A Story - "Comfort Food" and Lights like a Winter Garden

A Story

Comfort Food

Shelly packed her sports bag with her clothes and taped up her memory box. Her mother had already filled some boxes with their other possessions. They travelled light. It was too much work to deal with more than the essentials.

Later that afternoon, they stepped into their new apartment.  Hardly new, though.  The floor was cracked, scratched parquet. The kitchen cupboards were flimsy cheap wood with crooked hinges. In the bathroom, the bath was pink but the toilet was white, the sink cream coloured.  Shelly would be sharing the bedroom with her mom. Two single beds filled the space with barely room for the rack they hung their clothes on.

At school the next day, Shelly tried to blend into her desk, but at the first lunch hour one of the girls, who had a gaggle of friends around her, came up to her and laughed at her cheap clothes and well-worn lunch bag. It was going to be a miserable year just like the one before.

On her way home from school, she stopped at the corner store and bought a couple of chocolate bars and a bag of barbecue chips. That was all she could afford.

Curled up on her bed waiting for her mother to come home from work, Shelly slowly ate her chocolate bars, savouring the sweetness and the smoothness as they melted in her mouth. A feeling of warmth crept over her like a hug. She licked her fingers and popped open the bag of chips. Salty and spicy the chips crunched as she bit into them. She crushed them like she wanted to crush the bully girls at school.

After she finished the chips, she flattened out the chocolate bar wrappers and the chip bag and put them at the bottom of her memory box. Letters from her best friends.

The sparkling lights of the town across the bay are like flowers in a winter garden.  They are cheerful to see in the dark winter months.

 

 

A Story - "Prepared" and Perennials for Alkaline Soil - Phlox, Yarrow, Centaurea, Asters , Dianthus, Lilac

 A Story

Prepared

It all started with the Covid pandemic. Dan didn't just go down a rabbit hole.  He went down a mineshaft. The world became a scary, unpredictable place to him. The Youtubers that attracted him fueled his anxiety. Soon he was stocking up on food to feed them for five years.  He took most of his money out of the bank, just leaving enough to pay the regular bills.  After much nail-biting research, he decided to buy silver rather than gold. He built a secret storage space in the basement with a bookcase in front to disguise it and stored the silver in it.  His fear of dangerous substances in food made eating precarious and he began to lose significant weight.

His wife, Gloria, who didn't share his world view, felt him drifting away into his delusional world. He got angry when she questioned his decisions and finally she gave up trying to reason with him. He was sure something awful was about to happen.

Turns out Dan was right. One day when he was out buying more supplies, Gloria raided his silver cache and disappeared, ready to start a new life.

I am thinking about my new garden.  My old garden had clay soil on the acidic side which was good for lots of plants.  However, I didn't have many full sun locations.  In my new home, I will have lots of sun but the soil is on a limestone base so it will be alkali. I had originally wanted some roses but they like rich acidic soil which is not  what I have here.  However, phlox should grow here so I will get a couple of them in the spring.

Yarrow will be perfectly happy in the poorer soil. It will be less likely to flop over because the garden will be in full sun and the soil is light so it will be on the dry side.

I ordered a couple of asters - one purple, one magenta.  They are very tough and are great pollinators late in the season.

Centaurea prefers alkaline soil and full sun so I'm hoping for a good show with that. Easy to grow and a hardy perennial.

Also on my list is dianthus. I ordered a short bushy type and I plan on starting some carnations. I gave up trying to grow dianthus at my old garden but perhaps they will do well here. I really like the cinnamon scent of carnations.

Lilacs do well almost anywhere that's sunny and where the soil isn't too rich. They prefer alkaline soil over acidic, but they can grow in either.  I already have a couple of nice bushes  on this property and judging by the dried seed pods, the bushes  bloomed well last year.  

It will be an adventure to begin a new garden. 

A Story - "Body Breakdown" and Growing Onions

A Story

Body Breakdown

Sitting on the couch at 2 am, Penny tried to remember how to activate her leg muscles to stand up.  Her sore wrists, hands, shoulders, hips and back had kept her awake and she wanted to get up and pace the floor to ease the stiffness and pain.  Marshalling her brain, she gritted her teeth, pushed on the arm of the couch and staggered to her feet.  She shuffled forward, walking slowly up and down the length of the living room.

