dear ms b-its been a year

DEAR MS B-ITS BEEN A YEAR

ms b
we have been here a year next monday
when we packed all we could into our two cars
leaving everything else in texas either donated
or sold or given away
all our heirlooms and other keepsakes were filtered
through and given away or discarded or kept
our loved ones were given the option to keep what
they wanted
what wasnt retained is now all gone

we did the job that kids usually have to do when their
parents leave this earth
we did all the sorting and deciding ourselves
sparing you and your dad and uncle from having to
do it

off we drove for two days across the middle of america
to arrive in what we call paradise

i realized ms b that i never look at my weather app on
my iphone anymore
since i dont need to since the weather is always usually
perfect here

can you tell ms be we like it here so far

for me the biggest joy has been to introduce you to the garden
where i have my two plots
ive made you a 4 ft bed for you to dig around in
and water and pick the produce in your beds

so far ms b
youve eaten a couple yellow tomatoes from your tomato plant
eaten several green beans
why last week you wondered over and picked several ripe
strawberries and plunked them into your mouth also
then i went around to the kids garden and grabbed a couple
of blueberries for you

just past where we are standing is your
giant big ole pumpkin plant
that has whats now a baby pumpkin on it

just farther over from that is a big ole giant sunflower
thats yours that will have a sunflower bigger than your
head
can you believe that

i also ms b introduced you to the big ole compost pile
where you could take your two garden tools to scratch
and dig around until you found those wiggling worms
that make you cackle as you watch them wiggle

then you and my wife she dug around the edge of the childrens
garden bed looking for things to dig up
like those wiggling worms that made you laugh so much
ok hopefully when you read this you will be much older
and will understand this
but
i confess
when you werent looking i dumped a handful of worms
into the hole you just dug and covered them up
you were so excited when you found them
it was worth it at the time i did it

you always well its the first thing you do when you enter the
the garden
you go right to the chickens
you bravely feed them old bread and their favorite swiss chard
which i pick from the big garden
it allows me to clean up the swiss chard plants removing any
damaged leaves
you and the chickens could care less about that

then you also like to clean out the birdbath with the bluebird
in it
ok i understand you just like to play in the water
it serves three purposes
the birds get fresh water
the chard and strawberries get water from the spillage
you get to play in the water

its a win win win

over the last year
you have developed a familiarity with the garden
that was my goal all along
you dont mind picking up worms or digging in the dirt
you can easily spend an hour or two in the garden
its almost become your playground each week
when we pick you up from your nearby preschool

i sometimes watch our neigbor across the way
who has alzheimers wandering outside getting lost
one day the police brought him back home

i know ms b that will be my fate one day
sorry but its in the cards

i want you when i start doing that to read this and
hopefully you can remember this all and me
at my best

yes ms b
its been a year now
a real good year
we as my wife she your gma and i discussed
have absolutely no regrets

the organicgreen doctor

dear ms b-welcome to your world

DEAR MS B-WELCOME TO YOUR WORLD

we are here in your world now
my oh my
its a whirlwind no stop world

where in the heck do you get all your energy
your gma
she dont need no aerobics
she does all those things
trying to play with you
trying to keep up with you

when those eyes open until those eyes close
you girl
are on
full speed ahead it seems

we do enjoy when we pick you up at your preschool
nice garden your class has
onions tomatoes etc neatly growing in easy accessible
beds
it looks all hands on

then
when we pick you up
we walk over to the community garden
open the gate
right to the chicken coop inside the garden
you go
bock bocks you call them
your favorite is feeding them stuff
especially white bread
you take a bite
then they take a bite
sharing as you usually do
well sometimes

then
over to the togd garden a a few beds down from the coop
turn on the water
hand watering the veggies
ok so i help direct the water some
it helps we water around and around each plant
into that well we have around each plant

i am sure you would like to play in that water and dirt

as we do this
butterflies fly around everywhere
blooming is happening all over the place
lizards abound
birds flutter about

this place is a sanctuary
for
butterflies
lizards
birds
little girls
togd

i can see you digging in the dirt here
digging in the compost

as you do
it appears you greatly increase your immune system
decreasing you chances for
allergic diseases
improving you probiotics in your tummy
all those good guys in the dirt
helps out it seems

yep
welcome to your world
we
are glad to be in it now

fun times are ahead

the organicgreen doctor

dear ms b-eat what you sow

DEAR MS B-EAT WHAT YOU SOW

ms b
what i have found in helping school kids
even high school kids
if you get them to plant veggies in the garden
they will eat them
since they are actively involved in farming the produce

this happened at your gmas school where the high school
kids would dig in the dirt plant the carrots or onions or
tomatoes or swiss chard or spinach or kale
then
you would see them out in the garden pick off a leaf
eating it

things they would have never eaten before

once when i was helping an elementary group plant their garden
we had spinach and swiss chard that we were planting
most of the kids had never tasted swiss chard
most did not like spinach
but
when they planted their own spinach and their own swiss chard
i said here taste it
they would pinch off a leave
chew it
i like it they would say

i bet if their mom gave it to them in the kitchen
they would refuse it

so ms b
this summer when we were visiting
your dad and i
worked on a square foot garden for you and your mom and dad
adding compost and fertlizers
planting veggies
watering them in with that seaweed molasses fish emulsion mix
to jump start them

so ms b
in that picture above
your aunt is holding you
you are helping me pour that mixture on the new plantings
now
two months later
you are eating what you sowed

i saw that picture of you sitting in that wagon
holding that little cherry tomato
actually its a big cherry tomato
chopping on it
all that tomato juice was running down your face
onto your pretty little dress
but
you seemed so happy
to be eating your first harvest of tomatoes

so heres hoping
that there will be more harvests for you
of
your own organic tomatoes

indoctrination has begun

the organicgreen doctor