Week 10: Ready for Rest

This is a week late! Sorry for the delay.

July 7-11

Last week, all of us felt the physical effects of gardening. Bending or kneeling to weed for several hours at a time can strain an otherwise healthy back. Don’t get me wrong—I love that my job requires me to be outside, hoeing weeds and spreading mulch even in the afternoon sun. My arms are tan and strong, and I feel healthy and happy. But by Friday afternoon, we were all ready for a two-day nap.

Last week, we aimed to weed and mulch everything at both gardens to cut down on later maintenance. While we didn’t achieve our goal, we are close. On Monday, we weeded the melons at 38th. Zach left for a ministry trip to Puerto Rico on Tuesday, leaving Kayla in charge of the interns. At the Victory Acres CSA drop off on Tuesday, she and I met many people who were picking up shares for their friends—after the holiday weekend, many people were out of town, including Patrick, who came back on Wednesday. On Wednesday, we weeded the okra, beets, and spinach at 46th, and watered everything that was not on the drip line. We also put in cages around the tomatoes. In the afternoon, Patrick and I began to mulch the beets. On Thursday, I cleared out the area by the shed at 46tth, transplanted mint, and mulched. Josh trimmed the overgrown bush at the base of one of the trees, and the others watered, weeded, and harvested raspberries and black raspberries. In the afternoon, Kayla and I shopped for a second-hand refrigerator. We bought one at a used appliance store on Washington St., and had the IWU furniture movers install it. Friday morning, we picked lettuce, Swiss chard, and spinach, which we washed at the Alliance House in the afternoon. Throughout the week, we caught more Japanese Beetles than the chickens could eat.

While we had a productive week, we were all thankful to have a weekend to rest. I am thankful for the weekly rhythms that God has set in place, as well as those that we have set in place. We are now working longer in the morning so that we can avoid the hottest part of the afternoon. I enjoy waking up with the sunrise and walking to work when the grass is still wet with dew. I also enjoy our extended lunch breaks, which allow me to sit down and relax instead of just eating and rushing back to work. Each night, I go to bed knowing that I worked hard and that my efforts are literally bearing fruit.

Hannah Combs

Alliance Garden Intern