A random catch up for Friday

The fact that you all still come to visit my blog despite my frequent neglect astounds me ... and blesses my heart! I'm sorry that I took an unexpected blogging break - thank you to those who were concerned and e-mailed me just to check in! Sweet kind friends - you are wonderful!

I thought it was about time I catch up up on things around here - I'll try to hit the highlights and cover a lot of ground quickly.

Storyteller's daily summer baseball clinic went right to the end of June - it was killing me to have all these super nice days interrupted by baseball, but of course he loved it!  I did some cleaning and a few smaller painting projects and of course some gardening - but very little else. By the time baseball was really over it got really really hot - for days on end and my motivation to do anything on the project list quickly melted away!

All but one of my June classes at our local cultural center were cancelled for a lack of attendance. There were a number of women who signed up and then had to change plans at the last minute.  I am going to offer the classes again in the fall and hope they are better attended. I'm all ready for them - I just need students!

July 1st the regular baseball season ended for Storyteller with the All-Star game. It was so so hot - unbelievably hot. He got to pitch, but only for a short while since his shoulder was hurting.  Thankfully that's healed now. His All-Star team was soundly beaten - sad but true. I was kind of glad since it meant we got to go home! So long ball field!

I decided to make a sign for our porch and this is what I came up with.  I have painted the porch ceiling, posts and floor and am just looking for the right fabric to make new cushion covers. When I'm done sewing I hope to follow my own advice and take some naps out there! I have been doing tons of reading - discovering some inspirational fiction writers that I am really enjoying!  I love to read outside too, so I hope to use the porch for that more as well.

In between baseball games and general life stuff we had Bach - lots and lots of Bach.  Dreamer practiced faithfully and finally the date was set for her adjudication. I could tell she was really stressed about it because she was a bit short with her brother and not sleeping well at all.  I tried to keep him out of her hair as much as possible, and he learned a bit about extending grace.

Somewhere in all of that our churches Man Camp was scheduled and the guys were really excited about all that the men of the church were planning to share.  Again though it was a terribly hot day and the Historian had to wrap it up and head home a bit early because he was on the verge of some heat exhaustion.  It so hard to adjust from days in the A/C to a full day out in 102 degrees. They took in framing basics, replacing a switch, brake repair and a few other manly skills.

Dreamer's Early Bach adjudication was July 10th and it went really really well  - it is so helpful to know that this is something that most piano students don't even try to achieve. It was really hard - 15 Bach pieces memorized with their scales, chords and inversions two hands two octaves. Hearing from 5 well seasoned piano teachers that they had not had a student achieve this award ever was mind blowing.  It put all of the effort, frustration and stress into perspective - our darling girl set a goal and achieved it with wonderful results! She will be presented with the Early Bach Award plaque sometime this fall during an informal recital. It is quite an honor for our Dreamer and for her amazing piano teacher as well. We can't wait to see what God has in store as Dreamer uses this gift she's been given to glorify Him.

Right after the Bach adjudication we scrambled like crazy to get ready to go to visit Poppa and Grammy in North Bay!  Yes!  First - I had some sewing to do - a special padded case for Dreamer's Yamaha piano needed to be made. It was a fun project - lots of calculations and measurements and then two long zippers to figure out.  Dreamer loves it and it protected her piano well. I love the black and white fabric she selected ... and making it saved us about $50 so that was a blessing too! Poppa came all the way down to get us since the Historian was not able to get away and I was not up to that long drive alone with the children.  While we were away our Historian ended up at the ER twice because of a sudden case of cellulitis in his leg.  I felt badly that I wasn't home to take care of him, but he managed pretty well without us here - except for the loneliness.

So where do we head first at Poppa and Grammy's - why, the beach of course! I definitely have two water lovers!  They enjoy the lakes as much as I do!  We're so thankful for our time in North Bay with Mum and Dad - it's just not summer without the smell of the water, the sound of laughter as the children swim and play, and of course more pretty rocks for our collection! I made two big batches of jam while in North Bay - Dad and the children picked the very last of the strawberries and than some super ripe raspberries a week later!

A strange thing happened while we where in North Bay - our boy turned 12! How is that possible? Sister followed our tradition of making an acrostic of his name and adding positive words that describe our boy, which he loved.  we had fun decorating the dining room and making he day special - and he especially loved the money cake we enjoyed at dinner.

