This is not a post about hosiery or racing silks or even an Ariel performance, but something equally as interesting, at least to this preacherswife! Today I had the joy of shucking corn and cleaning all the bazillions of corn silk that clings to the cob. While working with the corn and cringing every time I grabbed the top to pull because I know that eventually there will be a big green squishy fat worm just waiting for me to touch it. Today was no different there it was about a dozen in… lurking, squirming…UGH! I touched it! Of course I got rid of it In the trash bag like quick yet keeping my eye peeled if it decided to crawl back out. While at the same time waiting for more…but I only saw babies on a few rotten ends that I quickly cut off!

Sitting there in the still of the afternoon little by little working on this three dozen ear, it is a mindful time, peaceful of sorts, time to reflect… time to remember those hot days at my Granny Maxwell’s house all of five or six years old pulling silks.. too squeamish to dare touch the worms, silking was my job.. daydreaming on how it looked so much like hair, princess hair, golden and shiny. I guess I was “tending” as my favorite granddaughter calls it.. she “tends” when she is pretending, a almost four year old does a lot of “tending” in her day, just like I did back then. Nothing changes and kids are kids and it is a gift from the Lord when you live long enough to remember the sweet days, those times when you don’t have a care in the world. Shucking and silking corn makes way for memories; taking stock of life and slowing down enough to realize its these days that bring joy.

Joy is a by product of a pure heart, my sweet little helper has a pure heart but has to be guided in the ways of the Lord as well as her Momma! For her to bend towards the good takes some pain, just like the struggle to remove all those silks from the corn. Correction is grueling but when it’s learned it brings great joy and when I weed thru the nasty worms and husks and all those silks the sweetness of that corn this winter will bring joy to our family.

Fresh is always best unless it’s from a sassy little girl… the time will pass and I will miss all her “help”….I will drink it in now though and hope she knows how much fun she is even with her sassy mouth. She makes me smile because I’m secretly proud of her. I hope she’s strong and independent and knows her mind, she already has the corn silk princess hair!

FYI– 2.5 dozen ears of corn = 6.5 quarts of corn!