(Sharing with you today an oldie-but-goodie rerun!) Making the choice, and the concentrated effort, to eat healthier has many obvious good effects. However, some of you may be wondering, “What are the negative consequences of eating healthier?” I am here … Continue reading
I got a little carried away with the late summer reseeding of my garden. If you read my previous post about our backyard marauders, you’ll remember the cute baby bunnies that took over my garden, and ruined all of … Continue reading
As a kid, when you were burned by a sparkler mishap or a hot Pop Tart, did your mom (or grandma) put butter on the burn site? Didn’t you just feel like a piece of burnt toast? You were still … Continue reading
It’s that time of year again – the annual “Run for your lives, she’s got cucumbers to get rid of!” phase of my summer. Over the past six days, I have harvested about thirty cucumbers, and have managed to give … Continue reading
Childhood – it was the best of times; it was the “wurst” of times. It was a time of (generally speaking) complete indifference to the nutritional value of foods. Easy-fix “meals” and junk food had infiltrated our grocery stores in … Continue reading
I’ve never been much of one for New Year’s resolutions. Whenever I’ve wanted to start a new habit, set some difficult goals, or rein in some unhealthy impulses, I would begin when the inspiration arose. Why wait until the new … Continue reading
Out in my tiny garden
The plants have gone hog wild.
The vines and plants now growing
Could hide a little child.
But I’m not sure I’d trust them
With little ones close by.
It’s “Little Shop of Horrors”
I see in my mind’s eye.
They started out so tiny,
I never thought they’d grow.
But something crazy happened.
Just what, I do not know.
They’ve overgrown the fences,
They’re pulling out the stakes.
They’ve hidden my best garden gloves.
They’ve eaten all the rakes.
I cannot gauge the danger,
But they have grown so huge,
And on their tree-like branches
Grows a ‘mater-ish deluge.
It’s getting hard to hold them,
To keep them all subdued.
They’re too big for the cages
And now they’re getting rude.
I sometimes feel them watch me,
Walk in the garden gate.
I tell my family, “Call 911,
If I am running late!”
Now that it’s time for harvest,
I try to play it cool.
I sing a calming lullaby,
I try to act the fool.
I sneak my tiny, little hand
Right in there on the produce.
I grab and snatch and back away,
Then just as quickly vamoose.
Then I stand back and study,
Contrive my next attack.
Before they know what’s happened,
They’re looking at my back!
And now begins the slaughter
Of juicy orange and reds.
Tomatoes overflowing,
“Off with their unripe heads!”
Those pesky seed compartments
All filled with slimy goo,
Are headed for the compost.
The crowns will rot there, too.
We’re not tomato lovers,
Until they’re doctored up.
I’ll turn them into salsa.
We drink that by the cup!
And though we really love it,
The work involved is grueling.
When I am finished canning
I always need refueling.
It takes countless ripe tomatoes
For each salsa-canning batch.
And for our salsa appetite,
The effort is no match.
The hard work will continue
Until the ground has frosted.
And by that time the harvest
Will have me all exhausted.
And after it gets colder,
And beasts are moving slow,
I’ll sneak into the garden,
And deal the final blow.
I’ll clip and lop and gut them
Remove the vining menace,
And then I think I’ll pave it,
And next year…, take up tennis!
grandma's coffee soup 