Mistakes Make Great Teachers
It’s no wonder I failed NaNoWriMo both times I tried. Writing can be strenuous and I am seldom an Energy Bunny. I have my bright moments but I burn out quickly. My plate is rather small. I can handle only small portions. I try to do them daily. I will not crank out an amazing novel this month. I won’t be able to total up to 50,000 words by month end. That would entail writing 1,700 words daily, an impossible task for me. I tend to be a Hallmark card writer – short and sweet.
Short and sweet works on a busy day. It doesn’t have to be creative or poetic. Just get to the point. Put down the facts. I can analyze and deduce at a later date. Yesterday was such. I was very tired but I pushed through to post here. It’s a recording of seeding the vegetable greens. It showed what kind of greens, the temperature in the greenhouse and the date.
My mental list for today was a 7 am swim. I cancelled it at bedtime knowing how tired I was. I don’t have to do everything. It will give someone else a spot to swim instead of me just not showing up. I’m learning to be more thoughtful and methodical in this Covid time. It was a good move because getting up during the night caused me considerable back pain. Was it the shovelling of dirt and lugging it to the greenhouse? Did I worked out too hard in my morning exercise class? I obviously didn’t do either right. Not hip hinging but bending over incorrectly.
It occurred to me the water might have been beneficial. But I can’t second guess myself. The quiet time of nothing to do in the morning was heaven, the best rest and pain reliever. The tylenol didn’t hurt. Time out also allowed me opportunity to view some videos on greenhouses and growing vegetables in cold climates. Not all videos are equal though. Some are boring because the presenter was long winded. Some took forever to get to the jist even though there were interesting and useful information. My favourite guy is the OYR Frugal & Sustainable Gardening. It helps that he is a musician and has a cat. Have a look for yourself.
I now know that I already made mistakes seeding in planters instead of right in the ground. Things freeze easier in planters. Our raised beds in the greenhouse are not yet made. I was in a hurry. I felt the march of time towards winter. But no worries. Making mistakes is probably the best teacher. Besides, we have no idea what will happen in the greenhouse this winter. We don’t know what this winter will be like. Having both, seedings in planters and the raised beds will give us simultaneous comparisons. All is not loss. There’s much to be gained from mistakes.
I’ve taken some temperature readings in the greenhouse over the course of the day. Keep in mind, we do not have a door yet, just a sheet for the covering. It will make for a quicker loss of heat once the sun goes down.
| Time | Greenhouse Temperature | Outside Temp. |
| 7 am | 2C | 1C no sun |
| 9:24 am | 7C | 2C |
| 10:50 am | 25C | 7C |
| 12 noon | 34C | 10C |
| 4:40 pm | 20C | 14C no sun |
That’s it for my day. No heroic deeds but a few steps around the neighbourhood. It’s a nice habit to get back to. How strange our weather. It was a balmy 14 degrees Celsius. I sat in the sun and meditated with my little monk when I got back. Then I harvested basil from my desktop garden, chopped them up and infused with olive oil in an ice cube tray to freeze for future use. A nice, aromatic end.
onethousandandtwo 