Garden Tour

Today is voting day here where I live. We are electing a Congressman to replace Nathan Deal in Washington. One nice thing about going to the polls is that you see people who are neighbors whom you hardly ever see. We all live close enough to each other that we can visit but not walk to their homes unless you are a really avid walker. Today I ran into the Pinsons who farm up the road from me. She is a retired chemistry teacher and he is retired from Boeing. They are serious farmers and also raise cattle, chickens and lots of edible things that grow in their fields. They are both handsome people and most pleasant to see and to know.

Since it is a cool cloudy day it is just right for exploring in the garden to see what is coming up and what weeds are taking over. I went up in my work horse to try and find the praying mantis egg cases I tied into the vineyard. The leaves are so thick I could not find the red netting I used to tie them with. On Sunday Grant and I went looking for the one tied by my dining window and it had not hatched. So, it is a little early yet for them. I was able to check out the kiwi and the blooms are out in full bloom on the male plants and just coming to bloom on the female.

I found lots of green figs on the one tree we left standing. The tree looks healthier for the pruning and the figs nice and plump. The two huge pear trees have grape sized pears hanging everywhere. I hope I can get some before the squirrels steal them all. Near the kiwi I have one red raspberry plant. It is trying to make fruit, but is not as big as I would like. The one green niagra seedless grape vine I put up in the vineyard in the second row is putting out new leaves so that is good news.

I noticed the black bamboo is putting out new growth this year. It is about three years old and has had to get roots going before the top growth can come on. Moving on down to the raised beds I see growth but not rapid growth. I think it is a bit cool yet for a lot to happen. They too are developing a good root system to support what is yet to come. The Thai white eggplant has not come up at all. I think it likes really hot weather so I will wait and see on that one. The patty pan squash is not doing much growing so I assume it needs more sun and warmth.

I will give the Arapaho blackberry a thumbs up and it is one big lush plant. The ones I planted in that bed with it are blooming but do not have the vigor of this one plant. Of the 15 burpless cucumber seeds I planted 12 are up and looking happy. I still have another packet with 15 seeds so at some point I will pop them in the ground for later in the summer.

I had such high hopes for the sequoia strawberries, but they are disappointing me. I think it is the soil, it needs more sand. So, that is a chore I will need to attend to. I am very happy with the blueberry bushes this year. Having a netting up to keep the wild animals away has really helped. I just had to pull some weeds even without gloves, but the entire bed looks happy.

The one heirloom tomato plant is not happy in the pot inside the fenced beds. You can plant those tomatoes whenever you want but do not expect them to grow until they are happy with their setting. I still have all of the other plants in my sun room waiting for the right time to set them out. I think a green house would be a big help around here but that is a more serious step and I have not been willing to take it yet.

I hope you are out exploring your garden and finding things to be happy about.

Uplifting

Unless I have a pressing mission for the day, I have a leisurely breakfast and usually find something to read while eating alone. I just pick up whatever is at hand. This morning when I reached for a book on bridge I saw my sister's Bible and a thought ran through my mind regarding something that was said in our Sunday School class on Sunday. This old Bible is a great reference book.


It is 2.5 inches thick and has helpful guides other than the scripture. It is unlike any of the modern Bibles currently seen in the book stores. It was published at Philadelphia by the National Bible Press in 1934. "The title page is from the title to the first edition of the famous King James Version of 1611. Originally a wood cut printed in black and white, the beautiful design has been much enhanced by its reproduction in full colors. These have been carefully chosen, particularly as they apply to the high priest's vestments, to conform to the details given in the 28th chapter of Exodus." That is a direct quote from the back of the title page. This title page depicts incidents in the life of Christ by the German artist Heinrich Hofmann.

This is the book I chose to look up a scripture which was mentioned in our class by a new member. The discussion at hand was how to combat evil in our lives. Various suggestions were made such as prayer, meditation, worship and fellowship with other Christians. Then it was summarized very well I thought, by this new member saying" take on the armour of God" That was the scripture I was looking for this morning. This Bible has a key in the front and that makes it possible to find anything in the Bible quickly . I found it in the book of Ephesians 6:13-17 when Paul was advising the church there how to protect themselves from evil. There is another reference in 1st Thessalonians 5:8 saying in the modern language "since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation ".



