It seemed like a perfect day to take a little trip to the Farm for an impromptu visit. When I called Dad and asked if it was a good time to come up, he said he was getting ready to hit the courts with Levi and added, “Well come on. Come when you want, stay as long as you want.” I’d say that was a definite “yes”.
As I pulled into the driveway, Dad and Levi were just returning from the tennis courts and headed toward the cabin. Talk about perfect timing. I pulled into the big house and found Jill cleaning out her car. Levi ran up and gave me a big hug and then we all meandered down to the cabin where we found Janice sitting at the kitchen table stringing read chili peppers they had picked from the garden. Everyone was accounted for other than Josh who was at the back of the farm with Jack.
I inquired as to how tennis practice went and Dad said it went well and that the ball machine was a hoot and to come up and try it sometime.
We sat and visited for a while. I bequeathed to Dad the King Arthur Flour ceramic tea loaf pan I ordered to bake bread. Let’s face the hard truth here. Although I have been practicing baking bread, I doubt I’ll ever acquire the finesse that Dad has mastered. The first loaf I baked with Dad at the farm was great. The second loaf I made at home was just so-so. The third loaf I made was just wrong. I mean all wrong. It was dense, heavy and the sides were pitted. I brought the loaf with me so everyone could see and feel just how wrong bread can go. That loaf could have seriously been registered as a deadly weapon. I told them that Terry and I had sat around thinking through all the different applications for said loaf, doorstop, masonry, deadly projectile, etc.
Other than wanting to lay eyes on everybody’s smiling faces, I had an alternative motive. I still had Josh’s birthday present sitting around that I wanted to get into his hands and I wanted to give Levi his back to school happy. I also wanted to give Dad a recipe keepsake from our baking day together this past July.
Keepsake recipe, journal entry and photos from our day of baking.
While Jill ran up to the big house to grab a shower, Dad, Janice and I retired to the back porch and watched the cows languish in the pond and the birds light on the feeders. When Jill rejoined us, she asked if we would mind if she had a bologna sandwich. She disappeared to the kitchen and when she returned, her sandwich with thinly sliced Boar’s Head deli bologna on Dad’s beautiful, homemade sliced bread with a stack of Pringles and an ice cold Coke looked so good that I just had to have one as well. It really hit the spot.
We finally saw Josh returning from the back of the Farm on the four wheeler with the ever faithful Jack by his side. Soon after, he and Levi joined us and I was finally was able to hand out gifts. Woo hoo!
Levi opens his back to school happy.
While I lingered, Dad prepped a pork tenderloin for dinner that he butterflied and was then going to stuff with mushrooms, apples and onions he had sautéed. The cabin was filled with the mouth-watering aroma of both sweet and savory.
I finally had to be on my way. As I was walking out, Dad asked if I would like some tomatoes to go with the bell peppers he picked earlier and the homemade garlic he braided into a rope and was sending home with me. Yes please! Dad, Janice and I sauntered up to the upper garden next to the shed and picked both red ripe tomatoes and green tomatoes for frying. He also loaded me up with two hefty melons.
While heading to the car, Janice asked if I would also like some fresh basil. You betcha! So we returned to the garden behind the cabin and she picked a handful of fresh basil, a smattering of orange cherry tomatoes and heavenly French lavender. Oh my, it all smelled delightful. My hands full of gloriousness, we headed toward the driveway only to be halted by the mass of zinnias by the back steps of the big house. Janice asked if I would like some zinnias to take home as well. I would never turn down a bouquet of zinnias. They are my favorites. They’re like a pretty girl that doesn’t know she’s pretty. We wrapped them in a damp paper towel and I was on my way home.
Thanks everybody for a wonderful afternoon!
