grace grits and gardening - ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

House of Cards (100 words on Saturday)

May 14, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

Jill never intended to dig such a deep hole. At first she skimmed cash off the top, just a little here and there, money no one noticed. She’d pay it back. Of course she would.

Eight years later, her game had reached a point of no return as she falsified wire transfers, forged documents and kited money across the country. Deep down she knew the day would come. Eventually. Yet eventually became impossible to imagine as the scam became her reality.

Until the slip-up.

One overlooked bank transaction.

Her house of cards unraveled by lunchtime. Really though, truth brought relief.

Grace Grits and Gardening

This week I’m linking up with Write Tribe’s 100 Words on Saturday. Prompt: she realized she could no longer hide the truth. And p.s. this story is fiction—any resemblance to true bank drama is coincidental. No, really.

my garden in the lusty month of May

May 13, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

I’ve always been a huge fan of strawberries, but today I am celebrating the most glorious strawberry ever. Glorious because I grew it in my garden! My first ever strawberry. I named her Scarlet. Yes I did. She’s plump and lusty and such a vibrant spot of color. Growing strawberries may not seem like a big deal to all you long-time gardeners out there, but Scarlet gives me hope and makes me believe I can do this veggie (and fruit) gardening thing.

Last year I swore I would never again attempt to grow a tomato. I even posted a rant about it on Facebook. That’s how serious I was about the whole tomato debacle. What a difference a year makes, a year with a plot of land in full sun. I have several varieties of tomatoes, and they seem to be doing well (knock on wood). I don’t take full credit. I have rich compost from Promise of Peace, organic fertilizer from Redentas, egg shells from Great Day Farms and Ollas which provide steady irrigation. But still...

All spring I’ve had a bounty of onions and radishes—enough to share with neighbors. And my squash and cucumbers are thriving. So far, so good.