Maple Syrup

Almost as soon as we moved into our little cottage, in addition to having our organic garden, I knew I wanted to have a produce stand. The last couple of months have seen this dream become a reality. I am making connections with farmers, getting the stand built and planning the garden calendar.

But this morning was really something special. Judy Jessup (an old farmer herself) and I went out to see farmers about their wares. First on our list were the Maple Syrup farmers, Rich and Barb.

Rich and Barb Keller's farm is about 45 miles from where I live, located in Lennox, Michigan. After driving for sometime on a two lane highway, you turn off onto a dirt road, muddy from the rain with potholes the size of manhole covers. But that is usually part of the drill and since Judy was driving and because she is an old hand at maneuvering around those babies, I had nothing to fear. Almost instantly, Judy and I knew we were in "Farmers Heaven" as we passed signs hanging in front of one small farm after another; Sheep's Herd, Whole Chickens, Fresh Eggs, Hay, Firewood and finally Maple Syrup.

Rich and Barb were just how you think they should be. Dressed in their warm coats - with the dirt of the farm worn into the fabric, faces burned from being outdoors, proud with the results of their hard work. Though they were sturdy, you could see their bodies had taken a toll. Rich told us when he gets up in the morning his knees are stiff from the day before, but is grateful he has something to do that he cares about. Barb plump and round, I'm sure from eating too much of their product, smiles nodding her head. The Kellers make their syrup the old fashioned way - by burning wood, in a 14 foot high, 20 foot long still, housed in an old barn. In the back of their property are 1, 400 trees tapped for syrup. Already this year, they have gotten a fair bit of syrup, but have to wait for a freeze for more since the weather is too warm - who knew? He told us that most people get making syrup wrong (including the Agricultural Department at Michigan State) when it comes to knowing the perfect time to stop cooking this amber goo. You see, you judge it by the gravity (weight) of the syrup, not the stickiness - he said "Syrup is always sticky, so how the hell is that supposed to tell you anything?" I cannot tell you how good that fricking syrup is. Every last drop has love, passion, sweat, experience and well, the proper gravity.

Barb wobbles over, grabs the boxes and loads them into Judy's car. As we begin to leave, Barb tells me to give out samples - "You will sell lots of our syrup if you let them taste it". Still licking our lips from our sample, Judy and I smile, "Yep", I say, I believe you".

Portraits in Blue - The C Chord

Sometimes my old man would let me sit under the piano when he was rehearsing. He'd say to me, "If you're quiet, and I mean quiet, I'll let you sit under the piano. But you got to be real quiet." I'd sit under that baby grand with my legs crossed, afraid to breathe 'cause I might make too much noise. I would sit and soak in all them sounds, honey. One night, my dad asks me if I want to sit on his lap. I mean this was nothing he'd ever done before. He took his rehearsin' real seriously. Then he asked me if I wanted to learn how to play a C chord. He shows me where to put my fingers on them big white keys. And I got tell you I am concentratin' real hard, honey. I'm gonna learn to play that C chord. He tells me to keep practicing so that the next time, I can play it for him. I practiced that chord over and over again. He never came home after that night. I mean never. But you can bet I remember how to play a C chord honey. I still remember how to play a C chord.

The Preacher of the Delta Blues - Home to the Bosom of the Lord

Paula finds herself a man to fill up that empty space. Just like Krissi find her bad men and whiskey. The Almighty knows you never take a drink to say your prayers, wishin' the blues supposed to take care of all that ails you. The women don't care what it is as long as they find themselves somethin' else so they don't have to think what their hearts wants to think about. I ain't sayin' that the medicine won't work for awhile, cause it does, but then it will rear its demon head and leave you alone one more time with the blues. (Looks toward the women) There they'll be, the medicine don't work. That's when they gonna have to like things no matter how they are, cause if they don't no matter what happens it won't feel like anything has happened...leave them chasing dreams around. That's right, all of them will be chasing their dreams around. If only these women could believe there's a key to the kingdom waiting for them. But they just know the almighty would start 'em off in Hell and then move them from bad to worse Don't know the key to the kingdom is in their hearts and every time they open their mouth to sing they can feel that kingdom. The whiskey, and men and gluttony will stop all that. Yes, those sins of the soul will stop all that. It's time to cry old tears, tears so old these women can't remember what they're for. the tears that are telling them to go back home to the bosom of the Lord. Go back to where they come from . Let us pray.