Looks like they are having a great talk in the water while they keep cool! 

Lots of swimming time for the kids - and I went in too and remembered how much I like swimming in the lake and cooling down that way! My sister sent her youngest boy T. to join us at Poppa and Grammy's house and they had good times together.  Poppa bought an airsoft gun for them to target shoot with and that was a big hit with all three children.  My Mum's brother Uncle Larry and Aunt Joan came for a one day visit which was really nice and I spent another pleasant afternoon eating ice cream with a childhood friend. Of course there was lots of cooking alongside Mum, cleaning up a bit and endless amounts of laundry to do ... and wouldn't you know it - the washer died! Grrr.  Timing is always bad for a washer's death, but with 6 people in the house instead of 2, it was especially poor.  We used a neighbour's washer for a few loads but then Poppa and Grammy had to go out an buy a new one.

 I also bossed my Dad into making  helped Dad make a pretty corner garden for Mum to gaze at from the kitchen window - it's a bit of a shady spot, but I hope everything with thrive and bring lots of color and texture to the yard. Dad financed the operation and did all the grunt work - I was the just design coordinator and slave driver implementer. Uncle Larry and Aunt Joan contributed four lovely plants and the solar lights to the project - I am praying that everything will survive the winter and the dry sandy soil. There are two spots with annuals that will need to be tended and replanted each year, but everything else should just fill in and flourish. Dad took this picture - I took some better ones on Mums' camera but she hasn't sent them to me yet - hopefully Dreamer will help her with that soon!

Two men drove 12 hours to get Storyteller and I home in time for him to take part in the first ever Cincinnati Reds Baseball Camp. Poppa drove us part way and the Historian picked us up and took us the rest of the way home - it was a terribly long day for all four of us, and we were thankful for safety and strength to do it. Reds camp was amazing for our boy - he learned so much and enjoyed every minute.  I made lunches each day and struggled to keep those white uniform pants clean, but other than that just I stayed at home chipping away at the project list.  I didn't have any wheels all week since we were waiting for parts!  It was hard, but we made do!

I did lots of weeding and trimming back - getting some areas cleaned out to buy some new perennials in the fall. I did some painting and cleaned through the house though you'd never know it now! I've also been working on small sewing projects - pillows and a giant purse for Mum {before we left} and new pillows and a table runner for our home.  I made a skirt that fit well but visually put 20 pounds on me, so it's in the donation box. So sad - it just wasn't flattering.

Dreamer stayed in North Bay with Mum and Dad and we are missing her terribly - her sad Daddy has not seen her in 4 weeks and I haven't seen her in two weeks and she is greatly missed.  She's having such a good time in North Bay though, and I am looking at it as a reward for all of her hard work on her Bach program, as well as good bonding time with her Poppa and Grammy.  I know she'll be right ready to buckle down to school work when she gets back.

There have been a number of deep sorrows in the past couple of weeks that have really broken our hearts for those who have lost so much. My dear friend Laura's eldest daughter was in a terrible horsebacking riding accident which left her battered and bruised but not broken.  We're so thankful because it could have been so much worse, but it really made us sad to think she has to go through all this pain and prolonged time of healing. God certainly had His hand of protection upon her in many miraculous ways. Since we have always wondered just how God will use this very gifted girl for His glory, it's a joy to know He continues to be at work in her life even in this accident.

Sadly another lovely girl, a 19 year old homeschool graduate - a friend through soccer and co-op was killed in a senseless car accident along with a 19 year old boy.  Storyteller and I attended her homegoing celebration yesterday - because she loved the Lord and had accepted God's free gift of salvation through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ, we know without a doubt that the Scriptures say she is in heaven right now, but or sorrow for the family is great. We're also sorrowing for another local family - and mom and three sweet girls that we know a little bit through ballet and the AWANA our children used to be a part of.  The husband died after a terrible hiking accident - his funeral is tomorrow, but again, he had put his faith in Jesus Christ and his life was a shining testimony to that vibrant relationship with God through Christ so we know He is with his Saviour.

The air is crisp and clear tonight and I can really believe that we are turning the corner into fall when I smell the wonderful freshness of the line dried laundry.  I've been struggling with back issues for almost a week and am so very thankful to be better - much less pain and much more mobility!  I have so much to catch up on - and the good news is that this cool clear air is a great motivator. Our school year is going to begin in just two short weeks and I have much to do before we plunge headlong into the schedule.

