I am once again looking forward to the future with renewed joy now that my urban garden project is underway with a new partner from a local recycler!! I have to create my wish list, design and get the manpower to create a front garden in a day. Looking outside, we still have an incredible amount of snow remaining and although the weather was above freezing and sunny.....it doesn't look like the snow will be truly gone for weeks yet to come. Normally by now, I would have already begun the task of clearing out debris out of the garden from the winter but alas this will have to wait.
The timing is great for starting a garden. According to reports coming in....there has been some significant drought in the states which will significantly reduce the amount of foods which will be available and the prices will rise dramatically. This garden will need to not only produce a daily food offering but also should help to provide a crop to preserve for the winter. I have tons of jars downstairs and a large cabinet. The freezer is cleaned out and ready for the early summer harvest.
This weekend, I will have to start the next group of seedlings now that the ones that have become hardy in the little greenhouse can be moved out making room for them. The asparagus is now 6" tall and look like fernThey will be ready to harvest in 2 years.....sigh!! I have the perfect spot in the back garden to grow these as they are an early spring vegetable.
I spent a wonderful day with Nora on Tuesday. We had so much catch up to do and so we started with a trip to the grocery store. We couldn't help but giggle when we continued to be a nuisance to an elderly man who seemed to always need to get around us with his cart, no matter where we were in the grocery store. Nora and I are two months apart in age, were diagnosed with TNBC around the same time and totally hit it off when we first met a few years ago when we joined a paddling group. She still attends, me, I moved on. More hugs through the aisles. I missed you Nora. We gather the ingredients for making Leek and Potato soup and a number of other items and head back to my house. We chat while preparing our lunch. Max pops his head upstairs and seems disappointed that 'picking up lunch' did not include a run through a drive-thru. He resigns himself back to the basement office while I show Nora my plants and talk about our urban garden plans. She wants to know if she can come help out with the garden and of course I would love her to help. The time passes quickly and before we know it.... it is time for her to go. I know she is afraid her cancer will come back but my senses tell me no. I love you to pieces and I will see you soon.
Wednesday afternoon I get an email from Elaine letting me know that I had mail in my department mail box. I found a lovely card and gift certificate from some of the people in my department at work. I was just so touched by the lovely notes written and all the well wishing for the upcoming radiation treatments. Thank you all so very much. I caught up to some of the conspirators in the lunch room and was able to give hugs. I was glad to sit with Elaine and Heather at the lunch table after and show them each how to make an origami paper pot!!
Thursday morning had me heading out the door and meeting up with my first teaching practicum Associate. I did pop my head into the office to drop off a little tomato plant for the principal. Its my new calling card now that I am qualified to teach in the Green Industries course of studies in the high schools. I sign out a visitors card and head downstairs to see Brad. He sees me enter the classroom and stands up to greet me with a big hug. Wow, it is so great to see him. I have brought him a few gifts and and speak to him about my latest project in early May with a group of elementary girls visiting our electronic digital lab at Fanshawe. He asks if I wouldn't mind speaking to his grade 9 students about what I do. Of course, I would love to. I let the students know about our open house and to come and explore their future options. I don't want to keep him long, so its hugs and see you soon!!! After class, I took Lydia to Lambeth to a store called 'JayDancin' where a sweet employee helped her with all natural make-up and how to apply it....I caved and purchased her first real mineral based make-up. She is really pretty without it, but she's a girly girl who just wanted to explore her options!! I purchased some coconut sugar, a beeswax candle, natural deodorant and soap.
While Lydia was getting her make-up done, I approached a woman shopping nearby and asked where she was in her journey. It is easy to recognize a woman in the journey if you know what to look for: Edema medical sleeve, wig and burn marks on her chest. We talked for a few minutes and she lets me know she is finishing Radiation on the day I am beginning mine. I wish her all the very best in her journey and she reciprocates the wishes. She is picking up a natural salve for her burns which, while considerable, are not nearly as bad as we both agree we have seen.
Saturday.......This weekend I am trying to get as much done before the treatments begin on Monday.... I am really trying to distract myself from thinking about Monday. So far I have made muffins, toffee for the kids, soup and even baked beans today. All of these from scratch. By the time I fall into bed, I am exhausted from the running around all day..... picked up a new modem and HD box from Rogers to replace the older versions and of course to make sure we now get HBO... got to get 'Game of Thrones' when it starts next month. I also needed to get unlimited internet now that all of us are wired all the time. Our bills were getting crazy!!!
Sunday..... despite wanting to relax today... I have already planted some pepper seeds that I removed from a pepper a month ago, potted the celery that has grown from the base of the plant I removed when I cut the stalks off 3 weeks ago. The asperagus has grown to almost 8 inches in the green house and the yard is nowhere ready to accept plants....matter of fact, I had to dig down into the crusty surface of the backyard garden to dump the green waste that has been piling up in bags on the back deck. I backfilled the hole in the snow to inhibit animals from finding it. Max is planning out the garden beds on his iPad this morning. We are looking forward to seeing the snow leave and for work to begin. A local recycler will be helping with some of our materials and I have a number of interested friends who want to help out this summer with tending to the garden. I can't wait!!!!!
Tomorrow is Radiation.... the past two weeks have flown by... and while I am really nervous, I am also really looking forward to starting and getting this behind me in a few weeks. For those interested in my urban garden and the planning process... I will be starting another blog dedicated to just that.
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