It’s farmers market time in my part of the world and the seasonal vendors are getting ready to bring their beautiful fruits and vegetables to us.

We have produce markets just about all year around, but fewer in the winter. Come spring, more vendors appear because we’re all emerging from our caves to enjoy the sunshine and peruse the stalls.

The goods — in all colors and shapes– are works of art in and of themselves. But what’s more important is that they’re good for us.

The other day I was in a hospital radiology department waiting for a friend to get biopsied.

Illness strikes me dumb but it makes some people talk, and while I waited, I couldn’t help but hear several hair-raising tales.

One woman said she was a cancer survivor herself, her husband has had two bypasses, and she was there taking care of her grown son, who’d cut his finger, fainted at the blood, hit the floor and suffered a traumatic brain injury and was coincidentally found to have a brain cyst.

I tried not to look as horrified as I felt.

I also felt lucky–lucky to be healthy, and guilty that I have been squandering my good fortune. I don’t always eat right, find cardio exercise to be a chore and in retirement have been sitting on my ass more than I should.

Sitting in a hospital waiting room can be a come-to-Jesus moment, and I had mine.

It’s farmers market season and I’ll be spending more time among the beautiful and good-for-us produce this season.

I’ll be fixing more palate-tempting, healthy recipes for vegetables I love–broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts.   I’ll be off my ass a lot more often.

And I ‘ll try to remember what a gift my good health is, and treat it with the respect it deserves.

If you’ve got a tasty, healthy recipe, I invite you to share it here on the blog.