Wonderful Weather We are Having

This weekend was fabulous weather for us people who love to work in the yard and garden.
 I had to pull weeds of course yesterday morning and I filled a 33 gallon trash can with them dag-gome things. Not going in the compost pile cause I just don't need that kind of green. But the side of the house looks pretty spiffy.

After a couple of hours I was able to go to the "U" bed and mix up some soil amendments that I had to purchase. Not what I was wanting to do, purchase dirt that is, but I can't make enough dirt fast enough for the 'U' bed right now. Anyway, I mixed and planted a few more plants in it.
Peppers and crookneck squash.
Which of course was before the third Growcology class.
Did I mention my seedlings are sprouting?




 This 3rd class was on seeds and gardening. Lots of great information of, when to plant and where to get good seeds.
 There were two Master Gardeners there to give all they could in the time that was allotted to them. But I tell you, I walked away with a bunch of great ideas and things to apply when possible.

I wonder if I will ever get back to making quilts. I am beginning to worry, that maybe  the time is short for it.

Time to Dig

This time I wasn't digging in the dirt which I had done earlier in the day.
This was a different dig.
Last night I had to struggle to do my bible study last minute.
I do not like to do it that way because then I don't enjoy it and I don't have the time to dig.

Ladies who study Gods word 

I was so glad that it was short. Ten verses. Wow, yeah only ten.
1John 1:1-10. Yet I still didn't have nor take the time to dig. But how deep can one dig in ten verses.
Well today I was impressed on how deep one can go. We have some wonderful ladies who LOVE the LORD. They share what they get from Him on a regular basis. I am blessed to be able to hear what the Lord has for them to share with everyone in our group.
Of course, I will tell some, or at least one point that really stuck with me.
When we say we have fellowship with Him and yet we walk in the dark we lie and and do not practice the truth. 1John1:6.
This bothers me for a couple of reasons. I know people like this and I hope I am not like this.

Another thing that poked me today is....
Calling sin what it is. Not just sin, but as an example.... Gossip. And gossip doesn't have to be big but it goes so FAR....

Wonderful Women of God

Did you notice?....
Oh yeah I heard about that ....
Well they are going through some really hard times....
etc.etc.etc.
I call that LaShon Horah. Evil tongue.
This all can alter the way someone else see's a person and it can destroy a soul. It is evil in it's own way. Yet it may not be malicious at all.
Another example is anger, or instant bouts of rage.
I hate when I do this . I need to repent and not do these things , but I am human and I do and I have to repeatedly say I am sorry and try again.
Thank you God , Lord Jesus for the GRACE.

Oh my aching .....

amendments added after sifting

So today I added amendments to part of the raised "U"bed. I found out I need more Dirt than I have.
I live on a pretty good sized lot and I don't have enough dirt. What is wrong with this picture?
I need good soil for growing vegetables in. I don't have enough compost yet from my STASH.
STASH, isn't that a key word that We all have so much of that we don't know what to use it in.?

 (Oh wait that is in fabric terms for us quilters, which I think I still am?...)
Okay well this is dirt and I know we all have plenty of dirt but I need MORE.

never to young to learn

I can't even believe I want more dirt, but I do. I was thinking of how to get it with out it taking to long like compost and also not costing me an arm and a leg.
 I really need to think this one through.
On another note, tomorrow morning I have to make a trip to a friends house to get horse manure, and while I am away I need someone to sit at the homestead to wait for my worms that need to be signed for. Does all this sound nuts? I think it might and this is all so I can get more good DIRT.

SWEET  :)

corn 1 1/2 week apart in planting

Anyway, with all this said I did manage to get a few tomato plants in the "U"bed. We also planted some more corn in Punkin's plot. My daughter's boyfriend contributed to the ranch.
So this is how my community garden has begun.


Has yours been started?

3/27

We were together all day my best friend and I. Today was his birthday.
I made him breakfast and and then sent him outside, where he loves to be when he's home and the weather is sweet. Today it was. Not hot and not cold. Cloudy and just right for working on the ranch.
Okay so it is a small ranch , but we love it.
He has been working since I guess Friday on a raised bed for me. His best friend.

Today after I turned four compost piles, I helped him build it. We are calling it the "U" bed.
It is huge really. Especially with nothing in it. But still. 104 square feet, yeah big.
Anyway, we have always worked well together and today was good. We finished it. Now all I need to do is fill it with more dirt and then , Plants.
Part of why it took three days to build other than age, don't repeat that, is because we have gophers. So we needed to put wire mesh/ screen down. So we spaded it in the shape we wanted. Okay he did.
Then used Ole Trusty , that kept puttering out, not so trusty.
Then put down the wire screen, and put back in the dirt. Then built the raised bed, using 2x6s.
When then bed frame was complete, I went around and filled in the dirt around the frame to cover the screen. I had to work it pretty good so that as time goes by we don't get scatched by the stuff. It could be pretty nasty, if one was scratched by a thin wire that has been in the ground for a few years. So, I crawled around on my hands and knees pounding dirt.
Needless to say, I feel like I have been beat by the hammer right now and I need to go sit in a more comfortable chair. But I just wanted to let you know how my best friends day went. We ended it with one of his favorite meals. Burgers from IN/OUT.
Now that is what I call a win win situation.
I get my raised garden bed and dinner out and he gets to spend the day with his best friend and gets the job done.

needs amendments to fill 

sporting our work belt aprons
made by hope'nmotion

I will let you know when we get to plant in it. It still needs some amendments added.

