Thursday, February 20, 2014

Simply Priceless Information

I should have had my peas and the potatoes in the ground yesterfuckingday. As sweet Lis would say. I just don't know about gardening any more. We don't get enough sun to make it worthwhile for the effort or at least that's what I tell myself. And the bottom line truth is- it's not as easy for me to get down in the dirt as it used to be. We really should have raised beds but we've not done that and I wish we had because it would make things so much easier. And the garden would probably be way more productive. Honestly, we're not very serious gardeners. We're dilettantes and haphazard about it all and it shows.

And yet, just as Jack said to Enis in Brokeback Mountain, "I wish I knew how to quit you." There's something in my blood that just compels me to plant stuff when spring rolls around. It's in my DNA. They'll find a gene for it. Trust me.

But hell, although I've been gardening for over thirty-five years I've not figured out one damn thing except that you need a lot of sun and plenty of water and the right dirt. How's that? And don't ask me what the right dirt is, either.

Maybe I should change my motto from "I don't know shit" to "Fuck if I know," although I guess they're about equal in meaning. But hey- it's good to change things up now and then, isn't it?

Anyway, that's what I'm thinking about on this beautiful morning in Lloyd. It's supposed to get up to 80 degrees here today and then rain tomorrow which would make it a perfect day to plant. Do I have my seeds? No I do not. I do have some potatoes to plant. I could hustle in to town and buy my peas and maybe some onion sets.
Hustle?
Have I ever even SAID that word before?
What the hell?

In a completely unrelated topic, I think I have finally figured out how to make a good pie crust. After almost fifty years of baking I am now able to make pastry without weeping. I started using the recipe in my ancient "Young America Cooks" cookbook and by golly, it's a good recipe and it rolls out without tearing and is just a lovely thing.




And to further the not-connected-to-anything-else conversational segue, I decided last night that the best way to pick out a face cream is by smell because ain't none of 'em, no matter how much you pay, really going to do shit when it comes to wrinkles, either in prevention or elimination. So just pick the one that smells the best to you and be happy with that.

All right. I'm going to take my wrinkled up old face and crippled up old hips out for a walk in this glorious day. And then...well, fuck if I know.

Love...Ms. Moon





12 comments:

  1. I'm in the same situation as far as the garden goes. We should be planting last week. And my garden is in shade by 3 PM. And the stuff I grow is about 1/3 the size of the stuff my neighbor grows. And I swear, there is a section of my garden that won't grow anything but it all looks like the same dirt no matter how much compost we add or fertilizer, nothing wants to grow there. Wtf is up with that. But I love being able to go out and pick my dinner.

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  2. We just got 10 cm of new snow yesterday. It won't be spring, ever.
    My MIL used to always praise my ability to cram as many vegetables into my little city garden. I miss having one. Plant a green bean for me. :(

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  3. Too cold to plant anything here yet but got some starts going, maybe. At least I put seeds in my little peat pots.

    I 'amend' the soil in the most half-assed way. My garden is really magnificent and I did most of the work. Now I'm just...lazy. The tulips are coming up and the camilla has a few blooms. Still drear here. 80 degrees? Unimaginable.

    XXXXX Beth

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  4. Morning Mary....well gardening is hit or miss and of the past years we have done tomatoes in big pots. They have survived and the darn gophers can't get them! I love going out and picking them from the vine...the warmth they hold from a day in the sun. I can't wait to get some pots going. I've never planted potatoes but we have neighbors who did. Our cats at the time loved to poo there so they put wire on top to discourage that. Thankfully they still were our friends too. As for the face cream...well you gave me my chuckle for the morning ...thank you very much!

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  5. The squirrels (or someone) always eats my stuff. That's my excuse. xo

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  6. So odd to think the rest of the country is welcoming spring. The snow is still inches deep on the ground here, and the balmy high 40s temperature today only melts the edges and makes everything slushy and gunmetal grey like the sky. I don't mind it at all. It's a great excuse to stay indoors, which I could do happily for days at a stretch, but of course, life calls. You sound good, dear Mary.

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  7. Andrea K- Thank you! I did enjoy it.

    Ellen Abbott- Same-same. Even as to the Bonzai vegetables.
    Sigh.
    Still- it's such a joy to eat from it.

    Heartinhand- I will do that!

    Beth Coyote- Oh, I used to do the peat cups. Not any more. I just buy the plants or plant from seed. I have a feeling you're far more serious about it than I am.

    Ellen- When we move to Apalachicola, all of my gardening is going to be done in pots. I am looking forward to that.
    Nothing breaks my heart like losing my tomatoes to critters and bugs and other unidentifiable stuff. And it happens every year.

    Lisa- They can tear a garden up.

    Angella- I swear- it's like you live on a different planet. Better you than me, sweet woman.

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  8. I love the random cheeriness of this post. You seem to be living magnificently!
    xo

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  9. If you do raised beds at some point, raise 'em up high.
    I have the coolest el cheapo thing for making pie crust-- it's a plastic circle with a zipper and you put your ball of dough inside then close the cover and zip it shut, then roll your dough out into a perfect circle. This thing contains all the mess-- the flour, the bits of dough. The dough does not stick to the rolling pin or the surface. Miracle. I will send you one if you want one!!!
    And yes, ask me for advice anytime! Aahaha.

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  10. For a while I got into making an easy peazy crust using the Cuisinart, a recipe that called for frozen butter.
    It always rolled out beautifully. And I liked shaping the edge of the crust, doing that thing with your knuckles, you know? Now I just eat the fruit and skip the pastry. No, that's not the same as eating pie... But baked apples are good.

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  11. I think that your garden looks really good. And it produces which is what it's about. We do have the raised beds and they are good.

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