Marking the Milestones

I have a thing for milestones – those on the road, those on the road of life, and those on the garden path. They orient me. The milestones on the road tell me how far I’ve gone and how far there is to go. The milestones on the road of life help me celebrate my friends and family. The milestones on the garden path help me remember the rhythm of the seasons.

I have driven the road from Minneapolis to just north of Chicago (where my dad lives) so many times I have the mile markers memorized. Mile marker 143 is the Tomah, Wisconsin rest stop – sort of the half way point. Mile 182 is Oconomowoc, Wisconisn – hometown of my brother-in-law and 20 miles from Milwaukee. And, mile marker 68 is Milwaukee Av in Illinois – the mile marker that tells me I’m just about 10 minutes from my destination.

On the road of life there are birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays both sacred and secular. There are a lot of 50s happening this year – and a lot of excited kids going off to their first year of college. Babies are being born and parents and colleagues are dying.

On the garden path, I tend to count firsts – the first tulip, the first rose, the first oriole, the return of the Canada Geese. Yesterday, I encountered a milestone that completely disoriented me. I saw a flock of geese heading south. It seemed unbelievable, frankly. It’s mid-August and the temperatures are still in the 90s. But, there they were—leaving their summer home and heading for warmer climes. Soon, more will follow. The sedum will take on a rosy glow and the trees will burn bright with flaming oranges, yellows, and reds. And then, it will come . . . the first snow.

But, that will be weeks from now. Today, it’s still summer, with time to plant new things, rearrange existing things and enjoy the warm sunny days.

For Everything There is a Season

The retired music director at my church refused to play Christmas carols during Advent. “It’s not Christmas until December 25th and we need to honor the seasons,” he would say. (Christmastide in the church runs from December 25th to Epiphany on January 6th.)

Earlier this week, I heard a news story about people being robbed at Apple stores. I was confused about this since even early apples aren’t in season for another month. The news story continued and mentioned iPhones and iPods. Only then, did I realize the news was about Apple computer stores and not local apple orchards. (Context is everything, right?!)

A friend won’t eat tomatoes in restaurants saying, “Even though it’s tomato season somewhere, it’s not tomato season here.” (Even when it is tomato season here, he doesn’t eat tomatoes in restaurants unless he knows the tomatoes are local.) For years, my friend, Betsy and I call each other when the first tomatoes come in – because it means “fresh” BLTs.

This week (and maybe next week, too) is the jackpot week if you’re a berry fan, like I am. Strawberries, Raspberries, and Blueberries are all in season now. Depending on the variety, strawberries start in June and can go through the summer. Raspberry season starts in late June and runs through late July. Blueberries start mid-July and run through mid-August.

Because we can get all the fruits and veggies we want in the grocery store all year, we have lost, I think, the rhythm of the seasons. We have lost the wild anticipation of the first strawberry or BLT or apple or ear of sweet corn.

I don’t know that I’d urge or exhort everyone to forego bananas or peaches or raspberries in November. But, maybe notice what’s available at your local farm stands or Farmers Markets from week to week. Pay attention to the fruits and veggies you can buy today that you couldn’t buy last week, because, everything does have a season.