Friday, November 20, 2009

Gardening Perspective and Gratitude

Here I sit looking out my window on a nice sunny day with some crusty snow still on the ground, Thanksgiving around the corner, my 31st year coming to a close, Christmas next in line. My garden has been put to bed for winter. I planted my garlic a week ago before the last snow storm rolled through. I have a few more bulbs to plant (thanks Barb!) but if the ground will allow me to do so remains to be seen. I already have started perusing seed catalogs and drooling over descriptions of buttery potatoes, sweet crisp snap peas and delicious young spinach. Why am I bringing all of this up? Partly because I have more time on my hands all of the sudden that I have the luxury to do so but mostly because I just got off the phone with my dear friend Erin. Erin has been gardening and working on small farms in the Durango, CO area for years bur she grew up in Corpus Cristi, TX and is currently there for the holidays. We got to talking about gardening and she told me all about the new garden she is putting in for her dad right now. She just planted a Plumeria and Christmas Palms! As a Colorado native it is so hard for me to imagine a climate that allows for such tropical goodness or how to even keep such things alive. I am pretty sure I had a Christmas palm as a houseplant at one time... needless to say I don't have it now.
These are different challenges beyond my comprehension. So right now I am contemplating these differences and trying to decide if I would like to work hard as a gardener all year long or if I am blessed to have the winter to work on knitting, resting my bones and dreaming about green beans eaten straight from the garden while sitting with good friends on the patio in the golden glow of the sunset. I am so grateful for these moments and for good friends like Erin that I get to share them with occasionally.

Cheers All!

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