gardening...

i'm not a gardner, i don't enjoy spending all of my free time out there, but i'm always amazed about gardens--those untended, especially--start to take on a life of their own.

for example, did you know that pumpkin leaves turn black, black, black after a hard frost?

we tossed the seeds from our jack-lanterns out there after carving pumpkins last fall; and now with the leaves dead and dying, i can see our very own pumpkins are growing big and orange... well, yellowish orange, anyway! the boys are so excited to have their very own pumpkins!

then with all of the pumpkin leaves black and wilty, i was able to see all of my tomatoes... and see that some were finally turning red! our summer was brief here, and i was thinking that i was going to have to make fried green tomatoes or aunt bonnie's green tomato pie... now, i might be able to make salsa or something.

then i stopped and looked my boys, and realized they are kinda like the pumpkin seeds... we throw them out in the world (aka school, sports, activities), we never know what they'd grow into. but when the leaves of life are pushed aside and we slow down and take the opportunity to see what's growing, we get to see that these little kids are growing into a pretty neat people--despite our "garden" tending. they are kind and smart, they like to have fun and to laugh, and they makes us very happy...

and i hope that i'll never stop thinking this is the most precious sight in the world--i love watching jackson mow the grass and laugh at whatever thoughts he's got going thru his head!

a good day in the garden, i think...