It takes quite a bit of cojon-es To write about my needs in a poem-es Constantly pulling mint My energy is spent A raised bed would stop my malaise! ...Wow, and now that I know how typepad works, it's totally out there that I tried to rhyme ma-laise with cojon-es. The things we do in the name of gardening, and free.

Growing up in the deep South, I helped grow and (mostly) ate lots of vegetables from the time I was old enough to walk and talk. When I got older, married and moved to the "city" (Nashville, TN) I found the most wonderful vegetarian Indian restaurant. I was amazed to see how so many of the dishes, while uniquely Indian, could be "Southern" as well - carrot halwa, for instance, could be a "carrot surprise" at a Southern diner - there's nothing in there that Southerners don't eat and they'd probably think it was their idea first. The same can be seen with the okra and tomato dishes - they'd be right at home in my Grandmother's kitchen, and again, she'd never believe they were traditional Indian fare. Food connects us all in ways we don't really understand - and as I get older and try new things, I am so thankful for growing up in those gardens and learning about veggies - only to re-learn 20 years later!