Does Absolute Truth Exist in a World of Moral Relativism?

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John 8:31-32 (NASB)

The Truth Will Make You Free

31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

This morning at church we had a guest pastor who brought the message.  It was a message that caught my attention and was very timely.  I thought the message was exceptional, and I'll do my best to distill the high points because it deserves repeating.  The gentleman led off with statistics that showed an alarming shift in people's belief in absolute truth.  According to Barna Research, today 72% of adults believe that there is no such thing as absolute truth!  I could not believe this could be true!  For 30 years ago 84% of people believed in absolute truth.  How can this be?

We are in a place where truth is whatever you want it to be?  You hear things such as, "my truth" being said.  Tolerance is the seen as one of the greatest virtues.  The problem with tolerance is that there are certain things in which there is no room for tolerance:

1. Math: 3 x 4 = 12. Not 11, not 13.  Mathematics has no room for tolerance.  The answer is correct or incorrect.

2. Chemistry: Water is two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.  Any change in that 'cocktail' and you have something other than water.

3. Music: A conductor in an orchestra works intently to ensure all the instruments are in tune and the orchestra plays the correct notes.  There is no tolerance for music that is off-key.

As a Christian, of course I believe that God and His Word is the source of all Truth.  I believe it is inerrant you should go to the Word of God to determine right and wrong.  Trying to calibrate your moral moorings with popular opinion is a moving target.  The minister gave an excellent illustration of this.

There was once a man who worked for a plant.  His primary responsibility was to blow the whistle at 6:30 AM to let the employees know when to commence work and blow the whistle again at 4:30 to let the employees know that it was quitting time.  Each morning the plant-worker walked to work and he would pass in front of a watch-maker's shop, look inside the window, and set his watch to match the clock in the window.  Then he would walk on to work and blow the whistle.

One day the watch-maker saw the man gazing in the window, setting his watch.  He walked outside and asked the plant-worker if he could help him.  The plant-worker told him that he was just setting his watch with the clock in the window.  The watch-maker then laughed and told him, "That old clock? It doesn't keep time well, so each day I listen to the whistle at the plant and re-set the clock based on that!"

And so it is if we use society, cultural norms, laws, customs, etc. as truth.  In doing so we will be like the plant-worker and the watchmaker, chasing our tails in trying to determine Truth.  We must calibrate our Truth Detector with the Word of God - For He is the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life.

Diggin' and Pickin' in June

With everything going on lately, we haven't shown a lot going on in the garden.  I did some work in the garden planting on Saturday.  I planted 3 additional rows of green beans.  The green beans that I planted in early spring didn't do well.  It was the first year in many, many years in which we didn't put up any beans in the freezer for later.  Things don't always work out.  Hopefully in this planting, we will see success.  I also planted another row of sweet corn, a row of black-eyed peas, a row of cantaloupe, watermelon, butternut squash, birdhouse gourds, louffa gourds, and sunflowers. 

But let's back up.  We planted more things, and while we have many things still growing, we are harvesting, too.  Here is a basket full of some of the last of the beets.

We planted Red Mangel Beets for the cows, and chioggia beets and bull's blood beets for us.

We oven-roast most of the beets in the oven.  That's our favorite way of eating them.  Tricia also made a couple batches of beet kvass.  Back in 2014, we showed how we do that in this post:
Making Beet Kvass

We also picked some lima beans.  These limas over-wintered in the garden and are bearing again.  I wait until the pods are brown, but you can't wait too late as they'll pop open and you'll lose the beans. 

Finally, each year in May and June, it is prime blueberry and blackberry season.  Each day we (but mainly Russ before he moved out) go to the bushes with quart-sized containers and pick all the berries that have ripened since the day before.  We eat some while we're picking, of course!  We put the berries in a colander and wash them up.

We put some in the fridge to snack on fresh, but we also like to freeze some to use throughout the year.  An interesting way to freeze them is to lay them out on a single layer on a stoneware tray.  Pop 'em in the freezer and the next morning we pull them out and loosen them from the tray with a spatula. 

When the are all loose, we pour them into a zip loc bag and put them in the freezer for storage.

