I got back late last night from the Jackson County Fair. We have a booth displaying the woodwork crafts created by the students at Chad’s Hope. There were so many friends and supporters we had met through the Farmers Market we were able to talk with and just to catch up on the theme of this year’s festival: Freedom, Faith and Family.
As I ponder the past year and all we have been able to accomplish through our partnership with many of our Grow Appalachia family. I wanted to just stop and soak it all in and simply say Thank You. Family is important and we should always be reminded of how we need to cultivate those relationships just like we do our gardens. In my busyness, I am often guilty of not giving the time, attention and care to those around me I have been blessed to call family.
So here is some suggestions for fifteen rows worth of planting I read and wrote down some time ago:
Plant four rows of peas: Preparedness, Perseverance, Promptness and Politeness
Then three rows of squash: Squash gossip, Squash criticism, Squash indifference
Along with five rows of lettuce: Let us be faithful, Let us be unselfish, Let us be loyal, Let us love one another, Let us be truthful
And three rows of turnips: Turn up with a smile, turn up with a new idea, Turn up with determination.
I hope everyone has a great relaxing Labor Day weekend. Enjoy time with family and friends. You all have worked so diligently this year and so many lives have been touched by what you do. So as the old saying goes, “take some time to smell the roses (or produce?) and enjoy today.