Most folks put their gardens to bed in October. My tomatoes, corn and beans were rightfully composted, but I couldn’t abandon my bed of greens and herbs. I carefully covered my hearty friends with an old sheet at night, then shook off the morning frost just before I hopped the 8:15 a.m. bus.

There was more cloud cover then sunshine. But, my kale and sage made to the Thanksgiving dinner table.

During the long grey December, I promised not to let winter go to waste. If I couldn’t dig in the soil, I would read about soil. If I couldn’t eat my own produce, I’d research how produce travels from farm country to my dinner plate. Bee keeping, edible landscaping, slow food - There was so much to learn!

After the holidays, my good intentions fizzled out. I got distracted by knitting needles, Bravo’s Project Runway and video games. I made a lot of scones and a killer orange-saffron pound cake with lemon glaze. I helped my friend Zahra with her ESL homework. I did not think about the garden until the compost bucket overflowed onto the kitchen counter and I had to bundle up in warm clothes to dump the molding mass outside.