Friday, November 21, 2008

These Things Abide



After the freezing temperatures of the past few nights, most of the garden looks pretty sad. Tender plants have collapsed in sickly green puddles and once lush leaves are are withered. But the pyracantha berries are a cheerful sight, bright and gleaming, now that I've ripped away the blackened morning glory vines that had covered them.

Green and vigorous, the Italian flatleaf parsley is ready to do its part as a breath freshener, a garnish, or an ingredient. I picked a bunch last night and cut it with scissors over the pilaf that was our supper.




And the hardy purple sage is ready to flavor our Thanksgiving turkey. The beautiful pebble-textured leaves are so strong smelling that I don't find many other uses for them. But I'd grow sage just for its good looks.



These three abide.

I wrote my title -- meaning only to refer to some plants that were hanging on but was immediately reminded of the Biblical verse "And now abideth Faith, Hope, and Charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."

Good words, even if they are attributed to Paul, probably my least favorite of the presumed authors of the Bible. He just doesn't seem all that loving -- Charity being from the Latin caritas which means love.

In this dark season, as the economy plunges daily, I'm afraid we're going to need a good bit of all three -- faith, hope, and charity.

Good grief -- and here I was talking about what's left in the garden. I didn't mean to go all gloomy and portentous on you.
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7 comments:

Marta McDowell said...

Your posting reminds me of the Emily Dickinson poem, "A Visitor in Marl." And that she suggests in another poem that we invest in shares in "primrose Banks", "daffodil dowries" and "spicy stocks." What better return?

Vicki Lane said...

Hello, Marta,

What a great comment! In these perilous financial times, I'm thankful to have a garden to tend. I plan to invest my energy in those primrose banks, daffodil dowries, and spicy stocks -- with a diversification into potatoes, tomatoes, corn, etc.

And I'm off to look up 'A Visitor in Marl.'

Thanks for stopping by!

Susan M. Bell said...

No green leaf or red berry photos at my house today. We are very much snow covered. At 8:45 this morning they said we had 2 inches on the ground, and it's still coming down.

And it's not even winter yet.

Vicki Lane said...

And now that I've checked out Marta's blog, I've added to my blog list -- perfect reading for this snowy day!

Vicki Lane said...

A Visitor in Marl --
Who influences Flowers --
Till they are orderly as Busts --
And Elegant -- as Glass --

Who visits in the Night --
And just before the Sun --
Concludes his glistening interview --
Caresses -- and is gone --

But whom his fingers touched --
And where his feet have run --
And whatsoever Mouth be kissed --
Is as it had not been --

Unknown said...

SURGEONS must be very careful
When they take the knife!
Underneath their fine incisions
Stirs the culprit,—Life!

My favorite Emily Dickinson - Liz

Vicki Lane said...

Emily D. sometimes seems amazingly modern to me.