small starts

 

at the table

I came across this poem today.. and I'm sure I've read it before, but it means more to me now as "a Grownup Lady" (as Sadie refers to me) with my own children sitting at the table.  It kind of sums up why I wanted to build our own table--why it seemed too impersonal to buy this particular item of furniture.

Perhaps the World Ends Here

By Joy Harjo

The world begins at a kitchen table. No matter what, we must eat to live.

The gifts of earth are brought and prepared, set on the table. So it has been since creation, and it will go on.

We chase chickens or dogs away from it. Babies teethe at the corners. They scrape their knees under it.

It is here that children are given instructions on what it means to be human. We make men at it, we make women.

At this table we gossip, recall enemies and the ghosts of lovers.

Our dreams drink coffee with us as they put their arms around our children. They laugh with us at our poor falling-down selves and as we put ourselves back together once again at the table.

This table has been a house in the rain, an umbrella in the sun.

Wars have begun and ended at this table. It is a place to hide in the shadow of terror. A place to celebrate the terrible victory.

We have given birth on this table, and have prepared our parents for burial here.

At this table we sing with joy, with sorrow. We pray of suffering and remorse. We give thanks.

Perhaps the world will end at the kitchen table, while we are laughing and crying, eating of the last sweet bite.

eight months

Garden Journal: Tomatoes

I've planted quite a few things....lots of flower and herb starts growing and Sadie's strawberry from seed--and not to forget her sunflower, but so far most of the windowsill space has been given up to the tomatoes.  I started four kinds this year.  A beefsteak tomato & a yellow pear tomato from Eden Brothers (both organic heirloom) and a Japanese black tomato and Hillbilly tomato from Territorial (also both organic heirloom)

Unfortunately, the Japanese black and the beefsteaks kind of crapped out on me.  The beefsteak tomatoes were poor germinaters--only got one plant out of 4 seeds planted, and that one plant is struggling along.  It's tall, but it doesn't have many leaves, but I'm keeping it just to see what it does.  The JB tomatoes had a fantastic start, but either they caught some kind of blight, or they were very unhappy about the hot/cold conditions in our sun room, also the constant dampness on their leaves from an overzealous 2 year old and a spray bottle. (Yes, my tomatoes are all warming up by the wood stove in the pictures above because it is snowing...again.) Anyway, the stems started looking pinched at the bottoms and then the leaves started dropping off and eventually the whole plant died--the one pictured below is the only one that had any green left, but it is getting the same stem constriction that all the other ones had just before they kicked the bucket.  So I just pulled em all up (Loren thinks I'm ruthless) but I just can't dedicate any more precious space to the sickly tomatoes.  Maybe I'll try to germinate a second batch for a late crop, but it is getting pretty late for that. 

 at this point I'm just cutting my losses and moving on... because it is time to start squash and other fast growers that are going to need that extra space. The Hillbilly and Yellow Pear tomatoes are doing great though.  They are mostly 14+ inches tall and growing buds.  So here's hoping to a happy crop.

A lovely little flat here with some happy looking petunias, bells of Ireland, Sweet Williams, Echinacea and Chamomile.  Almost ready to head to their final destination...that is if it ever stops snowing and becomes spring!

give a hoot

Just put the final touches on this fun {and relatively quick} knit for a very sweet nephew who just turned one. It was my second attempt at cables, and I think I got em figured. I should probably knit this sweater one more time just to make sure though. 

Owls...Littles in handknit woolies... actually finishing a knitting project...

brown paper packages tied up with string...

These are a few of my favorite things!