Thanks for catching up with me.  I hope to get back to blogging on a more regular basis soon - and I have a fun giveaway coming up too! I just have to work out the details! 

Gardening by moonlight

 

It's 10:30 PM and I'm just in from the garden. My dream is that some evening my sweet Historian and I will be just coming in together about now after an evening on the back patio just talking and enjoying each others company.  Maybe with a ice cold lemonade and some soft music.

Kinda like a date.   

I have fond memories of dates with my Historian ...

Tonight was not that night.  

I was not out admiring my night garden.  

I was gardening at night.  

And the moonlight?  Well, that's a bit of a stretch since there wasn't much moonlight at all.

Do you garden at night?

Perhaps I'm the only crazy night time gardener.  I hope not though, because it's kind of fun!

In fact there are some distinct advantages to gardening at night.

I'll list them for you just for fun:

1. The best reason for night gardening is that you get a 'buy' from weeding! Seriously - it's not light enough to really see if it is true weed or just some self seeding darlin' that needs to be transplanted.  Since I don't want to yank out the good guys, I don't even try to weed at night.  Now isn't that the best definition of  garden bliss?  I think so!
2. It's quiet.  No phone ringing or children running in and out the back door.  No dodging stray baseballs or tripping over toys. No distractions. The children are in bed, the toys are put away and the the garden is your own.
3. It's cooler - the sun is down and the cool evening air is usually clear and fresh. I like to end my evening gardening with a cool shower, fresh 'dried on the line' p.j.'s and a big glass of water. Oh, and lots of lotion for my thirsty skin.
4. It's just 'get it done' gardening. I had a whole flat of annuals that I bought on clearance last week to fill in spots here and there.  In the daytime I would carefully dig those holes, fill them with compost, gently loosen those roots, firm in the flowers, water, mulch and move on to the next empty spot.  At night I skip a few steps and just get those plants planted already! Everything seems to thrive, so it's great!
5. I dream about my garden.  Spending time in the garden just before bed is relaxing and often I dream pleasant garden dreams when I finally get to bed.
6. Surprise!  Does everyone love surprises in the garden?  I sure do.  Unless they are of the reptilian variety. Since you can't really see what you've done in your night gardening madness, the morning light reveals all.  Most of the time it's just a joy to see everything in place and putting down roots.  It's like having little garden helpers doing all the hard work for you!
7. Moonflowers bloom only at night.  They make my heart sing with their sweet spicy scent and dinner plate sized blooms.  I don't get up early enough to see them fade as the morning light hits, so gardening at night means I get to see rare beauty.  They should be blooming in the next week or so, so I'll have to find some more clearance flowers to 'tuck in' one evening after the kids are in bed!

Of course, it's not all rosy out there in the night - gardening until long past sunset.  

There are some  small disadvantages too.  

For the sake of fairness, I feel I'd better list them:

1. It's really hard to see at night.  In the dark. Unless there is a big bright moon. My Historian once offered to buy me a head lamp for night time gardening, but then I think he felt he'd just be enabling my strange unusual behavior.  He didn't get me one. When we put lights around the pergola on the back patio, he thought we'd have nice evening get togethers and illumine the garden.  I knew all along that the plan was to garden at night.
2. The weeds are still there in the morning.  No gardening helpers remove them over night. Sorry about that.
3. It's quiet - which means no power tools.  Probably a good thing since I am terrible at hedge trimming in daylight, so night trimming is seriously not a good plan.  If say, you trip on the hose and knock over a ladder or something, it will sound 100 times louder in the stillness of the night.  Who put that hose there anyway?
4. You may have some unhappy surprises in the morning -  you may have to move a few plants into their 'happy place' because it was too dark to read the tiny print on the plant labels and you put a 'part shade' annual in full sun and a 'sunny' annual in full shade. It can happen.  I blame the dark, but really I should probably take my new reading glasses out to the garden with me. Those labels are tiny!
5. You can't take pictures very well, and often you forget to dig out your garden journal and make note of what was planted where, which means if you had great success, you  have no notes to help you repeat it.  Or if you have great failure, you might just repeat that because of the lack of note taking. Garden journals are great, but only if you use them.
6. Mosquitoes.
7. Mosquitoes.
8. Mosquitoes.

