this post could have easily been titled "things i did during the derecho power outage". around day five, we figured we were in it for the long haul, so why not be inspired to do some real 19th century living?
so we took a drive (the air conditioned car had become our environment of choice) to monticello, thomas jefferson's house just outside of charlottesville.
the house is impressive, but countrywomen, the garden! i have serious garden envy.
the vegetable garden is one thousand feet long. it is perched on a terrace overlooking the blue ridge mountains. it is stunning. mr. jefferson played one of the most important roles in establishing how we garden today.
as a child, one of my favorite things to do was visit historical sites or read about girls and women who came before and lose myself in the worlds of the past.
it still is.
i have no shame when it comes to sitting down with a table of six-year-olds to practice writing with a feather quill.
not my best work, but the words are magic.
while the inside house tour feels very hands-off, you are allowed to actually be in the garden, to touch, to smell, to take notes, to dream. talk about the pursuit of happiness.
did you know that mr. jefferson is responsible for introducing the tomato to the gardens of america?
you can purchase seeds saved from the garden in the center for historic plants. i've been doing a lot of reading about seeds lately. as a culture, we have taken the mighty little seed for granted and it (and our food supply) are in danger. we can all preserve the integrity of all that nourishes us by saving, sharing and planting heirloom seeds and/or purchasing non-gmo food.
it is our responsibility to freedom and our future.
