Dave Blankenhorn: Dave's Garden

Being Together While We’re Apart

Because we all miss our Fondren family, here are our Sequester Stories—a series of stories and photos by Fondren folks sharing what our “pandemic lives” are about.

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Here is my garden, beginning to grow. Planted there are lots of tomatoes, peppers, peas, butter beans, squash, and okra. I have planted less this year but it will still give us more than we can consume. I preserve and freeze a good bit. You may notice an arbor in the background—muscadine for jelly and juice. Three fig trees and oriental persimmons are full, and the blueberry bushes are loaded.

The third picture shows my Harold Tree. Harold Hudson gave me a cutting from his family fig tree many years ago. It has produced a giant number of gallons. Many Fondren folks will remember Harold, one of the really good men in our church history.

We are lucky to have a home with some acreage that helps keep me busy in this crisis, a dog named Buster that shadows Diane, and neighbors that give aid to the elderly.

I spend my days now on my garden and doing the daily tasks that our housekeeper did before the shutdown. I now know just what a task it is for the traditional homemaker to do so many things. I do find a lot of pleasure in preparing meals and making several kinds of bread.

At our age, a reduction of activity is not a source of unhappiness. Diane seems happy enough, except she misses the hand bell choir. I would be in a better frame of comfort if I could see the Crimson Tide revving up for another championship, and the Saints shooting for the Super Bowl.

Our only worry is for our family in NYC—so far so good—and we are thankful.