Happy Birthday, Darling!

Wow, It is hard to believe that a year has passed. Hubby is turning 30 tomorrow - July 19th! One year ago, he was celebrating in the Gulf with Navy buddies while I waited in Washington. Today we are together - across the nation - living in a trailer rather than an apartment - attending a great church - working outside instead of in the belly of a ship - living on a third of our navy income - back in school - and happy as can be! What an exciting year this has been! Have a great day, baby!

Of Squash Bugs, Bore Beetles, and Tomato-lined Paths

Many have commented that they enjoy following the progress of the container and square foot gardens. We are in our second plantings now. The peas, beets, carrots, onions, lettuces, and basil all did very well. Now there are pole beans, zucchini, huckleberries, peppers, and TOMATOES! We had dug a section by our front walkway for flowers, but we ran out of room for all of the tomato seedlings so the path is lined with tomatoes - YUM! Right now the patio (Roma) tomatoes are producing very well and the larger Delicious and Better Boys are coming along. I have learned that tomatoes don't like high acid soil. We grew some huge tomato plants in the manure filled planters - but also got lots of end blossom rot :(

We planted a variety packet of peppers - the first ones to fruit were PURPLE! How pretty.

We are also attempting pumpkins, winter squash, and watermelons this year with our very long garden season. We have learned about a critter called a squash bug or bore beetle. We were able to harvest 2 pumpkins, but the critter killed many of our plants. We have now dusted and are attempting another planting. So far the melon vines seem to be fairing well, so we will hope for some garden fresh watermelon soon. The pictures show the progress of some of the plants - the white is not snow, but rather Sevin dust!

We are awed again at God's great design as we plant small seeds and see great harvests.

His provision in our life is perfect - his divine plan.

Too much stuff

Does anyone else suffer with this problem? What is the balance between holding on to things so as not to be wasteful or to have to buy it again and just hoarding? Why can't I seem to live the verse "and having food and raiment let us be therewith content"?

So I know that I have to much stuff and too much "but I may need that." Because of this my dearest hubby built me a little 4' x 4' shed. It is a joke around the trailer park because many people are wondering when we are going to cut a half moon in the door. How silly!

I am so thankful for this little shed. We have been able to clear off the back porch of tools and tarps and gardening supplies, have cleared cupboards of coolers, and have tidied up the place in the process. It still needs a door and then a coat of paint - but what a blessing it is!

Foundations Destroyed?

Marriage has been much on my mind since May. I received some good books for my birthday which have challenged me and provided "food for thought." One is "Created to Be His Helpmeet" by Debi Pearl. I am sure that society at large would not appreciate the book, but I am challenged all the more that my responses and actions in the home as a wife are all that God requires of me. Godly actions will produce greater results than nagging, complaining, bitterness ...

The books came at a great time as I have been seeking to encourage 2 wives who feel that things are just falling apart at home. These homes are not the exception any more. All around us there is confusion about the roles in marriage.

We just got back from a family get-to-gether in NY to celebrate dad and mom's 40th anniversary. Quite the milestone! Marriage is a covenant to love, honor and respect each other. It is not without sacrifice, time in prayer, reliance on God. I am so glad for the example that my parents and Chris' parents have set for us. The way that was set before us is easier to follow because we can see the results. If your path was not so neatly laid out, do not despair, just follow God's way - wives being submissive, meek, and quiet; husbands leading and providing with love. God's way is perfect.

A covenant to live by

So what am I thinking about this week. I am thinking about Romans 12. Chris calls it a great example of a church covenant - but I will take it as also a personal covenant with my God. I heard Romans 12 preached in college and it struck me then, and Chris has been preaching through it this year as he has opportunities - What a challenge! Can I challenge you with it? Even if you take one verse at a time, or one phrase at a time - you will be convicted. My thought for today "...he that ruleth, with diligence,..." Much to do today in my realm in the home - I have watered garden, pulled beets, baked cookies - now lawn to mow, beets to freeze, ironing, meat to repackage and freeze ... Be Diligent!

Gardening and Other Events

Well, it has been awhile since I posted ... oops! I will claim the busy-ness of the Spring. There are only 2 weeks left of the semester and 1 of those weeks is just finals. "Just" finals comes from the one who doesn't have to take them. I think that only 1 of them will require a lot of time and study.

