Planting Seeds and Giving Back

I'm happy to say that today was an incredibly productive day. In the span of a few short hours I was able to paint the fence (or part of it anyway), sow some seeds, and give back to the community. Ah summer.

Sofie and I sweated through the morning as I struggled to slap a coat of primer on the beautiful new fence that Francisco built me this month. I only managed to cover one side of about 8 feet, but it felt like progress nonetheless for this one-woman painting show. Sofie was tolerant enough of this production, (if you call stirring the 5 gallon bucket of primer with sticks from our yard and then trying to make soup out of it tolerant) but she quickly insisted we move on to other ventures as the sun blazed overhead.

After a dip in the ice cold chill of the kiddie pool (also made into "hamburger soup" with handfuls of mud) we managed to put down enough grass seed to hopefully make our scruffy dirt in the backyard into a lawn for lounging, and planted a few lovely plants that I hope to see again next year. I have not ever been known for my gardening skills but I'm trying this year, I'm trying.

After a mandatory scrub down we headed to Greenfield for some charitable giving. My dad's beloved GoNOMAD Cafe has closed down this week and he approached me with the question of what to do with so much perishable food that could not be returned to the vendors. Having just cared for a patient in the hospital who did not have enough to eat, I had coincidentally just researched what to do in just this situation.

I packed up the van with gallons of milk and cream, six dozen eggs, pounds of cheese, and the like and stopped in to the Salvation Army on Chapman Street. These lovely folks make breakfast and lunch for the needy every day of the week and serve it up right there in the basement of their building.

It is always a good feeling to know that you are helping others, and the look of genuine gratitude on the faces of the people serving the community just made my day. I realized instantly that I do not do enough giving back. I have been feeling it for a while, this nagging notion that I am not doing what I should be for those who need it. Today this feeling was a scream inside my heart, it's time to give back! What are you waiting for?!?!

OK, so let today be the first day of the rest of my charitable life. I will start making a difference, starting right now. Nothing motivates me more than the line of women with their young children lined up to eat at the little basement operation today. There is no reason why not and the time is now, so please remind me of this if life gets in my way.