 Tonight I had so much fun with an old chair, some hardware cloth, sphagnum moss, apple green spray paint, compost and a few clearance flowers. When I was in a garden center a few weeks ago I saw a bright chair filled with flowers that made my heart sing!  

I know flower chairs are nothing new, but it was so pretty - it inspired me.

It was $239.00.

*gulp*

 So, I got to thinking. 

I had an old chair that we took out of a 'large garbage collection' pile a few summers ago.  We enjoyed a wee bit of a fairy garden in a big green pot on it for two summers and then the middle piece of the seat simply fell out.  This weekend I  filled in the hole with hardware cloth and tonight I spray painted the chair very quickly and imperfectly, lined it with moss and compost and filled it with flowers. 

The $1 ivy is the same apple green and the lime nicotiana is perfect!  

I can't wait to see it in the light of day!

I will take a picture for you!

I hope your garden is bringing you as much joy as my garden is bringing me!

I'll report in later on the veggies, but there is not much to tell.  The whole garden is getting too much shade from a sweet gum tree that grew like crazy last summer and fall.  We either need to move the whole garden or trim the tree and hope for the best.  

Let me know if you try night gardening!  

I'd love to hear that I'm not the only one!

The greatest advantage of night gardening - it's a chance to wander through the garden with a heart full of praise and give thanks to God who is the One who bestows such beauty and joy in our crazy mixed up fallen world. I think of Adam and Eve walking with God in that first perfect garden in the cool of the day and enjoying sweet friendship in such a pure and unhindered way.  That I can come to God through Jesus Christ despite my sin nature is just an unforgettable blessing. 

Blessings friends,

Famous last words ...

I don't know about you, but I often take a look at something and think .... 'hmmm - that doesn't look too hard!'  Famous last words!  I often realize that things are harder than they look, but sometimes I am pleasantly surprised!

 A case in point - The Living Wreath Project 

When I visited the garden center early in the spring, I saw the living wreaths getting a nice start in the greenhouse.  They looked so pretty, but so pricey - $90 for a small wreath!  I looked at the kits to 'make your own living wreath' and decided that $45 for a make your own that didn't include plants was rather .. unreasonable!  I tucked that thought in the back of my brain until my June Better Homes and Gardens magazine came! Then I saw this:

 Ooooo! Aaaah!

Inspiration! I gathered my ingredients and began to plot strategy.  Sadly, I am an impatient gardener.  I know full well that they used cutting to make this wreath weeks before it was photographed. I know they took time to dip each cutting in rooting hormone before inserting it into the moist soil of the wreath, but I decided that that would take too long! I headed to the garden center for plants! Instant gratification - or in this case, plantification!

I found 6 packs of coleus for $2 each at Lowes, bought 5 and dug out an old metal wreath form from my crafting closet. I moistened a bag of sphagnum moss ($3), a half a bag of light potting soil, and tried to figure out how to hold it all together.  Since I would have to mortgage the house or sell the firstborn for copper wire, and paddle wire just rusts like crazy (marking up a nicely painted door - don't ask), I decided fishing line was my only choice. I stole borrowed that from my husband - keeper of the fishing tackle! My grand total - $16.

I lined the laundry room counter with plastic, made a circle of damp moss and plunked my recycled wire wreath form on top of the moss. I filled the wreath form with moist potting soil and began the process of bringing the moss up and around the dirt. 

I just gently went around and around with the spool of fishing line until it was all pretty cohesive.  It was a messy job, but didn't take long.  The fun part came next - I made holes with my fingers and began inserting my coleus here and there.  I added more moss as needed and just kept going around until it was filled out.

Much of the coleus is really too tall, but I will leave it flat wait and for a week or so while it settles into the soil before I give it a haircut - believe me, those plants have had enough trauma for one day. Watering this wreath involves a garbage can lid - I'll just fill the lid with water and let it soak for an hour when it gets dry. Hopefully in a few weeks it will fill out and look more wreath like.  I won't hang it up until the roots have had time to get established. Hopefully, I will have a lovely wreath in the not too distant future for an hour's work and very little $$$.  It would have taken less time if I had avoided a few mistakes, so I'll share those with you - just in case you're inspired by living wreaths too!