With the berries individually frozen, it is very easy to pour them into a measuring cup for baking muffins and blueberry pancakes with chocolate chips.  My favorite!

Up next in the garden:  harvesting sweet corn, more cukes, tomatoes (although it is a bad year), squash and zucchini.  In a few days, we'll be planting pumpkins.

Against the Wind

While vacationing last week, Tricia and I had the opportunity to kayak.  I've never really kayaked (is that a verb?) before.  It's a lot easier than canoeing, I thought.  It was so peaceful and relaxing.  With both of us paddling, it wasn't really work.  It was serene.  We just glided over the water, taking in the beautiful scenery.  One time, however, going over some rapids, we had to get out and carry it.

We quickly learned that you could paddle upstream but that you were going WITH the wind.  Conversely, you could paddle downstream, but you would be going AGAINST the wind.  It's hard going against the wind!  My wife and I have gotten to where we think exactly alike (on most things).  We remarked about going against the wind and we both immediately began singing Bob Seger's song, "Against the Wind."  We both laughed.  We're kind of strange like that.

But it got me thinking about that song.  What a great song.  I cut & pasted the lyrics below.  To me it is a song about changes - about the passage of time.  About relationships that once seemed so strong, but now are distant.  I love the line, "Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then."  When you are young, you think things are hard, but often as you get older, things get harder.  It's a song about being young once and then growing old, searching, getting lost, being free and then finding yourself tied down by "deadlines and commitments." 

I think the message in the song is that you never give up.  It may not be easy, but you keep striving.  You keep running against the wind.  Here are the lyrics:

Seems like yesterday
But it was long ago
Janey was lovely she was the queen of my nights
There in darkness with the radio playin low
And the secrets that we shared, mountains that we moved
Caught like a wildfire out of control
Til there was nothin left to burn and nothin left to prove

And I remember what she said to me
How she swore that it never would end
I remember how she held me oh so tight
Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then

Against the wind
We were runnin against the wind
We were young and strong we were runnin against the wind

And the years rolled slowly past
And I found myself alone
Surrounded by strangers I thought were my friends
Found myself further and further from my home and I
Guess I lost my way
There were oh so many roads
I was livin to run and runnin to live
Never worried about payin or even how much I owe 

Movin' eight miles a minute and for months at a time
Breakin all of the rules that would bend
I began to find myself searchin
Searchin for shelter again and again 

Against the wind
Little somethin against the wind
I found myself seekin shelter against the wind

Well those drifters days are past me now
I've got so much more to think about
Deadlines and commitments
What to leave in, what to leave out 

Against the wind
I'm still runnin against the wind
I'm older now but still runnin against the wind

Well I'm older now but still runnin against the wind

If you wish to listen to the song, you can click the arrow below:

We're older now, but still running against the wind...

As the Twig is Bent

As the twig is bent the tree inclines. Virgil

The above quote illustrates that lessons learned early in life have a tremendous bearing on you in later years.  In nature, you see this sometimes when young trees are blown by ravaging, hurricane winds.  These trees continue to grow at odd angles throughout its life.  In people, often early experiences - good or bad - mark us for life.  Of course, many people overcome bad experiences early on and achieve successful, happy, fulfilled lives.  In contrast, some people through bad decision-making, end up negating positive beginnings.

As I think about that quote, I reflect on parenting our kids.  I pray that God will bless good intentions and forgive short-comings in our attempts in child-rearing.  We are flawed people living in a fallen world.  I think we did good in some things and not so good in others.  Why am I being so introspective?

This Sunday night after church our oldest son ate supper with us, loaded up his car, and moved out and into his own home.  Our eldest daughter has been on her own since she graduated college.  We have one more at home, and he'll be moving out this fall when he goes off to college.  We'll soon be empty-nesters.  As Russ pulled out of the driveway, Tricia and I stood in the driveway and watched him drive off.

We prayed for him that God would bless him in his home and in this new chapter of his life.

Did we give him the right tools in his toolbox to enable him to be successful in this life?  Will he continue to grow in the direction we've tried to point him?

