Passing Along and Passing on

It's been quite some time since I've felt inspired to write.  I've mostly invested my time in starting our Community Supported Agriculture business and transitioning out of my corporate life.  But today as I sat at a friend's funeral, I was reminded of the importance of passing along a part of ourselves to those around us.

For many years I felt that I was living a life that was not authentic.  I did not know how to express this person inside of me and still try and meet the expectations of others.  I spent a great deal of time trying to appear one way on the outside, all the while suffocating this other person on the inside.

Our friend Jeanine passed away just a few days ago.  In the hours since we've left the graveside, I've recalled snippets of conversations we had together over the years.  She helped me realize my dream of learning to cake decorate.  We spent 1 night per week in her kitchen for almost 6 months.  I remember how encouraging she was when I booked my first wedding cake.  I must have called her a zillion times the morning I delivered the cake wanting to make sure I had done everything just right.  She was patient with each call.  I also remember how tickled she was when she found out I had only put 1/2 the amount of Crisco the recipe called for.  I had cramps in my hands because the icing was not smooth enough and it was extremely thick to push through the decorating bag.  We laughed because it took us 3 months to figure out what I was doing wrong.

Jeanine also taught my husband and I how to can vegetables from the garden.  Canning is now such a passion of mine.  She passed along her knowledge of canning, recipe books and her pressure cooker to us.  But not until we took a class from her on how to use the pressure cooker.  She tried to pass along her knowledge of embroidery to me.  I never had the patience to stick with that skill.  I still have the rose pattern pillow case with 1/2 embroidered roses in my chest of drawers.  It patiently waits in the dark drawer for me to pick it up again.

Jeanine's words of wisdom regarding farm animals was proven time and time again to me.  She warned to never name calves and only name the cows.  I understood why after we sold our first round of calves at the sale barn.  It's hard to see a calf named "Blackie" who has eaten out of your hand for months be sold at the sale barn.  Only to end up on someone's dinner plate.  She despised chickens and thought I was crazy when I excitedly announced we had purchased 30 from the 4-H sale.  And yet again, her words ring in my ear as I routinely clean chicken poop from our front porch.

We exchanged books and magazines.  We picked peaches together and shared recipes.  She told me one time that I was born in the wrong era.  Something I had always known.  Many times I had pictured myself being perfectly content living like Laura Ingalls-Wilder in Walnut Grove.   Her insight and nurturing of the person I'd been smothering for years is one of the greatest gifts anyone has ever given me.  It gave me the courage to be true to myself.

She was not the sweet little old lady you may be imaging from my description above.  She was a strong, direct, to the point woman who maintained a private life.  She had friends, but chose them carefully.  She was not afraid to tell you how she felt about politics or religion.  You may not agree or want to hear it, but she told you anyway.  The last few years were mentally and physically draining for Jeanine.  Visits were not as pleasant, but she had good reason.  In the end, I'm thankful I had the private moments with her.  There were good and not so good memories.  The time was precious nonetheless.

In a day and age where we pass along information by a text or via facebook, I'm blessed to have had a friendship the OLD SCHOOL way...intimate and personal.  I am fortunate that Jeanine passed along her knowledge of farming, canning, gardening and cooking to me.  I spent more time in the kitchen with Jeanine than I ever did with my own mother or grandmothers.  I don't think she nor I really knew how those teaching moments would impact my life.

My mother recently told me that my twelve year old niece told her she wanted me to teach her to decorate cakes when she visits our farm in April.  I now have an opportunity to pass down my knowledge to Anna.  We will share moments in the kitchen just as Jeanine and I did many times.

So my question to you is...What will you pass along?  Will you take some time this next year to break away from your smart phone or busy schedule to pass along a piece of yourself to someone else.  Legacies can be left in the smallest of actions.  Don't miss an opportunity to leave yours today.

The Farm at the End of the Road

I love slow Sunday mornings.  I was catching up on my Mary Janes Farm emails and read this poem.  I fell in love instantly!  Hope you enjoy!

The House at the End of the Road

by Shirley Jean Pierce, Florida

adapted from Sam Walter Foss' poem, The House by the Side of the Road, 1897

There are gentle souls that give each day

With the peace of talents spent.

There are souls, like stars, that dwell to shine

In their loved ones' sweet content.

