Mother Nature is Bipolar

Dear John,

 

As usual, Jen nailed it. (She appears to have inherited my ability to nail jello to the wall.) Mother nature is bipolar. That's the only explanation.

 

These last three days have been in the 90s, dry, sunny, and generally miserable. Tomorrow's supposed to be 78, and Friday and Saturday will be in the 60s. Friday night it's supposed to go down into the 30s. And after the weekend we'll be seeing the 80s again. Mother nature needs her meds adjusted. I will sleep in a wide variety of pajamas this week.

 

I'm ready for fall. And, as you well know, that really means that I'm tired of my summer clothes. Corn and soybeans are ripening very quickly, and the fields are beautiful. Trees are starting to turn. I was out walking a few days ago, and realized I was walking on orange and yellow leaves.

 

I'm also ready for cold-weather food. I'm looking forward to red beans and rice, chicken curry, soups and stews. I saw this photo today and remembered all those times you took me to Cracker Barrel or a cafeteria so I could get the food I grew up with. Turnip green with vinegar, pinto beans with raw onions, black-eyed peas, sweet potatoes, cornbread with no sugar in it. I didn't cook those things because you didn't like them, but you'd take me places the I could get them. Thank you so much for that. And you did experience enlightenment to the point of loving barbecue. But, sadly, you never achieved okra.

 

You probably don't eat anymore - you don't need to. But I'll send you this to look at and drool over. It's the traditional Southern New Years Day dinner. And there's no better food than that! And you can go to sleep tonight thinking about collard greens and my warm pajamas.

 

Love you more than cornbread,

Joan.