As he spreads his wings and flies, we trust that God will protect him and guide him, cover him in His Love, and that he will know that his entire family loves him.

The LORD bless you and keep you;

The LORD make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

The LORD lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace. - Numbers 6:24-26

And We're Back...

When I was a senior in high school, there was a popular singing group called the Go-Go's that sang a song called "Vacation."  It was the classic summer song that always put me in a good mood and made me think about vacations.  One of the bad things about starting a new job is that I started back at zero in terms of accrued vacation.  Now that I've been there for over a year, I was able to take vacation!  Yeehaw!!  It is quite hard to find someone to watch over the farm to be able to get away, but Tricia arranged a deal with a friend that has a farm where she watched over ours and we'll watch over hers at some point.

We generally like to camp and hike and take in all the sights of semi-secluded areas.  A good friend of Tricia's brothers had graciously offered for us to visit their property that is on the Nueces River in a small town west of San Antonio near Uvalde, Tx.  So we made the trip over there.  In the old days, the whole family would get to go, but now, Laura Lee is working and Russ is working, so Tricia, Benjamin and I made the trip and joined with Tricia's brothers and their families. 

We were 15 miles from the headwaters of the Nueces River.  It is spring-fed and the river is lined with stone, making the water crystal clear.  We approached and looked over a cliff down into the pristine water.

You could see all the way to the bottom, but we knew it was deep.

Benjamin jumped off the cliff and plummeted (I estimate) 25 feet down.  His cousin Juliet had already jumped into the cool, refreshing water.

SPLASH!!

Over the next several days, we didn't come into contact with many other people.  We visited, cooked, laughed, swam, relaxed and recharged.  Here is Tricia walking down the stone lined river. 

I kicked up my feet and took in the sights.

There were some rapids where the water made a nice sound against the rocks.  As we camped in our tent, we could hear the soothing sounds.

We swam down river a couple hundred yards and discovered a really deep part of the river, perhaps 30 feet deep, and there just so happened to be a rope swing.  We would swing on it again and again, plunging in the cold water to cool off.

All the cousins (and even us adults) had fun on the rope swing.

The river house over-looked the river.  Rainfall and high waters last year actually shifted the river closer to the house.  It was nice and shady where we set up our tents.  One night we sat around after dark and watched fireflies.  The cousins ran around catching them.  It was peaceful.

Here is Tricia in the tent.  Fortunately, we had some cots as the ground was rocky.  At night, it cooled off and it was very comfortable to sleep.  There were no mosquitoes.

We even did some kayaking on the river.

At night the area is frequented by axis deer.  They are native to India and Nepal, but in 1932 were brought to be a game animal.  Some escaped and now there are thousands roaming around.  They have a big rack and make a loud noise.  One morning Tricia was having quiet time early in the morning beside the river and this big fella came to get a drink of water.  He "barked" a high pitch bark at Tricia.

Soon it was time to go.  As we exited the campsite, we looked at a big cross someone had erected on a hill (mountain).  Pretty cool!

I always like to take pictures of clever signs.  The welcome sign to Hondo, Texas caught my attention.

In case you can't read it, it says, "Welcome.  This is God's Country.  Please don't drive through it like hell.  Hondo, Texas"  We obeyed. 

We made it back home and will be back posting as we normally do.

A Little Hiatus

We've been out of pocket, but will be back on Sunday Night!

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.  Proverbs 1: 8-9

Wishing Happy Father's Day to my Dad!

He is ALWAYS there for us.  Always ready to help, give some wisdom, stability, give a living example of what a Godly Dad looks like and provide support in all of our times of need.  I love you, Dad!  Have a great Father's Day!

A Sweet Visit

On Saturday a dear friend I worked with at a former place of employment came to visit us.  Our offices were right next door to each other.  She had learned about our momma goats giving birth to twins and triplets and wanted to bring her grand-daughter to see the babies.  We had a real nice visit and caught up with what's been going on.  Well, being a true Southern lady, she didn't come visit empty handed.  She and her grand-daughter made a delicious cheesecake for us to enjoy.

