Greenjeans Farm

I woke up this morning and thought about death, and about how inevitable it is.  I thought about never laughing with my husband Jeff in the morning or talking to the dogs and cats, having that first cup of coffee, or brushing my teeth or washing my face again. I thought about our children and their unique personalities and humor and the love that surrounds our family like a force field.  I think I am fortunate to have so much in my life.  I’m sure our spirits will all go into another place when we die, but I am very happy in this place!

This scared me, so I started to cook!  Hey, when in doubt, live.  And when in life, eat!  I think that is behind this compulsion of mine to grow things.  What is more connected to life than food!  Maybe wine!  When you cook there is concentration, abandon, artistry, industry, creativity and in the end you get to eat it and it becomes a part of who you are!  How many other things in your life can you eat! 

Foxglove summer and Amaranth fall. 

There is always something about fall that makes me think of passing.  I will never forget the foxgloves this spring and will never not equate them with my friend and the horror she has gone through and is still trying to push through.   The height of the harvest and the end of the bountiful season!  Mother nature was stingy this year.  Too much rain and not enough heat.  And now at the end mother nature  is passing on the things we have overlooked, the Amaranth and the Sun Flowers, and the Blanket flowers!  And bringing on some Brandywine tomatoes at least!  That makes a case for keeping the canned goods for two years!     The grape bins are out across the way, but I don’t hear any banging.  There are no machines going all night in the vineyard keeping me awake, yet!  It’s a so, so harvest and I am still grateful!  When I pass, I think I want to just be put on a brush pile and burned, worked back into the soil and work at keeping worms happy!  We’ve had a hard year but it was a growing one. 

  Late summer…

Hazy skies.  Pumpkins!  The peaches are done!  Tomatoes just coming on they are late this year, oh well, green tomato relish!  Cleaning out the pantry.  Friday night high school football, Potter Valley Bearcats! (Last night was WAY too late) and now tomorrow is the traditional opening day of the NFL!  Yep, we’re a football family.  Along with that, and probably why I am a fan, come “Football Snacks” Bruschetta, artichoke dip, salsa, hot wings, won ton, and Chilie Rellenos.  I listen from the kitchen while I cook and am usually canning or freezing something or another from the garden at the same time.  Thinking ahead to that winter day when this food is going to taste soooooo good!  

The geese have begun to fly over the valley, our geese never leave they just like to fly around, they act like they are doing something, but they never leave!  The Mourning Doves are settling in the big red plum tree, you can hear the grape bins rumbling in the vineyard yard.   Putting the garden away little by little as things die off, building up the soil, planting here and there for winter harvest.    This is truly a time to be savored.  Golden days.