Category: Writings

So much fun it was to do the “garden thing” with Blue’s grandmother. She always looked forward to going out into the garden and picking fresh vegetables to bring into the house and eat later, as her grandmother would prepare and cook them. Her grandmother always made the simplest things taste so very good. One of the best parts of spending time with her grandmother was eating her delicious food. Her favorite was her grandmother’s spaghetti and homemade French fries. Although, when it came to vegetables from the garden, her grandmother could make a great cucumber, with onions, salad, sometimes adding fresh “tommie toe” tomatoes.

It was always funny to Blue to watch her grandmother get dressed to go into the garden. First she would put on long stretchy pants, which were to protect her legs from thorns, critters, and snakes. Then her grandmother insured that nothing could crawl up her pants by wearing long stockings, that had been cut to only extend to her knees, and that was to be tied up on her legs, so it would not slip off of her pants leg. She would also rub herself with this cream that she swore kept mosquitos from biting her. Blue tried to emulate her behaviors with my own clothing, and Blue really didn’t care about mosquitos back in that day, although she should of, since they left big itchy whelps on her.

She learned that clothing and preparation was everything, to her grandmother, who could make going into the garden, like entering a fairyland of surprises and adventure. To Blue, it felt like she was leaving the world she lived in for a tad and walking into another one. Seeing the tallest corn stalks beaming with corn, and feeling the tips of plants hit her as she walked along inside the garden, made for a real creative imaginative time. Often times she found she had wandered too far from her grandmother, and she would have to call out to her grandmother so she could find her. Blue knew that her grandmother would be aggravated with that, interrupting her garden work, but she seemed to always find herself needing the help of some sort. She lost her concentration of the necessary things to do, a lot of the time,but she could not help it. Her imagination always got the better of her.

While in the garden, she helped pick the ears of corn, remove dead leaves or leaves that were discolored. She also helped her grandmother carry a bucket with which to collect the harvest or vegetables. This was the hardest part. Often times she felt that the bucket was too hard to carry and would have to set it down for a while. Often, losing sight of her grandmother, once again. Blue really loved it though, despite some of its not so easy tasks. Blue felt as if she was helping and that really mattered to her. It mattered a lot. Her grandmother never fussed at her, and seemed to enjoy her company. Blue was just grateful for the time she spent with her grandmother and she made precious memories that would last forever.