A Flavorful, Frolicsome Journey

Glories of the Garden

(Began this post during the "missing months" but never finished it.  Liked it well enough that I couldn't abandon it, so will attempt to complete and publish now.)

My first "garden glory" post focuses on a "project" that I happened to make a bit of progress with in the past few summers.  Through my seasons at the greenhouse, my familiarity with herbs has traversed the continuum from all-but-ignorant, to familiar, to attraction--even enjoyment of the flavors, to cultivating, and now on to limited use and sharing.  Ample improvements are still needed in the "growing," "using" and "sharing" categories. My earliest feeling about herbs (from a greenhouse-laborer perspective) was simply annoyance that they needed to be watered too often, but in fulfillment of said irrigation duties, said laborer rapidly learns of herbs' potent fragrance.  They suffer no demureness, emitting aroma at the slightest touch. Sometimes, subtle and inviting; wafts of flavor floating free from a Mediterranean cuisine kitchen. Other times, wanton and forceful--a nearly nauseous nasal invasion. Nonetheless, a relationship is forged. My first tasting experience with fresh herbs happened one afternoon, many years ago now.  I was making my way out of the summer greenhouse heat toward the cooler breeze and shady seats of our break area in the courtyard. As I passed Sweet Mrs.Owner watering the herbs and veggie pots, she plucked a ripe red cherry tomato, wrapped it in a large leaf just pulled from a basil bush, and whimsically popped the potent tidbit into my mouth with nary a word of warning.  Can't remember what reactions or words were exchanged as I endured this very shocking first herbal encounter. Never mind the intense, savory tang of fresh basil, I didn't even like raw tomatoes back then.

Basil happens to play the lead role in the next scene of our herbal plot as well.  In order to promote optimal growth and shape, herbs benefit from frequent trimming throughout the season. This results in healthy greenhouse merchandise--and lush leftover sprigs of flavor, which ought not be left to wither in the waste bin. So, one summer evening, I came home with a sizable portion of clipped-basil leftovers. A quick googling rendered us a plethora of pesto recipes to peruse as a logical method of using our herby gleanings, and a bit of time spent with the pungent leaves, some garlic, cashews, and olive oil spinning through the puree cycle on our food processor yielded a gritty, green batch of savory "sauce."  The samples I shared with my greenhouse friends the next day garnered glittering reviews, and encouraged further experimentation. So, we've made a batch or two every summer since. It's easy to freeze in baggies in small portions and then microwave to thaw and heat to use as a garnish for pasta, pizza, or chicken. Some results are more "successful" than others, but it always adds a bit of homemade zest to a meal.

These and other herb exposures--the tongue-teasing tang of cilantro in Mexican cuisine, the pleasant piquancy of chives with soy sauce over chilled tofu--lead to the tradition of creating an herb planter as a Mothers' Day gift for the dear bride each spring.  Seems the first few featured chives, cilantro and basil. (I'm now back to complete after l-o-n-g hiatus.)  Think where I was headed with this was that the make-up of the herb pots changed over the seasons.  Cilantro was never very successful for using--quickly goes to seed, and then bears no more usable leaves. Chives stays alive forever. Basil, after some seasons of experimentation, and lessons on adequate irrigation and fertilization, can do pretty well.  

So, slowly, the "herb grower" habits increased seasonally. One year, I decided to re-vamp the haphazard random rock-walled garden space next to our front entry, so with a bit of scavenging through available "building materials," came up with a 3-tiered stair step herb planter adjacent to the steps into the house.  Culinary sage occupied the top tier for first few seasons, very easy, prolific and hearty. However, I didn't find many uses for it, or other folks who knew many ways to utilize it either. It finally did freeze one winter after several years of growing, harvesting, drying, jarring, and some sharing. I was quite thrilled late one fall to supply a sizable handful of live sprigs to a fellow teacher who needed some for making her brine for the Thanksgiving turkey.  Basil still strove to thrive on the middle tier. Can't quite remember what I planted on the bottom tier originally; seems I tried an herb or two that didn't succeed, before filling with mint--and it's still there, reaching, spreading, and perfuming its space. Happy to harvest frequently in spring, summer, and fall to brew refreshing tea, flavor ice water, or occasionally use in Mediterranean veggies. Yum. Also, it's fun to use a sprig or two to add a bit of lush and fragrant greenery to small "thinking-of-you bouquets," that the bride frequently assembles for friends or coworkers.

