From Super Mom

This came from Super Mom.... and I smile each time I read it. 

Gardening. Homesteading. For me, they’re awesome ideas and great concepts, which have a lot of valuable lessons all wrapped up in them. They’re also very academic concepts. At least, they were until about three weeks ago.

I admit, I’m basically a city girl. Not a big city girl by any stretch of the imagination, mind you, but very much a girl who grew up surrounded by paved roads, immediately accessible chain stores, and neighbors. Lots of close neighbors. Small yards and did I mention immediately accessible chain stores? Pavement spreads quickly and people grow lawns, not vegetables. Gardening wasn’t something my family really did all that often during my formative years, other than the occasional potted tomato or pepper plant, and when I moved out on my own, gardening tended towards experimentation with flowers, along with the random never-quite-finished windowsill herb garden.

Then The Great Visionary in my life seizes an opportunity…

The Great Visionary (TGV for future reference) is one of my best friends and an unabashed opportunist. She believes opportunity knocks, and you need to answer the door with a smile and ready hospitality. So recently, a bit of land became available and she saw the opportunity to create something beautiful. Opportunity provided a chance for growing food, friendships and our own special kind of fellowship. You can’t go wrong, baby!

As for true beauty, I mean, sure the garden LOOKS cool – I mean seriously? We have driftwood fenceposts and an arched entry way and it’s terraced with little cedar walkways! How cool is that? But really, the beauty is a lot of people coming together to haul dirt, laugh about having neon carrots and pondering how devious rabbits can be and how confused lost and stuck Labradors can become. Soon, we’ll have weeds to pull, food to share, and recipes to enjoy (along with wine. I mean seriously – mmm. Wine….).

This is definitely an opportunity that was unexpected for our family and 100% welcome. Granted, we tend to wander around looking a little bit lost – “You want the dirt… where? Um, on the ground, right?” – but we’re learning. And the Small Thing is excited about a pumpkin plant named Steve. Or perhaps the pumpkin it hopefully produces will be named Steve? Or, uhm, something like that? Pumpkins! Children! Steve!

It’s been a lot of smiles, a lot of little updates from TGV about what’s sprouting, who all has visited the garden, and how much love is going into it. I’m excited to have something else that brings our little “family” together and am looking forward to time spent in the sun weeding, harvesting, and enjoying the fruits of our labor. Spreading pavement? Crazy city life? Get outta here – we’re gonna watch our garden, and our family, grow!