I am in the thick of it early in the year, which is what it is, and I am not going to make up some story about how this is indicative of how the rest of 2015 will play out. But it has been fast paced and challenging so far, and while I do get the luxury of not being employed right now, that in itself is a source of stress.
I remember sitting in a mulberry tree with my sister growing up, eating ripe purple black berries until we were stained and full. The neighbor was not happy however. The tree was on the property line and the ownership of said tree was debated. We made sure we always stayed in the branches on grandpas side.
Mulberry
He was a gardener, well actually more like a small farmer. He had two large gardens in his yard, and grew carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, kohlrabi, radishes, peas (his fresh snap peas were so good), spinach, and I am sure other things as well. It was so bountiful that often he would share with the neighbors, and they became the recipients of jars of pickles and whatever else might have been ripe and in excess. He was exceptional when it came to growing food and taking care of soil.
He also had very large compost piles, that would steam on cold days. For some reason my sibling and I used to love to play in it. Grandma was not fond of us playing in it. Grandma would not let us back in her clean house until we had stripped out of our compost covered clothes and march straight to the shower.
Kohlrabi
We used his basement often, taking apart small engines or electrical boxes, or whatever else intrigued us, and then put them back together. We made model planes, lots of model planes. Balsa wood and plastic kits, but I was always more fond of the balsa wood variety for some reason.He cooked lots of that fresh produce he grew, and made delicacies such as pan fried chicken, fried gizzards (I never really cared for these) and ham slop! Ham slop was a creation of one of his friend's dad when he was growing up. My grandfather and some friends had been hanging out and had to go retrieve one of their brothers from the bar. When they got him back home they decided to stick around and the friend's father made some ham slop. Basically it was a ham bone, water, and whatever was left over in the fridge or the cupboard that was less than a serving. It could be some tomatoes, peppers, pasta, rice, whatever. The result was so good that grandpa started making it, and I have enjoyed it many times. It is fantastic and now I am hungry for it as usual.
He taught me how to play baseball, to become a better pitcher and fielder. He was very knowledgeable about trees and could identify different species just by looking at them, something I have always envied. He also knew the history of the tree and if was susceptible to disease and which insects.
The backyard was large enough not only to have two large gardens but also sled down during the winter. It was always a blast, and a short, fast and some times rough experience if there was ice. I guess it was safer that sledding in the streets.
When I was older I remember that he would let me mow the lawn from time to time in order to get some money when I was in need of gas or snacks. This happened so rarely that I don't recall what he actually paid me nor what the going rates were back then. Regardless, I'd like to think he paid me well.
I will always remember my grandfather as being a kind man, who had many things to teach and share, especially his way of being. He was handy and wanted to help if he could. Of course I only knew him as a grandfather and not as a father, and I am not foolish enough to believe those experiences are similar. But I knew him as only I could know him, and to me he was what he was; a crafty loving farming generous man who knew how to cook.
Thanks grandpa, I cherish your contributions to my life now and forever.
P.S. I wanted to write this and post it some time ago, and yes the guilt of having delayed it was on me. I am sitting here in California having attended my cousin's high school graduation. While here I was surrounded by members of my mother's side of the family, and my Uncle's family as well. I had a completely different experience of sharing time with them. Perhaps my maturity allowed me to see a wider, more broad, interpretation of them. Instead of just my mom being my mom, I realized that who I am is a reminder of a moment in her past that she shared with my father, and since they divorced shortly after I was 6ish, I am a reminder of that love, that bitterness perhaps, and I realized that sometimes it might be hard for her. I am not sure if that is true for her or not, but it seems to me if I was in her situation, it could might be that way. So I have seen that extra type of courage in my mother, and feel as if I know her better.
As for hiking and cooking, well not much of that has happened recently, other than the occasional cooking of steaks. I think I may change the name of the blog, but not sure if I really want to. Sort of fun that it has a name that is not really the main subject matter any longer. However, keeping it may encourage me to do more of it. Also, I need to brew more often.
