Harvest Monday

After being gone all weekend, I got out to the garden today and managed to get in a little harvest, a pound each of carrots and brussels sprouts as well as a small amount of leeks. I also found a little bit of arugula, radish and komatsuna out there. It wasn't enough to do much more than a garnish with it, but still felt good to find it growing out there. Daphne's Dandelions has many other great harvests posted to show the bounty of our gardens in all seasons!

 The brussels sprouts are rather small, but I will serve them up on Thanksgiving and there are more waiting to be picked.

The carrots are still on the small side too, and someday I am determined to manage to grow larger ones. The nights are dipping below freezing and they won't get any bigger. But they are sweet to munch on and it's nice to know they are free of chemicals. And hey, we're the ones who get to eat them instead of the voles that often beat us to the punch!

Alliums were such a mixed bag for me this year. I'm happy to have the leeks, although they are pencil thin (and those are the big ones!) compared to last year's.

And here are my surprise radishes, the final two from the 2012 garden.
Thanksgiving is upon us and a time to reflect on how blessed we have been over the past year. This weekend I was in Oceanside NY, a town that was hit very hard by Superstorm Sandy. I was a volunteer with Samaritan's Purse and I helped work on gutting two homes that had been badly damaged in the storm. The homeowners were crushed by the disaster. One of them was an elderly man had just lost his wife of 47 years three days before the storm destroyed his house. How do you help someone in a situation so devastating? He seemed happy to have the help, but I'm sure it was only the smallest comfort with all he has had to bear.  It was so heart-breaking, but it really served to show me how thankful I should be for every blessing I have.  I was impressed with how that man's neighbors were watching over him and each other to protect from the sharks that never fail to come around when disaster strikes. It was also gratifying to see how many volunteers were there to work and how appreciated they were. Our group even had a couple all the way from Australia helping out. They were up here helping and learning because they want to implement a similar disaster volunteer program Down Under. It was neat to talk to them.
I hope you all have a very Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy the holiday with your loved ones this year!