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Enjoying outdoor living now and planting ideas for Christmas at same time

By Mary Golem

I love eating outdoors!

There’s something about blue skies and fresh air that makes even the simplest of meals taste like the finest gourmet dining experience.

Part of it must be the fact you have to balance your plate on knees. Or maybe it’s the closesness of crowding around a picnic table or campfire that can’t be found or matched in any fancy dining room.

Outdoor meals also make the best memories.

Remembering picnics as a child when your entire family would share sandwiches carefully packed in a picnic basket (no coolers in those days) We’d spread a blanket on the ground, the kids fighting amongst themselves as to who had more of the blanket. More often than not, it would be too windy to even spread the blanket properly and just about the time all of us finally become comfortable - or at least somewhat satisfied with our space on the blanket - a horde of mosquitoes would arrive. Guess they have to eat too.

Even a simple peanut butter sandwich tastes better when eaten outdoors. Putting up with those unwanted mosquitoes, flies or even ants was worth it.

I remember one picnic when a strange dog snatched my sandwich when I wasn’t looking and another time when I accidentally knocked the grate into the fire and not only did my dinner flop into the flames, so did everyone else’s. There’s always Kraft dinner and pork ‘n beans to fall back on when that happens ... that is, if you remember the can opener.

I guess it’s that surprise, somewhat adventurous aspect of eating outdoors that makes it so wonderful. Nothing, for example, gets more attention or your heart racing quite like “strange” noises in the woods!

Holiday time is now just hours away for me. I can’t wait for the opportunity to gobble down a campfire serving of eggs, sausage, leftover potatoes and toast. I’m sure I could serve a thousand breakfasts inside that would be more nutritious, but none will ever taste as one of those early morning meals.

Outdoor eating is just more reason that summer should last longer than it does!

***

Hopefully the rain is behind us and we’re in for some nice warm summer weather. While it is hard to think about Christmas when we still have so much outdoor living to do this summer, now is the time to do a little of advance Christmas “shopping” – if you want to give gifts from your garden.

Start by taking note of your perkiest, brightest blooms. Keep an eye on them and later, when they have gone to seed, collect the seeds, dry, label and save them. Wrap them in colourful envelopes and enclose a note a poem like the following one I received when a friend did this for me.

“In the Bible we read

The time to scatter

These tiny seeds

Is when the ground

Is barefoot warm

And time is past

For a winter storm.

Save this package

Until spring:

Then enjoy the flowers

Summer will bring.”

When spring arrives, there’s an added benefit. You’ll have to call or visit the recipient of your envelope full of seeds, reminding them to plant their seeds. From the flowers that grow, bushels of happiness can be harvested.

Now is the time to plant such an idea.