How the Garden Grows

Don't you just love home grown lettuce? It reminds me of the Victory Gardens we had when I was little. Store-bought white bread, half a dozen leaves of Black Seed Simpson, a single slice of big juicy tomato that may even hang over the side of the bread, slathered with Miracle Whip --my idea of Lunch Heaven!

Well, I've broken out of my comfort zone gardening this year. I'm trying lettuce mixes -- something that tastes a little like water cress, another that looks innocent but wakes up the mouth. I've got herbs and more herbs. I've got last year's plants and this year's plants -- and the new craze grape tomatoes. They are in the flowering stage. We'll have to wait and see.

And weeds -- plenty of weeds.

We have four rain barrels. There is one that has a resident salamander. We wouldn't have so many salamanders if Husband didn't make little houses for them. I guess they like to eat bugs, god bless 'em.

Anyway, we have our first ripe tomato on one of our bushes. I sure hope something doesn't come along to take a bite out of it before I get to it! That just wouldn't be fair.

A Glimpse Into the Future

Today I went with a friend to celebrate her mother's 99th birthday in a nursing home. It wasn't a unique experience. I have visited many similar places over the years, so nice, some not. This place was very nice -- for being a nursing home.

The help was friendly and attentive. The accommodations were nice, clean and cheerful. There were no awful smells. The patients seemed to be well cared for.

But I never want to have to live in a place like that. I have to face the fact that I don't really want to get old. I don't want to lose my teeth and hair and hearing and eyesight.

Then again, I don't suppose any of us really look forward to the birthdays beyond where we are now. I've got more gardens to plant, more books to write, maybe even a few more quilts in me.

None of us is guaranteed tomorrow -- but darn it, I'm going to work darn hard at keeping on keeping on. I don't really think much of the alternative.

I LOVE GOLF!

I've never really played golf. I can't even remember if I've ever played Putt-Putt. In college phys. ed. we were supposed to learn how, but that particular spring it snowed or rained almost every time we were supposed to go outside.

There was one time, though, we were practicing hitting the ball -- probably driving it. I had my allotted three balls lined up to hit, and was just starting a stoke when the teacher called my name -- loudly. As it happened, she wasn't even calling me but another girl named Jane. But I finished my swing, totally missed the ball I was aimed at, hit the ball beside it a ton! We looked and looked, but we never found that ball!

Okay, so I love Tiger Woods. I've agonized with him this whole Open, knowing he's hurting from this knee operation. At one point, I would not have blamed him if he'd called it quits. But he stuck it out to birdy the last hole and get in a play-off with Rocco Mediate tomorrow.

There's one other connection I have to golf. I began knitting when I was very young, and when I was about 12, I drew my Uncle Art's name for Christmas. He played golf, so I knit him a pair of Argyle socks -- they were quite a production -- red and black with yellow and green intersecting lines, if I recall correctly. He wore them. They were his "lucky socks." My aunt Ruth had to darn the heels twice. At least -- that's what she told me.

Off-road Thoughts

We haven't been traveling much. Oh, we went to Asheville for our daughter's wedding a week ago Saturday, but even then we remarked that there doesn't seem to be as much traffic as in the past. I guess the oil crunch is having an effect in East Tennessee. We're seeing about a third less traffic past the house, and when we are out and about, fewer cars and trucks pass us. We live close to I-40 which is usually jam-packed with semis and pickups this time of year, there too -- traffic is down.

I was born in Oil City, Pa., and raised in Titusville -- famous for being the birthplace of the oil industry. The refineries are long gone and the area is depressed -- and depressing, but not as back at the coal fields I've seen in my travels -- so it's all relative.

Personally, I'm planning one last trip up to my old stomping grounds for my class reunion in August, then I plan to stay close to home -- no air flights, long trips, jaunts which involve less than two reasons to fire up the car. I'll let someone else run up the price of gas. I've got enough to do around here.