"Are we there yet?....Are we there yet?"

It's official.  It is now the time of year we all look forward to; particularly those of us that live in northern climes.  Time to make some summertime family plans.  The summer family vacation may involve hours and hours of driving across country or it could mean undergoing an invasive inspection while trying to board a plane.  These are precious moments (whether it be laughing or crying) that you get to spend together.  Believe it or not, there will come a time in your life when you will think back with nostalgia to the cross country trip(s) that included all the delights of bored children fighting, carsickness due to winding mountain roads, and contant demands (whining) to stop for food or bathroom breaks.

Perhaps your favorite times are those evenings in the backyard spent with a campfire, marshmallows and funny or creepy stories.  There are those people who are fortunate enough to have a permanent vacation spot...the family cabin "up north".  Others may enjoy the summer family camping trip.  Here in Wisconsin, there are several distinct breeds of people who go camping regularly.  The RV people (who often have a permanent spot for the camper) and the "real" campers who use tents (called "roughing it").  Then there are those hardy souls who take an extended family vacation across the country visiting the sights and spending their nights camping.  No matter how you do it, these are the moments that create the stories we share around our winter fires.

 

Some of us have a list of places we would like to visit at a future time in our lives.  One might call it the travel "bucket list".  There are a multitude of outdoor wonders and historical sites in the United States just waiting to be discovered by you.  They may lie across the country or a few miles down the road.  Maybe you want to share your favorite childhood campground or relive a family road trip with the next generation.  Whatever it may be, now is the time to share some lasting moments with the people you care about most.  It's time to hit the road.  (A road trip tip:  if you don't want to listen to the whining and fighting, try bringing along a book on CD for the kids.  It can make the miles fly by.)

Librarian, contrarian, how does your garden grow?



Books can be so versatile

"The only things that grow in my garden are weeds."  In my experience, this is the type of statement made by compliment-seeking, green-thumbed people who have fabulous, thriving gardens.  Now I on the other hand can truly say that weeds seem to prosper at my home.  In fact, the only desirable plants that grow at my house are wild, untended plants.  Wild asparagus and rhubarb (courtesy of the previous owners) are abundant in the otherwise barren wasteland of dried grass that surrounds our home.  Don't get me wrong, we like the idea of having a garden.  However, we lack the skill, knowledge, willing workers and TIME needed to put together a prosperous plot. 

I've always been attracted to the idea of container gardening.  Even though we live outside of town on a space larger than an acre, I haven't been able to muster any desire to do more than invest in a "Topsy-Turvy" tomato planter.  By that I mean, I've thought about getting one and trying it.  (I am a little shy of the "As Seen On TV" products.)  Every summer we have encouraged our daughter (who has actually shown some interest and talent in this area) to plant various vegetable seeds with the understanding that anything she plants is solely under her care.  Her success has been sporadic as it often depends on us reminding her to water and weed her small plot.  Now that she's older, she has started to abscond with all the produce since she's doing all the work. 

I blame my anti-gardening feelings on my mother.  She grew up on a farm in South Dakota.  For many years she attempted to grow a gigantic South Dakota style garden in the back yard of our Washington State home. This would have worked out fine if the plot hadn't been surrounded by enormous pine trees which took up all the nutrients from the soil and blocked the majority of the sporadic sunlight.  (There is also the endless rain factor, even in summer.)  Pulling the weeds from this futile dream of abundance was one of my childhood chores.  One learns to actively resent pulling weeds from a garden that doesn't produce anything in noticeable quantities. 

Some day in the not-too-distant future, I plan to check out some  of the gardening books from our library and follow through on the project.  Until that day, I hope that my wonderful, generous gardening neighbors will continue to share their extra zucchini, tomatoes, melons, and green beans with my family.  People tell me that gardening is rewarding and relaxing.  I guess I'd rather relax with a good book than a big plot of weeds. 



The perfect book for the gardening newbie.