Judy's Homegrown Blog

We’ve been in Boca Raton, the “mouth of the mouse” to enjoy retired life: swimming, working out, and eating, lots of naps and relaxation. The most amazing thing is the weather: we’ve had a few beautiful, blue sky, sun shiny days without humidity! Does that sound like Florida to you?

As soon as we land in California, I’ve got lots of gardening to do: transplanting starts in the garden, sifting soil, and starting more seedlings from heirloom seeds I purchased from one of my favorite places: Seed Savers. I have two new watermelon varieties, a gourd, a new cantaloupe, an Armenian cucumber that’s really a fruit, and two new cherry tomatoes that I’m trying out.

Sound good?

I’m really stepping up production this summer versus last. Now I have more garden area because we finished a shade garden to the north of our house, and I have more confidence in my “pumpkin patch” area, which is really turning out to be an area for melons and cucumbers as well.

I’ll also be continuing a regular program of seed starting in my garage under lights. In my effort to always have productive plants, I will replace old straggling producers with new starts whenever the situation warrants.

Now that my daughter receives all her therapies (P.T., O.T. and Speech) at home, hopefully I will be able to offer more produce on a regular basis, as well as sell produce out the side gate because I won’t have to drive all over town to pick her up from school and take her to therapy sessions.

This morning, I baked my fabulous buttermilk scones for my mother-in-law, Gloria and her buddy, Aaron as well as a lovely neighbor I just met named Marilyn (Hi, Marilyn!). How do you get a bunch of Jews to be quiet? Feed them well! My daughter learned a new phrase, which I’m sure she’ll remember and use from now on: “These are so good, I think I could die!” You have to hear it with the New York accent to really appreciate how Jewish it sounds.

Did I say I was going to “double dig” my garden? Strike that; I’m doing something even MORE time consuming: I’m sifting my soil through a screen over a wheelbarrow. That means, I’m taking one clump at a time, breaking it up with my hands (with gloves on), removing the worms as carefully as I can to keep them alive, and I’m adding compost as I go. Otherwise, the clumps of clay will re-clump eventually. The organic matter addition is the key to creating really great soil out of mostly clay soil.

I’m digging to at least a depth of 8″ and in most cases 12″ deep, sifting what I’ve dug, and then I’m doing the “double dig” inside the trench I created, but only if I’m not hitting too many tree roots. My main problem is tree roots.

And oh, my aching back!

I’m happy to report that Brittany loved my script enough to pass it on to a couple other people: maybe someone at the agency where she served as intern, and definitely her cousin who is a writer with an agent (in movies!). She wants me to add more information so we get a better feel for the main characters. Also, more action, more description so we know exactly what’s going on behind the dialogue. I can do that!

I just had another 6 bales of straw delivered today to keep the ivy from creeping into the pumpkin patch. If my arms are itchy, it’s from the straw.

I did get those tickets to the Jayhawks. But if you’re a fan, you’re going to have to beat me at the will call window somehow, or I’ll be sitting right up front!

Oh, and my birthday is this Saturday. I’m proud to say I’m a sprightly 48 years old and stick rockin’! To celebrate, I’m spending the day at the Olympic Spa in Korea town. They have a wonderful spa treatment called the “Goddess” and we all know that every woman in the world has to feel like a goddess at least every once in a while.