NaPoWriMo - Day 15

 Day 15 - think about a small habit you picked up from one of your parents, and then write a piece that explores an early memory of your parent engaged in that habit, before shifting into writing about yourself engaging in the same habit.

The Potato Garden

I observed him carefully
turning the soil
adding compost
adding manure
and turning the soil 
preparing to plant

He watches the weather
potatoes are planted early
as soon as he can get his fingers into the loamy dirt

Then the watching begins

It is a spring ritual
I was never able to duplicate

until.............I got my own garden

I learned from the best
and duplicate the rest

turning the soil
adding compost
adding manure (and my secret ingredient - spent grain)
and turning the soil
preparing to plant

I, too, plant early (shortly after father does)

and then it's a race
to see whose sprouts first (his)
and whose potatoes are bigger (mine)

The biggest difference
is that he robs his hills early
while I let mine mature and grow

..... which is why they are bigger

But it's not a competition (we whisper to ourselves)

-Lisa