The Silent War...

I flick the switch back on. It is the life blood of the first round of seeds I am starting for our spring vegetable garden, the "herb" section. Rosemary, cilantro, oregano, chives, a few others. They are in the kitchen window, the south side of our home, so they only get about half a days worth of actual sun light... On a not-so-cloudy day, mind you. So the light over the kitchen sink makes up for those days and nights when nature isn't actually helping anything...

A few hours later, someone will have turned the light back to the "off" position. (Is he not a fan of chives?) I casually lean back over and flick the light back on. I inspect the seeds: of the sixteen cups, eight have now produced a few shoots. I sprinkle the cups with some more water (moisture is key, I might add...) and walk away.

It could be any day--I leave for work, on. I come home from work, off. I go to the bathroom, on. I come back out, off. (Is our electric bill that high this month?)

Neither of us say a word. No eye contact is made as we pass back and forth in front of each other in the hall, as we sit side-by-side on the couch, as a casual call from the kitchen queries, "Do you need anything?"

Of course, what I need is for the light to stay on: after all, like moisture, light is essential. Vegetables don't grow in dark places (unlike mold, mice, and three-eyed monsters).

I've already won the war over the spare bedroom door--it stays open. That is where the cacti and bamboo reside until spring graces us with warm days and nights and they can take their rightful place on the deck. I've also won the laundry war: we do separate whites from colors. On the other hand, I've never won the Christmas card war: we don't send those, even though he's the Jesus-believer and I am not...

Of course, the herb seeds will soon be joined by corn, radish, lettuce, spinach, beets, pumpkin, watermelon, cucumber, and squash--oh, and tomatoes. And the established herb seeds will be nestled between the cacti and bamboo while the vegetables take advantage of all day/all night light (whether sun or artificial), but only if I win this one.

Only if I win.

I know as soon as I hit "Publish This Post," I will have to go out to the kitchen and flick the light back on. After all, I've been in front of the computer for what... Fifteen minutes? In that time, Rich has come and gone from the kitchen in his nightly scavenge for chips and dip...

Yes, that's one more war I haven't won... Snacky stuff in the house...

That must be it, actually... I can't grow potato chips in a vegetable garden...

Well, at least not in "chip" form...