Remembering....

Today it is raining again, it has since Tuesday night. Normally I would whine and complain, but the garden needs it, and hey, I can actually MOW now! The rain has already pushed the cucumbers above ground, and is doing wonders for the rest of the garden, yep, we needed it.

As I sat here reading some forums and other blogs, I was looking out the kitchen window, watching birds bathe in some of the standing water in the garden. Looking into the garden made me remember the tiny beginnings of what we are doing here, and made me smile.

When we bought this place, and moved in May of '99, this place was nothing but grass and 2 small neglected flowerbeds. Lisa set out that summer to revive the flowers, and to create a few new beds. We decided to grow a vegetable garden, and ended up with a 12x12 area in the backyard as the first one. Each year we decided to plant something new, or plant more of the same, so the garden grew with each decision.

Since that first garden in that first year, we have grown and grown, adding various fruits and vegetables to where we are today. Even with the size we have now, we are planning to enlarge things even more. The garden will expand another 4 feet, the blackberries will extend another 8, we may add more grape arbors, and the strawberries will get thinned into two more 8x24 foot beds. Things always change, and we always manage to grow and expand our production, our knowledge, and our minds.

I have to admit that 11 years ago when Lisa and I met, I would have NEVER imagined we would be doing the things we are today. I would have laughed at the thought of making our own deodorant. I would have said a big "hell no" to the thought of using a wringer washer. I would have said "no way" to the idea of having chickens. But......here we are. All of these years and changes later, and I wouldn't change a thing. I like our life now, in fact I love it. I can't imagine going back to buying everything we eat, or eating frozen garbage out of a microwave. I can't imagine NOT having all of this garden. I can't imagine eating store-bought bread again. (ICK!!) I can't imagine going back to a lot of the things I used to do or the way that I lived in the past, and I can't imagine life without Lisa.

No one else would have tolerated my silly ideas. No one else would GIVE me some of those ideas. No one else would spend days in the house making bread, soap, candles, laundry detergent, deodorant, pies, or stand in front of a canner for a whole weekend. No one else would tolerate my rants about city people, and no one else would tolerate my music. (c'mon,who DOESN'T want to pick strawberries to Iron Maiden blasting from the garage??? LOL) This year will make 11 years together, 10 at this house, and 9 years married. It's been a journey in gardening, a journey is self sufficiency, and a journey in life. There is no one else I would want to share this with. You are my everything. OK....you and the LowBoy....OK, you, the LowBoy and my 45 Colt.....you get the picture lol, love ya Lisa.