An Introduction

This is my first attempt at creating a blog. I have a lot of things that I could blog about - there are lots of adjectives that define who I am. I am an older mother (became a mother at age 41). I am an adoptive mother. I am a working mother. I am a wife. I parent a child with special needs (my son has autism and celiac disease). I am a sister and an aunt. I used to also be a daughter and daughter in law. But what I want to blog about is my garden. It is the place where I can escape and not be any of those things.

It is still cold here in Minnesota and there is snow on the ground, but my thoughts are already turning to spring and to planting my garden. I grow vegetables in my garden and I garden organically. I also grow fruit which I turn into the most wonderful homemade jams and jellies. For me, the preserving of my harvest is part of the gardening experience.

I started seedling indoors under lights this past Sunday. I always start my plants on the weekend after St. Patty's Day. As the first green shoots appear, it is easy to picture the snow gone and the garden growing. The anticipation of the taste of the food is wonderful. According to the calendar Spring is here - but looking at the snow outside, it doesn't feel like it - starting plants help me connect to the feeling that spring is here.

I took pictures of the snow in my garden on Sunday as well as the seed pots in the basement. I hope to figure out how to post the pictures here and keep a record of how the plants and weather progress.