Dinner Time!

(Abby's Story part 2) Reading finished, the kitchen garden called. Weeding always needed to be done and of course, the watering. "Chicken wire fencing kept the chickens out, but not the moles!"Abby said to herself as she crept around on her hands and knees pulling weeds. She thought about all the work a few years ago preparing the raised beds. Raised beds were the only answer to the moles and the clay soil pervasive in the area. It helped the family keep the soil aerated and lighter, especially for the carrots that needed to grow deeper into loose soil. The wire mesh installed in the bottom of the beds provided protection from the varmints! A little tired after weeding and watering, her afternoon nerly over, Abby picked a few lettuce springs for her evening salad. It was dinner preparation time. Opening the wood-framed screen door and stepping up onto the enclosed porch, Sasha jumped from the wicker chair pad where she'd had her afternoon nap and began to purr while brushing the side of Abby's leg. Abby set the lettuce on the sideboard and sat for a moment to rest. Sasha jumped immediately to the newly formed lap and curled up, still purring. Looking over at the little wicker table beside her chair, Abby noticed a foil covered package shaped like a loaf. It was still warm. Remembering that Suzanne promised to bring over some cornbread, she looked up to watch her daughter returning to her house, across the acre between their homes. She waved as she entered her back door. While stroking Sasha's back, Abby thought about dinner: Hamburger pie, fresh salad and, now, homemade--from scratch--Sweet Corn Bread!