So back to that finding joy…
This summer my family did our best to keep it creative and regional by hopping around to states where travel is safe while heeding all precautions. It helps that we live in New England, home to meadows, forests, mountains, and beaches. It also helps we love nature! So hiking is our escape. The beach became our playground. Being inventive with social distancing while still exploring nature’s bounty became our norm.
I also gloried in caring for my flower gardens and fruit bushes/trees…plus I added my first ever vegetable garden! I took good notes to apply next year but I am pretty proud of my success! I grew zucchini, lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, snap peas, green beans, broccoli, two types of tomatoes, and basil. Not bad for a 4 x 8 raised bed. My raspberry bushes are on overdrive this fall. For the first time this year, I got a June yield (small) in addition to the monstrous September yield (that bowl below is from one day, and I get that much daily or every other day. They will keep on going until frost says no more!). I’ve frozen so many berries and given away just as many. My raspberries definitely found joy this summer. :) My apple trees are happy, too. Now to get those green tomatoes to ripen as frost is knocking on the door…