Focus.

I'm trying to work on my resume, but I keep getting distracted by gardening-related things.

Like, showing my good friend Colleen (who just happened to stop by) around my garden. "See my ripening tomatoes? Yes, please, I insist, go ahead, eat one!"
Ripening tomatoes
'Jaune Flamme', a French heirloom tomato

"See my black raspberries, either drying on the vine the moment they ripen, or half-pecked by drought-stricken grackles? Yes, please, I insist, go ahead, eat one!"
Ripening black raspberries
'Black Hawk' black raspberries

"See the freshly harvested garlic bulbs laid out on the patio table? Forty bulbs from a half pound of garlic planted last October! Now, they say 'Red Toch' is mild enough to eat raw. Yes, please, I insist, go ahead, eat one!"
Homegrown garlic
'Red Toch', 'Inchellium Red' & 'Lorz Italian' garlic from Gourmet Garlic Gardens

"No, I'm serious! Just one clove...just be careful and don't get 'Asian Tempest' by accident, that one's hot as fire. Look, I'm popping a clove in my mouth now! Just one, I'm going to... [tear falls down cheek] eat... [eyes widening] one... [pant] Wow! I mean, OW! WOWOWOWOWOW! HOT! HOT! OMG! WATER! HOT! HOT! HOT! Ohhh...!! Big Noisy Sigh! WHEW! That was garlicky! [wiping sweat from brow] BOY! I don't think that was 'Red Toch'! Breathlessly intense, then all mellow--hee, look at how endorphin-flushed we are. Now we hardly even notice that on May 25 it's already 99.99 degrees Fahrenheit with 1000% humidity, ha ha ha! Now we hardly notice that we've been bitten by 249 mosquitoes in the last 17 minutes, thanks to fresh homegrown organic garlic. You know, garlic is sooo good for you..."

All this while she smokes Her Last Cigarette EVER, in my garden.
Colleen's last cigarette ever

Like, all the kind comments to my Gardening Gone Wild photo contest entry that pop up on my computer screen the minute they come into my emailbox, even though I think I boosted the contrast a bit too much on the photo and there's much more prize-worthy entries than mine, but it's not about The Win, is it? It's about The Process, which I am admittedly enjoying. Immensely.

Like, the reason for working the resume itself--to try to get a job with fewer hours (one extra lousy 8 hour work day off a week! That's all I ask! Here, take 1/5 of my salary, free to use as you choose!) so I can learn more about gardening and have more time to play in the dirt and have more time to 'network with other gardeners" (meaning, hang out in their gardens and talk about plants and bugs and design and life and work and family and plants, and actually making comments about all the wonderful interesting things they're blogging about instead of the "reading and running" I've been doing lately) and take some writing workshops and do some volunteer work...daydream...mmm hmm...

Focus, focus, FOCUS.

Words and photos © 2009-2011 Caroline Homer for "The Shovel-Ready Garden". Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Comments

  1. What an enjoyable post, Caroline. Your love of the garden really shines. I hope you find that perfect job that gives you the extra gardening and hanging out time you want. And good luck to your friend on quitting!

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  2. Darn skippy. We waste our youth and our health drooling over our keyboards in ghastly fluorescent-lit cube farms. If you can reclaim a little more time to get dirt under your feet and fresh air in your lungs, power to you! Good luck! And your garlic--hot or otherwise--looks beautiful.

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  3. My tomatoes are just about done sadly enough but we had soooo many. I loved it. Many nights of tomatoes and mozzarella yummmmm but I think they are about done. We did the sweet 100's and the celebrity. I grew some basil which is still hanging in there and great for the pesto. Making myself hungry and it's only 8am hahah. I have not tried the garlic but love garlic and it is intriguing to me. Will have to give that a shot - and the one that is hot one- the 'Asian Tempest'- have to try that for Michael- he likes things really hot- me not so much. Good luck with the resume!

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  4. You're funny! I hope you find that balance you're seeking between work and gardening/life...
    Your garlic shot is beautiful ;)

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