Tuesday Kaffeeklatsch 2/22/2022

[Theresa]

There are spots in Central Park where forsythia is in full bloom.

I'm feeling really cheated. NYC has not really had a winter. A day here and few days there of below freezing temps plus a couple dustings of snow do not a Winter make! Basically NYC has had early spring all winter.

I fear the early onset of heat and humidity.

I know, I know - I'm seemingly in the minority. I've always loved winter and cold and snow, and disliked summer heat and humidity. I don't really like spending time on beaches either. Give me the mountains...

Aside from my grumping about a distinct lack of winter... I did spend a weekend doing odds and ends around the house and quite a bit of reading -- caught up on all my read alongs and buddy reads.

I also searched through some of the TBR Towers to locate a few books and reorganize a few towers to find more easily books I am likely going to want/need to read in the next few months. I found quite a few books that I knew were lurking there...and still missing a couple like Proust, my hardcover set. Also, not where they were last seen are The Lands of Ice and Fire: Maps from King's Landing to Across the Narrow Sea and Game of Thrones: A Pop-Up Guide to Westeros. So irritating...

Gardeners: are you busy planning your flower and veg gardens?

[Meli]

We are supposed to get hit with another snow tomorrow after 2 days of 50-60 degree weather.

Some forsythia would be nice, I am really sick of this shitty and gloomy weather. Everything here is grey and brown and dead :(

I cannot wait to sit on my porch in the heat with an iced tea reading a book and people watching.

I am finishing up A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance. Truly a beautiful book, highly recommend.

One of my to-read-next books is Dark Archives: A Librarian's Investigation into the Science and History of Books Bound in Human Skin... the content is in the title 😈

[Theresa]

I should mention it is pouring rain here.

[Joanne]

Come to Michigan-I am so sick of the wet cold I could scream.

I brought in all my pots, that are still filled with dirt, last week. So they are sitting on the hearth now,warming up. Should be ready for some seeds by next week. I won't be having a big veg garden this year. Just too much work for this disabled body of mine. I will plant my tomatoes and veg on and around the back porch. I plan to use the old garden plot for a cutting garden. I have a lot of perennials to split and then I will fill it in with wild flowers.

[KateNZ]

A cutting garden sounds lovely and just perfect for you.

I’ve gone full edibles in my garden - really just playing at it this last summer, but I’ll get more serious next year as I gradually develop all my planting spaces. It’s getting towards the end of summer here (moan) so I am planting my winter seeds.

Little Miss F (granddaughter, who will be three in a couple of months) is learning about seasons the hard way as there are almost no strawberries left in the box on the deck that she goes out to raid. She reckons the upside of that is that it’s too hard to share if there are only one or two - we have been teaching her about sharing through strawberries because they are the hardest things for her to give up!

She still comes out with me into the rest of the garden though, equipped with her own little basket, and we harvest deliciousness for lunch - digging up potatoes, and picking the remaining peas and beans and sweetcorn. She is looking longingly at the tiny shoots of the winter carrots and trying to learn to be patient. And the lemonade lemons (sweet enough to eat like oranges) are a way off yet, which is also a source of impatience, so she just has to pick the ordinary lemons and make do. She has her own tomato plant in our tiny greenhouse (firmly labelled) - I hope to heck it grows otherwise it will be my fault …. It is way too late in the season for tomatoes…

[~*Kim*~]

Theresa wrote: "I should mention it is pouring rain here."

You too huh? It's been raining non stop for like 9 hours here.

[~*Kim*~]

Anyone else realize that it's not only 2/22/22 Twos-day (Tuesday), it's Taco Tuesday and it's National Margarita Day!

[Theresa]

@ Kim - yes on the rain and thank goodness for Margaritas and Tacos! Helps ease the damp greyness!

@ JoAnne - my dad at one point switched his tomatoes and lettuce and peppers to containers by the house, letting the huge eating garden go to hay (he was a farmer after all) except for a couple tows of sunflowers (used seeds for birds in winter) and sweet corn.

Both my sisters do container gardening, because they live in apartments and thus are limited to patios. Herbs, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce...and floering things.

