Weeding Garlic




Yesterday I spent some time out at Meadow Rock Farm weeding garlic.  Susan, who lost her husband only a short while ago, is hard at work keeping the CSA running on her own.  Her aunt and uncle and their honey-colored bassett hound were there hooking up some truck-based watering systems, washing out bins, and just generally helping out.  I did not get to stay for hot meatloaf sandwiches, which is sad since it sounded better than sitting in the bleachers watching a soccer game with a lot of suburban live-through-your-kids types.   I'll be going back soon -- I have more garlic to untangle.

My weeding skills are a little rusty -- especially when you're facing a plot that's had some heavy growth.  Thistle and dandelions, I was prepared for.  But wild geranium plants with carrot-like root structures were driving me crazy, especially since they like to grow right up against the garlic root bulbs.    I wish I could run back up there today and do the other two thirds of the plot.   But I'm supposed to be writing the book and indeed, my writing skills -- at least this kind -- are as rusty as my weeding.    Needless to say, here I am writing something that takes a lot less hovering and fussing.  I just wanted to get this out on paper to prove that I could and to possibly see if this voice could travel back over to the other page.  In the book manuscript, started to write a sentence that said "people crossed over a threshold into our lives" and I thought, is that sociological? academic? too bloggy?  My blog and other writing reads a lot more "academic-y" than it should anyway.    Point is, I want to just take this voice, the good weeding skills that came back after an hour, and bring it off the posting and onto a piece of paper. 

Wish me luck.


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