Fruit

by Kathy
(Fountain Inn SC)

To me, a bowl of fruit is as tempting as a plate of cookies. I just can't leave it alone. It's a mental thing for me, I think. My father grew up poor and he actually got an orange in his Christmas stocking every year. Fruit to him was very special and he passed those feelings down to me. Plus I come from a big family and fresh fruit was too expensive to keep on hand all the time. It was not Christmas at my house without big boxes of fruit like apples, tangerines, a fresh coconut, oranges and mixed nuts stored in the "back bedroom" which was unheated and stayed cool. When you walked in the door the whole room smelled like fruit and you knew Santa would be here soon!

Well...my dad planted pear, peach, apple, persimmon tress, grape and muscadine vines, pomegranate and even blueberry bushes! In his garden he has watermelons and canteloupe and honeydew melons every year. We have blackberries growing wild around us, and some wild plums.

Fruit is more reasonable and attainable now than before and I catch myself going overboard. Even too much of a good thing isn't good! Watermelons are especially my favorite!

Kat