Bob's Herb Garden

I have written before about our wonderful neighbor, Bob. He's the neighbor who is endlessly patient with his great-granddaughter, and the neighbor who does all of that gardening, in his yard, on the street, and in the Amesbury community garden. He shares his produce with his neighbors and plants special crops when he hears that someone likes a particular vegetable. Just ask Neil, who easy received 10 pounds of beets from Bob last summer, because of a casual comment that he made in Bob's presence, about how he likes pickled beets.

 Last summer Bob had a few herbs growing in containers at the end of his driveway. His basil was like a sapling and it would reach out and slap you as you walked by, grabbing you, drawing you into its leaves. Bob said that he didn't even really know what basil was...It's just there. No one's using it. Get some whenever you like. So, I did. Come late summer, I would often find myself in the middle of dinner preparations, realize that the dish would be better with fresh basil...and I'd grab a pair of scissors and head down to Bob's house. At the end of last summer Bob told Neil that he was thinking of making an "herb garden" at the end of his drive next season.

 Well, it's now "next season" and Bob is true to his word. I heard that Bob had planted some herbs and even remarked to him that his basil looked good. This week he stopped me and asked what I think of rosemary - I replied that it's one of my favorite herbs and I use it quite a bit when I cook. What did I find when I visited his yard a few days later? Rosemary. Oh, Bob. In all, he has planted four different herbs in pots at the end of his drive. Plus, there is a volunteer herb that comes back every year, "But, I don't know what it is! Hell, it just keeps coming back! I don't know what to do with it!" Basil and rosemary for me; dill for Richard; parsley and what I have determined to be sage, for all. 
Baby basil...just wait until the end of the season!

The rosemary that Bob just planted for me. Aw. 

Dill, which Bob planted for Richard.

I have determined this to be sage. Am I right?

Curly parsley...just getting started. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Love Note to Murray, Four Years Out

Image
Dear Murray: You left this world four years ago tomorrow. I miss you. I think of you every day. Each year since your departure, I have chronicled another year without you (your initial departure in 2016 , and then in years 2017 , 2018 , and 2019 ) and this year is no exception. I have noted many times that I adored you, that you shaped my career in ways that were unimaginable for me when I met you, that you were, and still are, my foundation for social science research, my role model for collaborating with others, and that every day I aspire to your optimism, warm spirit, dedication, curiosity, and generous nature. And, every day I am reminded of you, in small ways, in big ways, and in all ways, in between. Recently, my administrative assistant didn’t have quite enough tasks to keep her busy. She asked me for more work several times. Just this week, I decided to give her some tasks -- for when she has down time -- that would help me with some analyses I’m about to underta
Read more

Remembering Murray, Three Years Out

Image
I am remembering Murray this week, three years after his DOD. I think that I will always associate the end of an academic year with the time that we lost Murray. We knew that he was suffering and that he didn't have much time left. I was grading late into the night, feeling the pressure of what I call "the season of extremes" in academia. I had gotten little sleep when I heard from Murray's assistant: a text alert on my phone and then a phone call to let me know that Murray had passed away. I'm not able to visit his grave to mark the anniversary this year, instead I'm in the Caribbean. Murray would approve. He loved travel. I have my computer so that I can put out some fires at work and maybe submit that paper that I have in queue. Yes, Murray would approve of this, too. So, this week, I am holding close some of my favorite memories of Murray... Sitting with him at the long table in his office, hearing him talk about work and life Watching his enthusia
Read more

What Happens When a Stress Fracture Won't Heal?

Image
That's right. I have at least two stress fractures that won't heal. I've had one for about 15 weeks and a second for at least 18 months. When a fractured bone won't heal, it's called a non-union fracture . I get quite a kick out of this. Makes me think of my bones slaving away in a sweatshop or something! What do we do to try to get non-union bones to heal? First, health providers put you in a surgical boot. Say good-bye to the surgical shoe. It's all about the boot now. My boot looks just like this one. I don't really want to know how long I have to wear it. Despite it being clunky and a miserable fashion statement, it is much better than the surgical shoe -- in terms of walking. It also seems nearly impossible to re-injure oneself in this contraption! Driving a standard is definitely a no-no. Photo from Ortho Tape Second, we get a bone stimulator. I know, who knew there was such a thing?  Apparently before the days of bone stimulation, there was su
Read more