I have had a dramatic change in my life situation, as many might be aware. So, I have left medicine, gotten divorced, and am living with and caring for my mother on the 11+ acres we've owned for 50+ years. I am developing both vegetable gardens and pollinator habitat throughout the property. One of my fun goals for this spring is to plant and grow as much spinach as I can possibly manage, since everyone in our family loves everything spinach. I want to make spanikopita, spinach dip, quiches, vegetarian lasagna, etc. My plan is to dehydrate as much as I can, since that worked well this year, on a smaller scale.

So, yesterday, I was asking my mom what her first choice/favorite thing would be to have planted in a garden. She said she always enjoyed the first few sugar snap peas, but didn't really need more than a few. I asked if she was looking forward to spinach, and in what form. She said, and I quote, "You mean Martha's Folly?"

Apparently, she doesn't believe that it is possible to grow the quantities of spinach I have in mind. I don't know how she thinks grocery stores manage to maintain their supplies, but I am clearly not up to the job. It doesn't matter that she complained all summer about the excessive quantities of succulent tomatoes and peppers, and the bowls of sugar snap peas that went into the compost pile.

It's disheartening, to say the least, when you give up your previous comfortable (though also tortuous) life and set out on a new path, only to have those you count on to support you, belittle your efforts. Sorry to whine, but I thought I might find at least a few sympthetic ears here. I will continue on my quest.

Fortunately, I had the opportunity to visit with my son this week (before the Folly comment occurred) and he mentioned spontaneoulsy that feeding my loved ones is my "Love Language." (Of course I had brought him a care package of homemade green tomato salsa, applesauce, dehydrated mangos, and cherry oatmeal cookies). Not to mention the fact that the skills of small scale food prodection and preservation have been lost to a large swath of society, and deserve to be retained and passed on. Anyone heard of the "Local Food Movement?" Blah, blah, blah. Of course my mother is ignorant, but it hurts to have her so oblivious to the value of what I am striving to do. Then again, I'm 57 years old. Why should I care what she thinks? Though she is paying the bills, while I do the laundry, etc.

End of rant. This weekend, I will begin filling seedling trays in preparation for starting tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, etc.

Martha