Sunday Morning

It's Sunday morning and I think I will just stay home and enjoy the morning. Dave called last night I think he is lonesome. He is seeing wondrous things and has no one to share them with. He may come back in a day or so and take me back with him. Now that I am feeling better I think I could take all the travel involved.

I have been reading this book














by Barbara Kingsolver and it is I am really enjoying it. Animal Vegetable Miracle is the story of how her family spent a year attempting to eat locally. What they couldn't grow or raise they bought from local sources. She tells whats wrong with our agricultural system and how we got that way. Truly fascinating reading. I already do some of this but not nearly enough. I have more options here than those in big cities. We always have a vegetable garden and have an apple, plum and peach trees. I buy my milk from a dairy whose cows don't have themselves pumped with hormones. I get eggs from friends who raise chickens. I try to either grow produce or buy at Farmers Markets or willing taking excess produce from friends but I could start pursuing ways of getting local meat. I know friends who buy free range chickens and turkeys from the Mennonites in Montana. Although they aren't what Barbara considers local they at least are raising the animals right. In the past we have gotten local pigs and I just found out about a friend who knows somewhere we can get beef. So I think with a little effort I can do better.

I really urge you to read this book, its really fascinating how our agriculture and food systems evolved. Its also scary that kids don't know where there food comes from. To think someone did not realize that a carrot is a root crop or that a potato has a plant part to it is amazing to me. I guess thats because I grew up with a garden and have had one most my adult life. In fact to me a garden has always meant vegetables not necessarily flowers. Now that I am making a flower garden I guess I need to change that idea.

Quote of the Day:"In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful." ~Abram L. Urban