Lessons Learned the Hard Way

Living Wreath Tips

(so far)

1. If you are thinking that sheet moss will work instead of  the sphagnum, you are in for a real mess.  It just crumbles when you try to roll it up around the soil. Messy and a waste of sheet moss - I am trying to dry it out to recycle it. Live and learn and than grab the sphagnum!
2. If you steal fishing line from your tackle box for this project, give it a 'tug test'.  It's kind of heart breaking to get half way around the wreath and realize that the line is rotten!  Starting again for the third time is - not so much fun!
3. Plants were harmed in the making of this wreath.  Because I am impatient and didn't want to wait for cuttings to root, I used the smallest plants I could find.  I still broke quite a few.  I used rooting hormone and tucked them in here and there to fill in gaps on the wreath but they may not come. I would say buy twice as much as you think you'll need.  I used 35 plants, and maimed about 7. I will plant them in the ground and they may come back, but that remains to be seen.
4. Sphagnum moss stinks like an outhouse smells strongly when wet.  If you soak it overnight in your laundry room, your laundry room will smell pretty ripe by morning.  Even baking something won't mask the smell.  I'd advise putting it outside or in the shed while soaking, unless you like your children going around saying 'What IS that awful smell??'

Happy Gardening!

Birthday, ballet, & baseball - minus the spray paint!

Happy Birthday!

 Today is my dear Historian's birthday - I won't tell you exactly how historical he is now, but let's just say he's crowding sail on the big 5-0!  He does look rather distinguished with the touch of silver in his light brown hair, and he sure doesn't feel as old as he is - unless he tries to help out and play catcher for 14 innings when a few girls were missing from Sandlot Softball!!!  The next day he felt older than dirt, but for the most part we just can't believe the numbers, even if they are simple mathematics!

I am working on a special birthday supper - roasted chicken with chalet sauce, homemade yeast rolls, tiny jello salads, crash hot potatoes and corn on the cob - with French Silk pie for dessert!  Everything is done but the chicken is still roasting, so I have a minute to sit and be still!  I put two chickens in the oven because they were on sale and I'll have the Historian de-bone the second one for other purposes - maybe a casserole or two for the freezer if I'm feeling ambitious!  Dreamer has the house all decorated with balloons and ribbons, so as soon as the boys get home, it's time to celebrate!

Can you guess where our boys are - three guesses and the first two don't count!  Another baseball practice tonight!  Storyteller played his second tournament game last night and it was a hummer!  I'll tell you, I was sprouting white hairs left and right!  Storyteller has never pitched, he has been given a few pointers, and practiced with his Daddy in the back yard, but he has been catcher and outfielder for the whole season.  He asked Coach if he could pitch, and Coach warmed him up, reminded him of the fundamentals and told him he might pitch, but not this game.  So, I could have swallowed my teeth when my son was lead to the mound to pitch - with the bases loaded and not many runs on the score board!  His face was a mixture of terror and joy - my heart was skipping beats and his balls were all over the map!  Than, they put a batter in the box, and he actually pulled it together - my baby struck out 5 batters. 
His eyes danced and my heart settled down!  What a surprise!

They still lost, but hey - what a memory!

In other sports news, our Dreamer has an upcoming Ballet Performance - and this past Monday night, her instructor finished writing their third dance for the performance!!!!!!  Can you feel the mad panic?  Thankfully, she scheduled extra practice for the girls who didn't get it memorized first run through - that would be our Dreamer!  She has had an extra practice every afternoon this week!

Today we enjoyed such wonderful sunshine - it was dazzling!  I was itching to get out my spray paint and get to work on the long list of project for Dreamer's room make over that haunts me in my dreams I have compiled.  However, along with the beautiful sun came fluffers - millions of white puff balls floating in the air.  We're way past dandelion season, so I suspect a tree is the culprit this time!!!!  My only day for spray painting in over a week!!!!  We have two more days of rain in the forecast.   

I'll just keep on enjoying these beauties until we get some more real sunshine!

and ...

After supper I am going to get my plants in the ground, even if I have to do it by flashlight!

Mum sent sunshine!

Mum knew I was feeling blue - missing the sunshine during the rainiest spring I can recall!

So, she sent me some sunshine!  Look at what came to my door just minutes after I returned from a tiring shopping trip with the children!!!

Isn't it beautiful??? Gerbera's are my favorite daisy and I can put them out in the garden when things dry up a bit!  Double blessing!

