Sure enough...Murphy's Law

The day after I planted the peas...2 inches of snow, followed by more freezing rain. Should be all right...

I suppose gardening is the most optimistic activity, really, other than planting trees. I heard a woman on TV say that such-and-such an action had an effect for 100 years, and she wanted to continue it so it would go for another 100 years. And my only thought was, "The world won't be here in 100 years." I don't think we as a society have 20, much less 100. Even planting fruit trees is a stretch of the imagination that I can't quite pull off...but I can manage planting annual vegetables. That's about my speed right now. So I'll do that.

Freezing Rain and Tomato Seeds

Sure enough, the rain turned to freezing rain this week, transforming the trees into crystal windchimes. I suppose it's rough on the plants, but I find freezing rain so beautiful, and now that I'm off work, I don't have to commute in it, which makes it even more cozy. I love standing at the window watching the sunlight dance on the ice, a book and a hot cuppa being my only goals for the day. (Meanwhile my son's area has been without power and water for three days. We offered to let him stay at the church, but he's standing his ground. An opportunity to be creative and resourceful!)

While the weather outside is frightful, and today it sounds like the wind is trying to tear off the solar panels, indoors it's spring. I've started my tomato starts---optimistically---as well as a tray of marigolds. I tested some older seeds for germination and they all came up, 100%, which is stunning. And now I find I don't have the heart to kill them, but really, it's TOO early to be starting zucchini. But the plucky thing is three inches tall and scrambling toward the light, and I might have to let it just keep going. I could transplant it into bigger and bigger pots, I suppose...

Every year we grow a few things hydroponically indoors, trying various systems. Right now I have trays of spinach growing in the kitchen in net pots of clay pellets, just sitting in containers of nutrient solution. It works. But hubby wants to try buckets this year, with pumps and spray nozzles and aeroponics, so I've started the tomatoes and cucumbers to transfer into that. Maybe I could sneak the zucchini into that without him noticing...?

Finally, I tiptoed outside between downpours and moved some of the soil from a flowerbed we're removing (to improve drainage away from the house) to the garden. I let the squirrels play with the fresh earth for a few days to get it out of their systems and then planted sugar snap peas. I've sprinkled chili powder over the peas to keep the critters out, but the rain will soon wash that away. What I'd really like is a physical barrier, wire, to give the peas a fighting chance this year. Between the squirrels and the rabbits, I rarely get peas. But ultimately, the peas might play decoy to draw the animals away from the real prize, the green beans.

To Spring or Not to Spring

For a few days, it was t-shirt weather, the sun was bright, the sky was blue and cloudless. Then temperatures plunged again and it snowed. Yesterday was sunny but the wind was from the Arctic. Tiny snow pellets flicked my face as I walked the dog and eventually turned to rain. We will see what today brings.

I watch a lot of YouTube on gardening, and every spring there's a rush of videos telling me what to plant in March. I pull out my seed collection, sort and plot, ponder and plan, and go hopefully to my window. Still snow on the ground. Sigh. Put away the seeds for another few weeks. 

One year I did try the suggestions (for my hardiness zone) to plant peas and radishes, etc. in March. They didn't surface. I replanted in mid-May and then we were off to the races. One year my peas didn't surface until July.

This year I'm going to go back to my tried-and-true method of waiting to plant the cold-hardy crops until the maple trees blossom. The buds are swelling now, but we still have some time to wait. The warmth-loving plants go in when the peonies bloom. We may not be able to guess when the weather will warm, but the plants always know. I've learned to trust them.

Ping-Pong

First he says to beef up our borders,

then he says the border is arbitrary and should be ignored.

He says he wants our fresh water and rare earth minerals,

then he says we have nothing they want and they don't need us at all.

He says the tariffs are on

then on hold

then on

then on hold.

He says we're a nice country and would make a beautiful 51st state,

then he says we're nasty and terrible to deal with.

He boasts about the USMCA being the best agreement,

then breaks or ignores it and forgets he himself signed it.

He talked about relocating all the people in Gaza in order to build a resort,

then denied having ever said it.

He signs an Executive Order

then denies having done so, while looking right at his signature on it.

He backs PP,

then backpedals when PP plunges in the polls.

It's been a case of constant whiplash.

But I guess you can't expect anything else when you play with a yo-yo.

