Tender time

It's hard to believe it's almost the end of May, and I've barely taken any photos of the garden. I've done some work, and I think I mentioned my neighbor and I are going to veggie garden together, but the time is just getting away from me again. Working full time, son in baseball, husband coaching baseball, daughter now old enough to babysit other people's kids, it's all a bit too much. Not to mention wrapping my brain around settling my mom's estate and remembering her love for gardening and plants and cooking.

It's been a tender time.

Tender in the fact that the 5th month anniversary of Mom's death is approaching this weekend, and I have yet to transplant any of her hostas, columbine, and bleeding hearts from her yard to mine. I am still in the midst of grief, and yet, feel completely held in her memories. It's finding out what walking through the grief feels like, as well as getting my hands dirty and doing things that bring beauty and life to the world around me.

A favorite recipe in her own handwriting is one of my most prized finds in her kitchen. Not sure if I should get it laminated, or leave it just the way it is. I can't wait to make it this summer with tomatoes from my own garden.

Reading food labels

It all started 7 years ago when my dear sweet baby boy was born. This addition to our family of three was just what my husband needed after being raised by mom & sis, and then having me and daughter. A boy who, as he began to grow, was "all boy." You know what that means. He's masculine, he's daring, he's compassionate, he's not shy, he's not afraid to dance, and he's a huge fan of superheroes and StarWars.

This boy, as my daughter who is six years older, were the product of two full time working parents. Because of our financial situation, we both must work, and I found loving home daycares for each of them in their toddler years. And, we'd come home every night, cuddle up on the couch after a home cooked dinner, and laugh and sing and play. Weekends were made for my pretend-to-be-a-stay-at-home-mom time. We bake, we cook, we shop, etc. I love cooking for my family.

So...as my boy grew, parts of that "all-boy" were not the best behaviors in a school setting. We noticed that he indeed had a high energy, and that he "vibrates on a different frequency" as his chiropractor said. After a friend mentioned that the chiropractor that she worked at was helping many children become more calm and relaxed through chiropractic adjustments...I thought I'd check around our area and see if there's someone who treats kids. I found an amazing wellness center that has not only put him on a plan to straighten out his spine, neck (infant torticollis) and hips...but she asked us to try giving up a few food items as well.

I didn't think much about it when she felt he should give up peanuts/peanut butter, eggs, and anything containing Red 40. Artificial colorings & flavorings are something that have been linked to hyperactivity in children...and I had no idea!! Why wasn't I paying more attention to my upbringing of whole foods? Mom had a huge garden in the suburbs of Minneapolis as I was growing up. We always had fresh veggies, and my children love to eat veggies. In fact, my boy has been known to sneak sweet red pepper slices as I'm cooking, and down a whole pint of cherry tomatoes in one sitting.

In December, we began watching labels and avoiding the above culprits, and found that his learning and attention in school indeed did improve. We've got a great 2nd trimester report card to prove it. I chose to give up sugar and white flour, potatoes and white rice for Lent. It's almost Easter, and I must say I do feel better. An interesting experiment in food awareness may just have me for good. Wondering if this food awareness will continue...stay tuned.

Planning and dreaming

My neighbor, Jen, and I have decided that the past couple of years of veggie gardening has not gone well. Not because we haven't tried, but because we just barely have any time or accountability. As busy full time working moms,whose husbands are all working full time, we simply find that all that gardening is too much for one person to do alone. So...we've vowed to keep each other accountable, and will share a 2 family community garden this year. Hopefully our hubbies will be willing to help a bit with hauling away branches, reworking garden structure, and maybe even weeding a bit. We also know that they'll be happy with the yummy results if we can pull it off.

We already share a compost heap - that really is just a grass clippings and fall leaves dumping ground. We have yet to see what's in that pile. I'm a little afraid to see if mice are nesting there...or if we've really got ourselves some black gold. We (and I mean our husbands) are going to build a better compost bin with wood pallets and  we'll be able to add fruit & veggie scraps, egg shells, and coffee grounds to the mix.

So...over a pot of coffee and some muffins, we discussed in my 20' x 9' (that's a size guess) garden. We looked at options for a smaller shade garden in her yard where we'll raise the bed and add good soil. We're planning to grow snow peas, green beans, carrots and radishes all from seeds. Yum!

If anyone is interested in chives or green onions, I have a ton to share. And we'll want to remove them to make room for the other veggies. Bring your own container - and you can dig them up yourself. They grow and spread like weeds. They need to be contained because of that - but they are very hardy, easy to grow, and delicious. They also serve as a good deterrent to some critters.