Book Board Chat

Life started quite humbly, as dried seeds in a dusty jar. Laid out geometrically on a damp paper towel, the teeny bits of hope for resurrection resided on my window sill. Once germinated, they were individually and lovingly moved to recycled egg carton slots. Once again, at 3-4" tall, they moved, this time to the garden. Each got a new home, gently nestled into compost bedding laced with added fertilizer. Their new homes were in a "white privilege" community too, complete with protective fencing (and a human guard) to keep the cute but devastating baby bunnies away. Any nearby weeds were terminated. Buckets of cool soothing water delivered religiously during any dry spells. Even an old scary Halloween mask was nailed to a stick amongst them to warn off aerial intruders. As they grew their protective guardian provided individual sticks to tie up their branches on, so each precious leaf could get full Sun, subliminally suggesting that even more wee little yellow flowers (leading to juicy fruits) were quite welcome.

The end result is a bumper crop. Case after case of gorgeous heirloom tomatoes. REAL tomatoes mind you, plump red, juicy, and full of FLAVOR. Nearly unrecognizable compared to their grocery store cousins, who are sickly pink, hard as rocks, and contain less flavor then the corrugated boxes they were shipped in.

I was there standing over them, whispering sweet nothings again, as I picked perfect ready ones. "Remember the kitchen 'lil feller?....you're going back there....its BLT night!" It was then I was hailed by a long low whistle. The new neighbor of sorts....his own back yard touches mine kitty corner. He called out "Man.....did you get lucky" My mind raced. Lucky?....did he just say lucky? He kept going. "Those look beautiful! ..."each one of those is like....two bucks plus at the store.....you could buy a new car now!" I walked over to him, three of the best beauties in hand as a gift, to make our first introduction. I'm not going to lie. I was beaming. I had the same sort of contented smile I imagine a father has, as he watches his daughter up on the podium, receiving her new Olympic medal.

Dude ...just....wouldn't....shut ...up. Nice enough fellow, but he kept on with "being lucky". Even suggested I pass out a basket of them to every house up and down the block. ....because, you know, that would be the "right" thing to do. I finally unclenched my teeth and said "I think the 'right thing" word you're looking for is "compulsory". They used to use that word a lot in situations like this....back in 1958 Soviet Russia!!" He was a bit....uuuuhm... taken aback. However, I completed the rest of the conversation politely and headed back in. Silently fuming.

[Enter Mrs Briguy] "I see you've met the new guy back there.....what's he like?" Grrrrrrr, I responded. "He's sadly typical". Then I opined "I bet that entitled dork will be paving over his entire yard soon with asphalt, then breaking some glass over it....so he feels at home like the Chicago he escaped from."

Last I saw of Mrs Briguy she had her head elevated towards the heavens whispering something. I suspect it was that same Lord help me I've married Archie Bunker plea again. I get it. I've blown it. Now the onus is on her yet again. She'll have to bake a pie or cookies or something....in order meet the wife over there and explain I'm actually a nice guy......who simply spent 500 hours of effort under the hot Sun....all for a tomato.

Go ahead. Say what you will. Just bite into one of these tomatoes first...and you'll be on my side :o) BTW --(we're going to can the overflow, NOT pass them out to strangers)

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Anyhoo, I just felt the need to express myself via the written post on the internet. (buying a journal and ball point pens costs money) Plus, I know the BB chat has always enjoyed my musings on stamps, gardening, woefully failed fishing trips, whatever. So enjoy.

I hope everyone is turning this wonderfully warm clear summer day into a blessed one. I love you all.

Brian (Briguy)