The suddenness of her new incapacity had been startling.  Almost overnight she had gone from being strong and active to being stiff, sore and weak.  Polymyalgia rheumatica, the doctor diagnosed.

Thankfully, medication brought the storm under control.  Hope and relief came flooding back.

For my zone 4 garden, I need to start my onions in February.  In my region in Ontario, it's important to buy long day onion seeds.  I have an inexpensive grow light that I can put the seedlings under to help them get through the dull winter days.  Even still, they are floppy.  It won't matter though and once in the garden they will straighten up.  They will be planted outside in early May.  By the end of July, they will be ready to harvest. Last year I planted some yellow onions and some red onions.  Both varieties kept well and I still have one red onion left that's in good shape. I just stored them in paper bags in the dark at cool room temperature. I have about forty seedlings in these pots and that will do me until this time next year.

A Story - "Drone Flight" and Minnie Pearl Phlox, Evening Primrose, Wild Daisy, Mauve Clematis

A Story

Flying over the Icelandic moonscape, the drone smoothly closed in on the volcano.  At a safe distance, the operator took zoom photos of the lava flows, the crater.  Toxic gases drifted erratically threatening the lungs of the oblivious tourists lounging in the mineral waters of the Blue Lagoon a few miles away.  South of the volcano, Grindavik valiantly tried to hold the lava back with huge earth berms but, in a couple of spots, the black lava dripped ominously over the walls.

The drone's battery became low.  The operator regretfully terminated the dramatic flight over Iceland from his Colorado office.

Minnie Pearl phlox is an early blooming, shorter phlox. It helps to bridge the gap between spring and summer flowers blooming in the middle of June. It's not always easy to find but it is hardy and super reliable.

These evening primrose were initially given to me about forty years ago.  I have divided it and moved it around and enjoyed it every June.  It is somewhat aggressive so it needs to be planted where it can be managed with other strong growers.  If it's planted at the edge of the garden, the lawn mower can keep it in check. In the fall, the leaves turn a lovely dark red. It blooms best in full sun but will still give you plenty of colour in a shadier location.

The native daisies are so pretty I let a patch grow in our back lawn.

Here is a pale purple clematis I've had for several years.  Clematis like to have cool roots but sun for the top growth so you can either mulch the roots with hard scaping (rocks, patio stones, etc.) or put down wood chips.  Another way to keep the roots cool is to plant low growing, shallow rooted plants near it. I have pulmonaria near this one.

There is a lot of hoopla about how to prune clematis.  In my zone 4 garden all the clematis that survive the winter bloom on new growth.  I am very haphazard about pruning them and find they grow well no matter what I do. A little bit of slow release fertilizer in the spring will give them the nourishment they need for the season.

A Story: "Splash" and Air Plant Blooming

A Story

Splash

Beaming through bright blue sky patches, sunlight glittered on rain-washed scenery.  Olivia's mood was in sync with the weather.  She slipped on her low-cut rubber boots and danced outside.  Stretching up her arms, she pictured herself as Maria in the Alps.

"The hills are alive," she sang heartily, twirling her way across the lawn.  She closed her eyes, swept away with euphoria.  Then in slow motion time, her foot slipped, her body swirled and gently, incredibly, she splashed face down in a puddle.

Sitting up, she burst into a riot of laughter.  She wasn't Maria; she was Charlie Chaplin.

This air plant is blooming.  Air plants are amazing as they live with no soil.  I soak mine every week in rainwater for a few hours. When I take it out of the water, I turn it upside down and give it a shake to get excess water away from the base of the plant.  Then I put it back in its crocheted pot.  I have the plant in a south facing window but that window is shaded in the summer by the roof overhang so the light is bright but not scorching hot.                                

Once in a while, I will add a little liquid fertilizer to the water.  

I like the sculptural shape of the plant.  The two sections that bloomed other years stay green but do not grow anymore.  After this section finishes blooming in a couple of weeks, the plant will start to make another offshoot.

A close up of a bloom.  Each reddish point will send out a bloom. Funny looking flower that doesn't seem to match the red of the bud.  Each flower only lasts a couple of days.  This plant is about 7" tall.

