From Hart to Hearts
A Message from Rev Linda Hart for the month of October 2008
When riding on the train into Waterloo station, I find that I always smile when we pass by the allotments. As we don’t have such things in the US, I continue to be impressed with the hardly little farm-lets, and appreciate watching their growth and change through the seasons. It’s almost like having a trip through farmland that takes only a few seconds, but still reminds me (at least) of the bounty of the earth, and especially about the abundance of the autumn harvest.
Our own meagre efforts at growing veg this summer have been worthwhile, though not as abundant as I had hoped.
Like the courgette. When I lived in Vermont, people used to joke that the only time we all locked our cars was in August. That was so that they weren’t filled with courgette, as people were overwhelmed by the production of their plants. Unlike everyone I know, I’ve never grown them that successfully. I’m lucky to get two meals out of a plant. Peter had hoped to break that curse, but hasn’t yet.
We planted two mounds in the front garden and waited to see our wealth in tender new green veg. One of the plants was entirely destroyed by slugs, we think, though the other one seemed to do well. We replanted the one that had been eaten, and watched for our good harvest.
The first blossoms turned into the first fruits, and we harvested a lovely one a little late, but it was still good. Then we went off on our holiday forgetting to ask our neighbours to take full advantage of our plants.
When we arrived home from our two weeks in the US, we were greeted by enormous batons of courgette on one plant, and oddly shaped, somewhat nibbled-by-slugs courgette on the other. What to do with these monsters was clear – one was grated to make a sweet quick bread, a few were cooked down to make a somewhat runny soup for a Friday lunch at the church. We haven’t been over run by produce, and haven’t had quite enough. Still my luck with courgette continues.
Harvests are still harvests, and I am thankful for the fruits we have. Our tomato plants have produced mealy and not all together pleasant fruit, too owing to the cool, wet summer. Still we eat it all with a sense of gratitude for the gifts received from the bounty of the earth. (And a batch will go into the oven to be roasted tomorrow to cook slowly and deepen the flavour. All the better!)
And as we come into this harvest season of thanksgiving, I want to share my own thanksgiving for the honour of being your minister over these last 19 months. Our time here has had its challenges and strange fruits (if you’ll pardon the odd metaphor), but in all, I am grateful and feel truly blessed to be here in Richmond, and to be in ministry with you all. Looking into our congregation on Sundays, I am struck by how dear each face, each life is. I am awed by the gifts of spirit and presence that each one brings to our gatherings. Thank you for your care and concern, your support and good wishes over these last months. I look forward with happy anticipation to our time together yet to come.
May you each be blessed with such good feelings of thanksgiving as we come into the autumn, and may your harvest – whatever it may be – be rich and filling.
With love,
Linda