Full disclosure: This post was started last Tuesday - but, I've been busy. So, here it is.
We looked up in the sky - was it a bird, was it a plane??? It's Eneman!
Yesterday, we picked beans. Today, we gave the corn, mineral oil enemas. Yes, folks, you read that right - we gave the corn enemas. My dad says that it is an organic way of keeping bugs from invading your ears of corn. Well, I believe my dad to be a pretty sharp cookie - so the kids and I placed a few drops of mineral oil into the silks on each ear. I remember the first time we did this. I was probably 12 or 13 and some young men were helping us (yes, I had a crush on 2 of them) My dad was a sales man and one of his customers was CB Fleet, the douche and enema makers. I was horrified that I had to give the corn "Summer's Eve" enemas, while trying my best to impress these young, hunky guys. Public humiliation personified.
Gardening has become so much fun. When I was younger I hated gardening - you got hot, dirty and itchy. The bugs would bother you and I could NEVER get my grandmother out of the patch. She would continually say, "Oh, there's a good one. We can't leave that one behind." I used to get so irritated. Now, it is my children who are irritated with me as I repeat those same phrases that my Granny Bobo taught me.
I am so thankful for my heritage. For the love of God's creation, His word, His grace that have been lived out in front of me. How fortunate I have been to have the things of eternal meaning placed before me rather than the things of superficial meaning. I love the fact that Ann Sullivan did not give up on Helen Keller or that her parents decided to try one more thing before institutionalizing her. I love the fact that we were able to care for both of my grandmothers during there last years on this earth. I am glad that we have made sacrifices for our children in order to instruct them on the things eternal.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
The Navy gets the gravy, but the Army gets the Beans
If you know that song, phrase and/or movie -
You have a great amount of culture under your belt.
What an imaginative kid. Pedro, put on his best serape and sombrero. I must say the kids really did have a good time pickin', singin' and prepin'.
You have a great amount of culture under your belt.
We have a new phase of Livin' the Happy Life - BEANS. We have been blessed by a truly HUGE crop of green beans. Beautiful slim, green beans. We canned a whole slew of "Dilly Beans" and would love to can some jars of just plain ole green beans - but the gasket on the pressure canner is old and we are afraid to risk poisoning the whole family with some badly canned beans. So - we wait, blanch and freeze.
A fabulous time was had while picking bean yesterday. We sang, "Oh, where have you BEAN, Billy Boy, Billy Boy", should have sung "I've BEAN workin' on the Railroad", "It's BEAN a Long, Long Time", "It's not Easy BEAN Green". But, the real fun beangan (sorry, I can not help it) when we began to process the beans. We washed them and then took the tails off of them. I walked through where the kids were and my son had a bean dangling from his lips and in his best Edward G. Robinson voice says "So, you wanna know about the Hope Diamond, Ehhh?" He is so funny. Then, I walk through and see this---
What an imaginative kid. Pedro, put on his best serape and sombrero. I must say the kids really did have a good time pickin', singin' and prepin'.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Thrifty Therapy
So, today I had to take our oldest dog, NanaDaisy, to the vet. She has been diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure. We are having to leave her there overnight.
This constituted some Thrifting Therapy. Since there was no dog to be left in the car and no children tagging along, I skipped over to the Goodwill in Chatham. Now, this store has been through 3 address changes in the past 4 years. Bear with me for a little back ground. When we moved from Chatham to the farm, the Goodwill was located in a century old building on Main St. complete with uneven wood floors, tin ceiling tiles and that old musty smell that is so quaint with old buildings (if you don't have to live in them). They moved from this location to a strip mall type building - the former (very small and defunct) $ store. It did not take them long to realize this space was way too small for their store - SO - they moved into the HUGE (but, defunct) video store. Well, it does not have the same "feel" of the old building, but much nicer than the $ store. All that said, it seems that I do not find the "good stuff" at the new store like I usta at the old store on Main St. I guess there is a lot to say about nostalgia.
I only found 3 books of interest:
"The Complete Homesteading Book", is full of great tips on getting along with less (something I am attempting to do) It goes a little farther than I am prepared to go to at this time - but, I will not say, "never", just not now.
"Leaves of Gold", , An Anthology of PRAYERS, MEMORABLE PHRASES, INSPIRATIONAL VERSE AND PROSE" is an inspirational type book. Just like the one that my mother received as a high school graduation gift. It has quotes from the Bible, Charles Lamb, John Bunyan, Goethe, Hans Christian Anderson,Confucius, just to name a few. It's great. The book was copy written in 1948 - The book I purchased is the Tenth Printing, done in 1961.
