By LYNNE IRONS

Many thanks to Abigail Higgins for chairing the monthly meeting of Homegrown. This was our third meeting attended by 20 or so would-be gardeners. We had the table heaped with seed catalogues and had a lively discussion about starting seeds indoors. Abigail encouraged us to purchase our starting mixture as opposed to using plain garden soil, to discourage damping off, a fungal problem caused by too heavy or too wet conditions that kills emerging seedlings.

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By LYNNE IRONS

I used the New Year’s Eve storm and the next day’s bitter cold to spend some time in the kitchen. I wanted to “make do” with what was on hand . . .

Use it up

Wear it out

Make it do

Or do without

By LYNNE IRONS

My chickens have not given me an egg in almost a month. I have a small flock — one elderly rooster, 11 assorted hens and three teenagers who are too young to begin producing. Hens lay according to the light and since I refuse to force the issue and add a light to the coop, I shall have to wait. I have taken note lately and observed that they went in to roost at 4:29 p.m. on the solstice, but by the Saturday after Christmas bedtime was 4:32 p.m. Almost imperceptibly, the days are lengthening.

By LYNNE IRONS

About 30 years ago I spent my first Christmas morning alone. My children had a spend-over visit with their father. I was lounging in bed, feeling a bit sorry for myself, when I heard a ruckus in my kitchen and a loud, “Hey!” It was Craig Kingsbury with my donkey, Juan. He had apparently been roaming State Road in search of a Christmas pageant perhaps when Craig apprehended him. Talk about an eventful morning — removing a 700-pound animal from one’s kitchen in a nightgown with the help of an amused man.

Load 16 tons,

What do you get?

Another day older

And deeper in debt!

I ran into Nancy Hall in the Vineyard Haven post office, who reminded me of this song from the early sixties. We spent some time lamenting our sorry state of financial affairs nation and worldwide.