Sunday Ruminations #2

Dateline: 3 July 2005

First Things First

I want to say thank you to those folks who have posted messages here this last week in response to my blog entries. I am reading what you post, and I would like to respond to some comments (and may do so in the future) but time prevents me from doing so in these busy days of summer. It is all I can do to get the blogs typed and uploaded. But I am enjoying this immensely.

I especially appreciate it when you refer your friends to The Deliberate Agrarian, as Rick Saenz did this week at Dry Creek Chronicles. Thanks for the encouraging words, Rick.

Marlene’s Blog

My wife does not have a blog (yet). But she says that if she did, she would call it Working From Son Up To Son Down.

This Morning in The Garden

I wish that every morning could be as perfect as today was here on our little homestead. It was the kind of morning that you remember and long for in the depths of a cold and barren winter. It was nothing short of Edenic. I was in my garden early. There is no place else on earth that I would rather be than in my garden on a beautiful summer morning.

My curled-leaf parsley plants are really starting to bush out. I broke off a dewey sprig and ate it. My first taste of the season. Wow, it was good! Just a touch of grit on the leaves, but nothing serious. I had another. When the tomatoes are ready, I will have tomato, parsley, mayo, and garlic powder sandwiches, made with Marlene’s homemade bread, of course. The Moderns think that parsley is a garnish, only to be looked at. Silly people.

The summer squash plants are lush and healthy. The peas are going by, as is the rhubarb. The melon plants entered a “hypergrowth” stage this past week. Broccoli is coming on.

Marlene came out and, together, we planted two more beds of green beans. I prepare the ground. She plants. I cover and water. She will harvest. I planted some cilantro too. Hopefully, it is not too late. We will use it to make fresh salsa.

Strawberry Joke

Last night we were all sitting around the kitchen table, tired from a busy day. David was picking through a stainless steel bowl of strawberries that Marlene had picked. I selected a particularly big one and said, “Look. This is the Mother of all strawberries.” David searched the bowl and pulled out a bigger one, “That wasn’t the mother of all strawberries. This is the mother of all strawberries!” I looked and said, “That isn’t the mother of all strawberries. It’s the Mother, Father, Grandmother, Grandfather, Mama Bear and Papa bear of all strawberries!!”

Everyone burst into laughter. When it died down, we burst into laughter again. We couldn’t stop. David was practically rolling on the floor. I had tears in my eyes. Marlene quipped, “I didn’t think it was that funny.” To which we all started laughing again. Like I said, we were tired.

Speaking of Strawberries

As I was preparing strawberries for the freezer last week (see On Picking Strawberries in The Early Morning) one of my sons said something very insightful. He told me that he had some strawberries at his Aunt Linda’s. They were from Grisamores (the local u-pick operation). He told me they were nowhere near as sweet and good as our strawberries. This delighted me to no end. My son has become a strawberry connoisseur.

More On Oatmeal

My blog on The Breakfast of Agrarians resonated with a lot of people. Sherri in California wrote me the following:

“The best oatmeal I ever had was in a B&B in Scotland (for a family reunion). I tried to find out why and finally got the answer (3 years later). They use pin head oats-- a groat cut into thirds-- which are soaked overnight, then cooked for 45 minutes.”

Today’s Sermon

Church today was more crowded than usual. Always nice to see. The sermon was on the subject of Freedom. How freedom isn’t free, nationally or spiritually. Jesus paid the price for our sins and set us free in Him. True freedom comes from knowing Him and being in His will.

We sang The Battle Hymn of the Republic. Many people think the Founders of this once-great-but-now-declining nation established a Democracy. This is wrong. They pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to give us a Republic. There is a huge difference.

We’re Having A Party

Lots of friends & family are due here in about an hour. We’ll be celebrating Independence Day with food, fun, and a bonfire tonight. Wish you folks could all be here. Now, wouldn’t That be fun!