On Being a Farm Wife (and other hazard Joyce Bupp Nearly every critical stage of life is marked with a ritual. Rituals are society’s way of seal ing an intent, celebrating a pas sage, and observing solemn, sad, and happy occasions. Births and baptisms. Confirmations and Bar or Bat Mitzvahs. Wedding ceremo nies. Funeral processions. Those are just a few that come immedi ately to mind. Not all rituals are “life and death” types. Some are funny; some perhaps irritating, some just plain silly. Birthday parties could probably be considered rituals. What better occasion to celebrate than the mile stone of a year in one’s life? My late father had a sort of ritu al he followed every fall when he packed up for deer hunting. Practi cally everything he took along for the several-day stay, ex cept for his rifle and ammunition, was care fully packed into brown paper grocery bags. Now 1 chuckle when I find myself stuffing things to take along somewhere into a more rugged equivalent: plas tic grocery bags, Children often devel op rituals which must be faithfully adhered to each night before they get settled into bed. Maybe it’s a last drink of water, a particular storybook,'or the light ing of a favorite, friend ly nightlight somewhere near their bed. And bet ter not forget the be loved “blankey,” or stuffed animal, if any one plans on getting any sleep. Rituals offer comfort and continuity. Early, warm weather sent many of us die hard gardeners on our knees observing an an nual ritual that almost borders (with apologies to all our ministerial friends) on being sacra mental. Kneeling down in a sort of communion with the fragrant, damp ground to plant the first seeds of the season al ways seems to me very much like an act of faith, almost prayer. Despite the continuing long-term drought and prolonged months of skimpy moisture, recent showers helped soften the soil’s surface to a rich, crumbly texture. On a warm, sun-splashed March afternoon, planting something anything! helps fulfill a gardener’s longings to coax up green life. Our primary garden is never ready for planting this early, so I take inventory of the lawn area where I’d been cleaning off the usual winter accumulation of wind-blown litter: leaves, scattered maple twigs, a damp paper cattle mineral bag, five-gallon bucket, couple of plastic flowerpots, and plastic grocery sacks. Absent those distractions, the ideal seeding cor ner presents itself. The small, square basin of field stone was crafted by The Farmer to For Value-Added Sales or for Personal Use Process meat easily and affordably with Chop- ■ Rite Two Meat Processors. Make sausage for your * own use or to sell. Save time and money and have § the freshest ground meat ever. 1 /• r r "rJ j \ Prices ® iff Islgi Call 1-800-683-5858 ©Ga®(?=SBT]T3 mm* m&> 531 Old Skippack Rd. J Harleysville, PA 19438 i a on the Web: • www.chop-rite.com .. mWSStm fuSAj catch and slow runoff from around the bam, then release it into the underground tile drainage system. Periodically, the stone basin fills with an accumulation of a sawdust and manure, a rich source of pot ting soil, with a bit of lime added, for the greenhouse plants. As each shovelful passes from basin to bucket, inevitably some loose soil drops off onto the ground at the base of the stone, forming a perfect early-planting patch. It catches the early morning rays of the sun as well, warming the soil sooner than less-sheltered spots. And close enough to the bam that the ever-present cats should help discourage hungry bunnies. During another seasonal ritual taking inventory of assorted seeds packets of all sorts of seeds turned up, including a couple ap propriate for this early comer tender leaf lettuces and tiny rad ishes. It takes but a few moments to carefully tuck these seeds into minuscule rows, then gently cover them in with a sprinkling of soil. A large box of sturdy, clear plastic, upturned over the tiny plot of promise and held down with a sturdy rock, will en hance the sunshine, provide shelter from chilling wind, and help keep the cats from digging there. Like many rituals, the Made in the U£JL Pa. Guild Of Craftsmen Plans Workshops RICHBORO (Bucks Co.) The Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen will present the 2002 Workshop Series at the Tyler Craft Center in Tyler State Park, Richboro. first planting may be more symbol ism than substance. Cold weather, prolonged damp, unseasonal heat, drying winds, slugs, bugs, or a vari ety of factors may limit the success of this symbolic patch. But none of that can detract from the satisfaction derived from having performed this annual ritu- A ritual of hope. FARM BOSS Chain Saws Starting at w*299S “',l mi r «**■'”—* j w/16" Bar TOOLS, NOT TOYS. Available at these servicing dealers Abbottstown MESSICK’S 74t1 Lincoln Hwy. Rto. 30E Abbottstown, PA 17301 717-259-6617 868-285-0225 Allentown LEHIGH AG EG. 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