The Fog Is Beginning To Lift

It's a foggy morning.  The temperature is supposed to reach at least 85 degrees today.  I believe we will have a very hot summer this year, followed by an Indian summer, as my childhood hero, Laura Ingalls, would say.  Foggy mornings remind me of my childhood summer vacations in Ohio, visiting my grandparents.

My grandfather has passed already, but he is one of my most favorite people on earth.  He was a strict old guy, grew up in a strict home, army guy, married to a stricter wife of many, many years.  What I loved about my grandfather were his extremely high standards, his work ethic and his green thumb.  Every summer I can remember he would be out in the garden daily.  It was always a very handsome garden.  My grandparents had two acres of land.  The garden would probably take up a half acre.  It had everything you could think of.  He used to put us to work, snapping beans.  One fond memory was my first bite of a garden fresh tomato.  I saw it in the wheelbarrow, along with about 50 other tomatoes.  I walked by, reached down, grabbed a small tomato, and took a bite.  Gross.  I put it back with the exposed side down so no one would see it.  Wouldn't you know, that night at supper, right on top of my plate was that blasted tomato.   My grandfather said I was not allowed to eat supper until I finished that tomato.  He said what I did was wasteful and I shouldn't waste good food like that.  So I ate it.

I grew to love eating fresh garden tomatoes.  My grandfather was someone I always admired.  I have never met anyone who could grow beautiful flower beds and such wonderful fresh produce like he could.  So when I see a faintly foggy morning, I always think of him.  I miss him.

The fog is gone now. It has lifted and the morning sun and songbirds are out.  Stephen is still asleep and I am enjoying my morning with a great cup of coffee and beautiful country scenery.  We will probably grab a late lunch later, do some grocery shopping and then Stephen will head to work.  My mom wants me to stop by the Asian food store for her today.

I will check in later.  Hope you all survived the Mondays!  What is your favorite homegrown vegetable?

Laters.