A visit to the land of abundance

Friday I had the opportunity to visit with my parents.  I arrived unannounced, and Mom said she wasn't expecting anyone for lunch.  I told her that was not a problem, that I could just make myself a peanut butter sandwich.  She suggested an upgrade to a tomato sandwich and I thought that sounded good.  When Mom is in the kitchen, I always think of the scripture which mentions the householder who "bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old." 
"We have some slaw, too, if you want that.  And sausage balls.  And you can have that boiled egg if you want it." 
I thought I would upgrade from a sandwich to a plate with tomato slices, slaw and sausage balls.  That was sounding like a pretty good meal.  Then the tomato and sausage balls started sounding like a good combo for the boiled egg.  "And here's a little bit of squash you can heat up in the microwave--and beans and carrots."  So, I did take a little of the squash and green beans with baby carrots.  I topped it off with a few homemade pickles.  Wow, I hadn't eaten that good in ages!  I finished it up with a few oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars and milk.
Later a sibling and a couple of nephews came by as well.  We listened to Daddy tell tales from the olden days.  Daddy tells his tales in a deliberate way.  The delivery becomes part of the experience.  There were stories of wells, dynamite, gold sluice boxes, Special Forces, coon hunters, and more.  Mom uses a lot more economy in relating a story, but she has experiences to share as well.  She told about descending into the family's 18' dug well holding to a rope with one foot in a bucket.  She had been tasked with cleaning out the sediment.  "Did you find the dipper?"
"Yes, that's what I'm using to dip the mud with."
When the water started to run in again, she was pulled up with the windlass.  Upon stepping out, her father handed her a two dollar bill which she saved for a long time.
We toured the yard and I ate a persimmon, a fig, and a few Chinese dates.
I have a little country property (that probably won't perc and is only good for growing pines, ticks, and redbugs).  At one time (when I could still deny the reality of the situation), I dreamed of perhaps having a house there.  I planted a few apple trees.  Last year the surviving apple tree had a couple of apples on it when I checked.  This year, that tree, too, was dead.  We did find some muscadines, though.  And I brought back a few branches from the beauty berry bush that we had cleared out around.

 

Mom had picked a tremendous amount of muscadines from a vine in her backyard.  If I'm not mistaken it is one my older brother found in the woods which was particularly good.  That was ages ago, and it is still bearing in abundance.  The cultivar I have at my house dropped its fruit prematurely two years in a row.  Mom sent some of the muscadines home with me.  The aroma is wonderful.

 

It was nice to visit with family, to get a sense of belonging, to enjoy the abundance, to reset my bearings.