H.O.P.E.

Helping Overcome Poverties Existences
That's what we're talking about here. That's what we are trying to do in a small sorta way.
We are wanting to help, yet it will take you too, that is if you will. If the Lord leads.

We have been making bags of all sorts and wanting to sell them. We are hoping to be able to give to the people who are in need some of what we get. We need to cover our costs and then go from there as the Lord leads. We have come up with three or four different styles and choices of colors.
My daughter is trying to get approved to sell at the training camps where she was located when she was on the World Race.( This is an eleven month mission trip to eleven countries. This is where Skype comes in real handy and is a much need to stay in touch if possible and sane).
We also would like to be able to give those in need of food and water this season coming up, along with a bible. I have been asking the Lord who is He wanting us to give His word to and I am waiting for His direction.
Anyway, So this last week end my daughter was a 'sew-n-sew'. She went to town. When she wants to do something and makes up her mind to do it, she does good. As God said, "very good".

 We had a good time, Can you tell?

Things to think about

Saturday afternoon, I went to a soil composting class at Growcology. It was very informative.
 I have been throwing my kitchen scrapes in my compost for ever, it seems like. But I haven't been able to get my husband to allow me to save ALL the yard cuttings and weeds that have been hoed. I can't even get him to let me have the Jacaranda leaves from the neighbors tree that fall all over my driveway.

Well at this class of soil composting, the things I learned I really have to think about. I need to some how get him to let me put all of it in my compost pile. I have a very big pile of dirt that has been breaking down over the last two years and we have used some of it for various things we have planted, but the quality is probably not all that great.
I found out that I have way too much penicillin in my pile. That means I have to much citrus and when it molds and breaks down there is penicillin in there that kills everything.  :(
I some how need to enrich the pile of compost now.
I went to the Growcology class and we had hands on composting. We put the greens in and then the browns, and water and mixed, and repeated this several times until the frames were full and then learned another method.
The next method was sheet mulching. Where you just chop up the exiting weeds and wet it down . Put horse manure on it lightly and wet. Put newspaper on next thick and over lapping and wet. Then some more manure and wet. But this time the layer of manure was about an inch thick. Then wood chips or shavings and wet. Then manure and water, wood chips water, etc. About six or seven layers of theses elements. This helps to build up the soil and at the same time  slow or eliminate the weeds. In about six month with moisture but no turning the soil, it is good to plant in.
With about 120 people and all of us doing this , in no time we had a 25- 50 foot long fence line prepared for trees to be planted in.
At the end we were treated to a vermi-compost instruction. Just what I was in need of. I  have ordered my worms as of last week and so excited about the fertilizer that I will be producing from my own home. Just from my garbage. Anyone, anywhere, who really wants to provide minerals for their plants of any kind can do this. Even if they live in an apartment it can be done.
 Anyway I have some things to think about, wouldn't you say?

Punkin's Plot

     So today we went to the nursery and picked out some plants to plant. Since our heirloom seeds haven't arrived yet .

     We had done our home work and found out that raspberry plants DO NOT do well in the heat of our town. We need to be on the coast or in a different state altogether.
     Plan "B" came into play. While we were at the nursery this afternoon, we looked at all the wonderful flowers and veggie plants and came up with these for starters.

     We went to work as soon as we got home and added our amendments to our soil. We had planned out the direction of which way she wanted the plants to go and we went to town.
    
     Oh did I mention plan "B"? Instead of raspberries that she had her heart set on , she decided to plant corn. She said that she wanted to plant corn for 'me'. How Sweet !!! She is the best.

     Anyway, we worked together well and she learned a few things about planting trans-plants. I really think that this is a lesson that she will remember for ever.

     Did I happen to say that this was our own little field trip? Well it was. We walked pulling our little red wagon. We got our plants as well as new garden gloves and there was three of us that went, for the whopping low cost of $21.00. We didn't have to pay traveling costs or parking fees or is it just a one day adventure. This may be one of the best field trips with a triple win win situation. Would that be a win win win situation?

     Any way, we finished  planting the last of the flowers before she had to leave for the weekend.
I believe she would have stayed all weekend if she knew others wouldn't miss her.

     I will plant the rest sometime this weekend , if it doesn't rain the whole time. But I have to remember to go to my 'Growcology' class tomorrow afternoon. Soil/ Composting is the subject. I'll let you know what I find out if you want. Just let me know.

