Nature & Seasons - grace grits and gardening

searching for a Boo Radley tree

February 10, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner

I’ve been searching for the perfect Boo Radley tree. Know what I mean? A tree with a knothole in it, just the right height and size to leave trinkets inside. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Boo Radley hid treasures in a tree knothole for Scout and Jem.

I know you love the book as much as I, and if you don’t, well, what can I say? You might want to do some deep soul searching.

In case you need a refresher, here’s a list of the gifts left in the tree:

2 pieces of chewing gum (Wrigley’s Double Mint)

2 scrubbed and polished pennies (1906 and 1900 Indian-heads)

1 ball of gray twine

2 almost perfect miniatures of two children (Scout and Jem)

1 whole package of chewing gum

1 tarnished medal (Spelling Bee medal)

1 pocket watch that wouldn’t run, on a chain with an aluminum knife

With all the trees in our neighborhood, there must be a perfect Boo Radley tree. And I have plenty of opportunity to search. I walk Lucy and Annabelle several times a day so that at night they do this…

It works rather well. They pull on their leashes in different directions, bark at squirrels and people on bikes and mothers pushing baby strollers while I look at trees. I notice the bark more during the winter. Nature’s patterns are stunning, especially when there’s no hiding behind spring blossoms or autumn foliage.

Red berries truly pop.

Knotholes are noticeable. Boo Radley holes. I found a few contenders.

This one’s a little small. (Hard to tell in the picture.)

This is my favorite so far.

Now, what to put inside there?

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

“People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.”

― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Musical Pairing:

Horst Jankowski – A Walk in the Black Forest

Winter garden dream. And GOLD!

January 19, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner

Winter is the perfect time to dream and plan for a spring garden. Did you realize we are halfway through the calendar winter? Yes, although it’s still too soon to plant veggies and flowers (at least in our neck of the Northern Hemisphere), it’s never too soon for moving dirt around. Unless, of course, your dirt is buried under a blanket of snow. Since ours isn’t, we have lots of garden prep work going on at our house. And believe me, since we bought this house in August, we have been itching to work in the yard.

Winter isn’t stopping us. Not this week anyway.

To add more interest, we are terracing our sloping backyard. This is the beginning of a stone wall. (See Lou Holtz supervising? He’s good.)

We have plans to expand our outside stone dining area, install a sprinkler system and build a fire pit. The Grey Barn is doing the heavy lifting.

Fortunately, the last few days have been dry, otherwise what a mud hole we would have. Mud + Schnauzers = Pigs.

Turning dirt reveals treasures like old broken glass and pieces of pottery. Yesterday I found a cool rock partially buried but glinting in the sunlight. I’m not sure what it is, but it looks interesting. Some sort of ore or mineral?

If it’s something significant, let me know, and I’ll go dig for more in the backyard. In the meantime until we identify it, I’ll pretend it’s gold. Or a rare lump of Martian meteorite. Or maybe there’s a black diamond hidden inside there.

Whoo-hoo!

Think of how many herbs and plants and trees and seed packets one nugget of gold would buy.

A girl can dream. Even in the dead of winter.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

[tweetthis]Turning up dirt uncovers lots of treasures. #gardening #winter #waitingforspring[/tweetthis]

“I’m a miner, and I’m always dirty, because I’m constantly digging. Am I shoveling for gold? Hardly. I’m unearthing this hearty land searching for the next great American novel. If I dig deep enough, I’m sure to find it.”
― Jarod Kintz

Musical Pairing:

California Dreamin’ – The Mamas and The Papas

Dear Santa – My Christmas Wish List

December 23, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

I’ve been thinking about my Christmas wish list. A list with a bit less. A list with a bit more.

Moving from Dallas to Fayetteville put me in touch (literally) with every single item we have collected through the years. Every juice glass and dinner plate I carefully packed in wrapping paper. Every dirty garden tool—many duplicates because you can’t have too many garden tools. Every book—those memorized and those waiting to be read—every candle stub and picture frame. Every Dallas Mavericks t-shirt. Every.Single.Thing.

So.

This year’s list is different. I’m still too close to the move to get excited about anything new, other than the fence going up in my backyard. Plus, I need nothing.

I want less.

Less hustle and bustle.

Less stress over selecting the perfect gifts.

Less glitter and glitz and jingle all the way.

Less casseroles on the Christmas buffet.

Less.Less.Less.

Yet I wish for more.

More peace and quiet and relief for those struggling to survive each day. More time with family and friends and people who make me laugh until my sides hurt. More flickering candlelight and fireside chats. More silent nights spent wrapped in a good book, warmed by faithful dogs curled at my feet.

On a cold December morning, I want to walk through the woods and enjoy the raw, silver beauty of winter.

I want to watch for Santa’s sleigh among stars that went dark long ago.

This Christmas, I want to hear heaven and nature sing.