 

A Story - "Lake Swim" and Cabbage Beef Soup

A Story

Lake Swim

Savannah was delighted at the sight of the lake.  After easing herself down the ancient rock that hugged the lakeshore, she pushed off into the spring-fed water.  She gasped with the cold jolt but it helped her to refocus.  Quiet breast strokes sent her gliding over the pristine surface.  Floating effortlessly on her back, she soaked up the unlimited blue of the sky.  Slowly she let her legs sink, treading water in a circle of stillness.  Her mind serene, shivers finally sent her on shore.

Suddenly she shrieked in alarm.  A blood-sucking leech was stuck on her leg.

Winter isn't over yet for us here in Ontario so it's still soup season.                                                              

Cabbage Beef Soup

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cups cabbage, chopped

1 large carrot, diced

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 medium potato, finely chopped

1 apple (I used McIntosh), finely chopped

1/2 cup sweet pepper ( yellow, red or orange) chopped

1 cup cooked ground beef

1 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. salt or to taste

5-6 cups water

Saute onion in butter or oil.

Add the rest of the ingredients including the water and simmer for 45 min to 1 hour.

Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

 

A Story- "Once Upon A Time" and Crocuses

A Story

Once Upon A Time

Once upon a time there was a little girl.  At bedtime, she always read her story books.

As the years went by, the sunshine of wonderful people and animals nurtured her.  Growing-green challenges and red-fired adventures added interest to her life.  There were dark purple times, too, sad and difficult.  This life was like stained glass, and reading was the lead between the pieces.

When she was old, she started to write a story a stained-glass window made from the rich, bright, dramatic colours of her life.  Books she read were the lead between the panes.  Once upon a time.

My crocuses are not up yet but it is nice to see a picture of them in anticipation.  Over the years, chipmunks have reduced the number of crocuses I have in the garden but there are still some that they miss. 

A Story -"The Boring Conversationalist" and Bougainvillae

A Story

The Boring Conversationalist

Barbara felt lonely a lot of the time.  She knew she should get out more but it was challenging facing people.  She felt self-conscious because she was such a boring conversationalist.  She didn't have much energy because of her chronic condition; her brain brain fog made remembering things difficult.  If someone asked about her week, she usually drew a blank.  Later she would think:  I showered, I did laundry.  How pathetic is that.

One day a widow called, wanting to discuss some problems.  After their conversation, she thanked Barbara.

"You're such a good listener.  I feel so much better."

The Bougainvillae is blooming again.  Not as well as other years. I need to repot it and give it more fertilizer.   It has another bunch of blooms higher up but it is definitely looking scragglier this year.  I was looking online to see where you can buy bougainvillae plants.  Home depot lists them but not available right now.  Pick Ontario, an umbrella site for Ontario growers, says they become available in March which makes sense because that's when they are blooming.  You probably won't see them with the spring plants at garden centres because by then they have stopped blooming.  It doesn't have the prettiest plant habit because it is actually a tall shrub but the bright flowers are a welcome sight in February.

 

A Story -"Indolent" and Easy Orange Chicken with Pecans

A Story:

Indolent

"Indolent!" his wife exclaimed.  "How does that word in any way apply to me?"

He looked at her slim body toned by regular trips to the gym, her stylishly cut hair and her tailored suit perfect for her position as partner in a progressive law firm.

"Definition of indolent: lazy, careless, slow-moving.  That is so not me."

"He didn't mean it as an insult."

"Well, it sure felt like one."

Her husband tried to look supportive but found it hard to dampen his smile.

"The doctor was just describing your cancerous thyroid tumour.  Be glad it's not ambitious."

 

Easy Orange Chicken with Pecans

1 cooked chicken breast cut into chunks

1 chopped onion

1 cup orange juice

2 tbsp molasses stirred into 1/2 cup warm water

1 tsp ground ginger

 

1/2 tsp black pepper

2- 3 tbsp chopped pecans

Saute the chopped onion in butter or oil.

Add the orange juice, molasses with water, ginger and pepper.  Salt to taste.

Add the chicken chunks and simmer together for about 30 minutes to allow the chicken to absorb the flavours.

Serve with rice and top with some chopped pecans. 

This makes two medium size servings.

