Water on the moon…

Lots of it,  apparently.

White House gardening…

If the press corps ever shows up at one of my gardens,  as they always do when summoned by Our Lady of Perpetual Dissatisfaction so she can take credit for accomplishments not her own,   I will not be found in a stylish anything.    Depending on the weather,  I’ll be wearing either jeans or shorts,  a T-shirt or raggedy sweater,  and anything from bare feet to rubber clogs to steel-toed work boots.

I will not be wearing any makeup,  and I can guarantee I  will be dirty.   I produce fruit,  vegetables,  herbs,  flowers,  and foliage.    Nearly all of it is edible by people,  but some of it is grown to keep insects from eating other stuff.

Yes,   community gardens are a fine idea,   but I want to see more efforts to teach families to grow herbs on their windowsills and peppers on the back porch.    Most poor people can’t cook worth a damn.   It isn’t a question of lacking access to fine ingredients,  but that they never learned even the most elementary techniques,  or how to use herbs and spices to make inexpensive,  quite ordinary food taste wonderful.   Fifty cents’ worth of seasoning takes a pot of black beans from  edible to slap-your-granny good.   I like to eat well,  and I’m thrifty,  so I cook.

The Mennonites have published a cookbook for decades which reads almost like a novel,  exploring cooking and how to judge food along with providing delicious and nutritious recipes.   If you know any real Cajun cooks,  go learn from them,  though I’ve heard of only one who knew the secret for making pelican edible.   Two of my favorites are a Cajun meatloaf,  and Good Luck Greens.    People who don’t like spinach or cabbage or turnip greens have been seen using their last piece of cornbread to scoop up the last little bit.

Mexican cuisine also makes good use of vegetable protein and herbs and spices and very little animal protein,  if your tastes or budget so require.  Ditto for Indian cuisine and various Asian dishes.  Broaden your mind and palate,  and you can shrink your budget in exchange for a little time and consideration.