dirt

For the past few days I've been out in Grant Park planting our 'Art on the Farm' installation.  At the moment, we've got chard, lettuce, runaway fennel, some beets and carrots, runaway mint and catnip and plenty of weeds.  The work is part planting, part attacking aforementioned weeds.

Working outside will quickly open your eyes to the subtleties of weather... Friday it poured off and on ... another day is was sunny but the wind was so cold so I think I got sun and wind burn ... yesterday it was hotter than I anticipated ... today looks sunny but who knows what it will hold.  I did enough bending yesterday to get a sunburn on my lower back.  Yeah.  What?!  Apparently my long undershirt didn't do it's job.

One perk of working out at Grant Park is that we're right in the middle of the Loop, which means some friends can come visit me!  The benefit of this to you is that my friends can carry cameras (in the form of iPhones).  And so I bring you actual proof that I do something like farming via Instagram.

for my golden boy

I know I've been long-absent.  I'm working on a plan to get a camera on the farm with me so that I can more easily bring you into my new work life!  Until that {hopefully soon} time, I'd like to celebrate the love of my life, whose golden birthday is today.  With Grady I feel many things, but I think this picture captures the one I feel most often ...

joy

 

Grady, I am so honored to be your wife.  You are a true man, a godly man, and a selfless, loving, wonderful husband.  I'm so glad that God brought you into this world and that I am the one to be with you every day of the rest of your life.  The man that you are makes more real to me the perfect Man, Jesus.  Thank you for living in His spirit and loving me with His Love.  I love you.

Happy Birthday

the new life

On Tuesday I began my adventure with Growing Power in Chicago (the link will bring you to the page of the farm I work at).  But I don't have much to report from the farm front because we spent the week getting ready for the Flower and Garden Show that opens this weekend at Navy Pier.

Expo shows always amaze me because of the sheer size of them.  Last year, I went with Grady to an expo that his company was holding that included maybe 20 full-size trucks, buses and military vehicles just hanging out in this giant room ... they didn't even look big compared to the size of the space.  The expo we were setting up was on an even bigger scale than that and involved tons and tons (probably literally) of sand and dirt.

Every exhibit in the landscaping side of the show was - well - a reconstructed landscape.  I spent most of the week shoveling sand and dirt, burying potted plants in said dirt, spreading wood chips and sod and other such things to get our installation ready.  While it wasn't exactly farming, it involved enough bending and digging in the dirt to make me feel sore and dirty in the exact same ways.

Next week I look forward to some actual work on the farm and I was given some small hope that I will be taught {urban} beekeeping!  I'm probably most excited about that ... bees keeping on the roof ... so awesome. 

I'm still trying to think of a way to get some pictures to this space.  I really can't see myself bringing my expensive, fancy camera with me for the day because I'm afraid it will get broken and I don't have a fancy phone with a fancy camera, so that won't work either.  We'll see.  In the mean time, if you're desperate for some visuals, you can go to their website to get an idea of what's going on.  I may not be back here until next weekend but maybe I won't be so tired this next week!  Here's to hoping anyway ...

Happy weekend!

new york nostalgia

This morning I bought myself a little treat while out grocery shopping - a crisp-crusted, flaky, buttery and completely delicious croissant.  As I walked down the Chicago sidewalk lugging my groceries and happily chomping away at my pastry, I found myself returning to memories of New York Sunday mornings.

(photo from a phone)

On Sundays, my father, being the early riser that he is, would venture out into the sleepy streets to bring us back a bag full of fresh bagels to enjoy (toasted with cream cheese of course!) and always there was a smaller bag, too, with at least one croissant {for me} and perhaps a muffin or piece of New York Coffeecake.  What a delight it was to wake up to a clean morning, pour a steaming cup of coffee and sit at our little table overlooking the skyline, enjoying every bite of my flaky croissant.

 

My breakfast this morning reminded me of the energy and the peace of those days.  There is a beautiful world waiting and teaming below and I will come to it when I have finished my deep breaths and contemplative bites.  Those streets, that view - I miss it.  Of course I love the life that I have now and I do not wish to reverse the clock, but Chicago simply doesn't happen the way that New York does.   The energy of the place is not the same.  So I will savor my little treat and my little memories with a smile and a sigh.  New York, I love you still.