What brought me to this train of thought this morning was the recent death of my younger brother. When I was in Virginia for his funeral I learned things about him from his family members and others. His wife of 58 years said that each morning when he got up he said "what can I do to help someone today".
That is one very positive way of putting on the armor of God.

Learning new things about my younger brother and being with his family was inspiring to me. It was an infusion of new life and energy, an affirmation of family, faith and friends. Having my daughter with me on this trip was an added bonus. She is a great travel buddy and a helpful presence in any situation.

Adopting the attitude of "being helpful to someone today" seems an honorable way to begin your day. How can you be sidetracked by unwholesome ventures when you are out helping another human being.

Rainy Days and Serious Thoughts

Last week-end I spent with my daughter in Virginia, Abingdon to be exact. We were there to say good-bye to a life well spent. Being with family and renewing our connections with cousins was an uplifting and affirming experience.

Learning things we had not known before about a family member is thought provoking. My thoughts are now reflecting on the life of one who did not waste his potential. Young people do not understand this, usually. They are busy learning the various approaches to living their life, being educated, developing talents, sharing time with others of like mind. The reflection on how a life has already been lived comes much later after years of observation.

How sad it is to see a life full of potential thrown away on frivolous pursuits. How does this happen? Probably the reasons are legion. It occurs to me that a life needs nurturing just as a garden needs nurturing. That may be why those of us who had a heavy dose of parental guidance and supervision feel more satisfied with our situations and are free to enjoy our later years in contentment.

I have learned that neglect in the garden rarely causes a good crop to appear. Some seeds may still come forth and produce beyond expectations. While others not expected to be spectacular , truly are. That could be compared to people and how they develop and thrive in a competitive world of wild weeds. As God has planned for good in all mankind how can it be that some do not live up to His expectations.

These thoughts come to me on a rainy day. When the sun is out it is easy to be cheerful and physically active, but when storm clouds gather whether in reality or in life's living it causes introspection, in me at least.

It must be a pleasure for God to see his seeds grow and develop and become what he had in mind. A life well lived, well balanced, which leaves behind inspiring memories is all which can be expected, don't you agree? I think God is well pleased with the life we gathered to honor last week, the life of my younger brother.

Hoe and Shovel Time

April is half gone and today I determined to put some seeds in the ground outside. I already have some heirloom tomato seeds sprouted and growing in little pots in my sun room. I have four different types, red, yellow, orange, and purple. Most of the extra seeds have been given away as I will want new types next summer. Growing any color but red is a new experience.

Early this morning I did some watering for the blueberries and then hopped in my old work horse (golf cart) and headed down to the raised bed area. I had one of the largest asparagus spears I have ever grown just waiting to be cut. No simple knife for this job. I used my asparagus knife which I order from the Jersey Giant Asparagus farm two years ago. All along the three rows I saw purple looking shoots coming up, all fat as could be. Unfortunately I also saw the asparagus beetles hard at work on one lonely spindly asparagus. I made a race to my cedar house to get my home made sevin dust shaker (an old hose which covers a small plastic cup with the sevin dust in it). I shook it all over this aggrieved spear and also shook it along the ground. They had not yet made their way to the healthy thick spears so perhaps I headed them off at the pass.

With this chore behind me I went to the east side of the asparagus bed and along the side I planted some white Thai eggplant. This is new for me so I am going to have fun with this one. Next I made a hill for yellow squash, then another hill for more yellow squash and lastly a hill of zucchini. On the west side of the bed I repeated the same planting pattern. The three rows of asparagus will just grow on and by the time they have stopped bearing this spring the other plants will be ready to do some serious bearing.

