Life's Little Surprises

1/4 Pound?

There are many surprises in life. The surprise of a sunrise with streaks of red, gold and peach staining the clouds. The surprise of a sudden gust of wind that blows drifts of pink snow from the ornamental cherry trees. The surprise of the gift of tomato and romaine lettuce plants from a neighbour a few floors above. The surprise of scented pink lilies and yellow roses on Mother’s Day. I could continue with all the beautiful surprises but there is not enough room in this short post to share all of the visual, aromatic beauties that surround us. 

And then there is this chance beet. That’s what that ugly lump is. A beet. I had planted beets in my garden last year and thought I had pulled and eaten them all. I had planted the tomatoes at one end of my little garden and was loosening the soil at the other end to plant the romaine. My garden fork hit a hard lump. It appeared to be extremely packed soil that did not want to loosen. I was prepared to throw it away. Then - red beet juice? I brushed soil from a beet that had been growing all winter and spring with no leaves! (unless the deer had kept them trimmed.)

Is there a moral to this story? I’m sure I could find one, but I think I’ll just cook the beet and eat it with a lovely pork chop for tomorrow night’s supper.

“Breathe Properly, Stay Curious, and Always Eat Your Beets!”

~ Tom Robbins, Jitterbug Perfume