Day 30: Pickin Peppers

A typical Friday night for me is watching hubby snooze in his chair and turning in shortly after Noah gets home from work.  Last night though found me rolling in after 2 am.  Or, I guess you'd say this morning.  Sounds like a wild and crazy night, huh?

The most excitement we saw was a baby deer in the median and laughing until we nearly peed ourselves.  My niece was broke down an hour away and texted for help, just as I was about to call it a night.  Of course my son was eager and ready to head to her but momma was uncomfortable with him driving that far that late at night.  So, on went my co-pilot hat.

Crawling into bed in the wee hours of the morning, I figured my plans to hit the Farmers Market were nixed.  And I've been really jonesing for some garden tomatoes.

I must've mumbled about it to hubby, as I drifted into coma-status.  The next thing I remember is sunshine, a dog on the bed, and Tim asking how many I wanted.  After a few moments of talking, this gal was wide awake so I decided to just go with him.

Once in the car, I notice Tim's sheepish grin, as he mutters "It worked."

Being together all these years, he knows that if you want me up, just get me talking.  Once I can carry a coherent conversation, it's impossible to fall back asleep.  And while he would've happily picked tomatoes for me, he knows I love to linger over fresh veggies.

Getting there early gave me a great selection and it didn't take long before my arms were weighed down with produce.  My favorite red "fruit" was of course included but I also gathered peaches, green beans, cucumbers and a variety of peppers.

Glancing into my bag of jalapenos, banana and bell peppers, I was taken back to early days when Tim and I were first married.  All I had to say was, "This was a much easier way to pick peppers," and instantly he was laughing.

this is just a random picture
and I do not know the parties involved
but it made me chuckle

Newly married and broke, we were always ready for an opportunity to make a little extra cash.  When a man offered us cash to pick buckets of peppers, we quickly said yes.  How hard could it be?

But peppers can't just be plucked, they need to be clipped, or the plant will break.  You must bend, stoop and squat in the hot sun to harvest them.  And with each plant your bucket gets heavier to lug to the next.  About two rows in, we realized this was harder labor than we expected but our eyes stayed on the prize of reaping loads of cash by day's end.

Yet hours later and backs bent into a permanent crook, we left with barely enough to buy our dinner.

We went home grumpy, vowing to never work for that farmer again, but it was a lesson learned on many levels and has served as a funny memory through the years.

Much like in marriage, you can't produce fruit without work and effort.  Some days are difficult and even bring pain.  After a few months in, you realize it is harder than you imagined.  Yet, if you wear gloves of gentleness and tend to it with love, you help each other with the heavy loads, and you saturate yourself in the SON, the rewards are great.  A bumper crop of happiness, friendship, companionship, passion, laughter, and family will fill more buckets than you can carry.

Thankful for a joyful Saturday shared with my garden partner for life.

Day 20: Quality Time

Sitting in an empty church parking lot today, a favorite stop for me when on the road to chart, make a call, or eat a quick meal, I heard a shocking statement on the radio.

The DJ was listing things that are no longer considered acceptable today.  Included in that list was calling someone without texting first, to ensure they weren't busy, and dropping by unannounced.  I posted about it on social media and nearly everyone agreed that pop-up visits were no fun.  I understand why, as I've had my share of the "flight of the bumblebee" zoom through the house to straighten up and put on a bra for unexpected company.  Yet it made me a little sad for the culture in which we now live.

Many years ago, when Tim and I first started dating, I fondly remember riding around just to visit friends.  Cell phones weren't around so we rarely called beforehand.  It was just a random drop-by, as someone would come to mind or we hadn't seen them in awhile.  Often I'd bring chocolate chip cookies and wherever we ended up would share snacks and drinks.  Or we'd play cards, watch tv, and even stranger simply sit and talk.  (The cookies may seem random but they were my first favorite recipe of Tim's and I loved both making and sharing them with others.)

When we were first married, we lived in an apartment complex, so it was common for neighbors to drop by, knock to borrow a cup of sugar, or to swap out mail.  And the first house we lived in was our hometown in the "circle," where it was normal to expect guests for no reason at all.

Again, there was limited technology, so perhaps that is why people spent so much time together.  I just find it ironic that in an age where we are instantly connected to others, we've never been more disconnected.  It has me longing for front porch sitting, recipe swapping, and sharing stories.

The walk down memory lane wasn't enough to entice me to venture out however as habitually once home I quickly changed into comfy pjs and settled into cooking dinner for Tim and me.  But we did spend a quiet evening of quality time together, which is my love language.  And it was nice reminiscing about a slower, simpler way of life.  What a joy it was to grow up back then.