What a Difference a Day Makes

In Minnesota, anything is possible. Anything with the weather, that is. On Saturday, I laid in bed, reading, working on my computer, happy. The weather map showed a great big sunshine with a high of 83. Not sure why that was, because out my window it was windy, cold, and 48 degrees. And then, in true Minnesota fashion, by Sunday it was humid and 90.

While much of the time I tend to be unmotivated and lazy, I go through periods of high activity. I call it my Busy Beaver mode. I do all kinds of things that have been nagging away at me. Like my ironing.

Kidding. I never do my ironing.

I’m talking about stuff like re-caulking, stripping my kitchen table, grinding the edge of a paver that heaved over the winter. Fixing my stove. Stuff like that.

So I’ve been in Busy Beaver mode for almost a week now. And let me tell you: these things are really better left undone. Laziness has it virtues. Consider this:

1. The caulk I spent 2 hours applying and perfecting, apparently is bad or expired. Apparently this happens (google “silicone won’t dry” and see for yourself). You have to take it all off and re-do it with new caulk. Shoot me now, because that sounds more pleasant than re-caulking.
2. I began stripping the kitchen table on a cold and windy Saturday. I applied the first coat of polyurethane on Sunday — when it was 88 degrees and about 75% humidity. Needless to say, it is still wet.
3. The three hours I spent taking apart my gas cooktop, in order to *finally* figure out why the back burner wasn’t working resulted first in triumph: “I think I finally know what’s wrong with it!!” And was quickly followed by despair: “The part you are looking for has been discontinued by the manufacturer and cannot be replaced.” Calls to obsolete parts stores and online searching resulted in a big fat nuthin’.

Shouldn’t we feel rewarded for our efforts? It seems as though I’m being punished.

Getting to the point of my post: because of these tasks, I neglected to go out to the garden for one day. One stinkin’ day. I last picked the asparagus on Saturday afternoon, mind you. It had been left on its own for 36 hours. This is what I was presented with this morning:

Eee gads. At this point I think, “Oh the Hell with it, I’m just gonna let go to seed. I’m sick of it anyway.” But then the other side of my very active brain says, “But Sharon and the rest of the family will be counting on boatloads of asparagus over Memorial Day weekend…”

And so I set about crushing beetles and picking the good spears. Much of it I left to go to seed. It’ll happen over the weekend while we are gone anyway, I would guess.

In other gardening news, I feel like a farmer when I say this, but: I got my beans and corn in!

I still have to get the cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, melons and zucchini planted. That seems like a long list… It IS a long list, though I do tend to wait until after Memorial day to plant the tomatoes, peppers and eggplant plants (Remember: anything can happen in Minnesota with regard to the weather). I know what you are thinking, and yes, the seeds should have been in the ground a week or two ago I can’t help it. I’ve been busy. It’ll be fine.

Then, I just have to remember to update my garden notebook with where everything is planted so I remember for next year. It’s funny how if I don’t do it right away when I’m first planting the garden, it just never gets done.

I always mean to note planting dates, first harvest dates, notes about growing conditions, pests, etc. I’ve been keeping the notebook since 1998. It’s been 12 years. I’m still working on it. In fact, I’m gonna go get it right now and update it. Hopefully, I won’t get distracted by something on my way…