Faith.

The first seeds in the ground are peas, planted on St. Patrick’s Day. I can hear my grandfather now, “put your peas in on St Patrick’s Day and you’ll be eating them on the 4th of July!” And I can picture them, little bowls of green peas swimming in milk and warm butter that Grammy placed beside the large dinner plate in a space of honor. I plant sugar snaps…because I like to eat while I am picking, and because I’m too lazy to shuck, I just cook and eat the whole thing. A week after the peas go in, the greens get sprinkled on the lightly raked cold, damp soil. The seeds resemble little specks of dirt layed innocently in the soil, removed from their neat packages to be exposed to sleet, and bugs, and rabbits, and worms…it must seem like a big, old, evil world out there. And yet, they thrive, and give in abundance. Awaiting tomorrow’s return of winter weather, under a layer of soil are my peas, leeks, arugula, lettuces, spinach, kale, and carrots. Be well, my little ones!

Indoors, are the more pampered ones. Thus far, nestled in seed trays with covers are peppers, parsley, onions, eggplant, snapdragons, and marigolds. Some are stretching for the sun out my upstairs windows and must be rotated and tickled to keep them strong before they move outside to the greenhouse in April.

To plant is to have faith. Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed,…Nothing will be impossible for you.'" Book of Matthew