Well, we did it: we made it through the hectic summer of wedding planning and got hitched on September 9, 2011! Woot!
Now, after having a week or two to just breathe and unwind, we're looking forward: applying for better jobs, putting money in savings every paycheck, focusing on what we want for our future and how we'll get there... and what we want to plant in the garden next year.
We initially hoped that we would be spending most of our fall enjoying relaxing bicycle rides on the Youghiogheny River Trail and getting our garden bed ready for spring planting. However, we didn't realize how much we'd have for the wedding that didn't get used that needs to be returned, how much we'd need to reorganize after getting back (yes, we're still finding wedding items and --ick-- food in random places from people "helping" us bring it all into the house!), nor how long it would take for us to clear out the basement in order to get the mold cleared out so we can use the furnace.
Yet, we're still planning on what we wish to plant for next year. We received a burst of inspiration from two great happenings in the past couple of days. The first was visiting Soergel's Orchard in Wexford on our way to Warren, Pennsylvania, for my Great-Uncle Dub's 90th birthday party. They have amazing produce and fresh baked goods; we left drooling with a Trader Joe's reusable bag full of yummy produce (apples, pears, eggplant, butternut squash, and acorn squash) and fresh apple cider. The second was a bag full of garden-fresh tomatoes, green peppers and banana peppers from our wonderful neighbor Jodi. The smell of them immediately filled up the kitchen. I had a salad for dinner last night, and nothing beats tomatoes and green peppers straight from the garden!
Looking back on what seeds we have, we'd definitely like to add some squashes (butternut, acorn and pattypan) and cabbage to the list. We may also plant some turnips and rutabaga for fall stews. We're really excited with the great opportunity afforded to us by the vast amount of usable space on our property, and we truly can't wait to get started!