There are pioneer souls that blaze their paths,

The wagon ruts still call -

But let me live at the end of the road

And make a home for all.

Let me live in a house at the end of the road

Where the walk of life draws nigh -

Where folks who work hard and have calloused hands,

As good and as bad as I,

Can live and not judge another's heart

Or cast a critic's eye

Let me live in a house at the end of the road

And open my door to the sky.

I see from my house at the end of the road,

The rolling fields of life,

I see women who press with the ardor of hope,

Their aprons stained with strife.

But I turn not away from their smiles nor their tears -

Both part of the infinite plan;

Let me live in the house at the end of the road

And be to all a kind woman.

I know there are lark-filled meadows ahead,

And mountains of wearisome height,

There are gardens to tend and children to mend

And day simply turns into night.

But still I rejoice when my sisters rejoice,

And weep with the women who moan,

With the dream of a farm at the end of the road

For a little girl too quickly grown.

Let me live in my house at the end of the road

And welcome the women who try -

They are good, they are bad, they are weak, they are strong,

Wise, foolish - so am I.

Then why should I look with a critic's eye

Or judge another's call?

Let me live in a house at the end of the road

And make a home for all.

Garden Glory

Another garden season is coming to an end.  Sniff...Sniff...  I walked today what will probably be my last walk to the garden until next May.  The extreme heat has really taken a toll on the plants.  The tomato plants are drying out, but still producing tomatoes.  Our cukes are done and all that is left on the vines are ridiculously overgrown fruits that have yellowed.  We lost most of our corn to raccoons, and the stalks have been cut and fed to the cattle.  The once deep purple fruit of our eggplants have all but disappeared and a few small bell peppers are hanging on by the "seed of their plants".  Bright yellow squash blossoms are a distant memory.  And our hopes for potatoes were never realized.  Our compost pile will wait to be turned another day.

The end of the garden season for me is always bittersweet.  I'll miss the early Saturday mornings with my Tom working the soil, watering emerging seedlings, and sharing the excitement of seeing the first fruits of our efforts.  No longer will our evenings be spent sharing the canning duties.  I'm so lucky to have a husband who enjoys canning as much as I do.  He fires up the turkey fryer outside and sterilizes the jars as I blanch, peel and cut veggies for packing.  We then sit on the porch in our side by side rockers and enjoy a cool glass of lemonade as we listen for the "tink" of lids sealing on jars.

Despite the sweaty Saturday mornings, aching lower backs from picking, itchy bug bites and dirty garden feet, it's soooo worth it!  So for now, I'll savor my last weeks of whatever my precious garden has left to yield.  I'll eat as many of my favorite....bologna, tomato and cheese sandwiches on fresh white bread...YUM!  And then we'll move on to the freshest marinara, stews and chili for the fall and winter months.  And best of all, no preservatives and as organic as it gets!  

For now, I'll look forward to the cooler months of fall.  "There's a change a com'in I tell ya" and her name is FALL.  As I say goodbye to the dog days of summer, I stand with welcoming arms to the blessings of the trees.  When we are privileged to have a front row seat to the changing colors of the season. 

I'll leave you with the words to a song that I heard on the radio when I was in high school.  It pretty much describes my love affair with tomatoes...

Home grown tomatoes, home grown tomatoes
Where would I be without home grown tomatoes?
There's only two things that money can't buy
And that's true love and home grown tomatoes!

Red Gate Farm Morning Reflections

The computer is slower than Christmas this morning.  My husband pipes up to encourage me to call the satellite company as I am voicing my frustration at it's snail's pace.   I am technically challenged and would rather have bamboo shoots forced under my toe nails than to call a tech support department.  So, I decided to sit and rock on the front porch as God teaches me patience.

The funny thing is, I begin to watch the chickens as they peck the ground and am aware of the rhythm of the farm.  It's slow and easy this morning.  My mind drifts to thoughts of Family Farm Week.  The quiet peace of the farm is missing the laughter that had filled the air just 4 weeks ago.  Images of family members gathered on the front porch to reminisce of days past.  Sleepy heads emerging from the camper with first thoughts of grabbing an egg basket for the morning chores.

