Amen, Lewis! Amen!
It’s difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.
(Lewis Grizzard)
My mother came and spent the better part of yesterday with us. Small Fry had his two-month checkup, and I asked her to come along and help keep Tater Tot occupied. When she pulled into the driveway, he couldn’t get down the front steps fast enough, yelling, “Poopsie, Poopsie, Poopsie, Poopsie!” until he was yelling it smack-dab in her face. It was fabulous and she loved it.
When the two of them finally stopped hugging and carrying on, they came into the kitchen and I heard Poopsie tell Tater Tot, “I brought you something.”
“Sumping for me?” he asked. ”Can I see it? Can I hold it? Can I see it, Poopsie?”
From a small sack she produced the tomato you saw above, which is sitting on a piece of my grandmother’s china. She always said to use the good dishes for special occasions, and yesterday most certainly qualified. That tomato was the very first one from Mama’s garden. My heart skipped a beat when I saw it! (You think I’m kidding, don’t you? I kid about a lot of things, but NEVER about my love for all things tomato.)
Tater Tot held it as Poopsie reminded him of the tomato plants they looked at several weeks ago with the little green tomatoes. He was delighted with this ripe tomato, or “mayna,” as he says.
Right before supper, I peeled the mayna and sliced it, then took it into the den and asked Tater Tot if he wanted a little snack. He looked at the slices and said, “For me?”
“Yes,” I answered. ”Poopsie and I want you to have the first tomato from her garden.”
Judging from the fact that he was on the last slice before I could get the lens cap off the camera, I’d say he liked it. Check out the tomato juice dripping from his hand and on his leg!
Oh, thank goodness he knows how to enjoy a tomato!
I asked him how he liked it and he said, “I wiked it! Hey, Mama? I fink I might need anudder one.”
That’s just music to his Poopsie’s ears.
That tomato was a beauty! And what a special boy to enjoy it! Happy Fourth of July.
That tomato was gorgeous. What type was it?
We did a container garden in our backyard when Junior was about 2 and had some tomato plants. Hubs and I never got to eat one because as soon as it was red, Junior would pick and eat it. He would come in the house with tomato juice dripping down his chin and a big grin. That was the last time we had tomatoes in the backyard.
Sure do miss ole Lewis Gizzard. Life in Atlanta has never been the same without him. At least we still have maynas.
awww precious! Makes me want to establish a SPECIAL plate!
I am jealous! I cannot wait for our little cherry tomatoes to turn red. That, in my opinion, is the best part of summer! : )
I think I may need to grow me some tomatoes next summer, but till then my mom has a stash growing in her backyard that I can take advantage of
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AMEN!!
every year when the homegrown tomatoes start to come in, I eat so many I get an ulcer in my mouth from all the acid…does this stop me from eating them, nope! Got an ulcer right now and loved every tomato I ate to get it!