peas

spent some time putting up peas this past weekend.
and boy did it bring back some good memories. i remember going into the field to pick peas.

i remember spending saturdays in the rec room with my great grandaddy shelling peas,
and his gentle warning, "don't get your finger caught in the sheller."

i remember running into the kitchen to pull out "stinger" peas with my great grandmother,
and how all those peas felt in that cold water after being blanched.

and i remember how very good every pot of those peas tasted.

i just hope that one day my "helper" appreciates all the goodness that goes into putting up peas.
and how good that cool tile feels in a hot summer kitchen.

what could be better than one tray of frozen peas?

two.

but even better than that?

are the memories of summer days spent with family working hard in the kitchen.