Organizing

It's January and I typically organize this month.

Plus you always have extra days off from typical life chores. 

Being a gardener I started with my seeds. 

Which brought me to finding seeds in my shoe boxes.

Instead of throwing them out I choose to germinate them 

in small clay pots which I have plenty of in this size.
What ever comes up great, what does not that's okay too.

I had already set up my heating mats in the basement.
Since, I had my seed starting 4 tier shelving unit set up
everything went together quite nice.
I do have to admit I always wanted to be self sufficient
with our food through the winter.  Sadly, this year has
not done that well.

Putting plastic bags over the pots allowed for a good 

germination rate.  After their stems and leaves started 

producing they got to go upstairs. This was my way of 

staying motivated to organize. So, this is not one of my
strengths I have come up with ways to motivate myself.
Putting all the seeds in the same place this helped me sit
down and figure out what I had.  So, I went onto Pintrest
and looked at ways to organize seeds. If you are new to
Pintrest its a great way to place your ideas or interests.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/346214290077480845/

Andrew

My son was granted his hearts desire, 

he found someone to share his life with.

This is something we have been praying for

a long time.

This has already been a blessing as I have gained a new

daughter and friend, Ashley.

The new chapter is in California at the Biola University.

 

God has opened new opportunities for this new couple.

They left today to travel across America.

 

Summer

The Joys of Summer

The summer months are such a joy in the plant world.
All the planning of the year seam to go into the flowers and
vegetables we get to enjoy in the summer.

This is my third year with my garden by the house.

One thing I try to remember is it was a weed patch before I put the 

shovel in the ground.

Now we have a good sized garden with a little room for growth.

Companion Gardening is a great way to have all types of gardens in one.
Vegetables, herbs, flowers, and maybe a little fruit to go in the mix of things.

This year we purchased 6 blueberry plants. Having some fruit close to the house
is a great way to keep a good eye on it.  In the summer months when it gets hot
blueberry plants like to stay moist.  So we decided to plant them in the bed
closest to the house. 

 Making beds that are 36 inches wide and 20 to 40 ft long works well. 

The reason is this, you can work the bed without ever placing your feet

in the raised bed.  Which is a great way to keep the soil airy.

 In between each bed is a narrow walking aisle.
So if you have someone who wants to come visit your garden.
It will be a haven for you and your visitor to enjoy.

Planting in Nicaragua

Plants in Nicaragua

In November I was in Nicaragua for a couple of weeks,  

so I couldn't help but start some seeds.

 The Nicaraguans desperately need more vegetables in their diet, but
since I am here, you know we were all going to eat more vegetables.

So lets grow our own food!

Here is the garden gate

And here is the wonderful fruit!

I am so happy to see this here in Nicaragua!

I am continuing to teach my friend the secrets of 

growing great fruit.  We are adding egg shells and

coffee grinds to the soil for nutrients as we work earth around the

plants.

The other idea I want to show them is companion planting, which is planting vegetables, herbs, and other plants next to each other for the benefit of each plant.

We are going to be planting the basil next to our tomatoes.

This is one way you can help your plants.

Encouragement

Seed Starting

Its February and you know the season has begun

when there are seed packets and soil mixes are always out.

.

I do enjoy this season we are in as it is a slower time

of the year. Seeing new plants come to life is enjoyable.

There are lots of types of plants to be growing for the spring.

As in Elliot Coleman's book suggest.

This book helped me understand that you don't 

have to try to do it all in one season.  Let me explain.

You can start off in the warm days of January.  There

are days you can work outside cleaning up the garden 

area while nothing is growing.
For example I have rows where I walk between the beds
that are about 36 inches wide. This is a good time to be working
 on putting down cardboard, plastic, and straw in my walking rows. 

 It will make the spring so 

much better.

Inpiring Words

There are times when something comes into our


lives which is charged with love in such a way that


it seems to open the Eternal to us for a moment, or


at leaset some of the Eternal things, and the greatest

of these is love.

It may be a small and intimate touch upon on us or

our affairs, light as the touch of the dawn wind on the

leaves of the tree, somethin not to be captured and

told to another in words. But we know that it is our

Lord. And then perhaps the room where we are with

its furniture and books and flowers, seems less "present"

than His Presence, and the heart is drawn into that

sweetness of which the old hymn sings



The love of Jesus, what is is

None but His loved ones know.



Or it is the dear human love about us that bathes

us as in summer seas and rests us through and

through. Can we ever cease to wonder at the love

of our companions? And then suddenly we

recognize our Lord in them. It is His love they

lavish upon us.

O Love of God made manifest in Thy lovers,

we worship Thee.

Or (not often, perhaps, for dimness seems to

be more wholesome for us here, but sometimes,

because our Lord is very merciful) it is given to

us to look up through the blue air and see the love

of God. And yet, after all, hoe little we see!

"That ye may be able to comprehend what is the

breadth and length and depth and height and to

know the love of Christ which passeth knoeledge"

the words are to great for us. What do we comprehend,

what do we know? Confounded and abases, we enter

into the Rock and hide us in the dust before the glory

of the Majesty of love the love whose symbol is the

cross.

And a question pierces then:

What do I know of Calvary love?


Written by Amy Carmichael
Taken from the book IF