You Can Not Reap What You Do Not Sow

I am sharing this with you, Constant Reader in order to be accountable for my lack of planning and caring for my garden this year. January saw a plan for my summer garden which was thick with food for storage. June saw that I had ordered no new heirloom seeds and had absolutely no energy for planting-period. Sarah's Eden is not at all what I had envisioned but this will help me to organize my thoughts. Never again will I be so unprepared and unmotivated. Shame on me!

The horseradish I decided to try this year. I have no experience with it, but I know it can be preserved and I guess I will figure it out as I go! Let me know if you have planted horseradish before  and how you used it!

 Regular old beans. Bush style so they don't have to climb. We have about 50 jars left from last year, so why did I plant beans?!?!

Heirloom tomatoes.

I planted 2 boxes of broccoli and have had a few meals, but not near as prolific as last years. (grrr)

2 more years and we will begin to harvest asparagus. Patience?!

Red Russian Garlic I replanted from last year's amazing harvest. I know- I have to get the scapes cut off~

Burpless cukes for my cucumber/mint water. Sllloooowwwwwwww to grow.

Pok Choi, Swiss Chard and Collards-Happiest with them! Planted in the square foot method.

2 boxes of onions (red, yellow, white) and leeks. Those will all go into the dehydrator when it is time.

I call this the Annex. In the straw bales I planted summer squash and zucchini. On the left side are purple and rattlesnake heirloom pole beans. These will be left to dry on the vines for storage beans. In the top of the picture are my pepper plants and a lonely heirloom tomato plant that chose to reseed himself this spring. Excited to see if it is the yellow or the cherry tomatoes.

So, Constant Reader, I give you my vegetable garden. I am incredibly disappointed in it but am trying not to beat myself up too badly. I will reap some things although my sowing was not up to my standards. I have also planted an herb garden I will share with you soon.

God Bless~

Rising Phoenix

This year has truly run away without me. After spending the last 6 months slaying dragons, gracefully surviving an incredibly difficult professional year and hunkering down for a very long and cold Maine winter, I am ready to focus again! Like the phoenix rose up from the depths-I am back!

I have clawed my way up from deep despair and was not satisfied with ground level happiness. I saw the mountains in the distance and decided to spread those wings (which were broken by another long ago) and focus on the highest peaks.

I have begun a soap making business and I got sober. My heart and my mind have been transformed from an angry, bitter, pained, broken human being to an inner peace that can only be given by God. I know his arms are around me for he has changed me completely.

Which brings me to a personal attack which took place this past week by a person who has known me since birth. It was the third time she has lunged the knife into my back and in my world-3 strikes you are out. Yesterday, I removed the knife from my back and used it to carve her out of my life-forever. Difficult-yes. Necessary-yes. You see, along with sobriety goes peace. I have no time for fake relationships and even less time for being dragged through the dirt publicly. People make their own choices and decisions and have to live with the consequences of those.

I have made many mistakes in my life. I have hurt people, I have treated people poorly and I have made a complete ass of myself. Through sobriety and therapy, I am working to become a better person. I'm not afraid anymore. That is an amazing feeling!

If you are struggling with drug or alcohol issues or are a victim of domestic violence, I plead with you-please get help. There are so many places to receive it and (believe it or not) YOU are not alone. I care about you and I am so happy to be standing before you as I was made to be. Whole.

God Bless!