I haven't been writing much about the garden. The kids love the garden. Every day Melese takes my hand and says, "Gar?" He leads me in, and makes sure that every single blueberry and every single strawberry has been eaten. Then he plops down and plays in the dirt.
Here is the corn in June...
In July...
In August...
We slather it in butter and Berbere, wrap it in foil, and grill it on the BBQ. It is yummy, with a kick. We have always called corn by what we thought was the Amharic name for it, "Pocolo". Meazi corrected us and said we should be saying, "Bocolo." She told us that Pocolo is how you say corn in English.That is a cute story about corn. What isn't as cute, is watching a girl her size and age harvest corn like a pro. Meazi has done this before in Ethiopia. Corn is what she ate. Corn, or lack of corn, is what made Meazi pass for a two year old at referral. Gardening for leisure is a lot different than gardening for survival.
But they do like it. So we will continue to do it.
Meazi with Pip and Squeak...
M&m harvesting Coriander...
Joy and sorrow, even in the garden.
Posts
Oof. (I'm otherwise left speechless from this terribly moving post.)
ReplyDeleteOur daughter has spent a lot of time in the garden this summer too! I agree, it is hard to see how well she can plant and harvest...she knows just what to do and gets upset that we don't use every single piece of the produce (parts that Americans typically throw away). We go by the Sidama word for corn, "badala", here at our house. :)
ReplyDeleteYour garden is beautiful!!! I may need to hire you to come to our sad little patch of dirt and give us some pointers. We have 5 corn plants and a tomato plant barely making it ;) Your children are beautiful and so is your garden. So nice to see you yesterday!!
ReplyDeleteH
It shouldn't surprise me anymore- the Joy and Sorrow all wrapped up in one- but it continues to Every. Single. Time. Every. Single. Day.
ReplyDeleteI love your recipe for fixing corn - will have to try this. Thanks for this moving post.
ReplyDeleteBut you're fervently cultivating joy. Maybe the sorrow will always be there but perhaps just deeper down underneath layers of time moss, healing fertilizer, and rich happy soil. Churned up deep there beneath where good smelling and tasting things spring into life.
ReplyDeleteI am waiting for our Ethiopian Basil to go to seed. (With any hope.) Our Rita has Ethiopian basil growing freely and untamed. She is from whence it arrived. And then guess what if I get some seed, sister Mom? Some of it is coming to your mailbox, that's what.
Cindy
You know that Sunday Garden Tour is my very favorite thing. And mixed with the Habesha children, it is irresistable. These things, fingers digging through soil, the planting, the harvesting, the sharing, the enjoying, all of the earth, no matter how one has become accustomed to this ritual, I believe it is a very good thing.
ReplyDeleteTouched and speechless. Lots of love to you all.
ReplyDeleteSuch a great post, as always.
ReplyDeleteSuch a great post, as always.
ReplyDelete