Ample Harvests: Love and Food Sharing
A good friend will give me apples from her orchard tomorrow, and this weekend, I’m going to make my husband’s absolute autumn favorite – homemade apple pie.
I love the benevolent communities that gardeners build. This friend
of mine has spent summer enjoying my fresh garden veggies and peaches, and now
that apple season is here, she’s paying forward the good karma with these amazing,
orchard-fresh apples.
I’ll definitely munch a few apples before I consign the
rest to pie. I love fresh apples. They bear no resemblance to the tasteless, spit-shined, agro-business products called ‘apples’ that we find at markets. There’s not much I like about autumn,
but I do look forward to these apples.
Yesterday, another fellow gardener gave me some of his early
garlic, mild and tender. Last night, I used it in a yummy, fresh salad dressing.
He used my cucumbers and squash to feed his family this summer.
Food sharing is an awesome gift and an eloquent practice.
The food we grow is utterly superior to corporate-produced food: it’s
nutrition-packed, pesticide-free, and absolutely delicious. I grow good veggies:
she grows good apples. So, we trade.
But there’s more than bartering going on here. There’s deep
love in the act of giving someone food you’ve cultivated. Body and spirit is
nourished. No one goes hungry: no one is alone. We keep our money away from
agribusiness and instead share the gifts of our gardens. Just Mother Earth and
us. This is true community. This is holistic gardening.
On a totally unrelated note, but in keeping with what I
wrote the other day about my
commitment to Ayurveda, I decided earlier this
week so let my hair do two things: return to its natural curl and color, and
allow it to grow as long as it likes. It’s pretty long now, but I’m going to go
for its maximum potential.
I’ve been straightening my locks for years. The heat has
done some damage. I’ve also bleached my hair, and that has positively wrecked
it. So, I’ve put away all the heating appliances – blow dryer and flat iron. No
more heat. I bought a wide-toothed wooden comb a few days ago and threw away my
hairbrushes. I’ve taken the hairdresser’s name out of my phone contact list,
and this weekend, I’m going to my favorite Indian market to pick up neutral
henna, alma powder, and mustard seed oil. A very potent Ayurvedic hair oil for
strength, length, and natural good health can be made using these three pure ingredients.
I’m going to give this three years. My hair grows pretty
fast, so I’m curious how long it will get. But better than that, I’m happy and
relieved to be dispensing with the conceit and time-wasting of processed hair. Ayurvedic
hygiene is an experience of body and a spiritual practice.
My hair, in its natural state, is chestnut with a touch of
auburn, and wavy. Why was I changing that? What were my expectations? Why wasn’t
liking myself, as is? I’ll endeavor to answer those questions as I take this
journey. Even growing our hair can lead us to the path to enlightenment.
Much love,
Barbie xo