It was not an ordinary cheesecake.  They spent a lot of time making it, and it was perfect!  It was topped with raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and drizzled with homemade lemon curd.  A little later that afternoon, Tricia and I put on a pot of coffee and got out the nice china. 

Would you look at this thing of beauty?  My blood sugar is spiking just looking at the photo.

Not only was it nice to look at, but it was delicious.  I tried to make it last while sharing it with Tricia, but in no time at all, it was reduced to just a few more bites.  I tried to ration it, but try as I might, I couldn't make it last and soon, the plate was empty.

That's the sad thing about visits and desserts, they're over before you know it.  I'll leave you with a couple of my favorite dessert quotes:

Erma Bombeck

"Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart."

Linda Grayson

"There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate." (or cheesecake)*(my addition to her quote)

My First Car

Growing up on a farm, I began driving at a very early age out of necessity.  We helped out at the farm and that involved driving.  We got an opportunity to do that as soon as we could see over the dashboard.  Out in the middle of a field, there wasn't much you could damage.  Running into a ditch was about the most trouble you could get into - and I did that a time or three.

When I got my driver's license at 15 that just formalized the driving arrangement.  I shared Dad's pickup truck with him and would clean all of the farm dirt out of it prior to nights out on the town with friends.  Later, when I graduated from high school, my parents gave me the biggest blessing and got me a car.  I remember going to the showroom and looking at brochures.  This one below caught my eye.  Sporty yet classic design.  The Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Brougham. 

I was so doggone proud of that car!  I promptly put a sound system in it and would open the sunroof and listen to Van Halen's (appropriately named) "1984" cassette as loud as it would go.  It had upholstered seats that were comfortable and it drove so smoothly.  Off to college I went.  I parked my car in the Kirby Smith Dormitory parking lot and wouldn't you know somebody vandalized it.  They took a key and marked a big X on the hood and across the driver's side door panel.  I remember being VERY upset.  I remember wishing very bad things on the vandal.  He was never caught.  The insurance company repainted it and all was right in the world again -for a while.

After college graduation, I accepted a position with Exxon in Houston and drove it to the city.  I wanted to familiarize myself with the route to work the day before I was to start, so I drove down the Southwest Freeway into downtown.  Right prior to getting into the heart of downtown, you pass under the Pierce Elevated (I-45).  Being from a small town, all red lights hung from a line in the CENTER of the intersection.  Not so, I quickly learned, in Houston.  They were on small poles on the side of the road.

I blew threw a candy apple-colored red light and T-boned a Houston Police cruiser.  I was wearing some Ray Ban Aviator sunglasses whose wire frames dug into my eyebrows when my head met the rear view mirror with considerable force.  I went to the hospital and got stitched up and went to work the next morning on my first day looking pretty rough.  Although I looked bad, I was okay.  My Olds Cutlass Supreme was not so fortunate.  It was totaled.  I still think about that car.  If only I had paid more attention...  I bought a replacement.  A Toyota Cressida with 252,000 miles on it.  In an understatement, it wasn't near as nice as the Cutlass.  It did get me to and from work though.  In fact, Tricia and I had our first date in that car.  We were driving down Chimney Rock Road in Houston to go to a restaurant and a spark plug blew out of the aluminum head of the engine.  I had to push it into a service station and have it towed.  (Despite that, she still married me!)

Back to the Oldsmobile, they haven't been manufactured in fifteen years!  I read up on it and found according to this Oldsmobile link, after the Cutlass Supreme was the best selling automobile, a mere 20 years later, the last Oldsmobile rolled off the assembly line.  Here's what that link says about it:

In 1897, Ransom E. Olds (1864-1950), an Ohio-born engine maker, founded the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in Lansing. In 1901, the company, then known as Olds Motor Works, debuted the Curved Dash Oldsmobile, a gas-powered, open-carriage vehicle named for its curved front footboard. More than 400 of these vehicles were sold during the first year, at a price of $650 each (around $17,000 in today’s dollars).
In 1908, Oldsmobile was the second brand, after Buick, to become part of the newly established General Motors (GM). Oldsmobile became a top brand for GM and pioneered such features as chrome-plating in 1926 and, in 1940, the first fully automatic transmission for a mass-market vehicle. Oldsmobile concentrated on cars for middle-income consumers and from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s, the Oldsmobile Cutlass was America’s best-selling auto. However, in the decades that followed, sales began to decline, prompting GM to announce in 2000 that it would discontinue the Oldsmobile line with the 2004 models. When the last Oldsmobile rolled off the assembly line in April 2004, more than 35 million Oldsmobiles had been built during the brand’s lifetime. Along with Daimler and Peugeot, Oldsmobile was among the world’s oldest auto brands.