The middle bed I plan to cover with plastic to hopefully kill any nematodes which are lurking in the ground. They got into my green beans big time last summer. So, while this bed is resting and trying to cure itself of the root nematodes I am making good use of the lower bed. Since the beds are separated by a row of fencing I planted burpless cucumbers along the north side of that bed. then in the center I planted Ky. Wonder Pole Beans. Bending over bush beans is a back breaker so why not reach up to harvest instead of reaching down!

It feels good to get back into gardening mode. I think the birds are all glad to be out and singing and flying about. Even the black snake visited my garden while I was there. He skittered away when he realized I was there. Last year and the year before I had little lizards which lived among the concrete blocks lining my raised beds. Hopefully they will reappear.

I am anxious for the praying mantis egg cases to give up their beneficial gardening friends. Two are tied up in the vineyard and one is just outside my window. How they know just when to come out I am not sure. I do not think it is the heat alone. They need a certain amount of time to develop. I would love to see them hatching. That would be a bonus indeed.

Even if I never see them hatching I will be sure to see them all about outside. It is just one more exciting event to make life interesting in the garden world. It will be a wonderful harvest if all of the expected fruits and vegetables will yield all that I hope for. Well worth the time and effort I use with that hoe and shovel. For there is nothing as tasty as fresh asparagus or squash, or beans or berries straight to the table from mother earth.

The Chimes of Time

Many years ago our family had a reunion at Pine Mountain Park in Kentucky. We had special things planned, as a talent show, a gift exchange and a special prize. We drew numbers for this special prize. The prize was a chiming clock made by my brother Gene. My sister Ruth was the lucky winner. She took it home in the back seat of her car, with a seat belt around it for protection. When she sold her house and went to live in a retirement complex she had limited space. Her daughter took the clock to her home for safe keeping. It is a beautiful clock as Gene was a very meticulous clock maker. He also made other reproductions of antique furniture for his children and grandchildren. He had a special shop built on his property for this specialized hobby.

When he saw how I was taken with this clock for Ruth he determined to make a clock for me. In due time the clock arrived in a special box made just for this clock. He even made a shelf to hold it on the wall. He made me a part of the project by sending me the face of the clock so I could put decorations on it. At each corner I painted a rose. I engaged a glass maker to frost the glass except for the center where the pendulum could be seen. At each corner of the glass the glass maker put roses. It is a very personalized clock.

The other special thing is the Westminster Chimes inside the works. They announce the quarter hour, half hour, three quarter hour and chime the hour.

This clock is sitting on the little shelf on the east wall of my living room. Throughout the house I can hear the chimes. As time has passed I have become accustomed to hearing it and sometimes am not even aware it is chiming. But it is there and faithful to keep the time. About once a week I open the door and using a little key I rewind three different stems, which keep it going.

This special clock will have even more meaning for me now as the clock maker has passed on to assist the master carpenter. I think they both know the joy of creation, each in his own way. Each has taken pride in his work and blessed others with it. Each has passed on to the next generation a gift of himself to be shared and enjoyed. I am reminded of the gifts of life and nature that were given eons ago when I look out my windows. I am reminded of the gift of love made by human hands when I see this clock or hear the chiming of the hour. A gift that warms my heart and brings back memories of a life time of having a brother who makes me so very proud.

Spoiling or Affirmation

This Easter week most of the schools in this area are closed. The children are given a break as are the teachers. I enjoy this time as I can visit with my grandchildren and see how they are changing and just reconnect. One of my grandsons is no longer in this area as he is off in another state pursuing an advanced degree. The other two I was able to visit with up here at the lake. We did not go near the water but stayed indoors part of the day.

On Monday, Reed, my 17 year old grandson drove himself up here for the first time alone in his car inherited from his father. He wanted to help me with some of the work around here. He first set out bricks around a newly planted blackberry patch. These came from cuttings I took last year. I visited this road side berry patch with my neighbor Lisa. Parking near the site we picked for over an hour. Some little boys came along and told us where we could cross a fence and find the mother lode. Lisa gave me all she picked and they went into some fine blackberry jelly. I shared with her of course, but the other thing I did was to go back later in the cool of the evening with a bucket of water and take cuttings from the canes, about 20 or so.

