ANTICIPATION

Perhaps one of the greatest joys of gardening is the watching and waiting.

When I was a child, we would very often on a Sunday afternoon visit my "country kin" (my dad's brothers who were farmers in rural Cape Girardeau County).

That's what you did on Sunday afternoons...went visiting.

I don't think we called ahead. Well, eveyone didn't have a phone. I don't mean they didn't carry one in pocket or purse, or have one strapped to their belt or clipped on an ear. I mean they didn't have a phone!

Well, I digress.

Back to the visiting.

We were never there very long before the resident uncle would invite the men to see the garden.

Very often this "viewing" produced nothing more than a few tiny sprouts that had managed to break through the rich, dark earth as if to say, "here we come!". It somehow seemed to be very significant to everyone.

Subsequent Sunday visits would offer a "show" of first buds, followed by blooms, with each holding a promise; a red, ripe, juicy tomato or a steaming pot of fresh green beans, cooked with lots of onion and seasoned with bacon grease!

For as we are reminded in Genesis 1:29, "Then God said, 'I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth...that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.' ".

As a child I thought this was an odd thing to do....these on-going inspections of the garden. I mean really "what's the big deal?".

But now I understand. And as most of you who visit 5117 Wilson Ave can attest to, sooner or later you will hear, "come see the garden".

I thank each of you for sharing the "anticipation" with me.

Hope you will come back for another visit to see what these buds will bring forth