Organic Gardening: B & B Style

So many of you may remember just how into organic gardening I was while living in Israel. My love for gardening has certainly not died over the past couple of years, rather it has heightened and I often find myself in the mood to garden, whether it is with flowers or vegetables. This spring, my friend B and I decided to create an above ground vegetable garden. We looked all over Newton and Boston for farms that were selling seeds, bulbs, and starter plants. The things we ended up planting were:

strawberries

bell peppers

watermelons

eggplant

cucumbers

tomatoes

lettuce

beans

squash

On Memorial Day we had a party, but beforehand we built this fantastic above ground garden that i will attach photos of below. We weren't sure how long it would take for our plants to blossom, but...

This month is when most of our crop blossomed into delicious vegetables. We have yielded a dozen massive Big Boy tomatoes as well as cucumbers, a couple of bell peppers, some eggplant, a couple of bean pods, a squash, and a mini watermelon. Below is a picture of the things we picked the other day. I am going to make a tomato sauce this week with the remaining tomatoes, which are so tasty.

Some Days Are Harder Than Others

"Today is one of those days", I thought to myself as i pushed open the doors and walked through them, feeling the cold air hit my face hard. I forced my feet to carry me a few steps further. The solace of the cool, dark room washed over me as soon as i stepped over the threshold. I pulled off my hoodie, well aware that it is far too hot outside to have it on in the first place. It envelopes me, though, and i love feeling like i have a little extra protection from the world. I unfolded my mat silently and slid down onto it. The texture of it felt cool and soothing against my warm skin. Even though i know i am surrounded by several others, i feel completely alone; eyes closed, hands in prayer position directly in front of my aching heart, forehead bowed down onto my fingertips. I say a silent prayer, thanking the universe that the room is dark, because as i maneuver around, finally folding myself into child's pose, i feel hot tears stinging my cheeks.

The numbness that comes and goes with varied frequency has worn off and the pain crept back into my heart, causing me to choke on my own breath. The realization floods through me, as though the noise of the world had been keeping it at bay and only now, now in the silence, does it come hurdling at me. It has managed to find a hole in that big, thick wall i've been building. "I will have to rebuild it", I chide myself, a little disappointed. I unfold into plank, and then down dog. My joints feel tight and they protest angrily as i move from one position into the next, barely noticing the discomfort evident in the other practitioners: Lunge, Triangle, Lunge, High Plank... again. I'm aware that i've been closing my eyes, which is not helping my balance. So i open them, and realize once again that i'm not alone. I look around and realize I don't know anyone's name. I feel a little lonely and barely feel as though i'm on the same plane as these other people. I can barely see them with this fog in my eyes, something i have gotten a little used to. I feel a familiar thick cloud settling over me, like a shroud. As i sit, positioned in half lotus, i don't resist. I let it settle and hug me tight. I haven't the energy to shed it, so i let it stay and as i walk out of the room at the end of class, the numbness returns and i forget the shroud altogether...

Hammocking In The Summer

I open my eyes to the sky and smile as the trees above me sway smoothly in the breeze. The sky beyond them is the clearest of blue skies. Cloudless, devoid of blemish. I shift easily as i feel the braids of the hammock adjusting themselves beneath my body. The breeze throws the clean scent of fresh cut grass across my nose. Delicious, and yet another scent swirls around with it. I can't quite get enough of a whiff to be certain of what it is. Perhaps cologne or shampoo. I lift up my head to look around, only to realize that i am nestled into another warm body. Eyes still closed, his warm lips search lazily for mine. A sleepy smile spreads across his face and his hand comes up to brush a strand of hair out of my eyes. I close them once more and fantasies of a beautiful life play through my mind.

His soft voice interrupts my beautiful dreams. Once more i am paralyzed with panic. I know our days together are numbered and that one of us must make a choice. Compromise or move on. Our life together wouldn't be so easy. We would both have to sacrifice. We would have to meld our family's and culture's together. It would be difficult. We are both far too rational to let this go any further. I'm well aware that love doesn't conquer all and that many times, its just not enough to make it work. We made the only logical decision, and yet somehow I still wonder whether or not it was the right choice.

Culinary Delight

So, i normally do not cook food and then take pictures of it to post on this blog, mainly because i'm usually so damn hungry that it only takes a few seconds for the food to find its way out of the oven and into my mouth. But today i decided, since i wasn't too starving, that i would take a picture of this beautiful (and delicious) treat and share it with you. Now, for those of you who know me, you know i'm not an adventurous eater, but since i now have a completely dairy kitchen, in the spirit of attempting to keep my first kosher home, i am in desperate need of some culinary adventure.

What we have here is a simple pizza.

BUUUT, if you look a little closer, its not so simple (but really easy to make :)

I bought garlic Naan bread (which i LOVE), Trader Joe's Pesto Sauce and Sun Dried Tomato pieces/sauce, a simple can of sliced black olives (yummy), some fresh baby spinach, and some vegetarian mozarella cheese. I added a little evoo and some sea salt and DAMN this is one fantastic pizza. Pop it in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees and voila! Delicious Homemade Pizza!

All These Things...

-I am old enough to know that this won't hurt forever.

-I am experienced enough to know that I will most certainly love again.

-I am well read enough to know that the phrase "broken hearted" refers to a state of being and not a literal breaking of one's heart.

All these things I know to be true

-But I am green enough to feel this hurt so deeply that I cannot see my way out of it.

-I am immature enough to believe there is only one person for each of us and that mine is gone.

-I am hurt enough to feel as though my heart has actually been ripped out of my chest and literally broken in two.

All these things I feel to be true