So Sage
It is very fitting that next week we kick off the holiday season with Thanksgiving, so tis the time for sage in everything. Sage is such a wonderful plant! This photo was taken in May of this year and this post has been sitting in my queue ever since, waiting to shine in all its savory glory! Now that it's cooled off significantly and the last, of the last, of the last, vegetation has been harvested from the garden, I have had time to find some perspective on a couple few things. Number one, I've decided to not give this blog up. Yeah I considered it and it's been a very long time since I've posted anything due to so many factors. Including health and very painful personal losses that took me in a direction I for one least expected. That being said and in an effort to avoid elaborating anymore, I realize that this small blog is my love letter to myself, my family, my friends (current and future), and all things green.
Having just finished a phone call with a new friend I realize I have had a life that is and was abundant in so many ways. Access to quality food being one of these abundant things. We touched on stories of our childhood which led me down memory lane and remembering that as much as kids complain about lunchtime at their schools (myself included), I had come from a place where we knew our lunch ladies and their families. 4-H was also a part of my life from a very young age and was a place where I was taught about healthful eating and respect for growers. Even though I was the kid with an apple tree, grapes, and granny's who knew how to sow, grow, and put away some greens I hadn't always appreciated that. The food in my life at home and at school was fresh and made daily for the most part. My family on both sides either worked directly with the growing and/or preparation of real non-processed/dyed/ fried/ or laid to the side food. Then there came a time when we could afford a massive dinosaur sized microwave and it was the "in" thing to eat some frozen pre-packaged meal. It's no wonder how we put on all the pounds and the ailments started cropping up. All of our efforts put towards an unnecessary need to "save time" for more
Which brings me back to sage and how it isn't just edible, beautiful, and enticing to the olfactory senses. It means wise and at this time of year we tend to look to the lessons learned in the past and reflect on the bounty of life. Thanksgiving in and of itself is a day filled with some of this bounty. Hopefully Non-microwaved! So, beyond purchasing food, preparing food, or sharing food, it is a day for reflection. There is so much I am thankful for everyday so I don't put much stock in extolling these things on one day out of 365. This is why I chose this time and this photo to share. It's 6 months old so very much a part of history, but it brings me to that moment in the garden when the bees were prolific and I realized this plant was not giving up the ghost as others had. Not only was it thriving despite a harsh winter and a sopping wet spring, it stood out in all of its budding vibrance pushing out stems with the most fragrant and full to bursting bud of blooms. I needed to be taken back to that time not just because it is pretty darn cold right now, but because it is a symbol of cleansing, healing, and of gatherings to come with friends and family.
Next week I foresee so much more than turkey, dressings, seasoning blends, and the like. There are plans in store for the sage pictured above. Especially in the realm of healing, which comes along with the gathering of loved ones as we remember those who've passed while clustered around the distinct aroma of a well seasoned bird and side dishes. Besides the sage filled feast, I envision pickled veggies, steamed greens, laughter, hugs, happy tears and so much more to look forward to, and to be thankful for, and excited about. In my small but maybe too candid way of reaching back to the past and sharing a history passed down well before I was conceived I will be giving thanks to the skillful hands of the elders in my family. Especially the women strong in their own rite who passed down an edible script for me to follow and embellish upon with a little of my own simple citified agrarianist approach.
Have a very Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Tina
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