Ok now I’m curious, after several comments on another thread about how easy growing garlic is, how could a master gardener go wrong?

As for Annie being great, that won’t come as a surprise to many here! ;)

Annie sent me rhubarb from her garden, bread and molasses cookies when I was feeling down and out. She has a big heart.

Any time I feel out-of-sorts with the world, I come here if only to read some of the older threads looking for recipes. The level of caring in this group is incredible. Anybody who asks for help/advice/suggestions never walks away without some answers. And we cheer each others' successes. I'm humbled and so happy to be part of it!

I am glad you are feeling cheered up and that Annie offered to help. Plus garlic is always a good thing.

This is a hard moment to stay upbeat with Covid, politics, environment and in my case an impending long solitary winter. I found myself irrationally angry at my mom yesterday. I stopped over and there was my 80 year old mom and her partner (who has been unwell) entertaining non mask wearing guests inside in close quarters. I have worked hard to be in a pod with them for months. I left and got angry afterwards. What I really needed to do is say is ‘My mom is high risk, please wash your hands, here are a couple of masks - have a nice evening’. And then let it go...

Like Edie, I love noodling around old threads, (wow I've been here 10 years!). The friendship and caring is truly wonderful, this is 'family' to me.

And Annie, well she's a treasure all on her own. Love you, Annie!

dcarch - I'm glad that you are feeling a bit more upbeat now.

Annie is a peach!!!!! She has given me some great advise over the years and has inspired me in several food preservation activities. She has also been very helpful with advise on raising our small Hereford cattle herd.

I love Annie's Salsa! The work she did to get that recipe approved was so selfless. So many have enjoyed the fruit of that labor over the years.

I love sharing and trading seed garlic with others and try to do it every year. I sent some to a GW gardener in PA just a couple weeks ago. I grew about a dozen varieties a few years back but have now settled on three that consistently do well in my garden.

Glad you're now 'up', dcarch. That Annie is a sweetheart.

agmss, I'm in the same boat and know that anger/frustration!!! I've been working for months to keep my mother 'safe' and suddenly there's no stopping her. She's meeting up for lunch and dinner at restaurants with friends, shopping, going to the hairdresser's, etc., and she's TERRIBLE about wearing a mask and staying away from people. arghhh!!!

Most people are good. Annie is greeeeeat!

Annie took good care of Kevin and me when we visited her and Elery last summer. She was the perfect hostess, and I hope we get to see each other again soon.

Glad to hear you're feeling better, dcarch. This isolation thing is getting to us all. I hope Annie's given you a path to staying upbeat.

Well, you are sweet....and so is this whole community! We keep each other cooking and sharing and eating wonderful things!

Annie, you are just one of the very best people. I'm always cheered by your kindness and generosity.

Dcarch, you voiced what I've been secretly feeling but not daring to acknowledge even to myself until sometime last week. And I'm glad you received the encouragement you needed to overcome the depressive episode.

Coming here to this forum is in large part what helps me to stay steady and moving forward with hope for an end to this pandemic and what it's brought. I glean coping mechanisms, better ways to view something and rationality from posters at one time or another when something particularly resonates with me.

And I agree with everyone, Annie, you are so integral to making this community the great thing it is, a daily inspiration to be a good human and not let things get us down.

Sometimes, you just need to shut off the TV and the radio and decompress. It's hard to figure out whats true and whats garbage (or what's true and garbage) when it comes to politics theses days. Both parties sling a lot of bull and don't care about facts or collateral damage.

I'm glad Annie could cheer you up. She's a treasure!

Just FYI, Annie saved my garden growing butt this spring when I missed the memo to get seeds in advance just in case there would be a natural disaster . . . Thanks friend and here's the first of the harvest!

Ohh, those maters` look delectable, enjoy them.

Oh, L, those do look good! Looks like a Mortgage Lifter, Pineapple and probably Golden Jubilee? I'm always glad to share seeds, especially since one single tomato gives me so many more than I need. Plus, I don't have to count on the seed companies during a pandemic when everyone wants to start a garden!

Annie

💗

For years I relied on getting good varieties at work, so it's taking me a while to shift gears from my life centering on working away from home vs working AT home. I'm more than all set for next year though . . . The mortgage lifters have been "interesting" to say the least. So far the one pictures had been the one and only to ripen . . . any day though now, right??!!