Earl's mother's mother had a garden and grew all kinds of green and leafy things as well as yellow squash and bright plump red tomatoes. But what grew the best and most prolifically were the early peas.

Earl and one of his other brothers--the second youngest--would have to shell the peas and turn a mountain of pods into bowls and bowls of single peas.

All the boys really hated peas and without the grownups noticing, they dumped their peas onto little Earl's plate every mealtime.