As the Garden Grows

Lots of rain is what we've been getting here in the foothills and piedmont of N.C. Every day this week we have gotten a storm in the late afternoon. Some have been hit hard by strong winds, hail and extreme lightening. We have only have some strong winds (that blew down my corn btw). Luckily where we live the really bad weather seems to be north, east and south of us every time. I am very thankful for that. We really need the rain too, since the terrible drought last year had everything here sucked dry.

I mentioned my garden wasn't what I had hoped for this year. Well, where there's little, somewhere else there's plenty. My sister who loves in the northern end of the county is inundated with beans and she promises to supply me with some this weekend that I will put up by canning. My other sister also has beans that will be ready to pick next week and they will be on vacation, so I'll get to pick those too. Somehow, between my family's small gardens and the farmer's markets we will get the produce that we ourselves hoped to raise this year and put up a nice bit of food for the winter months ahead. Several of the people I work with say to me: "I don't know how you do all the things that you do, I would never have the time". Well, I just make the time. I feel like the gardening, harvesting and preserving of good home grown or wild grown food is something we all should do. It is normal for me to do this every year. Perhaps that is because I remember my mother and us kids raising a garden and preserving everything we could get our hands on back then. I wouldn't feel right not having my pantry shelves gleaming with newly canned jars of the best food around. I enjoy it too. It gives me a great sense of satisfaction. Besides, I'm just carrying on a tradition in my family. That feels good too. I am using the same pressure canner that my great aunt used and many of the accessories are from that era too. I feel like somehow I'm helping keep their spirits alive with this tradition. I can feel their smiling faces while I work. Sorry, but you don't get that from the grocery store.