Drove into town today and saw Mr.Mose selling greens out of the back of his pickup. Big bunches of turnip greens that had fat white roots with purple tops, and bunches of collard greens, each bundle tied with burlap string.


At the post office, I asked the postmaster what's up with news that the P.O.might start closing on Saturdays? Well, it seems the P.O. is in bad shape financially--but the postmaster said closing on Saturdays would have to go through congress first, and we all know- for now anyway--how slowly that moves.

Went back by Mr. Mose and he was already sold out of turnip greens, so bought some collards. He said these were winter collards, (all greens are winter crops) they've had enough frost and cold to make them perfect.He advised me not to cook them too long as they would be tender and sweet. "45 minutes and they'll be done," he advised.

Daffodils are blooming in front of the P.O. Along the road there are the pink blooms of peach, plum and Japanese Magnolia, and pear trees laden with white blooms. The bleak gray landscape is awful to look at--then you see these beautiful blooming trees.
But things are out of synch. Usually the violets and redbud bloom first, but this year the natural progression of spring has changed. The south has been ravaged, savaged, beaten, broken, frozen and drowned for months; it's as if the trees hurried to bloom early, exultant in being alive, and not trusting Mother Nature anymore to let them have their time in the sun.. In their exuberance they seem to shout like Susan Hayward "I Want To Live!"
Bloom bloom bloom; we need your beauty and verve!

susil