Joy. We wait and we wait, and then the fruit of our labour appears. Our care and nurturing presents in a myriad of ways; as parents, a child; as gardeners, nourishing food; as artists, a visual masterpiece.
We work alongside nature. Mother Nature supports us, and we, as beings of this planet, are wise to support her. The flowering trees surround us, a visual spectacle, for all to see. All of creation serves a purpose, like us, we all have a role here. The trees engage in photosynthesis. Their food is carbon dioxide and they release oxygen in the presence of sunshine, and we benefit. Quietly and stoically, they provide. Every tree deserves that hug.
My uncle Lyall always said that it is our responsibility to leave the next generation better off than the one before it. Living in truth and close to the Earth, it is evident how nature protects within her understories, generating the most beautiful topsoil to support the new seedlings. Each generation is supported without the intervention of human beings. Awesome.
As a lifelong learner, I wonder at the local level, how are the actions of the adults supporting the next generation? We grew up with shops owned by our friends and neighbours and the money we spent stayed in the community where the local children were employed and they/we learned a spectrum of hands-on skills from polite communication, punctuality, counting back money to customers, sweeping floors, cleaning, hygiene, professionalism, etc. This is an important time to do research and know who you are supporting. Are you supporting an employer who would provide an environment where you want your child/grandchild to be employed? Would they even hire your child/grandchild? Will he/she learn lifelong skills there? Is it safe?
We are all responsible for building the world we want to live in. I remember having three summer jobs at once, and I learned skills from each one. Each environment, owned by local families, was fun to be a part of and I felt valued.
Let’s bring back joy and the simple things – sunshine, fresh air, families, picnics, frisbee, laughter, genuine love…you get the idea. Offering a hand up, not a hand-out has always been my approach. Building a society with highly skilled, confident, respectful youth who participate fully in society, and in so doing, they uncover their true passions and gifts. Setting them up to live lives of purpose and joy is a responsibility we all share. Are the youth of Cornwall being prepared for this opportunity? Let’s look for ways to support our youth as they grow, and as Mother Nature teaches, prepare the groundwork to nurture the next generation.
Building Culinary Skills – Have you ever harvested rhubarb with your child and created a beautiful dessert? Here is a gem that even a young child can help with. If you don’t have rhubarb, we have it at Sharyn’s Pantry year-round. If you have a neighbour who has it though, I’m sure they would share, particularly if a child is harvesting it for his/her first time.
Hope you love it, and its versatility, as much as we do.
Rhubarb Delight
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup red grapefruit juice (I freshly squeezed one grapefruit)
- ½ cup organic sugar
- 5 stalks of rhubarb (one-inch pieces) – stalks only, never rhubarb leaves
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 2 pints strawberries
- 1/2 cup dry red wine or ¼ cup port (optional)
Method:
- Bring the water, grapefruit juice, sugar, and cloves to a boil. Add chopped rhubarb and cleaned strawberries.
- Cook for about ½ hour or until everything is all mushed together, over medium to low heat.
- Add the red wine or port (optional). Serve hot or cold with ice cream. Garnishes that I like are mint or lemon zest.
This recipe can be utilised in so many ways. Again, feel free to improvise. It is great as a sauce like applesauce, just plain, or served on crepes. Also, if one were so inclined, you could thicken it with Hot Clearjel from Sharyn’s Pantry and make pies or tarts with the delicious filling. We have tart shells in packages of – 2”, 3”, and 4”- and both regular and deep pie shells with pie lids to save you some time.
Wishing you a wonderful June.
All the best to you and your families, Roxanne
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