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Mornings are the best part of each day. Our clan, generally speaking, find a leisurely wake up a bad habit. Late starts must always be made up (Ben as a common practice routinely gets his 40 hours in, by Tuesday).
It is said that we are what we have lost. Be it hours in the day, vibrant relationships, or a dry stretch of summer heat. The pursuit to gather them in is constant.
The horizon to the west was aglow. My sailing uncle would say red sky at morn take warning. The drums are rolling. A storm will be here in thirty minutes. In the years past we have always anxiously awaited a rain. This year we have been blessed at the right moments, but June is only the precursor of real summer. Plenty of time to become uneasy.
The pressure never eases in this growing world. But ballgames & soothing mornings go only so far in our quest for peace of mind.
“Everything you want is on the other side of hard. Nothing good comes easy.” Terry Pluto, Plain Dealer faith bound motivator, quotes Donovan Mitchel, Cleveland Cavs Guard. Of course we admire athletes ability to achieve. Often to the point of being ludicrous. Cavs played seven to beat Detroit, then lost four to New York. Season over.
Mr. Pluto goes on to say that “everything” never “always goes right.” On the farm, in building relationships, in finding peach through grace.
But we must surely move beyond “hard”. Terry Pluto in another day said that there are times in life when we need to empty some of our thoughts, our worries, our family frictions. You can do that in a far off place, the quiet of nightfall or one of those ballgames that Payton, Henry, Beatrice and Tucker spend days hurtling through. Do we / they embrace this. Sure, but not always. Perhaps solitude is a real alternative. That can be found on the north side of the farm, up by the quarry in somewhat neglected apple trees.
Still we want for the ideal moments when the world, our world is at peace. These platitudes maybe simply wishful thinking, but longing for a new order helps erase that thought. Sometimes achieving happiness or reaching out to contentment requires getting away from this life into something bold & dynamic. Perhaps, I should go to Ugonda or East Cleveland to help folks grow cucumbers.
I don’t have the courage. Who would go with me? This is absurd but nonetheless part of the spectrum of longing.
Two friends and neighbors passed away in the last two weeks. Their hearts that were full of wonder, lust, and unfulfilled dreams gave out. We all believe that there is more to life than this world. We must hold them up. We must hold up their loves now & next year.
Final thought on all this rambling. Growing, playing, longing are all part of the pain & price you pay for doing something that is right that matters. Writer Jimmy Keller wrote emotionally about Mickey Mantle arguably the best of all time (his homerun of 643 feet was the longest in MLB history). A ball player with flaws & lifelong injuries, but humility & respect for those without measured him.
Yesterday Beatrice, Tucker & Dad Ben picked four peaches. They were hard to find. We have been here before. High expectations in April – we made the trek through the winter into spring, but cold bursts thereafter took a toll. No cherries. We’ll have peaches throughout the season, but limited. The apple crop is also variable but is more promising – Honeycrips are the best ever.
While preparing the cherries, place mason jars and lids in the dishwasher and run without soap. Fill a large canning pot with water and set on the stove. In a large saucepan, add approximately 4 quarts of water to the halved lemons. Bring this to a boil.
