In the Garden

Last night when I posted the stories of the week, I forgot one that I meant to write about. I have been enjoying my garden. Sadly, I've had to lock the gate and just climb over the fence to get into it. The little ones were pulling up the plants, roots and all, so I locked them out. Ben has tried climbing the three foot fence a few times. Once he got his foot stuck between the rods and I had to help him out. Another time, his shorts caught on the top and he just kind of hung by the seat of his pants until I came to free him. I hate having to do that, but for now, that's how it is. I hope that after a few months the plants will be stong enough to hold their own roots in, but for now, I'll protect them.

The other night, Allen and I were walking around the garden plucking a few stray weeds. The kids asked if they could come in and we lifted each of the four over the short fence. I thought it would be a great chance to let them have a taste of the garden -- literally. We didn't taste the lavender, which is supposedly edible, but they sampled chamomile, stevia, lemon basil, cilantro, pineapple sage, oregano, and chives. Next time, the sweet basil and thyme should be ready to try, too. I think they had fun even though they didn't like all of what they tried. Allen and I plucked a few more weeds and turned around to check on the kids. They were all lying on the grassy path gazing at the clouds. We looked at each other with confused looks, then laid down and joined them. We all listened to the birds, the wind in the trees, the kids on the street laughing, the lawn mower and weed eater several houses away. It was nice. Quite nice. To lay in the garden with my family and enjoy the peaceful sounds.

This morning, I sat out there reading. Since it rained a lot last night, the ground was wet, the flowers were refreshed, the birds were belting out their glorious tunes, and the sun was shining throught the trees. It was beautiful! It reminded me I needed to post the happy family time we had the other night. I really hope for many, many more days and evenings like that.