September's Song

For me, September is bittersweet. The days are warm, the nights much cooler. The colors of the landscape are subtly turning from summer's green to autumn's gold and crimson hues-what's not to love?
The vegetable garden is mostly done for the season, a few green tomatoes hang valiantly onto the vines, hoping to ripen before frost arrives, carrots and beets wait to be pulled and then suddenly, it's over. I have to wait eight long months before I can do it all over again.
My little hummingbird is frantically sipping from what's left of the fall perennials. He will have a long flight to migrate to warmer climates, so he has to stock up. I see him several times a day now and always feel sad that he won't be around until next summer.
For now, I will content myself with getting the beds ready for winter, gathering seeds for next year, harvesting late vegetables and planning next year's plantings. One of the joys of being a gardener is that it is a never-ending work in progress. There will always be a new beginning, a new chance to start from scratch and make things better. For now, I must concentrate on enjoying the wonderful blessings of autumn, the here and now, and be thankful for the rewards of being a gardener.

Autumn Brings Changes

As a new Autumn season officially begins, I have decided to expand this blog to include all aspects of my world, the inner workings as well as the outside. Having lived with a panic disorder for over 45 years, I feel that I can give my own unique perspective and perhaps help others who suffer similarly, to understand what is going on and ways to cope or just let them know they aren't alone.
Life revolves in cycles, the good mingling with the bad and not so pleasant, the same as with the cycles of the seasons. With Fall underway, I hope to bring greater understanding and meaning to my own experience and possibly to yours. Feel free to e-mail me with questions or comments.

Pear Harvest

My pear trees are literally dripping with fruit, the branches sagging with luscious treasure. It's time once again, to harvest the bounty. Pears are picked while they are still green and will ripen on racks in the cool confines of my basement throughout the autumn months.

I can tell the fruit is ready to be picked when the pear breaks away from the branch with ease, in fact, so easy, I have to be careful about dropping them. I easily fill my basket several times and have to get the ladder to reach the top- most branches.

I firmly believe in growing as much of my own food as possible, cooking and eating seasonally. I preserve what we can't eat right away and that ensures the flavors of summer can be enjoyed year round. Pears are a versatile fruit, they make wonderful muffins and breads, pear butter, salads and poached for dessert. No grocery store pear can compare with the flavor of home grown. In fact, there is nothing more sensual than biting into any fruit, still warm from the sun, fragrant with the ripeness of summer, and juice running down your chin. Heaven has to be a garden!

The Labor Day weekend signals the "unofficial" end of summer here in Wisconsin, land of the short growing season and extreme weather changes, so, it's not a holiday that I particularly look forward to. Summer is my favorite time of year and I would be more than happy to enjoy warm sunshine and year-round gardening. I already notice the shorter days. After supper dishes are done, there isn't much daylight left to enjoy time in the garden. For every other holiday throughout the year, I am ecstatic and love to decorate my house and front yard for the season, prepare special foods and host festivities, gathering with family and friends to celebrate. Labor Day is very low key, although there are a few traditions that I try to keep each year, the Walworth County fair, our annual downtown Labor Day parade and gathering with family to grill outdoors and eat our favorite summer foods.

Soon, there won't be the opportunities to enjoy these outdoor pursuits, the balmy breezes of summer will soon turn to the crisp winds of autumn. I intend to savor every last bit of warm, summer weather...it has to sustain me through the long, cold months ahead.