Said goodbye to some old friends today. Little by little, I am winnowing my belongings so that our rebuilt house doesn’t feel so stuffed when we move back in. Clothes. DVDs. Books. Art supplies. Bulky accumulations of memories and identity that I can’t let go of. Today it was herbs. I learned the basics of Southern … read more Flutter byes
Tag: herbs
Lemon joy
This butterfly is not rare in Georgia, but I don’t remember ever seeing it before. Seems odd, given that its color is such a bright lemon yellow. This summer was the first time I’d noticed it flitting around. I never got a good look at it because I was always rushing somewhere. Today Tom and I finally … read more Lemon joy
A walk on the wild side
Toland Way is a very steep, winding road. It’s a tough walk up. This time of year, though, it’s worth the strain on my legs and back. The flowering plants are bountiful all along the steep banks of this road. Perhaps the soil is richer, gathering all the minerals that get washed down the mountainside. … read more A walk on the wild side
Newborns
The dirt crumbles under my fingers. My hair is full of raindrops. Bright green laughs against the backdrop of the still-awakening forest. I laugh along and talk to them. “Little basils, I want to be sure you have enough room to grow. How about six of you in this planter box, would that be OK?” … read more Newborns
The corner pharmacy
I live in a rural community, 6 miles to the nearest grocery store, but a handy pharmacy just opened about 150 yards from my house. This place has a limited stock, but the price is right. Shown above is one of the specials in today’s grand opening: bloodroot, free for the taking. Five years ago, I took a … read more The corner pharmacy
Happy Birthday, Herb!
Last February, I ran away from home. The winter was too much for me. I got into the car and drove to South Georgia and then Tampa and then Savannah. When I finally came back on March 6, the cold was mostly gone. I bought my herb plants for the year, and that Sunday, I cradled them into … read more Happy Birthday, Herb!
Still growing
I harvested mint today, and lavender. The oregano and thyme are still growing, thick as hair. Even strands of chives are green in the pot. It’s January 4. The herbs on my deck are now 10 months old. I thought it was great to harvest herbs in November. Didn’t imagine it would go into the depths of winter. But … read more Still growing
Re-traumatized
[Dec. 28] This morning, I had an anxiety attack from reading the description of my surgery. I had downloaded my patient record from Emory. It described the surgery step by step, in clinical detail. Four pages of detail. It was the first time that I realized what the doctors meant when they said the aneurysm was in an … read more Re-traumatized
The last harvest
I made stir-fry today with Thai holy basil fresh from the stalk. This is a treat I did not expect to be having in mid-November, even in Georgia. Here it is, November 11, and we still haven’t had a freeze or even a frost. I planted these herbs in early March, which means they have … read more The last harvest
Day 2: The Morning After
I was really sore today from my massage yesterday and from not enough sleep. We stayed up very late binge-watching Downton Abbey, and I drank more yesterday than even on a holiday weekend – two cocktails at McCormick and Schmick’s, then two or three of my special cocktail, homemade melon vodka with pomegranate juice. This morning … read more Day 2: The Morning After