Then one day a few springs back, I got the idea to further herbalize our entryway. The removal of an awkwardly growing Mugu pine from our landscaping yielded some fun branches that "should be useful" for something, so bundling like-lengths of pine sticks together with wire and securing them in a vertical stack created walls for a not-so-matching second stair-stepped herb planter on the other side of the front stoop.  It's definitely unique, charming in a country-boy sort of way, and functional. I try to find varieties of herbs that survive the winter; some have, some have not. My amateur herb farmer challenge the past couple seasons has been to keep up with the harvesting, drying and storing of my herby yields. Moderate success meeting that objective has populated my frig top with 13 jars of varying sizes; multiple hues of gray-greens show through the beveled glass or cloudy plastic, and torn-pieces of recycled charity-"gift" address labels identify the leafy contents: currently, sage (still 3 jars!), mint, oregano, basil, chives, marjoram, rosemary, and thyme.  Guess maybe I view my several chances this year to present cute, little, herb-filled jars as travel or holiday gifts (that seemed to be appreciated) as my first step toward herb farmer success. Wishing you moments of calming flavor and fragrant contentment!   

Our Oxymoronic Voyage Across the Ocean of Time

It's been an eternity, yet only a heartbeat. Time is such a blurry concept, ever displaying multiple personalities and garnering vastly variant emotional responses, sometimes simultaneously.  The past many months/years of "no posting" has raced by in dragging days and slothed along in whiplashing weeks, all bursting with ordinary vibrancy and passionate plainness, struggling and striving for brilliant representation amid the kaleidoscopic rainbow smears splashed across the palette of our jubilant and solemn lives.

Life seems to often be a curious combination of contrasting facets, doesn't it?  Perhaps we are all experienced adventurers traversing across regions of juxtaposed emotions, weary wanderers among the merry mazes of frosted perspective. Yet, still, we march forth: our planet still spinning, gravitizing us to our here and now.  Sameness is a stabilizing anchor in our sassy sea; change is our propeller, forcing us eagerly onward; faith, our rudder, guides us fervently futureward to our destined harbors.  

Let me define a few of the droplets and specify the splashes that comprise the currents that have carried us along on our voyage through the missing months.  Then, maybe the preceding prattle will make a bit more sense, like the blip of wispy clarity through hand-smeared blotches on a morning, misted mirror.  Tidbits of life teeming with chaotic order, and contradictory harmony.

