My husband's handwriting

I find that when I have had a day with disappointments (like getting my car stuck in a snowdrift and needing to call a tow-truck to extricate my car because all of my usual 'tricks' did not work), the best way I have found to get myself out of that funk is to visit the blogs written by two friends right before I head to bed. Granted, I know that getting stuck in my own driveway at the farm was the best place to have that inconvenient event happen, but surprisingly it took the lustre off what was otherwise a great day. So after getting out, getting home, having dinner, and settling down, I finally am ending my day with a quick visit to Dandelion Haven where I enjoy viewing Kateri's beautiful photos, realizing after a minute or so that I recognize the handwriting on the garlic tags as that of my husband!

Yes, this is our garlic, in our barn that we built this summer just for drying and storing our garlic, and these are the tags my husband made to keep our 40 varieties separated, identified, and organized. What memories seeing those tags and that garlic brought back to me - all our work to start the farm and to repair our house at the farm, all of our successes, all that still needs to be done, but most of all, all our love of what we are doing together and all that went before (troubles, happiness, and successes) during our 38 years of marriage to finally allow us this wonderful opportunity, sense of purpose, and adventure together.

Followers of this blog have seen plenty of garlic photos, but I don't remember if I ever pointed out my husband's hand-writing. Normally, it is nearly unreadable to me, but seeing these tags so clearly written, speaking to their importance, gives me an enormous sense of gratitude and happiness and an overwhelming sense of wonder at all we have accomplished since purchasing this land and house in May 2009.

I intended to head to bed an hour ago in order to get up at a reasonable hour, shovel our snow at home, and get ready for friends coming over in the afternoon and then settle into watch the Super Bowl (Go Pack!). However, these photos just grabbed me and would not let me just jump into bed without sharing them along with my thoughts.

BTW, the other blog I love to visit at the end of a day when I need a lift is by my friend Elaine, a dietitian who takes stunningly beautiful photos of her garden and world around her, mostly from her balcony in Vancouver, BC. Check out Greens & Berries, clicking on Greens for Elaine's photos and Berries for her interesting nutrition information. 

Now I can put my head down with a smile, thinking of the great day I had as a whole, not just the maddening ending, running into our own snowbank in our own driveway at our farm (D'oh!).

Oops! First I need to get some beans soaking for the baked beans and kale recipe I am making for our Super Bowl dinner tomorrow. OK - now off to bed. May your team win tomorrow, but I have already told you that I am a life-long Packer fan, even living in Michigan. :-)

"Cultivate your life - you are what you grow - inch by inch, row by row"

Diana Dyer, MS, RD