomed into nourishment and kept you alive and wide-eyed.”

Shauna Niequiest in Bittersweet.

I love the farmers market this time of year, I come home with bags full of hearty roots for roasting, adding to gratins or long simmering in soups. While I grow potatoes, I don’t really grow carrots and celeriac much, they have such a long growing season I’m happy to allow someone else to plant those things so I can benefit from them.

I’m also loving the sweetening on the bitter greens like kale. Shopping at the farmers market is a great way to get in touch with the flow of the seasons.

Roasting is probably my favorite way to enjoy winter root vegetables, it bring out the sweetness and really showcases their flavor.

What’s your favorite fall/winter vegetable? How do you like it prepared?

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Not Ready

Usually I’m quite ready for the cold weather to come, this year I’m not quite there. While I am looking forward to fires, soups, and lots of needlework, I’m not quite ready for the warmth of the sun to leave. I’m not quite ready to trade my flip flops for wool socks. I’m not quite ready to have frosty fingers when I do my chores. I’m not quite ready for the short days.

Lucky for me the afternoons are still sunny and fairly warm, warm enough to sit in a chair by the potager at noon without a sweater on. I’m soaking up the last little bit of vitamin D that I can, hopefully it lasts me through the winter.

Are you ready for the next season?

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It’s Been a LONG Time

Way back in August of 1994 I met five girls when I went to college in Cincinnati. Little did I know that twenty years later we would still be getting together at least once a year to catch up. We had hoped to plan a longer trip, maybe somewhere fun, but with kids, and dogs, and farms, and life that didn’t end up happening. We still had a great time, where we are doesn’t matter as much as being together.

We are hoping to do something fun in the summer of 2016 when we are all 40 (or almost there). We discussed options this trip, hopefully we can settle on a fun location, it might be in Maine!

Mr Chiots and I were talking about how different our lives are now, if we met today we might not all end up becoming friends. I’m thankful I met these lovely ladies so long ago, there’s something very special about friendships that stand the test of time.

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