Today was an at-home day, which I haven't had in a while. I started by repotting some of the Gerber daisies that I usually nurse through the winter. The gorgeous pink one threw up a last set of flowers right as I brought them in. But when I dug up the orange-flowered plant, it had turned into three, and I finally got potting soil to mix with the garden dirt and encourage them all. Thelma gave me one of her geraniums, which she always has good luck with. It may be that Thelma is the geranium-grower and I am the Gerber-daisy grower, in which case we'll have a plant swap in April.
Then I worked in the yard, to start the fall cleanup and do some restoration after the brook cleanup. I replanted a lilac that had to be moved, and a butternut sapling that Tim and I found when he was here, which the contractor was able to rescue. I probably didn't plant the trees deep enough, because it was difficult digging and my energy flagged. I hope that compost and a hefty layer of hay will get them through the winter. If they don't survive, I will be disappointed, but since I didn't buy them I have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
In the afternoon I made a much more applesauce than I expected, from a roadside apple tree in front of somebody's vacant vacation house. I was surprised at how sour those dark red apples were when they cooked down, and happily surprised at how little sugar and cinnamon it took to make a tasty not-too-sweet applesauce. Now I have several jars on the bottom shelf of the fridge.
Next is to make the rest of the pickled beets, a slow, messy job. I think I'll leave that for Sunday.
It was nice to be home and not feel that I ever had to "be somewhere". I need to have a day like this more regularly.
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