Three things I'm most grateful for - ever!

"What are the three things you're most grateful for, ever"? That's the question of the month for the green carnival women being hosted by Karen Hanrahan. That "ever" part threw me, how can you limit it to three? My DH would be #1, but outside of family and friends I had to really think about what I use/do that makes me grateful each and every day.

#1 would be, knowing how to grow food and cook a meal from scratch. (Thanks Mom and Dad and Grandma and Aunt Wilma)  It's cost SO LITTLE to scratch a little hole in the ground for a seed and later have SO MUCH that I'd have extra to give away. Gardening is such a simple skill that I took for granted in the midwest, little did I know the peace of mind it gives me now during these rocky economic times. If I lose everything, I know I can survive if I have 200 square feet of earth.

Along with gardening comes preserving my own food, although it's been years since I've done it. I'm actually looking forward to the day when I'll have the time to line up my little jars and wait for the lids to softly ping as they seal.

Then there is the final creative moment  - cooking from scratch and to taste. It's very freeing to walk into a kitchen and 20 minutes later enjoy a meal without cracking a book. Today I bought a $22 bottle of black current Modema vinegar. I could blow that much on three fast food trips. Instead I have a memorable gastronomic experience that makes me also grateful for tastebuds.

My #2 item? Knowing how to type and having a computer connected to the web. I can't imagine my world if I couldn't type. How could I communicate?!? (Thank you Mrs. Sleeman for my 11th grade business typing class)  Through typing and blogging I've made amazing friends who will always be there just a tapity, tap away no matter where in the world I'm logging in. Since I don't have children my virtual friends are my family. They provide an endless supply of inspiration, advice and kindness that fill my mornings and now my nights. When I can't sleep, I log onto Twitter and there are all my friends who can't sleep as well.

I'm MOST grateful that millions of people are blogging and creating a new world order through their thoughts and actions. Every time an opinion is carved into the Internet cave wall, a vote is cast - for better schools, safer food, universal healthcare... and it far out weighs the angry mob that also lives on the web. Blogging has proven to me beyond doubt that people are basically good. That gives me great hope as we race to fix a shaken economy and climate change solutions.

#3 - oh if only I could make it happen... RAIN. Until you've lived 50 years in the midwest and then 6 years in the LA desert, you can't appreciate how delightful and reviving a good rainstorm is. Here in Orange, CA, we get a really good rain maybe one or two days a year. I mean a good soaker storm, not that little airy stuff that dries up before it hits terra firma.

I miss rain - the smell, the need for sweaters, the worms, the rainbows, the post storm sunsets and that extra bounce it gives your attitude afterwards. I still click on the MN DOT highway cameras back in Minneapolis when I need a fix. It's almost November and with it the "green" month(s). When it rains, I'll be very grateful. Until then, I'm equally grateful that I have experienced the joy of something as common as weather.  

Comments

[Alline Anderson]

Wonderful! I was nodding along and smiling all through this post. I feel like such a genius when the seeds I plant actually grow into food, and the "ping" of the canning jar lids is truly one of my favorite sounds. I didn't learn how to grow veggies (always just flowers) before moving to the Midwest - now I get to take my time, cook whole foods, and enjoy. And as for typing: everytime I sit down to type and place my fingers on the "home row" I hear Mrs. Burns calling out: "F. F. F. J. J. J. D. D. D. K. K. K....". Thanks for bringing back a fun memory!

[Mother Earth]

black current modena vinegar?? Be still my foodie heart! I too spend my dollars on the quality things that contribute to fine scratch cooking. I am inspired by those who garden. I love that you learned from your relatives. I wish I could say I loved typing in high school. I agree that it's the window to many an opportunity that still astounds me. Meeting you being one! I think rain is something most people really take for granted. I hope you have a real downpour very soon.

[Anna]

We share a love of gardening. It amazes me that little seed grows into a plant. With sorrow, it is almost the end of the growing season in NJ. Any suggestions on how to get my last green ones on the vine to turn?

[Virginia]

Aah, yes. Just yesterday I cleaned up the last of the dying vines in the garden and put a basket of green tomatoes in the garage to ripen slowly. This year the tiny plot of earth on my patio has provided strawberries, basil, peas, and tomatoes as well as flowers.

[Christine Scaman]

Lovely post. Of course, I naturally had to think of my 3:
1. HEALTH!! for all my family. So many people live with such suffering that every single day I get through without pain is something to give thanks for. The older I get, the more I see how much it matters.
2. The internet !!! YES! Creativity, imagination, a spirit of global human collaboration that has never been possible before. The option of another type of media where everything is not negative, so we can remember what you said, that people are good. Where could it all go? Sends my mind spinning.
3. That in my whole life of 48 years, I've never opened a fridge that wasn't full or been in a house that wasn't heated. You can endure a lot of hardship if you have those basic needs met. And to think that 80% of the world can't just assume those will be given.

PS: what does DH stand for?

[Mary]

Looks like we have a lot of gardeners/foodies in our midst. Christine DH (in my case) stands for Dear Husband, who is also my best friend and gets my jokes. Food wine and something to laugh at is about all I want.

[Coral Rose]

Great post Mary.

What a great conversation to be in. I am grateful for.....

1. The health of myself,my family and friends.
2. Ditto on Virginia's, warm house and full fridge and other basics that millions of people do not have.
3. To live in a country that is a democracy, where we have the right to exercise the freedom of speech and other freedoms and choices that many millions do not have and are fighting for daily.

This and more I am grateful for!!!!

[Jenn (The Green Parent)]

Great post Mary! I lived in the desert for a while too and I remember craving the rain (of course, I also lived in Scotland for a while too where I got my fill of rain and craved sunshine!)

[Diane MacEachern]

Thanks, Mary. I'm totally with you on the rain! When I lived in Colorado, I felt parched the whole time. We've had a lot of rain in D.C. lately, and you should see how everything shines! Great post.

[Jennifer Taggart, The Smart Mama]

I too am grateful for knowing how to grow my own food and cook it. Although I don't get to garden now, I used to, and know how to can, how to kill and prepare a chicken, etc. Seems like lost skills now, but there is so much satisfaction in being able to do it on your own.

I'm most grateful for homemade from scratch (not pillsbury) biscuits and butter on a cold morning!

Jennifer
www.thesmartmama.com

[JessTrev]

Mary, I so agree - every time I grow something, it's like a miracle to me! I'm also so grateful to my parents and grandparents for loving to cook and teaching me to, as you put it, make something delightful without opening a book. I feel not only lucky but like I honor people I love every time I do it.

[Yvonne DiVita]

I can't cook and I can't garden. I'm doomed! Can I come live next door to you, Mary? I'm so thankful for YOU and all my BBFF, but mostly for family.

They are followed by living here, in the U.S. of A, where I am connected to so many folks who are committed to a better life for all.

Great post. Just twittered it!

[nadine sellers]

you've been tagged, this must be a cyber game, good for keeping up with blogs on a cold midwestern day.
enjoy, nadine