I don't even know what title to give this one

Strikes presumably against Houthi terrorists but directed at Yemen's capital city. Military action to keep an important waterway open and unrestricted. Today the Red Sea. Tomorrow...Panama? Essentially he's declaring war without Congress's say-so. Apparently that's okay if the target is deemed a terrorist...and it's hunky-dory to conduct military action in a foreign country without that country's knowledge, despite Mexico's President's objection...if we can trust headlines to be telling the truth, which is another issue. It's hard enough having such a mess going on in the world without knowing whether we have accurate facts or not. The most important resource we have right now is an independent and unbiased media that reports the unvarnished facts instead of opinion. Except I'm not convinced we have that right now. There's too much emotion and too much at stake.

Meanwhile, there's a map floating around showing my area of Canada being subsumed by the U.S. According to headlines (which I don't trust, see above note), there is a handful of Canadians who are in agreement with becoming the "51st" you-know-what. That sort of talk is seditious. Do they realize they're promoting overthrowing our government? Because that's what it comes down to. This isn't an opinion poll, a video game, a pick-your-own-ending book, or a reality show, folks, it's a real threat of war. If you like the U.S. that much and want to be American, then by all means immigrate down there, and I wish you well. But the rest of us don't want to go, and it's immoral to sell us out.

So, the dilemma: If southern Ontario is one of the targets, do I sell everything and flee northward to join the resistance fighters (and the mosquitoes)? Do I look into sending my children and grandchildren to New Zealand, which has the advantage of being Far Away? Do I stay put and stock up on weapons? I do know one thing, right down to my density-lost bones: rolling over and capitulating is not an option. I don't care how difficult it gets. If it's me and my pitchfork standing alone in the middle of the Bluewater Bridge, so be it. But I know I won't be alone, judging by the fury being expressed by my neighbours, conservatives and liberals alike.

True to Yourself

I have been gravitating lately to YouTube videos and books about finding your purpose in life, your "ikigai," and being true to your values. Partially this is because of my upcoming book, coming out in January 2026, on living simply by bringing your core values to the forefront and eliminating the things that don't correspond to those values. I think it's also partially due, though, to the times we live in. It's never been more important to understand what matters most and to stand up and speak up for those things. 

There are times I feel peaceful and contented with the path my life has taken. There are other times I feel like I've wandered away from who I truly am -- a child of the soil, the person who used to paddle in creeks and scramble through forested hillsides and ride horses bareback and laze in hammocks under the sky. The person who came home from a walk with a field mouse in a Dixie cup, the kid who begged off school to stay home and nurse an ailing rabbit. I look around at my suburban 3-bedroom home with my electric bread machine and my air fryer and wonder how I got here, when clearly I should have ended up in a cabin in the woods like Grizzly Adams. Why do I spend my days on a laptop when what I really want is to be elbows-deep in dirt, encouraging plants to grow? 

How do I seek out that more authentic life, though, when my suburban house is full of 5-7 other people at any given time? I have to find the balance between accommodating their needs and nourishing my own. I do the best I can on the scale I've been given, but there are days---usually after watching too much news---when I want to rethink every decision I've ever made and every path I've ever chosen. There's a sense of time running out, and that Mary Oliver poem keeps running through my head. This really is the one and only wild and precious life I've got, and here I am, mphymphy years old and wondering how much time I realistically have left to realize my purpose. Because I truly feel driven to make my life purpose all about food security and growing things. I picture myself in a small, simple, manageable house with room for my books and my handicrafts and my loom (a proper serviceable one again, not the dinky one I have now), with wood stove and garden and well and woodlot. What more do I need?

Well, the 5-7 other people in the house, for one thing. Hence the life choices. Hence the path I've taken. But there must be a way to meld the vision with the reality. The persistence of that vision tells me it's the right one for me.

Me, growing sorghum in the backyard (you do what you gotta do):

(and one mammoth Mongolian sunflower)

That about sums it up

My husband says if it's really going down and society is collapsing this fast, we are going off our diet.

Getting the words right

I think the word "annex" is very tame, as if one thing is appended quietly to another. A more appropriate word is "conquer" or "seize" or "coerce." We're not "joining." We're being attacked. The media need to use the right word.

Too good not to share

Seen on facebook today.

A Winter Retreat

I'm hunkering down for a writing retreat at the property we own in southwestern Ontario. Three weeks of walking along the lake, cooking simple meals, and daydreaming on paper. Outside there's been a mix of freezing rain and snow, but inside it's all fuzzy blankets and hot soup. Lovely! (Though I don't want to know what the propane bill is going to be.) I have an electric heater that looks like a fake woodstove to warm my legs as I sit at my desk, and the dog is curled at my feet, giving the occasional sigh because he's a bit bored, but we'll play ball in the rec room shortly.

