day one

I cried today.

Outside.

With cold barefooted toes and a chilly fall breeze on my face.

I looked silly.

I was standing in our garden.....er.....what used to be our garden.

It's hard to believe that a ground full of limp brown limbs and frostbit leaves was once so full of life....and just a few weeks ago.

It hurts to see it go. Every year I try harder and harder to grow a better garden--hard to do when you are lacking that green thumb everyone talks about. But this year was the first time I felt like I might have actually done more things right than wrong.....and I hated that it was gone.

We spent so much time out there....just.....watching.

the bees.

the lady bugs.

our favorite tomatoes ripening.

it was our hangout.

We knew the cold was coming, and the four of us bundled up a few nights ago and went out with barely any light in the sky to help us, and pulled all we could see off the plants.

What was left of the tiny peppers (that didn't do so hot this year but we love them anyway), a few handfuls of tomatillos, and hundreds (literally) of green tomatoes.

I felt like I was robbing them of their vine ripening experience.

sorry tomatoes. you'll have to ripen in boxes in the basement. but we are happy to eat you just the same.

As I stood there in my garden being sad, I thought of all that it gave us in it's short little life. How productive it had been in only a few months.....and how it gladly welcomed a winters rest.

Not only had it given us the most delicious meals all summer long, but it made us a team.

Robby had done all the tilling and fence building to ensure that Charly wouldn't help herself to our crops.

The kids and I planted. 

We took turns watering. 

We all checked on it's progress every day.... anxious at what new things we might find.

We learned how things grow.....and sometimes how they don't grow (sorry watermelon)

I decided to be thankful  (like we all find it a bit easier to do this time of year...right?) for the time we had with it, and all that is gave us. 

Whoa. Am I writing an obituary for my garden? Get a grip lady. 

Long story short:

I am thankful for our garden. 

I hope to make a daily post though out the month of November, of all the many things I have to be thankful for. I vow not to be caught crying barefoot outside in the cold, or write any more obituaries, deal? 

What are you thankful for today?