Peas

Yesterday morning, AB and I set out for my Granny’s house. Last week I worked at getting all my Fall stuff put out around our house, and I knew that Granny would want hers out, too!

We spent the morning with Granny, got all of her fall stuff put out, and even chased a “skink” (a snake looking lizard…Heather, I thought of YOU!) out of the house. It was a morning, for sure! Ha… After all our fun, we headed back home so little miss could take her much needed nap.

That afternoon, I went to the freezer to get some peas out to start for supper.

When I pulled the bag out, I smiled so big…not because Acre peas are one of my favorites, but because of the little writing I saw… If you look close, you’ll see those precious little scribbles.

It reminded me of the pictures I took of AB when we were “putting up peas” this summer.

The garden was a huge chunk of my childhood. I spent countless summer days there with my parents and grandparents. I helped pick vegetable after vegetable and even used to cry when it was time to go back. Ha! My Papa would make me and Beau “Squash Flutes” to play on the way home as we rode in the back of the truck and sang “Yellow Submarine”… So many sweet memories and so many lessons learned in those gardens. I am forever grateful for both…even if at the time, I HATED (the picking part, not the squash flutes!) it.

When DW and I bought our first house, we planted a garden behind it. Two years in a row, actually. He worked so hard in it, and we enjoyed what little vegetables the deer left for us. It didn’t take us long to retire from planting our own garden, but we happen to have lots of family who still plant and share their gardens!

This year, I was just plain sorry, yall, and didn’t pick the first pea. I am blessed enough, though, to have a momma & Daddy who know how much I love them, so they picked us a few buckets and we all sat and shelled them one afternoon. I put those in the freezer, but still wanted to put up a few more. So, when my FIL asked if we wanted some from Rogers, the answer was a quick, “yes!” Rogers is a farm in a neighboring town that grows hundreds of acres of peas and they have a giant pea sheller, so when you buy from them, the peas are already shelled. I enjoyed visiting the farm in July, talking with Mrs. Rogers and seeing that huge pea-sheller!

AB got to help me put up the peas we got from Rogers. We blanched them on the stove just like my Granny always did and when they were cooled, I bagged them up. AB got to do what used to be my job---write on the bags! I remember always drawing pictures for my Granny and writing, “I love you” on each bag, along with the date and contents.

Something tells me Granny loved pulling those bags out of the freezer and seeing my notes as much as I loved getting AB’s yesterday.

Who would have thought a bag of peas would be so much fun? Or bring back so many sweet memories? (Not to mention taste so good with a big ole piece of cornbread, too?!?!?) :)

~amw~