@Kate - sounds to me as if Little Miss F is getting just the learning from grandma she should. I have photos of me at that age 'helping' in the garden - my favorite is my leaning down in a bucket of seed so far I am a smidge away from standing on my head! I must have been about 3. I fully expect someone will make at least one tomato ripen on that plant!

[LibraryCin]

Theresa wrote: "I'm feeling really cheated. NYC has not really had a winter. A day here and few days there of below freezing temps plus a couple d..."

We've had quite a mild winter, as well. Yes, we've had a couple of very cold stretches with a decent amount of snow, but the bigger concern is not enough snow (i.e. moisture) for the farmers. It was such a hot dry summer last year, and there hasn't been enough snow this winter (at least not yet) to make up for it.

[Theresa]

LibraryCin wrote: "Theresa wrote: "I'm feeling really cheated. NYC has not really had a winter. A day here and few days there of below freezing temps plus a couple d..."

We've had quite a mild winter, as well. Yes, ..."

Upstate NY has and continues to get plenty of snow so the fields and NYC Reservoirs should be in good shape. It just all misses NYC.

[Joy D]

It snowed here almost all day.

[Miriam]

I am actually still in Sweden, more or less in the middle/western part. I spent a good week in Stockholm first, where it was cool and sunny the whole week I was there. Then I traveled on to where I am now and had just started my gymnastics/ dancing weekly class when I developed symptoms of Covid. The first days all the tests I took were negative. But then last Friday it was positive. So I spent the last 6 days isolated in my hotel room, getting food delivered to my room thrice daily.
Luckily enough I took another test this morning which was negative and was allowed to end isolation, since in Sweden that is possible after as little as 5 days. I am of course still careful but it was great going for a walk just now! I am still a little weak, but I hope to be able to leave here tomorrow to go back to Stockholm and back home two days later. I wonder when I will get my tastebuds back to full capacity and how long the tiredness will stay with me, though. I haven't had a regular cold in so long, I've forgotten how long these symptoms last with a regular cold and keep reminding myself of that.
But being fully vaccinated definitely paid off, since the symptoms were relatively mild in general. No high fever or serious respiratory problems.

Weather wise you would like it here, Theresa. There is quite a bit of snow and there were quite a few sunny days, with grayer or snowy days in between. At home it has more or less been raining the whole time I was here. That's something at least.

Since I wasn't feeling well, I didn't really read much, but watched Netflix and TV.

[Miriam]

I have two balconies at home and once the incessant rain stops at home I am looking forward to starting to think about planting and growing.

[NancyJ]

Theresa wrote: "LibraryCin wrote: "Theresa wrote: "I'm feeling really cheated. NYC has not really had a winter. A day here and few days there of below freezing temps plus a couple d..."

We've had quite a mild win..."

It's been a great skiing season in Ellicottville.

In WNY it snows enough to keep the view from my windows pretty. The last couple days were warm - 50+ so yesterday we had barbequed chicken on the grill. I didn't mind that at all.

I hate when it gets muddy though. We get frequent visits from our neighbor's dog (she barks at the back door), and the first thing she does is run into every room to say hello (and jump on a bed or two). But when it's muddy I send my husband out on the deck for his "dose of dog."

[Joanne]

KateNZ wrote: "A cutting garden sounds lovely and just perfect for you.

I’ve gone full edibles in my garden - really just playing at it this last summer, but I’ll get more serious next year as I gradually devel..."

Kate, I cannot believe Flo is 3 already! Yep, they sure do grow fast-It is so great that you have this time to spend with her, and share your gardening with her-it will stay with her always.

[Joanne]

Theresa wrote:my dad at one point switched his tomatoes and lettuce and peppers to containers by the house, letting the huge eating garden go to hay (he was a farmer after all) except for a couple tows of sunflowers

planning sunflowers for the back row-

[Joanne]

Miriam wrote: "I am actually still in Sweden, more or less in the middle/western part. I spent a good week in Stockholm first, where it was cool and sunny the whole week I was there. Then I traveled on to where I..."

