New Years Eve

[ksmith]

A light posting day. A holiday.

Rain fell overnight, wiping out most of the snowpack. The front yard contains vast expanses of bare. I can see the scant remains of a pumpkin, orange against the brown. We even had thunder, which alarmed King. But there was only the single peal, so he settled eventually. The deck, sidewalks, and driveway are now clean of slush and snow, which is good because the temp is expected to drop 30 degrees (F) between today and tomorrow. That should turn any remaining snow into slippery cement. Yea. But at least the mud will freeze. I'm not ready for mud season yet.

Three seed catalogs arrived in the mail yesterday--I need to decide what to plant this year. Basil, tomatoes, peppers, definitely. Lettuces, probably. That won't leave room for much else in the raised beds, so I may need to think about pots. So far, I'm keeping the potted thyme and curly parsley going indoors, so I may have those covered. But I would like tarragon and maybe oregano.

The sun is making an appearance, and some blue sky is visible through the cloud. A very welcome sight. I know it won't stay long, but I'll take what I can get.

Currently reading the Winter installment of Liz Williams' DIARY OF A WITCHCRAFT SHOP, and enjoying it immensely. I recall some of the entries as LJ posts, but events have been filled in and expanded upon. Even picked up on something that will help me with the wip, which is just icing on the cake.

Many writers have a knack, a gift, something they do particularly well. With some, it's plot twists, with others, dialogue. IMO, Liz's gift is her ability to set a scene, to describe surroundings in a few quick stokes that have you hearing the laughter in a pub or feeling the chill morning air or hearing the beat of the swans' wings as they take to the air and glide across the levels. I'd rank her with Le Carré in that respect, and I'm not blowing smoke. It's my standard and Liz meets it and it's a gift I envy.

I hope Liz is still taking subscriptions. If she is, sign up if you can. If you do, you'll receive tales of the retail life with some history of Druidism and Wicca and life with dogs and cats added for seasoning. Highly recommended.

Comments

[patinagle.livejournal.com]

What seed catalogs do you recommend? I want to grow more stuff from seed this year - it just does much better.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

I received Burpee, Jung, and Gurney's catalogs, but I can't recommend any specific companies as this would be the first year I order from a catalog IF I order from a catalog. I will look though them to get an idea what I want to plant, but up to now I had been simply searching online for heirloom and heritage tomato seeds and ordering from those companies.

This year, I want to track down tomato varieties that are early blight resistant. So far, I'm not seeing info about blight resistance in the catalogs, so I may be looking online again. In the past, I ordered tomato seeds online from Ohio Heirloom Seeds and Tomato Fest. No complaints, but I'm not committed to either store. As for peppers and herbs, I bought the seeds at the hardware store. Not as concerned about those, but I may search a little more thoroughly this year for better varieties.

Sorry I can't be more help.

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

That said, I received a Gardens Alive! catalog today. They feature a wide range of organic seeds, but I have never bought seeds from them. I have bought organic lawn and plant care items from them. They are a good company.

I see they feature Arkansas Traveler tomatoes, which are supposed to be very good.

[patinagle.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'll check them out!