IN THE GOOD 'OL SUMMER-TIME, CALIFORNIA'S FOOD BASKET PRODUCES DELICIOUS AND NUTRITIOUS FRUITS AND VEGETABLES...........

 Being born and growing up in California, as one of six children in an average working class family, food was was regular, daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but portions were small, and there was hardly many leftovers.  My mother, given my father's meager, hard worked for income, during our childhood, did a remarkable job putting food on our family table, given my father's weekly Friday paycheck,was always gone by Tuesday night, leaving two and a half days to squeeze and scramble, to stretch out the available food.  My father's backyard garden, and my grandmothers' canning, were great, delicious, nutritious, supplements to the meals, especially the summer dinners my mother prepared for us.  I have always loved Summer, from childhood, to present day; and one of my major enjoyments of summer are the fresh vegetables and fruits, homegrown, or store bought, that rounded out and increased our dinner plates and night snacks.  Among my favorites, have always been the corn on the cob, watermelon, oranges, tomatoes, peaches, nectarines, and apricots, that were some of the tasty produce I enjoy most even today..  During my childhood we cooled off in the evenings after sunset, sitting out in the night air, feasting on boiled corn on the cob, or cold watermelon, which are two of my four, all time favorite foods.  As I blog this post, as my afternoon snack, I am enjoying a fresh, parishioner home grown, peach and nectarine.  They are juicy and delightful.  California makes it contribution to the fresh produce provided not only to our 38 million citizens statewide, but the United States, and other countries around the world.  I remember in 1982 to 1984, while a first and second year seminarian in Kilkenny, Ireland, how the Irish citizens looked forward to the three week period each autumn, when California Sunkist navel oranges, would be in the shops and what a treat they were for me, and others in Kilkenny.  So tonight, over the weekend, or anytime this summer, you enjoy the freshness of the produce you are eating, thank God for the wonder of our soil, and the brilliance of our sunshine, that we in the Golden State,  and citizens of the World, can enjoy the delicious, nutritious, vegetables, and fruits, grown by our farmers and neighbors, and for the dedication and hard work they put forth over many months, to bring us these delightful foods...........Fr.  Troy