Watermelon Memories

Cold watermelon 

A hot summer afternoon 

Grandpa is fishing 

Midweek Reflections on Watermelons, Growing Plants and Cleaning Out the Refrigerator

'Idal (Justice), 2 ‘Izzat (Might), 172 BE - Wednesday, September 9, 2015 about 4:16 pm Pacific Daylight Time

As a child, my grandfather grew his own watermelon. He would pick them off the vine, take them into the house, and put them in the refrigerator. I do not grow my own watermelon for two reasons. First, I live in an apartment so I do not have anyplace to grow the watermelon. Second, unlike my grandmother and grandfather, I do not have a green thumb. My grandparents could grow anything, I am lucky if I can grow a cactus without killing it. All right, maybe that is too strong a word.

The point is that no matter how hard I try plants do not grow for me. Someone can give me a plant and it dies. I can water it, according to the directions, it still dies. I can put it in a place where it gets the proper amount of sun and one morning I will go to the plant and find it dead. I cannot grow plants. I do not have a green thumb. Which is why I purchase all my fresh vegetables and fruit.

Anyway, to get back to the watermelon. I have a watermelon to put in the refrigerator. I do not have room in the refrigerator. Just so you know, I was given the watermelon today. This means that I have to clean out the refrigerator and I am not looking forward to it. I started cleaning it out this afternoon.

I had three or four pieces of cooked chicken, so I put that in the stew pot with some water. After the chicken was heated then I took the chicken out and put some vegetables in the the water. Those are cooking now. When that gets done, I will either eat vegetable stew or take the chicken off the bone and have chicken stew. Anyway, with the vegetables and chicken out of the refrigerator I think I have room in the bottom shelf for the watermelon. That will be either my supper tonight (if I am hunger) or my lunch tomorrow.

A Summer Solstice Father's Day 2015

Jamal (Beauty), 17 Núr (Light), 172 BE - Sunday, June 21, 2015 about 3:01 pm Pacific Daylight Time

Summer at last
long hot watermelon days pass
into short warm nights.

Summer solstice
and Father's Day
coincide this year.

I eat watermelon chunks
and wonder
why I can't find a melon
sweet as the ones Grandpa grew
back in Oklahoma.

Foodie Friday: Ice Cream and Other Summer Favorites

Istiqlal (Independence), 13 Aẓamat (Grandeur), 172 BE - Friday, May 29, 2015 about 4:23 pm Pacific Daylight Time

"I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream"
Word and Music by Howard Johnson, Billy Moll, and Robert King

That song was published in 1927 and I was born in 1946. I remember singing the song when I was a child. My grandparents might have had a record or they could have taught it to me as a child. I don't remember when I learned the song because I have sung it all my life. Every time I think of this song or sing it, I think of summer and my grandparents.

This year summer, in the northern hemisphere, begins on Sunday, June 21 at 12:38 pm Eastern Daylight Time (9:38 am Pacific Daylight Time), when the sun reaches its farthest point north of the equator. This is called summer solstice which is derived from the Latin words sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still). It is time for ice cream and watermelon (not necessarily at the same time).

While I am not opposed to putting ice cream on watermelon, I prefer ice cream on pie or in a cone. My favorite pies are rhubarb and cherry. I like them warmed with a scoop of vanilla or French vanilla ice cream on top. I like a cup of hot coffee with my pie ala mode. I also like coffee with my watermelon, but I have been known to drink soda while eating watermelon. Sometime I eat the watermelon without any type of beverage because a beverage with watermelon is unnecessary.

Spiritual Sunday: Sunday Prayers

Jamal (Beauty), 1 ‘Aẓamat (Grandeur), 172 BE - Sunday, May 17, 2015 about 1:02 pm Pacific Daylight Time

Sunday prayers said
White clouds sail across blue sky
Sun casting shadows.

Morning's slow passage
A breeze blew through the pine tree
Sparrows songs echo.

Ate watermelon
With my coffee for breakfast
Time for noon prayers.

What do angels eat?
A cold sweet watermelon
Afternoon wind whispering.

Memories return
Church service and Sunday school
Grandpa and Grandma.

Sunday prayers said
Dish washing meditation
Afternoon's passage.

Thankful Thursday: July 3, 2014

Istijlál (Majesty), 11 Raḥmat (Mercy), 171 BE - Thursday, July 3, 2014 about 5:56 pm Pacific Daylight Time

 Today I am thankful...

01. ...for Canada Dry Ginger Ale because it was my Grandma Mary's favorite and every time I drink it I remember Grandma.

02. ...that I can purchase Ginger Ale in 16 oz. bottles because they are easier for me to carry, store, and drink.

03. ...for fireworks on the 4th of July because it brings back memories from my childhood.

04. ...that I can purchase individual watermelons because they are easier for me to carry, store, and eat.

05. ...for English Black tea because it makes good hot tea and iced tea.

06. ...that I have a container in the bathroom to keep an extra roll of toilet paper because then I know when to go to the store to purchase more. I live in a studio apartment and their is not a very much storage that I can reach easily.

