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| Wild flowers |
I've been busy with school work, and didn't have much time to write a blog post, or read blogs. I think working from home is more work, at least in my case. It seems that students think I'm available 24/7. :)
The semester ends tomorrow, and 3 of my classes have their final exams tomorrow. I plan to turn in grades on Tuesday, and then I have several free days until summer classes start. Normally I don't teach summer classes. But last year I developed an online course, and I was planing to teach it even while travelling. An advantage of technology!
Speaking of technology - Last two weeks I had several Zoom meetings with friends, in addition to the usual class meetings with students. One meeting was with three friends from my undergrad time. I also joined a group meeting of an online forum members twice. It's so nice to see a bunch of virtual friends from different countries. All thanks to technology. :)
Last week I received a Chaya plant, also called tree spinach (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius) from a member of a regional gardening group. I gave her a passion vine. We exchanged the plants by leaving them at the mailbox, following social distancing. I didn't know about Chaya until she offered me one. I always like to try new food, especially leafy vegetables, so I am excited to see how it tastes. I planted them in pots for now.
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| Chaya (Tree Spinach) |
This is my window sill garden. :) I tried carrot tops and celery (both died after a couple of weeks), and there are two lettuce roots and a sweet potato. Just yesterday I noticed a teeny sprout on the sweet potato.
A couple of mockingbirds have decided to build a nest on one of the katuk trees. Now there are three tiny blue eggs in the nest. They picked the best katuk tree with the most leaves, and now I can't cut leaves without disturbing them. :)
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| Mockingbird nest |
The passion vine has fruits again. They are still small. Hopefully I will have another good crop this year.
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| Passion flowers (and a fruit!) |
The other day I made a mixed greens dish using katuk, moringa, Brussels sprout leaves and passion leaves from the garden and a bunch of kale from the Misfits box.
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| Greens from the garden |
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| Potato curry & mixed greens. |
I decided to switch to the larger Misfits box. Initially I subscribed to the small box every other week, and after 10 days or so I had to go to the store for fresh vegetables. This week, before the box arrived, I went to the store and bought eggs and vegetables including a bunch of celery and a butternut squash. Then the Misfits box came, and I found another bunch of celery and a butternut squash in the box! Maybe I'll make a big batch of celery and butternut squash soup. LOL I will receive my first larger Misfits box in two weeks and hopefully I won't have to go to the store too often.
Did you notice that Blogger has changed their layout and settings again? Now I don't know how to find emojis. :(
This week I'm grateful for
1) Rain
2) Cool mornings
3) Wild flowers
4) having a garden
5) technology
6) e-books
7) plant swaps
XXX
Nil
Nil, I haven't heard of Chaya before. It looks interesting. I didn't realise Blogger had changed things again although I have been having a few issues with comments but I thought it was just my lack of IT knowledge.
ReplyDeleteYour bouquet of wild flowers looks lovely! The leaves of the chaya plant looks a lot like papaya leaves, don't they? I like your windowsill garden! I've a counter top garden! :D Getting the larger misfits box sounds like a good idea. You could always go back to a smaller box, if needed.
ReplyDeleteHope the last few days of classes go smoothly and you get to enjoy the few days of break before the summer classes start! Have a good week and take care, Nil.
It all looks lovely and productive in various ways.
ReplyDeletexx
Not long now before end of semester, Nil. I'm sure you'll make most of a break after being so busy with work. Fresh passionfruits are definitely something to look forward to. I hope you get a bountiful harvest! Meg🙂
ReplyDeleteI am glad you got a Katuk harvest in before the birds settled in the bush to raise offspring 😀
ReplyDeleteI am excited to learn about tree spinach, how interesting. I am going to google this now although I have little hope it is something that grows in Scotland. Have a good week x
I don't know how to find emojis in Wordpress, either. I love mockingbirds. They can sing so beautifully. I know, they can sound weird, too, but that just makes them even more interesting!
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to have a mockingbird nest with eggs to watch! I admire the mockingbirds here because they torment the crows which is very entertaining. You inspired me last year to attempt to root a mango seed. It was doing really well until last week when I moved it into the warm sun, forgot about it overnight, only to have the snails eat all the leaves during the night. Off to buy another mango and give it another try!
ReplyDeleteDear One, your students will take advantage of you, if you let them!
ReplyDeleteThey will treat you, as if you are available, 24 hours a day/night, if you let them!
Don't let them!
Please.... -smile-
Gentle hugs,
🌸💜🌸💜🌸💜🌸
I haven't tried the new Blogger, Nil. Your meals look delicious! I bet it is more work teaching online.
ReplyDeleteThe wild flowers look beautiful sat upon your window ledge.
ReplyDeleteIt is often easy to find yourself putting in far too many hours when working from home. Have you tried allowing yourself to be available during set hours only? X
Sounds like you're quite busy! I hope that during vacation you will be able to rest. I am not familiar with some of the greens you mentioned but would love to learn more about them. We live so far North that I doubt that they would grow around here. I am super excited that I got some Moringa powder to add to smoothies or just have some with warm milk. Your vegetable box sounds wonderful. We live in the middle of nowhere so I don't believe that work around here. :( Take care and have a wonderful week.
ReplyDeleteYour plateful of home grown greens looks so delicios. I ventured out to a nearby farm stall on the weekend and bought lots of asian greens and have been enjoying them with brown rice....delicious! Enjoy your spring break.
ReplyDeleteGlad your classes are finishing up and you won't have to be available 24/7 :-) I love seeing what grows in your garden since we are in opposite corners of the country - so very different.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is looking good Nil. It is lovely to be able to eat food you have grown.
ReplyDeleteThose produce boxes from farmers seem to have been very well adapted to the current no-going-shopping season! I think farmers are really very adaptable people: they have to be. It seems as if everyone is really working to make things better except the President.
ReplyDeletebe well... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
No need to apologize, Nil, about not having time to do everything, especially concerned with blogging as you are busy with finishing the semester. There is a lot more important work to do with that and once done you can return to more "enjoyable" tasks like gardening, reading...even blogging. Meanwhile, thanks for the updates on what's growing and meal prep. Thanks too for sharing on my recent blog post about how Ms. jarvis family members didn't celebrate the holiday as well after her death.
ReplyDeleteMay 13th..
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I know, that Tom Brady has been traded to a FL team. -smile- He was a legend in Mass. And he and The Patriots did things, which made him and them, very disliked, by other team fans. And that was what I was referring to, in my post. (You can look up "Deflategate") ,-)
There will be a lot of press, about him, if/when football can be resumed. And it would be a fun read, even if you are not a football fan. -smile- Who knows, you might even become one! -smile-
Gentle hugs,
🌸💛🌷💛🌸
Nil,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed all your photos as always but my favourite has to be the bouquet of wildflowers. Flowers can really take the edges off a day.