harvest Archives - mamawolfe

Cameron in a Nicaraguan produce marketSometimes as I’m moving around in my day, an image gets stuck in my head that I can’t shake. Sometimes it conjures up a memory, a feeling, or provides an impulse to do something. Often, though, I just see something that I want to capture in my mind for no particular reason-it just speaks to me. I’d like to offer these images up for ‘thought contributions’-as a way to generate a community of ideas together.

At this time of year, it’s all about the harvest. Crops are ripe, summer gardens are being sowed and then tilled under in preparation for winter planting. But my garden this year – not so good. I tallied less than a dozen tomatoes, and four measley peppers. And this wasn’t due to lack of effort or care-I tilled, composted, fertilized, watered, planted and tended my crops from last April til now. I guess this just wasn’t the year. Mother Nature didn’t cooperate – our cool northern California spring wasn’t the right temperature to set fruit. Our usual one hundred degree plus summer heat never really materialized, leaving valley farmers shaking their heads and hoping for the best. Me? I keep my plants in, hoping that those green orbs will somehow ripen if I just have faith.

So today’s Friday Photo reminded me of what an abundant life I have. No matter what happens to my own garden, I will have enough. I have resources to get what I need. It might not be directly from my own hands, but it will be fresh, healthy, available and enough to sustain me and my family. In today’s photo my son marvels at the bounty we found in Ciudad Dario, Nicaragua. Gorgeous produce can be had there for mere pennies-but to many Nicaraguans, pennies are like diamonds. Produce is grown on your own land, and a luxury to purchase. There are no ‘bulk buys’ or prepackaged warehouse size amounts. People simply buy what they can, only what they need.

I enter this harvest season with a heart full of gratitude, and a faith that next year, my harvest will be that of my own making. What hopes do you have for the next year? Will you have an abundant harvest?

Jennifer Wolfe

Jennifer Wolfe, a writer-teacher-mom, is dedicated to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life by thinking deeply, loving fiercely, and teaching audaciously. Jennifer is a Google Certified Educator, Hyperdoc fanatic, and a voracious reader. Read her stories on her blog, mamawolfe, and grab free copies of her teaching and parenting resources.

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Today’s post comes from a friend of mine, G.G. Vandagriff. She is the award-winning author of twelve books. She would love for you to visit and subscribe to her interactive blog for readers, authors, and prospective authors: http://ggvandagriff.com/blog. It is embedded in her website, http://ggvandagriff.com. Enjoy! Divertitevi!

Tuscan Countryside

I love this time of year when the nights are drawing in, fruit stands dot the streets with fresh corn, melon, peaches, pears, apples, and tomatoes. This year, I feel especially grateful because I have been so richly blessed. That is not just a throwaway line, it is a true expression of gratitude. From now until the end of the year, I will do a “raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens” account of the specific blessings I embrace as my “abundance.” This is a good year to do that, because our particular circumstances have been such that I have not been able to fill my bucket with material things.

Where to start? Perhaps at the beginning of the year when I dashed off to Italy and felt guided every day into those experiences that led me to discover agape (Christ-like love). I realized that because of a drop in my income this was likely to be my last trip for awhile, and wanted to embrace everything and take it home with me. I did manage to do that. For what makes Italy Italy, for me, is the overflowing love of the Italians. And that I can feel in my heart each day.

Raised to be critical and wary, agape does not come easily to me. That is why it is such a gift. The only thing I can compare it to is emotional honey. It was manifest by the stall-owner in the street market who made me a gift of a lovely turquoise ring “because you feel like you are part of my family.” My B & B “mama” was continually showering me with care, feeding me lunch which was always pasta and leftovers from the night before, inviting me into her home for a family celebration, and going out in the rain on her motorscooter to buy me a ticket to the opera. One day I bought a gorgeous cake from Robiglio’s and Elisabetta (my mama) and Adriana (her future daughter-in-law, therefore my sister) and I sat down in the middle of the day and carved up this treat and laughed together as we ate it. With Elisabetta, it is always time for love and laughter.

Duomo

I opened up like a tightly closed bud, and my writing opened up at the same time, as my “crazy lady” heroines revealed their secrets to me, and flowing from my surroundings, agape entered my book and became the balm that soothed their worries, setting them on the right path—for agape is, I realized, The Only Way to Paradise.

We know this virtue as charity, and didn’t Paul say, “though I give my body to be burned and have not charity it availeth me nothing.”? That scripture was incomprehensible to me, until I felt charity or agape from people to whom it is a way of life. Now, I see that this love is the great abundance. This is what we strive for and what we receive when we are in need.

So when I think of “embracing abundance” my arms grow long and I gather to myself all those wonderful Italians who showed me how to love people outside my family with simple, everyday acts.

G. G. Vandagriff

This blog is an attempt by me to add love to the lives of all my readers. I gain nothing from it. It is a free gift from me to you, and will hopefully enrich your lives.

mamawolfe

Tag: harvest

Friday Photo – Harvest

Jennifer Wolfe

Embracing Abundance: Harvest

Jennifer Wolfe