Making Do and Hanging On

The end of February, 2009 and I can almost smell the garden when I go out the door.  The weather hasn’t stabilized yet, and we could even get snow again tonight, but little greens are growing both in the homemade greenhouse and in the recently constructed coldframe.  I haven’t gone outside yet this morning to check on the baby greens,  but I feel that a little chill won’t hurt them as long as they are under the protection of their covers.  There is something corollary about  the hardening off  of plants, and  the hardships of life that gives strength to the individual.  

I have been reading the book  “”Making Do and Hanging On,” with the subtitle “Growing Up in the Apple Country Through the Great Depression”, by Bruce Foxworthy.  I feel honored to learn about the challenges that the generation that grew up during the 30’s  has to share with us.  The history of Entiat is very young, and Mr. Foxworthy’s family epitomized the kind of people  that lived by principles of hard work and honesty that living in a beautiful but harsh environment required.  I can say that I have met no more friendly and giving people than those from that generation, and from this valley.  As we and our children’s generation are entering our  own hard times ahead, I hope that we can thrive and come out even stronger than before.  In a way, (as I was telling Ruthie last night) I am kind of looking forward to a  Depression.  

You are all invited to attend a program at the Entiat Public Library (or the Entiat Grange if need be)  featuring Bruce Foxworthy on Tuesday, April 14th at 7:00 PM.  He stopped by the library the other day to donate a book to the branch and we arranged a date for him to speak.  The next week, Tuesday, April 21st at 7:00 PM we are hosting Carl Allen who performs Woody Guthrie songs of the Depression era, as well as the song Roll On, Columbia – Washington’s State  Song.

Picking Plums

 

Don’t you love the way he gracefully picks the plums from the tree? The trick to growing a good Italian Plum tree is so simple. Plant one or find one where it happens to be, and when the season arrives, pick the fruit. The birds will eat a few, but happily, bugs don’t seem to like them very much. We have found that the fruit is most easily preserved by drying it. A simple commercial dryer works great. This year we are experimenting with putting sliced fruit in the greenhouse on a piece of screening. On a hot day, the temperature in the greenhouse gets up above 120 degrees. The texture of the finished dried fruit is nicer than in the electric dryer.  Later in the year I will use the fruit in fruitcakes and breads, or just as a snack with nuts. I’m interested in more ways to use it. Sometimes I wish I had a cook living with us so I could just grow the garden and fruit trees, harvest and preserve the produce  and someone else would make delicious meals or treats with it.  Anyone interested??

Pops said he knows just what it feels like to be pregnant when he wears the pickin basket.  I appreciate that he tries to imagine what it must feel like.

How to plant peas

I am behind in my gardening, but I just planted my snow peas, and am going to plant snap peas tonight, or tomorrow.  In pea planting, there is so much chance for success, that you can hardly go wrong.  Early in the spring find a spot that will get lots of sunshine.  You will either want to plant regular peas which have to be shelled, or you will choose edible pod peas which are either snow or snap. I choose the  edible peas, as I don’t have time usually to shell peas.  Soak your peas for an hour at least,  and up to a day in advance. Drain the water, and then coat the peas with inoculant.  It helps the peas to grow vigorously  and to capture the nitrogen from the soil. I usually buy legume inoculant from a garden store, or from wherever I have ordered my seeds from. Lately I have been buying from Johnny’s Seeds. Plant the coated seeds about 2 – 3 inches apart, beneath some sort of support. You can use fencing, or strings or anything the vines will be able to grow up.  The thing I like about peas is that they are full of good green veggie antioxidants, and are a good source of protein, and they can be raw or cooked. There are so many good ways to cook them.  Growing them also actually enriches your soil, and brings up more nitrogen, so it is good to move them to a new location from year to year.  Once they start to bear, pick consistently to keep the peas coming.  Snowpeas should be let to grow a little fatter to let the peas get plump inside. Snappeas should be picked as soon as they are about two inches long – their peas inside aren’t supposed to get big.  One year, I let the snowpeas get too big and the shells were tough, but we still ate them – after a fun little shucking session with Gpa and Uncle Johnny. Another hint – put relatives to work – they love it!

Everything you want to learn from Mom!!

Hi! This is Ruthie posting. I am starting a blog for Mom, because she is amazing, talented and very skilled. I’ve learned so much from her, but there are still so many things I still would like to learn more about with and from her. Here are a few: How to make bread, how to grow vegetables and herbs, how to can veggies and fruit, how to stay as healthy as she is, how to make a welcoming home, how to train a baby…. there is so much!!! Please post what you would like to learn from Mom, or what you have already learned!!!