Reflection - A Thought For The Month
Down on the Farm (House) ...
August 27, 2008
It’s been ‘interesting’ living in the old farmhouse. It’s very old and creaky, but there’s plenty of room. Surprisingly, we have no gas here, so rely on a diesel fired boiler. You can imagine the heating bills nowadays! Plus, the gardens are huge and home to lots of wild life. Which brings me to this quarter’s tale…
Having watched Jamie at Home on Channel 4, I thought this year it would be a good wheeze to grow my own vegetables. He managed it quite easily and I decided it isn’t rocket science and I’d have a go. There is a kitchen garden area at the farmhouse (unused for years) so I dug the soil and immediately realised how unfit I was! Aching muscles that had not seen active service for years…
Then off to Worlds End and home again with packets of seeds: Peas, spinach, salad leaves, broad beans, beetroot, chives and potatoes were ready to be planted in trays. I even read the instructions!
Once the seedlings were hardy and the risk of frost had past (impressed?), I planted them out and, of course, it then decided not to rain for a couple of weeks. But no worries: out with the watering can every evening or so and the seeds soon began to grow, incredibly quickly. Good quality soil, I thought.
Now at this point, I need to refer you to the Old Testament. There you can read stories of various plagues (locusts etc) that afflicted the people of years gone by in various parts of the Holy Land. They were seen as a kind of punishment for wrong doing. Hmmmm…
Now you see, no sooner had I folded my arms in satisfaction at the abundant growth of my endeavours, than they arrived. Biblical proportions of them. First came the slugs, great big black, squidgy ones with huge appetites. Then arrived their cousins, hundreds and hundreds of snails. Big ones, little ones, along they all came. Then finally, and most surprisingly, came myriad frogs and toads. More than I could count; I was proper hopping mad (sorry)!
“Slug pellets/frog repellent,” friends said. “Got a dog,” I replied. “Then try egg shells,” they suggested. Result? The little blighters just casually either tunnelled under them or hopped over them somehow or other, en-route to their lunch.
Within a few days my veg patch looked like it had been strimmed. Everything was eaten. Gone. The lot. It was so disappointing. The plaguees got fat on the back of my aching muscles and from the TLC I gave my seedlings.
The final ‘nail in the proverbial coffin’ was yesterday morning at 6.00am. One of my girls woke me to say, “help, come now!” She dragged me to the stairs where on step 13 (honest!) stood the biggest, fattest toad you have ever seen. I swear it was smiling a smug kind of smile at me, “ah those spinach leaves were so sweet and tender”.
It must have hopped in when I let the dog out the night before. “Get rid of it” she cried. I gently gathered into my hands. “Boy, you’re a fat old thing” I muttered under my breath. “How was the spinach, then? Hope it was good; of course I’ll never know…”
I let it hop away back into the garden; after all, he and his colleagues had already cleared me out of that was edible! So much for ‘Rev Jamie’ at Home at the Farmhouse.
But that’s life, isn’t. Lots of things go well, but then some things don’t. I need to learn from this failure to grow vegetables successfully next year. I shall talk to those who have had experience of plagues and learn how to triumph over such adversity next season. And that is a good lesson for life. We can learn from one another’s experiences and together move ever onward and upward. We do not face unique situations, to battle alone. Lots of people have been bereaved, had problems in relationships, had new babies, lost a job, fighting the credit crunch, etc. We need to share, to talk together, to offer advise and support. That’s a sign of a real community.
For now though, I’m off to Tescos for me veg again…
Which is a not all that subtle link to a shameless invitation to our church Harvest Festival (sponsored by the ‘Slug and Lettuce’?!). Do join us as we celebrate the Earth’s abundance:
SATURDAY 20th SEPTEMBER 6.00pm HARVEST BBQ
Tickets are available from Penny 01844 290969
SUNDAY 21st SEPTEMBER 10.30am HARVEST CELEBRATION SERVICE
Regards
Rev Fred (not-so Green-Fingered) Ireland
Past Reflections
August 2008 - Down on the Farm (House) ...
January 2008 - Reflection for Jan 2008
October 2006 - Now there’s a thought …
June 2006 - Trinity Sunday
May 2006 - I read these words..
March 2006 - Easter 2006
December 2005 - Christmas 2005
August 2005 - Angels
July 2005 - Live 8 - Make Poverty History
June 2005 - St. Trinians
December 2004 - Tell of what you are hearing and seeing
December 2004 - Preparing the road for the Lord (Human Rights Day – 10 December)
November 2004 - Tale of the Innkeeper
June 2004 - Euro2004
April 2004 - Easter 2004
March 2004 - Archbishop Oscar Romera – Liberation Theologian and Martyr of the Faith
