Homecoming...

Yesterday I practically collapsed as I came off of the BART right in front of my house, having in the past week spent over over ten hours a day teaching teenagers, 60 some hours in the car, 12 hours in airports and airplanes, and a bit of extra grief organizing one of the camps that I'm doing this summer.  It's not fun.  It may sound somewhat glamorous, but although it was all quite worth it to be doing my teaching work out in the world, I was simply exhausted as hauled my guitar case and suitcase across the street to my front yard, mulling over how I could possible deal with three hours of conference calls before bed.

And then I saw the kale.  Bright purple, abundant, tall, waving in a slight breeze.  It was surrounded by heads of collard greens, thick and strong.  With a surprising burst of joy and energy, I rushed over to check the squash that I'd planted before I went away, which were massive and, beneath their lily-pad sized leaves, hiding the first of the summer harvest.  There was even one tiny, but fully ripe, cherry tomato on the vine.

I'd been planning to grab a burrito from the local burrito place while on my first call, but the abundance that greeted me was too much to resist.  I harvested some kale, three kinds of summer squash, an onion, and the one tomato, and even a couple of green beans off of my poor stunted bean plants in the back, then whipped up a couple scoops of quinoa and sat down.  My heart was singing.  I'm so glad to be home - even if its just for a bit.