"Beautiful Gardens in America" is obviously, about gardens. It has pictures and descriptions of different gardens through out the US, from "Mariemont" in Newport, RI to the remarkable gardens of Alaska. But, it was the inscription in the front cover that grabbed my heart and "spoke" to me.
To Alice XMAS - 1937
Since you are unable to visit the gardens -
"Beautiful" - I bring them to you. I wish
I could bring you the woods the flowers,
birdsong, even the Sylvan Brook -
And Spring.____
Love Uncle Oscar
Oh, how my mind began to race. Who is Alice and was this sweet Alice sick? Was she confined to her bed? Or just a broken leg?? Was she young or old?
Nevertheless, what a blessing to have someone love you so much to bring some gardens - beautiful - to you and then the wish to be able to bring things of pure joy to you and lay them at your feet. And, who is Uncle Oscar? Did he travel frequently? Did he look like Cary Grant or Danny Kaye?
See, this is why I love old things - they have a history, something significant tied to them. Thrifting Rocks!!!!
To Uncle Oscar and Alice - thank you for your love of beautiful gardens, for your love for each other. And to whom gave this little treasure up, I am eternally grateful. You have allowed my imagination to run wild with wonder. And I am even more thankful that I can go and see the "Gardens - Beautiful", the woods, the flowers. I am able to hear the birdsong, and to hear, see and wade in the sylvan brook and to fully experience Spring. We are able to live the happy life.
This constituted some Thrifting Therapy. Since there was no dog to be left in the car and no children tagging along, I skipped over to the Goodwill in Chatham. Now, this store has been through 3 address changes in the past 4 years. Bear with me for a little back ground. When we moved from Chatham to the farm, the Goodwill was located in a century old building on Main St. complete with uneven wood floors, tin ceiling tiles and that old musty smell that is so quaint with old buildings (if you don't have to live in them). They moved from this location to a strip mall type building - the former (very small and defunct) $ store. It did not take them long to realize this space was way too small for their store - SO - they moved into the HUGE (but, defunct) video store. Well, it does not have the same "feel" of the old building, but much nicer than the $ store. All that said, it seems that I do not find the "good stuff" at the new store like I usta at the old store on Main St. I guess there is a lot to say about nostalgia.
I only found 3 books of interest:
"The Complete Homesteading Book", is full of great tips on getting along with less (something I am attempting to do) It goes a little farther than I am prepared to go to at this time - but, I will not say, "never", just not now.
"Leaves of Gold", , An Anthology of PRAYERS, MEMORABLE PHRASES, INSPIRATIONAL VERSE AND PROSE" is an inspirational type book. Just like the one that my mother received as a high school graduation gift. It has quotes from the Bible, Charles Lamb, John Bunyan, Goethe, Hans Christian Anderson,Confucius, just to name a few. It's great. The book was copy written in 1948 - The book I purchased is the Tenth Printing, done in 1961.
"Beautiful Gardens in America" is obviously, about gardens. It has pictures and descriptions of different gardens through out the US, from "Mariemont" in Newport, RI to the remarkable gardens of Alaska. But, it was the inscription in the front cover that grabbed my heart and "spoke" to me.
To Alice XMAS - 1937
Since you are unable to visit the gardens -
"Beautiful" - I bring them to you. I wish
I could bring you the woods the flowers,
birdsong, even the Sylvan Brook -
And Spring.____
Love Uncle Oscar
Oh, how my mind began to race. Who is Alice and was this sweet Alice sick? Was she confined to her bed? Or just a broken leg?? Was she young or old?
Nevertheless, what a blessing to have someone love you so much to bring some gardens - beautiful - to you and then the wish to be able to bring things of pure joy to you and lay them at your feet. And, who is Uncle Oscar? Did he travel frequently? Did he look like Cary Grant or Danny Kaye?
See, this is why I love old things - they have a history, something significant tied to them. Thrifting Rocks!!!!
To Uncle Oscar and Alice - thank you for your love of beautiful gardens, for your love for each other. And to whom gave this little treasure up, I am eternally grateful. You have allowed my imagination to run wild with wonder. And I am even more thankful that I can go and see the "Gardens - Beautiful", the woods, the flowers. I am able to hear the birdsong, and to hear, see and wade in the sylvan brook and to fully experience Spring. We are able to live the happy life.
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