Gardening and Religion

I don't know how other people feel, but gardening connects me to my own religion - or belief system. It doesn't connect me to most formal religions though.

Della, my beekeeper friend, and I picked Friday for the weekend sales. I had a lot of cukes and peppers left - and about 3 days and they need a home so I called Sapulpa's Presbyterian Church because i know they prepare meals for the elderly and shut-ins on Tuesdays. Yesterday, Della, Ginger and I had a Sunday of fun - we had lunch, then they came out and we discussed a book Della had on Yoga - something she does. Mostly we visited and talked and discussed our individual views and our connections and disconnections with various aspects of the faiths of our youth. Sorry, but we all have moved well left of those beliefs. After a bit of discussion, they both insisted they each had a portion of my sidewalk that is supposed to be nothing but a rock bed in front of the house but always ends up being a weed pit. Customers showed up, I had to visit with them and Ginger and Della were already pulling weeds and calling for a wheelbarrow - I had to empty it about 3 times and then we got hot enough a sitdown spell was required. I passed out cukes and cherry tomatoes and water and wet rags for our heads.

I've always said David and I do all our work ourselves - but the few weeks back when teachers helped plant lemon grass and my friends pulling weeds means I have had a bit of help - even in previous years I've had a day or two of good friends showing up for a day of weed pulling - it's far between though.

Ginger wanted to test my rolling Poulin weedeater - she's got bad knees but by golly, she enjoyed whacking down all the weeds that hid the onions from our view - a few got splattered - those were separated and have already gone with 20 lbs of cukes and 20 beautiful peppers to the Church. Those onions won't keep and need to be used now - I can't eat 3 pounds at once.

I don't mind giving to the church and being that I am legally a business, I also ask for tax credit letters. I suggested cukes, onions and bells in vinegar to make a salad to add to tomorrow's deliveries. Most older Americans remember that tangy summer salad. I carried the stuff down to their kitchen and laid it on the counter and as I returned up the hall, asked to be shown into the office manager's area so that I could give her a list of the delivery with my address. I stated that they needed to be refrigerated - she started to instruct me as to put them in and I immediately said, Not my job. I kind of had that Little Red Hen feeling. I grew it, I washed it, I kept is nice and cold for 3 days and I weighed it and carried it to her.

One other thing bothered me - the lady who showed me to the kitchen was the housekeeper, the lady at the desk was a receptionist and the woman who runs the office who I spoke to last - well, they are all women. But the church hallway had photos of their elders - black and white photos of men from many years back. All white too. I didn't notice nor could I have able to tell if any had Native American blood but none were black. Our world is still white male dominated - don't get me wrong, I love men in general. But it's still out of balance. Women have worked hard all their lives in religious orders but unless your the lone Virgin - well, there's not a lot of honor in being female. It must have shown terribly on my face - the housekeeper asked me if I was ok and I just kind of stuttered - their pictures bothered me as they were all white men. I doubt these women caught the inference. I just wish women had had a greater role and maybe we would be further down a spiritual evolution.

Since we are not, I'll stick to the garden - grins - one day I'll convert the greenhouse into the Plastic Cathedral of the Good Mother Earth News - where we will literally be sowing seeds. God help us feed ourselves and our nation.