Quote of the Day: Louise Dickinson Rich
It’s very illuminating to have to make a list, which you will very possibly have occasion to use, of the things you’d save in extremity. It reduces one’s material possessions to their proper place.
Louise Dickinson Rich We Took to the Woods
This is also the case when moving, or at least it should be. Going through everything you own and asking yourself what you really need. The truth is, we really don’t NEED that much to survive. It is nice to have things that make our lives more comfortable, but it can weigh us down if we have too much. Thankfully, Mr Chiots and I started minimizing our stuff many years ago. We stepped off the consumerism treadmill by dedicating an entire year to not buying anything we didn’t need to survive. At the same time we started getting rid of things we didn’t use or need. As a result, packing should be a little easier. During the process, we’re also trying to go through everything to lighten the load even more. There are still a few things that we’re asking ourselves: to take or not to take?
Take my hanging baskets for example, I don’t really NEED them, but I do like them. Do I want to pack them, take them to Maine, store them over the winter, plant something in them, and water them next summer? That is the question, do I want to deal with hanging baskets? There isn’t even a front porch at the new place.
They’ll go into the “maybe” pile. Things that we’re on the fence about and may part with if the moving truck gets too full.
How good are you about keeping your things at a minimum? Do you find it difficult to part with things?
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Plant Labels
Whenever I buy plants, the little markers that come in the pots are thrown into a bowl on my potting bench in the garage. Of course, there’s always a plan to do something with them, or to start a database of all the plants in the garden, but that never really materializes.
They are handy to have around, I find myself occasionally forgetting the name of a specific plants and sorting through the labels to find the tag. I also like to look through the bowl every now and then to see what plants haven’t survived.
The previous owners of this house often planted the tags along with the plants in the garden. They usually blew away, or got buried. Sometimes, when I’m planting something or working in the garden I’ll find one for a plant I didn’t purchase and it makes me smile. Kind of like a relic unearthed in excavation. It gives me a small glimpse into the previous gardeners that lived here.
What do you do with the tags that come with plants?
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Friday Favorite: Meeting You
In this day in age it’s very common to know someone and yet to never have actually met them in person. Every now and then I get the opportunity to meet one of my blog readers and it’s always fun. Earlier this spring , Mr Chiots and I stayed with a blog reader in Maine. She said it was kind of funny to meet me in person because she knew so much about me having read my blog, but I knew nothing about her.
Yesterday evening I had the chance to meet another blog reader. Her and her husband came down to Chiot’s Run for dinner. I made homemade pasta and topped it with garden fresh veggies. She headed home with my cold frame and a few plants for her garden.
We enjoyed good food and lots of great conversation. In fact, it almost got dark while we were talking over empty plates and we almost missed the garden tour. A month or two ago, another reader stopped by for brunch when she happened to be in the area. I truly enjoy meeting and chatting with my blog readers in person, it’s certainly a pleasure to get a glimpse into your lives. If you’re ever in midcoast Maine, contact me. Swing by for coffee, a meal or even a night or two, we’d be happy to meet you in person!
Have you ever met an internet friend before?
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Pardon our Dust
Yesterday was drywall sanding day on the upstairs project, a dusty job to be sure. Thankfully our contractor is pretty good and we didn’t have to sand too much.
It still makes a HUGE mess and I’ll be dusting and vacuuming daily for a week or two to get rid of it all. Thankfully, we both have these fantastic 3M Professional Half-Mask Organic Vapor, N95 Respirator to wear. They’re amazing and work not only for dust but for odor as well, worth every penny. We wear them all the time!
We also managed to get everything primed and the ceiling three of the rooms painted. Needless to say, we’re super excited about getting this project checked off the list.
What creates the most dirt/dust in your house: pets, kids, spouse, gardening?
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Stocking The Larder
Yesterday, I spent some time cleaning the ‘Red Zepellin’ onions that were harvested a few weeks ago. They’ve been drying in the warm garage and it was time to move them to the basement pantry. These plants were grown from plants purchased from Johnny’s Seeds.
While trimming the roots and stalks off the bulbs, I was thinking about the security that growing your own food provides. Knowing that you can provide at least a small amount of nourishment for your family is truly priceless.
Sometimes when people mention that they can buy food so cheaply at the grocery it’s not worth the effort of growing it, I just shake my head. Sure, you can save money tending an edible garden, but the money saved pales in comparison to the other intangible value it provides to our lives. Besides peace and relaxation, the feeling of security is what I notice most when I’m tending the garden and harvesting food for our table. Knowing that I can keep food on our plates from tending the earth is deeply satisfying.
What intangible benefits of edible gardening do you value the most?
