Farm Fresh

Today I am grateful for laughter and venting and people in my life to share both with. 

In the last week I have enjoyed squash, cucumbers, onions, peppers, kohlrabi, and tomatoes that were just hours off the vine or pulled from the ground. This in thanks to family members and also local farm stands.

Farm fresh. I didn’t know what a treat farm fresh was growing up. It’s what I knew. Eggs, milk, lettuce, strawberries, raspberries, beans, asparagus, chicken and much more were all enjoyed about as fresh as you could get them. New potatoes and creamed peas remain an absolute favorite, and something I will never fully experience as I did when I was a child. A treasured culinary memory.  

The smell of freshly-cut hay or grass and clean sheets billowing in the breeze as they hung on the clotheslines are cherished sensory moments in my mind too. 

I smile as I recall other aspects of farm fresh living that didn't smell as sweet as hay or fresh strawberries or blooming gladiolas. They are appreciated differently, but appreciated nonetheless. 

In these uncertain times, I am also savoring the less complicated childhood and world in which I grew up. Oh, I had real worries, lack, and concerns then. They were significant and they impacted me in many ways. Compared to where I sit today though, I wish those times could return.

They can't and they won't, but they can help me summon peace in my heart. That is a good starting point for today and for this week.