Growing up and Gardens

Good morning and welcome back to Miz Judi’s Kitchen. I hope this finds all happy and healthy.

We are finally getting some much needed rain! Thank you God! Have you ever noticed that when you really need something, he always provides it? We were so dry, and watering the garden with a hose, just doesn’t make it shoot up like a good rain.

This morning it looks like the plants have grown about 2 inches. After the rain they are really looking good. I told you the other day we had some bell peppers popping out, and now we have a few little tomatoes and some banana peppers. I do believe that maybe by next week or even possibly the end of this week, I will pick my first peppers, and I can’t wait.

Now, talking about the garden made me think back to when I was little, and how we used to have a big garden! This was simply because, as you know, back then most people grew what they needed to eat.

One day Mama and the older girls had gone out to pick the garden. Well, me and my brother waited for them to get back. Ted and I didn’t have to pick, but we did have to help shell the peas when they come in with them. I’m telling you, when they picked the peas, it would take all day to finish them, and that was with seven people shelling! Mama and Daddy grew a lot of peas, well really, most everything else too. Dub says they didn’t have just a few kids, he says they had a herd!

They got back, and me and Ted was just a waiting to start, we were on ready, I’m here to tell you! This was so we could get through with the peas, and go back to playing! This one particular day though, it seemed like we shelled and shelled, and those peas just kept growing in that pile.

What Mama would do is stack them on the porch, and then we would all start shelling them. Looking back, it didn’t seem like the older kids minded it as much. But I’m here to tell you, me and Ted had more important “fish to fry,” than sitting on that ole’ porch…shelling peas! Why, we had to go do things like chase the dog, or scare the chickens, you know, priorities!

The older girls knew once they got the peas shelled, all they had to do then was get ready for their boyfriends. Because with it being the weekend that was the only time they could date.

Now, they all took a break and went inside for a minute. Ted and I got a great idea, or at least we thought it was at the time, but as I recall, I don’t think it went over too good! With this being the case, our plans didn’t go just like we thought they would.

I don’t remember which one of us came up with this bright idea, but anyway, what we’d decided to do was take a bunch of those unshelled peas, and stick them up under the pea hulls like they’d already been shelled. By doing this, we would be off doing what we wanted to do, just here shortly!

So we did, and boy we were so proud of ourselves, what a great idea we’d had! Well here came Mama, and she wanted to know right off, what had happened to all the peas? We stood up and told her we had shelled them all while they were taking a break. She looked straight at us, and asked one more time, “Where are all those peas?”

Then she added to this a quick, “And you better not lie to me.”

Now, we knew better then to stand there and lie to her, so we went to digging all those peas back out of that pile of pea hulls, and needless to say, she wasn’t none too happy with us! Oh yeah, we spent most all the next day shelling peas too, and it wasn’t bothering us one bit, since we’d narrowly escaped a good tearin’ up the day before! Thinking back now, I believe it was at least another couple days before we got back to doing our more important things once again.

Now that I look back on how hard she had to work to keep putting food on the table, and on top of that, looking after seven kids and a husband, I wonder now, how she ever had any time too herself? In all honesty, I really don’t believe she had any.

As I’ve gotten older, I realize now just how hard my Mama did have it, and what was demanded of her, day in and day out. I don’t think I ever heard her complain, and I know I told her many times throughout her life that I loved her, but I’d like to say once more today, that, “I love you Mama, and thank you for being just the way you were!”

I can tell you, she didn’t much like many women, because back then, you took care of your families, and worked right along with your husbands in the fields, but there were many who didn’t, and Mama felt that just wasn’t right! You did everything you could to see that you and yours were taken care of, and if you didn’t, well Mama wouldn’t give you the time of day!

So I guess what we all need to do when we get to feeling like we have no time to ourselves, is just stop and think about want our parents had to do, so you could have a better life.

Not only that, but we should be ashamed for letting what they taught us, to just get thrown out the window, and by that, I mean we’re not passing these same traits and values, along to our kids, and grandkids.

I know times have changed, but does that mean all of our values have changed with it? I don’t think so, and if you do, do you feel this has made you a better person, or parent, by not remembering what our own parents and grandparents taught us? Please remember this as well, many of them gave their lives so we could all be free, and to say and do what we feel we need to!

Are we going to be sure that we pass these traits and values along for our children and grandchildren, or are we simply going to let our past freedoms slip away from us, and our children and grandchildren being the ones to suffer from our own negligence?

So till next time, keep a smile on your face, and one in your heart.

May God Bless each and every one.

Deb

This entry was posted in Ridin out the Recession. Bookmark the permalink.

2 Responses to Growing up and Gardens

  1. Dede Bright says:

    Welcome to composting — and I think you’ll like “lasagna” gardening … I learned it a few years ago. A lady by the name of Ruth Stout “discovered” it a number of years ago. She realized as she got older she was not going to be able to continue on and on with incorporating compost into her garden. Then she noticed nature — something we don’t do that well, unless you’ve been living there and watching for a while. She realized that no one’s been composting things in nature — in a forest, etc. No, what happens is that leaves fall, wind blows, etc., and “compost” happens naturally. So she just started layering things in her garden — straw to keep the ground cool and retain moisture, etc. She just let time and nature take it’s course. And there I’d been killing my back for several years, wondering how I was going to keep that up as I got older. It’s all going to break down any way. Oh — and for those birds that love your tomatoes?? (Cardinals! Oh how I love them, how they decimate my tomato crops!) Hang red Christmas ball ornaments on your tomato plants! They get attracted to their reflections – it does help some!

    • admin says:

      Good morning Dede! It is amazing how nature looks after itself, and heals whatever needs healing, isn’t it? We all fall short in regards to stopping, and taking a step back from time to time, to see that many times, a simple solution may very well be the best. This is true in regards to composting. I am one who never took the time to see the benefits it supplies. All from nature. I haven’t tried a lasagna garden, but I’m sure we will! Thanks to you, and many just like you, you guys have opened my eyes for sure, in regards to a number of things! We appreciate your tips in regards to our tomatoes versus the cardinals!
      Thanks for coming in to see us, and God Bless. Feel free to drop in anytime…the door’s always open!
      D&D

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>