Monday, November 1, 2010

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?

14 comments:

Lesley said...

a relaxing day to get things done around the house and time to sit and watch "the holiday" :)

Jill said...

thankful to still be carrying this sweet baby of mine after a terrible scare last week. hang in there little bambino, you're WAY too tiny to come out just yet!!

gram said...

.. thankful for the pretty sunrise we had this morn!

Shannon said...

I'm grateful I had the energy to take down and put away the Halloween decorations. I only missed one thing! I am also oh so grateful for the sunshine. It was a little chilly, but we still made it to the park for a little sun basking.

Harris Family said...

I have a recipe for green tomato jam if you are interested in it- Ive never tried it though!!! Let me know and I can email it to you if you want it.

To tell you the truth I wish the sun would just hide for one day- and I can turn the AC off- So I kind of envy you in the cold!!!

With that negative comment, I should say what I am grateful for. I am grateful for my sweet healthy children!!

Bridget said...

oh this is a sweet post. i am thankful for christmas music. i haven't started listening to it yet but plan on it soon. i don't love the passing of summer very much, even though i don't have a garden to say bye too... but the darker days make me dreary. but... christmas music lifts the mood, along with a fire in the fireplace so that's what i'm thankful for!

banananutmeg said...

so sad. I harvested every last leaf of basil from my yard last week. I am grateful to have a freezer stocked with pesto, though!
RIP 2010 gardens

Lula. said...

Pretty picture! That needs to framed and hung in your kitchen as a reminder of just how much you love your garden. I love your perspective.

Emily Voigtlander said...

a wonderful boyfriend who cooks me dinner then takes the dog out for a walk and let's me get in bed.

MEAGHAN COOK PHOTOGRAPHY BOUTIQUE said...

What a beautiful post. So real, so raw (pardon the pun). I could feel your sense of joy and sadness all wrapped up in one.

Sabrina said...

OMG! you put into words exactly how I felt 2 weeks ago. We have tons and tons of green tomatoes in our basement now. This was my first year doing a vegetable garden and I never really got it till this year. I love flowers didn't see what was so cool about vegetables. I'm all ready thinking of all the different things I want to try next year.

Kelly said...

I am thankful for quacamoli on oatnut bread, my dogs who get me out in the park everyday, computers (we couldn't live with out them) and your blog which has me daily thinking of hitting the track and starting back to running (at 2 years young) and for your newfound blog... it inspires!!! thanks

Kelly said...

i meant "52" years young.

Jessica Kettle said...

oh sheena, i'm thankful that there are people like you who blog about gardening, so that i can experience it vicariously through you. ;) maybe someday... right?

it was so much fun hanging out at ingrid m., let's do it again sometime!! minus the standing in the snow part.