07. ...for the news-feed on writing.com because it reminds me to post my weekly goals update.

08. ...that tomorrow (Friday) is the 4th of July because I do not have to worry about going anywhere except to the alley to take out the trash.

09. ...for Dijon mustard because it taste good on hot dogs which is another 4th of July treat.

10. ...that I have a Facebook account because I can wish my brothers a Happy 4th of July without worrying that they will not be home when I call them.

Friday shopping in Las Vegas

Istiqlál (Independence), 9 Kamál (Perfection), 170 BE - Friday, August 9, 2013 about 7:08 PM Pacific Daylight Time

I went to the grocery store this morning. I bought two individual watermelons, a loaf of bread, and a package of personal items. I intended to buy only the bread and the personal items, but the watermelons were two for the price of one so I bought two. Since I am the only one in the house I will be eating watermelon for at least four days, unless I decided to have the melons for two meals tomorrow.

cold watermelon
a summer time favorite
childhood memories

I started buying the individual watermelons when Mom was alive. I could buy one melon without worrying about finding room in the refrigerator. I found that I like the small melons because they taste good and I can eat one in a couple of days instead of a week and worrying about it spoiling. I know that I should have purchased just one melon, but the price was good and I was thirsty.

I ate before I went to the store this morning, but I did not take any water with me because I figured I was just going a short distance. Next time I take water with me and drink it before going into the store. That way I will not be tempted to purchase more melons then I can eat in two days.

Watermelon and a Blueberry Muffin for Breakfast

Jalál (Glory), 18 Kamál (Perfection), 169 BE – Friday-Saturday, August 8, 2012 about 9:45 AM Pacific Time

It’s Saturday and Mom is home all day. I have to make sure that she eats; the problem is finding things she likes that she can eat. I don’t worry about her low fiber diet any more because I have to watch her salt intake closer then her fiber intake. Mom’s feet swell, which means she retains water and salt helps her retain water. She can’t take a water pill because it lowers her blood pressure.

This morning we had watermelon and a blueberry muffin for breakfast. I give her the watermelon for her first breakfast. The watermelon filled her up and she didn’t want anything else after the watermelon. When she said she was hungry again, I warmed up the muffin. She ate the muffin and then took the rest of her morning medication.

I still have half the watermelon left, but I think I’ll wait and fix that on Sunday. The rest of the day, she needs to eat something low in salt and to drink more water. I have some potatoes, squash, and eggs in the refrigerator. I think I’ll fix the potatoes and eggs for lunch and then I only have to worry about what to give Mom to eat the rest of the day. The problem is that Mom doesn’t eat very much at one time, but she wants to eat when she gets hungry rather then at specific time.

Hot Dogs and Watermelon on the Fourth of July

Jamál (Beauty), 11 Rahmat (Mercy), 167 BE – Sunday, July 4, 2010 about 2:58 PM Pacific Time

All beef hot dogs on
A hot dog bun with sweet
Relish and mustard

Mom and I did not have a picnic outdoors today, we had the hot dogs for breakfast this morning. Mom ate two hot dogs and drank a couple of cups of coffee. This afternoon she at a hamburger sandwich with a cold can of soda. I still have the watermelon in the fridge, I will cut it this evening.

Cold watermelon
Waits in the fridge for supper
And a cold soda

A Fourth of July Tradition

Istiqlál (Independence), 11 Rahmat (Mercy), 165 BE – Friday, July 4, 2008 about 9:32 PM PDT

For my mother and I, watermelon is a Fourth of July tradition. This year I bought two individual watermelons. I cut the first one this morning and we ate it while watching T.V. I'll cut the other melon this afternoon or this evening. When we eat individual watermelons, we divide the melon between the two of us. That way there is none left to put in the fridge and forget about.

When I was a child, in Blackwell, Oklahoma, my grandfather grew his own watermelon. We ate huge watermelons all summer long. Now, however, I don't like having large watermelons in the fridge, because they take up too much room. The smaller individual watermelons are enough for Mom and me.

Another advantage is that I don't have to have the entire kitchen counter empty to cut them on. To cut an individual watermelon, I need only a small area and a sharp knife, nothing more. I cut the watermelon and put them on the plastic disposable plates. I remember, my grandparents always used paper plates for the watermelon when we had them outdoors. When grandpa cut a watermelon indoors, we used ordinary dinner plates to put them on.

The thing I find most interesting about family traditions is how they change, yet remain the same throughout the generations. Growing up we ate watermelon on the Fourth of July, no matter where we celebrated Independence Day, we ate watermelon. We sit off fireworks as well as grilled, but a cold watermelon on the Fourth was the common thread in all our family celebrations.

The grilling was never the same from year to year. Sometimes we grilled outside on a portable grill. Sometimes Grandma Newland would fix us a picnic basket to take with us and sometimes we cooked dinner on a stove in a mobile home (my grandparents had one at Lake Blackwell). However, we always ate an ice cold watermelon no matter how the Fourth of July dinner was prepared.