2008 November | You Grow Girl

I took this photo a few years ago at the community garden before this plot was officially mine. A fellow plot member had moved away, weeds were taking over the plot and it was already June. I couldn’t stand to see the space sit empty and so set out to get something in the ground before it was too late.

To make a long story short I needed to make a staking system for the tomatoes but didn’t have much on hand in the way of materials: some old thick stakes a friend got for me years prior at a farm supply store, a bunch of useless wire tomato cages, and old jute twine that was on the verge of breaking. This was the contraption I came up with. I didn’t have any tools with which to bend the wire so I did that little twisty thing on the top as best I could with my hands. Come to think of it, I could have gone home to get more supplies or a tool kit but I suppose I was either being lazy or enjoyed playing McGuyver with what was available. Most likely a combination of both.

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Hello.

Hi.

Is this thing on?

I’m experiencing a bit of stage fright, sitting here staring at the screen. It’s been so long since I’ve been here. Not here as in sitting at this computer staring at the screen. I’ve been to that “here” TOO much over the last few months. No I mean here, here. To this site, here. It’s been so long since I’ve pulled my head out of the cave I’ve been living in. Pulled my nose up from against the grindstone, so to speak. Reintegration is going to take some time and patience. When I thought I might write here today my first thought was, What will I say?

So much has happened and yet nothing has happened. I haven’t done any gardening so there are no recent experiences to draw from. And yet I just finished writing roughly 75, 000 words on the act of gardening. And I just spent hours upon hours looking through the thousands of photos of gardens and gardening that I took over the last year. I am immersed in gardening to the point of collapse and yet I have nothing to say.

The brain is tapped. I need a refill.

And so first some pictures. A little Dazzle Camouflage (aka Dazzle Ships), if you will. Because when I can’t speak with words, I can often find a way to say something with a picture. Although I’ll admit I don’t know what these say. Squash is pretty?

And also, wow America. It took a while for it to sink in today. I think I was afraid to believe it was real. But it is real. My excitement is swelling. I have been thinking about the Nina Simone song “Blackbird.” (Sorry I couldn’t find a version online) The first line goes, “Why you wanna fly blackbird, you ain’t ever gonna fly.” I’m a big Nina Simone fan and have long turned to that song in moments of hopeless despair. She expresses so fully that sense of deep longing and wishing for the impossible. The fear that to wish and then to turn that wish into an action (hope) will lead to more despair and pain. It’s always amazing to see a concrete example of what can happen when people take a chance — even if just a small one — to put hope into action. And so I’m then reminded of this Nina Simone song.

I’m so happy for you, America. Happy for all of us.

p.s. I have zillions of unanswered emails in my inbox. I promise to get back to you soon.