yes, home + garden is way overdue: both in reality and in this blog. and as much as i would rather write about something else, i want to update (myself) on the current status of the garden. 

not pretty

I mean: the flowers and plants are pretty, but the veggies are gone. About two months too soon! We still have herbs, although the basil, three plants that grew enormously to almost bush size, died almost overnight. It seemed so to my husband and me.

we were so excited

about the pesto we were going to make and freeze, the leaves I was going to carefully wrap for use in the winter, to dry and can (got to do one jar). But the other herbs are thriving. Although cilantro, which usually takes over the beds, was sparse this year. Oh, we do have eggplant, and of course, mint, parsley (though not as much as usual — I don’t care for it, so it doesn’t matter)

thyme, oregano, + lots of beautiful chives

Can you tell they’re my faves? From spring through fall, they’re out there. I add them to salads, broths, to cooking, use them as garnish. We must buy garlic to plant in Oct—Nov, as we haven’t in two years. Also have bulbs from tulips some friends brought when they came over for dinner in spring. Plus seeds that I don’t know whether to throw away or keep for next spring. Our daughter-in-law told me to throw them all

in one spot and see what happens

I like that. Especially because I ordered a slew of seeds from Floret Flowers, waiting for them to arrive, and plan to buy more in November and perhaps January. And I still have purchased plants not planted =\ and it is officially autumn. (Gulp!) Double =\

so this post serves to remind me

of how fortunate I am to have the ability + space to garden, to remember its beauty, the gladness of heart when we work on it, the super-fresh bounty on the table. Quite often, though, gardening threatens to be a time-stealer and I say to it: NO WAY. But when I remember the joy, I miss it. 

sometimes it seems that it is easier to forget than to remember

Could be because it is a choice, whereas forgetting isn’t. We don’t choose to forget, but we can choose to remember. I like the theme of choices. And although I miss choices now and again (more often than I want to admit, actually),

i am choosing to remember

reality — instead of what could have been or could be. The present is the only place where we can live, love, speak kindly, be still, or, inadvertently, do something that may not allow us such joys.

so choose wisely

always

and remember that

not choosing is a choice

digressed, didn’t i?