The great pumpkin in CA rises

Yes, the great pumpkin rises out of the cement in molly and matt's yard! When she and matt moved into their house in San Diego there was cement where their yard should be! After many house projects and air hammers, sanding machines, things going out and things coming in, there is new life in the yard. A GREAT orange pumpkin is rising like the harvest moon at night on the Ocean Beach pier. This bright orange growing ball is right where people can see it and marvel in the midst of a vast ocean of people living on one compacted area in City Heights.

I watched people going by with children in hand and stopping to say, "look at that great pumpkin" rising up out of the ground!

The yard and house has been tranformed into a living space again and the GREAT PUMPKIN and other growing things are emerging now from the earth to be used in pies, cakes, main dishes. It seems that there is delight and for enjoyment in the great pumpkin and colors in the garden from many passers-by in the "hood" as well. I observed that many more people are walking to places in this hood as parent and child, families, youth and folks going places along with a bus stop. I am sure that many people have to walk just to get places there compared to my life.

And the new colors on their house that are "YO, Pfat juiced up" add to the colors of the growing things including the great orange pumpkin. After observing many people marvel at the colors in the garden and the great orange pumpkin, I even visited through the chain link fence with children and strangers who marvelled at the great orange pumpkin. It was a safe way to interact with people in the "hood" and sometimes we were not even speaking the same languages but yet we were!

And then Cruz and Rosangela came by to introduce themselves to me. They are young freinds in molly's new "gardening club" in the "hood." Cruz came by three or four times on Tuesday asking when Molly would be home as she had promised her some space to plant her growing things that 'really needed to get planted' according to her anxiety. I assured her that Molly would be around and I realized that there really does seem to be a need for GROWING THINGS in the "hood" and in our lives.

Mostly the GREAT pumpkin is a symbol of HOPE and JOY for all who encounter it now as fall approaches even in California and as people stop on their busy walks by to work, school and getting food, family matters etc.

I realized how important growing things are in the "hood" wherever it maybe be in our lives. My changing garden space is slowly evolving too but winter days will soon be here and a change of seasons when growing mango plants must come INDOORS in Nebraska.

I went out and found a pumpkin at Sundance Feeds when I came home from CA and now it is a symbol of HOPE and JOY on my front porch to all who come by. I doubt I will have as many people coming by as Matt and Molly but it helps me too!

And I hope to share more of the marvels on trips, growing things in molly's yard, in my yard and in our lives this fall....... the banana trees and fig tree in their back yard were something to MARVEL at ..... as I have never seen banana trees before in a yard or anywhere for that matter growing up in North Dakota!

I am also hoping to see some rocky mountains.... some golden aspens growing and changing color this week and friends in CO who give us hope and joy as well! Watch for those great pumpkins rising out of the cement in your life!