BLESSINGS ON THE VINE

Summer time in the Bible belt!  Southerners are well acquainted with the expression “hot as hell” and the influence of the rising mercury can certainly provide a motivating factor to heed the preacher’s salvation message.  Of course God is ever merciful, and He provides a silver-lining to this insufferable heat while we are here on earth and it is - tomatoes!

Gloriously, these plumb red beauties are available all summer long.  I think it may have been this little jewel that was Adam and Eve’s undoing in the Garden of Eden because nothing is more tempting to eat from the garden than a warm tomato right off the vine.  That first bite is so succulent that it squirts juice all over the face and the only way the dribble is thwarted from becoming a shirt stain is to wipe it away with the back of the hand.  So messy and so worth it!

Fortunately for me, my father-in-law has a garden in his backyard and he brings me produce on a regular basis.  My father-in-law is an east Texas farmer now cultivating a small plot of land in town.  I married his only son and he has always been nice to me, but in the summer he is absolutely charming when he unpacks a plastic grocery bag of his homegrown vegetables.  He begins by placing the onions, garlic, potatoes, and peppers on the kitchen counter.  Anticipating my zeal, he retrieves the tomatoes from the bag.  I exclaim over the tomatoes like they are newborn babies, and he beams with delight.  He knows that this simple interchange has made his favorite daughter-in-law very happy.

People don’t farm much anymore.  We are city people and dependent on the big trucks to bring in the harvest from the fields to our local grocery stores.  The only way we can tell which fruits and vegetables are in season is to be aware of the prices rising and falling at the local markets.

I am filled with nostalgia when remembering the benefits that rural living offered when I was a child.  We did things like shaking the milk carton to mix in the cream or spent the morning gathering pears off the ground in the backyard before the birds could get to them.  And there is nothing finer than the simple pleasure of beginning the day greeted by the bright yellow yolk of a fresh egg and I have always found the earthy smell of a tilled field invigorating.

My husband is quick to remind me that I have a romantic view of farming and I must admit my storybook idea is rather glamorous compared to the harsh reality of country living.  Truly, I am amazed anyone can get crops out of the hard ground in Texas although; I like knowing there is a humble expectation of God's provision when farmers plow their fields and are fed from the land year after year.

Today is a scorcher!  Thankfully, I have plenty of tomatoes sitting on the windowsill ready to be sliced and served with some mozzarella, olive oil and basil.   I look forward to sharing the blessings of the vine with my son and BDIL (beautiful daughter-in-law) when they come for dinner – tomatoes and Campbells, now that’s a good thing!