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Feeding Time
In the kitchen last week, I boiled ¼ cup of granulated sugar and one cup of water for five minutes and poured it into my ruby red, pressed glass, heirloom hummingbird feeder. I’ve heard that the presentation of the meal is as important as the meal itself. (A behind the scenes tip from the chef: do not substitute honey. Use only granulated sugar.) I hope visitors will soon be partaking of this meal.
I treated the moss garden to a twice-a-year feeding this week. Also stirred up in my kitchen, buttermilk and water, 8:1. Moss is eating it right up!
I hung some bird feeders this week, providing picnic lunches for the migrant birds passing through on their way to Maryland. I like to mix up various varieties of seed making take-out combo meals for our guests. Their beverage choices are in the bird baths.
Last week I acquired two gold fish that will eventually go into a garden water feature. I hope I can remember to feed them. They are still indoors and eating little flakes commercially made for them. But once they are outside, I hope I remember to feed them. When outside, I barely remember to feed myself!
Buddy, with his eating condition, eats every couple hours. Dave has pretty much taken over that feeding job since I’m busy in the garden and I might forget what time it is. When the courthouse clock chimes twelve times I go in for lunch, which Dave usually has prepared with Buddy’s supervision.
Next week I’ll be feeding all the new plants, a 10-10-10 mix, which they will devour, I’m sure. I’ll also be harvesting the first lettuce for a supper salad. We had Sunday brunch at IHOP, and we’ll eat supper at church for the feast of St. Patrick. It does seem as if I’m obsessing on food, doesn’t it?
But, maybe that’s okay. Lent is a time to both fast and feed. We fast to become better persons. We don’t need so many meals or as much food, but we can feed on resources other than actual food. We can feed on scripture, charity, meditation, and prayer. We can fill our emptiness with sacraments, His presence, and the Bread and Wine of the Eucharist.
“I am the bread of life; he who comes to me will not hunger, and he who believes in me will never thirst.” John 6:35. A very fine feed, indeed.