Every spring of my life, starting in 1941, my father and mother would align their planting skills with the warm sun.  Willie, as he was known, would plant his tomatoes and peppers and treat them with such love that I felt the plants were part of our living family.

Lizzie, my mom, with an uncanny ability to grow many varieties of flowers, beautified the front and back of our property. Zinnias were her favorite.  They also planted corn, basil, garlic, onions, zucchini, cabbage, potatoes, lettuce and celery, and the crowning glory overlooking this living salad was a 10-foot fig tree that produced the sweetest fruit imaginable.