Virgin Harvest

This book was a delight to read.  Very inspiring and got me in the mood to garden on-the-cheap using what I have in my gardening shed, garage, kitchen and around the property.  I promptly rinsed out all of my old terra cotta pots and scrubbed the grit & grime from them with a wire brush, as well as saving and rinsing food jars & large cans to use for future plant cuttings (don't I sound like a legitimate gardener?).

Another weekly read of mine is this blog.  Nici has organized a gardening challenge called Virgin Harvest and she writes about it here.  I'm going to participate.  With my track record, it could be a very short participation - but I'm going to give it a try, as that's the whole point.  Check it out, sign up and become a born-again-virgin-in-the-garden.

I took a short trip to Petaluma to visit the new Seed Bank and it was so fantastic!  Who knew I could get so excited over seeds?  They say people can't change, but I think I'm living proof that you can.  If you had told me ten years ago that I would be giddy upon entering a vegetable seed bank, I would have told you that you were certifiably C-R-A-Z-Y.  Well, here I am.

I realize that my pattern is to get excited, buy too much, bring it home, watch it sit in the container or, in this case, the seed packet and then promptly forget about it.  Well, not this time.

I promptly came home and went back to the gardening shed and opened up this spider web covered cabinet to find the above collection of miscellaneous jars.  WTF?  My very own seed bank!  How have I lived here three years and never opened this cabinet?  I felt a rush of excitement.  I have millions of poppy seeds.  Pumpkin seeds.  Tatsoi seeds?  Huh?  What is that?  I would have a lot of research to do, but it was clicking for me that part of gardening is saving seeds, recycling items that will help in the garden (such as film canisters, spice jars and tiny honey pots) and using a little creativity to keep this entire project on the cheap.  That's what our grandparents did for sure.  Surely, I can do this.  

First up.  Avocado seeds.  Two seeds that I normally would have composted were saved, rinsed and pricked with toothpicks and put in a dark, dry cabinet above my stove.  Once leaves form, they will be transplanted into a pot with drainage holes.  All of my reading helped me realize plants need light, good soil & AIR.  The air is an important component that I have really messed up on in a few of my house plants.  I have pots with no drainage.  Cute pots, but apparently that isn't going to help my plants grow.  Re-potting is on my list of things to do now.

Here is the first of my seedling plantings.  Zinnias, carrots and radishes and planted in recycled egg cartons (and these can go directly in the ground when replanting outside).  I will also plant beets and lettuce seeds directly in the ground, as directed, later this week after the rains.  I wasn't sure how much rain was coming (we're on day two) and I didn't want the seeds to mildew or get washed away, as per the instructions from the Sonoma County Master Gardener's website.  These seedlings will be transplanted to my weed-free, compost-rich gardening beds once they look developed and the chance of frost is gone.  

Potatoes are the next project.  I've been researching planting potatoes in tires here and here, as there are a lot of beneficial reasons for doing so (retaining moisture and heat, space-saving and repurposing old tires) and saving the backbreaking work of hoeing a row or two in the ground where pesky gophers can gobble them up.  For now, I've planted in terra cotta pots and will perhaps try the tire method later this summer.

Garlic.  Kitchen garlic to be exact.  You are supposed to plant garlic in the late fall, but I went ahead and popped it in a bed close to the house.  A friend offered that if you can grow it on your counter, then you can probably grow it in the garden in February.  Great.  Done.  It's coming up nicely and I'm looking forward to the beautiful purple globe-like flowers almost as much as the garlic!  I planted 24 cloves.  

March is ending on a nice note.  I have a few weed-free beds that will be planted soon with tomatoes, lettuce, beets and flowers.  The rain is going to help me rid a few other sections of my garden of weeds, as the soil will be soft and the weeds won't have a chance against me and my hoe (I just had to type that sentence). 


What are you going to grow? 

Mosaic Class

We had the opportunity to take a mosaic class in Jenner with other kidlets and it was amazing.  Two days of creating with mastic, touching beautiful tiles, gathering inspiration from our friends and grouting it all together.  What a lovely metaphor for life.  We worked hard and the end product was the icing on the cake.   The kids felt accomplished and proud of their work.  I felt grounded by working with them and gathered inspiration from their decisiveness and ingenuity.  I will try to carry this around with me for awhile.  I have so much to learn from these little ones.  My new year's resolution of BE PRESENT was ringing loudly in my ears this weekend.  I listened and learned so very much.

Vernal Equinox Shearing

My kid has had March 20th highlighted on his calendar for months (in hot pink, of course).  The first day of Spring equaled shearing my child like a sheep.  Yep, you heard me right.  My son wanted his hair shaved for the first day of Spring.  Okey.  Dokey.  His last haircut was the day before school started in August, so he was definitely due.  However, I had grown to love his new hairdo and especially the way he changed his part from left to right about six weeks ago.  I loved the way he would sweep his bangs out of his eyes and shake his head just-so.  Ah, yes, but it was time.

