i am constantly
cooking
canning
baking
creating
preparing enough goodies
for a family of
ten teenage boys
yet
we are not a family of
ten teenage boys
we do have neighbors
lots of neighbors
who sadly
now that summer is around the corner
don't appreciate being
fatted like a christmas goose
which occasionally leaves me
with excess goodies to share
which is why
i couldn't stop smiling
when i found
i quickly signed up to be part of the very first event
we met at a hip and local joint
called reform school
each person arriving with
baskets
bags
boxes
loaded with
food
lovingly prepared and*or foraged
packaged to delight
it was a small but enthusiastic crowd
each person describing their own wares
while scoping out
what others had on offer
no money changed hands
just goods
goods like
freshly milled wheat
bread warm from the oven
jams, jellies, marmalades and conserves
tinctures, scrubs and freshly cut herbs
elixirs, aperitifs, concentrates
eggs, fruit, pasta and sweets
for two hours
on a cloudy sunday afternoon
we were not urbanites
drinking skinny lattes and talking about gas prices
we were
individuals enamored with
what the land brings to us
and
how we honor its abundance
by
foraging, collecting, preserving
and
sharing
transforming a
space filled with bodies
into
a community
a personal thank you to
emily ho aka misschiffonade
who organized this fantastic event
