Growing

The kiss of the sun for pardon,

The song of birds for mirth,

One is closer to God in a garden

Than anywhere else on earth.

~ Unknown

The peas shown here are sweet and tender, just like the girl holding them.

Here at Pecan Bluff farm lots of things are growing! The vegetable garden was created when my parents retired. It feeds our big extended family with lots of extras. They lovingly tend it daily, and they love for the children to help. My mother (Gram) has hoed a thousand miles, and my daddy (DaddyDon) is an amazing wealth of knowledge and energy and ideas. He has amended and worked that soil until it is dark and rich. Many days my grandmother (we all call her Mom) joins us, supervising from a chair in the shade. We plant extras of everything, and it is such fun to work together and watch things change every day in our big garden.

Here are healthy rows of potatoes and onions. Eldest is holding a strawberry.

 It didn't last long after this was snapped.

My 5-year-old is proud of the beet patch.

My 6-year-old is showing a raised bed of salad greens.

 He's often seen munching a lettuce leaf

 and a handful of onion tops when gardening.

 There's so much learning going on in that sunny, green plot. And I'm proud to say that our children are showing us that they are paying attention to those life-lessons. 

Dream big and work hard.

Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty.

Finish what you start. 

Don't do a job half-way.

Be thankful, even for the small blessings.

Family is important~ Work and play together.

Respect your elders~ Listen and learn from them.

The fruits of your labor are sweet!

Happy Gardening!