Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary

I hated nursery rhymes with my name in them when I was younger, because they were often used by my peers to tease me. There was the one that was a play on my name that was more of an endearment from my dad:

Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy divey / A kiddley divey too, wouldn’t you?

(Mares eat oats, and does eat oats, and little lambs eat ivy / A kid’ll eat ivy too, wouldn’t you?)

written and composed in 1943 by Milton Drake, Al Hoffman, and Jerry Livingston, Recording by The Pied Pipers

Christmas was the worst. All the songs about Mary being the mother of Jesus provided endless options for torment. “You had a baby?!?!?!” No, Tommy. I’m six. It’s not possible. Insert eye roll.

Mary, Mary , quite contrary, how does your garden grow?

I can’t even tell you how many times I have been asked how my garden grows. My usual response has been, “It doesn’t. I don’t have one.”

I didn’t even have house plants. I don’t have a black thumb, exactly. I’m just not very good at keeping plants alive. You have to water them – but not too much. They need sun – but not too much.

And gardens need even more attention – nutrients in the soil and weeding and pruning.

I am definitely not a gardener.

Enter Demeter.

She works in her own time, and her own way. One of her big lessons is about taking control of our food choices. In other words, growing our own food.

I have definitely taken baby steps on that journey.

I started by buying some veggies from the local Farmers Market. That was pretty easy – I was vending there every week.

The next step was investing in a local CSA – Community Supported Agriculture. We got weekly organic vegetables from local farmers through the summer and fall.

Last summer, we invested in some wood, soil and seeds, and built some raised garden beds. We had a beautiful harvest, though I still think that had more to do with good soil and dumb luck than any skill on my part.

Now I want more plants around my home and office. I don’t even know if I will be able to keep them alive! And I still want green growing things surrounding me.

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow? With silver bells, and cockle shells, and pretty maids all in a row.

Blessings,
Mary

PS. Remember to register for Spring Mysteries Festival!