Oh Miriam, so sad that your holiday got invaded by this nasty virus! I am glad, though, that your symptoms were mild. Both my sister and her grown son contacted it earlier in the month. My nephew was up and about in a week. Unfortunately, my sister is just now feeling a little better. It hit her really hard. Her doctor told her she was lucky to be vaccinated, it could have been so much worse.

[Meli]

Joanne wrote: "Come to Michigan-I am so sick of the wet cold I could scream.

I brought in all my pots, that are still filled with dirt, last week. So they are sitting on the hearth now,warming up. Should be read..."

We are both suffering through similar weather :(
I feel your pain.
This time of year is particularly hard because it feels like it will never end and it's constantly overcast and gloomy!

[Joanne]

Meli wrote: "Joanne wrote: "Come to Michigan-I am so sick of the wet cold I could scream.

I brought in all my pots, that are still filled with dirt, last week. So they are sitting on the hearth now,warming up...."

First nice day, and nice here in March/April could mean 50 degrees F., it's back porch and a cocktail time!

[Booknblues]

I use to love the winter snows, but after 40 years in California, I am not a fan of cold weather, but I do wish it would rain. We have had a dry January and February and that doesn't bode well for this summer.

I do remember the beauty of freshly fallen snow and the icy crispness of the air.

I should be starting seeds for the garden but haven't yet. We are currently harvesting snow peas. Last night we had a shrimp, mushroom and snow pea stir fry.

Miriam, so sorry that you had to suffer through Covid while on vacation.

[Amy]

Dare I mention where I am at? Well, I am happily whipping through books, that’s for sure. Hoping to bring a little of the sunshine home with us for sure.

[~*Kim*~]

Booknblues wrote: "I use to love the winter snows, but after 40 years in California, I am not a fan of cold weather, but I do wish it would rain. We have had a dry January and February and that doesn't bode well for ..."

I'd love to send you some rain. LOL! It rained all day yesterday and is supposed to rain all day tomorrow. Right now it's gloomy, but they're calling for 90% chance today, too.

[Booknblues]

~*Kim*~ wrote: "I'd love to send you some rain. LOL! It rained all day yesterday and is supposed to rain all day tomorrow. Right now it's gloomy, but they're calling for 90% chance today, too. ..."

We would take all the rain you could give us. Truthfully, snow in the mountains does do us more good and we haven't had enough of that either.

[Theresa]

It's a gorgeous sunny day here -- but more rain on way. I think most of the rest of the week and weekend is supposed to be rain.

I'll be out and about tomorrow for part of the day. Will be interesting to see how much more is opening in this very warm weather and warm rain. It's still too early -- more cold on way.

@Joanne - you mention bringing your pots with soil in and having on hearth to warm up and ready to plant seeds and seedlings - my dad did that. Actually, he'd store them in the cold basement - unheated stone and concrete - about 250 years old) and then bring them upstairs a few weeks before he deemed it would be warm enough to plop them back outside. However, Memorial Day was the traditional plant the kitchen garden day. Before then too likely to have a frost.

[Joanne]

Theresa wrote: "It's a gorgeous sunny day here -- but more rain on way. I think most of the rest of the week and weekend is supposed to be rain.

I'll be out and about tomorrow for part of the day. Will be intere..."
Yes the week of Memorial Day is start outside day. Some of my larger pots I leave on the back porch, the smaller ones go into the garage.

[Book Concierge]

KateNZ wrote: "A cutting garden sounds lovely and just perfect for you.

I’ve gone full edibles in my garden - really just playing at it this last summer, but I’ll get more serious next year as I gradually devel..."

OH, Kate, this reminds me of my Daddy.
He used to plant cherry tomatoes for the niece and nephew (the youngest niece wasn't born yet). I have a framed photo of the two of them watering their tomato plants. It's one of my favorite photos. He's about 20 months old and is "watering" using his sippy cup! She's about 4 1/2 yrs and is using a "big girl's" watering can. And while Daddy (or Grandpa, to them) isn't in the photo, I know he's the one who got the plants, helped them prepare the bed and put them in the ground.