Post by aimee30 on Jun 27, 2004 11:42:28 GMT -5
I don't usually share the stuff I write, but I decided to try this one out on you all. Hope you enjoy.
I intended to find my garden today. And I did do that. But an amazing story unfolded there, and this story I will share with you.
My garden is small and my plants are few but when I arrived there I found plants a-plenty! For the sake of avoiding confusion we will hereafter refer to these plants as "weeds" And they were everywhere!
Well family, at first assessment of the situation, these weeds seemed to be growing in harmony with my little vegetable plants. All were green and healthy. And I was provoked to wonder if perhaps some sort of alliance had formed between them...something that I, not being a plant could not possibly understand. The runners on my little cucumber plants even seemed to be embracing the weeds!
Well, I thought for a minute that maybe, rather than to interupt such an obviously close relationship..maybe I should just let them continue as they were and see what happened. Now I have a famously bad memory, but this time it kicked in from out of nowhere, and I remembered! I have seen this tried before, and never with any degree of success. The weeds thrive, the veggies die. And I further reasoned that the possibility exhisted that instead of a friendly hug, my little cucumbers might have been trying to choke the weeds, they may have been in a struggle for their very lives.
But not being one to make hasty decisions, I conversed briefly with the weeds. " If I let you live " I asked them, "What would you contribute to the feeding of my family? " Those weeds did not speak a solitary word! This was nearly proof positive that I should just take them out then and there. And family, you may call me biased, but I did not even ask my little cucumbers and tomatoes that question, for once again, BOOM, my memory went into overdrive!
Now I know that is nearly unbelievable, me remembering twice in such a short time period, but I can only think that it was the fact that it was so early in the morning and my brain was yet uncluttered by any daily events. But I promise you it did happen.
I remembered many times in the past when gardens have stood between mountain folk and starvation. Now I am not implying, nor do I want anyone to think that me and my family are starving. Any records kept by Kroger can attest to that as can my bathroom scales.
But we do enjoy fresh produce, and it`s not really fresh unless you get it from your own garden. So with my decision made, I started to pluck the weeds from the life-giving soil.
I must say I had very little remorse. I had already come to terms with the realization that even if a friendship had begun to bud between the weeds and my vegetable plants, there was probably deceit at the root of it . They ( the weeds) had probably promised undying loyalty to my little plants, knowing all the while that at first opportunity they would rise up and overshadow the tiny plants, stealing their sunlight, drinking their water, taking till there was nothing left, and laughing as the veggies lay dying!
I couldn't let that happen! So I worked quickly. Even covered in bug spray as I was, the mosquitos buzzed around me, threatening to attack!
And then I found it. The cucumber! It was about four inches long and would be ready to eat in a day or two. It had tried harder than any of it's siblings to grow and be the first one to the table. I weeded the area around that cucumber carefully giving it lots of room to grow. I hoed my tomatoes and corn and pumpkins. My garden was saved! I felt proud of my mornings work!
I looked again at the cucumber. It looked larger. I picked it. I couldn't seem to stop myself..it happened so quickly. Well, then I was in another situation of sorts. Every member of my family loves cucumbers. I couldn't think of one of them that would enjoy or appreciate that cucumber more than the others. And what to do? If anyone was ailing the decision would be easy.
Almost all mountain folk know that fresh garden stuff has tremendous healing properties. But we're all fit as fiddles. So I had no other choice, I had to eat it myself. I couldn't choose one child over the other!
And I remember that the cucumber had a brother..almost as large as himself...I could find myself in the same pickle tomorrow..if you'll pardon the pun ...smile and have a great day
I intended to find my garden today. And I did do that. But an amazing story unfolded there, and this story I will share with you.
My garden is small and my plants are few but when I arrived there I found plants a-plenty! For the sake of avoiding confusion we will hereafter refer to these plants as "weeds" And they were everywhere!
Well family, at first assessment of the situation, these weeds seemed to be growing in harmony with my little vegetable plants. All were green and healthy. And I was provoked to wonder if perhaps some sort of alliance had formed between them...something that I, not being a plant could not possibly understand. The runners on my little cucumber plants even seemed to be embracing the weeds!
Well, I thought for a minute that maybe, rather than to interupt such an obviously close relationship..maybe I should just let them continue as they were and see what happened. Now I have a famously bad memory, but this time it kicked in from out of nowhere, and I remembered! I have seen this tried before, and never with any degree of success. The weeds thrive, the veggies die. And I further reasoned that the possibility exhisted that instead of a friendly hug, my little cucumbers might have been trying to choke the weeds, they may have been in a struggle for their very lives.
But not being one to make hasty decisions, I conversed briefly with the weeds. " If I let you live " I asked them, "What would you contribute to the feeding of my family? " Those weeds did not speak a solitary word! This was nearly proof positive that I should just take them out then and there. And family, you may call me biased, but I did not even ask my little cucumbers and tomatoes that question, for once again, BOOM, my memory went into overdrive!
Now I know that is nearly unbelievable, me remembering twice in such a short time period, but I can only think that it was the fact that it was so early in the morning and my brain was yet uncluttered by any daily events. But I promise you it did happen.
I remembered many times in the past when gardens have stood between mountain folk and starvation. Now I am not implying, nor do I want anyone to think that me and my family are starving. Any records kept by Kroger can attest to that as can my bathroom scales.
But we do enjoy fresh produce, and it`s not really fresh unless you get it from your own garden. So with my decision made, I started to pluck the weeds from the life-giving soil.
I must say I had very little remorse. I had already come to terms with the realization that even if a friendship had begun to bud between the weeds and my vegetable plants, there was probably deceit at the root of it . They ( the weeds) had probably promised undying loyalty to my little plants, knowing all the while that at first opportunity they would rise up and overshadow the tiny plants, stealing their sunlight, drinking their water, taking till there was nothing left, and laughing as the veggies lay dying!
I couldn't let that happen! So I worked quickly. Even covered in bug spray as I was, the mosquitos buzzed around me, threatening to attack!
And then I found it. The cucumber! It was about four inches long and would be ready to eat in a day or two. It had tried harder than any of it's siblings to grow and be the first one to the table. I weeded the area around that cucumber carefully giving it lots of room to grow. I hoed my tomatoes and corn and pumpkins. My garden was saved! I felt proud of my mornings work!
I looked again at the cucumber. It looked larger. I picked it. I couldn't seem to stop myself..it happened so quickly. Well, then I was in another situation of sorts. Every member of my family loves cucumbers. I couldn't think of one of them that would enjoy or appreciate that cucumber more than the others. And what to do? If anyone was ailing the decision would be easy.
Almost all mountain folk know that fresh garden stuff has tremendous healing properties. But we're all fit as fiddles. So I had no other choice, I had to eat it myself. I couldn't choose one child over the other!
And I remember that the cucumber had a brother..almost as large as himself...I could find myself in the same pickle tomorrow..if you'll pardon the pun ...smile and have a great day
