My Work-cation

by mamafier on June 1, 2011

Last week I took a much needed working vacation and it was perfect. The very first day, during a break in the rain storms, I was greeted by a hungry baby bird in the vegetable garden who hopped around at my feet asking for breakfast. Thank goodness for my compost pile and ready access to a handful of worm for the fluttery, open-mouthed baby.

He was an demanding little thing and his mama was nowhere in sight. After a good meal, he continued to flutter and beg, insisting on being served seconds. Hoping he’d fend for himself, I picked him up and put him in the bird feeder, but he wasn’t having any of it.

Day #2: The chives are just starting to open up along with the azaleas, rhododendrons and dogwoods.

I took advantage of the time to make myself a salad of freshly picked baby greens, chickweed, spring peas, lemon thyme and chive blossoms, and it was delicious.

Day #3 I made organic apple cider vinegar infused with pregnancy herbs for salad dressings. Even though it only had a day or so to extract flavors, it is already tasty! I used dandelion roots and leaves, iron-rich nettles leaves from the plants that haven’t already flowered, uterine tonic red raspberry leaves and oniony chive blossoms.

I had such a good time, going from one project to the next. When it was raining I made veggie chili and cornbread and a big batch of granola (my husband’s favorites), and I  finished the last two chapters of the book I was reading. And when the sun came out, I went back outside and shoveled gravel for the walkway.

I planted wildflower seeds along the drive. And when it poured down rain, I had to abandon my sad little garden cart and wait under the cedars for another sun break.

I straightened the tilting birdhouses…

…and weeded the front herb garden where the lady’s mantle, meadowsweet, echinacea, St. John’s wort and motherwort grow. Then I weeded, weeded and weeded some more.

Oh sure, I checked in at work a time or two,

but I got to play in the rain, make tinctures and vinegars, feed a baby bird, and be in my garden. It was glorious.

Tagged as: about Mama, mama's herb garden

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