There are several morals to this story, I suppose.  First and foremost, keep your eyes on the road and pay attention to traffic signals - wherever they may be placed.  Not doing so could cost you your life, or at least a hospital visit, embarrassment, and the loss of a beautiful car.  Next, don't rest on your laurels.  In twenty short years you could go from being the very best and on top of the world to defunct. 

I Have Some Work Left to do in the Garden

I made a list of things that I still need to plant in the garden this year:  More green beans, more corn, sunflower seeds, buckwheat, luffa gourds, birdhouse gourds, zinnias, black-eyed peas, cantaloupes, spaghetti squash, butternut squash, and watermelons.  It sounds like a lot.  Due to long hours at work and rain, the rest of the garden has been delayed.  A lot of what was planted in the spring has suffered with the weather.

No worries, though.  We'll get it done.  The southernmost part of the garden has grown up in weeds.  I put some "metal mulch" (tin) down, but I didn't have enough to cover the rest of the garden.  The remaining weeds are tall and lush.  It all has to come down before planting.  Well, all except for the sugar cane you see growing in the top left-hand side of the photo.  We'll make syrup with that this fall.

Without a tiller, you might think that is a tough job, but if you get the weeds off, the ground is soft and rich and arable.  The metal mulch stops a lot of the weeds.  Once you remove the tin, it can be turned over with a shovel, worked with a hoe and planted in one day with a little elbow grease.  Here's my plan.  I'll let the goats and cows mow the grass down.  I don't want them eating what's growing in the other three-quarters of the garden, so I put up an electric netting fence you see below.  I don't have it electrified, but the animals have been shocked by it before, so they respect it, even if it's not "hot."

Then I put the animals in the garden.  First, Annie the goat, and then Clarabelle.  They've both most recently had babies, so they'll appreciate the fresh grass and be able to convert it all to milk for their babies... and us!  Here is Annie hard at work working the garden.

Of course I'll only let them in the garden to eat while I am working in the other side of the garden.  If they intend on testing the non-electrified fencing and realize they can go right through it, I want to be nearby to stop them before they cause damage.  I see them longingly eyeing the vegetables.  Those are for us!  I'll be sure to post a photo to show their work in cutting the grass and preparing the remaining land for planting.  With their help, I still have time to get everything else planting and it is truly an win-win situation for all involved.

A Good Test for the "Raised" Barn

Earlier in the spring, we had some fill dirt hauled in and Russ and I worked like pack mules to move it out to the barn.  I didn't do much planning back when we decided where to put the barn.  I ended up putting it in the lowest part of the property.  Not good.  It is always tough to slog out to the barn in rubber boots in deep mud every time it rains, which is often in south Louisiana.  The mud is so deep, sometimes you walk right out of your boots.

My plan was to raise the level of the barn after the fact.  Never too late, right?  So we used wagons to carry out 3 dump truck loads of dirt out to the barn, building up the areas all around it.  You might be wondering why we didn't just have the dump trucks deliver the dirt closer to the barn?  It was so wet this past fall, winter, and spring, that there was no way the truck could get near the barn without bogging down.

We got the dirt in place and we've had several rains on it, but the rain this last week was the test we were looking for.  We got eight inches of rain in less than 24 hours - a real gully washer. 

We even got a tornado that came through down the road.  It did some damage at our friend's home that gave us the quail eggs.  We had a lot of sticks that fell out of the trees that will take some work to pick up, but fortunately no major damage.  The garden really didn't need all this rain, but there's nothing we can do about it.  The green beans look sickly and yellow.