I wanted to have some of this particular type as they had large fine tasting berries on them. The canes looked different to me as they were red. I had found some Navaho thornless berries at the nursery and planted them in a special bed, away from this new one. I think the new berries are from the same genetic line except the ones I cut have thorns. I was intrigued with the red canes as I had not seen them before.

Laying the bricks out around the berries was the first chore Reed did for me. We then went out with shovel and pick and he made two holes for two pink guara that had been wintering over in my sun room. They seemed so happy to be out of the pot where they could stretch their roots and lots of water made the move complete.

The next chore was to dig up some forsythia which was coming back up from a winter cutting. When a bush just has all of these dead branches there is nothing to do but whack it down. If it is forsythia it will surely come back up when the spring warmth comes along. This plant he put in a "skip" of these same bushes which he and his dad had planted two years ago. Along the side of the road leading up to my house I will soon have a line of fine yellow bushes each spring.

The next holes to be dug were for osteospermum, an annual which I picked up for $2 each at Walmart. They are the healthiest perkiest lavender daisy looking flowers I had seen in a while. Now I have two planted out back where I can see them from my kitchen window and two in pots at my front door.

Our next chore was to come to the computer and help me understand something that is second nature to him, facebook. Some members of my extended family invited me to come aboard on this social network so I am trying to figure it all out. I am way behind the much younger generations on this score.

I actually had about 30 daffodil bulbs which I had dug last year and for the first time in my life forgot to plant them. I found them in a box neatly labeled in my laundry room. I had planned to ask Reed to till a spot for them but thinking the tiller was out on loan I missed the opportunity. So, instead of more digging Reed sat down in a chair and I later saw him sound asleep. Teens are growing pretty fast and working pretty hard at school so they crash easily. After a good nap I suggested he work on his school project. It had to be done on the computer and involved comparing different analyses of John Milton's Paradise Lost.

While all of this was going on I was busy making one of his favorite meals, green beans with , potato salad, home made rolls and applesauce. I had prepared for his visit by making chocolate chip cookies earlier and also the rolls so he would have goodies to take back home with him.

The next morning around 11:00 my son Bruce and his other son Grant arrived.
After greeting and some conversation we had sandwiches and lentil soup (made the day before). I actually learned to like lentil soup by making it for them. I learned the secret is to add bay leaves and thyme then at the end of the cooking put in lemon juice. Of course I had to add tomatoes from my freezer (left over from last years garden. I simply must add tomatoes to soup !!

Grant had brought up some games so we got one memory game out. We used to call it concentration. Cards are laid out face down and you take turns trying to find two that match. He must have put out 60 cards. I knew I was beaten when I saw how many there were. What I did not know was how badly I was beaten. I ended up with four matches. It blew me away how he remembered each one that was turned over and would go back after several plays and get a match. I said to his father "Can't you figure out a way to make a Million out of this?"

Later while Reed crashed again his dad and I along with Grant got in the golf cart and drove around looking at what was blooming and what was just coming up. Bruce had his camera and took pictures of various things One joy was to see the peony on the third year with so many buds I could not count them all. Last year there were three huge red blooms. Lemon colored day lilies are up and looking so healthy, also stella d'oro, the ever blooming day lilies. Asiatic lilies that Reed planted for me about three years ago are pushing up through pine bark. Stone Mountain daisies are putting out leaves and gaining strength for the 6 to 8 foot stems with rich yellow blooms to come in the fall. The azaleas that Bruce planted at least 20 years ago are started to bloom, all eleven of them. They line the rail road tie walk that goes up the hill to the house the back way. Two huge pear trees are covered in blooms. The squirrels will be happy about that !

Up in the vineyard Grant was all excited to see if the praying mantises had come out of their egg case. On his last visit he first saw them tied to the vines. He also got to see them hatching thanks to google on my computer. I had transplanted a green grape called Niagra. It had not grown much in its old spot so now we are trying to see if it will flourish up in the vineyard. It has little green leaves so that is encouraging. Also a red raspberry all by itself near the kiwi has healthy leaves coming out. The kiwi is putting out leaves and at the beginning of May we will see its cream colored blooms.

