Garden time for Count

I went to see Aunt Count at Grace villiage today. We talked a little bit about farm gardening when she was a little girl. Between grousing about the too smokey "BBQ ribs" they served her for lunch and the "interfering activities lady"she almost waxed poetic about her 8 year old hours weeding the carrots and beets. She allowed that the very best carrots are the ones you pull out of the sandy soil, wipe off on your dress and chow down right there. This was so satisfying because these were the very vegetables where she and Anna poked holes in the newly prepared area and dropped seeds just weeks before. Sometimes her dad took excess produce and fresh dressed chickens to the farmer's market in South Bend. The night before she would hold the comb on the head of the chicken and drag the entire chicken up on a prepared board for execution. EEOOW!! She didn't have to pluck the feathers ( a really stinky job). Then they had to get up about four in the morning. No stop for a fast food breakfast on the way up . One trip she remembered: the old truck was runnin' OK but about half way there on 19 the windshield just fell right out onto the road. Count was born on the farm in 1920. They moved to Burket and opened a grocery store without benefit of a market study and sure enough it folded within a short time. The only thing I remember about that store was the time K and I were toddlers and Count and Anna who were late teens taking care of us for the afternoon. They decided to have a little fun watching us try to eat peanut butter. They opened a new jar and sat us up on the counter. then they insisted that we each eat a huge spoonful of the thick gooooooy stuff. It is a wonder we didn't choke to death. I know I gagged. Teens can be stupid- watch 'em.