So it is time to check out the barn.  How did our new "raised barn" work out?  Ordinarily, the barn was in a low location, so the cows would find a high place from which to weather the storm.  Now, the barn IS the high place!  You can see the two little bulls, Aussie and Clarabull, as well as the baby goats and a few chickens seeking refuge under the new barn expansion atop the new dirt.

Here's from a different vantage point, looking out from within the barn.  Everything outside is muddy, but from here, we are high and dry!

It took a lot of dirt and a lot of work, but the cows and goats appreciate the effort.

I'd give the new raised barn a two thumbs up rating after passing the 8 inches in less than 24 hour rainfall test with flying colors.

Grandpa, Tell Me 'Bout the Good Ol Days

On Sunday I attended funeral services at our church for a gentleman that I greatly respected.  While sitting in the fellowship hall after the service, I had an interesting conversation with the preacher who performed the service.  He asked me if we were still milking cows and if we still had chickens and goats.

He told me that it reminded him of his childhood.  He had a smile on his face as he began reminiscing.  Here's what he told me in his words (not mine):

"I remember when I was young and having to wake up early in the morning.  My brother and I would walk to the barn and each hand milk a cow before going to school.  We had to milk them again in the afternoon after school.  My Daddy taught us to work hard.  We had a large garden (a field, really) that we would grow our own food.  Daddy taught us how to hook up a plow to a mule and plow the garden." 

"We raised hogs and always had two of them.  Daddy told us that hogs are greedy and if you had two of them, they would compete for the food with the other and they would grow faster.  I remember Daddy would watch for when the first cold front was coming.  The night before, we'd stack firewood underneath a big cast iron pot and fill it with water.  The next morning, we'd wake up before daylight and start the fire.  We'd stand around the fire until it was daylight and Daddy would shoot the hogs and drag them to the table.  The hogs would be scalded and gutted."

"I can still remember Momma walking down the road from the house with a dress on.  Against her hip, she was carrying a big white porcelain bowl with a red ring around it.  She wanted the first pork roast.  Daddy would cut it off and put it in her bowl and Momma would walk back to the house.  We had pork roast for supper that night and it was so good!"

"One of the last things Daddy told us before he died was, "I worked you boys so hard.  I'm so sorry.  I just wanted you to know how to do things.  There may be a day coming where the most important thing you can do is know how to put food on the table for your family.  I've given you some land, boys.  Don't ever sell your land.  With 20 acres you have enough land to take care of you and your family.""

It's me again.  I could have sat there all evening listening.  The good old days.  Work was hard, but the family ties were strong and the bonds of love were deep.  Memories were cherished, work ethic instilled.  Even though the gentleman telling me the stories wasn't near old enough to be my grandpa.  It reminded me of the simple message in The Judd's song, "Grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days."  Click the arrow below to listen.  I've also posted the lyrics below:

Grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days

Sometimes it feels like this worlds gone crazy

Grandpa, take me back to yesterday

When the line between right and wrong

Didn't seem so hazy

Did lovers really fall in love to stay

And stand beside each other, come what may

Was a promise really something people kept

Not just something they would say

Did families really bow their heads to pray

Did daddies really never go away

Oh, grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days

Grandpa, everything is changing fast

We call it progress, but I just don't know

And grandpa, Let's wander back into the past

And paint me the picture of long ago

(Repeat)

Did lovers really fall in love to stay

And stand beside each other come what may

Was a promise really something people kept

Not just something they would say and then forget

Did families really bow their heads to pray

Did daddies really never go away

Oh, grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days

Oh, grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days

A nice, but melancholy song, lamenting modern times when things seem to have gone off the rails.  I'm with you, Naomi and Wynonna.  We call it progress, but I just don't know...

Thornless Blackberry Harvest is Underway

A couple years ago we planted two thornless blackberry bushes.  They were cultivars called Arapaho and were developed by the University of Arkansas.  Every blackberry bush I've ever been associated grew wild along fence rows and had thorns.  These are different - we planted them in the yard and they have absolutely no thorns.  Last year they produced a few, fat, juicy berries.  This year they have put out new canes and have gotten larger.  The berries are also numerous.  Each day we pick them to try to stay ahead of the birds who have also discovered them.