It's more than a family event that takes weeks of work preparing for.  It's a tradition that I hope will connect us forever.  Although my own family was somewhat dysfunctional....I guess all families are to an extent, I do have memories of tradition.  Memories of my Grandmother making fried peach pies in a cast iron skillet, memories of visiting my Great Grandmother wearing a purple bonnet and picking vegetables from a garden.  The gathering of extended family for holidays was a time to reconnect with cousins.  I've always wanted to pass that along and I am so blessed to be able to do that on Red Gate Farms.

So it may seem to our family that we are hosting them, but the truth is they are blessing us.  Allowing us to share our home and to share the peace of the farm.  Each year we create new memories and we play them back until the next year when we get to do it all over again.  So, I'll keep playing the Family Farm Week movie over and over again for the next 11 months.  Anxiously waiting for June 2012 when that wonderful laughter and chatter of family fills our humid farm air again.

June on the Farm

Happy Father's Day to Tom...LOL!  Our newest goat Cassie gave birth this morning while we were running errands in town.  We figured it was about time as Cassie was making a little more noise in the pond yard than usual.  When babies are born on the farm it's always exciting.  I never get tired or numb to the miracle of life on the farm.  It's always encouraging and a great sign when you see babies take to nursing right away.  We named this little cutie Roxie! That was before we learned later in the day it was a Billy.  So our baby's name is Rocky now.  This is our first goat born on the farm.

This was not the only new addition to the farm this week...we also HAD to buy a new tractor.  Now for those of you who read this and live on a farm you know what a gut wrenching feeling it is for a piece of equipment to go "down".  We had high hopes that a minor repair was all that was needed for our 16 year old tractor, but not the case.  So on my lunch hour last Monday, hubby picked me up and headed over to the Kubota dealer to take a look see.  Ladies, let me tell you that test driving a 70 HP Kubota tractor in high heels is not an easy thing to pull off!  I think I heard my hubby mumble the words "I think her tractor's sexy"....!  The salesman knew what features to sell me on.  Next day, this baby was ours!

We have had over 5 inches of rain this week.  The garden is exploding.  We have tomatoes coming in along with squash and bell peppers.  This is the prettiest crop of beans we've ever had.  Hope tomatoes and cukes are in by the time the farmily arrives on the 29th.  Can't wait to see our grandkids and nephews gathering eggs and picking veggies from the garden!!!  Guess it's time to break out Luke's egg basket again...LOL.

Too wet to get the tiller really working those weeds, guess that project will have to wait until next weekend.  It is such a wonderful blessing to see your garden blooming and know that canning time is right around the corner.  Happy Summer Y'all from Red Gate Farms!

Red Gate Gal's Summer Glory

Oh, what a glorious feeling it is to realize that we are on the cusp of SUMMER!  The farm is always willing to give you small frequent blessings all year long.  But there is something special about the blessings that summer brings.

Meow, snoozing on cool concrete

I look at the brown crispy grass in the winter only to sigh at the lack of color and warm sunshine.  Then Spring brings the rain and the mud.  Oh the mud, it makes every chore harder and messier to complete.  Each week we watch the temperatures rise and wait for that one day that seals the dea....shorts and tank tops!

Welcome Cassie...

This weekend was one of the those weekends.  The weather was sunny and 85.  All of our farm critters were out and about strutting their stuff.  Within about 30 minutes I took all of the pictures I've posted today.  Including the one of Cassie the goat who is our newest addition to Red Gate Farms.

Cassie is pregnant and we are so hoping she waits until our family is here during July 4th week to deliver.  It will be our first goat born on the farm.

I also posted pictures of squash plants anxiously awaiting my husband to put them in the ground.  I hear canning lids popping in my future!

Hope everyone is enjoying summer as much as we are at Red Gate Farms.  The bluebird nest below was built in a birdhouse my husband and grandson constructed a few years ago.  Placement is everything.  We moved the box this year and this is our second round of blue bird eggs.  Hopefully I will be able to post pictures of babies soon.

A Wreath Wrapped in Love

So thrilled to receive this beautiful wreath from my stepdaughter today.  It was custom made for me with items that reflected the Red Gate Gal farm blog.  I can't remember the last time I received something so personal.  I absolutely fell in love with it!

Created by Growing Lily Designs, Hoover Alabama

Me and my stepdaughter Diane

Ah...Red Gate Farms...the source of my peace.

Posting pics soon of our tomato plants that are finally in the ground.  More news from the Shirley and Sherman front and last but not least, update on the addition of Spring Chicks!