Plum Anticipation

With the unusually cool weather we've been having much of the garden is in slow motion. Peppers especially have gotten off to a slow start...I'm considering supplementing with store bought plants in case the home grown starts never take off. While the tomatoes seem to be OK with some cool weather when first planted peppers seem to sulk forever if they've been too cool for too long...even when the heat finally begins to build. But right now I am eagerly awaiting the first ripe plums. I always feel that eating the first ripe plum deserves a ceremony, akin to Carol's tomato ceremony. The rule is that I always get the first plum and I get to eat it in privacy. One would never celebrate with anything less than the best so after carefully choosing a perfectly ripe beautiful purple plum I polish it with a dry cloth until it shines, sit down outside and eat every bit with a mindfulness almost unmatched any time else in the year. I am amazed and thankful every year that I can reach up and pick something so wonderful right there in my garden. This is not the time to remember that in a few weeks I will be offering plums to the day care parents, stirring another batch of jam or throwing overripe fruit in a bucket for the compost pile. Right at that moment the miracle of the first plum will be the only thing in my mind. And it looks as if this year's ceremony is going to arrive soon...I can't wait!