In Praise of Rosemary

I have tried my hardest to cultivate a garden this year (my first!) One of the things I planted was Rosemary, which I just harvested again and as I type this my fingers are releasing it's pungent scent. Why Rosemary? Yes, there's a story (and a "Keeping the Covenants" behind it!)

Mam was turning 35 (I think!?) and Pop made reservations at the Crier and the Country, some upscale (at least in MY 10 year old mind!) place where she was greeted as "Mrs. Kelly" and when I viewed the menu I thought we would lose our house at the expense of a dinner for four.

I decided to choose the cheapest thing on the menu and it was "Chicken Rosemary", which I LOVED and developed an afinity for the herb ever since.

Fast forward to Christmas, 2005...I am notorious for being a bad-gift-giver. Christmas 2004 ended in tears as I had thought that my carefully planned-out gifts to my husband would be embraced and celebrated with joy...alas, they were not (wrong size, wrong color, wrong occasion, etc) So in 2005 I felt I needed to redeem myself and give the "best gift ever". I am known as "cheap" among the family so I doubt there is much anticipation in any gift from Jen/Aunt Jen/Jennifer, etc.

But this year, I decided to go for broke and got Mark a ride on an official NASCAR (WHAT!?) Yes, I bought him a chance to drive the pace car at Pocono raceway, at a fee that was equal to several months of groceries (which is how I end to measure things) He opened the gift, I got the "I-can't-believe-my-cheap-wife-actually-bought-me-this-once-in-a-lifetime-experience" response and all was well with Christmas. Yay ME!

My point? I don't know what (if any) sacrifice Pop made so many years back to make sure his beloved bride had a memorable 35th birthday at the Crier and the Country. But what it said to his 10 year old daughter was that those you love are worth sacrifice...whether it's money or time or whatever. It's a lesson I continue to learn throughout my marriage and one that has always been worth the consideration.

Which is why, I need to consider why he was to lavish his bride--and family--on a white tablecloth meal so many years ago. And how I need to consider the priority of covenants and not think that months worth of groceries are not = to sacrificial happiness or joy in a marriage.