Labor: Enduring painful contractions and pushing to deliver a baby.
Non-Labor: What's been going on in our yard.
The prophet said to plant a garden so that's what we did. My reluctance to do so is not from a lack of faith, but a lack of skill. After all, my resume in this field is blank. But Dan convinced me to do it even though I was worried that it would be one more thing to do! (Which it did become... hence the non-labor). We've been busier this summer than originally anticipated, so our garden hasn't been nourished as much as it should have been. But it has done quite well considering (and with some help from our green-thumb, previous homeowners who left a nice base), we've had a few things pop up and that were enjoyed this summer....
Juicy Watermelon
Fresh Lemon Zest for Lemon Scones
Tasty Asian Fruits- Mandarin Oranges, Asian Pears, Jujube
Strawberries (also discovering this is Calli's fave fruit)
Homemade Mexican Salsa (Tomatoes & Jalapenos)
Zucchini for Tortellini Soup
Yellow Grape and Cherry Tomatoes for Green Salad
Straight Neck Squash in Pasta Salad
Still to come...
Homemade Dill Pickles
Zucchini Muffins
One Baby Pumpkin (should be ready in time for Halloween!)
So dear garden, thanks for giving when you didn't receive.
Well, that's a stretch. The garden has received SOME treatment.
One evening Dan was to watch Calli while I was gone teaching piano lessons and also had the responsibility of weeding the garden. He quickly found out how hard it is to accomplish much with her "helping". Since we have a pool in the backyard (fence to come soon), you have to really keep an eye on her when out there.
When I came home, I was amazed to see the entire garden had been weeded and looked great. I asked him how on earth he did that with Calli! He then told me that too keep her contained, he "tied a rope around her waist and tied the rope to a tree in the garden area." I gasped. He continued, "Don't worry, she had about 10 feet on either side of tree. She could still play." I suppose this isn't as cruel as it sounds-- I guess its an old-fashioned leash for kids... (Don't call CPS on us! We love our daughter I promise.) But you can bet Mommy won't let that happen again. I guess you can see why the garden can get neglected sometimes. But she's worth it. :)
3 comments:
i can't stop laughing at dan's solution. it is such the kind of thing that a dad would think of (they are so practical) and a mom would be horrified by (they are so emotional), even though she wasn't really being harmed or neglected. too funny.
this is the first year we've planted a real garden and have really enjoyed eating delicious, free produce. next yet, that garden will be getting bigger. i guess the prophet knows what he's talking about.:)
I'm very impressed with your garden. For a first timer, those are big results. Congrats.
Eric asked why I was laughing and I told him what Dan did and Eric thought it was a brilliant solution. Men :)
What can I say? Dan is both a man and an engineer. That can be a bad combo. Good thing he's so darn helpful. It makes him a keeper!
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