I appreciate the sunlight and am taking advantage of it. I loved Zip hiding in the grass, popping out to scare Zinnia half to death, and then ducking down again. He loves to do this. He has some devil in him, for sure. The view from the farm was breathtaking today.
Maria came out of the woods of a friend’s house with a bouquet of “Forget Me Nots,” wildflowers just beginning to show themselves on our farm.
Meanwhile, a Rhododendron bush also opened alongside the house, reminding us what flowers can say. As most of you reading this know, flowers are about a lot more than flowers.
Today, we have an essential order request from Sarah and the Cambridge Food Pantry: a Can Of Happy Belly Black Beans, 15 Ounces (Pack of One), for $1.00.
Beans are the least expensive food the pantry has requested and one of the healthiest for babies and small children. The beans are timely—the children’s backpack program ends in two weeks for the summer. (Photo above. Pantry Director Sarah beaming as the boxes of cereal arrive.
(First, thanks for the waves of cereal you sent in response to our plea on Friday. They arrived yesterday, and hundreds are just in time to go out Thursday with the children’s food backpack program. They are still coming.)
Beans serve many complex carbohydrates, one of the best fuel sources for a baby or toddler’s brain. They’re also packed with protein to support rapid growth. Beans — especially chickpeas and black beans — are also good vegetarian sources of iron. The pantry always tries to stock the best foods, especially for children. But it doesn’t get to choose many foods they consider the healthiest. Beans are one of those.
From The Mayo Clinic: “Black Beans are very healthy for children. They are a good source of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Black beans are also gluten-free.”
(Photo: Thanks, Army Of Good.)
Thanks to your generous donations, the shelves for the next food distribution are now filled with the three different kinds of cereals we requested last week. This means that the children of our food pantry will have a nutritious breakfast for this weekend and the coming weeks. Your support has not only filled their stomachs but also brought smiles to their faces. There will even be some left over for next week’s snack pack, one of the last before school gets out for the summer. Your contributions are truly making a significant difference in their lives.
Sarah, our dedicated Pantry Director and a dog lover, loves to say hi to Zinnia when we come by the pantry. She’s been instrumental in ensuring that our children receive the best nutrition possible. Your support is greatly appreciated by her and all of us at the Cambridge Food Pantry.
You can buy beans, lemonade bottles, and any food from the Amazon Cambridge Food Pantry Wish List, which is updated daily.
These are the foods and products that are not available to the pantry from other sources. We are successfully narrowing that gap. Small acts of great kindness.
Our day begins and ends with manure; there is a lot of it, and Maria has decided to reduce the pile and spread it over our pastures. She loves doing physical chores; bless her. It works; our grass is taller and greener than ever. I went to the Pantry early this morning to see cereal boxes pouring in from the Army of Good—photos to come. Sarah is pleased.
Maria picked some chives for us to eat and for me to photograph.
I’m going back there after lunch when the food truck arrives. This afternoon, I go to Saratoga for my annual heart check-up, which always makes me nervous. It sometimes feels that the more you get checked, the more things they can find. I suggest not testing for a while. I want a rest, and I’m considering at age 76 just how many doctors I want to see every week. I need some time off from me.
I’m going to die from something, and I don’t want that to be the focal point of my busy life.
I’ve got a Zoom meeting at 10:30 to prepare my computer for having its hard drive replaced the first week in June. Yoiks. More later.
I sometimes wonder what my father would make of my new turn as a flower photographer and writer. I doubt he would like it. He often told me I was failing to live up to my potential and lacked the character to play baseball or stop wetting my bed.
He was a basketball star in his youth and an athlete throughout his life; he was absolutely flabbergasted when I was hired to edit a newspaper or produce a national TV News show.
I always wanted to write a novel about a father who had a son he didn’t like and who didn’t like him. Don’t get me wrong. He was a good person, kind, honest, and compassionate, just not to me and my sister. I bear no grudges. He did his best and overcame many obstacles that would have destroyed other people.
But flower photography? No chance.
I’m proud of this batch of flowers. I was out in the sun for much of the day, and it was too hot, but I was happy with the results. Sorry, Dad. These are for you. I’m taking time to notice and honor the humble Buttercups, bright yellow wildlife flowers I’m finally seeing. I hope you enjoy them. With these photos, I am finally getting closer to living up to my potential. It’s a mix.
The Buttercups are radiant behind the sun. I’ve walked by these wildflowers all my life but have never seen them.
I love to mix the flowers up.
I’ve never paid attention to the wildflower Buttercups before. I don’t make that mistake again.
The special beauty of the Columbine
Anemones
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I’d like to thank the many flower and garden lovers who have read my blog in recent years. I appreciate their patience with me, as I misspell many of the flowers and don’t know the names of many others. These people are patient with me, always helping to help and guide me, never making me feel stupid and small. Thanks for that; I really appreciate it.
