"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." Matthew 9:37
As I listened to the lectionary reading from Matthew 9 this morning at Dayspring Baptist Church in Waco, Texas, via Facebook Live, I had to say "amen" to verse 37. Robert and I had just returned from the garden with the daily harvest — some okra, green beans, squash, and two huge baskets of tomatoes.
Although we had hoped to share this "big garden" experience this summer with family, friends, and students, social distancing has changed the plans a bit. We have been able to share the produce with friends, neighbors, Floresville Food Bank, and the San Antonio Mennonite Market. But the harvesting has been left to Two Little Gardeners. (Our neighbor, Sally Gaertner, gave us this Little Golden book, first published in 1951, the year before we were born.)
We have enjoyed the work. It usually takes us about an hour and a half every morning or sometimes every other morning to pick the produce. It's such a thrill to find what's waiting for us. The tomatoes have continued to be prolific. They are so colorful and so delicious. We have a bowlful with almost every meal. I hope there is no health detriment in eating too many tomatoes. The little ones are Sun Gold, Nova, Black Cherry, Sweet 100s, and Juliets. The larger ones, which are just coming on, are Celebrity, Better Boy, San Marzano, Porter Plum, and Early Girl. We also spend time weeding and planting. Robert got an electric weed eater for Father's Day. It runs out of batteries about the same time he does, around 45 minutes. Yesterday we planted some more potatoes, some peanuts, and black-eyed peas. I still have about 75 basil plants that I need to plant somewhere. I grew them from seeds. They germinated very well. Maybe I'm going into the pesto-making business.We've been thinking that our time in the garden corresponds to ordinary people's time at the gym. We lift weights ( those heavy baskets of tomatoes), stretch over the rows to reach the produce, squat to get to the ripe red tomatoes underneath all the vines, and build endurance under the hot sun. I've done more sweating these past few months than ever in my life. I think some of those moves, stepping between squash and watermelon vines and reaching deep into the vines to pluck tomatoes definitely qualify as garden yoga. All in all, we're happy to be able to be fit enough to do this good work, and I think it may be making us fitter. To quote from Two Little Gardeners — "So the two little gardeners came with their baskets and they picked and they picked and they picked." The book ends with a little song called "Full as a Fiddle."
Hi Diddle diddle, We’re full as a fiddle
Of things that come out of the ground.
What we plant in the spring
We eat in the fall
And put up in jars
And eat it all
When the snow comes falling down.
Well, I doubt there'll be snow...
Although we had hoped to share this "big garden" experience this summer with family, friends, and students, social distancing has changed the plans a bit. We have been able to share the produce with friends, neighbors, Floresville Food Bank, and the San Antonio Mennonite Market. But the harvesting has been left to Two Little Gardeners. (Our neighbor, Sally Gaertner, gave us this Little Golden book, first published in 1951, the year before we were born.)
We have enjoyed the work. It usually takes us about an hour and a half every morning or sometimes every other morning to pick the produce. It's such a thrill to find what's waiting for us. The tomatoes have continued to be prolific. They are so colorful and so delicious. We have a bowlful with almost every meal. I hope there is no health detriment in eating too many tomatoes. The little ones are Sun Gold, Nova, Black Cherry, Sweet 100s, and Juliets. The larger ones, which are just coming on, are Celebrity, Better Boy, San Marzano, Porter Plum, and Early Girl. We also spend time weeding and planting. Robert got an electric weed eater for Father's Day. It runs out of batteries about the same time he does, around 45 minutes. Yesterday we planted some more potatoes, some peanuts, and black-eyed peas. I still have about 75 basil plants that I need to plant somewhere. I grew them from seeds. They germinated very well. Maybe I'm going into the pesto-making business.We've been thinking that our time in the garden corresponds to ordinary people's time at the gym. We lift weights ( those heavy baskets of tomatoes), stretch over the rows to reach the produce, squat to get to the ripe red tomatoes underneath all the vines, and build endurance under the hot sun. I've done more sweating these past few months than ever in my life. I think some of those moves, stepping between squash and watermelon vines and reaching deep into the vines to pluck tomatoes definitely qualify as garden yoga. All in all, we're happy to be able to be fit enough to do this good work, and I think it may be making us fitter. To quote from Two Little Gardeners — "So the two little gardeners came with their baskets and they picked and they picked and they picked." The book ends with a little song called "Full as a Fiddle."
Hi Diddle diddle, We’re full as a fiddle
Of things that come out of the ground.
What we plant in the spring
We eat in the fall
And put up in jars
And eat it all
When the snow comes falling down.
Well, I doubt there'll be snow...
Beautiful produce! Y’all are enjoying gardening and I am happy for you! 😊
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