We spent most of the first day of Spring out and about.  As the evening approached and we were headed out to a community fundraiser, my sweet boy reminded me of the day's work still undone.  Mom, you need to cut my hair today.  Hmmm.  We were running late, but a promise is a promise.  Okay then, strip down to your undies and grab a sheet son - we've got work to do on that head of hair (and for the record:  you are your father's son!).  

First things first.  We must bribe child with a cookie so that we can take copious amount of blackmail photos. Check.

End result was a totally different kid.  He came inside and took a shower.  Picked his own outfit, which included a collared shirt and tie.  C'mon.  How cute is that?   He even had me call the neighbors and ask if he could run down and show them his new look.

He told me he felt "new" and liked his new look.  I still was mourning the old look, but quickly got over it.  I love this kid and how he approaches life.  He shed the last six months' worth of hair and was ready to dive into being seven next month.  If he's ready....I better get ready.

You look good, G, you look good.

Clothing Swap

The PTA-ELAC Clothing Swap happened today and it was awesome!  We collected hundreds of items of clothing, shoes & accessories and filled the Tomales Elementary School gym.  There were snacks, music & the nicest ladies around town.  We were personal shoppers for one another and everyone had a smile on their face.  It felt good to release your old duds and  then try to push them on another (usually more slender) friendly body.

This event was created to help build community among all parents at the school and it was wildly successful.  Next year we will tweak things a bit and hold the event on a weekend day and hope for a larger turnout.  I ended up scoring a cashmere sweater and Fendi jacket all the way from Italy, as well as a suede pair of boots and a couple of casual t-shirts.  All free.  All good.  The remaining 30 sacks of clothing/shoes were donated to local charity-based thrift stores in the general vicinity.  What's not to like about that?

Little Lamb

This little lamb was there to greet me as I approached G's school parking lot.  Really.  Wasn't there a nursery rhyme about this?  Yep, sure there is.  She was bleating and happy as could be.  What an idyllic moment.  I stopped.  Took a quick picture with my iPhone and watched her skip across the asphalt calling for her friend.

March: Thee Meyer Lemon

::  Get thee to Andy's Market read an email with this photo attached (photo courtesy of Jill Davidson)

::  Get thee to the Valley Ford Market was how I responded after stopping in to buy a few things at our local town market

::  Get thee to Jackie's House responded our other Meyer-lemon-loving friend (picture courtesy of Patty O'Rourke)

Yes, it's that time of year.  March is Meyer lemon season and it made me smile that my good friend sent me the first message that started the day of Meyer lemon spotting.  I plan to cut up a bunch and add to a beautiful carafe of water for the PTA meeting this week, garnish a cocktail or two and make a lemon cake.  Maybe March isn't so bad after all?

Birthday Date With Grandma

My mom's 59th birthday was today and my sweet boy wanted to take her out on a date to River's End for dinner, a beautiful sunset and dessert.  Mission Accomplished.

Run, Grady, Run!

Today was the Marine Mammal Center's Race for the Seals and we participated in the two mile run/walk/chat-it-up-the-hill-with-strangers extravaganza!  G made signage, befriended a little guy along the way and LOVED being apart of this event.  Super family-friendly and lots of fun was had raising funds for the rehabilitation of harbor seals, sea otters and elephant seals.

We finished the two-mile course in approximately 40 minutes, all the while G leading the way and reciting factoids about seals to anyone that would listen and planning his seal adoption in April on his birthday.  Tons of literature for his brochure bag (currently overflowing in his room with lots of random info on marine life, bird rescue, canine companions and the like).

The day before this event it rained from the time we woke up until the time our heads hit the pillow.  However, race day proved sunny & glorious.  Sunshine, friends at the event and valuable family time.  Can't wait until next year.

Down by the Seashore

Today it's raining, but yesterday we seized the opportunity to spend the afternoon at the beach meeting friends for low tide at Doran Beach.  The kids ran around, collected shells and rocks, built a dam and generally did what you do at the beach...RUN and EXPLORE.  I'm so glad school was half day, as it gave us the excuse to meet our friends and enjoy our Sonoma Coast together.

No wind + such delicious sunshine = One amazing day at the beach!

Junior Scientist

We had the opportunity to attend the Science for Life Lecture Series at Gladstone Institute this week and asked the President and his lovely wife, Linda, if we could get a short lab tour for G.  They jumped at this request and helped create a memory for all of us.