*Joyous, touching, centennial birthday party celebrating my amazing Grandma.  (later post, probably)
*Pending a visit to Japan, finally receive brief email message from Japanese Mama, informing that "my husband gone heaven last year."   Japanese Papa died from Leukemia a few months earlier.
*Son completes two-and-a-half-year Peace Corps service on Pemba Island in Tanzania, Africa; tours around Asia for about six weeks before returning to USA with plans to marry and attend grad school.
*Father spends week in hospital when a sudden onset of dementia brings dramatic symptoms and frequent agitation and confusion; traumatizing to witness this sad transformation in my calm, brilliant, caring, passionate Dad. Medications have stabilized behaviors, but cognitive abilities remain inconsistently compromised.  We journey up home as often as we can to spend time with them.
*Same day as Dad's hospitalization, dropped daughter off at coastal airport to fly off alone to South Korea to begin a one-year contract teaching English to Korean school children.
*Became Grand-Uncle and Aunt several more times with joyful births of beautiful grand babies to my sisters and older brother, totaling seven now; one grand-niece and six grand-nephews, plus one more baby to arrive later this spring.  How adorable they all are!  If you don't believe me, ask my sisters or brother.
*Special and spunky 93-year-old widowed Aunt who still lives independently tripped and fell, breaking her hip.  After some hours on her entryway floor, she managed to scoot herself to telephone to call for help.  Comes by ambulance to hospital in our town and has immediate partial hip-replacement surgery.  We spend plenty of time in hospital with her for few days she is there.  She recovered in care facility back in hometown for about 4 weeks after hospitalization, but then is released to return home.  We try to go visit and spend time helping her as often as we can make it there.  She is doing amazingly well, and remains as fiery as ever. 
*Daughter adjusts and seems to thrive in her life in Korea, and we travel to Asia to spend time with her during Spring break, with a stop to visit in Japan on the way. We very briefly see Japanese Mama, but she is not well.  Awesome visits, filled with friends and cherry blossoms.  Wondrous to see the daughter also "blossoming" in her adventure.
*Text from son while we are on Asia journey reporting that his pending marriage was "called off" and asking us to come pick him up to move home in a couple of weeks.  We did.
*Amazing Grandma lived in her own home with my uncle's help until passing on to her Savior's arms after just two weeks in care facility when contracted an infection and declined quickly.  What a remarkable 100-1/2-year life!
*A few days before Grandma's death, Great Aunt (Gram's younger sister) experienced a heart attack and had surgeries and hospitalization for a bit.
*Able to schedule several visits with Bride's Dad and brother in CA over interluding months.  Always a pleasure having the opportunities to connect as frequently as possible as time goes by.  Blessed by our relaxing family times together; glorying in beach-wandering, usually sunshine, and very fresh fruit.
*Even got to coordinate one CA visit with a chance to see oldest-nephew perform with his soul band in nearby beach city.  Awesome. . . and fun visit with the amazing, humble, brilliant bass-guitarist nephew too.
*My mother develops some surface-area cancer so undergoes a couple laser surgeries, followed by a six-week regime of radiation treatments.  This necessitated time away from home for my parents, but they had the opportunity to stay in apartment on hospital campus, so was really a blessing for them.  And Mom amazed her doctor by the strength with which she endured her treatments too. 
*We got to spend time with them most every day, as her treatments were in our town.  Such a gift having this extra time together, and to be able to help them out a little.  Praise God.
*Aforementioned Great Aunt (90-years-old) takes a series of falls that cause some brain bleeding, which compromise health enough to prevent safe independent living.  We were happy to help her (and a few of her necessary things) settle into a cozy studio space at an assisted-living facility in town, and then with emptying out her well-filled two-bedroom senior apartment, and mostly moving to storage in our basement.  We also try to see her as frequently as we can; she is being well taken care of in her new "home," and seems to be improving.
*Every now and then, we get the chance to spend time hanging out with imaginative, active, and so cute 3-year-old grand-nephew #4 when his Dad (nephew #2) and Mom have something going on.  So fun building Legos, playing super-heroes, reading books, making Mac & Cheese together with him, and we're so happy we can help out in this way! 
*Expat daughter finishes year contract at English academy, but starts new job three days later in a nearby town as a native-speaking English teacher at a Presbyterian, all girls' high school.  New apartment, new colleagues, more new international friends, and fun activities to involve herself with seem to keep her enjoying her Korean adventure.  We hope to travel to visit again while she is there.
*Email from "sister" in Japan announces that "Mama" went to heaven in Spring also.  It may have been only a few weeks after we saw her so briefly during our Asia visit. Sad news for us, of course, that this remarkable, passionate, loving woman of Faith is gone; but it's so awesome knowing she is healthy and happy, home with Jesus. Many beautiful memories and shared moments help to keep her alive in our hearts.
*After several months worth of research and applications for job as computer programmer/coder, and plenty of personal programming projects (along with his usual gaming and novel writing activities) son had a few interviews, and was offered a job--which he accepted.  He is working remotely from home for first few months but will relocate to Oklahoma when provisional period is over.  Seems like all is going well so far.  We're excited for him and his new adventure opportunities.   

Okay, so perhaps now I've splashed enough drips of detail across the deck that we are mostly updated on the key goings-on from the "missing months," and the commingling of turbulence and calm, joy and grief, the humdrum and the extraordinary are now sufficiently evident.  And my perhaps perplexing opening paragraphs are more clearly comprehensible.  May clarity and passion reign throughout the adventures of your life in these days.