Mum sent me 'sunshine' with this verse too! 

Psalm 84:11 (and I love verse 12 too!)

Just making my heart sing - off key to be sure, but at least I'm singing again!

Just a couple of hours after these beauties graced our home - the real sunshine came out!  Not for long, but just long enough to know that God has been hearing my pleas for the last few days and sent just a taste of His goodness to remind me of His faithfulness!

Now, it's off to the ballgame!!!  Yes sir, it is actually dry enough to play ball - and they don't even need canoes to get to first base!

And speaking of blooms, here is your laugh for the day - I was crying last night, but I am TRYING to see the humor today!  Last fall I babied my poor pathetic peony bush with compost, Posie Power ( at $18 a bag) and TLC, praying for a better show of blooms this year!  I was so EXCITED - my bush is twice it's normal size this spring, and had 60 beautiful pregnant buds just waiting for SUNSHINE to burst forth into glorious blooms!  Every day I have watched and prayed over my peony, thanking the Lord for His goodness!  After supper last night I went out to inspect my peony, and to my great horror, my bush was partly flattened and most of the buds were GONE!!!!  It seems our son lost his baseball in the peony and while searching for it he noticed the nice full round buds.  He decided to use them for BATTING PRACTICE!!!!!  My stars and garters - I was devastated!  I know in the grand scheme of life, it is just a plant, but my heart cracked just a tiny bit, I think.  He is so sorry, but my bush is a sad sad sight, with no hope for recovery this year.  I assured him that I love him more than any plant in the world, and he forgave me for getting cross and giving him the silent treatment.

Will I ever understand boys???

Drought: A spiritual lesson from my garden

The other night I found myself in a panic as I noted the wilted appearance of my beautiful container gardens. How had I forgotten to water them? How could I neglect something so beautiful - something that brings my heart joy every time I pause to look?

Then it hit me - I've not been paying attention. I haven't stopped to really look. Usually, by this time of the year, we live in a brown parched land; we are enjoying 'missionary showers' to conserve the water in our well, and often the ground is cracked and crazed like an old china plate. The grass dies and the weeds just hold hands and flourish. The weekly mowing ceases, the sprinklers that keep the Country Club and mansions in our neighborhood lush and green go constantly, and I am watering my annual containers twice a day with carefully saved bathwater, dishwater and laundry water. It's a huge chore - requiring an investment in both time and energy, but I do it faithfully because it is absolutely necessary to keep the gardens alive. Usually.

This year, I have been lulled into a false sense of security by the wonderfully regular weekly rains that we have enjoyed. The grass is still green and growing, and the trees are full and lush where normally they would be beginning to curl and brown around the edges. The plants that are deeply rooted are growing by leaps and bounds, and my perennials and shrubs have required more pruning than ever before. We are not experiencing those near-drought conditions for the first summer since we moved here. The farmers are hoping for bumper crops to make up for the low yields resulting from the winds of 'Ike' which flattened their crops last season. It's been really nice - a blessing in fact.

Even so, my annuals are planted in small containers, and even when it rains enough to keep the grass green, it's not enough for those little vessels. My annuals are not deeply rooted, and they are really water hogs. As I carefully watered just before sundown, I began to see some parallels in my life, and my own times of 'spiritual drought'.

I never choose to go through a dry time in my walk with the Lord. Like the false sense of security I felt because we were getting a pretty good amount of rain, I am often lulled into a dry season by thinking that the little bits of God's Word that I am pondering are enough to keep me going. If I hear a good message from the pastor on Sunday, catch the occasional radio ministry, or just do my devotional sort of regularly, I think I'll be fine. I forget that my spirit needs more than just a random sprinkling - I need to be watered deeply. That means spending time reading and meditating on God's Word. Not easy for a busy mom plagued by chronic illness, but really, who is it easy for? I can't use any excuse. I may not be in the season of life where I can devote hours to studying the Word, but I can certainly take more time than the three minutes it takes to read 'Our Daily Bread'. For me, it's finding a balance. I usually like to take notes during our Sunday School class and the message and try to look up those verses that were hard to understand, challenging or just plain new to me. Spending time reading them, writing them out and looking them over during the week helps to keep me deeply watered by the Word.

