Grandpa's Beans

Hawks are soaring in circular patterns over the shire. At times they seem to stay in one place, so calming to watch. The artichoke plant grows taller by the minute! Not much longer until the thistles begin to appear, shooting up on their long stems. I love artichokes dipped in good mayonnaise, cold or hot. We will pull out all the fava beans this weekend to begin the task of preparing the beds for our summer yummies! Peppers, eggplant, tomatoes and basil are the priorities. We might even get some of my grandfathers beans in this year. He passed away a few years ago but my aunt Denise has kept up the tradition of planting and then saving the seeds she harvested from his backyard in San Mateo. I remember him telling us to never pick his prized pods that contained more than five beans. He would even take us through the rows to point them out to us. I can still picture his large, strong hands delicately holding the bean and his voice seems so clear and gentle with just a touch of "don't you dare"! He wasn't always the most patient man but in the garden or nature walks his spirit could convey just how important it all was and you were compelled to listen. Never pick a flower, leave it better than the way you found it and look closely, pay attention, things change quickly and you don't want to miss any of the wonders this earth has to offer. As my friend Jill told me the other day " it's later than you think". Enjoy this time around and that's what we plan to do!