A Story - "Election Game" and mini African Violet

A Story:

Election Game

The spectators wiggle impatiently in their seats.  Finally, the incumbent makes his first dramatic serve.  The opposition zings it into the far corner out of reach.  Fired up with moral outrage, the incumbent slams an ace.  In a new volley, the opposition suddenly lobs a short ball and the incumbent falls trying to catch it.  The pace of the game picks up.  Blasting forehands and fiery backhands send the ball criss-crossing, zig-zagging over the court.  The spectators have difficulty following the play.

At last on Election Day, the winner is announced.  

The spectators are already restless anticipating the next game.

I bought this little African violet on impulse at Walmart the other day. I've never seen such a small one in bloom.  Must be some special potion they give them at the greenhouse. 

The pot, which is only 3" at its widest at the middle, is very clever.  The top pops off the bottom half so that you can water from below.  Lots of good drainage holes. At a quick glance when the pot is together it looks like it is ceramic.  I like this little plant because it can sit comfortably on the windowsill.  Right now the sun is a bit too bright (I think some leaves got a bit of sunburn because I left it on the windowsill) but it will work well later in the season when the trees leaf out and block some of the sun.

African violets do not like to sit in water.  You can wait until they wilt a little and then give them some water.  Fertilize monthly when they are blooming. Bright light is good but not direct sun.  They do fabulously under grow lights.

A Story: "Adventure" - and Barley Carrot Soup

A Story

Adventure

Mary had discussed at length her possible adventure with her friends. It was all a bit confusing.

"We'll describe it as though it was the weather," said her friends.

"Lots of sunny days.  Balmy and warm," Gloria smiled dreamily.

"Oh, the hurricane was terrible! I was buffeted from all sides," quavered Cheryl.

"The rain just soaked down in dreary misery, day after day," sighed Donna.

"The breeze was so fresh and energizing. I've never felt so alive," enthused Moira.

"But how would I experience it?" Mary worried.

Only one way to find out.

Nine months later everything changed.
 

Barley Carrot Soup

This is a vegetable soup but you could add meat to it if you wanted.

Saute 1 chopped onion in oil or butter

Add 1 1/2 cups rinsed barley.  Cover with 2" of liquid, either broth or water.

Add 1 1/2 cup coarsely chopped carrot

Add 1/2 cup chopped celery

Add 1 tbsp chopped parsley, dried or 3 tbsp fresh

Season with black pepper and salt.

Simmer for about 30 minutes.  

Add 1/2 cup chopped green or yellow beans - frozen work well.

Simmer another 5 min. or so.

Serve with some parsley garnish.

A Story - "Waves" - Spiced Carrot Sweet Potato Soup , dried Parsley

 A Story:

Waves

Life was so grey.  Work so dull.

Alicia hoped a Maine seaside holiday would recharge her.  Today the ocean, at high tide, was calm, and the hot sand had warmed the water enough to make it swimmable.  She swam lazily, the gentle waves rocking her, the saltwater buoying her.  But she didn't want to be lulled, she wanted excitement.

A plastic bottle, something inside, slowly drifted near her.  Curious she grabbed it and swam to shore.  She extracted a note: "The waves will find you, my special love.  Call:  Liam, 222-333-444

Alicia gasped and whipped out her phone.

Spiced Carrot Sweet Potato Soup

1/2 medium onion, chopped

3 medium large carrots

1 sweet potato

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese

Saute the chopped onion in oil or butter.

Add 3 cups water, carrots (peeled and diced), and sweet potato ( peeled and diced)

Simmer until the carrots and sweet potato are soft - about 20 min.

Add the ginger and cinnamon, salt and pepper, and simmer for another 10 min.

Blend with a hand blender or mash with a potato masher.

Ladle into bowl and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

This soup is creamy and smooth and taste a lot like pumpkin pie.

I like to dry my parsley in the refrigerator.  After rinsing it, I place it in a paper lunch bag or, in this case, some paper towel.  The parsley keeps its dark green colour while it dries. I find if I try to dry parsley just by hanging it in the air, it gets yellow.  In the fridge, it will take the parsley a couple of weeks to be fully dry. When I use a paper bag, I make sure that I don't overfill it. If I have lots of parsley, I use multiple bags.

