Something that I lament about our modern life is how we are divorced from the earth.  When I was very young, my Mom and Dad had a sizable vegetable garden and I have vague memories of Mom blanching and freezing vegetables.  But, like most “modern” folk today, the majority of my produce comes from the supermarket as well as my meat.

I enjoy participating in the earthly rhythms as much as I can by growing vegetables and herbs in the summer.  However, there is quite a difference in having a few tomato and pepper plants to augment summer salads and living entirely off the land.  To my shame, I’m not sure I could do it.

The kids often ask me what certain kinds of food, particularly fruits and vegetables, are made of.  I almost always tell them, dirt, water and sunshine.  What else is there?  If you travel down the food chain far enough we all go back to dirt water and sunshine.  It’s quite a marvel when you think about it.  I have tried to school them in nature’s laws as much as I can.  For example, “bees aren’t bad….they’re just bees and you’re a lot bigger than they are.  If they feel threatened they will sting you.  What would you do if you were a bee and a giant looked like it was going to smoosh you?” These are hard concepts to understand.

Imagine my surprise yesterday afternoon as we were watching an episode of BBC Earth on DVD when the kids felt sorry for a polar bear because he wasn’t able to capture a walrus for dinner.  I expected them to root for the walrus…instead they said, “but, mommy, the polar bear is going to die without food.”  I told them they were right.  “This time the polar bear dies and the walrus lives…next time things might turn out differently.”

I only hope that my feeble attempts at teaching them the law of the land will somehow garner in them some respect for our planet.  Truly, it is fearfully and wonderfully we made and we all bear some responsibility for it’s perpetuity, in sickness or in health.  God has given us the tools for an abundant harvest…if only we use them wisely. 

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On a completely unrelated note, Ana is now feeling a little unsettled at the prospect of my returning to work.  We are affirming as much as possible her right to be sad, but trying to turn her thoughts to the positive…spending more time with Dad, etc.  Please say a little prayer that she starts to feel better.

Also, of all the bizarre crapola in the world, my PPD (which test for TB) came up positive.  Now, I don’t think I have TB, but it would not surprise me if I had been exposed at some point and developed some antibodies.  But, I fear this could delay my return to work, which would not be a good thing right now as Jim’s severance is running out soon.  We don’t particularly want to fly without a net!  

I take a second test next week and depending on the results of that I suppose I’ll end up having a chest x-ray.  I would really hope and pray that it would all be resolved in time for me to report to work as scheduled on the 28th.

Many thanks for your prayers and well wishes!!