Produce

I got my garden planted early this year. Last year, Don made a box garden for me. It was a huge amount of work, but this year, I needed only to clean out the stalks from last year, add a bag or two of good Moisture Control soil, mix in a little fertilizer, and I was ready to plant. I think I got my basil and tomatoes planted before April 1. Bell peppers followed shortly afterwards.

My tomatoes have gotten out of control already. The two plants in the front of the box were beginning to grow over the edge of the box into my driveway. On Sunday, the kids and I looked over the mess of plants and green tomatoes. We picked all the ripe ones and I realized I needed desperately to stake the plants up.

Once I had fed the kids (western omelettes, made with a bell pepper from my garden), I took off outside to tie the plants to the stakes Don put up for me a week before. In the process, which took quite some time because the plants were so big and heavy with fruit, I found two large bunches of cherry tomatoes that were ripe but I hadn't been able to see before they were tied up. I was thrilled. I also got my first harvest of basil.

Last night, I asked Deanna to get the bag of cherry tomatoes out of the fridge so I could have some of my home-grown produce in my dinner salad. They were wonderful, but I couldn't help bemoaning that none of my children eat tomatoes, like their father.

Me: "These are so good. Don't you children want any?"

No response.

Me, again: "It just makes me sick that none of you are crazy about tomatoes like me."

Deanna: "I can't stand them, Mama. You're barking up the wrong tree here."

Dane: "I'm crazy, Mama. I'm crazy."

Snickers all around.

Deanna: "Dane, that's not news. We've known for quite sometime now that you're crazy."

Finally, Dane got it. It's a shame my brilliant little boy has such a slow wit. Even Daelyn thought Dane's remark was hilarious.

Poor Dane. He can't even appreciate my tomatoes without criticizm.