Gaining a heart of wisdom
Every fall, when I plant the garlic, I am overcome with awe. Somehow, those small, pale bulbs not only survive a Maine winter in the ground with nothing but a blanket of earth and dry leaves. They actually flourish and start sending up green shoots in early spring, long before I would dare to plant… Continue reading Make the Choice to Stay in a Thankful Mindset
If you're looking for me in the summertime, you're likely to find me standing under a floppy sunhat, weeding, picking, or just wandering around in the garden. The work of the garden is not measured by time but by task. There is no standard of perfection (at least not in my garden!). The job is… Continue reading What’s Your Favorite Place in All the World?
My son called with a question, and (for a change) the call was actually for me. (I don't do home renovation or car repair questions.) He had been raking blueberries and had settled down to pick them over, removing the unripe berries, leaves, and stems. It's slow and painstaking work. "How clean do you get… Continue reading Think About What You Want to See on Your Plate
If you've ever grown garlic, maybe you've noticed the curled, flowering shoot that appears once the top leaves are fully established. Gardeners recognize it as the "scape," and the scape needs to be snipped off to allow the plant's energy to remain focused underground in creating a big, beautiful garlic bulb for next winter's pizza… Continue reading Be Brave! Cut Off Everything that Isn’t Helpful
Tim Keller and the Ministry of Competence My teacher husband is beginning the process of retirement after 33 years in an elementary school classroom. Believe it or not, it's more complicated and requires more thought and paperwork to STOP teaching than it does to accept a new job. Nonetheless, he's encouraged by the realization that… Continue reading Your Work Matters to the World
A beat-up black three-ring binder holds the record of 35 gardening years. I turn to it every spring because it remembers where the tomatoes grew last summer. It reminds me of the serendipitous genius of planting the peas next to the fence—a ready-made trellis! It helps me to foil the ravenous beetles by keeping me… Continue reading Life in the Garden on Your Bit of Earth
This morning, the fall colors called me outside for a walk, and, as usual, I ended up in the garden—even though the only living things that remain are the zinnias and the dahlias. I'm cheering the dahlias on in their race against the frost. The buds are there, but having planted them in a spot… Continue reading Fall Gardening in Maine and Other Extreme Acts of Faith
The garden here on the hill has gasped its last, and sunflowers stand guard over the ruins. Rows of canning jars in my basement are solid evidence of summer's fruition. I expect to be enjoying our beautiful butternut squash for Thanksgiving dinner, but, looking for pumpkins among the tangled vines, the gardening season seems to… Continue reading An Autumn Celebration: The Subtle Beauty of Mature Fruitfulness
The gardening life is full of surprises. It yields good surprises like volunteer tomato plants that show up among the squashes from last year's random self-seeding—and bad surprises such as the utter gluttony of one woodchuck who feels entitled to our green bean plants. This year's best gardening surprise has been the unexpected results of… Continue reading God’s Joyful Surprise: The Gift of His Given Strength
Every spring, property owners here in Maine cede our rights over to the blackfly population. With their serrated jaws and overwhelming numbers, they swarm by the hundreds, drawn by breath and body heat. I've seen them drive even the most determined souls back into the safety of home. When my four sons were all small… Continue reading Rest for the Weary and Hope for a New Season
Living Our Days 