Plenty of Snow

Well, I don't know how much it snowed last night, but there is plenty of white stuff out there. I think I'll get up and going and step outside, take some pictures, wander around a bit. This is unusual weather for us, this much snow may be record. When we were kids we were thrilled when it snowed. We had the sleds out right away and the ice skates and headed for the park across the street. Here, down at the slough there is ice, which is interesting because salt water comes into the estuary and salt water doesn't freeze. There is an open stream still, running through the ice covered mud. I walked down there yesterday, cold, cold cold. Today, as well as my jaunt outside, I'm going to do some inside things, then dinner with friends. My cold seems a little better today. I will lie low with one more movie to watch, lots of tea, and more chicken soup. It's the garlic that heals.

Speaking of garlic, Growing Great Garlic will tell you how to prepare the beds for all the varieties you might plant. Try out a bunch of them. I didn't have luck with garlic, I already told you that. But some elephant garlic grew. I'd say try that to start, if you want to venture into the garlic business. Elephant garlic tastes different, greener is how I'd describe it. It's the easiest to grow.

So yesterday I learned how closed off my heart has been. This makes me sad, because I was thinking that my grandson had helped me open it. But then this gentleman joined me for a Sufi concert and the combination of his attention and the devotion of the whirlers, popped my heart open. Then this interesting thing happened, my heart had some grouchiness in it. Can you imagine that? I thought that when the heart opened, then I'd be spewing forth warmth and good feelings. Not entirely. I felt the snarl, I felt the tears, I felt the joy. It was all there in one cracked open heart. Could be garlic will help with this condition. And I'm thinking heart breathing, that's when you breath in and out of the heart; it's partially imaginary. Anyway, plenty of time to do such things on snowy days. Plenty of time to open the heart.

That's all for now. Enjoy.

Flower

Tide Turning

Tomorrow is my first day of singledom--that is, it is the final day of the divorce. The light at the end of the tunnel. When you get divorced in Washington, there is a 90 day waiting period after one files. There are many things that can happen in 90 days. Some folks decide to stay married. Nothing happened for me, well one little thing that could have become a bigger thing--he didn't like the agreement--but that quickly went by the wayside. Why? Because a contested divorce is way more expensive than an non-contested divorce.

Now is a time for rest and recovery. And gardening. Bring in the cold sensitive plants. A lovely row of plants by a sunny window, what could be better. And be sure to mulch cold-sensitive plants that stay out doors. Roses for one, and the rhody plant. If you have root vegetables you want to winter over, cover the rows with leaves. If you are planting a cover crop, it would be a good time to do that.

Oh, and put in your garlic now. There are so many varieties. Try some new ones. I really love elephant garlic.

Well, wish me a good night sleep. It's hard to sleep during highly charged times--divorce being one of them. Now it should return to me.

Happy happy! Flower

Stormy Weather

The wind blew all night and the rain pummeled the windows. Looks like some clearing this morning, a little color in the sky. A good morning to put in garlic sets. Garlic has a long growing life. You plant it now and you harvest next fall. Why so long I don't know. I grew it once, elephant garlic and a few different types. It didn't' do that well, but I was growing in Kitsap hardpan. You can barely dig in it.

There are tons of different types of garlic. Each tastes a little different. Why not experiment, try growing some in your home garden. If you have a planter garden on your deck or balcony, garlic isn't something you'll be growing, but chives are nice and a perennial. Good on baked potatoes and in salads, too. I love the little flowers, little purple puffs. Very sweet. There are also garlic chives to be had. See the book Growing Garlic for more info on varieties.

Well, have to run this morning, got a writing date with my writing buddies.
Ciao! Flower