letter from the editor
August 2 01 7
The Next Chapter
MELIA FLOWERS
founder / editor / publisher
Now, three summers later, much of our lives together revolves around
Dan’s garden. We share a mutual love for eating fresh, organic vegetables
J
ust as a sugar lover might
dream of being locked inside
a candy factory, I have literally
dreamed of being a kin folk of
Peter Rabbit . . . you know, Flopsy, Mopsy, and
Cottontail? Or, is Cottontail their last name?
After all, the song goes, “Here comes Peter
duced to the soil in the spring grow and ripen in the summer. I love joining
him in the garden late in the evening as clouds gather in the blue sky
above, and thunder rings in the distance. The threat of rain hovering over
us creates a sense of urgency, while the anticipation of a few rain drops
seems to quell the heat that rises from the ground like heat from an oven.
I realize that scene may sound miserable to some, yet to me, it is total
joy and only outdone by another scene that follows. I wash and chop our
so much that I have, in fact, dreamed of being the truth of his life - a life lived so thoroughly in tune with and dependent
in a garden and being overjoyed while sur-
rounded by every manner of vegetable right
there for my consumption. I probably should
not share this part, but in those dreams, I think
I am actually a rabbit.
Regardless of the form from which I am
operating, in the dreams I am racing around,
gathering and eating as fast as I can.
Four years ago, when handsome, organ-
ic farmer Dan came into my life, I grew con-
cerned that he might think I wanted him for
his garden. Yet, I couldn’t curb my enthusiasm.
treasures while Dan cooks. Watching him in the kitchen, I’m overcome with
upon God. The beauty of it all overwhelms me. In no time at all, we are sit-
ting down to the most incredible dinner. Farm-to-table comes to life as we
eat our fill of all the delicious food that only minutes earlier was connected
to the earth.
I could have just described any of the meals Dan and I eat together
during the summer months, and I dread seeing it come to an end. Right
now, I suspect we will enjoy our last juicy tomato atop crispy bacon and
organic bread after church this Sunday, a summertime ritual we started last
year. While some of this summer’s crop, like eggplant and butterbeans,
are still going strong, the garden is experiencing the last of this season’s
glory days.
Yet, there is new reason to rejoice in every season. Soon, Dan will crank
That first summer, as the juicy, red tomatoes, his old Farmall tractor and disk up the summer garden in preparation for
many other garden delights became ready for early spring, mixed deeply into the soil, becoming nourishment for future
crispy cucumbers, regal, purple eggplant, and
harvesting, my infatuation with the garden and
the gardener quickly turned to true love.
8
something romantic about watching the plants that Dan meticulously intro-
Cottontail . . .” I digress. My point is this: I sim-
ply love vegetables straight from the garden
in season, whether it is the summer or fall garden. However, there is just
AUGUST 2017
the fall garden. Into the earth will go the remnants of all that he planted in
plants. From this garden’s bounty, we will enjoy yummy sweet potatoes,
collards, turnips, and other winter greens.
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