Parenting 201: Going Organic

“Come and get it!”

“What’s for supper, Uncle Moe?”

“My favorite - barbecued grass, fried mud topped with antioxidants and a cool glass of cloud.”

“Uh-oh, mom, I think the summer heat has gotten to Uncle Moe.  What is he talking about?  Nobody eats fried mud.”

“Yes we do dear, he just calls food by different names.  Like that glass of cloud, for example.  He really means water.”

“Then why didn’t he say so?”

“That’s because clouds really are water.  When the sun dries up the water from the oceans, it rises into the sky to make clouds.  Then the wind blows the clouds over the cities and it rains down as clean, pure water.”

“Not only that”, cousin Freddy piped in, “but you’re drinking the same water that people have been drinking over and over again for thousands of years.”

“Sounds pretty yucky, mom. And what about that fried mud?”

“Well, I think we call that a potato.  That’s because it’s really made out of mud, a little plant and sunlight.  And somehow, all of those ingredients combine together and become a potato.”

“Or an apple, or a peach, or a flower”, cousin Freddy added.

“And all of the different tastes and colors and smells that grow from the ground come from mud. Pretty nifty, right?”

“How does the mud do that?”

“I don’t know, maybe you should ask your Uncle.”

“And that barbecued grass?  How do I figure out what that one is?”

“It’s really a hamburger.  Which comes from a cow.  And after all, what is a cow?”

“An animal with four legs that goes - moo?”

“Well, yes and no.  All day long a cow munches away on grass.  Her body turns the grass into milk, bones and meat.  We take the meat and cook it on a barbecue for a delicious Sunday night treat.  But a cow is really grass.”

“Hey, somebody, please pass me the sliced lily bulbs!”

“And what on earth are those?”

“Not ON earth, UNDER the earth.  Those are the onions.”

“Gee, mom, what do you think Uncle Moe is going to serve for dessert?”

“I can’t say for sure, but I thought I heard him say he was planning something SPECIAL.”

“Maybe like worms and grasshoppers?”

“Here you go, everybody!  Birthday cake for Aunt Judy!”

“Hey, I know what THAT is!”