Saturday, February 11, 2017

A Goodly Plenty Of Arugula And Other Things


I know it's hard to tell, but that's Owen in the white shirt guarding the guy with the ball. He has gone from tearful defiance at the idea of playing the game to complete enthusiasm.
THIS is Owen.
He's just got to take some time to get his mind right.
He played two quarters again, running and guarding and doing all that basketball stuff and he even made his grandfather the happiest, proudest man in the world when he came running up the bleachers during a period of time when he wasn't on the court and knelt in front of him and said, "Boppy, I need advice."
And proceeded to listen to everything his grandfather said and then ran back to the sidelines.

Hank showed up to cheer the boy on today too and that was fun. We all passed Maggie back and forth. It's not easy to keep a thirteen month, very determined little girl contained and safe and happy for an hour in the bleachers.


Here she is, feeding Hank her stuffed chicken. Would you look at that pretty little serious face? Isn't she just a doll baby? Her hair is starting to really come in and one of the things I did while trying to keep her entertained was to fish a comb out of my purse and comb those curls. She let me do it and then grabbed for the comb to try and do it herself which didn't work out quite so well and she handed it back to me and I combed some more, so softly, so gently. 

Mr. Moon and I went to the store after the game to pick up a few necessities like milk and bananas and the coffee we like is Buy One, Get One, so we stocked up on that too. Lily was working so we got to see her and she took our cart out for us so we could chat for a second and as we walked out of the store, Jason and Owen and Maggie and Gibson were coming in from the parking lot. The boys went through my groceries like little gremlins and were sorely disappointed at what they found. There was absolutely nothing of interest to either of them. 
"What did you come to the store for?" asked Gibson.
"I think they mostly just came for coffee," said Owen, holding up one of the many bags of French roast he found in my bags. 

Hopefully, their dad bought more fun stuff than we did. 

Anyway, it's been a sweet day and Mr. Moon spread some more of the wood chips about this morning. This is a rather herculean task and he takes his time and does it nicely, unlike me. I just toss it all around and figure that it'll all settle out evenly eventually. I spent a very small amount of time in the garden. I picked some mustard greens that are bolting and then pulled up the plants and fed them to the goats next door and then picked enough arugula to stuff a crib mattress and yes, I know I am prone to exaggeration but in this case, it's the truth. Half my refrigerator is taken up with arugula at the moment. 
What the hell am I going to do with a kitchen garbage bag filled with arugula? But the plants are bolting and it's time to start getting other things in the ground and I need the room. I hear you can make pesto out of arugula and I'll certainly do some of that and freeze it but Jesus Please Us. Each batch only takes two cups of the leaves and I have, oh, about fifty cups. At least.
I also planted a row of sugar snap peas and that was a joy. 
My eternally displeased familiar joined me in the garden.


Here she is between mustard greens and beets. 
I need to make some pickled beets this week and maybe I'll get around to that. I might throw some carrots in with them. The one row I planted of those has done really well. 

Perhaps tomorrow we'll get the potatoes and onions planted. 

The sun has set and I've shut the chickens up safely for the night. Mick has five hens clustered around him in the nest tonight and once again, I have no more idea of what prompts these bedtime arrangement changes than I do of what makes all of the hens suddenly decide to lay in one certain nest or, as they are doing now, on the ground under the nesting boxes in a little nest they've made in the hay. 
I am sure that they have their reasons, even if I do not understand them.

And isn't it interesting and sort of wonderful that life holds so many mysteries? 

This morning when I got up, I didn't feel fit to draw breath. I was drowning in anxiety, and yet, here I am now, as content as an old sow, and once again, I am thankful and in love with my husband and my family and my home and my garden and my cat and my chickens and looking forward with almost inappropriate delight to leftovers of that Greek-ish chicken and grains.

And a salad. 

Of arugula.

Love...Ms. Moon


14 comments:

  1. If I could, I surely would, walk to your house and take some of that arugula for my soups. Yum!
    I am happy Owen is playing like a boss!

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  2. Replies
    1. I love it! The peppery spice of it makes my mouth happy.

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  3. Hank and Magnolia have the exact same ears! 💕

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  4. I've never made pesto with Arugula but I hear it is divine and I bet that is what you will do with at least 20 cups of it? LOL! Your day sounds perfect........save for missing Jack. Makes me a bit sad, as I'm sure it does you. He came unexpectedly and left the same way...... but still hoping he'll turn up no less for wear
    Susan M

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  5. I love to see Hank holding the babies. And go Owen! Such a good, loving family day. This is what is real.

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  6. Send me all that arugula and I'll turn it into pesto :) I made it last season in ice cube trays and froze it. Who would've thought I'd become such a cook, that girl who used to text you questions about the most basic of culinary things?? I love you, othermother

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  7. I love that Owen eased his way into the game on his own time and that was okay. And of course Hank and Maggie. I had no idea pesto was made of arugula. That sure is a lot. It's a good thing you have a big family. Love you and hope you are sleeping peacefully by now.

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  8. Yay for Owen! He's just not a rusher into things :)

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  9. Ahhh, pickled beets...I love 'em so! I remember my Mama picking them from her garden, boiling and peeling them, and me eating warm beets with butter, salt and pepper. She never got the yield of canned beets that she'd planned on, but she never told me not to eat them. Yummmm!

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  10. such a sweet life. here too. last night I asked Marc if my social security was enough to pay our basic living expenses, which it is, and he said that after he stars getting his in about a year from now that we could actually retire and just devote ourselves to feeding ourselves. sounds good to me.

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  11. Your family is so sweet. You are so lucky.

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  12. We dry arugula, tyfon, kale... all the extra greens, and store them in big tins for rabbit food in the winter. I'm sure sheep and other animals would like that, too. You could also crunch them up and put some in smoothies. Not MY smoothies, but maybe yours... :) Su

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.