I want to grow a garden

With all that is happening in the economy, and the impact to prices of gas, food, etc...
I want to get back to basics.

Tonight for example, I enjoyed fresh corn on the cob, fresh snapped green beans and new potatoes, and we grilled zucchini on top of it all. What a night to feast on the bounty of the earth. It made me want to do a garden again. I used to have a huge garden in my yard. It was about 4yards long by 3yards across. It took up a a whole section just east of my patio.

I was remembering back to a time in my life, where life was simple. We lived somewhat in the country and Bryant was preaching at a church in the little town were we lived. We had a quiet life while living there. It was so simple. I was a stay at home mom in those days with 3 children ages 2 to 5 years of age. I worked a garden the two summers we lived there and canned unbelievable amounts of food. It brought me such pleasure to be able to be self proficient in storing up for the winter, fresh veggies and so on...

You know, I think on those times when we were so poor and yet we were content with what we had and didn't have...hmmm, imagine being content.

Those two summers I put up 200 quart jars of green beans, including more of that in tomato juice, salsa, whole tomatoes, spaghetti sauce. We even froze dozens and dozens of corn as well.
I remember canning peaches and getting sick on eating so much of them while I canned. It was a time in my life to treasure.

Brit left today for California

I sure miss her. It was hard not to be emotional, but we all stayed strong.

Our vacation together was awesome. We made lots of fun memories and spent many an hour - together.

The picture of the falls is the famous "Grotta Falls" and is ice cold coming down the mountain. They drove up the mountain to a landing, and parked. Then they proceeded to walk another two miles straight up to get to the falls. Brit and I didn't go, but all the boys did and they ran into a mama bear and her cub, a wild turkey, and some deer.

The next picture is the famous Cades Cove Mill, where the earliest settlers of that state began their small communities. You can imagine how amazing it was to see history in such a magnificent way. The old homesteads of the community are few and far between, but they are as old as the late 1700's.

Vacation has come and gone

Here it is Monday the 7th, and all I have to show for my vacation is a sunburn and no money in the bank account!

BUT IT WAS ALL WORTH IT!

Yep, my biggest hurdle for the week involved two things.
My Mother
Gaining Weight

Let's talk about my Mother and then you will get the picture as to the weight gain for the week.
So, the first full day we are there, we still have yet to pick up my pregnant daughter who is flying in from California. She is arriving at 11:20. But they do not get to the cabin until around 2:00'ish.

She looks so cute, with here nice round belly.
But my mother can't just let things go. Here is the picture, we are sitting on the porch enjoying the mountain views, and discussing Brit and her boyfriend's personalities, and then she did it...yes my mother asks "well, is your boyfriend as fat as you are?"...
OMG! My chin dropped to the floor. What in the world was I going to do to bring this conversation around to a positive note, and not disrespect my 83 year old mother.

Hmmm, let me think****
Nope, I just turned that back around on her and said, "what difference does that make, MOM"
(inside I am seething and thinking about what motivated her to ask such a question to someone who is 6 plus...months pregnant.) It is a minor miracle that my pregnant daughter just didn't go off on her right there. But she restrained herself. Or, just felt so deeply hurt that she pulled back into her shell and decided to get up from the table and go find a more positive conversation elsewhere.

What an idiot. I can't believe how much of those types of stories occurred during the week, not only with my daughter, but my daughter-in-law and then there was my grand - daughter.

So, as you might see I am a little over the edge with the vacation.
It will be the last one - where we will have both my family and my mother there!

My daughter is having a baby shower tomorrow night and she will be flying out on Wednesday to her home in California. She probably can't wait to get out of Columbus.