by Julie O'Brien

Created on: May 22, 2010   Last Updated: June 07, 2010

It was a very warm late summer day in Michigan, my mother and I lived in a small home on the northwest corner of my grandfathers 80 acre farm. I was approximately 10 years old at this time, we had a small pear orchard in the field behind our home and my grandfather had a good sized garden behind his home just on the other side of the barn. My experiences helping with the gardening consisted of harvesting the fruits and vegetables.  I would climb the pear trees and pick a pear and eat it, then pick another for my mother! I would go help grandfather pick cherry tomato's and pickles from the garden with two paper lunch bags in hand. I would fill each bag to it's fullest and go home and eat every pickle in the bag and every tomato in the other bag. My mother would always say, you are going to get a stomach ache!I Never did get a stomach ache, but I sure did love my vegetables. I would go with my aunt to pick asparagus and beans and we would go dig up potatoes in the fall. These are memories that have stuck with me my entire life and always bring a smile to my face when remembering.

Learn more about this author, Julie O'Brien.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.