A story - "Special Talents" - and Cabbage Salad and Freezing Celery

 A story:

Special Talents

It was a casual invitation but Lisa felt like making a special effort.  She put on her outfit:  grey dress pants, lavender cashmere sweater, pearl earrings.

"Not too shabby," she complimented herself.  Her children were impressed.

Six other moms came with their children for the gab fest with finger foods.  Lisa smugly surveyed the other moms: yoga pants, baggy tops, hair roots showing.

Suddenly a friend's son tugged on Lisa's arm.  "Come."  Intrigued, she followed him.

Soon she had worked her magic.  The boy grinned enthusiastically at her and exclaimed, "I knew you could unblock the toilet."

We had an inch of snow on the ground this morning. I thought a colourful salad would be nice to brighten up the day.  Here's more or less what I put in it.

               1 cup chopped red cabbage

               3/4 cup chopped celery

               1 chopped apple -  I used a MacIntosh

               1/4 cup pecan halves

                2 very small carrots - 1 yellow, 1 orange

                Mayonnaise to desired taste - about 2 tbsp.

                You could also add some yellow and red peppers, some onion, sunflower seeds.

                I should have garnished it with some parsley but I forgot.

Even though we had snow, we did not get frost.  Sometimes when the temperature is right around 0C, that happens.  Anyway, I pulled  the last of the celery out of the garden.  That really is the end of the garden.  I kept some fresh in the fridge but blanched (about 3 min) and froze the rest.  When I have chunks of vegetables like this celery or diced peppers, I put them in a large freezer bag and spread them out flat.  Then I carefully place the bag flat in the freezer so the vegetables freeze in a single layer.  When I want to use some, I can easily break off what I need.  You can, of course, freeze vegetables on a cookie sheet and then put them in a bag.  

The snow is pretty well gone. It was just a warning :)

Story: : "Entwined" and Butternut Squash

 Another story.

Entwined

The French fry bounced on the cold pavement.  On springy yellow feet, the seagull jabbed, drew back, swallowed.  He caught my eye but I turned away.  My heart was still thumping.  No more job.  Who was I?

He squawked as a heavy raindrop plopped on his grey back. I threw another fry.

Soon a rival came, then another.  Fries, more fries.  Scattered left, strewn right.  Finally, no more.  The challengers flew away.  He stayed.  We stared at each other; our needs entwined together.

"Thank you," he seemed to  say.

It felt good to feel needed.

This year is the first year I have grown butternut squash.  I didn't think I had enough sun to successfully grow them but I had some very healthy seedlings pop up in the compost and I couldn't resist transplanting a couple of them and see if they would produce fruit. I planted them in large pots by a trellis. I think the trellis was key to getting them enough sun.  They have looked ripe for several weeks but I read online that you need to wait until the stem goes brown for them to be mature.  I think they are finally ready.

Butternut squash is probably my favourite squash.  It has great flavour and the skin isn't too hard.  I can easily cut them into chunks and bake them in the oven, or if I am in a hurry, I microwave them. At this time of year, I like to make squash soup.  I saute some onion, add my cooked squash, enough water to make the consistency I want and simmer for half and hour or so. I flavour it with chopped parsley, marjoram, salt and pepper.  Just before serving, I add some milk and keep it on the stove until it is well heated but not boiling.

The beauty of soup is that recipes are flexible.  For squash soup, I might also add some carrot, or ginger, or even some red or yellow peppers. It's all about tasting as you cook and using the taste to determine how you will adjust your seasonings.

A Story. "Faulty Connections" and Jewelweed

 Here is another story:

Faulty Connections

Bill wasn't looking forward to his doctor's appointment, but he felt he had to share the concerns he and his wife had about his memory, his problem solving, his word finding and understanding.

"I'm having trouble with my memory," he began.

"Just normal aging, but I'll give you a short assessment."

Ten minutes later, Bill had drawn a clock, identified a camel, recited three numbers backwards, remembered five words, and completed other similar tasks.

"Perfect score, Bill."

He left the office relieved, no dementia.  Driving home, he mistakenly pressed the accelerator at the stop sign and crashed into a car.

