Monday, September 6, 2010

Oh, Okra!


Dear Okra,
  You have been my constant companion these last six weeks at least!  You fill my car, my thumb nail, my dreams.  I see you when I close my eyes at night.  I spy you in the preservation kitchen in jars each morning.  I greet you at Horn of Plenty every Wednesday through Saturday.  You make rashes on my arms.  You make my employees cry and give notice and leave.
  I only need to spend a few more weeks with you, dear Okra!  I only lack 2,000 jars, a formidable number, no doubt, but paltry in comparison to the 6,604 original goal.  My employees, including the new one, will be happy to see you go!  They, too, count the jars and count the days, until your season is over and you take your prickly little self away.
  Your beautiful blooms, your bizarre upright habit, your hairy seed pod, and let's not forget your mucilaginous innards:  these I will not miss.  Take care, Okra!  Have a good winter!
Love/hate,
Maggie

6 comments:

Bonnie said...

Yeah! Glad it is almost over. All good things must come to an end sometime. Hope to see you tomorrow.

Anonymous said...

What a marathon okra's created!! I'm glad you're on the downward slide of its run!!!
Carol

LA said...

You just do such wonderful things to the okra! Yes, it will soon be gone..........

Theresa said...

Oh my word, 2000 MORE jars. Wishing your okra season was a lot shorter than it is!

roxie said...

This sounds like an amature Kabuki theatrical production of that Rodgers and Hammerstein musical - "Okrahoma" the least we could do is make up some lyrics for you to sing while you work. I have never canned anything, and I have never met an okra, so I'm afraid I won't be much help on this one. "Ooooooo-krahoma! When the goo goes sliding 'cross your hands, Just remember that, this nasty crap sells real well when we stuff it all in cans! Ooooo-krahoma! Every day I sit around and cry. Then I count the jars. Soon we'll hit the bars, celebrating six thousand little guys. Oh you know we all live for the cans. And the cans that we live for are grand. So when we sayyyyyyy, 'oh yuck! Oh gross' all dayyyy, we're only saying, 'You're doing fine Okrahoma! Okrahoma, OK!'"

Bonnie said...

I applaude you Roxie!