Memories of thanksgiving doing volunteer work in the aromatic San Joaquin Valley, including some gleaning!
Drawing by Sarah “Sallie” Thayer, Copyright 2012, Used with permission; http://salliesart.blogspot.com/2012/02/naomi-and-ruth.html
YouTube Song: "Wherever You Go" by the Monks of Weston Priory - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGn3uENUEec
The San Joaquin Valley in California is known for its abundance as a provider of many great agricultural products – especially fruits – for this country and beyond!
I had the blessing of working right smack in the middle of it back in the fall of 1981 in a little town called Porterville.
In between college and graduate school, I really didn't know what I wanted to do for a living, so I took a year off doing low paid volunteer work through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps – similar to the Peace Corps and VISTA.
How special it was to drive 30 miles everyday to Porterville with Robbie, another volunteer, from Tulare, CA - where we and six other volunteers resided doing all kinds of human services outreach. The great aroma of orange blossoms permeating the air in our travels was a real treat; thankfully, we didn't have allergies that can cause havoc for some folks.
While we have had some bad fog at times during the year in Louisiana around Baton Rouge and over the Bonnet Carre Spillway, I experienced the super thick “Tule Fog” a few times, where you literally could not see more than a few feet in front of you, if at all, at times!
My work was involved with a mental health agency and was focused on outreach to homebound and nursing home elderly in need of counseling and contact.
Roger, my supervisor, let me use his Vespa Scooter every day for my travels, since “It Never Rains In California,” as noted by that song! So I had real fun making visits to seniors.
It happened that the Porterville Senior Center that I would visit weekly had a presentation on “gleaning,” a biblical term that I'd heard of but didn't know much about being a city slicker from N'Awlins. Who can forget the beautiful biblical love story of Ruth and Naomi, wherein gleaning led to the wonderful outcome for the families involved and for all of us followers in the lineage of the Son of David?
Besides doing some cool crop gleaning to share food with the disadvantaged, it was also a treat to get the chance to glean some overstocked products like Chanel No. 5 Perfume that the Senior Center had access to. I was able to surprise my then finance', Maria, with a bottle or two, as well as make many brownie points with all the other women in my life – mom, mother-in-law, sisters, friends, etc.
Thanksgiving to God for all gleaned blessings – especially bountiful, aromatic love shared with one another!
I am so Thankful for having the Spirit of Christ in my life and in the life of my siblings. These past two years were a challenge for me as for as my health, but God's Grace, Healing and Mercy got me through it all. For this I am so Thankful. My prayer is that every one have a Blessed Holiday Season and Be Thankful for The Love of Christ in your lives. Peace and Blessings to All.
The San Joaquin Valley in California is known for its abundance as a provider of many great agricultural products – especially fruits – for this country and beyond!
