FarmWife Answers, episode nine & garden fun with the FarmHands

Very few questions were posed this week. I'll get to Zann's first.

Here's the situation:A co-worker's mother dies. You've never met the mother nor any of her family and don't feel particularly close to the co-worker other than your day to day dealings with her. You have donated to the memorial fund, and brought a dish for others to deliver to the family. You are also 9 mos. pregnant and had a rare date with your husband planned for the night of the visitation funeral. Should you feel guilty for not going?

My answer would have to be a resounding NO! You should not feel guilty for not going. This was not a close personal friend or the parent of a close personal friend. I've always felt horrible because I could not make it to Art's father's funeral, but this is a completely different situation. I will say that if it bothers you not going, and you can stop by long enough to pay your respects to your co-worker without staying for the entire funeral service, that would be completely sufficient. If you cannot, or choose not to, you are entirely in the clear. At this point, you need to spend the precious little time you have left enjoying your husband's undivided attention.

Kork's question is: why do refer to our kids as "growing like weeds" when weeds are the things that we cut back, yank out, spray with chemicals, all to kill them, and keep them from growing? Is it because kids, like weeds, seem to go from being teensy to huge overnight? Or, is it because we have some secret need to smash them down and do everything we can do put them through the emotional wringer before we thrust them into the real world?

Since she's not looking for the actual history of the phrase, I'm just going to have to go ahead & agree with her on this one. We're out to get them. We live to ruin their lives. We want to smash their little dreams like Corelle on concrete. Just ask my kids. They'll tell you.

Personally I've always thought weeds were simply misplaced flowers. Take tiger lilies for instance. Many people adore them. In our neck of the woods, they're referred to as Ditch Lilies because that's where they thrive & they're thought of as weeds. So are morning glories because they take over corn fields. And take a close look at milkweed. It's blooms are absolutely beautiful...yet it's a weed. So maybe it's not all bad after all.

Today I'm going to try my hand at canning green beans. Busha loaned me my Great-Great Aunt M's pressure canner & is going to come teach me how to use it. I'm a tad nervous about pressure cookers because one blew up on my Aunt Silverbelle when her oldest son was little. But I'm sure with Busha's directions we'll be OK.

I've discovered the FarmHands LOVE helping out with the produce coming out of our garden. They like nothing better than to tote veggies up to me after their dad's picked them. They spent 45 minutes shelling peas with us last weekend & yesterday the boys snapped a full half gallon of green beans by them selves. I may hire them out for the summer.