Composting

 "We are all self-composting."
Author: Chuck Palahniuk

Pikitup, the municipal service in my area does not collect garden refuse. If you happen to dump it in your refuse bin, sometimes they leave the rest of your refuse. It is for this reason that whenever we get our grass cut, I would be burdened by the heaps of grass cuttings. My frustrations turned to joy when I discovered the art of composting, i.e using grassing cuttings and vegetable waste from the kitchen to create compost to fertilise the garden. Compost takes about 3 weeks to be ready for use. The process of composting got me thinking about how the soil needs the same grass and vegetables that grew from it, to be fertilised. In order to get the full benefit of the compost, it must fully decompose and loose its form and smell. Sometimes the source of compost does not even have to be from the compost heap, but from the plants themselves. Ever seen how the spinash shoots up each time you prune off the lower leaves? As people, we at times get in the way of our growth and reaching our full potential because we would rather not deal with the heaps of cuttings from our own lives. The cuttings come in the form of frustrating and difficult relationships, unfulfilling careers, past hurts and disappointments. These are guaranteed in one way on the other in the journey of life, however, they don't have to be burden. They can be a source of wisdom, strength and valuable lessons. 

 

Today, being Father's day I learned from my heap of emotions about my own fatherlessness. As such, I did not want to engage in the festivities and celebrations. I had to dig deep into my sadness and found I felt sad because when I marry, my dad will never walk me down the isle, my children will never know him, I will never be able to call him and ask for advise. I will never feel safe because he is there for me. On further reflection, I realised that my father's passing gave me an opportunity to seek wholeness and fulfillment from my relationship with God. It has made me a compassionate mom and friend. I appreciate that it has certainly made me a strong woman. My fatherlesslessness has been the greatest source of pain and emptiness but also the place I have found the best versions of me. 

Love without expertise

When I started my garden patch sometime ago, I had limited knowledge about gardening based on high school Agricultural Science lessons, an article here and there, a tv show. More than anything, I was eager to see my veggies grow and to be able to prepare meals from my garden produce. Watching a lettuce sproud up from a few leaves to full head of beautiful juicy and crispy made me so proud and eager to see my mission through. Pure instinct would kick in when ever I saw weeds begin to compete with my crop. Ironically sometimes, something would begin to grow which I did not recognize and I would have to wait for it to grow to see what it is, only to discover I had no business watering it. Similarly, child rearing is a lot like this. We dig in with limited knowledge and a few unexpected surprises along the way.  The one thing you are armed with is love and a desire to see a little person become a beautiful productive adult you can be proud of. That is Love is enough. Yes, it may mean that sometimes you will nurture the wrong thing, or discipline wrong or cause trauma and pain; if done from a place of Love then it can be fixed. 

Happy quarantine Mother's day💐💞

Introductions

"I like gardening. Its a place where I find myself when I need to lose myself "~Alice Sebold.

 

The beginning...

 

It has been a while since I've gone through a job interview where, without fail, conversation begins with an instruction to"Tell me about yourself."  This command "so to speak" normally instigates a recital of memorized achievements,  relevant characteristics and skills that align you with the said opportunity. This is easy because you know that the person you portray is the person that must secure this opportunity when it's said and done. Then, there's introductions in social settings. I really struggle with those, especially in cases where I am not familiar with the person to whom I'm introducing myself. Introducing oneself resembles peeling layers of an onion except you decide the amount of layers to be revealed. My first revelation in this case, is the name I have chosen to use, Wisdom Nuggets From my Garden. This name literally derives from thoughts and reflections I had and keep engaging in when I spend time working my vegetable patch, my favorite place to loose myself in. Ironically loosing myself has come to equate acquiring and digging up various wisdom nuggets regarding my life. It's both rewarding and satisfying although sometimes it involves intense hard work. When I first started creating my garden, it all began in my head. I had the desire to create this veggie patch, which was preceded by identification of the spot for the garden patch and finally preparation. Initial preparation was the most gruesome, with the ground being tough and dry. My motivation stemmed from knowing that it can be done. I knew that with a little perseverance, I will realise my goal and I did. The dry corner in my yard became more than just a part of a small yard with termites and dry patches. It became the garden. My garden. I aim to share my wisdom nuggets learnt from watching my garden, tending to it, discovering and sowing new plants and plucking weeds through different seasons. This is how I introduce myself here. To begin with, I was simply a lifeless dry corner that has become a fruitful garden with endless potential yet to be uncovered.

First crop...

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