by hatfield13

Friday Five

#1  –  We spent yesterday afternoon here, picking lovely, fat blueberries, which led to…

#2  –  Blueberry pancakes for breakfast this morning!

#3 –  Speaking of blueberries, have you seen Laurel Snyder’s adorable book trailer for her middle grade novel Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains?  Laurel’s running a contest on her blog right now to give away a free copy.

#4 – I spent a delightful Thursday evening with readers and writers at the Wells Memorial Library in Upper Jay, NY.  Elizabeth Inness-Brown and I were the featured authors at this installment of the Adirondack Center for Writing’s “Readings Around the Park” series. 

I finished reading Elizabeth’s novel Burning Marguerite just hours before the reading, so I loved hearing her read and talk about her process.  Burning Marguerite is a beautifully written book that reminded me of Annie Proulx’s The Shipping News.  If you missed this one when it came out a few years ago, it’s definitely a novel worthy of these last couple weeks of summer.

#5 – My composting worms have become little garbage-eating machines down in the basement.

Last week, I gave the worms a pretty healthy collection of cucumber and zucchini scraps and pear cores.  Here’s what was left —

Just a tissue paper-thin skin from the cucumber peels.

And the end I cut off a zucchini, in the process of being devoured.

At the moment, they’re chowing down on melon rinds, banana peels, and coffee grounds.  My vermicomposting bible, Mary Appelhof’s Worms Eat My Garbage, says you can dump in the coffee grounds pretty much every day.  I do it, but I keep giggling, imagining thousands of little worms all revved up on caffeine.  Maybe that’s why they’re getting so much done.

8 Replies on “Friday Five”

  1. Worms

    We study worms in my first grade classes and the kids love it! They always end up naming several of them. This year we had a few babies born in the kid’s hands! It was hard to let them go at the end of the unit! You have motivated me to get the book and begin the process at home! My kids will be in heaven… Joe will die! 🙂 Thanks!

  3. The blueberries have been wonderful this year. I’ve picked six+ quarts off the four bushes that grow under our bedroom window and there are more to come.

    Your worms are inspirational. We’ve got an outdoor composter, but I’m toying with the idea of worms for indoors this winter. If we have much snow, the trudge to the composter can be a bit long in the winter.

  5. Re: Worms

    I haven’t seen any cocoons yet, but I’m watching for them.

    The whole thing is very cool for the kids to watch – once the worms get busy, they’re pretty efficient. We’ll make sure they’re due for a good feeding when you guys visit next weekend! (Can’t wait!!!)

  7. Wormy inspiration

    Hi Kate,

    You’ve inspired me! I just ordered your worm book. 2 copies, one for me and a friend. When I last saw Joanna she got me excited about worms, but you’ve clinched the deal. My worms may not do so well as yours because nobody drinks coffee in my house! Maybe I can get the neighbors to donate some. 🙂

    Happy end of summer,

    Julie