The garden is producing. We have had radishes and I finally got the strings for the peas to climb before they attacked the rest of the garden. It is looking really good. Chris brought home halved iodine containers from the farm and then a load of dirt/manure to fill them. They now contain pumpkins, watermelons, and winter squash. I was still desiring more area to work - so we peeled off the grass right beside the walkway and then around the back porch. This will allow areas for flowers!

The next project around here is a clothes line. It will be a big help with the electric bill and there is just something about clothes drying in the sunshine.

Looks like it will be a busy summer for Chris. His boss asked him to continue working Saturdays and hinted that a 6 day work week would probably be the usual. So far the allergies are not killing him, so we will press on. We are using a daily nasal wash, quercetin pills, an occasional Alavert, and masks while working on the farm!

Also taking on a new ministry as the school year concludes. Our church currently has nothing for the teens, so we are going to attempt a teen Sunday School class. We did this in Albany, but it has been awhile. We are looking forward to another opportunity to be involved in the lives of others.

3 more piano students come on this summer. Two are just summer - they are really beyond my ability to teach, but I will at least keep them motivated through the summer. The other is a new student wife in the trailer park.

Hopefully that catches everyone up. The summer weather is here and we are learning how to keep a trailer sitting in the middle of a field cool in the summer. It is a little work and sometimes a futile effort - I am sure that the AC will get some work very soon.

More Fun at Chimney Rock

Chimney Rock

I just realized that all of our non-facebook friends and family readers had not had a taste of spring break in NC. We set aside 2 days to have a little vacation and rest from all the reading, writing, and studying of the semester and headed out to Chimney Rock, NC. We were rained out on Monday, but spent the day mall walking and driving a beautiful back route to Asheville. It was a good day together, even if we were not hiking.

Tuesday dawned bright and clear. We began our "hike" with an elevator ride to the top of chimney rock. Then we climbed up higher for a birds eye view of the area. After that it was down to lower falls for a view of Hickory Nut Falls. Next lunch out in the village. Then we climbed some lower educational trails meant for children (I don't think we were disqualified). Before we left we climbed to the top of chimney rock and down 2 more times. Yes, we only planned one more trip to the top, but at the top we met a hammered dulcimer player and he gave me a lesson :) We wanted to buy a cd, but the ATM did not work in the gift shop. He let us take it on faith that we would send the payment, but when we got to the car we realized that we had the check book there. So - up we went again.

Oh, it was beautiful there. We upgraded our day pass so that we could return anytime in the next year. We plan to get picture in the summer and in the fall ... OOOOOHHH! We also realized that we need to plan a trip up the Blue Ridge Parkway in the fall - it is supposed to be gorgeous. It goes near to Mount Airy (aka Mayberry) and far into VA near the Luray Caverns.

I'm Not Jealous!

It was a good night at Bible Conference last night, but I was particularly struck by this thought in the last message of the night (Monday night) and thought that I would share it.

Think of Enoch walking with God ...
Imagine being Abraham - "the friend of God" ...
Moses stood on holy ground and saw God pass by the cleft of the rock ...
The good hand of his God was upon Ezra ...
The Lord was with Joseph ...
The disciples walked with, talked with, ate with Jesus ...

So why shouldn't I be jealous? Why? Because I sit in "heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:6) I am a child of the king! (Ephesians 1:5)

It is hard to be down when I think on that thought. Just try it.

Time to Garden!

Well, our snow quickly disappeared as the temperatures soared to the upper 70's. Now it is time to work on the garden! This is the first year that we have had any land to work with and we are starting with our front "rock garden." We are using a method called square foot gardening. The area is sectioned off into "square feet" of course. Each square contains a different crop and is planted with something new when the first crop finishes. The great thing about this style of planting is that you don't need a lot of space (many sprawling plants are trained to grow upwards), you use minimal seeds (because you don't thin the plants), the crops are naturally rotated because have more than one crop in each place each year.

So it is time to experiment. We just planted peas, onions, beets, carrots, 5 different leafy greens, and radishes. Next time around will be pole beans, peppers, tomatoes, and herbs. The last season will be summer and winter squash, more carrots, beets, onions, parsnips, and lettuces. There is also a packet of pumpkin seeds here, but I have to find a different plot to plant these. I am also being urged to try watermelons!

There is nothing like watching the miracle of life in any form. Whether it be a new baby, or the plant that comes from such a tiny seed and produces food for us.

John 1:3 All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.