little farm outside of town where most of those who don't grow their own can go and get fruit and vegetables.”
Beth shifted her worm sack to her left hand and stuck out her right. “I'm pleased to meet you.”
“Ah, you love gardening too?”
Beth slightly tightened her mouth and sucked in her bottom lip. “I…uh…”
Harriet stepped in. “I invited Beth so she could get to know some new people, and so I'm really glad you came by and I think we better go now, so we will see you later.”
“Good.”
Was that a wink in Teza's eye? Beth smiled too. “I hope we have a chance to meet again.”
“Oh, we will. Jefferson City isn't so large people lose sight of each other like big cities. Come out to the farm. My strawberries are wonderful.”
“And they are,” Harriet added as someone else spoke to Teza.
“My, that was a good meeting, wasn't it? Did you get the handouts as we left?”
“Uh, no.”
“That's all right. I picked up a set for you, too. I thought maybe you weren't feeling too well, the way you looked there at the end.”
“Why, uh, thank you.” If only you knew.
“And I'll just spread these little fellers among the rosebushes out front of your house along with some alfalfa leaves I brushed up from the barn floor out to my son's farm. Roses do love alfalfa sweepings. Banana peels, too. You just dig them in around the roots.”
“Oh, really?” Beth nearly collapsed against the car seat. She stared at the paper that had appeared in her hand. “What did you say that WECARE stands for?”
“Why, it means ‘Where Everyone Composts And Recycles Enthusiastically’ I thought you knew that.” She glanced toward her passenger. “I get the feeling you aren't much into things of the soil.”
“Oh. Oh no, I enjoyed the meeting tonight and I learned a great deal, but you see, Ga—Pastor Garth is the one with the green thumb. I… I wouldn't want to take away one of his pleasures, so I leave the gardening to him.”
“Oh.”
“But I'm really glad you invited me.”
“What do you like to do then?”
“I sew and quilt, and I've discovered I like refinishing furniture.”
“Inside stuff, eh?”
Beth did not need the accusations. Someone has to keep the house and make a home for the pastor too, you know. “I love arranging the flowers Garth grows,” she said instead. When he can find the time to grow any.
“Well, if he wants any help with his composting, he can come to me.” Harriet reached over to pat her arm. “In the winter I like to sew, too, along with start all my annuals from seed, of course.”
After this evening's entertainment, Beth now knew what composting was, but she also knew for a solid fact that Garth had never evinced the slightest interest in building a compost heap—bin, barrel, or whatever.
“You know God is the original recycler. He never wastes anything. He calls us to be good stewards of this earth he gave us, and recycling everything we can is one way to do it. Even to those newspapers I saw stacked up by your kitchen door. I use all mine for mulch.”
Thank you, God, were home again. Beth smiled as warmly as possible.“Good night, and thanks again.” She got out of the car and saw Harriet do the same, then bend down to the flowerbed.
“You are most welcome. You go on in, and I'll just give your roses here in front the treats that we have for them. Roses respond well to loving conversation, too, you know. Why, you must come over one day and see my rose bed. Tell Pastor I'll bring goodies for the staff meeting in the morning. ‘Night.” Mrs. Spooner climbed back into her car, the roses sufficiently fed with worms and alfalfa leavings, reversed, and was out on the street before Beth made it halfway to the front door.
I'm sure Garth will be delighted to see you in the morning. She chuckled to herself as she let herself in the front door. Since the garage light was still on, she knew Garth wasn't yet home, so she left the empty Baggie on the hall
Beth shifted her worm sack to her left hand and stuck out her right. “I'm pleased to meet you.”
“Ah, you love gardening too?”
Beth slightly tightened her mouth and sucked in her bottom lip. “I…uh…”
Harriet stepped in. “I invited Beth so she could get to know some new people, and so I'm really glad you came by and I think we better go now, so we will see you later.”
“Good.”
Was that a wink in Teza's eye? Beth smiled too. “I hope we have a chance to meet again.”
“Oh, we will. Jefferson City isn't so large people lose sight of each other like big cities. Come out to the farm. My strawberries are wonderful.”
“And they are,” Harriet added as someone else spoke to Teza.
“My, that was a good meeting, wasn't it? Did you get the handouts as we left?”
“Uh, no.”
“That's all right. I picked up a set for you, too. I thought maybe you weren't feeling too well, the way you looked there at the end.”
“Why, uh, thank you.” If only you knew.
“And I'll just spread these little fellers among the rosebushes out front of your house along with some alfalfa leaves I brushed up from the barn floor out to my son's farm. Roses do love alfalfa sweepings. Banana peels, too. You just dig them in around the roots.”
“Oh, really?” Beth nearly collapsed against the car seat. She stared at the paper that had appeared in her hand. “What did you say that WECARE stands for?”
“Why, it means ‘Where Everyone Composts And Recycles Enthusiastically’ I thought you knew that.” She glanced toward her passenger. “I get the feeling you aren't much into things of the soil.”
“Oh. Oh no, I enjoyed the meeting tonight and I learned a great deal, but you see, Ga—Pastor Garth is the one with the green thumb. I… I wouldn't want to take away one of his pleasures, so I leave the gardening to him.”
“Oh.”
“But I'm really glad you invited me.”
“What do you like to do then?”
“I sew and quilt, and I've discovered I like refinishing furniture.”
“Inside stuff, eh?”
Beth did not need the accusations. Someone has to keep the house and make a home for the pastor too, you know. “I love arranging the flowers Garth grows,” she said instead. When he can find the time to grow any.
“Well, if he wants any help with his composting, he can come to me.” Harriet reached over to pat her arm. “In the winter I like to sew, too, along with start all my annuals from seed, of course.”
After this evening's entertainment, Beth now knew what composting was, but she also knew for a solid fact that Garth had never evinced the slightest interest in building a compost heap—bin, barrel, or whatever.
“You know God is the original recycler. He never wastes anything. He calls us to be good stewards of this earth he gave us, and recycling everything we can is one way to do it. Even to those newspapers I saw stacked up by your kitchen door. I use all mine for mulch.”
Thank you, God, were home again. Beth smiled as warmly as possible.“Good night, and thanks again.” She got out of the car and saw Harriet do the same, then bend down to the flowerbed.
“You are most welcome. You go on in, and I'll just give your roses here in front the treats that we have for them. Roses respond well to loving conversation, too, you know. Why, you must come over one day and see my rose bed. Tell Pastor I'll bring goodies for the staff meeting in the morning. ‘Night.” Mrs. Spooner climbed back into her car, the roses sufficiently fed with worms and alfalfa leavings, reversed, and was out on the street before Beth made it halfway to the front door.
I'm sure Garth will be delighted to see you in the morning. She chuckled to herself as she let herself in the front door. Since the garage light was still on, she knew Garth wasn't yet home, so she left the empty Baggie on the hall
Similar Books
