Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Resilience

I was out in the garden for a bit today after work.  The weather is perfect- sunny and about 70- so I thought I'd start in on cleaning out the frost killed plants.  I could only work for a little while because we had to have an early (for us!) dinner because I15 has to be back at school by 730 for band rehearsal.  He has a super busy week with band activities.  Tonight is rehearsal.  Tomorrow is the City High homecoming parade. Friday the band not only marches in the University homecoming parade but also plays halftime at the high school football game immediately after.  Saturday there is a marching band invitational contest and Sunday is his last parking lot cleanup.  Whew!  Then he has a rest until next weekend which is the state marching band contest.  We're planning to go to the competition this Saturday since it is at City High and they're performing their entire routine (usually they do a bit at a time at the football games). I'll be sure to take my camera.
But, back to the garden.  I thought I'd start in on the peppers and eggplants since they are much less messy to pull than tomatoes.  Imagine my surprise and delight when I discovered that there are a few pepper plants that seem to have bits still alive!  The peppers became quite unruly this summer and several fell over each other or were in various stages of being engulfed by rogue tomato vines.  This shelter seems to have saved a few of the lower branches.  I've got a few branches left on an Anaheim, two hot Hungarian wax plants and a bell.  Sadly none of the jalapenos or sweet Italians made it.  And no tomatoes or eggplants survived.  I was also amazed that when I went to pick a few frost nipped little zucchini for the chickens that one plant, while all the leaves are frost bitten and brown, is beginning to send out new little leaves and blossoms on the end of the vine.  Life is truly amazingly resilient.

And of course... since my mind never stops pondering while I work, this resilience led to 'deep thoughts'.  I think we all need to be more like those little garden plants- overcoming adversity and doing things our own way.  I have been distressed at the level of angst among many bloggers I follow due to the election.  People on both sides are murmuring about doom and gloom if their guy doesn't win.  You know what I think? (since this is my blog I'm going to tell you even if you don't want to know!)  While the president does have power over some things. I don't really think the outcome will be vastly different regardless of which candidate wins.  We have the responsibility to take charge of our own lives and be resilient no matter what befalls us.  The country will not suddenly end, life as we know it will not cease to be,  we will not suddenly be forced to roll over and play dead. The government will not determine the values I teach my children.  I decide.  I am in the driver's seat of my life.  I may not always like the road I'm given to travel but the journey is mine to make.  I need to work on making myself more like my peppers.  Able to stand up to a frost or two along the way and still be productive.   And if there are things I don't like, it becomes my responsibility to work on changing them as much as I can in my life and my corner of the world.

Honestly, I'm more worried about climate change and big ag (and how little seems to be being done about any of that) than I am about the election.  I just wish the ads would stop and that the campaigns would be honest.

6 comments:

  1. That's definitely a good attitude to have :)

    As for the resilient garden, one of the best lessons I've learned from experimenting with my hoophouse is that the gardening season is not really tied to the frost dates as much as I thought-as I try cold-hardy plants in the greenhouse, I realize that many of them can grow outside early and late too. It makes the end of the tomato/pepper season easier to take :)

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    1. My biggest problem with anything outside early or late are the deer who will make meal of anything left in the garden. I'm hoping to actually have some cold weather plants this year mainly because they are protected- not so much from the cold but from the deer.

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    2. Ah, good plan! I have a friend with deer problems who made mini hoops and used deer fencing on top (instead of plastic or row-cover) during the summer months. It was the first time she could grow beans and lettuce without it being eaten! So I could see how covering winter stuff would work that way too.

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  2. I agree with you in part on resilence. We do have to make our own way, help our families and friends & neighbors. We do need to grow and provide our own. We do need to pick ourselves up by the boot straps and work haard. We do need to be resiliant.

    Those things can be problematic if our govertment decides to take away rights or make us do things that are unconstitutional. I don't want to be told that I HAVE to buy their form of insurance. I DON'T want to have a tremendous amount of money taken from me in taxes, to GIVE it to those who have NO desire to work. I'm not counting those who need temporary help. I DON'T want the govt to take away my right to bare arms (that's a possibility).
    Yes, we need to work hard and provide for our own - but we also need our government to work with us (after all we are the bosses - they are the employees) - not demand or take from us.
    Sorry for venting, but I have been stewing all day about your statements. You are RIGHT - but I think it was too simplified.
    Thank you for listening.
    Cheryl - IN

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    1. Ok... I don't want to get into a debate and I do respect your fears but I don't believe that the government is going to force any of us to do anything unconstitutional. My understanding of health care reform is not that you have to buy THEIR form of insurance, just that everyone needs to have SOME form of insurance so the rest of us don't end up picking up the bill. Like those people without insurance who go to the ER for primary care because the ER HAS to treat them. THAT makes me angry because it drives up the cost of healthcare for everyone.
      As for rights being taken away... women's rights to make healthcare decisions for themselves or to have as equal access to family planning as men do to Viagra is much more in danger than our right to bear arms.

      All things said, YES, the government does need to work for us... ALL of us. But I still think we bear the bigger burden for our lives. Republican and Democratic governments have come and gone for generations and the country hasn't ended yet.

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  3. I had some surprises as well today in the garden! Plenty of cherry tomatoes, a big cucumber, the last of the green beans and a small butternut squash.

    I need to work in the garden tomorrow too because I feel the frost coming.

    Your election will effect us as well, being your northern neighbors. Our countries problems run deep and folks seem more interested in making money than teaching good values to their kids.

    one thing is for sure, I am resilliant and like the willow I will bend and not break. I am ressourceful and handy and will make do with what i have.

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