Oh yeah- if you wanna make me happy, just give me a big ol' slice of watermelon! Or as a matter of fact, any of those summer fruits will do - strawberries, peaches, cantelope, etc. If you haven't enjoyed any of this lusciousness yet this summer, take my advice and run (don't walk) to your nearest farmers' market or local grocery store and buy some now, cuz the season is quickly coming to an end!
I'll admit. I've had more than my share of watermelon this season. In my opinion this summer's fruit has been "bon nourriture. In other words, "dog gone good!" And if the truth be known, I think I've eaten at least three whole watermelons by myself. (Shhh! Don't tell anyone!) Actually, I beginning to think I've eaten so much watermelon, that I'm starting to look like one! Alright - no comments!!
So tell me - you all have at least one childhood watermelon memory, don't ya? It was wonderful! Wasn't it? Oh, so good! And so good for ya!
I can still vividly remember all of us kids circling around the melon, as Mom stabbed that big, bad boy in the middle of our kitchen table. She used a huge, mammoth-sized butcher knife that was reserved for occassions such as this. I can still hear that "crack" as the melon split and out spilled an over-abundance of sweet, sweet juice. My mouth waters just thinking of it! Yum!
"Hey! Out with those melons!" Mom would shout. "Don't think you're gonna slurp and spit seeds all over my kitchen!" As I've always said my mom was one smart cookie!
And so we scattered. Thus - the beginning of our next summer's "surprise."
You see, some how it turned out that our watermelon-eating spot always ended up being in the same spot - on the cement steps, right outside our kitchen back door. Oh yeah! We'd slurp, we'd spit, and occassionally we would challenge each other to a seed spittin' contest. I wasn't a very good spitter, so seldom did I win, but oh how I wished I could spit like the boys!.
So, early the next summer, much to our surprise, we were welcomed by a cute little plant growing out of a crack in those back steps. He was a little guy, but it didn't take him long to grow, and grow, and grow. Eventually that plant was so big, he covered our entire back steps! No longer could we use our back door without disturbing our growing friend.
So, what could it be? I had no clue. My brothers had no clue. And Mom - she just wasn't telling.
Eventually, little oblong things started to grow on our plant. Gourds? Is it a gourd plant? Curiousity filled our minds, and the neighbor kids' too, as daily it seemed like the whole neighborhood gathered to watch the progression of our plant.
And then one day - just like that - the "cat" was out of the bag (or should I say, the "watermelon?") Yes! Those little "gourd" thingys became big, ol' plump WATERMELON! We were now watermelon farmers! Hallelujah!
That entire summer our family and the whole blessed neighboorhood devoured what I would say were the sweetest watermelons you ever tasted. And to think, it all came from that one little watermelon plant!
"Plant a watermelon vine on my grave...
And let the juice...
(Slurp, slurp)
And let the juice...
(Slurp, slurp)
Run thru!!!!
