The Malvern Mint Relief Program

Once again, a letter to my little people who are far away for summer:

Dear Children:

I hope this finds you bright eyed and bushy tailed today. And speaking of bushy tails, I have the latest news from Malvern Gardens. Since Chester started visiting with Portia, and hence sharing mint leaves with her, word has spread rapidly through the Malvern Rabbit Association of our mint plot in the garden. Mint has been such a rare commodity this year that even the ladies of the neighborhood commented on the difficulty of procuring it from our local grocers, so you can imagine the excitement that occurred when the rabbits learned we grew quite a bit.


At first, there was just one rabbit outside in the front yard at midnight. I did not think much about it, because we always have rabbits, but he was wearing a bit of a wistful expression. He seemed to pine for something. Seeing how late it was, I shut the curtains and decided to ignore his presence, but the next night he brought a friend. They stared at the house, whispered to each other, and seemed to be trying to work up the courage to approach. On the night that there were three rabbits skittering about the front yard, I descended the stairs in my nightie, opened the door, and informed them politely to go home before they woke Chester. One rabbit bravely piped up and asked if it was indeed true that we held the largest and most thriving mint garden in Malvern. I said yes, but that at midnight, I was not willing to discuss it further.

Well, you know what happened—maybe Chester called you to tell it himself. On the fourth night, there were four rabbits, six chipmunks, a toothfairy, five bees, three beavers (yes, we have those), a fawn, and an entire family of raccoons. It was so loud out there, I called the president of the MRA and said something must be done about this.

The MRA president organized a meeting with the neighborhood critters. Yesterday, we all gathered in the alley by the back fence and explained that while we would be willing to share, we cannot have a neighborhood disturbance, and that really, the problem lay in creating a further shortage. Why not, I suggested, disperse whole mint stalks with roots to the heads of families so that they can grow their own? Mint does reproduce rapidly, but were we to feed everyone there, our supply would have been decimated to the point of pulling the last mint plant and thus having none for next year. So next week, one critter per family will come and receive a stalk or two with planting instructions. We might have to do this every couple of weeks while our own supply replenishes in order to continue the effort.

Chester thought it was brilliant and absolutely unselfish. His own efforts to coordinate this massive mint relief have earned him a special place among the MRA members. Portia thinks him as dear as ever and rumors have started that the two may wed next spring (a couple should always court four full seasons before marriage).

Love to you both. Care for each other. See you soon.

Mommy

A Letter to My Children

Since my little people are with their father for the bulk of summer, I wrote a letter to keep them informed as to the ongoings of our neighborhood.

My Lovely Children,


I certainly miss you. The most delightful things have been happening since your departure and I thought you should know. Just yesterday, I saw a rabbit as I tidied the side yard. He had hidden so well at first that I was startled when he sprang out, tap danced a bit, and then bound away. I later heard from one of the associate rabbits of the Malvern Rabbit Association that much dancing has been taking place. Apparently, your own pet rabbit has been giving soft-shoe lessons. There seem to be preparations for some kind of party at the end of summer. Perhaps, we may be invited. I will let you know. What does one wear to a rabbit festival?

The bees have been active as well. This week, your step-sister and I visited the produce stand out in the country. Really, the site of overflowing baskets of zinnias and delphinium had stopped us. I pulled over into the lot to admire them and found that the bees had beaten us to the spot! They were plundering the blossoms for pollen and nectar. Some of the larger bees instantly recognized me as your mother and sent greetings, but they were too busy to stop for a long chat, so we moved into the shade to admire the fruits and vegetables.

I should tell you what we purchased there—glistening berries, plump tomatoes, Amish butter, and eggplant as rich and purple as exotic jewels. The air hung heavy with the perfume of turned earth and ripe produce. We would have stayed all day if it weren’t for the dog, who had taken a ride with us and was howling in the truck. So, we collected our things and returned home for a country lunch made in our light-filled kitchen. We had fried green tomatoes, thick slices of French bread, and North Carolina livermush. While we ate, we talked about the pie we would make later.

And we did make that pie—with blackberries and apples! I threw out the scraps of leftover apple peelings and cores for the critters in the backyard. That night, I saw the most amazing thing. Several chipmunks had gathered and were fighting over the peels. As they pointed, exclaimed, and poked one another in the eye, a devious squirrel slipped surreptitiously over the fence, gathered all sweet and delectable fruit remains, and then absconded without notice. When the chipmunks finally had called a truce and sorted matters amongst themselves, they turned to find their stash completely vanished. They were speechless. Your rabbit could not stop laughing. You know, he is so naughty that I think he might have arranged the whole thing.

Anyway, little people, Mommy loves you and is thrilled that you are having such a good time. My true hope is that this summer leaves you rich in good memories that you will carry always. See you at the end of the month, and of course, I will not forget the stuffed llama (he does not talk much, but he is an excellent singer) and we will have an early celebration for Tiny Man’s birthday.



Much love,

Mommy