For the first time in many years, I have a successful, albeit small, garden. Just this past week, I have been harvesting about two small tomatoes every day. And, every day I have made a BLT sandwich, and used the tomatoes.
Yesterday, I absentmindedly popped a slice of juicy ripe red tomato into my mouth, as I wandered over to get out the toaster. I was stopped in my tracks by the flavor and the memories that slice of heaven brought back to me.
When I was little, I went to summer school every summer. Why? Because it was FUN! We could pick two back to back classes, from an assortment of really cool stuff that wasn't offered any other time, and I couldn't wait!
Classes were out by noon, and often my mother would pick me up there, with my sisters in tow, already in their bathing suits. I would squiggle into my suit as my mother drove the 30 minutes to Huntington Beach. Once there, we would hike over the expanse of sand, stake our claim down near the water, and set up for a day of sun and fun.
Lunch was easy. My mother made a big jug of Koolaid-the non toxic kind, made with real sugar, and every time, brought a brown paper bag full of tomatoes from her small garden patch, and a shaker of salt. That was our lunch, fresh, ripe, sun warmed tomatoes, eaten like apples, with salt sprinkled on.
This memory came flooding back yesterday, and has been with me since. I usually don't wish to "go back," as I enjoy moving foward, but this memory does tempt me. LOL
