"Gratefuls" --by Erica at Highrocks

At High Rocks, there is a tradition of saying “gratefuls” before every shared meal.  These unrehearsed expressions of thankfulness range from the silly to the profound.  At camps, they can take the better part of an hour and meals grow cold until the last one is heard.  That’s how important they are to the culture of High Rocks. 

On the heels of extended power outages, record high temperatures, and no rain, it is time for a Grateful blog post.   

I am grateful for the rain. 

I am grateful for the 3^rd-5^th graders who planted lettuce this spring at the Good Earth Garden, a Grow Appalachia-sponsored community garden.  

I am grateful for the volunteers who harvested several pounds of it last week and donated it to feed people affected by the storm.

I am grateful for the owner of the Pretty Penny Cafe, a grown-up High Rocks girl who opened her kitchen to volunteers and her dining room to feed the fresh lettuce and other donated food to people affected by the storm.

I am grateful for the support of Grow Appalachia that puts fresh produce on the table for people in times of crisis.  Fresh food just makes everything better.   

I am grateful for the rain. (Did I mention that already?)