Cultivating the garden, trusting we have what we need!

Okay, just to sidetrack for one moment…oh my gosh…this is the best smoothie!
MMMMMM….the blueberry – basil smoothie recipe from and earlier post…my breakfast. The fresh picked blueberries frozen overnight, paired with deep purple basil…the scent undeniably exotic…flax seeds and vanilla add a hint of nuttiness and depth to the flavor. Every protein shake should be like this…a sensory experience.

Earlier in the week, my garden called to me...the weeds were ready to go. I left the weeds during our hot spell to shade the soil and maintain moisture. Since it was cooler and I had lots of long grass clippings to layer in their place, it was time to weed the garden.

Four five-gallon buckets of various grasses and other weeds later (compost pile feeling very abundant), I surveyed the rich, moist soil and the mulched pathways. Weeding was easy and meditative and revealing. The wild morning glories are holding up their end of our bargain to stay on the fences and off the vegetables. And sometime during June, rabbits pruned my pepper plants, which are now more fully branched and full of fruits. Thank you bunnies! And sadly only two leeks made it. They do not fare as well when weeds compete. Most everything else held its own and I have to believe is better for the shelter the weeds gave.

To my delight there are volunteer tomatillos-everywhere! Remembering trying to find tomatillo plants at the farmer’s market, I smile. It dawned on me…everything I need is right here. The weeds covered the soil during a time when I could not be in the garden, grass clippings (someone missed mowing so the grass was longer than usually requiring raking) to replace the weeds for mulch, and the tomatillos…there all along, just waiting for the conditions to be right to reveal themselves.

Just like in the garden I have everything I need right here inside of me. It takes me making time to be quiet and listen and to give things a chance to emerge when timing is right. Always moving forward with patience and faith. While there is a bit of waiting for the fruits to ripen, that is the time for cultivation and observation. What needs attention, what needs culling, what needs feeding? And like in the garden, nothing can be rushed…all is in tune with the rhythmic nature of the Earth.

Unexpected Treasure at the Louisburg Cider Mill

As we entered the rustic interior of the Cider Mill, the expected faint aroma of cinnamon and dough paled in comparison to the cool, fruity scent of voluptuous, home-grown cantaloupe - a whole cart of them! The sign said: Cantaloupes--$3.00 each. I knew these were homegrown melons without even asking. The juicy scent of a fully ripened melon is unmistakable and no two fruits were the same size. Much different than the mounds of uniform melons in the grocery store. My perusing gaze fell upon the largest one in the left corner of the cart’s top shelf…its size more like a watermelon…too big, too ripe. I pressed the rind of another one, too soft. The third melon was larger than medium, its golden color hinting at the rich orange flesh barely covered by the slightly firm, textured surface. This one would get the ultimate test…I lifted it to my nose and there it was…that unmistakable scent of ripeness. Into my cart it went! ***

Next to the cantaloupes stood brown paper bags filled with ripe peaches. The richly, blushed fruits were firm, but not hard, fuzzy and fragrant. After mentally reviewing my erratic and full schedule for the next week, I resisted the urge to buy the box of canning peaches for $9.00. Instead a 3# bag would do for eating fresh and making smoothies. The young man behind the counter said a phone call would hold a box of the canning peaches next week. New item on my calendar- Making Spicy Peach Chutney…

Choosing Fruit: Look for firm, unblemished flesh where the scent of the fruit apparent. Oversized can mean watery or pithy in some fruits. My husband once shared with me how amused he was by my tactile methods of picking out just about anything. Don’t be afraid to use your senses in choosing your produce! That is one of Mother Nature’s greatest gifts, the sensuous delight experienced from the fruits of the Earth.

***Sunday Morning Minty Melon Smoothie

4 oz of cold water
1 cup cantaloupe, cubed
3 ice cubes
1 serving vanilla whey powder
1 tsp ground flax seed
4 mint leaves
3 borage blossoms (optional)
1 thin slice cantaloupe, mint leaves for edible garnish

Place ingredients in blender. Process slowly to stir, then increase to whip. Pour into a fancy glass, add a cantaloupe “spear” and mint for garnish and serve immediately. Or
freeze in molds to enjoy as a frozen treat later.

Full Moon Wisdom

This morning the full moon was a bright disc above the western horizon. As I drove my husband to the airport, wisps of clouds passed between me and the moon…it appeared as if someone had smeared the moon with a whipped butter cream, not caring if they stayed within the lines. The moon grew bigger as it fell silently toward the horizon. It was not really growing; I was experiencing the effect of my eyes using the surrounding objects to interpret the size of the moon. It does not matter that it is a visual trick…it is cool to watch!

The appearance of a full moon indicates the window of time when the sun is directly opposing the moon creating a full illumination of the lunar sphere. To me it also means balance and full disclosure, no shadow, the axis of truth stretched tautly between the sun and moon. With this full moon we get a bonus lunar eclipse that could add a sense of being out of time with reality. Good time to be quiet, be gentle with ourselves and not force anything until the next lunar eclipse (Aug 5) closes that energetic window.


The full moon in Capricorn shines brightly on the wisdom of the grandmothers, calling us to honor and give gratitude to the depth of knowledge they have to share. Today I ask myself: How can I utilize that wisdom making it applicable to today’s evolving paradigms for the good of the next seven generations? Or less esoterically speaking…how can I responsibly manage my life, remembering that my actions are like a stone dropped into a pond, the ripples far-reaching. What are some new ways to manage my finances, business and personal relationships? And how can I keep balance between nurturing community and nurturing myself?

Lots to think about and write about…while sipping coffee and listening to the sweet song of the birds.