I am finding myself increasingly longing, daydreaming about the warmth and wonders of spring. I know that I represented myself as a girl who never stops to smell the roses in my last blog, BUT spring is worth slowing down for. My favorite way to start a spring morning is with a cup of coffee and a walk to the garden with Sarge, just for a look. My favorite way to end a spring day...back to the garden (now with wine or Cary's home brew or maybe just tea) this time with a bucket for gathering the harvest. You would be amazed at how much vegetables grow while you are away at work! It is okay if you think I am weird, but there is something so incredible about watching a tomato grow. I am like a proud momma, watching all of my seedlings flourish and produce new baby vegetables. The tiniest beginnings of a green tomato or cucumber or pepper makes me giddy like a school girl. I am romanticizing this a bit, but it really does something for my soul.
I told you before, I grew up on a farm. When I was young, we always had a garden. I remember setting out plants and hoeing and watering. (I think I blocked out the weeding- or maybe it was that we used 7dust : ( We know better now) I remember watching the cabbages as they opened. I really believed that cabbage patch kids came from our cabbages! There was always a small black dot in the center...you know that means I truly thought we raised the African American variety! Somewhere along the way, my parents stopped gardening, but my grandmother, now 82, still sets out her garden every spring. I had no idea when I was younger what a privilege it was to have such a bounty of fresh vegetables. Even still, when I go home in the summer, I can count on fresh corn, pattypan squash, tomatoes, okra, beans....you name it.
I am afraid that gardening is a dying art. While I learned much about cooking from this amazing woman, gardening, I had no use for. I did not understand the value and the fulfillment gained from growing ones own food. I wish now I had soaked up all of her knowledge, hung on every word, taken notes. She is slowing down a bit now. My generation does not know when to plant zucchini versus spinach versus tomatoes. We do not know which bugs are beneficial and which are not, which vegetables to plant from seed and which should be started inside. We do not know about hardening off seedlings (learned the hard way), planting beans with corn so they have a natural trellis, how to save seeds... For me, gardening is a way of connecting with my heritage. I know that every single generation before me has known the art of working with mother nature to bring seeds in the spring to summer vegetables on their dinner plates. I would hate to think this did not go on because my generation is in such a hurry or so technologically focused that we cannot stop to appreciate the wonders and gifts of the earth. 
3 years ago, Cary and I were renting a small house with no yard while we were building here in Murfreesboro. That year I set out my first seeds in pots on the back patio. My entire harvest consisted of 2 tomatoes and 3 tiny bell peppers. I made a fresh salsa to take to a labor day gathering. One dish and the fruits of my labor were spent. We moved into our house in October and come spring began working on our backyard garden. It is cute. A raised triangular shaped bed, 20x20x30, in the back corner of the yard. It is divided into 3 spaces with stepping stone walkways between for easy picking. I began my first real organic garden then and there. Our first year, we had a few tomatoes, zucchini, squash, and tons of okra and cucumbers. We like okra and cucs, so it was not a bad thing. A thriving okra plant has to be picked daily and cucumbers almost as often. This was terribly gratifying to a new gardener. By fall when I turned over the beds, the soil was much darker and richer than in the spring. This would prove to be a good sign for the following season. This past year, we built our cabin and, of course, I had to have a garden there. The cabin is on the lake, in the woods, in the middle of nowhere. It makes you want to live off the land. We planted fruit trees, strawberry plants, grape vines and we built 4 raised beds there. We had more tomatoes than we knew what to do with this year along with spinach, lettuces, carrots, peas, beans, zucchini, squash, an assortment of peppers, corn (which the raccoons loved), okra, cantaloupe, watermelon, potatoes, and herbs. We made fresh pesto, put up tomatoes and made homemade marinara and enchilada sauce which we are still eating on this winter.
Gardening is against my hurried nature. I think that is why I like it. It gives me balance. It is calming and therapeutic. There is so much I do not know. There is so much I want to learn. There is so much that I approach differently. I am not the best weeder, I think there is plenty to go around (so if the raccoons eat the corn, so be it), and our gardens are organic, which means amazing fresh, healthy vegetables that aren't tainted with chemicals. There is a difference. Besides the seemingly obvious benefits from reduction in chemical consumption, organic vegetables have been proven to have more nutrients, more antioxidants. They are healthier. At the outset, my dad thought we would have to use fertilizers and pesticides. He has known no other way. I think we have all been pleasantly surprised. We had a few bugs on our potato plants this year which were quickly resolved after about 5 minutes with some tweezers and a plastic bag. I have been amazed at how easy gardening is. As it turns out, seeds are made to grow. A little sun, water and good dirt is all it really takes. You just have to put them in the ground, sit back and watch the magic. 
I previously mentioned my dietary changes: less animal protein and refined carbs, increased fruits and vegetables. While there are some reasons for decreasing meat consumption (#1 being increased risk for heart disease and cancers), there are as many or more for increasing fruits and vegetables. Decreasing meats makes more room for the veggies. It is going well. I am actually enjoying eating and exploring new vegetables and recipes. Again, it is okay if you think I am weird (on some level I know it is weird), but I have developed this reverence for vegetables, enough to write a whole blog about them! It is a new love for growing, preparing and eating vegetables, for the health and vitality they offer. They make me happy. And, contrary to popular belief, they taste delicious!
I am now reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. It is inspiring to say the least, a passionate look at where our foods come from and the joys of eating locally. It makes you feel good, warm inside, like watching an episode of Little House on the Prairie.
I could go on about this for days. Last weekend's warm weather got me thinking and studying the seed catalogs for what new things we may try this year. If you are at all interested or just want to humor me, you will certainly be hearing more as spring rolls in. I personally cannot wait!!
Come on now, that would just be ridiculous! For a girl who grew up on a beef cattle farm, this is quite a stretch. It turns out that getting rid of the refined carbs is much harder than getting rid of the meat. We'll see how it goes.... I have been inspired by the books, The China Study 
