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

Tomatoes

Cherokee Purple Tomatoes

These are a heirloom variety I like to grow.  They

are one of the tasty tomatoes you  will eat.
As the story goes, the Cherokee purple tomato was given
to early settlers of the United States from the
Native American Cherokees.

What it takes to grow food in Kentucky this year.
This is our second year for our garden.  The water
issue is we are not getting enough rain.  So, I have
decided to take this issue to the next step.  I am trying
to grow under extreme heat temperatures.
Mulching with straw and using cardboard of any kind
that I have.  That means we save any type of cardboard,
including any that food comes in.  We use as a weed barrier
and to keep any moisture in the ground. We are using drip
tape but I have only gotten it in one section of the garden.
Mostly, where the tomatoes are growing.
Working with clay soil is a little different. My job is to
lighten the soil.  I have been purchasing peat moss and
adding it to the soil.
So far the tomatoes are doing really good. 

The growing season

In the growing season we love to show what were growing in 

the garden.  This year I planted broccoli and cauliflower and 

they both did very well.  My family happens to love eating broccoli.

We had company on Monday so I made a broccoli salad.

Broccoli salad

Broccoli florets
cranberries
onions
a handful of sunflower seeds
mayonaise with sugar for the dressing.

Visit to Nicaragua

Sunset in Nicaragua

Flowers in  the  Garden
we walked through this little garden
area tucked away off of the busy street.

Roof view of Leon, Nicaragua

Visiting a local crafter

Our visit to the city of Leon was
a time of submerging ourselves into
the Nicaraguan culture.  Not only did
we learn spanish but we were able to

spend time with the local people.

What a great visit we had.

Flower farming

The beginnings of my flower farm.

This year we put in 300 seeds of 

Zinnias.  I purchased most of my
seeds through Johnny Seeds.

Learning to deal with 

drought issues here, is something

I must get accustomed to. There
were times I thought the flowers
were going to die. Due to the lack
of moisture in the summer months.



The one good thing that came from
my first year in growing flowers
is collecting seeds.
So, before the rain came last week
I cut off every flower head that I could
find. Then, when my intern came we
worked on getting the seeds put in
envelopes.

I have to say most of my inspiration has come
from this book. 

The building of our home.

The building continues. 

We now have windows. 

Most of the inside is framed.

We are moving ahead.

This picture was the day before we 

got an enormous amount of rain.

Which I am very happy about.

The Sound of Rain

If

I cannot catch "the sound of noise
of rain"
long before the rain falls,
and, going to some hilltop of the spirit,
as near to my God as I can,
have not faith to wait there with
my face between my kness,
though six times or sixty times I
am told" there arises a little
cloud out the sea,"
then I know nothing of Calvary love.

written by Amy Carmichael

All Things Work Out For Good

All things work out for good, we know

Such is God's great design;

He orders all our steps below

For purposes devine.

This is the faith that keeps me still,

No matter what the test,

And lets me glory in His will-

For well I know 'tis best.

So now the future holds no fear,

God guards the work begun;

And mortals are immortal here

Until their work is done.

Some day the path He chose for me

Will all be understood;

In heaven's clearer light I'll see

All things worked out for the good.

author unknown

Oatmeal Cookies

I started out just measuring my ingredients

out and left them on the counter to in bowls

with lids. Then, I got up this morning and started

baking.  I was done by 8:45, not bad I thought.

Now, everything could go as planned.

  Getting started with home education, working on planting 

seeds for the garden, working on missions work.

Now, lets sit down and have some cookies.

Tomato Plants

Friday  May 13, 2011

 Well, its May and my plants are just getting started.

That's alright we will have a great September harvest.

I spent the morning transferring 40 baby tomato plants.

We have the Stupice Tomato.
This is a early harvest tomato only
60 to 70 days.  These are small fruit
only 1-3 oz.

Then we have Amish Paste.
Which I have grown in the past.
This is a very large paste fruit.

What would be a summer without
Beefsteak Tomatoes!

Happy Planting!

The Move to Springfield

The Move to Springfield

Thursday April 28, 2011

We are moving to Springfield.  After

being here for 5 months we get to be a

lot closer to the farm. About 3 miles down 

the road, it is possible I could ride my bike.

What a great thought.

The plans for the house will also

begin.

Travels In Nicaragua

Travels to Nicaragua

Sunday  April 17, 2011

 

Our visit here in Nicaragua has been 

beautiful.  We have met many people

who have blessed our family.

We had a church service last night outside.

Our leader Rigo and his wife Claudia have 

welcome us in Nicaragua. 

Two years ago 

Rigo and his wife came to the US and we

prayed that our family would come to 

Central America.  God answered our Prayer.

This is just the beginning of the work God

has presented to us.  We will be involved 

in being part of a new farm to reach out to 

the community.  

The land has been purchased.  I found this 

amazing that this all happened while we were

here.

Adios!

Missions

Missions

Monday March 7, 2011

We are getting ready for our missoins trip in April.

My husband, my daughter and I will be traveling to 

Nicaragua and Honduras.  We are looking forward

to see what God has in store for us.
When we lived in New Jersey God was teaching
us all along.  We watched his hand work in other
mission teams that went abroad.  Our church is
involved in many parts of the world with missions.
When we met Rigoberto Reyes and his wife one
Sunday while they were visiting from Nicaragua.
My husband and I began talking to him about our
desire to teach people how to grow food. 
We prayed together, and waited on the Lord.
Now two years later we will be meeting with our
friends in Nicaragua on April 13 to see how God
wants to use us in the Bonete Farm Project.
Missions Door is providing us with a Spanish
travel leader while we are in Central America.

Philippians 1:3-6

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel until now, being confident of this that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

The New Beginning

The New Beginning

Wednesday January 26, 2011

The new beginning as The Kentucky Homesteader is

a blessing from the Lord.  He heard my cry from many

many years of praying for this move.

We moved from New Jersey in late November to 

Kentucky.  The hardest experience I have experienced

is living away from my two older boys( they are young men.)

Phillip is 24 and is married to a lovely woman.  Andrew

is 21 and is seeking training in Youth Ministry.  They both 

work with my husband in the business world.

We are living with my mom in Kentucky while we are

awaiting the sale of our house in New Jersey.

We have been blessed to have been lead to a

church here.  Which is another great blessing.

I have been continuing home educating my 

daughter Rachel.