One of the two bushes, loaded with berries

First, they turn red and then black.

The berries are big and juicy.  We'll normally eat one while picking.  It is sweet and juicy and warm from the summer sun.

I hope we are able to keep it growing so that it gets bigger and spreads out.

We've just started to pick, but we'll bring them inside and wash them and then place them on a tray in the freezer.  When adequately frozen, we use a spatula to remove them from the tray and put them into zip loc bags, the gallon size.  They are individually frozen so they are easy to measure out to make pies or cobblers.

It is hard to beat a homemade blackberry pie and a cup of coffee!

Digging Spuds Without My Buds

About five or so years ago, I worked up a potato bed in the side yard.  The first year it was hard work.  The ground was a compacted, hard, dense, hard-pan as it was a rice field at one time.  Over the years I've amended the soil with hay, leaves and other organic matter.  Now the soil is easy to turn with a shovel.

I planted seed potatoes on about a 30 foot length of row.  Three quarters of it was planted with LaSoda seed potatoes I purchased at our local feed store.  The remainder was small Pontiac seed potatoes leftover from the previous spring.  I've had success holding over potatoes for seed in the past, but not this year.  These spuds were duds.  Only the new LaSoda seed potatoes produced.  I really can't put my finger on why the old saved seed potatoes didn't produce this year.  I've had success in the past, but not this time. 

My sons were unavailable to help, so for the first time in many years, I dug up the potato crop by myself.  It was kind of lonely!  As our birds are beginning to leave the nest, I'd best get accustomed to that.  I got a shovel and began turning the soil over, exposing beautiful potatoes just beneath the soil.  I had mulched the potatoes with lots of hay to keep weeds at bay.  That hay mulch kept the soil moist underneath, so it was VERY easy to turn the soil over and expose the potatoes.  As I dug them up, I buried the hay.  This organic matter will enrich the soil for next year's crop.  In no time, I was done!

A plethora from the potato plot

When I was done, I had partially filled a big wagon with fresh potatoes of various sizes.  It was not as good of a crop as in years past, but it was still a good crop.  We'll enjoy them over the next several months and if the weather cooperates, I'll plant a fall potato crop in a couple of months.

The Potato Wagon

The potatoes were of all different sizes - no two the same.  That's the thing about potatoes.  The crop is underground and you never know how they'll turn out until the very end, when you unearth them and examine the fruits of your labors.  Here is a nice 'baker' - fat, heavy, the size of your palm and perfect for baking.

And here are a few of my favorites.  They are golf-ball sized.  I like to either cut these in half and oven-roast them with butter and rosemary or, even better, slice these little boogers in half and cook with some fresh harvested green beans and butter.  Lots and lots of butter.  Delicious!

We learned many years ago to never wash them until you are ready to cook them.  We store them indoors in milk crates, all dirty.  They'll last that way. 

When digging them up, inevitably you feel the soft crunch under your shovel and realize that in trying to unearth the "pomme de terre" (fruit or apple of the earth), you slice some in half.  These are not lost.  They won't be wasted.  We bring them in, wash them up, and immediately cook them.  These became delicious hash browns!

As I think about it, and at the risk of being melodramatic, I realize that raising potatoes are like life, specifically raising kids.  You "plant" them, painstakingly "fertilize" them, and watch them grow, watering them as needed and pulling "weeds" that compete against them for nutrients.  Over the course of time you wonder if the seeds you planted will produce - if they will prosper and multiply.  You do your best, wondering, will they reproduce and produce a plentiful harvest?  While you watch them grow, most of the fruits of your labors are hidden underground.  You must be patient.  By and by, your "crop" is unearthed and you can begin to examine the fruit you tried so hard to produce. Raising your crop takes patience, love, care, devotion, and watchfulness.  You pray that you won't experience crop failure, hoping that your crop will be a success.  Will the potatoes you put in the ground produce more potatoes to carry forward seed for the future?  Only time will tell...

How can a society that exists on instant mashed potatoes, packaged cake mixes, frozen dinners, and instant cameras teach patience to its young? Paul Sweeney