Eating in the Garden

[Ldychef2k]

My girls are here while their mom trains for her marathon. We just went out in the garden and picked yellow pear tomatoes and ate them right on the spot. Then I chose a fat ear of corn, shucked it, and they ate it raw where they stood. The 4 year old, usually a picky eater, sucked every bit of juice out of the cob and asked for more. This is such a new experience for them. I hope to make it a regular thing, and especially on the 4th will have fresh corn for us all.

I love this life.

 

[freemotion]

There is nothing like warm produce picked and eaten in the garden! Seasoned with just a touch of good earth, of course....

 

[big brown horse]

They are so lucky to have you!

I will never forget eating right out of my mom's garden, I still talk about it!

 

[Wildsky]

my kids love stuff from the garden, the only time my daughter will eat an apple with the peel is if she picked it herself.

Peas never make it into the house at all.

 

[Ldychef2k]

Peas -- never cooked one in either crop !!!

Now I am going to go off on a tangent.

My DGD10 just finished 5th grade where they were given an introduction to American history. As they were going through that unit, I kept asking her questiosn about what they were learning. Benjamin Franklin is remembered because he cheated on his wife. Thomas Jefferson was a slave owner, and slave owners whipped their slaves, so he must have too. I grew more and more incensed until I decided that over the summer I would teach her accurate, not revisionist, American history. We meet twice a week and not only do I correct the misconceptions, but am first of all introducing her to the core values upon which our country was founded, and then am doing character studies of the founders using multiple printed sources as well as the internet.

This week, we are studying great women of early American history. She learned of the courage of Dolley Madison who saved from plunder what was at that time the greatest symbol of American freedom: A portrait of George Washington.

Yesterday, we studied Abigail Adams. DGD10 was reading a story on her aloud to me, as she couldn't keep silent, she was so impressed. She learned that Abigail, our second first lady, was left alone by her husband for ten years while he worked to found and then strengthen the Republic, and that they wrote love letters to one another every day the entire time. Then she read to me the list of things Abigail had responsibility for: caring for the farm and the children without her husband's help, milking the cows, tending the garden, the orchards, the sheep. The preparation of meals, the preserving of the harvest, the education of the children.

DGD10 looked at me, winked, cocked her head, and said "She has nothing on you, grandma." Rascal.

I have also corrected the image she has of Thomas Jefferson whipping his slaves. While Jefferson was a slave owner, he fought vehemently against provisions for slavery in the constitution. At that time, "negroes" were considered only 3/5 of a person, as they were supposedly "born stupid" because of their skin color. Jefferson went to great lengths to disprove this ridiculous notion. He treated his slaves as though they were family, and as he got to know them as human beings, he realized that they have every bit as much intelligence as white men, but they had not had the benefit of education. Thus, he made sure they received schooling, and convinced his acquaintences to do the same. And as they were educated and could fend for themselves, he freed them to do so. Upon his death, all of his slaves were freed by his edict.

Anyway, as you can see I am passionate about history, and with any luck it is rubbing off on my granddaughter as well. She is enjoying the time we spend together twice a week, and she is eager for each lesson to start.

My point in talking about this is to say that our kids and our grandkids rely on us for truth, for values, for lessons that no school can teach. Those of us who are trying to live this self-sufficient life are carrying on more than an economic tradition, we are strengthening the foundation upon which this country's future, bleak as it is right now, is built. I am so honored to be here on this forum where people's values are strong and their priorities are straight. You all are pretty awesome people, and I appreciate each and every one of you.

 

[TanksHill]

Ldy can I come to your summer school??? With all 3 kids in tow of course.

I feel my education was so lacking in the real American history. Where is that list of books? I need one to read with my kids.


Oh and I eat in my garden all the time.

g

 

[Ldychef2k]

In order to brush up, I personally read "The 5000 Year Leap" (Skousen). I have "A Patriot's History of the United States" by Schweikart and Allen, just for reference because it has almost 1000 pages and I have ADD.

For DGD10, I have:
The Children's Book of America by Bill Bennett
A Time for Freedom by Lynne Cheney
The Book of Virtues for Young People by Bennett
Our Country's Founders, Bennett
We The People, Cheney


For DGD4:
America, A Patriotic Primer, Cheney
Young Patriot's Book of Puzzles, Games....etc., by Carole Marsh

 

[Woodland Woman]

How wonderful that you are teaching your grandchildren true history! Thank you for reminding me why I homeschool! I grew some yellow tomatoes also but they were not the yellow pears. I was very pleased with the flavor. They have a mild low acidic flavor but still are juicey and sweet. How do the yellow pear tomatoes taste? I may grow them next year.

 

[Ldychef2k]

They were very mild as well. The kids loved them!

I have so many brandywine coming on that I am a little scared of them !!!

 

[Woodland Woman]

I love brandywine tomatoes. I planted so many tomato plants this year because I want to can them. I am getting to where I can not eat any food from commercial canning. It is like I can taste the can. Do you dehydrate tomatoes?