Gene Pool Surprises

Elliott checking on the tree frog
living in one of their EarthBoxes.

I'm usually only interested in my gene pool when it comes to my health and that of my offspring.  For example, when my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, I immediately researched the odds of me or my children getting the disease. But, recently, I've been reminded that we inherit more than bad or good health.

This past spring, I introduced Emily to the EarthBox and she agreed it would be a good way for Elliott to see how vegetables grow.  Elliott "took the bait" and now has his own EarthBox with watermelon plants.  But he's not the only one who got excited about gardening.

Emily's crop now includes three EarthBoxes filled with vegetable plants and several large pots of herbs.  And, not deterred by heat and bugs, she plans to expand her crop next year with a raised garden bed added to the mix.  Clearly Emily got her paternal grandfather's gardening gene and it was just waiting to reveal itself.  Jim's dad was a professional vegetable farmer.

This whole process has been a revelation to me.  Emily will be 33 in September and this is the first time we've seen her connection to Jim's dad.  It's nice to know that, besides health complications, pleasant connections to our past can also surface at any time.