I usually start my day with the same routine: scripture reading, check emails, check Facebook, muse over real estate ads from time to time, and then check headlines on Youtube. Maybe some Avi Kaplan music or a Qi Gong video to start my day before I get to work. The last few days, when I check in on Facebook, I stumble across the same individual, who apparently has a friend in common with me and therefore pops up in my face all the time. This person never has a single positive thing to say, but seems to feel it's his mission to tear down and argue and slap people who are trying to put out cheerful or meaningful content. Truthful and well-intentioned content. I gather he's a pretty grumpy person by nature, but current events have really brought out his bad side. Usually I ignore such people, but the last couple of days I've felt the need to counter his posts, to stand up for truth and goodness, and to, in short, push back. I try to keep it polite and honest, but it's a fine line to walk between standing up for truth and getting defensive. I don't think my replies will change a thing in his thinking, but sometimes you have to defend the light. If I remain silent, I'm complicit in his nastiness. How often did people in 1940 Austria look back and think, "I should have said something."?

It's much easier to retreat into my fuzzy blanket and ignore what's going on. I'd rather do that than get embroiled in conflict (and I do try to dispel conflict and tension when it arises. There's a way to stand up without stomping on other people). My natural tendency is to let people be people and keep to myself. But the time for keeping quiet might be over. If we don't stand up for the light, darkness could overwhelm it.

Sign the Pledge, Stand Up for Canada

MP Charlie Angus is circulating a pledge for Canadians to affirm their support of basic core values. Please read and consider signing.

Pledge for Canada | Engagement pour le Canada

Homemade Bread for a Winter's Day

It's been really cold and windy the last few days, the snow sweeping down the road before the wind like a scene out of the Arctic. The perfect day for a good, rich soup and homemade bread.

In a large bowl, put 2 cups of really hot water, 1 T. yeast (not the instant kind), and 1 T. sugar. Let it foam up for a few minutes. Stir/knead in 2 t. salt and 4 c. white flour. It will be a really wet, sticky dough. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let sit for an hour. Oil a cookie sheet with olive oil really well and then pour/scrape the dough into the sheet. Oil your hands so the dough doesn't stick to you and spread the dough out on the sheet with your fingertips, kind of like making a pizza, but thicker. Make sure the surface is lightly oiled with the olive oil. Dust with a mix of your favourite herbs. I like rosemary, sage, garlic powder, parsley, and a little salt. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes until golden. Remove from the sheet before it cools and finish cooling on a rack, or it may stick to your pan. Cut into wedges.

Here's one with some caramalized onions baked in...

To My Grandchildren and Yours

 

To My Grandchildren and Yours

 

World Central Kitchen, nourishing with more than food,

has created safe spaces for children---

with crayon-coloured picket fences,

perimeter of painted blue sky---

a bright border to block out the ravaged gray beyond it.

If I could wield a big enough brush,

I’d paint you a sky and sun big enough

to block out the whole world.

- K

Today We Have Naming of Parts

I've made the decision that from henceforth, the moon shall be called Fred. Tahiti will be renamed Sandy. The Arctic will be called McGillicuddy. And Washington D.C. will be called Pennyforyourthoughts. Please see to it that you all adjust your maps and atlases accordingly.

Thank you to Henry Reed for the title.

Reminder about church renovations blog

I have found that a lot of people who read this blog aren't aware of my other blog about the renovations we're doing to an old church in southwestern Ontario. In case you're interested in following along on that journey, you can find it here:

In general, I don't post the same things on both blogs, but today is an exception, as we go into a new year.

https://buyingachurch.blogspot.com/

Snow! And Courage in the Face of Challenges. And How Not to Let Failure Stop You.

Yesterday was relatively mild and clear, so the hubby and I took a walk around Rattray Marsh for an hour, breathing in the chilly air and gazing "out to sea" over Lake Ontario and greeting everyone's dogs as they passed. I'm glad we got that last walk in, because this morning it's snowing horizontally, big fluffy flakes, with no sign of letting up. The delicious feeling of knowing you have nowhere you have to go and nothing you have to do. I'll likely spend today writing and playing mah jhong.

This morning I watched two YouTube videos made by courageous women that I think were a good, strong way to start off the new year, and I thought I'd share them here. My newly-met friend Erin Pocock talks about trying new, hard things and letting failure strengthen you. Beautiful Unschool Life And PoliticsGirl talks about keeping hold of who you are and what you believe in when facing challenges. PoliticsGirl

I think we'll need both of these concepts in 2025. It's going to be a hard year for a lot of people, we're going to be asked to do hard things we may not know how to do yet, and we'll need to cling to our values and our supportive community to get through it. We'll also need to believe in ourselves and our ability to do impossible things.