Old Farm Day & The Harvest Celebration

The Fall season and harvest celebration starts for me on Fluvanna County's Old Farm Day held the first Saturday of each October. For the community, it's a reunion of old friends and neighbors and a time for newcomers to acquaint themselves with the heartbeat of the county's farming heritage. This year, for the first time in my life, I entered the Homemaker & Gardener's Exhibit. My eggplants won a blue ribbon in the vegetable category and my Asian pears received second place in fruit. This represents a major milestone in my gardening life, and a slice of what it means to celebrate the harvest...

There was a time when my answering machine message read, "I'm sorry I'm not able to take your call. I'm either on the other line or I'm out in the garden. Just leave your name and number and I'll get back to you shortly." Aside from family, the garden came before business and anything else. Nowadays, it's a constant juggle of tasks that get rearranged by the hour depending on what "to do" issue arrives first in one of my e-mail boxes! If I had to explain why I wasn't answering the phone these days, my voice mail message would read, "I'm sorry I'm not able to take your call. It's complicated. Just know your call matters to me and I'll get back to you as soon as I'm able." But the garden hasn't fallen by the wayside. Yes, I've had to cut back on the amount of gardening I do, but what I've sustained has become a source of sanity and inspiration. Those eggplants and Asian pears, along with a variety of other vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers, fill the view of the only window I have in my office - fortunately, a six-foot wide window. I have a routine of tending the garden to keep me grounded, and anytime I feel overwhelmed or reach a creative block while I'm in my office, I just glance out the window to clear my mind. If looking out the window doesn't suffice, I just step outside to tend the garden a bit more and everything settles into place. When I'm traveling and need a little grounding, you might see me tending the flowers or shrubs in the office park!

Today, I not only celebrate the harvest of what grows in my garden, but what grows in me as a result of having a garden... Peace!