I've had much time to reminisce lately and the main thought was "It's Spring," the time of life in the "old days."
My family had a huge garden, raising all we needed for the year. On one side of the garden was a row of gooseberries and, just below, a big patch of blackberries, and a small peach orchard with a beehive under each tree. Two huge cherry trees and a small "sour" cherry for preserves and pies. My sister picked wild blackberries and sold them in town; I don't know how much, but back then, 5 and 10 cents was a fortune!
The garden had many benefits, one of which was exercise for health (no ads for weight loss products in those days). Vegetables of all kinds were raised for many full and varied meals, plus all the canned and dried products to last through the year, fresh, healthy, no added chemicals "to preserve."
As our mother pulled each cabbage for slaw or to cook etc., she set out a new slip to raise for fall. She pulled each head, just before frost, and stored them in the cellar for use all winter. The cellar also held apples, potatoes, huge jars of pickles as well as shelves of canned goods. Better than a grocery store today, no aluminum cans or plastic bags for recycling.
Happy birthday to Joey Cox, Karen Williams, Lonnie Myers, Josie Hobbs, Goy Jones, Sherry Gardner, Hunter Taylor, Wilma Myers, Caleb Lloyd, Kenny Bailey, Jackie Griffin, Joy Thomas, Dorothy Jordan.
Happy anniversary to Jerry and Judy Bradley.
Happy years, all!
-- Marie Roy is a longtime resident of Lincoln and has written a community column for the Enterprise-Leader for many years. The opinions expressed are those of the author.