Garden Update for 6/ 27. 09

We have had a great gardening week! Things have been so busy around here, I am late on the update, and I never did a Bible Bee schedule... I suppose I'll get to it this afternoon, maybe.

Last week we canned 16 pints of peach jam. I think one of them is eaten already. ;) Doubt they'll last until next year, but they'll have to since we missed the blueberries. Last year our blueberry jam was SOOO good. We'll miss it this year.

We pulled the last of the peas and found that there were really carrots growing under them! So we had peas and carrots one evening at dinner. It was wonderful.

I figured our cabbage had grown as big as it was going to grow, so we picked all that on Thursday. We got over 50 heads, but they are mostly baseball to softball size, not the large ones you buy at the store. There are still plenty for us. We may make some sourkraut, but also will eat it in some minestrone soup tomorrow evening, and make lots of cole slaw. I can also slice it and freeze it for soups in the winter. I just love the crunch of cabbage in soup.

Our broccoli and cauliflower was a flop. I won't try cauliflower again, but I plan on trying a fall crop of broccoli. Our broccoli this year was planted in the back garden, in just plain ground, but grew no fruit. It was great foliage... knee high and beautiful, but not a head of broccoli to be found. I heard this would happen if there was too much nitrogen in the soil, but that was not the case in that garden. They are now fertilizing our mulch pile.

We got the last of the lettuce for the season. I cannot wait to plant it for a fall crop!

We re-planted corn in the broccoli/ cabbage row, and we planted green beans in the pea row. These are both a little late, so we will see how they grow. It's worth the experiment! We have not gotten a huge earlier crop of either of these.

Our big news is that we have some green peppers, banana peppers, jalapenos, and a TON of cucumbers. I am going to need to search for some innovative ways to use them up. Literally I probably got 20 cucumbers today... they were not there on Tuesday... stay tuned to see how we use them all, or if I see how many people I can bless at church. ;)

So if you have some way to use cucumbers (I am not set up to make pickles yet...) just let me know. I have a feeling I'll be putting them in EVERYTHING.

My Bubble Has Been Popped

My heart has been heavy this week as my little bubble had the world enter it's sphere... between the attack on my blog, then hearing of Jon and Kate's divorce, and Michael Jackson's death, I have had several thoughts just wandering through my mind.

The first thing I thought of yesterday afternoon when I heard about Michael Jackson's death was that unless he repented, he only admitted the truth yesterday. The truth is that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. (Phil. 2: 10-11) Instead of hearing, "Well done, good and faithful servant." He heard, "I never knew you. Depart from me." (Matthew 25: 1-13) And started his eternity in hell.

However, if he repented prior to his death, all his sins were forgiven in that instant. Although he did some terribly awful things, I hope he did receive forgiveness, and will spend eternity trying to make up for lost time of praising our Savior.

The second is for Jon and Kate. We do not have TV here in our bubble. I only see it when I have babies, and therefore am in the hospital, or staying overnight in Cincinnati with Mercy. That is more than enough for me, thank you very much. I have only seen maybe two or three Jon and Kate episodes. Those that I saw, made my heart hurt for them. They were so mean to each other! No wonder they could not make it.

This has had me thinking about how to make a good marriage. Marriage was made from God. It is good. The Bible states that "He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD." (Prov. 18:22)

I have been thinking of our roles as women... There are a whole bunch of other areas to talk about the men's roles, but I have a full time job just keeping MY attitude and actions straight. I am not responsible for my husband's actions. I am only responsible for mine. That is enough, for I am sinful through and through.

It is so easy to think that we, as women, know the best and only way to do things "right". And to communicate those "truths" at every opportunity to our husbands. It was a liberating realization to figure out that not only are there more than one way to do something, but that Eric's way can get the same results! Sometimes his way is EVEN BETTER!!! (Gasp!) And that even if it is NOT better... I don't need to open my mouth and point it out to him.

There are several verses about this topic...

Proverbs 19:13 - "...a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping."

Proverbs 21: 9 and 25: 24- "Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife."

Proverbs 21: 19 - "Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife."

Proverbs 27: 15 - "A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day."

One last verse for the day:

Proverbs 14: 1 - "The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down."

Let us be the type to build our houses up, not tear them down. We are here to serve our families... especially our husbands. Let's support them, love them, and make them feel wonderful even though everyone has flaws. We have our own, and they put up with us, right?

Motherhood Poem

Let Her Celebrate!

I am not really a poem sort of person, but I thought this was so encouraging this morning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Let the mother of many celebrate her numbers
and glory in the ornaments which decorate her life.
Let her not be swayed by the scoffers,
nor riled by the ignorant.
Let compassion be her way
and humility guide her thinking.
Let her pin her badge of many blessings
to her breast and be known
for what the Lord God has called her to do.

Let the mother of some celebrate her bond
and relish the closeness that more time permits.
Let her not feel scorned by Leah or Hagar,
nor be jealous of their cup.
Let diligence be her walk
and contentment lift her prayers.
Let her perceive what is hers
and freely pursue wonderful things for the dear ones
that the Lord has entrusted to her care.

Let the mother of one celebrate her treasure
and delight to invest her whole self in this one.
Let her be convinced of the harvest to come
from this Isaac, this John.
Let fear be her beginning
and wisdom be her trail.
Let her seek the Lord
and proceed with awe in raising up for Him
this blessing so special as to demand her all.

Let the mother of none worship the Lord
and praise Him for drawing her close to His heart!
Let her rise up and look beyond her gate
and make her good works available to others.
Let trust in His plan be her sustenance
and service to His will be her drink.
Let her revere the gift He has given
that she should have liberty to love Him
with a love freer from distraction.

~Author Unknown~