Shortly upon arriving at the Gladstone, G was whisked away by Linda Mahley and introduced to Dr. Ugur Hodoglugil.  He was fitted with a lab coat (with rolled up sleeves) and taken to the refrigeration unit to collect dry ice.  Once water was added, the fumes came spilling out over the beaker and G thought it was wicked.

His eyes were full of wonder and interest during his lab experiments.  Watching Linda watch my son was so sweet.  She loves my boy like a grandson and he loves her right back.  We left with lab samples (dyed water) in a test tube and it was as if he had won the lottery.

We all won today.  Science, a visit to the big city (San Francisco) and watching our boy experience something for the first time.  A junior scientist in the making?  Only time will tell.

Academy of Science

We spent a few hours at the Academy of Science in San Francisco and learned so very much.    The Morrison Planetarium was incredible and a must-see if you get to the Academy this year.  After the planetarium, my son wanted to hang out in the library (be still my beating mama heart).  We looked at books, puzzles, snakes in specimen jars, butterflies pinned in glass cases and lots and lots of quotes and factoids.

Our annual membership is about to expire to the Academy and we sure did get our use out of it this year.  Thank you Grandma Bea for the Christmas gift that lasted all year long and spurred some interesting questions from our kid, as well as expanding his interest in the natural world.

Digging in the Garden

Today was gorgeous.  It was warm, blue skies and I had many weeds looking to meet their maker.  My garden can be overwhelming at times and I have made a promise to myself to garden at least 15 minutes every day, more if I get the urge.  I figured I would take a lesson from my neighbor and approach my yard with a zen-like mindset.  A little each day will add up to a weed-free radius in the garden.  This has proved effective, as I've cleared two garden beds, amended the soil and filled up an entire green bin with my weed casualties.  There is such a satisfying feeling of pulling a humongous, thorny weed out by its entire root.  Victory in the garden.

In planning this year's garden, we made a preliminary list of things we'd like to eat and that we think we can grow.  Strawberries (and lots of them), carrots, lettuce, tomatoes and potatoes.  We planted garlic a few weeks ago and we'll cross our fingers that I wasn't too late on getting it in the ground.  I'm also going to plant an herb garden of thyme, oregano, chives, sage and basil.  I use those herbs so regularly and it is such a treat to chop them up and throw in a salad or over scrambled eggs.

My March melancholy is subsiding and working in the garden has proved to be a quiet meditation.  The month has a long list of to-do projects outside the house and I can't wait to see what we can produce this year.  Such promise.

March Books

Today's trip to the Marin Mobile Library was a highlight to my week.  I've finished a few books these last few months (The Road by Cormac McCarthy, Righteous Porkchop by Nicolette Hahn Niman, The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb, The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert) and I'm ready to dig in to this new stack that will sit on my bedside table just waiting to be read.

By the looks of this stack, I see cooking and gardening in my immediate future.  I've downloaded Molly Wizenberg's podcast Spilled Milk on NPR and after listening to her describe the braising of green onions (yes, really!), I had to check out the cookbook she was referencing All About Braising by Molly Stevens.

So the last few weeks without cable television has renewed my interest in the written word.  It was no wonder I didn't read much before, as I spent a vast majority of my evenings parked on the couch mindlessly watching some so-called reality show.  This new reality is refreshing.  The house is so calm.  I'm eager to read in the morning before I get out of bed and look forward to the few hours of reading after dinner and the dishes are done.

What are you reading?

EK Ranch Visit

A visit to our friend's house just outside of Occidental proved timely, as G had just watched National Velvet and fell in love with the horse in that movie.  He talked sweetly to this 13-year old horse named Iris  and stopped to smell the flowers along the way.  He noticed breaks in the fence and wants to come back to help mend them.  This property was just calling my kid's name and our impromptu visit was a great way to start the week.  So much to see and talk about.  Tractors, moss-covered steps, the friendliest dog, a baby colt bucking all over the dandelion splattered field and a flowing creek under the bridge to this little oasis.  As soon as we got in the car the question was asked:  When can we come back?  

39-1/2 & Counting

When March 1st hits I get a little melancholy.  I really enjoy the first two months of the year.  January with all of its resolutions and promises, cleaning and organizing.  February is so beautiful and everything starts to bloom, a stretch of warm days and lots of home cooking.

March just seems like a wet, rainy, long month.  I feel like I didn't get enough done in the prior two months and March seems like a deadline (for what, exactly, I have no idea).

It is exactly six months until my 40th birthday and I think I need a goal.  Originally, I thought a big birthday bash.  Now I'm not so sure.  Paris has been on my mind and after perusing these gorgeous apartments today, I think a Lucy-like plan may have to evolve and convince my Ricky that Paris would be a lovely way to ring in my 40th year.  But if Ricky knows me well, he will also know that I change my mind.  A lot.  I may need Ethel to help me figure this one out.