Under the Goshen Sun

I finally watched the movie “Under the Tuscan Sun”. I read the book it seems years ago but missed the movie when it came out. For those of you who have not heard about it, it’s the story of a woman who ends up in Italy and buys a rundown house in the Tuscan countryside. She writes about her adventures as she renovates the property, meets the locals, deciphers the cultural differences and tries new foods. The movie, of course, brings it up a notch with romance and happy endings. My gut reaction after watching this film was to buy myself a ticket to Florence, leave my life here behind me and discover my own place in the Tuscan sun ( though I would definitely take my husband along: his skill with wood and stone and all around handyman along with his artistic eye would take us a long way!). I dreamed about it for a little while at least... I suppose finances and visas and all other types of red tape would soon bring me back to reality.

A week later, I was hard at work in my backyard. Sweat dripped from my brow leaving spots on my T-shirt. Shovel in hand, I was digging up dirt to lay a patio beside our newly finished woodfired oven. With this summer’s dryness, our backyard soil has turned to stone. After two hours of backbreaking work, Jim took his turn. After lunch, we continued our slow progress: we were hardly half done with muscle aches groaning and blisters growing. The stones are sitting in stacks waiting to be laid but it will be at least another weekend  before we are ready to place them. As I paused to catch my breath and  gulp down an ice cold glass of water under the Goshen sun, all of sudden, it came to me.

We have a house that we bought. We are working hard at renovating it, with all the surprises and twists and turns that brings. In the process, we have learned things about ourselves, about our community, about our culture, about relationships. We’ve interacted with local businesses, each with their own quirks. We’ve made countless trips for an extra piece of wood and another bag of cement. We’ve dealt with red tape, delays, crazy weather. And yet we continue to dream. What makes it all worthwhile is both the process and its fruits. Just this week, we savoured a whole meal with food entirely from our local farmers made in the woodfired oven and just tonight, we sat out on the deck, looking at the current excavations, surprised with how far we’ve come. This is my story under the Goshen sun!

So write your own story and enjoy the beginnings and endings and all parts in between. And in this hot summer weather, make yourself a salad with local fruits and vegetables.

Middle Eastern Bulgur Salad with Peaches

1 1/4 c. bulgur

1 can of garbanzo beans

1/2 c. red onion, finely diced

1 cucumber, quartered and sliced

3 medium tomatoes, diced

2 peaches, peeled and diced

1/1/4 c. parsley, minced

3/4 c. mint, minced

1/3 c. olive oil

3/4 c. lemon juice

1 t. salt

Soak the bulgur in 2 1/2 c. boiling water until all the water is absorbed. Let cool. Add the remaining ingredients and mix. Let sit for several hours so the flavors combine.