Thursday, April 16, 2009

New member of the garden family

From a vendor at the Farmer's Market in Williamsburg last week, I bought a fine-smelling pot of Winter Savory, a perennial herb that is new to my ken.

Yes, I am a guy. Yes, I also love herbs. Have since I was a teenager. I firmly reject the notion, revived on certain commercials recently, that "men don't bake," or involve themselves in other, similar activities.

I bristle anytime I hear the old, sad, tired myth that "Women don't" this or "Women can't" that. A Woman can hang sheetrock, fix a car, drive a truck, hit a fastball or pursue a career in science, as well as any man.

And I also get quite annoyed when told that men can't do this or that either, without compromising their manliness. In my opinion, a man can bake chocolate chip cookies, enjoy fine fashion or shopping, style hair for a living and any of the many other things supposedly the provenance of Women, and still be very much a man.

So this here man will find a good, sunny place for this new herb, and snip off a little tonight to put into the ham and butterbean soup that I am making for dinner. And I will cuddle with my Beloved as the darkness falls and enjoy Her delightful company whilst all the belching boneheads of the world who base their manliness on old stereotypes can continue to sit alone in their drab apartments gnawing on t.v. dinners.

4 comments:

molly said...

Well said ECD! My six foot four, hulking giant of a son is very much into plants---hopes, in fact, to make a career out of his passion! He is also, of late, experimenting in the kitchen quite successfully, much to my relief, as I am no longer excited to cook enough to feed a hollow legged giant! His GF often assists him, but he's the main chef!

We recently added penny royal mint to our herb garden.....What other herbs do you grow in yours?

Eastcoastdweller said...

Molly: I have a little peppermint, which stirred into hot water and honey makes a fine tea; chives that are simplicity itself to grow; thyme, given to me by a dearly departed friend; sage, spearmint, lavender, horehound, yarrow and some fennel that survived the winter.

I try to grow basil and dill every year. Basil refuses to reseed itself but dill sometimes will.

StayAtHomeKat said...

Awesome!
I love men that can cook and garden!



as for tea...
I am not much of a tea person :-)

Eastcoastdweller said...

Kat:

As for me, I love Women who ... breathe. And the memory of those who once did. (o:

I'm not into regular tea at all but a sprig of peppermint in hot water with honey is refreshing.

You and my Sweetie are Sisters of a sort -- She can't stand any beverage that is not chilled.