My dad had just passed away when I began this Second Front column in 2006. It was a difficult time, the time when you moved to the top of the family totem pole….Skip and I were suddenly the oldest in our extended family. No one knew more about our family history and the intricate little morsels of our lives; there was no one to answer ‘the’ questions. My mom, and now my dad, were no longer here.
Writing has always been a source of harmony for me and when my dad died, it became (nearly) vital. I was able to put thoughts on paper, as I had done for most of my adult life, but now I could share them, thanks to Will Chapman at the Daily Iberian. He gave me an opportunity to share a small amount of newsprint with Morris Raphael; I am forever grateful for the chance he gave me and the guidance he provided.
Anyway, here it is the start of 2024, eighteen years later. My five children are all adults now and Skip and I have been blessed with a precious grandchild, Santiago. I live in the same house, but my garden has moved closer to my backdoor and is much smaller, I still keep bees and raise chickens, and I miss my parents each day. While I have enjoyed my small and humble contribution to the Daily Iberian, it is time to wind down on my submissions. I hope to occasionally have something worthwhile to share and, hopefully, there will be sufficient newsprint to do so, but for a bit of time, this will be my last Berry Tale.
It is still winter as I write this, but signs of spring are showing up in the fields and in my garden. I have yet to see a robin come from the woods or a tiny baby lizard, but my fig trees are budding, and sunset has found its way into my keeping room later in the day, scattering dappled sunlight and bringing joy and promise of yet another spring. My windowsills are crowded with tiny saplings in little pots of soil…heirloom tomatoes, an array of peppers, herbs, and, just for fun, sweet peas (Sister Ann Carmel’s sweet peas were the centerpiece of my first column) …I love the circles life makes.
The Full Snow Moon rose on the 24th and spring will arrive on the 19th of March.
As anxious as we all are for spring, I hope you enjoy these last days of winter, for each season is beautiful.
p.s. I feel presumptuous writing the following, but I shall anyway…I have, by luck and chance, been able to have a small paperback published. The title is Bayou Shadows, and it is listed as a fictional memoir. It is expected to be out within the year. I began the publication process in August of 2022…it has been a very long, but worthwhile, journey, a bucket list ‘check off’ for sure.
Also, I plan to continue my random musings and posting on my webpage, @pamshenskyart.com, in case you are ever lonesome for newsflashes about what might be going on in my backyard (lol).
Thank you to all who have followed me throughout these years. My gratitude is immeasurable.
Hopefully, this is not a ‘goodbye’, but more of a ‘see you later’.
Pam Shensky
Berry Tales
March 2024
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