The main character of my book, Catalyntje Trico, is a gardener by necessity and choice. She lived in the 1600s when working the land was required if you wanted enough food to subsist on. She and her husband, Joris, owned a taproom on their property in New Amsterdam. There, they served food and drinks to patrons who stopped by; much of this food would have been grown by Catalyntje. 

There is also a journal entry by a Labdist missionary who met Catalyntje when she was about seventy-five. He wrote about her: “She lived alone by herself, a little apart from the others, having her [little] garden, and other conveniences with which she helped herself.” Even though Catalynjte had family living nearby, she still chose to have a garden. She learned this skill when she was young and continued it as she was older.

Do you have a skill or interest that has stayed with you throughout your life?