Fall winds down--what is our harvest?

This time of year, people gather pumpkins. In fact, they’ve been on sale for a long time. Pumpkins are part of the cucurbit family, which includes squash, gourds, watermelons, other melons, and luffa sponges. Yeah.

Have you ever seen how many seeds a pumpkin makes? Let one rot in your yard and you’ll find out that they make an incredible number of seeds. In some traditions, they represent abundance. Plenty. Riches.

Do you know all the ways they can be used? Soups, pies, stews, candy and more. Yes--they can be planters, food for wildlife, and all manner of things. Even boats (try me on this--look up “rowing pumpkin”). The seeds, flowers, and flesh are edible.

They are a great symbol of hope and happiness because of how easy they are to grow. They can lie in fallow fields until frost turns them to mush, and their seeds sprout again in spring.

Where are the “pumpkins” in your life?