It's easy to neglect my container gardens when we are on the go, busy with other things or stuck in the house during a storm. I don't take the time to really look and see if all is well with my plants. Dry spiritual times often come for me just after a difficult trial, simply because I've been focused on other things and fail to pay attention. I sometimes forget the truth of 1 Peter 5:8

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

The middle of a trial is not the time to let down your guard! Those 'urgent plea' prayers are effective and assuredly answered, but they can't be the full extent of my communication with God. I need to take time to really pray, with confession, thanksgiving, praise and petitions - not just one quick S.O.S.!

I noticed that my parched and wilted flowers where suffering from a case of hardened compacted soil. The earth in my containers was so dried up that even the moisture granules that I add every year were collected into tight lumps. I couldn't even make a dent with my finger! I gently sprayed a small amount of water slowly, directly on the soil and walked to the next plant, giving each one just a bit of water to begin with. Later, I gave them the full soaking they needed, and by morning they were their old perky selves. The soil was softened, pliable and ready to soak up the life giving moisture that came in the form of rain last night.

The dry hard soil reminded me of my own hard heart. Sometimes, in the midst of a trail or a dry spell, I am guilty of hardening my heart to the Lord. I forget that God is aware of our struggles, and that He is present in the hard times as well as our times of blessing. I forget His past faithfulness to us, and allow our small difficulties to grow way out of proportion in my mind. I forget the goodness and grace of our God and I stubbornly hold on to my belief that nothing but a big old miracle can calm the storm for me.

There is only one cure for my hardened heart - praise. The other day when I was so very down, my Historian recommended that I just go to the kitchen, strap on my apron and put on some praise and worship. He knows me very well. At first I grumbled. I didn't want to praise the Lord for yet another struggle. I was pretty content with my hard heart and my pity party.

I put on some slow quiet praise music and tackled the dishes and counter first. I had to clean up the clutter before I could make any headway. It took about twenty minutes for the sparkling counter and quiet praise to do their work - and then I turned up the music, pulled out the mixing bowls and began to hum along. Within an hour I had confessed my hard heart and lack of faith in God's provision, and my heart was lifted in praise to the Rock of my salvation. My taste testers, who had been hiding from the grumpy Mama, came quietly into the kitchen for hugs and cookies, and to sing along. Never underestimate the power of praise in softening the soil of your heart and preparing you for the blessings to come!

Times of dryness leave my with two choices. I can get back to doing what I know is right or turn my back on the faithfulness of God. One of the very first verses I learned as a child was 1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

God is faithful - even in times of drought. He will provide a way to draw me back into a warm, vital relationship with Him. I just need to stay in the Word, remember His past faithfulness, spend time in prayer, and keep on praising Him! These are the things that are absolutely necessary to keep the garden of my heart thriving!

Psalm 51:10

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Patio Blooms

Are you tired of garden pictures yet? I hope not! This is the back patio, where we are still enjoying the comfort of all those chair silly cushions that I completely recovered two summers past - you can see the pictures here, if you like! The lattice behind the hanging baskets was a project last summer - replacing the old rotten wood with a more open lattice work.

These lilies were an unmarked bag at home depot - for $2 - they have brought so much cheer to the garden for the last two summers! I don't know their names, but they are welcome to keep coming and getting more full and lush with each passing season!





A prolific self seeder, these pretty larkspur are everywhere - and I try to transplant them in clumps for more impact, but they come willy nilly here and there! The garden experts say that they don't like to be moved, but I've never had an issue, as long as I do it early in the season and on a cloudy day.

This is the herb garden. Not one variety of sage made it though the winter, but the new little ones are thriving with lots of compost and regular watering! The newly replanted rosemary is coming along too - it was doing so well last summer and the summer before, but this past winter didn't seem kind to many of my herbs. We haven't a speck of chives anywhere, though we had three good sized clumps last fall, and I even had to replant the parsley and cutting celery! This garden is right outside the back door and it's so nice to go and harvest fresh herbs for dinner! I don't think I've ever lost 9 plants in one winter season, but it was very cold for longer periods of time than our little corner of the Midwest is accustomed to!

I feel very very blessed, and not just a little bit spoiled! My garden makes my heart sing - in tune!

The Veggie Garden News

Every time I run outside to harvest some lettuce or pull a few weeds, I am happily blessed by the sight of our gardens this year. I can truly say we have been enjoying the sweetest lettuces and have the promise of many nice veggies to come. Everything is doing
so well - I've tied up the tomato plants three times, and have hilled the tall potatoes many more than that. We counted about 30 tiny cukes on the trellis, and our zucchini is doubling in size daily. The Dreamer planted the onions and tomatoes - the onions are growing tall too!

