Garden Thoughts

 Gardening is hard work!  I dream of a gazebo for tea parties and craft projects with grands in the garden, and I'd love CORN and melons and tall arches covered with green.  I don't have all of that this year, but living PRESENT with what I have - a chair in the garden - has been a game changer.

Not only does it bring a measure of joy to the work, but it also allows me to really grasp the progress and to celebrate little changes. 

Our ONE zucchini plant

In year's past I'd spend hours each day and see little progress. Having a garden felt unattainable. Admitting I would only use 1/2 the space, and putting down wood chips in that space has made a huge difference.  I also applied a trick I learned homeschooling and managing a home. Setting a routine, or a schedule, brings me peace.  I have 10 raised beds and 4 rows of potatoes. If I weed 2 beds and a row of potatoes a day everything will get done once a week. I can be at peace with stupid grass invading a bed as I know within a week it will be dealt with. 

That sitting in the garden thing - now that the weeds are controlled - I often am able to weed the whole garden in about an hour....so it's all getting touched more than once a week. 

In the process, I've learned something about myself. I like planting and tending, I'm not a great harvester. I like planning beds and envisioning what could be (thus the gazebo dream). I love finding a bed like this....

And seeing THIS after a bit of work. 

In the past, I've let everything grow all season in part to get the absolute most harvest and also because I'm not sure how or when to harvest a lot of things. In the end I really don't care too much about picking and preserving.   I have grown asparagus for 5 years and never harvested it - always letting it go to seed. The process fascinates me. 

THIS year I am making an intentional effort to HARVEST. I've cut the asparagus 4x now. I've harvested leaf lettuce, spinach leaves and kale...and the amazing thing is - it grows back. 

I'm learning it's wisest to plant what we want to eat - not just what grows well. I will never have 12 zucchini plants again! The tomatoes may produce this year....there are flowers. 

I'm trying news things...like STEVIA. It says to dry and powder the leaves and it will be 300x sweeter than sugar. I have 3 plants. I keep eating the leaves....and they ARE sweet without the aftertaste of store purchased stevia. 

Through it all I've realized it's ok to have a favorite part of gardening. Mine is the planning and tending. Of course, it will be best for the garden, and more productive if I also do the parts I don't love...BUT others love harvesting and hate the planning and tending. It seems the apostle Paul talked about this....each of us with our own task in the mission. 

LIGHTBULB moment... this planting and tending seems to transfer over to my spiritual giftings as well. This may be why I've been used in ministry to BEGIN things, to set systems in place...start Bible studies and life groups, start women's ministries, start mom groups, recruit and train teams, establish and participate in mentor groups, stand up a new region of women's ministries for PWOC (military women's ministry)...and I've been thrilled and happy to do each thing. I have NEVER burned out when teaching studies or mentoring groups of women. 

 I've had others ask me HOW I stay motivated when I haven't been able to remain and see the fruit of the labor.  THIS has to be part of it. I truly take joy in casting vision, living life with women and seeing the growth, starting new things.... I've seen harvest.  I do enjoy watching growth and spiritual maturity develop, strongholds broken. Yet, in every area of ministry we've moved on while things were still thriving. We're familiar with a "short growing season" in our ministry.  I've not seen the completion...and that's o.k. I've been faithful with the time I had in each location, and I have LOVED my part in people's stories...and I know things carry on just fine when I'm called to leave. 

I was discussing this with Michael, and he thought it funny I'd not made the connection before. He pointed out this is probably why when others have invited me back to see what is ongoing from my time of ministry in a place, I find myself thinking, "You are STILL doing the same thing 20 years later?"  where others are taking so much pleasure in the fact that what they planted is still doing the same thing. 

And so...I will joy in the planning, planting and tending AND I will be intentional to harvest as well. Even now when it's mostly greens. 

There you have it - deep thoughts from a shallow mind; or deep thoughts from the garden! ::snort:: 

Weeds, Bread and a Debate

 And what was OUR Friday like?  Cory showed up bright and early and cleared a 10 ft radius around our well pump. He also spread weed and feed on the entire yard! 

I was outside before GG woke up pulling weeds in the garden and spraying MORE Vinegar and salt. 

I took a quick look around to see if anything looked like it was dying...and yes...it seemed good to me to douse it all again. I focused on the back area of the yard and the garden walkways... It seems to be shriveling up the dandelions and chick weed. It's not great with grass so probably won't work well to kill the grass under the electric fence (it grows quickly and interrupts the working of the fence). 

Starting to shrivel - another dose sprayed today. 

I continued to play with the fresh flour/bread flour ratio in the artisan sourdough loaves.  

Oh, I came in after a few hours of yard work and watched the presidential debate clips with GG. It turns out it was good Stacia, Michael and Allie were gone. They probably would have gone stark raving crazy. I was happy to sit. I also blogged that "Garden Thoughts" post. 

Allie went out with a friend after work and didn't get home until late. Stacia and I watched several episodes of Scorpion. 

It was, all things considered, a good day. 

A Hard Good Fishing Trip

Michael and Stacia did a hard good today. They went fishing. Fishing was something both of them have most often, and last done, with Josiah. I was sad to stay home with GG and Allie had to work. BUT in the end, I think it was a good thing for these two to make this trip alone.  I didn't get to go with them, but my Bahaman cruise hat did. LOL  

 

Michael hasn't gone fishing, except for dip netting, the last two summers. Hiking much more than a mile can be excruciating for him. The fact that he and I cannot go together due to GG's needs, and the boys' trips involved longer hikes, limited his fishing partners. Stacia bought herself a fishing license and told Michael she would like to go. I suspect both felt the trip was "for the other," but in the end both were blessed. 

The day began with the tradition of packing a lunch which will not be looked at all day. I seem to be the only one who needs sustenance when out fishing. 

A favorite place for Josiah, Jamin and Dayton (youth leader when we were at Elmendorf) was Red Shirt. Michael made several trips up with the boys as well. When we moved back Michael, and the boys went on several overnight trips to Red Shirt - staying in a US Forest cabin.  This involves driving to the Nancy Lake area, hiking in 3 miles and then back out. Mike can do the hike in - he cannot do the hike out the same day.  This limited his fishing trips with the boys the past few summers. An overnight trip was being planned with Josiah, Michael and Krista buying in....it was not to be. 

The plan today was to drive up to South Rolly campground and put the rowboat in. They would see if there were pike at this spot. 

They also rowed up the water trail a bit of the way to see if they COULD get to Red Shirt via water. The conclusion is a paddle board would be a better bet. LOL 

They saw a couple of trout jump - maybe the same one. Both were unimpressed with it's size. They didn't see any pike. 

Stacia put it best - my goal was to spend time with Dad so it was a success.  I was told it was a great day - but it was a hard day. One couldn't help thinking of past fishing trips with Josiah and missing him in this favorite area.