Friday, August 6, 2010

This evening's figs

Is it possible to have too many figs?

After waiting a year for my fig to fruit again, and picking this whole bowlful, and remaining full of wonder at the miracle that makes it possible for the wintered grey sticks of my little tree to produce plump, cream-fleshed, honeyed fruit, I actually find myself lusting for the bright ruby interiors of the tart Constantia figs I ate long ago. Which shows I am full of figs, so to speak. Lusting for variety.

This is why we require a winter of discontent.

Without deprivation, where is the pleasure in the satisfaction of desire? Where, in fact, is desire? It diminishes. Fades. We become disinterested. The spark is snuffed. The longing forgotten. Appetite is lost.

If we are to live well, we must recognize the gift in the absence of good things, and hope for their eventual return.

9 comments:

  1. Very philosophical and very true indeed :-)

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  2. Tell me. Am I not remembering, with a touch of nostalgia, being snowed in and cooking and baking and watching movies all bundled up in blamkets and Uggs. All the while dreaming of a hot summer day.

    BTW we have no figs yet.

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  3. And there are tomatoes and cucumbers and summer squash - all longed for in January and over abundant in August! We people are such fickle creatures!

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  4. Nice shout out on For The Love Of Brooklyn, did you see?

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  5. As it is, so true. My late planting and few farmer's market trips has stalled my usual satiation.

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  6. My Brown Turkey is 12'x 10' and never makes any edible fruit. The figs are small and green. I suppose it never gets warm enough for long enough here on the southern Oregon coast. Pretty little tree, though.

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  7. Thanks, V!

    Solange - 6 hours-plus of sun? You could make green fig preserve...very good.

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