The four blueberry plants that we put in this spring are really growing nicely, and I stuck a pepper plant in the middle of them because there was room! I hope they enjoy the acidic soil we prepared for the blueberries! Time will tell.

This lettuce is kind of shaded so it hasn't gotten bitter yet - even though we've had some very warm days. It is so sweet and juicy compared to grocery store lettuce.

A second planting a green beans - just a short row since I don't have a way to can them. It will have room when we finish that tasty lettuce. I wasn't kidding about salads every night!

Another row of lettuce beside some more beans planted a few weeks ago - we have had a nice variety from this patch, and have given some away. I have some pictures of the strawberry boxes to, but for some reason, they won't download!

Every time I go out to the garden it makes my heart sing - I love to grow things and though it is a bit of work, it is also so much joy for me! I love that it connect me to my grandparents, especially my Poppa David who could grow anything, and did - even in Northern Ontario. I still choose the pinks, purples and whites that I helped my Nanny plant in her porch planters year after year - they make me think of her sweet quiet ways, and her funny little giggle when I did it 'all wrong'. I love being outside - our house attests to it's neglect, but it will be too hot for me soon, so I am making the most of these sweet summer days!

Abloom

A departure for me - I wanted to add some reds to the front gardens this year in the annual containers - because I am planning to paint the front door a lovely cherry red ... as soon as I get up the nerve! We need some curb appeal, not that the house is for sale, it's just that we've worked so hard fixing up the inside, the outside has been kind of neglected. Grey vinyl siding on a rambling ranch can get fairly monotonous. We have some stone veneer to break up the view around the front door, but I was hoping for a little something to really make things 'pop'.

I went to the garden center with the best of intentions, trying to find bold cheery reds that appealed and inspired, and I comforted myself with the thought that I was keeping the patio garden in my favorite quiet shades of pink, purple, creamy whites and blues.

I couldn't do it - bright cheeky reds are for me to admire in other people's gardens, I guess! Magenta was as close as I could bring myself to come to red, which leads me to wonder if I'll ever get the door painted. All the front containers are this combination, and I do love the richness and depth.

I divided the hostas that line the Grammy Flat porch this year and can't get over the fact that it is just as large as last year already - I'll give credit to the manure I guess!

Every garden I've ever planted has had a piece of the past in the form of my Poppa David's perennial sweet peas. I have hoped for seed pods every year we moved, and saved a few back 'just in case'. I never know what colors will appear - they are often quite varied, but this year it looks like the soft pinks were the survivors! These sweet smelling blooms are just beneath our back bedroom window! Ahhh! The swing is right beside them too, so I think I'd better head out to enjoy their fragrance!

Garden Mysteries

This is our shed. Very run of the mill, wouldn't you agree? We thought it needed something to make it really pretty, and decided that a sunflower garden was just the ticket! We planted some sunflowers in the mini greenhouse about 3 weeks ago and they were doing great - we were so happy. Our next task was to wrestle the sod from the surface of the strip of real estate we were hoping to convert into a thing of beauty. We don't have soil, we have hard packed clay - when I mention wrestling with the ground , I'm not just spitting in the wind!

It wasn't easy, but the children and I accomplished what we thought might be impossible - and we amended the soil with sand, peat, compost and a good helping of well rotted cow manure. We transplanted our happy sunflowers and they thrived in their new surroundings for over a week - we were inspired! We added some long forgotten garden grapevine angels from the deep recesses of the shed, and a length of vintage fencing to keep the mowers out, and I decided a garden sign would be fun - which I set to making.

Today, I went out to hang our now completed sign - layers of sealer all dry and pilot holes drilled. Look what I found!!! Vandals! Thieves! Miscreants! Who could have done such a cowardly act of garden treachery? We questioned all suspects, shed a tear for the fallen sunflowers, and finally decided it was a mystery too sad to delve into.

Then we decided to take the sign's advice and just relax. Whatever happened is over and done - perhaps the one lone surviving sunflower will thrive, and the extra seeds we planted will eventually come. What ever happens, we had a lovely afternoon working together and making good memories, and be what may, it was a little taste of sweet summertime.