August 5, 2006
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Drivel And Gratitude
Today has been about the blueberries; I have been canning preserves and juice and freezing the remainder.
And today has also involved chard
loads and loads of it…
and blackberries
and today has also been about playing with children
and dogs
and chasing butterflies and reading books and climbing trees and thinking about things.
~~~~~
It’s another Saturday night (one of many)
and I am in my kitchen canning the juice of these berries
and I imagine that my love, my contentment, is so very strong
that perhaps you can hear my heart beating from
where you are.
I wonder if you, in your kitchen far away
can feel my joy?
My glass is cold and full of ice
I hope yours is, as well!
*******
Comments (31)
yes, i certainly can.
You’re amazing.
IMG it’s 86 degrees in our house. I’m making organic whole wheat mac and cheese and feel like such a slug.
What do you do with your chard? Do you freeze it? How to you cook it? Is it good? Enquiring minds NEED to know.
Oh and I think the heat has something to do with your blackberries. Just a theory here but I heard on NPR that the peach growers are thanking the hot weather for exceptionally sweet fruit this year. We may all melt together, but at least our fruit will be extra sweet.
that juice looks marvelous.
i love reading your thoughts.
geekagirl: I freeze the chard, I blanch it for 2-3 minutes, drain and chill it in ice water and then freeze it in small sections to use in indian dishes and bisque and pureed in sauces and in soups.
It still tastes like summer in the deepest cold of Feb, I swear!!
Yes, I feel your joy and it is a beautiful, beautiful thing! I am so happy for you! (((hugs)))
I need you to teach me all of your gardening secrets as well as what you can or freeze and how you do it. It is really amazing and inspiring. We are in the process of building our garden area for next summer. I can’t wait. In the mean time I will live vicariously through you. What are your favorite gardening books/resources? I am in a planning mood and would love to know how you began…decided what to plant…decided how you wanted to store your harvest…and on and on.
I love Swiss Chard. Love it. Its so beautiful and tasty and healthy! That picture of you behind your glass is priceless-lol!
It’s all good here, too! ((hugs))
That all sounds so nice. I wish my summers were like yours.
You always sound so contented!!!!!!!
You are joyous and I love it.I too revel in what is…and am happy to be here!
Sure, you just have to tease me with those blueberries again don’t you! It all looks so fantastic! My grammie makes blueberry jelly just for me and I get it every christmas. I miss her fruit cake though. And her peanut butter cream pies. *le sigh* That must be what I felt while out at the grill cooking baby back ribs. It was your joy!!
Oh what I wouldn’t give for some of your blueberry jam! It looks so good. When do you plant blueberries? I’ve heard they grow well here. I bought a case of organic frozen berries from the co-op. It was a happy accident! I meant to buy one bag.
Your joy gives me joy in the midst of my gardening grief. Thank you!
You have to be the most happiest, joyfullest person I know! What a pleasure you are daily!
Ok, for the record: I know ‘joyfullest’ is not a word. But for some reason, it just fit next to happiest, because, well, you are….and, well, I’m very tired this evening, LOL, so my grammar is, um, lacking! Night!
Your joy is contagious.
Nobody makes vegetables look more vibrant and appealing. I was drooling over the leaks in your last post. I discovered leaks for the first time while pregnant with Malia–couldn’t get enough of them– and have craved them ever since. Strange, but true.
Oh, and don’t I wish I lived within a hundred miles of you.
I’ve never had chard… it’s not something anyone eats/grows/uses around here… what is it like? it sounds so romantic! (haha I dont know why)
I will see about moving Maryland closer to maine b/c I’m love some squash. my FAVORITE food.
your post radiates life. i can almost feel the thumping of your heart.
A toast to “life is good” with these cool drinks!!!!
These photos are incredible! (yes, I can feel your heart beating in your kitchen far away.) (-:
You make me want to garden and cook and learn new things! thanks
you are my inspiration!
you are So incredibly beautiful and radiant
And it was also about talking to friends on the phone. Silly.
WOW Julie, I’d give anything for an ounce of your contentment. You are an angel
)
I love chard it’s my fave and I’d eat it every day if I could. Where do you get your beautiflu jars from? So pretty xxxx
Well my glass is cold and full of organic lemonade. I will toast our contentment with you.
Ah, to be in your kitchen for only a few minutes.
I’m glad you had a good day.
You are fabulously refreshing…and maybe just a little insane. I do feel your heartbeat and it is a call to women everywhere to be happy where you are and with what you do. Just beautiful.
Well just a little and only in the nicest way!!
I used to can and freeze in quantity as you are doing, but I got away from it. There aren’t enough blueberries here to freeze, but I’m savoring them all. Tis the season. Blessings abound
Fun! And the few times I’ve actually gotten food from my own garden since we started it last year, I was so completely taken by the whole thing. It was a sense of satisfaction and contentment like what you are describing. I get the same feeling when I buy a bunch of berries on sale at the store – I wash them, flash freeze them, and then jar them up and put them in the deep freeze to use for muffins. Why is it such a fulfilling feeling?? Hmmmm….
GORGEOUS pictures!