For weeks and weeks on end, it’s rained nearly every day. We’ll have a few hours of sun, a few hours of rain, and if we’re lucky, a few hours of sun again. Or at least overcast and reasonably warm. Mother Nature likes to mix things up a bit and switch around the order, but… Continue reading The Plague of Fake Monsoon Season

I keep failing at offline journaling. I keep trying to jot things down to make a record of my life, as a good family historian, but most of time I forget. Or if I remember I don’t feel like I have anything worth recording. It’s a conundrum. So I started thinking that maybe if I… Continue reading Focused Journaling

Apparently, I need to start the onion seeds as of yesterday (actually, quite a few yesterdays ago). It’s been years since I attempted to grow onions from seed, and even longer since I’ve grown any varieties of onions other than green bunching. It’s only February second, and I already feel a touch like I’m behind… Continue reading Mastering the Art of Vegetable Gardening

The annual flood of seed catalogs began in early December, and as usual I was easily seduced by their offerings. My favorite catalogs are obsessively highlighted, and I compiled shopping lists that approached mildly ridiculous double-digit sums. But as any “responsible” gardener does, I pulled out my seed box to take inventory before dropping hard… Continue reading On Making Good Decisions

Yesterday I’m dreaming about gardening, and today my seed order arrives!

It happens every year in late February – early March. Cabin fever sets in. This winter has felt especially grey. I find myself daydreaming of spring breezes, and getting my hands in the dirt.  When I work my day job from my home office, I have a view of our back garden, including the main… Continue reading Cabin Fever & The Spring Garden