Jewelweed is not a terribly common weed in our area but it really likes the damper areas of our property. It has juicy stems like an impatiens and grows 5-6' tall.  It's an annual but it scatters its seeds by popping its ripe seed pods which flings the seeds a fair distance.  The plants are easy to pull out as they are very shallow rooted.  It is a bit of a nuisance in the gardens but it is much better than stinging nettle which also grows here and there.  The flowers are small - less than an inch- but they are interesting if you stop and have a good look at them.

A Story "Family" - and some red flowers

 Here is the second part of the story "Baby Plans".

Family

Laughing, panting, David called a stop to the soccer scrimmage with his stepson, Ben.

"Time for ice cream," Ben grinned.

"You betcha, kiddo," David returned with a big puff.

David slung his arm around Ben's shoulder as they headed for the house.  Jessica watched them from the kitchen, her heart singing as it always did when those two were together.  David couldn't have a biological child of his own, but he loved and cherished Ben as his son.

Jessica and David had debts; they rented their house; they weren't promoted.

All they had was treasure:  family and love.

This is a miniature rose.  The flower is a bit more than an inch across. I bought this at the grocery store last winter and it's doing well on the deck.  It has collected rainwater in the centre.

Flowers come in so many different shapes and sizes.  Here is some beebalm looking like it's having a bad hair day.

This dahlia is so neat and tidy.  Dramatic in its very structured way.

Probably my favourite daylily.  The lime green centre is such a good contrast to the rich red petals.

I like the glossy green leaves of this begonia. Very bright and cheerful.

Happy gardening.

Dreams - Flash Fiction

Dreams

 "I keep having dreams of flying. Soaring on the updrafts and gently floating down as the breeze wanes.

 

But alas, at daylight it is back to work in my striped suit. Grinding, plodding through my days,  until evening when I fall asleep, dreaming of wings and freedom.

 

Today is particularly constrained.  Perhaps I will take a few days off work.

 

The dream tonight is especially vivid.  When I wake up, I stretch and breathe deeply. I feel peculiar, my back is prickly. Astounded but delighted, I gradually realize the change. Joyfully, I spread my gorgeous orange and black wings. "

Prose Poem Story

 In this time of lockdown, I am trying to keep busy with some things I can do at home. Recently I have been working on some short fiction. There are a number of sites that publish very short fiction but the one I have settled on for now is Friday Flash Fiction based in Edinburgh. It takes stories of 75-100 words. It does have a category for stories up to 500 words and for poems but I am concentrating on the 100 words stories. It's bit like writing poetry hence the title for this post. I am aiming for one a week as they publish every Friday. Here is one I submitted a little while ago.

"Country Living

Here was John’s chance to get out of the city. His boss was making distance work permanent.

 

John’s budget was limited but the small town had very affordable housing prices. He bought a quaint older house and moved in.

 

All summer he fished in the nearby crystal clear lake. At night, the stars were spectacular. Every day he heard beautiful new bird songs. He even once saw a bear. He made new friends and hosted relaxing beer-infused barbecues. It was fantastic.

 

On October  15^th winter began with ten inches of snow. John sold his house on November  30^th."

I had commenters from Australia who totally didn't get it but I think anyone from a northern clime will have met a John or two.

I hope you are finding ways to keep busy at home.  

Keep well.

Friday Flash Fiction Christmas Contest

This photo of a heucherella has nothing to do with today's topic. It's just a bit of greenery to remind us all the spring is not so far away.

The topic for this post is the Friday Flash Fiction Christmas Contest which runs from December 1st to December 18th. "What is this?" you ask.  This contest is for 100 word stories. Yup, a story in 100 words.  It's actually really fun to try to write one of these ultra short stories. Check out the Friday Flash Fiction website, and you will see a really wide variety of topics and styles. If the dull December days are getting you down, I challenge you to write a story. For the contest, you are allowed to submit three stories.

After the contest, I may post mine here.

Keep well and start planning your garden!

Flash Fiction

I just had a short flash fiction piece published at 101words.org. It's titled Gone Again and it appears as the November 10, 2018 entry. I hope you go to their site and read it. I've been reading the other posts. Some of them are funny, some sad, some sci-fi, some dark, some light but they all give you a little window into someone's life. Maybe you will be inspired to write some yourself :)