So have you started your summer garden yet? What are you growing this year?

large lizards that freak out my daughter

Out of the mouths of Babes

Okay, so last Thursday I was at a meeting from our homeschool and there was a speaker. Norm Wakefield, from, Spirit of Elijah Ministries. What a great evening of courage. I had to purchase a book he wrote called, 'Equipped to Love , Building Idolatry-free Relationships'.
  Well I have been reading it slowly and trying to take in as much as possible with little bites.
Each day I am tempted with tons of hatred to believe.
I am reminded that I am human and fail miserable, yet I have grace from my Savior who also reminds me to continue to Love, with out expectations.
 I so want to Love others the way Jesus loves. I so want to see how much one is capable of truly loving others. I am ready to keep the heart open to the work the Lord is doing in me. I can see results in small ways already.
Others I think can too, but do not realize it yet.
My death dream is to have something said about how much I loved everyone. If I died today, it wouldn't. I don't do so well, but I want to.
Doesn't that seem crazy. I mean If I was able to love others unconditionally then I wouldn't even think about it, would I? I so want to love like Jesus does.

Tomorrow I am going to my Thursday Summer Bible group,; Well the one that I was going to last summer and we get together sometimes when our regular Women's Bible Study has a break.
So tomorrow we will get together and have intercessory pray for someone or some thing, as well as bring one scripture about God's power that brings hope for that person or thing. This gathering will be themed 'Scriptures of Hope'.
Mind you I have been praying about this since I got the notice. I have searched scriptures and thought about who and or what. Today I mentioned to Punkin that I still didn't know who I should pray for and what bible verse I should bring.

Out of the mouths of babes.

 "I do!"
So I inquired, "You do, what and who?"
" My dad. Pray that he would stop being the fool who builds his house on the sand and that he would build his house on the rock".

aw
aw
aw
"Okay"
 So I got a 3x5 card and wrote it down and the verse is Matthew 7:24-27.
Wow, Out of the Mouths of Babes.

I have been praying off and on for this guy for years and yet I do not like him, But God is showing me how to Love him.

Another Bed...

Today we began another bed. Raised that is. For a new garden plot. This is going to be for Punkin and her dreams of flowers and Raspberries.

We, Punkin and I have discussed the place of this here garden last week and we even designed our gardens on paper. She want flowers and berries. I don't know if we can grow the berries she wants but she is going to learn about them anyway. We will let you know later if we can.

''Trusty''

workin' it

 So Papa and I got out our trusty ole' rotor tiller and began to break up the fallow ground. After we hoed of course. The chickens got greens again today.

We worked the soil and sifted a bit. All after we measured how big to go. 4'x6'...
We put corner supports on even though we have stakes at the corners that are driven into the ground and nailed to the frame. Just a little extra support.

We are very proud of the new bed and are hoping that Punkin will be also.

Can you imagine flowers and berries in there?
How beautiful.....

Warm weather...

         I love this time of year when the weather is just warming up for the day and then at dusk it is all chilly again. I love that when I sit in my house this time of year I am chilled to the bone, until I open the windows and let the warmth from the great out doors comes in. It totally is like "So that is what is out there".
        I love that I can go out and sit in the sun and be so comfortable and not get overheated with a sun burn. Although this week I did get a sun burn.
         I love when I can start placing seedlings out durning the day to get going in the garden.
             That is not quite what we did this week tough.
I actually Planted CARROT seeds in my raised bed, on Wednesday. Whoohoo..  We dug around a bit and stirred the soil up a bit and sifted the dirt a bit and planted a 2'x3' area with carrot seeds. I am so excited about this years crops. I so have big dreams about what is going to happen here this season.
            I will implement what I learn from Growcology, every other Saturday, and bring it on. Right here in my own backyard.
    My last post was some photos of the Growcology garden. It is here in town and it is what I would like my garden to somewhat look like.          Although they at Growcology have much more space, I know I can get pretty close to the same idea.

This week we also started Spinach seeds in seed starter pots. That is for Punkin to tend to durning the week. I will have to make sure it is taken care of over the week ends when she is not around. Not a problem though.

Also this week in this warm weather we were able to go out and sit an observe, our chickens for a science project. Kind of neat to see what a child see's as to what I see. Totally two different views. It is all okay though. All good.

I have seen total growth in these past few weeks here at everestranch. We have shared some really deep thoughts about what makes us ,us.I have heard some things that are not real comforting but glad I was trusted enough to be told. I have felt emotions so deep that I had to turn away from them and keep silent. I have been totally blessed to be loved and learn more about how to love than ever before.        
           I love the way the good Lord does stuff and how He shows me after the fact what He has done.

I am so elated this week, that I just want to go on and on, but it is time to stop and fix dinner for my husband.

 Thanks for stopping by and being interested in my part of the world. Hope yours has been a blessing this week also.