Heaven Scent

This morning I walked out to pick lettuce for our daughter Mia's sandwich, throw coffee grounds into our garden and let our Shnoodle, Lollipop, have a moment to herself.  We have a sunroom where I grow all manner of herbs and store outdoor-related things. I try my best to keep it tidy and attractive but it is also a workroom of sorts. Today our sunroom smells like a bit of heaven! We recently gathered different varieties of  heirloom apples and I placed them on a table in the sunroom until I have time to make some treats. Have you ever smelled truly fresh and ripe apples? They smell like sunshine, honey and blossoms. They smell like the promise of delicious things to come. They smell like Fall. They smell like childhood. They smell like home. 

I seem to be always touting the importance of purchasing  local food and/or growing a garden. There is nothing quite as gratifying as harvesting food you have grown yourself or knowing you are supporting a hard-working local producer. The smells and feel of fresh produce.... Ahhhh... I get a thrill every time I hoist up something I grew. The harvest (and me both)  covered in dirt. I stand there, dripping with clean sweat as I am, slightly sun kissed and a bit sore too but feeling like it is SO worth the effort! When you snack on tomatoes and berries just picked off the vine and still warm from the sun with the juice running down your chin...

I always share the first ripened fruits and vegetables with my family, even if there are only two or three. We rinse them and divide them and savor the first tastes of my efforts. We bond through the tasty goodness of home and memories each harvest has to offer.