Yesterday afternoon I started shelling some of the wonderfully sweet Heritage Dragon Tongue & Green Snap beans I’d dried for seed saving and use in next years garden. Its not hard but is a bit tedious. To be honest I thought of chucking the pile knowing I could obtain more seeds from my friend. But, then I realized they had gone to the time and trouble of shelling extra the year before for me. There is no way I would ask for more! It got me to thinking of those hands that shelled these same beans thru the years. What were their lives like, how did they come by these beans. We have the luxury of running to the feed or big box store for gardening supplies but for those that came before, seed saving was necessary for sustaining survival.
I’m sure early settlers gifted and swapped seed but they needed to be self sustaining & self reliant, no seeds meant no food. So seeds were some of the first things placed safely in the wagon. And then my mind started to wander a bit more (surprise, surprise right?)….what would be next? Think about it, aside from the basic bare necessities, your leaving everything behind. But, you can slide a few treasures in. Precious family photos, a bit of china? Perhaps a spindle & wool or flax…books?
What would you take?
Oh that sounds good we haven't had any beans here but I miss having it readily available, my mom had a pigeon pea tree in the front of the house.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what else I would have packed, surprising considering how much I used to move. I guess I've learned not to hang on to too much as a result.
Yarn and family photos.
ReplyDeleteThat would be my choice.
You and I think so much alike, we must be sisters seperated at birth!!
ReplyDeleteEverytime I take a day trip across our mountains, I cannot help but think of those who made the trip years ago in their wagons. The peril of the crossing and the rivers they had to ford. Two weeks ago when we were down by the Columbia, I asked my grandson to imagine we were in a wagon and had just reached the river, how are we going to get across? He had to think about it, realizing there were no roads or bridges for us to use. It was a good lesson in our history for him.
What would I take? My family pictures, yarn, bible,............this is actually a hard question, what would I take?