Doing what comes naturally . . .

If you follow me on facebook you know I described yesterday as a "great day" and it was. I was standing at the stove cooking hotcakes when a Humboldt friend ran in the back door to bring crowder peas and tomatoes. She brought both shelled and unshelled peas and I look forward to shelling them later today while we watch a baseball game on TV. For years that's what I did on Saturday afternoons after lunch in the summer. I'd set up a TV tray, spread it with peas or beans and settle down to watch the baseball game. It won't matter today that it's Friday and the peas came from a friend and not from Dad's garden. Missing will be Spook the cat who loved to steal peas off the tray for his own enjoyment.

Later in the day I peeled and chopped tomatoes to make a triple recipe of tomato sauce for the freezer. Some years ago I found a simple tomato sauce recipe in a pasta book and using it as a guide, have been making it ever since. When tomatoes are in season I use fresh ones--fresh herbs too when I have them--and in winter I use canned tomatoes. What a difference a good sauce makes! Our children took up the habit of making their own sauce too. In fact, Tommy freely gives out his recipes when asked, but he never passes on the information that the sauce is homemade and surely never shares how he makes the sauce.

This afternoon summer kitchen habits include making peach pie for the freezer and cobbler for eating now. We have an abundance of peaches since I went to the Farmers' Market Tuesday and someone brought us a bag full the same day. Maybe I'll make extra pie crusts and put them in the freezer to have when needed or maybe I'll put two peach pies in the freezer.

The highlight of yesterday was leading Tommy's noon Bible study. Health issues have kept us from attending and it was good to be with special friends and to open God's word together.

Yesterday was a stifling day--hard to breathe and certainly not a day to do any work outside. After a run to the post office to finally get our income tax packet off to our CPA, we went to the nursery to buy plants for the bed Jacob has been cleaning out for us. The choices were few to say the least. Who, in their right mind, would wait until the middle of July to plant summer flowers? We would! We bought a butterfly bush, two big lantanas and some shasta daisies, all for our enjoyment and to attract birds and butterflies. They don't know it's late in the season.
Today hasn't been quite as hot and we did get four holes dug and the plants in their new home. I also managed to get in a little weeding and trimming. I'd forgotten how much I like to work in the yard. Now I'm both chemo tired and yard tired--mostly a good feeling.

I love summertime and all the memories of summers past. I love being in the kitchen, taking care of summer produce, putting things in the freezer, enjoying vegetable plates with biscuits for Tom and cornbread for me. We are blessed with an abundance of good things to eat, family with whom to share, friends who share with us. "Our cup runneth over." And now, I'm signing off to take a power nap. Enjoy your summer and be thankful in all things.

Blessings,
Pastor Margaret