By LIZ MARCHI
Most of us grow up taking something for granted; for me it was great tomatoes. The season in Alabama was long and my grandfather was renowned for his big, juicy, red tomatoes. Until I began cooking on my own did I realize that what passed for a tomato in the grocery store was nothing like the flavor feast I was accustomed to.
This summer, which has been dry and dusty at our ranch, has been the summer of magical tomatoes in Montana. I have relished the hours in my garden with the unique smell of tomato vines, doing my daily pick, canning and of course a tomato sandwich on whole wheat bread every day for lunch.
I am still struggling with tempo. Having lived my life rushing from one project to the next, one challenge to the next, tomatoes have drawn me into the moment where heat, water and light have produced something to cherish in the now; to taste, to feel and to view. Tomato red, what a color!
Summer brings time on the golf course. In my 50 years of playing golf, it’s always been about the big hit, the long drive, the “she doesn’t hit like a girl.” This summer, it’s the short game that I am turning to. How has it taken me so long to really understand it’s about scoring around the green? It has nothing to do with strength and everything to do with finesse, practice, a light touch and a controlled tempo.
So it is for me a season of learning about tempo, focusing in the moment and relishing those juicy moments in life when the tomatoes are ripe and the challenge of aging remains doing well in the short game.
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Liz Marchi lives on a ranch in Polson, Montana with her husband Jon. She is the Fund Coordinator for the Frontier Angel Fund and spends a lot of time thinking and learning about entrepreneurs, the economy and Montana’s unique place in the world. She has three daughters and a stepson and daughter and a grandchild. She graduated from Hollins College and is entering the final quarter of life…unless we go into overtime.