The other thing we saw were how safely the blueberry bushes were growing inside the netting Jim put up. I had planted some sequoia strawberries in with them thinking they would like the acidic soil. What they needed most was more water so I made a mental note to do that in the evening. No asparagus was up in their raised bed. I was surprised as we had so much good rain this winter. If they fail to perform I can think of lots of other things to plant.

I am trying heirloom tomatoes like my niece Ann Lawson does out in Illinois. They are up and that is all I can expect for now. They are in the sun room and when they begin to look sturdy in May I will set them out in the raised beds.

It was a fun ride to share the growing things with my family. I get pleasure from being with my family and when my grandsons are here I would feel remiss if I did not do special things for them. Some call it spoiling, but to me it is just affirming them as part of our family and showing them how we live. Spoiling would be allowing misbehavior, and I never see that happening. Spring break is a fine time to take time to enjoy family.

Once a year

As I was pulling into the parking space at my church yesterday, another car was pulling up also. The man in the car called to me and told me his name and why he was there. I knew someone from his group would be coming so we chatted as we walked into the building.



Entering the building I introduced the man and his wife to our pastor and we all settled into the classroom used for the adult Sunday School.. This couple fitted into our group and the conversation that takes place prior to the lesson.



The lesson for that morning was very appropriate as we were hearing more about how the written word was selected to become part of the Bible. Previously we had studied the Apocrypha and learned why it was not a part of most Christian Bibles. The visitor injected one fact which I had not thought of. He said "Jesus did not speak of the books in the Apocrypha", whereas he did speak of other parts of the Old Testament. Our pastor (our teacher) agreed that this indeed was true.



After the class we all gathered in the fellowship hall for coffee, tea and tasty nibbles brought in by one of the ladies. This is a time to catch up with our other members and get acquainted with visitors. Each Sunday a different lady plays hostess to this time of fellowship. Our guests joined in and enjoyed the comradery .



When we all gathered in the sanctuary and after the children's sermon our expected guest was introduced and welcomed to the pulpit. He told a compelling story about how one of the red, new testaments which his group distributes, was used in a prison.



It seems that a man had been sent to prison for murder. He had been given one of the small red, new testaments. He used it to roll into cigarettes. He had been doing this for years. One day as he held the burning cigarette in his hand he noticed some words at the end of the burning paper. What he saw said "be free". That caught his attention. He put out the burning paper and tried to read more, but it was all destroyed by fire. He could not even see what page it was in the little book. He waited eagerly for the little red bibles to be distributed again and when he got his he started at the beginning to read it through looking for how to "be free". By the time he had read it through, he understood the kind of freedom that it was describing. He was overcome with a burning desire to know more. The rest of the story is that he eventually was released and he spent the rest of his life telling others how they too could be free. He did this from the pulpit for the rest of his life.



The gentleman who was telling this story from the pulpit of our church was a member of a different denomination than ours. Also he was a committed member of an international group of men and women whose purpose is to distribute Bibles in every language all over the world.

His purpose in visiting us was to solicit funds to purchase more Bibles. Once a year we have someone from his group, called Gideons, come to speak to us. Any who can help, support these efforts.



Most of the year we are focused on other missions like our Good News at Noon, our Day Care, Food Pantry, Boxes of Love (for down on their luck folks), Change for Children, Joy Gift to retired church leaders, and Santa Express (at Christmas for folks in Presbyterian Homes). But one time a year we change our focus for that day to help fund an international effort to hopefully enlighten someone in life's journey. Each year a different representative is welcomed into our group to remind us that there are many whose burden could be lifted by our small gifts.

We enjoyed this friendly couple who happened in for a few hours. It is interesting how quickly a bond can be forged with strangers who have a common core belief. I do not know if I will ever see them again as they live in a different part of the county, but it gave me an enduring memory and for a brief time an opportunity to reach out to care about some I will never meet. Hopefully those someones will also know about the freedom that we shared this day.