The Planting Continues, The Harvest Begins

May has been a busy garden month. This week we are completing the spring planting. All that remain are the squash and melon seedlings.

Last frost dates here along the northern front range usually are near Memorial Day weekend so the rapidly growing tomato plants were not so patiently waiting for their turn to go in the ground. Last friday, I took the risk and planted them out. The soil was warm and moist--perfect for tomatoes. Just our luck here in Colorado though, the following day was about 90 degrees with a stiff, hot wind out of the west. I spent Saturday gently spraying down the tomatoes with cool water to keep them from dehydrating in the leaves. The following Monday brought a strong cold wind. According to the newspaper, this was highly uncommon for late May. Anyway, all nine of the young tomatoes seem to be doing fine today--a bit tattered but growing well.

Since the beginning of May the nights have become warmer--now no lower than about 45 degrees. The lettuces, carrots, peas, and spinach have begun to grow in haste. We now go out and cut a small bowl full of spinach leaves every couple days or if we let it go, we get a large bowl packed full each week. Last night we had some friends over for dinner. We made a salad from greens from the garden. This was a perfect opportunity to thin the growing lettuces and make room for them to grow into fully developed heads. We quickly filled a bowl with two varieties of lettuce, swiss chard leaves, and spinach. To these we added chopped pecans, dried cranberries, and fresh pear slices. Topped with a gentle drizzle of honey mustard dressing, this salad was a delight.

Now what remains are the peppers, cucumbers, mellons, and squash. Peppers love hot soil so I am going to grow them in large pots on the patio. Currently they are in 4-inch pots in what has become the nursery house behind a stand of chard, carrots, and spinach. As soon as they go to their new homes, there will be room for two tomato plants, and a thick planting of basil. We also found some half-price blueberries at the local Lowes store. They are currently trying to recover from being locked up in the small plastic tubes they keep them in.

Ta-Da! List

I am a list-maker. I always have been. My parents recently stopped by with lists I made as a child. My husband found them humorous. Obviously, I haven’t changed much. Even when I was young my lists could stress me out. If I didn’t accomplish what I wrote, or if life didn’t go according to plan—I would be sincerely disappointed.

This year, I’ve started something new. Rather than making a daily to-do list, I make a Ta-Da! List. What's a Ta-Da! List, you ask? Well, it's the reverse of my to do's. It's everything I've accomplished today. I write them as I go about my day. I keep a magnetic pad on the fridge with a bright sharpie nearby. As I walk about the house working on projects, I add on another thing I’ve done. Both the small stuff, like helping my son find a missing toy (a daily adventure), and major jobs like scrubbing the toilets are celebrated as my ta-da’s.

Today’s Ta-Da! List:

Got the 2 year old dressed

Clipped the 2 year old’s finger nails

Went to work for 2 ½ hours

Doctor’s appointment

Lunch with husband

Read to & put both kids down for naps

Answered all pending e-mails

Worked on blog

…And the day isn’t over yet!

Do you have those extremely exhausting days that you feel that you never stopped working, and yet nothing seems to be done? Me too. My to-do list is never-ending and ever growing. It’s incredibly disheartening. My Ta-Da! List only lasts a day, but each day is full of ta-da’s. Which, gives me perspective, understanding, and grace when I can’t seem to understand why I couldn’t get more done off my to-do list. It’s also energizing! Seeing what I’ve already been able to do, gives me hope for the remainder of the day.

I haven’t abandoned my to-do list. I love crossing things off it too much to abandon it all together. However, my Ta-Da! List provides me affirmation and encouragement. Give it a try.